Just starting - Have some big questions!

(Scott) #1

Hey everyone!
I’m starting tomorrow. I was on keto before and dropped 20 pounds in 1 week (part of that was the really bad runs I had, I was severely dehydrated).
Anyway, I’ve got my 3 month keto journal (I love writing over using my phone to track things). One thing I love about Keto is that I feel no hunger. I went 50 hours on a fast last time, and it didn’t even make a dent.

Anywho! I have a big question for you members here! I’m going to the detention academy for a month starting next month (March 11th I think…1 year and 4 months after actually working as a detention officer hahahahaha). How do I stick to Keto up there? I am required to be there in the barracks for 5 days a week. They have food and stuff. I’ll have to ask my older bro how the food is up there (he’s a current patrol officer who started in detention, so he went through it).

I guess my question is this: what should I do if I end up with a dinner that is some casserole filled with carbs? I’m not as my house, so I can’t just cook my own food. Should I just chew on a bunch of beef jerky and pickled asparagus from the store? What do you guys and gals think?

Anyway, I appreciate any help you can give me. I’m looking forward to contributing to and learning from everyone!!! Thanks you for listening :slight_smile:

(Laurie) #2

Hi Scott! Beef jerky and pickled asparagus would be fine, at least some of the time. Are you able to go to the store every day, or are you stuck in barracks? Here are some ideas:

Pack a small cooler or small freezer bag at home, containing an ice pack or two. Add some cheese, cooked sausages, slices of home cooked roast, chicken legs, cooked bacon, 0 carb salami, etc. Maybe some celery sticks or other veg. The ice pack will only last a day or so, but it will get you started. If you pack some things frozen (e.g., frozen cooked meat), they will last a bit longer. Some stores sell frozen ice packs that can help you last into the week.

In a separate bag or box, take some canned salmon (don’t forget your can opener), canned sardines, pork rinds, etc., for later in the week. Maybe some olive oil or coconut oil if you think you’ll need extra fat.

If you’re allowed to go to the store during the week, you can buy some things there as well.

If you plan carefully, you should be able to last the five days. Good luck!

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #3

Apart from getting soft, butter doesn’t need refrigeration, so if you have a container full, you could save room in your cooler for something else. Seltzer tastes just as good to be at room temperature as it does chilled, and between that and coffee it ought to be possible to stay hydrated. At the rate I use heavy cream it doesn’t really need refrigeration, either. In your situation, I’d be eating a lot of pepperoni and pork rinds! :grin:

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #4

I would pack a bunch of cans of tuna (or pouches with flavoring added if that’s your thing), beef jerky, canned meat, vienna sausages, pork rinds, pepperoni sticks, jars of old english cheese. Basically anything that doesn’t need refrigeration. Then plan to eat at the cafeteria unless it’s something like spaghetti, then break into your stash. Hopefully breakfast will always have meat/egg and maybe lunches you can eat the meat off the sandwiches, forage on what’s low carb, then supplement as needed. I also jam a handful of half and half creamers from the gas station into my coat pocket every time I can because they aren’t refrigerated.

(Scott) #5

Thank you for all the advise! Thankfully, I can do whatever I want after 5 pm, so I’m going to be stopping by the store for sure.

I’m going to pack non perishable items like canned tuna and chicken, pepperoni sticks, pork rinds, etc. I’m also going to take some pickled asparagus (I love that stuff). Since I can go to the store, I’m going to go a few times a week (I’m joining an mma gym up there for the month, I train in BJJ and muay thai) so I can stop down after that.

PetaMarie - I’m going to look into the jars of old English cheese. Never actually heard of them, but they sound wonderful!

My brother asked me today why I’m not waiting to start keto until after the academy. Honestly, I see it like a test. If I can stick to keto throughout the academy, spending 5 days a week away from home at the barracks, then I can stick to keto through anything.

I think breakfast should be fine. My brother said they do sausage, bacon, eggs, and things like that every morning. So I’ll probably just eat eggs with hot sauce (love me my frank’s hot sauce with 0 carbs) and a bit of meat on the side.

If worse comes to worse, I used to do OMAD with Keto (eating one meal a day), so I know I can eat breakfast and if the rest of the meals are bad, I just fast!!!

I’ve already started. I feel great right now. Ate 1 oz of onions (2.9 carbs), 1 oz of sharp cheddar, 3 eggs, and 2 slices of bacon. Came in at about 500 calories. I love not feeling hungry.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #6

Here’s what you’re looking for and the nutrition info if you’re interested. Also you’re left with the cutest little jar to use when you’re finished.

Kraft Old English Cheese Spread
shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcQjUpKUCxpCW7vhins2sRHER8gUxuKJmMVIcIGs39A11Ynt2dswqA&usqp=CAc2400×2400

Kraft Old English Cheese Spread
shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcQYnblpsydRV8lIHBxffT3S5L_flPJWyICZXVPL26-aWpclskEJEA03EdKSq8uVI5Z8wY-bYy6TVfYsUh-jNZnRmtEU-q6jcg&usqp=CAc1723×955

#7

When my wife cooks I’m always improvising, thankfully she mainly does some meat and veggies or salad so it isn’t too hard. I just avoid potatoes, carrots and corn. And add butter or olive oil.

But in case of emergency I carry a bunch of canned fish in the trunk of my car: sardines, salmon, kippers, … whatever is on special. I use them at work or home when I can’t improvise my way through a complex meal.

I also have nuts, almonds, pecan, walnuts, … they can be carby but they help.

I carry avocado’s too but they only last a day or three.

At work I also have cheese in the fridge as well as cream for coffee.

Not sure if any of that helps you but I hope it does.

Cheers.

(Scott) #8

I’m really liking the carb count on that!!! Maybe dip a pepperoni stick into the cheese :slight_smile: I swear, saying things like that make me sound like I’m eating horrible. But I’m not! That’s what I love about keto. That and never really feeling hungry. It’s night and day switching from carbs to fats for me.

I will pick up a number of those. Sounds excellent. Thank you :slight_smile:

(Scott) #9

Very helpful, actually. As far as nuts, I tend to stay away from them because I can get carried away and they do have some carbs.

You know, something just occurred to me: I might not need a fridge. I could use my car’s trunk. I’m in Montana, and, I’d have to look week to week at the weather, but March can get below 0 even during the day. We tend to have late winters here.

I LOVE sardines with a bit of yellow mustard :slight_smile: Definitely doing canned chicken, canned tuna, canned sardines, canned salmon for up there. I might get some little packets of mayo, too. I’ll have to look at the carb count, but I think that could work. (I’m staying under 20 TOTAL carbs per day, not just net). But I track every carb.

Thanks for the advice!!!

(Running from stupidity) #10

Jars of cheese?

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #11

That is very admirable. But if something should happen to prevent you from staying keto at the academy, that wouldn’t necessarily reflect badly on you. Keep your larger purpose in mind, and remember that in the context of a long-term life change, a couple of not-ideal weeks are just a speed bump, not a disaster. Determination to do your best is a very good thing; but beating yourself up if things fail to go according to plan is not.

That said, I have an intuition that no matter how things work out at the academy, you’re going to do just fine.