Help .....Atkins related

[Meriweather]

DH started today.
He has to take a lunch to work.
I thought I packed a lot......but I guess not enough
When I stopped by with a package at 1:00, he'd eaten everything and was hungry.
He doesn't get home for dinner until 7:30.
No grocery stores around.

So how much and what do you suggest for lunch and snacks to get him through his long days?

TIA

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

How long is he at work?
With my DH if he's working an 8hr shift- he just eats right before he leaves, takes one meal with him, and eats when he gets home (unless he's going straight to bed- which he usually doesn't do right when he gets home).

However, when he's working 10+ (up to 18hrs sometimes!!!) shifts- he takes more meals than just one! Usually 2 meals and some "snacky" items in case he's hungry for more than those 2 meals.

He uses the divided long narrow tupperware container things (LOL) and just puts meat in the middle (depends on what meat he wants), his veggies that he takes to work are usually either green beans or spinach (frozen/microwavable), and usually some tomato and onion slices- sometimes a hunk (1-2oz) of cheese. If he takes 2 meals- they'll both be like that. The "snacky" items are another container with some cheese in a ziplock baggy, boiled eggs, and recently even took some vienna sausages (the jalapeno kinds) with more slices of tomato and onions or maybe some peppers he's "pickled" himself.
He has his meal with 2 cups salad when he's eating at home. Although sometimes if he didn't eat his salad at home he'll even put the salad in a baggie and he eats it with vinegar which he keeps some at work- so he just took the salad, baggie with cheese in it since he likes to eat it on the side- not grated on the salad, and used the vinegar to have his salad at work with that meal.

I'm not sure if your husband has a place to keep things cold though? If not, that might make it a lot harder!!!

Other snacks that might not be the greatest (because processed meats tend to be higher in sodium and/or nitrites and can cause stalls on weightloss- but then again don't for others and some men especially will probably do fine with them in moderation) would be things like slim jims or other "meaty" snacks that won't go bad if they aren't kept cold- ie: kept on his person so he can snack on them while at work without having to go get it from the fridge or locker or whatever.

Sometimes if he thinks he's going to be working a long shift- he'll also take a tiny little container (about 2 tbsp) with natural SF peanut butter in it- with a baggie of cut celery to go with it. Then he can snack on celery/PB when he feels like he needs to.

I also try to make sure he takes enough (like you obviously are doing ) because I don't want him to not eat TOO LITTLE. He can't eat the same as me (and I think he's trying to! I'm small bone structured and only 5'2!! LOL) he's bigger, way more muscular and ofcourse gets way more of a workout each day than I do- at work and at home. His job is very physical. If he skips meals or doesn't eat enough it might not only slow his weightloss but just plain not be healthy for him and make him weak/etc. He's eating under 20 carbs because he's not much of a veggie eater (which is why he eats the tomatoes and onions too because he has way plenty allowance on carbs to do so -and still stay under 20 carbs) but I still don't think he's eating enough. I did fitday on him one day recently and he'd only eaten 1800 carbs! I really don't think that's enough for a man of his size- which really is mostly muscle! He doesn't have all that much to lose in fat. So I'm trying to get him to eat more.

I hope this helps in some way!

 

[nativetxn]

Your husband is going to be ravenous for about 5 days, at least <i>my</i> was that way.

I sent individual packages of string cheese, small containers of egg salad and tuna. Cooked bacon, cooked sausage patties and deviled eggs.

If you can find beef jerky made without sugar this is a wonderful thing to send for him because you really have to chew hard to eat it and when it rehydrates you feel very full.

I tool 0 carb slices of ham (like from the deli, but watch the labels carefully some ham has sugar) and I would spread cream cheese on the slice of ham and roll it up--sometimes I add cucumber slicers so he would have a crunch.

I would send cucumber slices and spreadable cheese with him too. He just put the cheese on th cucumber slice, like dip on a cracker. Brats and hot dogs with no bun are great too.

I sent enough food with him so that he could have a decent sized snack every two hours if he needed to, because he was severely diabetic and had to be careful about that.

My husband has a fridge and microwave available at his office so anything he didn't eat got sent home. If your husband does not have a fridge available, get him some of that tuna that is vacuum packed in foil and buy some of those little individual sized mayo packets to send with him.


3B, I think we may be related, I think my middle name is also verbosity

 

[nativetxn]

And don't forget the individual sized containers of sugar free jello, they help with a sweet tooth.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

I also forgot to mention how hungry they will be when first starting! Thanks for mentioning that since I'm so forgetful. LOL

Also, just my personal opinion but I don't recommend any SF treats whatsoever while in induction. It might help the sweet cravings but really that is part of what Atkins induction is all about- to get OVER those cravings. Giving in to them can really cause you to never lose those cravings and then what happens if you realize that the SF treats cause you to have slower weightloss or worse- stalled? Then you have to start all over basically- I mean on trying to kill the sweets cravings.
In fact- that might be why my husband quit the first time he attempted Atkins. I didn't know as much about Atkins back then when we started together and I bought SF Atkins bars and I only took a bite because I didn't like them- but he'd eat the rest. And even though it was one every other day or so- that might be why he was still craving sweets, cereal with sugar/etc. and ended up quitting- while I didn't. I had beaten my HUGE chocolate/sweets craving by that time (almost 2wks is when he quit the first time).

He recently started again- almost 2wks ago (and has lost over 12lbs already) and this time NO SF treats- he's not having any cravings or problems at all this time.

I later tried having SF jello- but I found that anything with ANY artificial sweeteners (even splenda or davinci) stalls me. It so sucks to be me sometimes. LOL

 

[Meriweather]

Okay...he is gone from the house for 12 + hours
He does have a frig and microwave available.

Today (first day).......he had 3 eggs and 4 slices bacon for breakfast.
I sent him chicken salad rolled in ham and lettuce leaves (using the menu plan for induction from the Atkins book), cucumber slices with cayenne sprinkles, 2 slices bacon, a hard boiled egg, cheese cubes, pork rinds and sf jello (but I shouldn't send that??).

All gone by 1:00...........I'll try sending more tomorrow.

And he is a big guy........6'4".

Thanks for your help.