I was in Portland all week for a professional development opportunity and I had no access to a kitchen. I had to get creative since I could not rely on my meal prepping and routine. Above are some of the images that actually fit with my caloric restrictions (currently in a deficit).
How I ate + Some strategies:
•Breakfast stayed the same as what I have at home: black coffee and a banana 110 calories every morning.
• Again, similar to home, I kept lunch at around 500-600 calories. There were food trucks arrive block away from the conference center with lots of options. For lunch I leaned towards cold and fresh. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I had tofu fresh rolls with peanut sauce (not pictured, 560 cal) and Thursday and Friday I had avocado, sweet potato, and asparagus sushi (pictured, 510 cal).
• Dinners were 700-800 calories. I always sought out dishes heavy in vegetables. Most of the portions were reasonable, and those that weren't I took half home. Some dishes I had: breaded tofu ceaser salad (650-700 calories), Polenta and bean bowl loaded with veggies (800 cal), and potato + leek stuffed roti with caramelized onions (750 cal)
• I tried to model to the best of my ability the size of meals I had a home, and the times I'd normally have them and I think that helped a lot. I never felt too hungry and the food I had was delicious, so I genuinely didn't feel like I was missing out on some of the famous Portland junk food I'd eat previously to my lifestyle change.
• if you haven't figured it out yet, I'm plant based! I eat some seafood, but very rarely, and I can't have dairy at all, so I'm functionally vegan most days. This is honestly a huge +1 advantage to staying within my caloric goals as I'm not factoring in some of those high caloric foods like cheese, milk, or meat. And yes, I get plenty of protein.
Anyways, I weigh myself tomorrow to see how I really did, but I hope these tips helped!
by bananabeanzz