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Managing LCHF when not at home

woollygal

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,485
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Coffee diabetes
So
I’m going to be delivering an in car training day over 3 days. I’m in Kent and I’ve got to go to Basingstoke (the course is training people to be instructors) essentially I’ll be working in a car probably doing most of the driving from 9-4 Monday and Tuesday then the next Monday.

i find long days very hard and struggle with tirednesss. So am a bit worried about doing the day then driving home.
I was planning on driving there on the first Monday staying overnight then driving back Tuesday evening. The second Monday driving there and back in the same day.
Common sense says I shouldn’t because it’s a long drive back and safety wise I need to be safe on the road and it’s a good 66 miles so rush hour quite a long time.
I should be able to get a room for the Sunday on both weeks. But.
My plan was to take all my own food for the Monday so only hotel stuff in the eve. Tuesday would be tricky because I can’t keep my own food cold as no fridges etc.
If I stay over on the second Monday issue is the same.
I could go off plan but then my sugars will swing and I’ll be exhausted and feel illthrough that.

so what do you guys do in this situation? Safety wise staying over on the Sunday is safer but eating wise it’s going to cause it’s own problems.

my other option is to tell them I can’t do it but then I’m letting the diabetes win and I don’t want that. I should be able to do this. I feel completely pathetic that I can’t. But that’s a whole different matter.
 
There are some cool boxes that you can use in cars which work off the car battery - Halfords sell them. Would that be a feasible option?
 
Pouches of flavoured tuna etc are ambient.

Head into a local shop in the morning before work/driving home and buy supplies?
 
Yep, I’d bring canned tuna, kipper snacks, maybe even canned veggies. Don’t forget the opener and a fork.

Or just find a restaurant that serves steak.
 
Cold sausages, cold cooked bacon, cooked chicken, cheese will all keep for a couple of days.
So will some salad items - mini cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, radishes.

Most of these are also available at shops and supermarkets.
In the days when it was safe to go out for the day on the train, I used to pop into a supermarket wherever we ended up and buy a few items.
M&S is always a good place, if you can find one. Shelves and shelves of one/two person items.

I think that sometimes people have a set idea of what constitutes a meal, and forget that finger foods are easy to buy and easy to eat and very healthy.
 
Firstly, @woollygal , assuming you will be in an hotel, it could be worth checking if there will be a frige in your room. TtThat obviously simplifies things a lot.

If you are staying in an old place, with secondary glazing, there will be a built-in (probably very) cool place between the glazing. I used that very thing in an hotel a year or so ago, as it was listed and there was about 10" between - fab for milk and cool drinks!

In the absence of those options, I'd go along with the suggestions already made for ambient/long life foods.

Sometimes we just have to divorce ourselves from what a meal is and what a specific meal is.

In your shoes, I'd make plans to do a couple of carni/fish based days. Maybe have a dry run befre the weekend?

Finally, and there is no way I am trying to deflect you from plans for staying over, but do you know what the localised "rush hours" are like at the moment? I know in these parts rush hours are nothing like they used to be. Will you reasoably get away whilst rush hours are still in play?

I used to do a bonkers, insane, dreadful commute in one job I had. The morning journey would take 4 hours (thankfully not every day! The evening commute was much, much faster as I would never be leaving the office at the rush hour times, pluse my major bottlenecks were half way through the journey (around Cathorp and Cambridge) mainly.

I hope it all goes well. you are right, in my view, to find ways to workaround these extra challenges. For me diabetes is something I just need to work around, but not be controlled by.

Let us know how it all work out, because I'm sure it will.
 
Make some sandwiches such as tuna and store them in the freezer a day before you leave. That way they will stay fresh for a day or so.
 
I am very happy with the selection of olives and antipasti, including cold meats at the local supermarket for lunches. They have supermarkets like M&S and Little Waitrose and Coop in some services too. For dinner, any restaurant that cooks the food fresh works for me. Usually, I ask them to swap out the potato side for extra green vegetables.
 
One of my friends used to (pre covid) ask them to store her special milk in the hotel's kitchen and they would bring it out for breakfast so they may store single portion wrapped cheeses plus some plain greek yogurts for you?
For dinner, most places will swap a green veg or salad instead of potatoes or rice.
In addition to tinned fish/meat and vegs I had a few easy extras for when away from home.
Take mini tubs of real UHT cream for coffees or buy some dried coconut milk.
I would make some almond butter balls, flavoured with cocoa or orange peel and rolled in coconut flour.
Almond 90s bread doesn't keep well as it goes a little dry but is fine with cheese on day 2 if you wrap it in paper when warm.
You can make or buy broccoli crisps as an extra veg and take dried raspberries for dessert.
Hardboiled eggs in the shell will keep overnight out of the fridge, as will mini cucumbers and tomatoes.
 

Hi there, you say there is no fridge but is this in a hotel? What you can do is request a fridge for your 'diabetes'. I have done this before although I make the request for the sake of my insulin and they have ALWAYS brought up a proper little fridge instead of the room one which is sometimes not as cold as a normal fridge. You could simply say you require a fridge for your 'diabetes supplies', my belief is that they have to supply one under the rules (disability, albeit that may not necessarily stretch to solely someone's food but it's worth a try ) but most are probably accommodating anyway and I should think most hostelries have a few in store. x
 
In my last job, I travelled all over the country and I stayed regularly at hotels, mostly premier inn. They are reasonably priced up until the covid pandemic. They include a breakfast with the room, and it's really good! Plenty to eat and low carb.
If you speak to the manager, chef or when you book, I assure you they will be very understanding of how you want to feed yourself. Even evening meals wine freshly cooked, my usual in the evening is a gammon and egg, which is freshly cooked in a modern oven which grills the meat, the eggs can be poached or fried in good fats (not vegetable oils) or steamed. At some premier inns, there is a beefeater restaurant, if you enjoy steak, possibly a salad, Breakfast can be freshly cooked bacon or if you are vegan, there will be options.
I have never had any problems travelling as long as you prepare your travelling food before hand, dairy is useful.
I don't know if you can, but if travelling in the morning, I used to fast until I got to the hotel, just having tea or coffee long the way.

If you are only travelling under 100 miles, prepare a few bites, enough to last four hours in case you get stuck and take plenty of bottled water, make sure you have enough meds for the trip.

If there is a near lockdown, the roads should be quite clear, I would not travel Friday afternoon unless you really have to! Plan your journey!

Keep safe
 
Daphne917 said:
There are some cool boxes that you can use in cars which work off the car battery - Halfords sell them. Would that be a feasible option?
Click to expand...
At a guess I’m thinking it would drain the battery if the car wasn’t moving which it wouldn’t be overnight. I guess potentially I could charge during the day and keep ice blocks in overnight to try and regrée et.
 
HSSS said:
Pouches of flavoured tuna etc are ambient.

Head into a local shop in the morning before work/driving home and buy supplies?
Click to expand...
I can. It’s more keeping me going for a long journey home.
Since lockdown I’ve reduced my hours and it’s helped but I still do get tired quicker and the 4pm ish slump is still a problem. Not so much when I’m working locally because I eat breakfast later as start later. But if I’m eating at 5.30am and driving home around 4.30pn that will be an issue for energy.
Only thing I might do is eat a bread roll about 4 ish then in the car so it keeps me going but tiredness is still a problem.
 
LaoDan said:
Yep, I’d bring canned tuna, kipper snacks, maybe even canned veggies. Don’t forget the opener and a fork.

Or just find a restaurant that serves steak.
Click to expand...
During the day we break for food but others will be with me. Mostly it will be supermarket cafes etc if I’m
Lucky which is usually carbs carbs and more carbs
 
I’m fine with that but how do I keep them cool overnight so they don’t go off. Also I’m not sure if they’d be ok in a car boot till I eat them without a cold box
 
It’s the m25 mostly do rush hour is normal I think. This morning I checked at 6.30am and it was 1.20 hr so probably be the same if not more for coming home.

I’ve emailed person who organises to ask about fridge. That would solve most things. Might see if I can get hotel to freeze my cool block which would help as well. Meals locally aren’t an issue I just eat what I eat.
funnily enough my food needs have gone up since it’s gotten colder. What I was eating which wasn’t a lot a few weeks ago durant work anymore. I now have to add chicken wing and meatballs to the mix to include in the day. Something has definitely changed.

it’s more how to manage it to keep energy up. Even if my sugars are good all day I get to late afternoon and if I’ve eaten breakfast too early doesn’t matter if I eat all day I run out of steam. last week it happened driving back from Bexley on m25 and did not enjoy that. that was only 25 mins. Having to do that for slot longer I would t want to do. The next day I had sweets in the car and ate a bread roll just in case. I was fine then. So think I’ll do the same but I’ll need to time it right then eat in car to stop a slump. Not ideal but have to drive safely.

I just never have got around this kate afternoon issue. Other than starting later so I eat breakfast later. I won’t let diabetes change things but I really don’t want to run out of steam driving home. I’m really not safe.
 
Sadly not premier inn. I’ve looked and can’t find menu online. i emailed organise to see if rooms have fridges. Will ask as well about menus.
cabt think of the name. Think it’s IHG chain?
 
Daibell said:
Make some sandwiches such as tuna and store them in the freezer a day before you leave. That way they will stay fresh for a day or so.
Click to expand...
I follow LCHF so sarnies are out I’m afraid. As emergency Id have a bread roll in car but if I ate bread in the day as sandwiches I’d never be able to drive home. The spikes and swings in my sugars would be exhausting.
Having a bread roll on way home I can sleep it off overnight and reset for the morning
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. Everything you’ve said works great when I’m local. Before about a month ago I was eating little. Now needs have gone up but I’ve adapted and I manage. It’s the longer drive longer day and staying away from home

I’ve never managed to overcome the late afternoon slump and that’s going to be the time I’m driving home.
I’m asking what days are available to book room for. Might be safe on last day to stay over Sunday so not driving early Monday then back home Monday. I’d rather not as I lose my home day but safety first.
Although someone idea of fasting till I get there then going somewhere to have breakfast might be a plan.
I’ve been away but not working.
It’s the keeping the mind and body going long enough to drive back given ill probably ge driving most of the day trashing.
 
woollygal said:
Sadly not premier inn. I’ve looked and can’t find menu online. i emailed organise to see if rooms have fridges. Will ask as well about menus.
cabt think of the name. Think it’s IHG chain?
Click to expand...

IHG is the Hilton bunch, I think
 
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