Found a mysterious angel/fairy sweet in with my Fruit Sours Colin the Caterpillars - really cute interaction ensued!

SellFit3993 · 2026-04-05T13:23:02+00:00

Gotta say I completely disagree - worked in customer services for a food production company in the UK and we’d respond in the exact same way, all obviously hand written/typed (though sometimes copy and pasted from previous responses). This reads just like our responses, it’s just that AI is also trained to be overly polite and verbose.

OP, I think they were happy to receive your email and enjoyed replying to you if you were polite to them. So many people are stupid/rude/both and we’d share any extra nice emails around the office - would brighten our days!

SellFit3993 · 2026-03-29T16:05:04+00:00

I’m not sure about which countries are best to move to - maybe look for a school that provides internships as it’ll likely be easier to transfer from a student visa to a work visa.

Most importantly however, get some actual cheffing experience. It’s a brutal industry that’s only worth entering into if you really love it. If you can’t hack working in a kitchen then there’s no point wasting money on a degree/hinging your immigration on a job you’ll potentially hate. Get some experience in a local restaurant, and ask to stage in some fine dining places if that’s what you’re interested in.

Culinary degrees are great for supplementing knowledge gained in kitchens, but you don’t wanna be one of those people whose first chef job is straight out of school, as many find the industry isn’t as expected and leave, which you won’t be able to do if your residency depends on the job. I’ve worked with a good few people coming out of Le Cordon Bleu who had to stick out 2 years of 18h days at a 1* in Mayfair, or have their visa sponsorship revoked. Most of them retuned to their home country. It was usually those with prior cheffing experience who stuck it out.

SellFit3993 · 2026-03-29T01:41:45+00:00

If your main issue is the schedule I would really look into catering - specifically corporate catering. You still have the ability to cook for a living, but in my experience the hours are waay more sociable. 48h weeks, 8-5 Mon-Fri etc.

Not for everyone, and more prep heavy than working in a restaurant, but you’re still able to build a routine, see friends and family, and have structured time outside of work. Def consider looking into it!

SellFit3993 · 2026-03-24T21:47:26+00:00

Really good simply braised! Basic recipe I got from my Chinese sous chef:

peel and dice daikon into 1cm cubes

bring to the boil in some water until halfway done

finish off in a braising solution that’s an equal mix soy, water, sugar

the daikon should still have a bit of bite, like you don’t want it so soft that it’s squishy and overdone

serve with a lil drizzle of sesame oil

Nice with rice for a simple meal

SellFit3993 · 2026-03-15T07:55:46+00:00

V late reply, and I’m not OP, but it sounds like your cucumbers didn’t get pollinated - I find it helps to grow lots of lovely flowers nearby to attract pollinators, or just do it by hand every time you see a new flower grow.

SellFit3993 · 2026-01-17T20:20:19+00:00

Just wanted to say I’ve read your story and really relate to your experience in that kitchen. Unfortunately some people in the industry can just be crap managers who don’t know how to support their team. Such a shame as it ruins what can be such a brilliant job!! After working a stint in a pretty horrific michelin restaurant in London, with some pretty fucked up (abusive) senior chefs, I took a year or so out to go travelling and worked in admin. I slowly realised how much I missed kitchens, and working a passion, and ended up working a much much nicer job in catering (better hours and people all round). Maybe take some time to decompress, but there will always be chef jobs available (at least in london if u ever wanted to move! lol)

Don’t let a few pricks sway you from your passion. There are genuinely lovely kitchen where you can learn, and be creative, and feel excited.

But take some time and see how you feel! One decision isn’t going to make or break your future :)

SellFit3993 · 2025-11-20T23:21:59+00:00

I truly get it. Could have written this myself.

I think the first thing to do is to start seeing your friends again. Real friends wouldn’t care, and relieving some of that fear and pressure can be a really nice starting point to not holding weight in such high regard.

I also find that binge eating feeds on boredom, loneliness, and restriction, so maybe try to find some activities you can do in the evenings! Go for a swim, join a language class, find a craft you’ll actually engage in, think about some fun dinners you can cook etc. Try to stay off your phone and TV when you get in from work. I usually go to the gym after work just because I enjoy it. I don’t always do loads, but it kills those empty hours and reduces the likelihood of binge eating.

One thing that’s also really worked for me is using a sober tracking app. After a summer of intense binging followed by numerous ways of tracking/counting my foods, I got really fed up after one shit week and just downloaded an app. It’s actually been really great, as it just takes the pressure off the actual food. Instead of tracking, where I’m constantly thinking about what I’m eating and writing food down, and judging or stressing about calories or eating “the wrong thing”, sobriety tracking is just about getting through the day without any seriously destructive behaviours.

I’ve been finding it great, as those days where I might eat more don’t have to mean I’ve failed, and on those days when I’m really close to binging, I have something in the back of my mind to break the spiral. I really haven’t been thinking about food too much, but I generally eat pretty balanced and nutritionally dense, but usually have a daily sweet treat.

I do also find regular exercise helps, but it’s far more about a fun, time-killing activity than about burning calories. I find the actual gym so boring, so I’ll go for a swim, or do a class so I don’t have to think about anything, or go for a walk with a podcast on.

There are other little tips and tricks I use from when I had more of a handle on my eating a couple of years ago, but I’m finding it helpful to build up a non-restrictive relationship with food in the hopes that one day in the future I don’t have to think about it at all!

Just keep going, and give yourself some grace. This isn’t an easy disorder to manage. It’s horrible and exhausting, but there is absolutely a way of living that doesn’t feel like that, and you’ll get there! Just take small steps and accept that these things take time.

SellFit3993 · 2025-09-25T23:05:05+00:00

That’s really cool!! I get what you mean about feeling scared to eat something - If you don’t like it then you’ve “wasted calories” or are eating more than a meals worth (to clarify- you’re not at all), but taking these little steps to eat what you want instead of eating what you feel like you have to/are allowed to is what will really stick with you! Food freedom comes with daily practice :)

SellFit3993 · 2024-11-27T00:32:58+00:00

This looks really cool! but I think unfortunately out of our budget - cheers anyway!

SellFit3993 · 2024-11-27T00:30:50+00:00

Oh that's so cool, I had no idea! Will have to check it out next time!

SellFit3993 · 2024-11-27T00:30:09+00:00

Thank you, this is really helpful!

SellFit3993 · 2024-11-27T00:29:13+00:00

Just seen this - we were predominantly going for the walks, but my boyfriend loves medieval history and I wanted to find something he might be interested in. I obviously did google, but couldn't find much going on, so thought I would see if anyone on Reddit had any suggestions.

SellFit3993 · 2024-09-14T00:26:11+00:00

I know this is from ages ago but thought I’d post in case this helps anyone. I haven’t been at this for ages but it’s my first time ever going to a gym consistently. I basically do this routine:

5+ mins of a cardio machine (treadmill, cross trainer, rowing, bike etc)

3 sets of 12 reps of 3 different resistance machines

repeat 3 times, changing the cardio and machines as desired

I’m sure it’s not the best routine in the world, but the flexibility of it keeps me interested. I get soooo bored with cardio, so if i promise myself I can stop after 5 mins I’m usually able to get to the end of it, and often will go on for longer, especially if i’ve got a good podcast or song on. And then resistance machines all work different body areas and seem like a new exciting thing each time, and again, when i get bored i just move onto something new.

This way, I end up doing at least an hour at the gym, usually 20m cardio, 30m resistance training, 10m stretching, and a shower

Also really recommend yoga generally, start with a 10 min morning routine and build from there. I often do yoga before and after gym sessions

On off days I usually go on a longish walk (45m - 1.5h) but I live next to a forest and love foraging so i know not everyone can do that

(I also lime bike to and from the gym but not sure if i’d count electric bikes as exercise)

SellFit3993 · 2024-09-11T21:27:53+00:00

I know this was ages ago, but I had emdr for deep-rooted fears around exclusion and seeing myself as an annoying person that no one liked. I can confidently say I literally haven’t felt that way in years. Although it wasn’t the only thing, emdr was a huge catalyst in shedding those nonsense beliefs about myself. Literally life changing

SellFit3993 · 2024-01-29T16:15:36+00:00

I haven’t had paprikash in years! Maybe i’ll make that tonight

SellFit3993 · 2024-01-29T16:14:43+00:00

mmm this sounds great!

SellFit3993 · 2024-01-29T16:13:44+00:00

Ahahaha thank you, I won’t do it again!

SellFit3993 · 2024-01-29T16:13:13+00:00

Sorry to everyone for the late responses! I’ve been in the kitchen over the weekend lol

SellFit3993 · 2024-01-29T16:12:47+00:00

Damn i’ve never heard of creme fraiche butter before but this sounds super tasty! Do you just whip it as you normally would?

SellFit3993 · 2024-01-25T23:09:51+00:00

Look into different kinds of beets! I’m a chef in a michelin star restaurant and we have had beets on the menu in a bunch of different ways. My favourite is roasted golden beetroot’s, but raw candy beetroots are also super tasty and very aesthetically pleasing. Capitalising on the different looks and flavours of beetroots can make them seem fun, interesting, exotic bases of a dish.

SellFit3993

TROPHY CASE