What a downgrade in the food-culture department haha either way I hope you are enjoying your time in the US.

I am the opposite. I even added at the end of the OP that I look forward to returning to the eating culture in the US. HOWEVER, to clarify that more, I do believe that I would enjoy the eating culture here MORE than I would the culture in the US. The issue is just that immediate hump that I'd have to surpass in order to become accustomed to eating in that particular way that I view as one that is very difficult to overcome. It is such a contrast to the way the US has set up the food infrastructure (mostly around cars) that it would be counter productive from a time/money perspective.

I think the way that many people have overcome this is to meal prep, and looking at one of the other comments in this thread from /u/koopzegels I believe it is true.

To all my American friends still out there, figuring out wtf to do with the 2 pound bag of carrots you needed to buy, just because you wanted to add some julienned carrots to your salad at lunch, I see you, and I am impressed with your creative meal-preps to use up those ingredients.

Meal prep is good no matter where you are, but I am beginning to see that it might be a necessity in the US if you are wanting to lose weight / maintain weight loss.