Does your job contribute to your weight gain?

Nads36

Hi all, does anyone feel their job contributes to their weight gain? I teach however I am a lone worker so I find I don't eat at set times but end up eating lots when really hungry and if I find I've had a bad day I end up reaching for sugary foods! How do you manage your eating and exercise alongside your demanding jobs?
Thanks in advance!

rebbrebb

I work at a movie theater so I definitely feel that my job has contributed a lot since I always go for popcorn and a small courtesy cup of soda during my breaks. What helped me was to start packing my own lunches and bringing my own water, it helped me to stop eating so much of the bad stuff there!

usmcmp

My previous job always had lots of treats sitting around and I found it hard to avoid them. My current job isn't nearly as bad.

If you teach at a school they should be allowing you a few minutes to eat a lunch. There are teachers unions out there that have put policies in place to ensure the mental and physical health of teachers. Talk to whoever is in charge about your need for a set eating time. Eating a hearty breakfast may help hold you over as well.

JLG1986

I actually think my current job has been helpful with my weight and fitness (they bought me a standing desk, and the company has several miles of walking trails on the property) but I can definitely commiserate with you based on past jobs where the stress, inactivity, or just plain exhaustion drove me to make poor food choices, overeat, and not work out.

Hope you can negotiate with your job to get better meal and break times! Or...sometimes...we just need to take these things - you say you're a lone worker, so I'm not sure if you're an independent contractor or teaching for a regulars school, but if you have an employee handbook that would help know what you have a right to as far as meal times and breaks. I have to force myself to take the breaks that I am entitled to at work, and trust me, no one is stopping by to say "remember to take your 20 minute P.M break!" (wish they would. volunteers?)

One thing I find helps is a small low-carb breakfast with plenty of fat and protein (easiest weekday favorite? Cold grilled chicken and a sharp cheddar cheese stick with an apple) - it slows down my hunger until I eat a good lunch, and then look forward to a hearty, stick to your ribs dinner. I know this is totally backwards to conventional diet wisdom, but hey, CICO!

cwolfman13

I have a desk job, so it could if I let it...but I don't let it. I brown bag my breakfast, lunch, and snacks...I also religiously follow my training programs (except when injured). My exercise/training is planned out and scheduled...I look at it just as I would any other obligation that I have, not some extra thing.

brynnsmom

No, work is not my problem. I walk in the tunnels before the day starts and at lunch, and avoid the cookies, cakes and candy dishes. My weight problems are more due to wine and PM snacking. And wine.

Melionfire

I am a teacher as well but on mat leave. I have a really hard time sticking to things when I am teaching. My days are so full and even breaks are rushed cause there is so much to do. Add in the birthday cakes and baked treats in the staff room almost every day and it is a recipe for weight gain. I am hoping that once I go back I stick to my healthy habits. I strated meal planning and prepping and freezing things in bulk to make healthy choices a no brainer.what I will have to do is figure out how to get my but put of.bed earlier to fit a workout in before having to get my kids ready for the sitter and school which is a big challenge. For now I am happy to have the time off to get back into shape. Stay strong and remember the goal whenever you feel lack of motivation.

rachelr1116

My job itself isn't a problem but the people I work with look for any excuse to bring in food to share with everyone (birthdays, new babies, new puppies, new cars, work anniversaries). Almost every day there are bagels, doughnuts, cookies, etc. sitting on the counter. Rarely do people bring in fruit or veggie trays. I used to sit a lot closer to the food counter and would find myself grabbing things just because they were there. Now I avoid the counter but I still have people come by my desk and say "you'd better go get some of the food before it's gone!" and I'm always telling them I'm fine without whatever food because I pack my own lunch or already ate breakfast.

Oishii

My job isn't a problem. I'm a teacher too, but I walk to school and there is quite a distance from my classroom to many other places I need to go. There is a lot of food provided throughout the day, but there is a healthy option and it's up to me whether I take it or not.

My job is one reason why I choose a small deficit, as I don't want to be in a hunger-induced bad mood when I'm at work.

kschwab0203

brynnsmom wrote: »

No, work is not my problem. I walk in the tunnels before the day starts and at lunch, and avoid the cookies, cakes and candy dishes. My weight problems are more due to wine and PM snacking. And wine.

Ahhh! This is my problem too!!! Wine and eating late or eating crap on the weekends after wine.

marsocwarrior

My biggest problem for sure. Truck driver so I know it was due to my work. Luckily I'm back in the game and at a healthy weight just takes a ton of motivation

sharunza

Kind of. I am a lawyer, and often I am in court all day. No time to pee, much less get lunch. So I'll get home and eat whatever's in front of me. I've had success with bringing almonds to eat at lunchtime, and it helps keep me from bolting down food later in the day.

As for wine, I also find that can derail me. I'm doing Sober October to try and get away from liquid calories.

Machka9

I work in an office and have a desk job ... so no, it doesn't contribute to my weight gain at all.

Why not? Because I am free to eat what I want to eat, and I'm free to get up and climb the stairs several times a day, and I'm free to go for a long walk at lunch as well as walking as part of my commute to and from work. Plus I can do whatever I want after work so I choose to exercise with a portion of my evening.

kekeke123

I feel like all my jobs have helped me lose weight. I currently work at mcdonald's so it keeps me on my feet/walking/not eating for several hours.

EricaH7

I feel that my job definitely contributed to my weight gain, but not because of the job itself, because of the workgroup I am in and the need to feel included. I am the only girl in the group and the whole group goes out for lunch to different bars everyday. I probably gained 15 pounds over a year of working here. When I started my weight loss journey I definitely started missing out on the eating out and bar food everyday. But now that I am down 20 pounds I am happy I made this decision. I still go out with the guys on special occasions and I actually have had a couple guys join the weight loss journey with me after seeing my progress so now I have some people to sit in the lunch room with.

Nads36

Thanks for everyone's responses...its good to hear many of you have stratagies in dealing with weight loss at work and well done to those of you who are persevering despite work being an issue. Keep up the fab work guys!

failte32

yes, the stress then you come back tired it is cold outside...

lemurcat12

I'm a stress eater and there's always food around at my job and I do have to go out to eat with people as part of it sometimes, so... no, it absolutely doesn't.

My job doesn't force me to eat; I'm not a professional eater. If I choose to eat something, that's on me, not my job. Sure, like other parts of life my job and workplace pose certain challenges, but I think this is going to be the case no matter what.

Tyrannasaur

I sit at a desk all day so perhaps in the sense then I don't move around much. But i'm also so busy most days that I don't have time to think much about food. When I'm at work food is purely a fuel, i eat to keep my mind and body working well for the rest of the day, so i don't care what i eat. Also my workplace has a great canteen with a salad bar which is really cheap and has a different variety every day.

Dieting during the week is easy for me. The weekends are where i struggle!

RosyTea

My current position as a receptionist has me much more conscious of all my life choices in a very positive way. I work in a spa and it has really opened my eyes to the concept of self-care. A lot of our clients that come in inspire me to take better care of myself inside and out so I can feel my very best. I also don't feel as much stress which I believe helps as well. My previous position certainly had me eating a lot more as I was in a high-pressured sales position located in a mall with a fast-food food court. Very hard to stay balanced when you have 1.5hrs of break there.

inkedShimewaza

Yup. Not making excuses. I know what I have to fix. But my job is 50% travel and I have been really struggling with eating well when I am on the road. I am working HARD to try to get it under control, but in the time I have been in my current job, I have definitely gained a considerable amount of weight. BTW ... you ladies that are posting that have your pics as the profile pic ... you look amazing! You don't look like you are having any issues at all!!!!!

astrocosmiczoom

Definitely. I have a military desk job that puts us on odd shifts (Panamas right now) and I currently work 12-hour nights. I can't really get up and go anywhere.

bretticus87

I think so. I work away a lot and when I'm travelling alone I feel uncomfortable going to a restaurant on my own to eat a relatively healthy meal so I end up going to a fast food chain or to a super market and buy loads of unhealthy snacks to make up for dinner as my hotel rooms usually don't have kitchen facilities.

Sued0nim

Nads36 wrote: »

Hi all, does anyone feel their job contributes to their weight gain? I teach however I am a lone worker so I find I don't eat at set times but end up eating lots when really hungry and if I find I've had a bad day I end up reaching for sugary foods! How do you manage your eating and exercise alongside your demanding jobs?
Thanks in advance!

I switched jobs in September and after 2 weeks of running round my weight started climbing because I hadn't adjusted my lifestyle ...I noticed because I track and I adjusted (my calories out had gone down due to being more tied to my desk and less active)

So yes one's work can have an impact but it's up to us to adjust

vixen84

Yes i used be on my feet as cooks but now im a cashier so majority of my shifts are sat down on unfomty chairs that dont support back or foot stood unless im in kiosk or selfservice which involves standing n walkin up m down so i tend to take stairs instead of lift i now walk to work since ive moved closer and take pack lunch so im not bloated as tend snack on canteen vendin machines lol

gillie80

Definitely. my previous job had me siting the whole day. i was an audio typist so it could be quite stressful and there were always snacks on hand. i've lost 2 stones since i've changed jobs; i'm on my feet a lot more (i walk an average of 2 miles a day in work) and while it's still stressful it's not the same kind of stress.

Derpy_Hooves

It actually helps me being in a routine. I prepare and bring my snacks and lunches every day. At home I'm much more likely to have more snacks.
The only issue is that I sit all day. I used to go for walks in my lunch breaks, but I slacked on that lately, so I'm going to try to get into the lunch walk habit again.

SammeeBoud

I currently work a desk job. I have a really hard time staying fit. I have gained 20pounds since i started working. They have stand up desk options but its only for people with medical conditions so i cant get it. My work also buys food for the employees which includes fried chicken and pizza. Any tips or advice would be great. Looking to lose those 20 poundd by January. Also if there is any good reciepes for things i can freeze and take to work or easy to make in the morning would be a big help.

Looking for as much support and motivation as i can get !!

Sued0nim

Take your own food and turn down free food
Go for walks during breaks
Walk to work, or partway and back
Batch cook at weekend and invest in some Tupperware..I tend to take rice and stew to heat in microwave (like chicken cacciatore, Mediterranean veg pulled pork and chorizo etc) a pack of mixed salad leaves to pour it over cos I like volume, carton of Greek yogurt and pack of berries. I also buy one pot stews from supermarkets (never the weight watcher volumes a lot of ready meals are really decent calorie counts) I keep multipacks of chips in my desk (these tend to be under 90 calories each) and cans of diet soda

Ssumner2001

Yes, I do think my job has contributed to my weight gain. I worked over a year in a fast paced warehouse fulfilling online orders and it was nonstop 10-11 hours a day 4-5 days a week. I lost 20lbs my first few months there. I have since quit that job and now have a desk job. I've been on this job 7 months and have gained all the weight back and then some.

JessicaJune

My job definitely contributed to my weight gain throughout the past three years.

When I first started with the company I work for, I was 170 lbs (and at 5'8, this looked healthy and strong). I began to partake in the lunch trips to the restaurants and the nibbling of snacks and goodies that reps would bring in (I work in design). The worst time would be during the holidays. There would literally be an entire conference room full of gourmet popcorn, candy, crackers, cheeses, sausage, pastries, etc. You name it, a rep would bring it or mail it to us. But, it wasn't the food that made me break my willpower, it was THE STRESS.

I was working 90-110 hours every week, I never saw my family, and I allowed my work stress to seep into everything else. I started missing classes at the university, I stopped spending time with my wife, I stopped working out and attending ballet, and I started packing on the pounds...66 POUNDS to be exact. The only tool I had to cope with ANY emotion for years was my eating disorder, so during this time of recovery (2013), instead of purging or starving I was stuffing my face and ignoring how I felt. It turned into this rampant cycle of eat, self-loathing, guilt, shame, denial, eat, self-loathing, guilt, shame, denial...it was non-stop.

Finally, about a year ago, I stopped allowing my work life (and the toxicity that came with it at times) to seep into the other parts of my life. I started compartmentalizing my life and I found that I became MUCH happier. I started working 40 hours instead of 90. I took my work email off my personal phone, and I refused to answer work calls at night. I made it a point to attend every single class at and I gave myself evening and weekends to do homework, assignments, and participate in a formal research study with the university. Work had it's compartment of 8 hours a day in my life. My family had their own compartment, my schooling had it's own comparment, and none of the compartments overlapped. Four and a half months ago on June 13th, after finally getting into this routine, I decided to start attending to my weight and create a compartment for THAT. And thing's couldn't be better now.

I dedicate a portion of each day to working out, which means I leave on time from work. I do NOT allow my boss, coworkers, or clients to take that time away from me. That's MY time, which means it's for me, my health, and my happiness. It is what I look forward to all day, so why allow someone to take that away from you? That's the mindset to focus on! I have reps come in all the time with goodies, and now I can enjoy a treat here and there because I am focused on health. When my coworkers order in, I skip indulging because I know that my already existing levels of stress at work will be exacerbated my unhealthy eating. These changes have made a WORLD of difference in my life, and I hope maybe a few of them can help you too!

Hang in there! Today is a new day and you can make it anything you want!

JJ