Health Implications of Working in Retail
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If holding down a regular job and staying in beautiful condition was easy then we would all look like movie stars (who literally get paid to look good.)
If anyone wants to support me and my family I promise I will work out more and eat better!!! I'll even post selfies daily for your enjoyment!0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »I’m actually trying to get back into daycare. I’ll have a more stable schedule than I have now, but I won’t be completely sedentary.
I only accepted this job because I was laid off in January and being unemployed doesn’t pay anything. I am desperately trying to get out and into something different, but I can’t quit until I have another position lined up.
I do pack my meals when I can afford to buy food, but the short, inconsistent breaks mean I eat too quickly and end up spending half of my shift feeling sick to my stomach.
What steps are you taking to get back into daycare?
I've been sending out my resume and going on job interviews on my day(s) off from my retail job. I have a bag with paint, paper, a book, and other materials for a mini-lesson plan that I can do with the kids if they decide to throw me into a classroom. I keep these materials and extra copies of my resume in my car at all times- just in case I get a call and am able to go for a last-minute interview.
When I'm not working or actively applying for open positions, I am taking free online courses in childcare and American Sign Language as both of those will benefit me in a daycare position.
Aside from applying for positions at every reputable daycare center in my area, I'm not sure what else I can do.2 -
xWintersKnightx wrote: »If holding down a regular job and staying in beautiful condition was easy then we would all look like movie stars (who literally get paid to look good.)
If anyone wants to support me and my family I promise I will work out more and eat better!!! I'll even post selfies daily for your enjoyment!
I know there are issues with any job, but I also know from my personal experience that retail jobs are the worst for me in regards to my eating and sleep habits. I've always done best with tracking, eating regular healthy meals, and losing weight when working jobs with a more stable schedule- though, I am more adaptable if I've already established some good habits. Prior to this job, I was waiting on food stamps, so I wasn't eating more than a meal a day. I had to quit WW and operate on the "eat whatever I can get for free" mindset. Being selective or particular about food wasn't an option. Had I been actively on WW and then got into a retail job I'd probably be able to adapt a little easier, but I still think that retail, overall, doesn't mesh well with my goals.
That being said, I do enjoy a lot of the aspects of working in retail like being on my feet and helping customers.
But cutting my hours from 38 to 16 and then taking my old 5am to 1:30pm shifts and scrambling them around is just adding insult to injury.0 -
You have to decide what is important to you and make it a priority regardless of your schedule. I really hate that they cut your hours, that stinks, so of course you should look for a new job. That said, before work, I get up at 4:30 and work out 4-5 days a week, I work 40 hours minimum per week (consistent times for the most part, unless I have to do OT), drive an hour each way to work so add 10 more hours to my work week. When I get home from work I do a quick clothing change and run my son to sports practices where I volunteer as an assistant coach for both football and lacrosse. The rest of the time I am just scrambling to try and have my home in order, then there are games on weekends, etc.
Adult life is hard. If you end up in another retail job maybe you want to try Intermittent fasting where you only eat during a certain window of time during each day so instead of multiple meals and snacks you only have one or two bigger meals. Try new things and see where it takes you! Good luck!
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Ugh, retail hours are the worst. I did retail management for 10+ years. When I was losing weight, taking my own lunches and snacks helped me out a lot. Also having a stash of special k or slim fast protein bars was a life saver when it was too crazy to eat a proper meal. At least I had some carbs and protein to sustain me for a while. You could also bring lower calorie snacks that you can eat fairly quickly, like hard boiled eggs, or fruits and veggies. I also lived off of Healthy Choice Steamers at the time. Yeah they're high in sodium, but they were more nutritionally complete then other TV dinners, more filling then lean cuisine, and a hell of a lot cheaper and better for me then the food court.
I would recommend getting out of that place now. (Even if it's another retail job while you look into getting into daycare.) Some places I know of that used to pay well and/or have semi-consistent hours were Home Depot, Walmart , and Loaf-n-Jug. Also you may look into a place that has limited store hours. That way if you they work you turnaround shifts it's not as bad. Hobby Lobby is supposed to pay well also and is closed Sundays. So you would have one consistent day off to be able to make plans. Maybe even customer service at a bank?
It may be worth looking into temp-to-hire jobs. That was my ticket out of retail. I found a job through a temp agency that was looking for a permanent position to fill. I don't know if that would have child care opportunities or not.2 -
You have to decide what is important to you and make it a priority regardless of your schedule. I really hate that they cut your hours, that stinks, so of course you should look for a new job. That said, before work, I get up at 4:30 and work out 4-5 days a week, I work 40 hours minimum per week (consistent times for the most part, unless I have to do OT), drive an hour each way to work so add 10 more hours to my work week. When I get home from work I do a quick clothing change and run my son to sports practices where I volunteer as an assistant coach for both football and lacrosse. The rest of the time I am just scrambling to try and have my home in order, then there are games on weekends, etc.
Adult life is hard. If you end up in another retail job maybe you want to try Intermittent fasting where you only eat during a certain window of time during each day so instead of multiple meals and snacks you only have one or two bigger meals. Try new things and see where it takes you! Good luck!
Even with tracking, every time I've tried intermittent fasting, I've gained weight. I'm not sure why that is, but I just know that it doesn't work for me. I do best eating a regular breakfast, lunch, and dinner and not snacking much (if at all) in between meals. It usually works best for me since most of my jobs (retail or not) didn't allow me to eat unless I'm on a break. (My current job won't even allow me to drink water if I'm not on break). I've gotten used to not snacking.
Even when I do snack, it's because my meals are a little further apart than usual, or occasionally, I'll finish my lunch if I didn't have time to eat it all in one sitting- but I hardly count that as a snack as it's still the same food.Crafty_camper123 wrote: »Ugh, retail hours are the worst. I did retail management for 10+ years. When I was losing weight, taking my own lunches and snacks helped me out a lot. Also having a stash of special k or slim fast protein bars was a life saver when it was too crazy to eat a proper meal. At least I had some carbs and protein to sustain me for a while. You could also bring lower calorie snacks that you can eat fairly quickly, like hard boiled eggs, or fruits and veggies. I also lived off of Healthy Choice Steamers at the time. Yeah they're high in sodium, but they were more nutritionally complete then other TV dinners, more filling then lean cuisine, and a hell of a lot cheaper and better for me then the food court.
I would recommend getting out of that place now. (Even if it's another retail job while you look into getting into daycare.) Some places I know of that used to pay well and/or have semi-consistent hours were Home Depot, Walmart , and Loaf-n-Jug. Also you may look into a place that has limited store hours. That way if you they work you turnaround shifts it's not as bad. Hobby Lobby is supposed to pay well also and is closed Sundays. So you would have one consistent day off to be able to make plans. Maybe even customer service at a bank?
It may be worth looking into temp-to-hire jobs. That was my ticket out of retail. I found a job through a temp agency that was looking for a permanent position to fill. I don't know if that would have child care opportunities or not.
I do eat the occasional Larabar, and I'm trying to get into RX bars since they have more protein. I have applied to retail jobs with fewer opening hours; having a job at a place that's open until 6 or 7pm some days and only 5pm others would obviously mean a more stable schedule for me than working at a place that's open 7am to 11pm most days. None of those positions- including the many applications I've put in at the only Hobby Lobby relatively close to me have panned out though. I am definitely NOT focusing on any retail positions in my search, but I am applying to occasional positions if they pop up on Indeed.
Childcare and temp work don't usually go together. I have worked for a temp agency in the past, but the hours/schedule were just as bad as my hours now- for less pay. The agency was also horrible- giving me false information about every single position- ranging from giving me wrong information about the hours, duration of the assignment (telling me a position was to last 6 weeks when it only lasted 2 days) or telling me I had a job and then leaving me to find out that I wasn't working after driving over an hour to the position. Plus, I don't know if I could handle the idea of not knowing if I have work from day to day or week to week. At least, right now, I'm getting SOMETHING. There's no guarantee I'd be able to get a job immediately after an assignment ends.
I don't have time to buy food at work on break anyway, so I always bring my own. Once every week or two, I might order a sandwich from the Panera in the parking lot and run over, but that was more of something I did when working full-time hours.1 -
get out of retail! my stable office job is so good for healthy eating!0
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sarahrosheen wrote: »get out of retail! my stable office job is so good for healthy eating!
I feel this way too - completely.
But then I see 100 posts about "I gained 50 lb because I have an office job".
I think it is really all about managing stress and calories consumed.5 -
seltzermint555 wrote: »sarahrosheen wrote: »get out of retail! my stable office job is so good for healthy eating!
I feel this way too - completely.
But then I see 100 posts about "I gained 50 lb because I have an office job".
I think it is really all about managing stress and calories consumed.
First time I lost weight I had an office job. I ate at my desk before my actual lunch break and walk around the block for my entire lunch break.0 -
The hours are tough and unpredictable and that sucks, but there’s always going to be a reason weight loss is hard. If it’s not the work stress from the schedule and hours, it could be work stress from boss or Co-workers or clients or never unplugging when you’re “off.”
In the end you still get to choose what you prioritize in your down time. And it’s OK if weight loss isn’t high on the list right now. It takes time to meal plan and prep and figure out when to get workouts in. Weight loss is its own kind of stress. Kind of like online dating—it’s enough of a time commitment to be a second job (to me).
Do what you can to ease your stress, just please be mindful things always get in the way of losing weight. Up to you if you let them stay in your way.
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I work 2 jobs, 62+ hours a week. one is monday-friday 730am-4pm. Im suppose to get a 30 minute break, but Im usualy constanatly busy, so I eat when I can, usually about noon. then my other job I work friday and saturday graveyard shift and sunday 3pm to 9pm, and I do not get breaks at that job, but the graveyards are quiet so I can eat when ever I feel like it usually, and the evening, I just skip dinner, or eat a small snack. I also have 4 kids at home, I just make it work. eat when I can and drink water in between.0
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Thanks for the reminder of why I got out 20 years ago(Food service, but the same sort of nonsense)
I know what worked for me then, was
1. Take the *KITTEN* shifts. You know the ones that the manager can't keep filled and people always call off on. Volunteer for them, if the manager guarantees you the 35-36 hours you need.
2. Be consistent and reliable
3. As far as life permits, be available.... If you're short on hours, make sure that the manager knows which shifts you are able to be called in on.
Anecdote: I had a minor injury that resulted in me getting sent home and cost me 6 hours or so. 2 days later I opened. I was eating lunch just after my shift and overheard the manager get a call off from the close shift(I was close qualified-and over 18) I waited about 15 minutes for him to come back up front(and he looked frustrated and aggravated-he had opened as well-and as a salaried employee, he wasn't going to get paid if he had to cover the shift) I asked him if he's been able to get a cover-He sighed and said that he hadn't and would just have to cover it himself... I reminded him that I'd lost 6 hours the day before and wasn't opening the next day. I made my hours that week. 39.32 -
jefamer2017 wrote: »seltzermint555 wrote: »sarahrosheen wrote: »get out of retail! my stable office job is so good for healthy eating!
I feel this way too - completely.
But then I see 100 posts about "I gained 50 lb because I have an office job".
I think it is really all about managing stress and calories consumed.
First time I lost weight I had an office job. I ate at my desk before my actual lunch break and walk around the block for my entire lunch break.
Same, I've lost 130 lb with totally sedentary office jobs that entire time.
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Breaks? What are those.1
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stanmann571 wrote: »Thanks for the reminder of why I got out 20 years ago(Food service, but the same sort of nonsense)
I know what worked for me then, was
1. Take the *KITTEN* shifts. You know the ones that the manager can't keep filled and people always call off on. Volunteer for them, if the manager guarantees you the 35-36 hours you need.
2. Be consistent and reliable
3. As far as life permits, be available.... If you're short on hours, make sure that the manager knows which shifts you are able to be called in on.
Anecdote: I had a minor injury that resulted in me getting sent home and cost me 6 hours or so. 2 days later I opened. I was eating lunch just after my shift and overheard the manager get a call off from the close shift(I was close qualified-and over 18) I waited about 15 minutes for him to come back up front(and he looked frustrated and aggravated-he had opened as well-and as a salaried employee, he wasn't going to get paid if he had to cover the shift) I asked him if he's been able to get a cover-He sighed and said that he hadn't and would just have to cover it himself... I reminded him that I'd lost 6 hours the day before and wasn't opening the next day. I made my hours that week. 39.3
The store I work at is a new store that hired close to 200 people to get the store up and running, but now that it's open, there are too many people. They actually eliminated the 4am and 5am shift times entirely, so everyone is struggling for hours. Some people are called in to pick up shifts, but the only time I was ever called, I had to turn it down as I had a job interview scheduled for that day. The only other way to pick up shifts is through an app that does not work on my phone.
I do feel that I'd probably be a little more adaptable regarding my eating habits and weight loss goals had I been
"on track" when I was hired. Unfortunately, I started working the SAME day I received my EBT/Snap card in the mail (I have since been disqualified for making too much money, but I am going to reapply now that my hours have been cut so drastically). I was, immediately prior to this job, on a cheap and free food diet. This meant eating the free bagels at church or picking up the free item of the week at the grocery store. It also meant there were days when I skipped meals. When I did eat, fruits and vegetables were not exactly a priority because they don't always get the best "bang for their buck" and when shopping with loose change, the amount of food you can get when buying chips and cereal is a lot more appealing than the amount of food you can get buying apples.
(That being said, before I started to run out of money, I would have picked up a couple cans of sardines, a bag of apples (better deal than buying one apple) and a jar of half-sour pickles at Aldi for a last-minute lunch in between job interviews).
My recent timeline:
December 2017: Rejoined Weight Watchers
January 2018: Laid off from job due to ownership change. Applied for food stamps
Mid-to-Late January: Still unemployed; no word on food stamps. $30/week babysitting job to cover car payment of $150 per month, gas in car, food, and other expenses. Food takes back burner to car and gas.
Mid-February: Hired at new job. Begins working 5am shifts. Also gets EBT card so can buy food. Spends first two weeks of new job eating almost nothing but crackers because of the new sleep schedule.
March 2018: Misplaces EBTcard. Still no money, so resorts to eating free food again until payday.
March-April 2018: Starts to settle into a routine with sleep and work. Adds in more fruits and vegetables. Starts eating on a routine, but is not ready to commit to anything.
April 2018: Hours drastically cut in half and schedule becomes sporadic after spending months working a schedule that was relatively consistent with only minor fluctuations within 2 hours or so start/finish (ie: starting between 4am and 6am and getting out of work between 12pm and 2pm).
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angmarie28 wrote: »I work 2 jobs, 62+ hours a week. one is monday-friday 730am-4pm. Im suppose to get a 30 minute break, but Im usualy constanatly busy, so I eat when I can, usually about noon. then my other job I work friday and saturday graveyard shift and sunday 3pm to 9pm, and I do not get breaks at that job, but the graveyards are quiet so I can eat when ever I feel like it usually, and the evening, I just skip dinner, or eat a small snack. I also have 4 kids at home, I just make it work. eat when I can and drink water in between.
I would love the luxury of a job where I can 'eat when I can.' Unfortunately, that's not the case for me. If I'm not on my break, I'm not even allowed to have a bottle of water on me. Eating? Not allowed.0 -
The hours are tough and unpredictable and that sucks, but there’s always going to be a reason weight loss is hard. If it’s not the work stress from the schedule and hours, it could be work stress from boss or Co-workers or clients or never unplugging when you’re “off.”
In the end you still get to choose what you prioritize in your down time. And it’s OK if weight loss isn’t high on the list right now. It takes time to meal plan and prep and figure out when to get workouts in. Weight loss is its own kind of stress. Kind of like online dating—it’s enough of a time commitment to be a second job (to me).
Do what you can to ease your stress, just please be mindful things always get in the way of losing weight. Up to you if you let them stay in your way.
So much truth.
Stress management is the key here.
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