I really need some support...

Kaylyn07

22 years old
vegetarian
smoker
tried dieting and stuff before, obviously it never worked.
I work in fast food (taco bell) and I'm always there. So I always eat there, it's my main source of nutrition (Instead of beef, I put beans on everything)...After using the calorie counter on this site for a couple of days I realized even eating something small from work puts me in the negatives for my calories for the rest of the day.
I'm fed up with myself.
I miss home cooked meals! But I work evenings, so if I'm home,..I'm sleeping. My usual shift is 4p-11p or 4p-12:30a, when I come home I'm wide awake and I don't usually go to bed until 2am. Even then I'm laying awake in bed for at least an hour and a half maybe 2.
When I wake up it's usually after 12:00 in the afternoon. So I get up, start getting ready for work and start the whole cycle all over again.
My work schedule is never the same, and I'm almost always working weekends, unless I request one off. Which is rare.
I've been working at Taco Bell for a year.

I don't know, perhaps it's time for me to look for another job for the sake of my health?
Any help is appreciated...feelin pretty down right now

Natihilator

As someone who's been there, done that (used to work the late shift at a cafe), I would say definitely start looking for another job, not just to stop eating taco bell all the time, but one where you can work close to business hours. I would be too exhausted to do anything after coming home yet get to sleep in the early am hours, wake up around 12-1pm and by the time I showered/dressed/ate it was time for work again, vicious cycle, made me sort of miserable.

Alternatively, I also worked a job for 4 summers that required me to get up at 4:30 am, and I was off work at 1 or 3pm. Ate healthy breakfasts at 5am, lunches at 10am, and there was no place to buy lunch so I had to pack it the night before which saved me money and caused me to make better choices. In bed by 9pm. I had never ate healthier or had more energy than when I was on this schedule.

I'm not saying that you should go out and find an early morning job, but when it comes to a healthy lifestyle, I think you just get more energy from being active during daylight hours, as opposed to just wanting to sleep all day until you have to go to work. Sunshine/light just makes us all happier. And eating your meals earlier in the day just makes you feel better, imo. Eating vegetarian TB is def better than their meat options, but its still processed sodium-packed crap.

Maybe look for a cafe job that serves healthier food? and STOP SMOKING (I quit recently too, half by choice, half by lung infection )

Kaylyn07

Thanks for the advice =] I'm definitely going to start looking for a different job. There's actually a few reasons why I want to get a different job, working during the day being one of them.

And I'm also going to work on quitting smoking. He's not technically my boyfriend, but he doesn't smoke and I don't smoke around him at all. We were together for 12 hours one day and I didn't light up a cigarette or even think about having one. So I think I'm off to a good start.

Even today, I woke up a few hours early to fix myself something to eat so I'm full before I go into work. Usually I go into work early so I can eat something before I start my shift. But today I'm hoping to be full before I get there =]

ShrinkRapt451

Finding a job with less temptations and more reasonable hours is not a bad idea. But while you're still there, really, there's no reason you can't pack yourself a lunch and take it to eat at work on your break. Just because you work there doesn't mean you have to eat the food. (The sodium alone is terrifying.)

You can also use some of your time after work to exercise, if you feel so inclined. You're awake anyway, and you know it, so either join a 24h fitness gym or do some workout DVDs or Wii or something at home. Might help you fall asleep faster.

Just a couple of ideas for you to kick around.

agentscully514

I quit smoking in 2011, after many attempts. If there's only one piece of advice I can give you, it's that you don't "work on" quitting. You just quit. That doesn't mean you don't use assistance if you need it -- anything that works is good! but it's like Yoda said, There is no try. Do, or do not.