The waitress dilemma.

laurelevelyn

Any servers here?

I waitress part-time, and on days I don't work at the restaurant, I find it easy to stick to my goal of 1500 calories/day.

When I DO work though, I'm on my feet for about 9 hours (usually 4 or 5 hours at a time). I have to load up on calories before each shift to carry me through; otherwise I'm miserable (we're not allowed to eat on the job whatsoever). The downside is that I end up eating nearly 2,000 calories a day.

Does anyone know if this sort of job burns enough extra calories to justify this?

lotusfromthemud

I'm going to say that absolutely it does. You're walking, lifting, cleaning, etc for the duration of your shift. Even if you logged it as "walking, very slow pace", that would justify the extra calories, IMHO.

I used to waitress, bartend, and line cook. It was the only "naturally thin" portion of my life, and I earned every dollar with sweat (and sometimes tears.)

I would say to log some extra walking on your heavy work days, ( maybe half the amount of your shift?) If you want to balance out your calories.

And yes, I remember the days of being so hungry I would steal food off of plates.

baggins706

I suggest using a pedometer during your shift, it would tally your steps and you would at least know how many steps you took and possibly how many calories you burned. I'm sure with the bending and lifting you should get a pretty good total workout.

Hope this helps.:blushing:

sweetbn

I was a waitress for a long time - it absolutely kept me in shape. Not only that but when I got out of work it was easier to exercise as my HR has already slightly elevated.. kind of like a 6 hour warm-up for running.

Try to snack on the healthier stuff... a few tomatoes instead of a few fries, etc. Then you can be closer to your calories.

msbanana

yes, yes it does.
I used to bartend and it can be REALLY hard to keep in your calorie goals. I have 2 peices of advice. 1. bring food 2. take your breaks.

If you bring food at least your not eating your shift meal which isn't going to be as healthy for you as what you bring from home. pack snacks.

Most places won't let you eat while you're serving but OSHA requires that if you work four hours you get at least a 10 minute break (paid) I'm sure you have a couple smokers on your team that sneak out for a smoke break at some point during their shift... Develope a "smoking" habit and sneak out the door with a lettuce wrap or something quick and easy stuff it in your face and get back to work. It's not the ideal lunching conditions but it'll keep you from STARVING by the end of your shift.

Just some thoughts!!
:drinker:

robin52077

There are laws that allow you your scheduled breaks. Something like a half hour if you are scheduled 6+hours, and an extra 15 minute break if you are scheduled 8+.
Pack healthy foods and eat them on your breaks. If you don't get breaks and aren't "allowed" to eat for your WHOLE shift, then RAISE HELL and demand your basic human rights. They can NOT stop you from EATING for like 9 hours straight.

If they insist you can't eat for 9 hours straight, quit, and report them to the Better Business Bureau immediately. Hell, you could even sue for suffering and win a ton with the right lawyer...people love to sue these days! :laugh:

nikos

I wait tables and though you do burn more calories than someone at a desk job you need to be careful. It is easy to over estimate the amount calories burned- especially if you are planning on logging five or six hours of walking. It will dramatically increase you intake for the day, but may not be entirely justified.
MFP suggests setting your status as lightly active or active if you are a waitress. This allows you a few hundred more calories per day. However, if you log that walking it will give you more like 1000. I would suggest just paying attention to your body. Do you feel like you need to eat more? Or are you still not losing (or gaining)? Just be reasonable and if you log the exercise make sure it seems right. If it seems like too many calories, it probably is.

laurelevelyn

Thank you all so much for your responses!

The pedometer is a great idea - I'll have to get one. Sometimes I can't tell if my exhaustion is physical or mental, so I don't know how much of a workout I'm really getting.

I'm sure if I yelled at my manager he'd let me eat a pretzel or something. On my double shifts I definitely get a chance to sit for a bit... I guess the issue is just having tables waiting on me.... Even if I'm "allowed" a break, I don't necessarily want to take it and watch my tips suffer.

musicmrse

When I waited tables, looking at all the food kind of made me lose my appetite. But maybe your restaurant is amazing. I lost weight that summer, but I also got up and walked a couple miles before work most days. I'm sure all of those steps are great exercise. I just logged in 2 hours of leisurely walking and it burned over 500 calories!

sweetrevenge

I suggest using a pedometer during your shift, it would tally your steps and you would at least know how many steps you took and possibly how many calories you burned. I'm sure with the bending and lifting you should get a pretty good total workout.

Hope this helps.:blushing:

Ditto, this is exactly what I was going to suggest.

weaklink109

There are laws that allow you your scheduled breaks. Something like a half hour if you are scheduled 6+hours, and an extra 15 minute break if you are scheduled 8+.
Pack healthy foods and eat them on your breaks. If you don't get breaks and aren't "allowed" to eat for your WHOLE shift, then RAISE HELL and demand your basic human rights. They can NOT stop you from EATING for like 9 hours straight.

If they insist you can't eat for 9 hours straight, quit, and report them to the Better Business Bureau immediately. Hell, you could even sue for suffering and win a ton with the right lawyer...people love to sue these days! :laugh:

There would be no point to reporting them to the BBB for working condition issues. Your state's Department of Labor and Industries, or whatever agency oversees labor laws and working conditions.

Good luck with your fitness goals. I would be in big trouble if I had to work around food and couldn't eat some of it. LOL

Kblack2882

Breaks in restaruants aren't scheduled, because the speed and rate of work is not predetermined. You just kinda work your butt off and when it dies down you get your break and hope for the best.

Ryhenblue

There are laws that allow you your scheduled breaks. Something like a half hour if you are scheduled 6+hours, and an extra 15 minute break if you are scheduled 8+.
Pack healthy foods and eat them on your breaks. If you don't get breaks and aren't "allowed" to eat for your WHOLE shift, then RAISE HELL and demand your basic human rights. They can NOT stop you from EATING for like 9 hours straight.

If they insist you can't eat for 9 hours straight, quit, and report them to the Better Business Bureau immediately. Hell, you could even sue for suffering and win a ton with the right lawyer...people love to sue these days! :laugh:

When I worked at the Juvenile Detention Center we worked a straight 8 hours and only got one 15 minute break the whole shift. If we were short handed you were lucky just to get bathroom breaks let alone the 15 min break. I was a State Employee at that lol. I'd bring quick healthy snacks I could eat really quick on my break. If you feel hungry though you should eat a healthy snack even if you're going a couple hundred over your calorie limit. Your body tells you when it needs fuel and when it's satisfied.

laurelevelyn

Haha - KBlack, that's exactly right.

Also, I agree, I think if I feel weak and starving those calories are obviously needed. I'm going to start bringing a handful of raw nuts with me.

ThimbleSizedPerfection

I work part time in a kitchen, and on occasion I wait tables when a shift change is needed (Starting next month I'll be waiting tables more regularly again, I'm waiting for someone's 2 week notice to dry up so I can take her shifts). We ARE allowed to eat there, which makes it so hard.. especially since I just started there again after not working for a year and there's so many NEW items available.. tator tots, chicken strips.. and the classic things I love: onion rings, fries, shakes, malts... if you couldn't guess I work in a 50s style 'fast food' restaurant.. any advice for NOT eating while working in the kitchen?

Alwayssohungry

I am a small Inn Manager, which means I do just about everything. I serve breakfast, clean up, help with cleaning rooms, etc. I didn't realize how far I went until I got my fitbit one. I do about 5 miles and 24 flights of stairs in an average 8 hour shift. Apparently I'm not as sedentary as I told MFP I was...

Cp731

I just want to say that you are settling in a position that your selling yourself short.
You have experience, look for another job and get outta there. No one deserves to be treated this way.
Unfortunately there are many restaurants that run this way. The turnover rate is high.
As long as you allow them to treat you this way that's what they will do.

I can tell you Im a Chef, I know what its like to be on my feet for 10 hrs straight, would I allow any business to treat me like a stray dog? Hell No. Theere are so many other options. Stick up for yourself.

fougamou

I am a small Inn Manager, which means I do just about everything. I serve breakfast, clean up, help with cleaning rooms, etc. I didn't realize how far I went until I got my fitbit one. I do about 5 miles and 24 flights of stairs in an average 8 hour shift. Apparently I'm not as sedentary as I told MFP I was...

I was going to suggest either getting a FItbit or find someone on MFP who has one and is a waitress to see how a shift impacts the calorie burn.

I would think it is fairly significant.

RobynLB83

You could wear a pedometer to try to calculate a burn. What I used to do when I was a waitress is stick a larabar in my apron. You can cram one of those in your mouth in three bites (that's why I picked the larabars, they are really small by high cal) if your blood sugar plummets mid shift. I mean, you can even do it on the way to the restroom or something. I know you aren't allowed to... but employers also aren't allowed to make their staff work without mandated breaks and lunches (a common practice in the restaurant industry).

FindingAmy77

florida law doesn't state employers are required to give breaks unless you are a minor... therefore you get no breaks here. Just had to correct you a bit. Look it up if you don't believe, I already asked more than a few lawyers since I moved here and began working.

teresamwhite

LOL! i'm a chef...and since changing careers from programmer to chef, I've gained 40 pounds...! The food industry is just one of those places where you catch your breaks when you can...

But, yes, you do lots walking, lifting, bending, etc. A pedometer is a great idea. I also think you should carry something in your pocket that's easy to eat...packets of nuts, beef or turkey jerky, freeze dried fruit, etc ...to keep your blood sugar stable.

littlexbug

I think you received a lot of great advice. I especially like the pedometer and Larabar idea.

I just wanted to comment that I feel for you. The difference with me is that we are allowed to eat, it's just finding time to shove something in your mouth before the next rush comes in. As far as exhaustion goes, I find for me, that the mental exhaustion keeps me from making good food choices. I get too tired to care. But when I get dizzy or ravenous, I know it's the physical exhaustion and I need to eat something before I make those bad choices (or eat better before my shift for that matter). That's why I like the suggestions to keep nuts or bars in your pocket, and then take a "smoke break" to eat them.

I totally feel for you hun. Serving/bartending is a tiring job, both physically and mentally.

Best wishes to you!