To the people who work all day...

CrystalDreams
CrystalDreams Posts: 418 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
How do you do it? I just got a second job and I have no idea how I am going to keep making healthy food to bring with me all day, and work out, and sleep. Please, I need advice, because I am still 50lbs away from my goal, and I want to be healthy more than anything. From what you eat to when you eat, I need advice.

PS both of my jobs are being a swim teacher so I don't have much time to eat at work, plus my job is active and makes me super hungry.

All advice is welcome, but try not to be rude. Thankyou in advance :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    I prep as much as I can on Sunday (my day off) I also work 2 jobs, have kids, house, etc. So I hear ya. It's hard but I do what I can when I have the time. Cook some chicken breasts, prep fruits/veggies, make some soups, healthy versions of casseroles, put some in fridge/freezer to be cooked on day they are to be eaten. Grab and go items are weighed and bagged. Proteing shake fixings are weighed and bagged in the freezer so all I have to do is throw in blender. You'll find a balance, good luck!
  • sandcgordon
    sandcgordon Posts: 12 Member
    I work a 7am to 8pm job and my daughter works 2 jobs. We worried about this same issue. We have found that getting up 30 minutes earlier than normal gives us enough time to pack a days worth of food. We rely on easy hand to mouth type foods that can be eaten cold/room temp. Some of the foods we divide up into a serving size the day we buy them (carrots, almonds, whole grain crackers). This makes it easy to toss in our lunch bag and run. I keep my food near me and pause between clients to grab a quick handful and my daughter eats as she drives to work and from job to job and then again heading home. It sometimes doesn't feel like the best of solutions, but we are getting in those calories and keep the munchies at bay.
  • CrystalDreams
    CrystalDreams Posts: 418 Member
    I have been making food at night and packing it so i can grab it on the run. My issue is most of the time it need to be heated or involves bread and I go over my carbs.
  • kristengraham
    kristengraham Posts: 59 Member
    bump... i'm curious to hear everyones advice :)
  • CrisN99
    CrisN99 Posts: 159 Member
    LISTS!!

    Seriously, I am an organizational freak. I have a daily list and make sure that the have-to-do's (like planning meals the night before) get done before I sit down for the night. It seems like all productivity stops at that point! LOL

    Shop on your way home, prep before bed. Good luck!
  • Ezada
    Ezada Posts: 207 Member
    I am not quite as busy but I do have to do a lot of prepwork to make sure I eat healthy all day/week. I work from 9am every morning till 5:15, with an Hour Commute both ways. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have to tack on an extra hour in the morning to go take care of my Grandmother who is still recovering from Pneumonia and add another hour on Wednesdays after work to go grocery shopping for her.

    Sundays I make various foods that can be packed up and taken to work with me. I bake a couple of Spaghetti Squashes, make mashed cauliflower, various soups (butternut squash, veggies & lentil etc), Quiche's, Hard Boiled Eggs and Chili depending on what I feel like that week. I keep a few jars with different toppings/spices in them in the fridge so I can just add a bit to whatever I am taking to work with me (pesto, tikka masala, wasabi etc). My Breakfast is usually a bowl of Creamy Wheat with Raisins and Sometimes Brown Sugar, or Oatmeal. Today I got lucky and was able to make eggs!

    I also eat a lot of Sandwiches, but I use Sarah Lee's 45cal Bread and low fat mayo. I have a scale in my kitchen so I can weigh out exactly how much meat I put on there and I get low sodium Ham and baked meats rather than the honey meats (though sometimes I just need honey ham :D ) If I know it is going to be a busy week, on Sundays I measure out portions and put them in sandwich bags so I can just grab them, make my sandwich and go.

    I survive quite a bit on Tuna Salad, but rather than put it on bread I pack veggies to dip in it, like carrots, cucumbers or raw Broccoli. Salads are good too, you can add hard boiled eggs to them, nuts, beans (chickpeas are my fave) and any type of veggie. I found a yummy low cal fairly low sodium dressing from MyKoto, its Ginger and so yummy. I use a lot of Dill Relish too, especially in Egg Salad, which I also dip veggies in. I love to eat whole Avacados too, just right out of the rind.

    If you like crunchy things to snack on, premake some airpopped popcorn and take it with you. 130cals for 3tbs airpopped and you can munch on it guilt free. I rarely add salt or anything to it too. Course when I am craving a salty sweet snack I reach for Wasabi Peas, they are also spicy but have a sweet undertone.

    Babybel Cheeses, light string cheese and other small portable cheeses can take the edge off and are easy to pack and snack on.

    Prepackaged boxes of Raisins for a sweet tooth.

    Tofu can also be eaten cold, and I put my Ginger Dressing, Schriancha Sauce, Wasabi Paste or Pesto Sauce on it to flavor it up.

    Hope some of these help you out!
  • IveLanded
    IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
    I make lots of salads to-go or buy salads at the grocery store. When I'm on the go I also will tend to eat Clif or Larabars. I find them pretty filling.
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    I have been making food at night and packing it so i can grab it on the run. My issue is most of the time it need to be heated or involves bread and I go over my carbs.

    I often eat meat and cheese between cucumber slices or lettuce, no bread. Or roll up it up with cheese and veggie strips. Low carb tortilla wraps work well also. Chicken salads, lots of veggies and diced chicken (or meat of choice). Nut butters/hummus/healthy dips and fruits, veggies. Nuts. Soup in a thermos. Homemade protein bars.
  • hippygyrl
    hippygyrl Posts: 1
    try and cut out your breads if you can...really they are empty carbs and bread has a tendency to make most people bloated. Instead of bread try rice crackers. A measured out back of nuts and dried fruit could be a great inbetween lessons snack and the density of the protein will last longer then something with bread. Since you are in the water, moving around you are burning lots of calories which is good, so I encourage you to work at replacing those calories with more nutritionally dense food, such as veggies, fruits, nuts and healthy proteins. You will get it! Don't give up!! Preparing food the night before is a great habit and I'm like someone else on here that mentioned Sundays as prep day. I do most of my planning for the weeks meals on Sundays and will even cook some things that can be warmed up during the week to help save time.

    Good luck

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