no time to eat at work what to do?
ritoosh
Posts: 190
alright guys, so I work twice a week at the moment, but at work I never have time to eat, I eat breakfast before I go in, but once im at work I go a 7-9 hour work day without eating a bite, I don't ever have time to eat because im either helping the clients, or if we even have a down time theres so much to do around the salon, and once my work day is over I usually just grab fast food (and a lot of it) and eat (so usually on those two days I only eat twice that day)...anybody have the same problem and any suggestions on what I can do?
ok I originally didn't say this, so here it is to make it more understandable, I'm a hairstylist assistant in a high volume salon everyone who works there is on booth rental so everyone makes their own schedules. My boss does bring us lunch and offers me to eat, but shes so busy sometimes I don't have time she does about 2-3 clients per hour, and a lot of color, so that means Im washing a lot of heads, and when it comes with color I have to do it right then and there, even if by some chance we get down time, that's when I need to be cleaning and and organizing around the salon.
stylists generally don't take lunches because time is money for us.
ok I originally didn't say this, so here it is to make it more understandable, I'm a hairstylist assistant in a high volume salon everyone who works there is on booth rental so everyone makes their own schedules. My boss does bring us lunch and offers me to eat, but shes so busy sometimes I don't have time she does about 2-3 clients per hour, and a lot of color, so that means Im washing a lot of heads, and when it comes with color I have to do it right then and there, even if by some chance we get down time, that's when I need to be cleaning and and organizing around the salon.
stylists generally don't take lunches because time is money for us.
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Replies
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By law they have to give you a lunch break - and probably two other shorter breaks as well.
If they don't, mention it.
You can look for another job. That's not right.0 -
Bring food with you like fruit, veggies, protein bars, nuts, etc, and you can grab a few bites as you go.
I need to follow my own advice.0 -
alright guys, so I work twice a week at the moment, but at work I never have time to eat, I eat breakfast before I go in, but once im at work I go a 7-9 hour work day without eating a bite, I don't ever have time to eat because im either helping the clients, or if we even have a down time theres so much to do around the salon, and once my work day is over I usually just grab fast food (and a lot of it) and eat (so usually on those two days I only eat twice that day)...anybody have the same problem and any suggestions on what I can do?
Get yourself thermos flask and make high fiber and protein soup - something that you can drink in 5-10 minutes. Ingredients for soup: chicken, spinach or kale, lentils, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, broccoli (all in bite site pieces). Ensure flask is big enough to enable enough for at least three servings for your 7-9 hour work day.0 -
Good suggestions here. Another is to take this as a sign...you need to make your health needs a bigger priority in your work environment. I know from experience that we can become overly focused at work. It becomes a habit and others come to expect it from us. But you can change your behaviors...and/or your environment.0
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alright guys, so I work twice a week at the moment, but at work I never have time to eat, I eat breakfast before I go in, but once im at work I go a 7-9 hour work day without eating a bite, I don't ever have time to eat because im either helping the clients, or if we even have a down time theres so much to do around the salon, and once my work day is over I usually just grab fast food (and a lot of it) and eat (so usually on those two days I only eat twice that day)...anybody have the same problem and any suggestions on what I can do?
Get yourself thermos flask and make high fiber and protein soup - something that you can drink in 5-10 minutes. Ingredients for soup: chicken, spinach or kale, lentils, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, broccoli (all in bite site pieces). Ensure flask is big enough to enable enough for at least three servings for your 7-9 hour work day.
Good ideal!0 -
More importantly, what are you doing that means you can't eat??? I bet the smoking contingent get a 5 minute break to go and do their thing!
As has been said, I would take something in that can be eaten reasonably quickly, but you must get a break! Or possibly a new job. Alternatively, you could agree an extra 30 - 60 minutes to your shift and you 'elect' to not take your break. My wife used to do this but depending on where you are, it may not be legal!0 -
By law they have to give you a lunch break - and probably two other shorter breaks as well.
If they don't, mention it.
You can look for another job. That's not right.
lol sorry I forgot to mention I work for a salon, the stylist I work for is pretty busy, and since everyone is on booth rental, they make they're own schedule, my boss does bring lunch and maybe a couple times ive eaten, but its hard because shes always so busy.0 -
I thought legally you had to have a break every 6 hours. I'd bring this up with them.0
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More importantly, what are you doing that means you can't eat??? I bet the smoking contingent get a 5 minute break to go and do their thing!
As has been said, I would take something in that can be eaten reasonably quickly, but you must get a break! Or possibly a new job. Alternatively, you could agree an extra 30 - 60 minutes to your shift and you 'elect' to not take your break. My wife used to do this but depending on where you are, it may not be legal!
lol I LOVE my job. lol im a hairstylist assistant in a salon where its all booth rentals, the stylist I work for (the owner) only comes in half the week so shes very busy, she does bring lunch and tells me to eat, but shes so busy its hard to, we work on about 2-3 clients per hour, so that's a lot of heads I have to wash back to back and we deal with a lot of color, and if by some chance we have free time that's when I need to clean up and organize things.0 -
I work in a salon , doing nail enhancements primarily, but also did hair for years...When I was doing hair I would just wolf food down in a hurry and that always made me feel terrible, so as I began specializing in nails I started getting so busy I didn't have time to eat. I would try, but sometimes there just isn't time... then after work I would try to eat healthy and then end up snacking late at night, over eating sweets or crackers etc, and my weight climbed and climbed...
FINALLY I decided enough was enough. I knew I needed to find a way to curb the after work hungries, so I started bringing a meal replacement shake to work to sip throughout the day. I mix it (doesn't matter what brand, any would work, the point is to be able to sip your calories, while getting some protein and nutrients down easily) with a 1 cup of almond milk in a 24 oz insulated cup and top it up with ice and a little extra water to make it fill the whole cup. Then at work after a couple hours I start sipping it...Takes me a couple hours usually to finish it, by drinking it slowly. It sure keeps me going, and then when I get home, I do about 30 min of moving (go for a walk in the summer, elliptical in the winter) because I sit ALL DAY at work and my low back will seize up on me,moving helps that, and burns some calories). Then I eat my healthy supper and I'm FULL! YAY!
This is what has worked for me...you could also bring a container of already cut up finger foods that you keep at your station/work area i.e. veggies, small bits of sandwich, almonds,whatever you can cut up ahead and then eat one at a time while you work.
I also eat about a 400-500 calorie breakfast just before work...and my supper is around 6-800 cal. My shake works out to about 150. It's not many calories but it keeps me going.0 -
By law they have to give you a lunch break - and probably two other shorter breaks as well.
If they don't, mention it.
You can look for another job. That's not right.
lol sorry I forgot to mention I work for a salon, the stylist I work for is pretty busy, and since everyone is on booth rental, they make they're own schedule, my boss does bring lunch and maybe a couple times ive eaten, but its hard because shes always so busy.
Nobody's hair is so important that they can't wait 10 minutes while you eat. Sorry.
Nutrition is important. Ignore it at your peril.0 -
I work in a salon , doing nail enhancements primarily, but also did hair for years...When I was doing hair I would just wolf food down in a hurry and that always made me feel terrible, so as I began specializing in nails I started getting so busy I didn't have time to eat. I would try, but sometimes there just isn't time... then after work I would try to eat healthy and then end up snacking late at night, over eating sweets or crackers etc, and my weight climbed and climbed...
FINALLY I decided enough was enough. I knew I needed to find a way to curb the after work hungries, so I started bringing a meal replacement shake to work to sip throughout the day. I mix it (doesn't matter what brand, any would work, the point is to be able to sip your calories, while getting some protein and nutrients down easily) with a 1 cup of almond milk in a 24 oz insulated cup and top it up with ice and a little extra water to make it fill the whole cup. Then at work after a couple hours I start sipping it...Takes me a couple hours usually to finish it, by drinking it slowly. It sure keeps me going, and then when I get home, I do about 30 min of moving (go for a walk in the summer, elliptical in the winter) because I sit ALL DAY at work and my low back will seize up on me,moving helps that, and burns some calories). Then I eat my healthy supper and I'm FULL! YAY!
This is what has worked for me...you could also bring a container of already cut up finger foods that you keep at your station/work area i.e. veggies, small bits of sandwich, almonds,whatever you can cut up ahead and then eat one at a time while you work.
I also eat about a 400-500 calorie breakfast just before work...and my supper is around 6-800 cal. My shake works out to about 150. It's not many calories but it keeps me going.
oh this is awesome! im not too crazy about those shakes but I guess I gotta tough it up, that's more doable in between washes and all that. is just hard for me to sit down and heat up food and eat it0 -
I thought legally you had to have a break every 6 hours. I'd bring this up with them.
You probably do, but in a salon, when clients are booked according to time, you don't always have that luxury. Clients hate to wait, but will often show up late etc. (which sometimes works out to time to scarf food, lol) or they ask for extra things, which means more money for you, etc. so eating isn't priority. It should be, but the reality is, it isn't. You work for yourself in a salon most of the time, except for the assistants, where you work for the busy stylists, and they REALLY need your help,so you run run run all day... I know , I've been there,lol. It's HARD work.!! So even tho you may have the right to a break, in this industry it just isn't always realistic...0 -
By law they have to give you a lunch break - and probably two other shorter breaks as well.
If they don't, mention it.
You can look for another job. That's not right.
lol sorry I forgot to mention I work for a salon, the stylist I work for is pretty busy, and since everyone is on booth rental, they make they're own schedule, my boss does bring lunch and maybe a couple times ive eaten, but its hard because shes always so busy.
Nobody's hair is so important that they can't wait 10 minutes while you eat. Sorry.
Nutrition is important. Ignore it at your peril.
sometimes 10 min in a salon can throw off your whole day, and clients don't understand when you say I'm running behind because I had to eat 4 hours ago,lol. Also when they call and need in for their color YESTERDAY, lol you say yes, and lose your lunch break. It's what hairdressers do. People don't realize that. They just want in, and think you can make it work because they are important...which they are.
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I thought legally you had to have a break every 6 hours. I'd bring this up with them.
You probably do, but in a salon, when clients are booked according to time, you don't always have that luxury. Clients hate to wait, but will often show up late etc. (which sometimes works out to time to scarf food, lol) or they ask for extra things, which means more money for you, etc. so eating isn't priority. It should be, but the reality is, it isn't. You work for yourself in a salon most of the time, except for the assistants, where you work for the busy stylists, and they REALLY need your help,so you run run run all day... I know , I've been there,lol. It's HARD work.!! So even tho you may have the right to a break, in this industry it just isn't always realistic...
lol ya, it is hard and my stylist really needs me, she lives in Utah and flys back and fourth so she isn't always in the salon which means the day she is there shes booked all day! lol. don't get me wrong I make some good tips from these clients as an assistant but sometimes it sucks going on day without food lol0 -
I work in a salon , doing nail enhancements primarily, but also did hair for years...When I was doing hair I would just wolf food down in a hurry and that always made me feel terrible, so as I began specializing in nails I started getting so busy I didn't have time to eat. I would try, but sometimes there just isn't time... then after work I would try to eat healthy and then end up snacking late at night, over eating sweets or crackers etc, and my weight climbed and climbed...
FINALLY I decided enough was enough. I knew I needed to find a way to curb the after work hungries, so I started bringing a meal replacement shake to work to sip throughout the day. I mix it (doesn't matter what brand, any would work, the point is to be able to sip your calories, while getting some protein and nutrients down easily) with a 1 cup of almond milk in a 24 oz insulated cup and top it up with ice and a little extra water to make it fill the whole cup. Then at work after a couple hours I start sipping it...Takes me a couple hours usually to finish it, by drinking it slowly. It sure keeps me going, and then when I get home, I do about 30 min of moving (go for a walk in the summer, elliptical in the winter) because I sit ALL DAY at work and my low back will seize up on me,moving helps that, and burns some calories). Then I eat my healthy supper and I'm FULL! YAY!
This is what has worked for me...you could also bring a container of already cut up finger foods that you keep at your station/work area i.e. veggies, small bits of sandwich, almonds,whatever you can cut up ahead and then eat one at a time while you work.
I also eat about a 400-500 calorie breakfast just before work...and my supper is around 6-800 cal. My shake works out to about 150. It's not many calories but it keeps me going.
oh this is awesome! im not too crazy about those shakes but I guess I gotta tough it up, that's more doable in between washes and all that. is just hard for me to sit down and heat up food and eat it
I forgot to say I put a scoop of instant coffee in my vanilla shake, lol. Makes it yummy!! (Lately I've also been putting in pumpkin pie spice and I LOVE IT!! I actually look forward to my first sip of my shake at work 0 -
I work in a salon , doing nail enhancements primarily, but also did hair for years...When I was doing hair I would just wolf food down in a hurry and that always made me feel terrible, so as I began specializing in nails I started getting so busy I didn't have time to eat. I would try, but sometimes there just isn't time... then after work I would try to eat healthy and then end up snacking late at night, over eating sweets or crackers etc, and my weight climbed and climbed...
FINALLY I decided enough was enough. I knew I needed to find a way to curb the after work hungries, so I started bringing a meal replacement shake to work to sip throughout the day. I mix it (doesn't matter what brand, any would work, the point is to be able to sip your calories, while getting some protein and nutrients down easily) with a 1 cup of almond milk in a 24 oz insulated cup and top it up with ice and a little extra water to make it fill the whole cup. Then at work after a couple hours I start sipping it...Takes me a couple hours usually to finish it, by drinking it slowly. It sure keeps me going, and then when I get home, I do about 30 min of moving (go for a walk in the summer, elliptical in the winter) because I sit ALL DAY at work and my low back will seize up on me,moving helps that, and burns some calories). Then I eat my healthy supper and I'm FULL! YAY!
This is what has worked for me...you could also bring a container of already cut up finger foods that you keep at your station/work area i.e. veggies, small bits of sandwich, almonds,whatever you can cut up ahead and then eat one at a time while you work.
I also eat about a 400-500 calorie breakfast just before work...and my supper is around 6-800 cal. My shake works out to about 150. It's not many calories but it keeps me going.
oh this is awesome! im not too crazy about those shakes but I guess I gotta tough it up, that's more doable in between washes and all that. is just hard for me to sit down and heat up food and eat it
I forgot to say I put a scoop of instant coffee in my vanilla shake, lol. Makes it yummy!! (Lately I've also been putting in pumpkin pie spice and I LOVE IT!! I actually look forward to my first sip of my shake at work
oh thanks for the tip! hmm maybe I can play around with it!0 -
By law they have to give you a lunch break - and probably two other shorter breaks as well.
If they don't, mention it.
You can look for another job. That's not right.
lol sorry I forgot to mention I work for a salon, the stylist I work for is pretty busy, and since everyone is on booth rental, they make they're own schedule, my boss does bring lunch and maybe a couple times ive eaten, but its hard because shes always so busy.
Nobody's hair is so important that they can't wait 10 minutes while you eat. Sorry.
Nutrition is important. Ignore it at your peril.
sometimes 10 min in a salon can throw off your whole day, and clients don't understand when you say I'm running behind because I had to eat 4 hours ago,lol. Also when they call and need in for their color YESTERDAY, lol you say yes, and lose your lunch break. It's what hairdressers do. People don't realize that. They just want in, and think you can make it work because they are important...which they are.
idk, the clients at my mom's nail salon are usually always understanding when the manicurists tell them they need 5 mins to eat or to finish up eating0 -
This is where I would carry a couple protein bars with me. You can just break a piece off and eat it as you are able to.0
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I thought legally you had to have a break every 6 hours. I'd bring this up with them.
You probably do, but in a salon, when clients are booked according to time, you don't always have that luxury. Clients hate to wait, but will often show up late etc. (which sometimes works out to time to scarf food, lol) or they ask for extra things, which means more money for you, etc. so eating isn't priority. It should be, but the reality is, it isn't. You work for yourself in a salon most of the time, except for the assistants, where you work for the busy stylists, and they REALLY need your help,so you run run run all day... I know , I've been there,lol. It's HARD work.!! So even tho you may have the right to a break, in this industry it just isn't always realistic...
They get lunch breaks in the hair salons where I've had my hair cut! In a lot of industries you get busy and have days where you don't get chance to eat, but it's not usually every working day.0 -
Do you get bathroom breaks? Because I can eat a bar in about half that time. You don't have to have a sit-down meal in a 7 hour shift. Eat a meal before and after and a protein bar or something filling but quick in the middle.0
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Ask the customer if they are happy with crumbs in their hair and multi-task0
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I thought legally you had to have a break every 6 hours. I'd bring this up with them.
You probably do, but in a salon, when clients are booked according to time, you don't always have that luxury. Clients hate to wait, but will often show up late etc. (which sometimes works out to time to scarf food, lol) or they ask for extra things, which means more money for you, etc. so eating isn't priority. It should be, but the reality is, it isn't. You work for yourself in a salon most of the time, except for the assistants, where you work for the busy stylists, and they REALLY need your help,so you run run run all day... I know , I've been there,lol. It's HARD work.!! So even tho you may have the right to a break, in this industry it just isn't always realistic...
They get lunch breaks in the hair salons where I've had my hair cut! In a lot of industries you get busy and have days where you don't get chance to eat, but it's not usually every working day.
No,it's not every working day, but it is most days, for me at least. I book a client every hour and usually it takes about 50-60 min per client. So sometimes you do have a few min, but if the client is late, or wants extra art, etc. you don't get a lot of time, and I think the op's point is sometimes you don't have time to go heat up a proper lunch, and sit to eat it etc, at least not without putting other things behind. Her time is scheduled around other people's time...the stylist AND the client, and then there's extra cleaning etc. Sometimes it just doesn't work...
Protein bars are also a good idea, I do that sometimes,but because I work with people and I'm spending the whole hour touching their hands , a cup to sip works best for me.
I COULD book off time for lunch, but because my clients basically get booked on the hour, it throws things off to book of time, And time is money lol. I hate having an hour with nothing booked because I needed 20 min to eat.
The stylists at my salon DO book lunch breaks off, I just don't... The assistants DO get lunch breaks , but sometimes I know they just eat a little here and there as there is time when it's especially busy. You just have to be creative and find foods that you can munch on while working. Clients really don't mind. 0 -
I'm a full time college student that also works on campus so I TOTALLY know where you're coming from. Smoothies and meal shakes are going to be your best friend. Whip them up before you go to work, and sip them throughout the day. Try to bring other little snacks if you can, too, like trail mix or grapes or other little things you can munch on if you have time. But definitely bring smoothies and meal shakes. Get yourself one of those huge insulated cups with like a straw and just fill that bad boy to the brim with drinkable-food-y goodness.
I've never been a stylist at a salon or anything so I can't speak from the employee's perspective, but from the perspective of a client (sort of...I get my hair cut at a salon once in a while lol) I can tell you with the utmost sincerity that I'd be HEARTBROKEN if I knew the person serving me was sacrificing their own health just for my hair! It wouldn't offend me at all if my stylist munched on a handful of Chex Mix or something while waiting for my hair to dry. In fact I'd probably feel compelled to bring them lunch myself if I knew that was happening. No one should be forced to starve for the sake of their job. That's ludicrous!0 -
I'm a professor and three days a week I lecture from early morning to about 10pm with about 15 minutes between classes. On those days, I found I was only eating about 600 calories which is just horrible on so many levels. My solution was planning.
I bought a Crockpot and on Saturday or Sunday would prepare my lunches (in one crock) and my dinners (in the second crock). I bought the 1-cup portion size Ziplock Plastic Containers and would apportion my crock-pot meals (veggie lasagna, stew, low-cal chicken pot-pie stew with no breading, etc) between them and would freeze them. I them bought two "lunch-crocks" from Target for $19.00, which holds about 16 ounces. That gave me an extra liner to work with and I could use the second lunch crock at home on the weekends without having to carry it back and forth to work. You can also buy extra liners directly from Crockpot Corporation for about $5.00 each.
On the three days that give me the most hassle, I put my food in my lunch crock and then plug it in. It heats slowly for hours, thaws it out and when I have 10-15 minutes to eat, it is hot and ready to go. As soon as I finish my lunch crock, I throw in my dinner and the process starts all of over. This changed everything for me. Now my diet is pretty consistently 1200-1500 calories a day and I feel great.
Oh, by the way, I can't caution you enough. I wasn't drinking water, either, on those days and the severe dehydration I experienced almost put me in the hospital. Don't let that sneak up on you.
I hope this helps. I appreciate your challenges, here.
Here is the Target link for a lunch crock.
http://www.target.com/p/crock-pot-lunch-crock/-/A-14846175
Good luck.0 -
I thought legally you had to have a break every 6 hours. I'd bring this up with them.
You probably do, but in a salon, when clients are booked according to time, you don't always have that luxury. Clients hate to wait, but will often show up late etc. (which sometimes works out to time to scarf food, lol) or they ask for extra things, which means more money for you, etc. so eating isn't priority. It should be, but the reality is, it isn't. You work for yourself in a salon most of the time, except for the assistants, where you work for the busy stylists, and they REALLY need your help,so you run run run all day... I know , I've been there,lol. It's HARD work.!! So even tho you may have the right to a break, in this industry it just isn't always realistic...
They get lunch breaks in the hair salons where I've had my hair cut! In a lot of industries you get busy and have days where you don't get chance to eat, but it's not usually every working day.
corporate/franchise salons like supercuts and fantastic sams ofc they have to follow the rules, but privately owned salons where people are renting the chairs its up to them on if they want to take a lunch or not0 -
I'm a professor and three days a week I lecture from early morning to about 10pm with about 15 minutes between classes. On those days, I found I was only eating about 600 calories which is just horrible on so many levels. My solution was planning.
I bought a Crockpot and on Saturday or Sunday would prepare my lunches (in one crock) and my dinners (in the second crock). I bought the 1-cup portion size Ziplock Plastic Containers and would apportion my crock-pot meals (veggie lasagna, stew, low-cal chicken pot-pie stew with no breading, etc) between them and would freeze them. I them bought two "lunch-crocks" from Target for $19.00, which holds about 16 ounces. That gave me an extra liner to work with and I could use the second lunch crock at home on the weekends without having to carry it back and forth to work. You can also buy extra liners directly from Crockpot Corporation for about $5.00 each.
On the three days that give me the most hassle, I put my food in my lunch crock and then plug it in. It heats slowly for hours, thaws it out and when I have 10-15 minutes to eat, it is hot and ready to go. As soon as I finish my lunch crock, I throw in my dinner and the process starts all of over. This changed everything for me. Now my diet is pretty consistently 1200-1500 calories a day and I feel great.
Oh, by the way, I can't caution you enough. I wasn't drinking water, either, on those days and the severe dehydration I experienced almost put me in the hospital. Don't let that sneak up on you.
I hope this helps. I appreciate your challenges, here.
Here is the Target link for a lunch crock.
http://www.target.com/p/crock-pot-lunch-crock/-/A-14846175
Good luck.
hmmm that's a good idea. im not much of a crock pot person only when my mom cooks food in the crock pot. I know drinking water is another problem of mine. I would take a bottle of water for me but sometimes by time I would get to it itd be warm lol but I definitely need to start drinking water again0
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