bad eating at work

Options
YthansGirl
YthansGirl Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been trying on and off for over a year now to lose 2st. For nearly 6 months now I have made sure there is nothing unhealthy I my kitchen. Problem is I spend 12-14 hours a day at my work. So sleeping 7 hours and looking after my pony leaves me with no time to cook healthy food for a pack lunch. So normally the deal with my day is, either I have cereal in the morning and don't get to eat anything else till 12-2 am when I get home. Or I grab what ever I can from the kitchen in the pub I work. Normally, bread, chips, left over creamy curry or more chips.
Now I am fat, hate how I feel in my own skin. And now I am hating work because I am using it as an aim for my blame. I use work as an excuse for why I am as big as I am. When I know it is my own fault.
Anyone got any tips on how to tackle my problem.
Thanks
«1

Replies

  • ultrahoon
    ultrahoon Posts: 467 Member
    edited December 2015
    Options
    Stop considering foods to be individually bad or good, look at the diet as a whole.

    Sustained weight loss is entirely about a calorie deficit. Eating 500 calories more than you burn of 'good' food will still cause you to gain as much weight as eating 500 calories more than you burn of 'bad' food in the long run.

    Use the food log on this website, get a food scale to weigh things for accuracy, be patient, be consistent, and let MFP do its thing.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
    Options
    Nice pony!

    When I worked long hours in an office, I used to do big batches of cooking on the weekend that would get me through the week until Thursday. You could also make even more and freeze some. I also made hard boiled eggs to bring to work for snacks, and stocked carrots and almonds there as well. Also, it just takes a few minutes to put together a sandwich - maybe do this the night before?

    Are there healthier choices you can get at work? One of my cooking gigs was as a short order cook as a bowling alley, and despite the plethora of high calorie foods, there were also lower cal choices. Of course, I went for the chicken wings and bacon, but you can do better than I did :)

    What about cutting your hours? How many days per week do you work 12-14 hour days?
  • canadjineh
    canadjineh Posts: 5,396 Member
    edited December 2015
    Options
    I'd switch out the cereal in the morning for a quick scrambled eggs in the microwave or even a protein shake with fresh berries and greens added to it to give you some nutrients that will stick with you until you get a chance to eat next. Cereal is higher in carb w/o much protein except for the milk and will spike your blood sugars, making a rebound hunger for quick carbs again. I hardboil eggs to take with me to work and always make up extra veggies to pack along too from the previous night's dinner. Pop them in the microwave with whatever sauce or spice you like and then you have a healthy meal. Also I pack raw nuts, fresh fruit, crudités, little mini pop-top cans of tuna - all of which do not need refrigeration if you aren't allowed access to a fridge at the pub.

    I work overnight graveyard shift with the only food access at fast food drive thru's or the 7-11 store. Even there you can pick up healthy salads, hard boiled or devilled eggs, Quest protein bars, etc.
  • sianlr87
    sianlr87 Posts: 72 Member
    Options
    Agree on the eggs/protein for breakfast. It's taken me a long time to realise that this is what fills me up. I usually eat breakfast around 6-6.30 and this keeps me full until about 11ish... I then grab a piece of fruit. Lunch for me is usually 1.15. I have a similar schedule to you - work long hours and have my horse who I see to after work and is currently in an exercise rehab for an operation so it's definitely hard going. What I do is make up some extra meals on the weekend and one night a week I make my "cooking night" so I will spend a little more time, but I try and cook a couple of things up at the same time. We don't have any options in work so I have to bring food in. I do find all the cooking a little tiring and sometimes I really can't be bothered so I am really strict with my lists and shopping!
  • Soopatt
    Soopatt Posts: 563 Member
    Options
    I have accepted that spontaneity is not my friend.

    If you are like me, you might find it is very difficult to make good choices when you are already hungry. If you react this way, you need to always be prepared by only going to look for food when you are not hungry.

    If I go to the store or the canteen when I am hungry - I am going to have the chips. If, instead, I go to the store or the canteen in the morning, just after eating my breakfast oats, I make sensible choices and grab things like fruit and yogurt or a healthy item I can warm up later (which could even be a small, portion appropriate weighed out serving of curry).

    I make sure I am not around delicious smelling food when I am hungry and I already have the thing I planned to eat in front of me. I walk away if other people are eating things which will tempt me and sometimes it works to brush my teeth in the middle of the day in emergencies.

    Treat food like an alcoholic treats alcohol. Be aware of your weakness and until you have a handle on it and keep yourself out of situations that might get the better of you.

    Good luck!
  • YthansGirl
    YthansGirl Posts: 11 Member
    Options
    I work 5/6 days a week. Normally between 50-60 hours a week. Sometimes I do not get an actual break in my 12 hour shift but 2 minutes here, 2 minutes there, to grab 2-3 chips from the chefs bowl and off i go again. We do not actually get fed at work. And we cannot order any food from kitchen. U either get the stuff they have made too much of, or what they have over cooked.
    I will just have to make lots of freezer meals. And hope I have enough time in my shift to put it in the microwave.
    Sadly I cannot distance myself from food, I spend the entire day serving people delicious food.
    Thanks for the advice.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Options
    I'm sorry, but do they not have labor laws where you work? In the US, not letting your employees take breaks is illegal.
  • YthansGirl
    YthansGirl Posts: 11 Member
    Options
    Its too busy some Saturdays and Sundays to take a break. Customers non stop. And here in Britain they have allowed the hospitality industry to be exempt of the break rules.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
    edited December 2015
    Options
    Do you get paid time and a half after 40 or is the hospitality industry exempt from that too? >.<
    ETA - nvm, I see that is a US thing >.<

    Can you drop a service or two and get down to @ 40 hours per week?
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
    Options
    Make the time, to pre pack foods. WHEN it becomes important enough, you will just do it.
  • Blueseraphchaos
    Blueseraphchaos Posts: 843 Member
    Options
    There are no laws regarding breaks here in the US, although some states have some laws. Mine doesn't, and i often work 10 or 11 hours without a break. I manage by eating a huge breakfast (eggs, cereal or peanut butter and jelly on toast, Greek yogurt), then i stash one or two protein bars or granola bars in my pocket and eat them whenever i can. Then when i get off work, i eat a decent dinner. It's not perfect, but it does help. Other options to take and maybe keep in your pockets are baggies of nuts, trail mix, or things like that.
  • bethclabburn
    bethclabburn Posts: 52 Member
    Options
    ultrahoon wrote: »
    Stop considering foods to be individually bad or good, look at the diet as a whole.

    Sustained weight loss is entirely about a calorie deficit. Eating 500 calories more than you burn of 'good' food will still cause you to gain as much weight as eating 500 calories more than you burn of 'bad' food in the long run.

    Use the food log on this website, get a food scale to weigh things for accuracy, be patient, be consistent, and let MFP do its thing.

    I hate when people say that
  • bethclabburn
    bethclabburn Posts: 52 Member
    Options
    Also sounds like you need to be having words with your boss.
    On your day off meal prep for the week, all into portions into boxes then it's just a few minutes in the microwave
  • MsJulesRenee
    MsJulesRenee Posts: 1,180 Member
    edited December 2015
    Options
    Meal prep, it only takes an hour or so a week to cook and pack everything. I do mine on Sunday. Get yourself a big lunchbox, Tupperware, and a couple cool packs. All you have to do is scramble some eggs in the morning and you are out. the. door.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    Options
    Meal prep-agreed. Stop making excuses.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    Options
    ultrahoon wrote: »
    Stop considering foods to be individually bad or good, look at the diet as a whole.

    Sustained weight loss is entirely about a calorie deficit. Eating 500 calories more than you burn of 'good' food will still cause you to gain as much weight as eating 500 calories more than you burn of 'bad' food in the long run.

    Use the food log on this website, get a food scale to weigh things for accuracy, be patient, be consistent, and let MFP do its thing.

    this x 100000000000
  • ModernRock
    ModernRock Posts: 372 Member
    Options
    jennifer_417 wrote: »
    I'm sorry, but do they not have labor laws where you work? In the US, not letting your employees take breaks is illegal.

    Not true.

    "Federal law does not require lunch or coffee breaks. However, when employers do offer short breaks (usually lasting about 5 to 20 minutes), federal law considers the breaks as compensable work hours that would be included in the sum of hours worked during the work week and considered in determining if overtime was worked."

    http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/workhours/breaks.htm
  • YthansGirl
    YthansGirl Posts: 11 Member
    Options
    Thanks guys, i am making a big pot of beef stew tonight and some salmon fishcakes as well. Going to try and get into pattern of food prep. And I went and bought myself some eggs today, will have scrambled eggs in morning instead of porridge.
    Regarding work, I am supposed to be getting my hours reduced in January. But I am holding my breath.
  • angerelle
    angerelle Posts: 175 Member
    Options
    YthansGirl wrote: »
    Its too busy some Saturdays and Sundays to take a break. Customers non stop. And here in Britain they have allowed the hospitality industry to be exempt of the break rules.

    I don't think this is true in the UK - certain things that genuinely need to have continuity are exempt, but the hospitality industry doesn't appear to be one of them. Are you in a union? Join one if you can and get some decent advice.

    https://www.crunch.co.uk/blog/small-business-advice/2010/04/01/working-time-regulationsworking-hours-rest-breaks-holiday-entitlements-working-time-directive-and-bank-holidays/
  • jenj1313
    jenj1313 Posts: 898 Member
    Options
    Work has always been an issue for me too... Busy schedule and even when I plan ahead and bring "good stuff", I often cave into the constant string of junk food that's always available (we seem to have cake, cookies or donuts at least 3 days a week, plus an endless candy jar).

    There have been a lot of good food suggestions, so I'll give you a couple of more "logistical" ones:

    If you don't have a matching set of containers to carry your meals in, consider inventing in a new set and pitching all of the old un-matched stuff. Something that stacks well and you have all the lids too. Being organized with this will make packing food so much easier.

    Also, make sure that you have a dedicated and washable lunch bag. Having to sort for a bag to carry your lunch in in the morning is just a pain.

    If you're going to do the hard boiled egg thing, peel your eggs before-hand and bag them one or two at a time (how ever many you plan to eat at a time). I pepper them in the bag. It sounds like you might legitimately be too busy to stop to peel them, so this will help avoid setting yourself up for failure. Basically... I'd just avoid having to prep *anything* at work.

    Water is key... but hard to get in when you're busy. So try to set up a system. If you need to, fill a whole gallon and drink from that all day long so that you can see your progress.

    I can sympathize with not feeling comfortable in your skin. I have been at that point several times in my life (including now, which is why I'm here again). It stinks, because when you feel like crap, it's so much easier to eat like crap. Pre-logging really helps me with this. If I'm prepping my food ahead, I log the next day the night before so that I'm focused and have a plan.

    Good luck! You're getting lots of good advice... pick and choose what works for you. If you need friends, feel free to add me :-)

    Jen

Categories