How does your career help or not help your weight loss?

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  • kledmons
    kledmons Posts: 46 Member
    edited March 2016
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    I'm a travel PICU RN and work 50 hours a week. My living location changes every couple months and I work nights on top of that. I normally have a location to afford me a gym or a place to walk outside. I've always been a walker... And my last living location was not in the best area and I found myself not going out for walks or anywhere and I put on about 20 pounds over the winter. The winter got the best of me. So... I'm moving. I purposefully chose my next living location to give me more of a chance to get out and walk. I'm excited and can't wait... 6 days and counting.
  • allaboutthecake
    allaboutthecake Posts: 1,531 Member
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    Retired so not an issue...however, will share past career:

    Worked in a highly-visible front office where we weren't allowed to snack at the desk. (If we did sneak, had to be highly discreet....so it was best to just not at all.) Potty breaks anytime but official breaks just too busy and when it was official break, spent time walking outside to get some fresh air & empty the brain of the constant onslaught of people. Same with lunch, just kept a very quiet lunch to recharge for the afternoon.

    I noticed no employees who had ever worked in that office were overweight or even fluffy. I wouldn't say "beautiful people" but I do think the employer wanted someone with professional "look" in those chairs. And I never even thought about *that* part of it until this post...gives some perspective.

  • JulesAtkinson1
    JulesAtkinson1 Posts: 219 Member
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    I'm a nurse but I don't work in a conventional nursing role; I have a desk job (Medicare reimbursement) so it's difficult for me to get 10,000 steps in. I work in an office with 2 unhealthy coworkers who don't exactly sabotage my healthy eating attempts, but aren't exactly supportive either. They continually stock our office with candy and high-calorie snacks and eat it all day long in front me. It's not their fight, I know; but it doesn't help me on those crave days.
    My supervisor is the exact opposite of what I feel someone in the health industry should be when it comes to supporting a healthier lifestyle for her employees. For instance, she saw me wearing my fitbit and asked me what it was. When I explained, she commented, "well, just as long as you know I'm watching you and you're not going to get up and walk around just to walk around." Uhm, what? I stand up every hour and take a 2 minute walk around the building. I eat lunch at my desk while working and don't take a morning or evening break, but I can't spend 16 minutes a day trying to prevent stroke? I'm not allowed a refrigerator or microwave in my office because of some stupid idea that this makes me a less productive person. She, however, has one in her office, but wouldn't allow me to use it, although it stays empty. She saw me bringing a large cooler to work (because I cannot have a fridge for fruits and veggies) and rolled her eyes, saying, "You know, we have refrigerator in the break room." I explained that every time I put my food in it, it disappeared before my lunch break. According to her, I wasn't marking it clearly enough. Because permanent marker in black with my name is hard to see on a bright yellow lunchbox. I really think she's somehow intimidated by those of us who wish to be healthier, because she is seriously unhealthy and overweight herself.
    This is the typical attitude of management where I work. I don't know how on earth anyone ever gets healthy around here. We have a therapy gym on campus; I asked if I could use it after hours on my own time. Nope. Tried changing clothes after clocking out and walking around campus outside before heading home. Apparently that is some type of liability even though I'm clearly off the clock. The snack machines at work hold nothing but unhealthy food and we aren't allowed to leave for lunch because it's a health facility and the vending machines satisfy the labor board's requirement of making food available.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    I get free junk food and candy, sit in a chair and drive a mouse when things are good. When things are bad, as now, I get free junk food and candy, sit in a chair.
  • allaboutthecake
    allaboutthecake Posts: 1,531 Member
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    JulesAtkinson1 wrote: »
    Tried changing clothes after clocking out and walking around campus outside before heading home. Apparently that is some type of liability even though I'm clearly off the clock.

    I had that issue, too, at the old job. Tho not cuz of liability. Tried changing into any type of clothes at all for after work....whether shorts for 100+deg weather, jeans, nice new sweats to keep warm for ride home in winter 5deg weather, you name it....was told ONLY business attire. The management even accused me of violating this rule when I was on the sidewalk going that run along the public street on my day off (going into a store that day.)

    I resorted to putting on my shorts/sweatpants/jeans under my long skirts at the end of the day (rolling up if long) and then discreetly pulling off the skirt in the car. lol. Sad what one has to come to in order to hang on to a job that is that controlling.

    Thank goodness those days are long over with!

  • synchkat
    synchkat Posts: 37,369 Member
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    I'm a stay at home mom, aka lady of leisure. If you can consider that my.job then I do as many errands as I can walking. I can walk to all the stores I need to go to, I walk my son to and from school 4 round trips a day and in my leisure time most of my "hobbies" are active. I have to be active. Even when I worked I'd walk on lunch breaks and would always be the one volunteering to go to the supply room or get coffees or lunches. I have trouble sitting still
  • kris10cass
    kris10cass Posts: 47 Member
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    Kindergarten teacher... so I am on my feet all day-- which is good! So the teacher's lounge is my fall back. Someone bakes something nearly everyday... or there is a birthday, special luncheon, etc. Us teachers always bring left over things from home we don't want and it goes in the lounge... so basically if I just avoided that room I'd be fine.. but have no social life at work :#
  • robsmy5606rm569
    robsmy5606rm569 Posts: 20 Member
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    Ups driver I get tons of steps all day 20000 a day usually
  • Justintyme328
    Justintyme328 Posts: 54 Member
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    I'll be digging holes and installing sprinkler systems starting tomorrow. Here's to a tan, jacked arms and no back pain!!! I don't have a Fitbit so I have no idea how many calories I'll be burning.
  • coalz
    coalz Posts: 308 Member
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    I'm currently not working so you'd think I'd be in the best shape of my life with all that free time to exercise, grocery shop,and prepare healthy meals but it's been quite the opposite. Motivation isn't easy for me and with no structure things just keep getting put off. I'm in a rut of staying up late partying, sleeping in late & Netflix binging all day. Ugh!! But that's why I joined MFP. It seems to be helping. Anyone who wants to friend me & offer ANY support or advice on how to break alway from this spiraling dragon tail or share your success stories, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks so much.
  • beanielovesricky
    beanielovesricky Posts: 4 Member
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    I'm a nail technician and I own my own studio. I'm constantly sitting down for 6 or so hours only getting up to answer the door or go to the loo.
    I love my job bit it's killing me....
  • NinjaoftheBeastAjah
    NinjaoftheBeastAjah Posts: 121 Member
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    I Work at golds Gym in the kids room which keeps me motivated. Between crossfit and chasing the kids around I get plenty of workouts.
  • tcarp8
    tcarp8 Posts: 370 Member
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    As I sit at a desk most of the time for my job, it's up to me to get up and move. I have the freedom to do so, but don't always take the time.
  • imogene912
    imogene912 Posts: 32 Member
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    Operating Room RN here..I'm always trying to find a balance in working 12 hour shifts and fitting in workouts and finding a way to pack lunch and dinner to take to work. The cafeteria is way to close to the surgery department and the food is delicious.
  • Jpinpoint
    Jpinpoint Posts: 219 Member
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    JulesAtkinson1 wrote: »
    I'm a nurse but I don't work in a conventional nursing role; I have a desk job (Medicare reimbursement) so it's difficult for me to get 10,000 steps in. I work in an office with 2 unhealthy coworkers who don't exactly sabotage my healthy eating attempts, but aren't exactly supportive either. They continually stock our office with candy and high-calorie snacks and eat it all day long in front me. It's not their fight, I know; but it doesn't help me on those crave days.
    My supervisor is the exact opposite of what I feel someone in the health industry should be when it comes to supporting a healthier lifestyle for her employees. For instance, she saw me wearing my fitbit and asked me what it was. When I explained, she commented, "well, just as long as you know I'm watching you and you're not going to get up and walk around just to walk around." Uhm, what? I stand up every hour and take a 2 minute walk around the building. I eat lunch at my desk while working and don't take a morning or evening break, but I can't spend 16 minutes a day trying to prevent stroke? I'm not allowed a refrigerator or microwave in my office because of some stupid idea that this makes me a less productive person. She, however, has one in her office, but wouldn't allow me to use it, although it stays empty. She saw me bringing a large cooler to work (because I cannot have a fridge for fruits and veggies) and rolled her eyes, saying, "You know, we have refrigerator in the break room." I explained that every time I put my food in it, it disappeared before my lunch break. According to her, I wasn't marking it clearly enough. Because permanent marker in black with my name is hard to see on a bright yellow lunchbox. I really think she's somehow intimidated by those of us who wish to be healthier, because she is seriously unhealthy and overweight herself.
    This is the typical attitude of management where I work. I don't know how on earth anyone ever gets healthy around here. We have a therapy gym on campus; I asked if I could use it after hours on my own time. Nope. Tried changing clothes after clocking out and walking around campus outside before heading home. Apparently that is some type of liability even though I'm clearly off the clock. The snack machines at work hold nothing but unhealthy food and we aren't allowed to leave for lunch because it's a health facility and the vending machines satisfy the labor board's requirement of making food available.

    Wow. That 'boss' is a bad boss.

    In my work trailers we have full size fridges and it's stocked with all sorts of things. When I'm on a job site I usually have a simple breakfast at the hotel and snatched apples. My Office Manager knows to stock peanut butter and when I'm in a trailer I lI've on apples and PB.

    A company should always put healthy employees at the top of the list. Studies have shown that moving around 10 minutes an hour makes you much more productive the 50 other minutes. Silly bosses.
  • PurringMyrrh
    PurringMyrrh Posts: 5,296 Member
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    If it wasn't for my job, I'd weigh a trillion pounds instead of a million pounds. I clean a huge hospital building which involves walking 6+ miles a shift, lifting about 400-600 pounds of dirty linen and trash in 15-40 lb increments, plus all the vacuum/mopping/dusting/cleaning motions. I'm extremely thankful I have (and almost always have had) a physical job. I can't imagine being stuck in a cubicle or desk all shift. It's bad enough I'm stuck indoors.

    I do my job pretty damn well now despite being a fat girl, but I know once I get stronger and lose weight, I'll be able to do an absolutely stellar job with less effort. It really does make a huge difference.
  • Rinai
    Rinai Posts: 8 Member
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    I work for a college 7am-5pm. The college actually allows workers (with approval of their supervisor) to get a paid hour off twice a week to work out. It's always busy where I am so I'm sure that'd never be approved but I at least get out early enough to work out and have free access to the college gym. Otherwise I just sit in a chair all day.
  • Jpinpoint
    Jpinpoint Posts: 219 Member
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    Rinai wrote: »
    I work for a college 7am-5pm. The college actually allows workers (with approval of their supervisor) to get a paid hour off twice a week to work out. It's always busy where I am so I'm sure that'd never be approved but I at least get out early enough to work out and have free access to the college gym. Otherwise I just sit in a chair all day.

    That's very cool. My old company, years ago, compensated our gym membership. Now I pay my own. My boss is super gym'ey. So if I say I'm going to the gym in the middle of the day he catches me later.

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