Anyone have a stressful job?

I work out as soon as I get home. I don't buy unhealthy foods. If I buy a treat for my three boys preteen and teen age, they know to keep it out of sight of me. Though mostly I can resist except pizza! I am a teacher so I am all the time getting baked goodies. I usually just save for my own kids but I will fake it or take a bite when pressed. At potlucks, I will try to bring something healthy. Most us eat well so not too hard.

I guess I could have what people consider a stressful job. I'm in healthcare, and I work shiftwork.
Thankfully, the ward I'm on is full of healthy eating people. I'm the junker in the crowd. I started here about 6 months ago, and gained 25 of the 50 I'd lost. I'm back on the wagon, and down 12.

I take the stairs (I work on the 8th floor), I try to bring healthier foods- tonight was salad, a smoothie, and a protein bar. And I had some of my co-worker's smoothie. Way healthier than mine. Matcha and hemp and flax and spinach and banana. Mine was whey powder, greek yogurt, and berries.

I try to keep my hands busy during lunch...

https://youtu.be/dTuvmQNiO3w

Work for money or work for free. It's your life either way.

hurleycutie142 wrote: »

How do you have the strength to workout?

I enjoy working out and find it to be a stress reliever. I am much happier when I workout than when I do not.

Or how do stay away from stress eating?

I'm more a boredom eater than a stress eater so (fortunately) this is not a problem for me.

And how do you stay away from office food that may not be healthy?

When I stand back and look at what is in my office, most of the snacks people bring in don't appeal to me. I try very hard to eat foods that serve a purpose for me (fulfilling my macro goals, giving me energy, and providing some sort of enjoyment.) Don't get me wrong, I do like treats (see my last requirement.) It's just that, in general, the crackers and cookies that people set out do not match those descriptions. I'm like an Ebeneezer Scrooge with my calorie budget and will not use it on things that I don't actually want to eat. I'd rather save my calories for an ice cream night with my husband and daughter than a mediocre cookie at my desk.

As the summer vacation is coming to an end for me and entering a classroom setting it set me into a frenzy. Summer routine of exercising and eating healthy has help me lose 10 of 40lbs. I just hope once school starts I can continue my routine with just a few changes.

I have days that I am brain dead when I get home so I'm sure to work out in the morning before work. Also, to avoid binges or just taking the easy road with dinner... I listen to motivation podcast on my drive home. I like weight loss nation and tiny leaps. I highly recommend podcasts. It helps me stay motivated and reminded of why I'm doing this! Good luck!

Working out helps me to relieve stress from the work day.
If I'm mentally worn out, drained and stressed out from work, I force myself to work out.
Makes me feel better every single time.

You have a pretty face

I can really relate to this , in my case its school and studying though. I wake up a bit earlier in the morning , squeeze in a 30 minute elliptical or stationary bike workout ( moderate effort ) and make sure I burn 200 calories. After I come home , I eat and get another 30 min elliptical workout and make sure I burn 200 calories again. Apart from that , I usually go for a relaxing walk at the end of the day which usually takes 30 mins-1 hr .
Im not a big fan of strength training so I only do some squats , sit ups and maybe some bicep curls.
My advice would be : Find something that you like and that works for you and that you can do long term
Trust me , I started several exercising routines which were boring and didnt work for me !

In the early days of my career, exercise definitely helped to relieve the stress. Especially getting out in nature and exercising! I think that's probably going to be one of the most effective ways to fight normal work stress. You can stop reading now and skip the rest if you just have normal work-related stress. No need to continue on.

Of course, if you have extreme work stress, the kind that's actually wrecking your health, the only cure is to change jobs/careers. Sometimes people end up in the wrong situation and it can be destructive if they try to stick it out in an environment that isn't right for them. I was one of those people who picked the wrong field and then stubbornly stuck with it until it became toxic:

I had invested a great deal of time and effort into my education and training for this particular field, so I felt trapped. (It's so hard to acknowledge defeat and cut your losses.) I had ended up in THE hell job and it almost destroyed me. I was good at it, but I think I gave too much of myself and let the stress get to me. I was so busy just trying to survive the day to day stress that I wasn't able to do much else. There was no time or even motivation to take care of myself. All I could do was just get through the day, and then move on to the next and the next and so on. Ugh. My job paid very well, but my emotional well-being and physical safety is far more important than money. What's the point of making a lot of money if you're miserable? I only get one life and I intend to make it as pleasant as possible. So when it got to the point that both my mental and physical health were deteriorating, I saved my life by retiring young (in my late 30's.)

Luckily, I am a born cheapskate and had invested most of my income over the years wisely, instead of spending it all and living paycheck to paycheck like most of my peers. I guess that requires some level of sacrifice for people who are motivated by materialistic pursuits. It's no sacrifice for me, though. I have continued to live a modest, yet comfortable lifestyle, but without the hell that was my former job dragging me down. Now I do what I want, when I want. And that includes lots of fitness opportunities and time spent in the great outdoors. I swear I reverse-aged at least a decade after quitting the rat race. I regret nothing.

TL;DR: Sorry if that was long-winded. I guess my point is that sometimes it's appropriate to reevaluate your career choices in the interest of your own health and well-being. Even if it might require some sacrifices.

I definetely feel you. I am a full time firefighter/EMT. I work 24 hour shifts, and when there's downtime...we eat. These last few weeks, I really wanted to kick it in gear. I'm trying harder to eat healthier work out more. My mates are helping me out as well but since I rotate with 48 hours off its all on me. Feel free to add me, I'll be beside you all every step of the way.