Any tips for trying to lose weight working at Burger King?

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purpletunic
purpletunic Posts: 16 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I got a job as a shift manager at Burger King about a month ago. I've been working 5 days a week, 8-9 hours a day. It's been difficult for me to adjust to being on my feet that long, and I'm sore everywhere. I have a gym membership but I don't even have energy half the time. I don't have time to cook most of the time now so figuring out what I should be eating and how I'm supposed to have energy to work out is killing me. I want to lose weight so bad! Anyone have any advice?
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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,535 Member
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    Eat salad with grilled chicken.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    edited January 2017
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    How long is your commute? 8-9 hours a day is as much as a normal full time worker works. You should still have plenty of time to cook, clean, pack a lunch, etc.

    Eat a well rounded diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Include grains, meat/eggs/dairy (assuming you aren't vegan), and some fat. That stuff should be the majority of your diet and then leave some room for treats. You'll need to figure out how often to allow those.
  • xxlno
    xxlno Posts: 21 Member
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    I work in a food cafeteria making 3 meals a day for 150 people. Buy lots of tuna, 100 cal bags of popcorn etc..Basically bring your own food. Salads are good. Bring instant oatmeal. Try to divorce yourself from the fact you are working with food. It works for me. good luck
  • SunnyDayzMomma
    SunnyDayzMomma Posts: 114 Member
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    Buy a really supportive pair of runners. Ones designed for walking maybe, that are very cushioned. If your feet and legs aren't as sore, you'll be more likely to feel like going to the gym, but will also feel less fatigued and thus be able to make better food choices during and after your shift. And on your break, sit with your feet raised above your waist. If there isn't a space inside for you to raise your feet, you might have to go outside and find a park, lay at a tree with your feet up in the air. Or in your car if you've driven to work. Having them above your hips, even better above your heart, significantly reduces swelling and fatigue. It really helps.
  • Commander_Keen
    Commander_Keen Posts: 1,181 Member
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    Every hour, excuse your self. GO in the back, or outside and do Push ups, squats, etc.. do a set of 10, every hour
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
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    Sounds like your new job is making you more active than you were previously, which is something that will help, even if you don't find the time or feel like working out. I lost 50 lbs, the majority of which was with no change in activity level (and no formal working out) at all. Your calorie intake is more important for weight management.

    Planning and preparation will go a long way towards staying on track. Figure out a few easy breakfasts that fit your goals, and have the ingredients for them on hand and prepped (for instance, hard boil a dozen eggs, cook a batch of steel cut oats and portion it out so you can quickly warm up some in the morning, wash and/or cut up some fresh fruit so it's ready when you are, etc). Seek out some fast and easy dinner ideas (crock pot meals are awesome - throw everything in the pot in the morning, by the time you get home dinner is done! You might have to open a bag of salad or nuke some frozen veggies, but that takes moments) and plan out and shop for dinners in advance. As for lunch, either bring your own (leftovers from dinner are nice - working at a restaraunt means yu have access to both a fridge and a microwave) or look over BK's nutritional info online and figure out what foods they serve that fit your needs and get those items on your break. You'll need to tailor this to whatever shift you are working, but the basic idea is the same. Prelogging your day will go a long way to helping you stay on track.
  • tracykreczmer
    tracykreczmer Posts: 88 Member
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    When I was a teen I worked at an ice cream store..I still am not a fan of ice cream!

    Eat before your shift lean protein and veggies..bring snacks or whatever meal u have during it.

    Walk on your break but u are burning calories in that job because its very active!

    Don't drink the sodas and don't use your meal allowance and trust me you are going to lose weight!

    Best of luck!

  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,108 Member
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    I work 40-60 hours a week at a desk and on the days I dont work from home I have an hour commute each way. It's about personal priorities. For me strength training and being fit is more important than the scale, personal choice, so I make myself work out after work but purchased home programs so I dont have to hit the gym if that seems like too much trouble that day.

    When I used to work in food service I struggled with temptation so I started keeping a protein bar in my bag. It filled me up and worked for me.
  • angelique_redhead
    angelique_redhead Posts: 782 Member
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    I can have BK on my diet. I just have to watch what I get and carefully log it. Good luck! When you're not used to standing on your feet that long it can be very tiring at first.
  • _runnerbean_
    _runnerbean_ Posts: 640 Member
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    I work in a hospital and don't spend the day taking the drugs we dispense. Bring your own snacks (cashew nuts, fruit, water). If you get a free lunch then choose chicken, don't eat the bun, salad without dressing if that's available and diet drinks or water. 8-9 hours is a normal working day.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    i would think working there would make you LOSE your appetite ;) LOL
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    i would think working there would make you LOSE your appetite ;) LOL

    Never did in the years I worked at one as a kid. No issue with having a burger every day from an appetite perspective. Still enjoy fast food burgers, although BK has never been my favorite.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    i would think working there would make you LOSE your appetite ;) LOL

    Never did in the years I worked at one as a kid. No issue with having a burger every day from an appetite perspective. Still enjoy fast food burgers, although BK has never been my favorite.

    ive never liked them and flat out refuse to eat mcd. LOL
  • amandarawr06
    amandarawr06 Posts: 251 Member
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    I worked at a Wendys way back in my teens (man that makes me feel old lol).. I remember trying to eat healthy when I was there and would often get a grilled chicken - no bun for lunch and cut it up into a garden salad with light dressing. That worked for me.

    But honestly, bring your own lunch everyday. Meal prep on your days off. I know how tiring it can be to be on your feet all day and running around - so plan in advance.
    Also start by working out on your two days off so that membership doesn't go to waste.
  • Rocknut53
    Rocknut53 Posts: 1,794 Member
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    samanthaluangphixay wrote: »
    _runnerbean_ wrote: »
    I work in a hospital and don't spend the day taking the drugs we dispense. Bring your own snacks (cashew nuts, fruit, water). If you get a free lunch then choose chicken, don't eat the bun, salad without dressing if that's available and diet drinks or water. 8-9 hours is a normal working day.

    Because a burger is the exact same as Oxycontin.

    I understood her analogy. Valid point. If I worked at BK, I would probably eat there for a short time, then pack my own lunch. Or just pack my lunch from the start. That said, OP, you just need to eat at a deficit to lose weight. Once you figure out what that is you should be able to eat at BK and maintain a deficit. Work out when you can fit it in, but it's not necessary for weight loss. You've been working at this job a month, you will get used to the routine and get back to a normal life in a short time.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    Bring your own food, or figure out what fits into your day on the menu there...being sure it's a way of eating you can adhere to, that you are getting a good amount of protein and micro nutrients.

    Most people work 8-9 hour days and still workout. My day from door to door is 13.5 hours between work and working out. If I can do it, you can. If you WANT.
  • brdoyle8
    brdoyle8 Posts: 38 Member
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    I worked at McDonalds for four years, so I understand where you're at. Have you ever considered a Fitbit or fitness tracker? You'd be surprised how many steps and active minutes you can get working these fast food jobs, and keeping track of that might help you out. I would recommend skipping out on that employee discount for lunch or breaks (even though it saves you some bucks) and opting to pack your own meals or snacks for breaks, that makes a hell of a lot of difference. If you need to eat at work, the grilled chicken salads, wraps or smoothies are generally your healthiest lunches. Opt for water on breaks as well. Good luck!

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