What do you do?
Ddsb11
Posts: 607 Member
Just curious, what do you do for a living? This has always been a point of fascination with me, seeing as we spend more time at work than anywhere typically.
How has it impacted your goals regarding diet and fitness? What have you done to overcome any challenges?
How has it impacted your goals regarding diet and fitness? What have you done to overcome any challenges?
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I am a project manager for a retail company.
In the past, I had to figure out how to eat and exercise while traveling a lot or working weird/long hours, as well as all the typical office stuff (tendency to sit a lot, free food in the office, etc). I developed a pretty good bag of tricks for sticking to my calorie goals while on the road. Now I've been working from home for months and non-essential travel is suspended so I had some of the same challenges many of us have had figuring out what THAT routine should look like.
I've really enjoyed the opportunity to run over lunch (because nobody will be bothered if I have to jump on a meeting before I get the chance to take a shower). The extra time for exercise has been the best part of this period.1 -
Warehouse management.
I previously worked at amazon where I was on my feet all day, no chair, running around like a lunatic.
Now I head a training department for a smaller warehouse and I have an office and a desk and a chair and I’m sedentary. This job is much easier than being a manager at amazon though and it’s owned by a European parent company (I live in the US), so the vacation time is more than I’m used to getting.1 -
@janejellyroll Traveling was hard on me personally with my diet. Glad you figured out how to manage that. I’m in the design industry, and did fine when I had my routine at the studio. Not to mention having to dress professionally in tailored clothes kept my diet in check. But the travel part, I never quite got the hang of that since it was so random.
Now that I’m home I’ve realized the less I do the less I want to do, including getting dressed, being active, doing pretty much anything with myself. I’m sure my husband is wondering who kidnapped his wife and swapped her with Cousin IT at this point.1 -
I currently work as a manager of support staff at a community college. I started in June and it has changed my life. There are reasonable hours and clear boundaries between work and home.
For 11 years prior I managed a building material thrift store . It is a challenging and frenetic workplace, exciting and rewarding, but also stressful and depleting. I found myself too exhausted to exercise and frequently turned to fast food for convenience and short-term mental health. The end result was I was heavy and unhealthy.
My current position leaves me with physical and mental energy to take care of myself. I didn't realize how much stress eating I had been doing for years. I really didn't realize how stressed I was.2 -
I am an ER Physician Assistant.
The hours are challenging because I flip flop from days to nights. Hospitals are notorious for having tempting treats around like donuts, candy, and pizza. I have learned to always bring my food from home.
While I understand this is a calorie counting website, and many here subscribe to the philosophy of “eat whatever you want as long as it meets your calorie goals”, I somewhat disagree. I know that this is true when it comes to weight loss, but not for health. What types of foods we eat affect our health a lot.6 -
Dogmom1978 wrote: »Warehouse management.
I previously worked at amazon where I was on my feet all day, no chair, running around like a lunatic.
Now I head a training department for a smaller warehouse and I have an office and a desk and a chair and I’m sedentary. This job is much easier than being a manager at amazon though and it’s owned by a European parent company (I live in the US), so the vacation time is more than I’m used to getting.
Do you miss the physical aspect of your previous job? It does sounds like you’re in a better place ultimately, especially with the vacation time. I love being active at work, like I’m getting paid to get my steps in, and it keeps my head in a positive place. Being as sedentary as I have been has been no bueno for me.
Is that why you got into weight lifting? To account for your current position?0 -
I'm a stay at home mom so I set my schedule basically around school drop off and pick up. I used to be able to do sporty things outside the house but with covid I haven't lately.
I basically use my mornings to get exercise done and then do what needs to get done, my "work" in the afternoon2 -
I'm an interior decorator.
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I'm an office manager for an auditing firm; however, we have all been working from home since March. It's really hard to get in a lot of steps when you have a desk job; however, my boss has been really awesome about letting me take walks during the work day, even before WFH. I feel like I will have to be taking advantage of that more now that it will be getting dark earlier.
WFH has been a lifesaver when it comes to diet. At the office, we had tons of chips and snacks available, and hearing others crinkling their bags made it really hard not to grab one. I was also really bad at preparing a lunch to bring in to work and would often drab something from a nearby restaurant. Now that I'm home all the time, I can control exactly what I eat with no temptation from others.3 -
I was a project manager for a company that made health and beauty products. (Got laid off due to Covid.) I'd done that remotely since 2012. I'd always had flexibility in my hours, and when still working in the office took long lunches a few days a week to go to the gym or do yoga in the park, etc.
I really liked WFH because after a long hike in the woods at lunch I didn't need to worry about cleaning up too much before going back to work.3 -
@msalicia07 I do miss the very physical aspect of Amazon. I used to lift weights prior to working there and then with the unpredictable schedule and long hours, I lost ALL motivation.
I left to get a better work/life balance and then after a couple months, the sitting all day REALLY started getting to me. We started building the home gym while I still worked at amazon, but after I left I became motivated to finish it and actually USE it. 😊1 -
I'm a professional idiot wrangler (current times have kept business steady)...but I moonlight as a prison nurse. You have two options for food. Either you bring in what you eat or you can eat from the canteen. Not much in there that supports weightloss and maintenance.5
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I am the Director of Mental Health Services for a critical access hospital and 15 clinics in three states. I used to run an inpatient psychiatric hospital where I ran around all day so this job has been a lot less movement. However I am not stressed out all day everyday so I am able to more focus on myself. I wasn't able to loose weight until I started this job so I am happy with that!.5
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Stay at home mom.
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I am childcare supervisor (nursery)❤3
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AliNouveau wrote: »I'm a stay at home mom so I set my schedule basically around school drop off and pick up. I used to be able to do sporty things outside the house but with covid I haven't lately.
I basically use my mornings to get exercise done and then do what needs to get done, my "work" in the afternoon
This for me as well.2 -
msalicia07 wrote: »Just curious, what do you do for a living? This has always been a point of fascination with me, seeing as we spend more time at work than anywhere typically.
How has it impacted your goals regarding diet and fitness? What have you done to overcome any challenges?
At the moment, I'm a janitor. Shortly before this I was doing Warehouse work, Overnight Retail, Medical Assembly, etc.2 -
Marcus_Eating_Donuts wrote: »
My current position leaves me with physical and mental energy to take care of myself. I didn't realize how much stress eating I had been doing for years. I really didn't realize how stressed I was.
Some people manage to endure the stress despite the impact it has on their body and mind, like most of my family in the medical field, including my husband. I am not one of those people for some reason. My mental and physical health would deteriorate until the point I would have no choice but to change jobs. I knew this about myself from an early age, which is why I chose a field where I could be creative and still active.
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AliNouveau wrote: »I'm a stay at home mom so I set my schedule basically around school drop off and pick up. I used to be able to do sporty things outside the house but with covid I haven't lately.
I basically use my mornings to get exercise done and then do what needs to get done, my "work" in the afternoon
What motivates you to pull yourself together every day? You've got more of a handle on this than I do and would love your pov.0 -
I'm a Payroll Manager, working from home since March and I LOVE IT! I gained the COVID 15 but made my mind up to be smaller when I went back to work (if we ever do) than when I left. Now I am healthier than I have been in 10 years and I thank my mental health as well as my physical health to WFH. I get to eat better with more options at home, go out to play with dogs at lunch time and visit with my hubby if the stress gets to be too much.3
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@nooshi713 My husband works at the hospital as well. He's one of those people that know how to eat for his energy needs, in the right balance and right quantity, so he's a total anomaly to me. I'm not sure how most health care employees manage with the long hours, crazy shifts, and on-call responsibilities. I think part of it for him is that he has a no-nonsense approach to things. He's the walking poster child for Nike- just do it, and if you don't you'll suffer for it and so will your work. I kind of dig that mindset as it allows you the freedom to not over-analyze and focus on results.0
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psychod787 wrote: »I'm a professional idiot wrangler (current times have kept business steady)...but I moonlight as a prison nurse. You have two options for food. Either you bring in what you eat or you can eat from the canteen. Not much in there that supports weightloss and maintenance.
I'm dying lol... I need to know what a professional idiot wrangler is now! Please fill me in.0 -
I am the Director of Mental Health Services for a critical access hospital and 15 clinics in three states. I used to run an inpatient psychiatric hospital where I ran around all day so this job has been a lot less movement. However I am not stressed out all day everyday so I am able to more focus on myself. I wasn't able to loose weight until I started this job so I am happy with that!.
This is a perfect example of what I was thinking about earlier, while I was (somehow) managing to walk on a treadmill for a staggering 20 min (ugh, I need to get out of this funk). Anyway, I digress.
Work seems highly impactful on our health, right? So, I was pondering the average # of people who leave their jobs due to health, and how many people stay when it is negatively affecting their health. Sounds like we are in the same camp.1 -
msalicia07 wrote: »AliNouveau wrote: »I'm a stay at home mom so I set my schedule basically around school drop off and pick up. I used to be able to do sporty things outside the house but with covid I haven't lately.
I basically use my mornings to get exercise done and then do what needs to get done, my "work" in the afternoon
What motivates you to pull yourself together every day? You've got more of a handle on this than I do and would love your pov.
For me, I crave routine and work best when there is some in my life. I also like setting my own hours for stuff.0 -
msalicia07 wrote: »@nooshi713 My husband works at the hospital as well. He's one of those people that know how to eat for his energy needs, in the right balance and right quantity, so he's a total anomaly to me. I'm not sure how most health care employees manage with the long hours, crazy shifts, and on-call responsibilities. I think part of it for him is that he has a no-nonsense approach to things. He's the walking poster child for Nike- just do it, and if you don't you'll suffer for it and so will your work. I kind of dig that mindset as it allows you the freedom to not over-analyze and focus on results.
That’s a great attitude to have for the medical field. It is definitely challenging!1 -
Chef_Barbell wrote: »msalicia07 wrote: »AliNouveau wrote: »I'm a stay at home mom so I set my schedule basically around school drop off and pick up. I used to be able to do sporty things outside the house but with covid I haven't lately.
I basically use my mornings to get exercise done and then do what needs to get done, my "work" in the afternoon
What motivates you to pull yourself together every day? You've got more of a handle on this than I do and would love your pov.
For me, I crave routine and work best when there is some in my life. I also like setting my own hours for stuff.
Same. You're so right. I don't have a routine so I'm floundering. What routine is working for you these days?0 -
msalicia07 wrote: »Chef_Barbell wrote: »msalicia07 wrote: »AliNouveau wrote: »I'm a stay at home mom so I set my schedule basically around school drop off and pick up. I used to be able to do sporty things outside the house but with covid I haven't lately.
I basically use my mornings to get exercise done and then do what needs to get done, my "work" in the afternoon
What motivates you to pull yourself together every day? You've got more of a handle on this than I do and would love your pov.
For me, I crave routine and work best when there is some in my life. I also like setting my own hours for stuff.
Same. You're so right. I don't have a routine so I'm floundering. What routine is working for you these days?
4 days at the gym... home school my daughter the other days. Sundays are self care days.1 -
I'm a public policy evaluator for a government organization.
Pre-Covid, the challenge was time management for exercise on the 4 days I went to the office (working from home 1 day a week) and had to commute. Lack of sleep was definitely a challenge too. But not really having time for breakfast worked in my favor - sort of doing intermittent fasting by skipping breakfast made it easier to stick to my calorie goal (an early breakfast would make me hungrier anyway).
Since Covid-19 I've been working from home full-time. Wonderful to be sleeping around 8 hours per night instead of 6 on work days. And no commute also means I have more time to be active. My eating pattern has changed: I'm eating breakfast every day, but at 9.30AM which doesn't make me as hungry. Eliminating lunch meal prep is also quite convenient. Downside is constant access to food, but after a few weeks I found my eating routine - only snacking after dinner.
I'm actually dreading the day when I'm have to go back to the office again, I'm hoping the rules on working from home will be more flexible by then (it used to be limited to 1 day a week). But I've lost weight during both periods, so I know it can be done. At the moment, my workouts are very improvised, whenever I feel like it basically (the only obstacle being when it's my turn to cook, since I prefer working out before dinner). Going back to the office would probably mean planning my workouts a lot more, but I'm sure I could make it work after a period of adaptation.3 -
Long-term retiree, from an IT management career at big university. Retirement is like WFH, but with even less structure, and (for many, me included) more free time.
It's potentially less stressful than work, but that depends on circumstances and what the individual finds stressful (I know that's hard to believe if you're not retired yet 😆). For sure, less stress for me. I haven't had a single unplanned meeting with the police or FBI since I stopped having computer security responsibilities. (Well, there was that one time, with the sheriff deputies after a teenager took out my mailbox with his car. 😉)2 -
Long-term retiree, from an IT management career at big university. Retirement is like WFH, but with even less structure, and (for many, me included) more free time.
It's potentially less stressful than work, but that depends on circumstances and what the individual finds stressful (I know that's hard to believe if you're not retired yet 😆). For sure, less stress for me. I haven't had a single unplanned meeting with the police or FBI since I stopped having computer security responsibilities. (Well, there was that one time, with the sheriff deputies after a teenager took out my mailbox with his car. 😉)
I think it’s fair to say you just trumped my topic with something far more interesting 😂
Serious question though... do you think that your high security job played a major role in your previous weight, Anne? If so, in what way? Did you change your lifestyle before or after you retired? I feel like I should know this 🤓0
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