I'm a kindergarten/primary teacher in Thailand, and am very active on my feet all day Mon-Sat.

However, today we have a day off, and it's my first random mid week day off since beginning my journey to find the new me. And wow am I finding out how much my job helps! Being at home is a killer, all I want to do is eat, it's not cool!

So far I've managed to resist overeating, and really hope I can keep it up. Looking forward to being back in the classroom tomorrow!

wow...this post really hits home with me too. i know nobody is to blame about my weight gain but myself, but i truly believe my job has a TON to do with it because i never really had this problem this bad until i started working here. 4 years ago, i switched careers and took a job as a 911 operator. our shifts are 12.5 hours, with a 1/2 hour for lunch (not really time to exercise by the time i change in and out of my uniform)...depending on the amount of overtime i do...sometimes i'm working 7 or more days in a row...i'm here 7am to 7:30pm...it's tough to get up at 4am to go to the gym before work and i'm EXHAUSTED by the end of the day after (even though i am literally sitting all day long your adrenaline is a rollercoaster ride). My metabolism has come to a standstill, now i'm 43 and am STRUGGLING to lose this weight...and there is food here ALL the time! people are always baking and cooking and bringing stuff in...the temptation is non-stop. the majority of the people i work with are seriously overweight. so yeah, you know what....i'm going to point the finger at this job. now i just gotta let it not get the better of me any longer.

I'm a massage therapist doing 8-9 massages a day, and I'm usually there for 11 hours a day. I stand in one place all. freaking. day.

By the time I get home I am exhausted and my feet and arms are killing me, but thats the ONLY time I"m able to work out. Once I get going it's not too bad, but dammit, it's SO hard to get moving

I'm a 911 operator too, but we get 1.5 hour breaks. You only get 30 min?? That's ridiculous for a 12 hour shift!!! That makes me angry I know exactly what you mean about everyone being overweight though, the night shift coffee runs, baked goods, etc.

The best thing I ever did was count out my calories the night before (for the 4 days) and pack all the lunches. And I left my money/credit card at home!!!! I also worked out right before my shift on night shifts.

I also found the excessive overtime really contributed to exhaustion... I know a lot of friends who are still doing 6/7 days in a row for the money- but truthfully, with all that extra money, they are not happier either. Any way to cut back?

sacha, i'm trying to cut back on the hours, but unfortunately, my fiance is out of work and i'm the sole breadwinner right now...and yeah, it IS exhausting. then when i FINALLY get a day off, all i want to do is lay around. i am good about exercising on days off though, but unfortunately, because the exercise pattern is so erratic, i can never really get into shape, its just tough to do every day. this next rotation i will be going to the 11am-11:30pm, so that will at least enable me to go to the gym before work and that will help immensely! you get an hour and a half?!?!?! wow...that is AWESOME. yeah, i don't know how 30 minutes is even considered legal...but it has something to do with the county and the union and they find a way to make it work. its still sucks tho.