Hi guys, I need some advice!

I quit my office job a few months back and have been working in a fast-paced restaurant for 6 weeks now. I wear my pedometer and I average 10,000 steps a day (about five miles) walking around the restaurant! I try to also get to the gym to workout, but this doesn't happen often as I'm usually so exhausted from work.

I'll admit that the quality of my food hasn't been amazing recently, often a bagel/toast for breakfast, noodle/rice-based vegetable dishes for lunch or dinner (I get them free at the restaurant) and something easy for dinner when I get in, like veggie burgers, mixed vegetables and (yeah, okay, sometimes a few chips, ahem). I'm vegan also, which makes quick meals harder. But, I don't think that I am overeating, I just eat three meals a day. However, I've lost nothing since I started this gut-busting job!!

I don't know why I can't lose anything? I know I could tighten up a bit on what I'm eating and log it, but still, I'm walking so much I thought I would have lost something by now?

Any ideas? Thanks!

Kitkat

Hello, welcome to the forum! I am living proof that it is possible to put on weight while eating a healthy vegan diet. The problem is probably that you're relying too heavily on exercise, and you're eating more than you think.

People tend to say here, "Diet for weight loss, exercise for fitness". Exercise is great stuff and an important part of most people's weight loss plan, but it is very hard to exercise enough to lose weight by it. Especially since exercise can make you hungry! So the walking around at work is great for general fitness, but don't assume you'll be burning off fat doing it.

Next, start logging what you eat. If you have an Android phone or tablet, try MyFitnessPal, that's a popular calorie counter, and it also does basic nutritional analysis for you. I'm on the mobile site so I can't see your weight or height, but you can always try finding out how many calories you're eating now, and then experimenting with lower amounts of calories to see what level fits you well. 1lb/week is a good rate of weight loss, though 1/2lb/week is also fine, and some people lose faster (especially at first, or if they have more to lose in the first place). For 1lb/week, take off 500 calories a day from whatever amount you would need to maintain your weight. Don't drop too low in calories, especially with an exhausting job.

You sound like you know how to eat healthily, it's pretty obvious which bits of a vegan diet should be occasional treats rather than everyday fare, so I imagine you just need to get that sorted out and generally eat less. Learning about nutrition a bit really helped me. For instance, I had no idea how nutrient-dense, and thus calorie-dense, nuts were. People tell you to eat a handful of nuts before bedtime to help with sleep! I count nuts when adding them to dishes these days, and will generally put 6 or 7 almonds or cashews into one serving.

Interesting article here.

I completely agree that you diet for weight loss and exercise for fitness. However, I'll go a step (ha ha) further and say that getting 10,000 steps per day is not exercise. That is just quantifying that you are not sedentary.

Yes, it is exhausting to be on your feet at work all day, but unfortunately, it's not a workout.

So much starch and carbs!

Eat less of that and more lean protein. Which for a vegan means tofu, beans and that stuff.

What you are eating is making you tired. Get the diet right and you will get the energy you need for that gym!

You need to make your diet amazing. I used to eat like that before I lost any weight.

Have you ever tried to track calories? Myfitnesspal has a great app, but you can even buy a calorie book. Start by just tracking what you normally eat. You'll probably be surprised that you're eating more than you think.

Track your food for awhile (I use MyFitnessPal) and see how much your are eating. You likely don't have a calorie deficit which is why you don't lose (even though you are on your feet a lot).

I'd agree with most here--time to track what you're eating, every single thing, for a week just to see where you actually are. Then start tweaking.

I am a waitress and I'm putting in similar mileage to what you've described to each day. I work an 8 to 10 hour shift, I am constantly moving and I rarely, if ever sit down. I will agree with you in that I do not have it in me to go to the gym after work. What I need to do is get off my feet. I get off relatively early and if I can get off my feet for several hours I'm good to go to go do something else later.

In my situation, my walking for the 8 to 10 hours each day is fast paced and often while carrying things. On Sunday I traveled to a distant area of the restaurant and carry food above my shoulders on a large tray. The trays are quite heavy and I make many trips. At the end of my shift I vacuum the entire restaurant which I qualify as exercise, too.

I've been doing this for four years now. I was incapable of my high weight. I love the movement and I love my job. I buy expensive shoes which last me about a year and really really help my feet. I'm 58 years old and although I'm at a heavier weight I believe that the time spent on my feet is certainly going to help me with my bone density issues in later years. Our oldest waitress on the floor just turned 70.

As to food, I don't eat much at our restaurant. The culprit where I work is a lot of added fats. Hashbrowns, salad dressings, sauces, rice dishes, pasta dishes....anything I can think of at our restaurant that you would be eating as a Vegan would just be super high calorie and super high fat.

This is what I do to avoid the temptation of eating at work. I have a vita mix and make it a super nutritious smoothie every morning before I go to work. It has numerous different vegetables, fruit and I add a vegan protein powder and a vegan greens powder. For me, that smoothie can almost carry me through an entire shift. I have identified items that are safe for me to eat at the restaurant and I very often bring my own midday snack. I have kindly informed my coworkers of my necessity of eating healthier and if they do cook something for me they will make things for me without adding the fat. I get off work early usually three or four in the afternoon and I have my main meal soon after I arrive home.

My guess would be that increasing your proteins and veggies and getting rid of The unhealthy the sugars and carbs would help you to feel much better.

I did read the article that the poster gave a link to. I do agree with some of it. I also know that in these four years since I started this work I have lost a lot of inches without losing a lot of pounds. for me at my age that's been perfectly acceptable. I know I'm in a lot better shape than I was when I started this job.

Best wishes!

By the way, some people are very passionate about low-carbing. Low-carbing is popular, but it is not necessarily the best way to eat, and it works for some people and not others. Carbohydrates, especially complex carbohydrates, are not inherently bad, and are generally considered to be an essential part of the diet. It really makes a difference what sort of carb you're talking about, just as it does with fat. Trans fat is bad, essential fatty acids are good. Similarly, sugar is bad (some people can eat a modest amount and be fine, some people need to stay away from it altogether) but wholegrains have a huge number of health benefits.

I'd suggest getting used to calorie counting, logging what you eat normally, then look at it, work out a sensible calorie deficit, and get to working around that. Once that's bedded in, you can think about tweaking the content of what you eat (you obviously already know not to live on junk food). Some people find that they feel better and lose weight better on a lower proportion of carbs, some find they just feel hungry and tired if they do that. From my observations in this forum, it seems that the people who do better low-carbing are the people who have a larger amount of weight to lose, but this is just a guess.

P.S. Restaurant work can be very stressful, and stress often contributes to overeating, or to poor sleep which then impacts on your eating. I don't know if this applies to your situation, but it's worth bearing in mind.

Thanks guys for all the support

I will start writing calories down. To be fair, I've started to realise that I'll allow myself extra snacks because of all the walking and forget I had them! :/

And yeah, my diet is pretty carb-heavy, I guess. I need to find the energy to prepare healthy meals! It's all a circle really.. I need to eat better, so I have more energy to prepare healthy food so I can eat better!

There is your answer.

"vegan", does not equal healthy!

French fries, done in peanut oil, might be vegan! But not healthy!

I'm not a vegan, but, whatever "nutrition" plan you choose, it needs to be balanced, and prepared properly, with keeping in mind feeding your body good healthy food that is good for you, that also tastes good.

Fresh and or "whole foods" in their natural state are the best bets. Experiment with herbs and spices. I understand, given where you live some food items may be available on a limited basis, but that does not mean you have to give up, on making an alternative.

And, just from a personal point of view, tofu is strange! I will never figure out, how a soybean, got turned into that! I tried it once. Ranks on my ick scale, right along with the head cheese, my mom made from pig brains when I was like 5 years old. I'm not opposed to trying new things, but those 2,

Hi. Sorry you are having so much trouble losing. Awesome that you are getting so many miles in per day. I am sure it does help. I have the opposite situation to you. At the moment I am very careful with what I eat. But dont get much exercise at all.

You might want to look at the kinds of carbs and amount that you are eating. Same with fats. Those starchy foods convert right to fat. Raw foods, great. Healthy alternatives. In moderation. I can remember a time when people told me that. I was NOT a happy camper. As I recall, I grieved. It was horrible giving up those fries and other foods. But it made a huge difference when I was careful about kinds of carbs, and amount of them. Same with fats and oils. And also tracked my calories. Starches and sugars are my nemesis.

I like the idea of tracking calories and carbs. even if it's just for a week. Like an experiment. Find that balance of what your body needs to be healthy. And what is just keeping the weight from falling off. Now, I have to figure out how to exercise or as I call it exorcize

You will figure it out. You are already doing a good job with many food choices