Ok.. This is my first post here i like over a year. This time last year, I was doing great, comparitively speaking. I was almost to my goal weight, working out every day.. Since then, I haven't been doing quite so well. Now I'm up to 156 pounds (up about 22 pounds since last fall). Sure, that doesn't sound too bad, but I know this is only the beginning if I don't get a grip on it now. So, I'm looking for some support. And I need a few suggestions. Let me tell you my situation.
I work full time, but a really screwed up schedule. I work about 1pm - 12:30 am four days a week. I just got a promotion a little over a month ago, and I feel like I have to work three times as hard as the other person with my same job title. I feel this way because he's been in his position for three years, and I just feel like I have something to prove where he doesn't. I work for a grocery store in the South. My manager used to work as a District Manager for Winn Dixie, and now that Winn Dixie is closing down here, I worry that he will want to hire one of his old managers to take my place. So, I haven't yet figured out a way to take a break during my work day. The other manager takes one, but i have such a hard time getting everything done as it is. So, this means less time for me to eat. Usually by the time I think about sitting down to eat I'm so starved that I want something awful like pizza, Arby's, or fried chicken. Then I have to eat really fast so I can get back to work. I end up feeling really bad. I'm walking around the store doing stuff most of the day, so I can't really keep a bottle of water with me but I know I need to be drinking more of it. Oh, and did I mention that on the days I work I usually can't get my butt out of bed until it's time to start getting ready for work?
On my days off, I'm so tired I end up sleeping til one or two (which I know would be different if I ate better and exercised). Then I get up and eat like crazy... And drink lots of diet dr pepper, I know the caffeine and sodium are bad for me.
I'm 23 years old and I bought my first house in April, where I live with my boyfriend and my new kitten. So that's a lot of responsibility to handle.
So, if that isn't enough to make it hard on me.. I'm going back to school at the end of August. I feel obligated to go full time, but I know if I try that I'll end up giving up halfway through the semester.. I'm a bundle of stress and a lot of responsibilities, which I know I'd be able to handle better if I had a better handle on myself. So, does anyone have any suggestions?
Help me!
Kelin

KB, I would bet that since you lost weight before you truly know what to do now. You work about 1pm - 12:30 am four days a week. What time do you get home and get to bed? If you are working four days, that means you have three days off. 2/3 days of exercise of 30 minutes per day will get you started. You work for a grocery store so you should be able to buy/bring home good healthy food. I would suggest bringing good food with you from home. At this point, even a frozen dinner would be better than the choices you are making. Make attainable goals for yourself.

This week I will exercise one day or two days.
I will bring my dinner once per week.
I will start logging my food.

You know that once you get started and feel better you will want to do these things more for yourself.

Good luck!

I work in a retail which is a / grocery store as well.
One thing is first. You need to put yourself first. Because when other things have a priorty over you you will take the back seat and get stuck with whatever is out there and when your hungry it wont matter.
You need to take your lunches and breaks and have a good lunch and some snacks. Your running around and burning up calories and energy which your body needs that fuel to keep you going. Thats why you crash when you get home. A good source of protein is Tuna and of course Chicken. I try to incorporate those on those days I know im going to be doing a lot of running around and back and fourth kind of days since our store is about a acre long.
Im sure if you are getting stuff done and your people you work with are doing there job well and right then you will look great.
Just like your job , your eating and workouts need planning also.
Even though I walk alot at work I still have to work out daily at the gym because your body is used to the amount you do at work.
And actually working out helps relieve some stress you deal with at work.
We under a remodel right now and my workouts have helped a great deal with the stress. Drink plenty of water and always make sure your eating enough and not depriving yourself when you need that fuel.
Remember you first everything else is second.

Is it a policy that you can't carry a bottle of water or just your choice? If you wear a suit or skirt with a half way decent pocket - you can fit a 16 oz bottle in there without having to hold it.

As for food - I would recommend buying so unflavored or flavored if you prefer prot powder and making some smoothies the night before and freezing them - then you drink them while you work - I have a great low gi recipe for strawberry prot shake that when done you fill up empty water bottles with - the shake recipe make 2 16 oz bottles less than 200 cal each and since I add psyllium husk to it they are pretty filling - one note on the psyllium it tends to thicken pretty fast so I only use 1 tsp for 32 oz otherwise it is too thick to drink esp after over night. Makes the shake hi in fiber so it is filling and healthy.

You could make up 4 shakes, then hard boil a bunch of eggs for the week - peel them and toss the yolks - unless you dont care about chol - anyway - put a couple in a ziploc or other container along with a pc of fruit. Get up earlier and eat before you go to work, drink 2 shakes within 4 hrs of your 1st meal or start at 3 hrs and drink while you work, the eggs and fruit 3 hrs later and the other 2 shakes after that. If you spread it out so that you are never hungry - you will be able to make a nice dinner when you get home. and all the food can be eaten on the run. And if you are too tired and want to eat at arby's get the market fresh sandwich - turkey or chic - no mayo (put LF mayo on at home) with a big salad - no dressing = add your ff dressing at home.

These are just what I would do.

PJ, could you give me the recipe for smoothies? I make my own version, but never thought of freezing them. It really would save time.

Sherpa, Melissa, and PJ: your advice to Kelin is great. At times poor food choices are really just a lack of energy and motivation, and you've made some pretty idiot-proof suggestions.

Carla

Here is the recipe that I use - I get nutrition info from the item or from Nutritiondata.com (free) - I get plain prot pwd from allthewhey.com - cheapest I have found but it really doesnt matter - Costco sells a vanilla and choc flavor has a few more carbs but still good. The amt of water is only a guess - I just add water until I have about 32-33 oz

Strawberry Protien Shake
AMT Ingredient Calories
6 oz Strawberries 6 oz 56.00
1 Cup Milk 1% 98.50
5/12 oz (10)Almonds, raw, diced 72.50
3/4 Scoop Protien Powder 21.3 g All the Whey Plain 85.50
4 oz Water to dilute 0.00
6 pkt Splenda if needed 0.00
1 Tbsp Psyllium Husk - Powder Bulk 32.00

TOTALS: 344.50

Let me know if you like it. Oh - you can eat the almonds on the side or grind them up - I usually eat on the side - for zoners this recipe is low GI and is 42-33-26 (C-P-F).

For expedience and to keep the balance you can sub 1 tsp of olive oil for the almonds - changes total cal to 314.03 ratio of 43-32-25. That cal count is for 32-33 oz so two water bottles full. Only drink 1 and you cut cal in half. And since you plan to freeze I would either omit the Psyllium or only use 1 tsp since the longer it sits the thicker it gets. Only adds fiber.

it isn't policy not to carry a bottle of water with me, but i just wear a white shirt and khaki pants at work, and my pockets aren't even big enough to fit all my keys i have to carry around into... so i don't really have anywhere to put water. I guess I was just hoping to hear something other than what I already knew I needed to do. I guess I know what I need to do to get my weight under control, I just have trouble getting there.
I also need to find a way to keep myself from eating when I get home from work as well. I need to just focus on it and stop blaming what has happened to my body on anyone or anything other than myself. Thanks for your replies guys, I needed to hear from other people what I already knew was the answer.
Thanks again,
Kelin

Eating is ok - I do it regularly - steadys the nerves. choices - that is all it boils down to. Choices. We choose to drink water, exercise, etc. We choose to get in time to make a lunch or we choose to buy a reasonably healthy snack. Anything from produce is good.

If you choose to eat when you get home and you definately should eat - choose a chef salad instead of takeout. Starvation leads to binging (sp?) and is not healthy. You are better off being a little overweight than depriving your body of the nutrients and energy it needs.

You can do it!!! One day at a time. One day do it right. Then go for 2. If you fall off a day - who cares - it is only 1 day. You will do better tomorrow. You will see.

Kelin,

I am so glad you responded the way you did. I didn't want to seem mean at all in my post. I wanted to sound encouraging. YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO AND THAT IS A GOOD THING!

Sometimes having everyone remind you of that is the only way to remind yourself. Does that make sense?

I don't know what kind of fruit / veg snacks you like, but that would be the best thing to have ready for when you get home at work. I have been reading Harry Potter and instead of sitting down with a bag of popcorn / chips I sat down with a big bag of baby carrots. It wasn't quite the same, but at least their crunchy.

Good luck!

Kelin...I would also suggest some daily exercise outside of all your walking at work as a stress/anxiety relief. You were promoted based on your previous achievements. So you have nothing to prove to anyone this early in the game. You have a bit of a learning curve in moving up so don't put so much pressure on yourself.

I am guessing the pressure and the what if's are self incuded rather than based on concrete evidence. Do your job well, but take a break is you are allotted one within your shift. If you take on so much now in the 'honeymoon' phase of your new position, you will only created more problems in the future. By not taking a break now, you are setting the bar for never being able to take breaks in the future. When people take on more and more in their job, it becomes an expectation to those around you. As a young female, I bet you feel like you have a lot to prove, but just as others said, put yourself first and maintain your health so you can be at your best. You were promoted...so they believe in you. Maintain a high work ethic, but give yourself the same breaks/lunch allowances as everyone else.

I definitely appreciate your responses. I've just been really lazy when it comes to my body for the past 9 or 10 months. My boyfriend doesn't seem to have any faith in me. He seems to think that I'm not going to do anything I say I am, though he knows I did it before he came along. I was doing it when we started dating.. do I don't know why he has so little faith in me. I guess I really just need someone else to believe in me. I need the support from other people saying that I can do it. I don't like to feel alone. I guess that's why I came here So I really am grateful for everyone's comments and suggestions. I didn't do so well today because I got too hungry and waited too long to eat. It was a reeeeeaaally bad day at work though. I had no bookkeeper, no bagger, and a cashier called in sick. For 45 minutes I was out in the sweltering heat getting shopping carts from the parking lot. Let me tell ya.. It's HOT in South Carolina! I guess that is an excuse though. I could have eaten earlier. I'm going to stop blaming my failures on my surroundings and things that happen to me. If I screw up a day, it's my own fault... Tomorrow is another day and it will be a better one.
Kelin

Awesome KB!

KB, you can still eat out sometimes if you want to. If you're doing low-cal, Taco Bell has some great "fresco" style choices that I love! There's also Subway, Souper Salad, Sweet Tomatoes, and other healthier choices. I think basically every place has SOMETHING healthy if you look for it and make some modifications. Salads are always an option if you skip the croutons and get lower fat dressing. Or grilled chicken sandwiches. Or McDonald's new fruit salad. Smoothie King. All sorts of different places. And if you're doing low carb, there are even more choices everywhere.

I don't think eating out is as healthy as cooking at home, BUT if it comes down to whether or not you lose or maintain your weight, I would definitely eat out and just make healthier choices. It's much better for you to lose weight off of healthier fast food than to keep gaining off of the regular stuff they have.

Just my 2 cents! Good luck!!!