Staying Thin at Work-Its a Problem

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hi guys,

Ive managed to lose a total of 50 lbs on my own after my baby was born 6 months ago. Im very proud of that. Im choosing to live a healthy lifestyle. Yet, since I started my new job....they constantly have pizza parties, cookies, .....plus...plenty of job stress to top it off. How do you guys deal with this?

I have told them Im wanting to keep the weight off...yet, they constantly offer me cookies, ect? What is a girl to do? I know I have to be firm...yet, I find myself giving in to the temptation and Im already gaining weight. I dont want my job to sabotage my weight loss , any suggestions?

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I always just laugh and say "thanks, but I'm trying to NOT be a patient someday who hurts a nurses back!"

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Specializes in Acute Care.

Get comfortable with saying "no, thanks" and bring your own yummy snacks. Like bell pepper sticks or something.

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Just say no and make sure you have plenty of healthy snacks around to eat when the 'bad' stuff is being schlepped around.

otessa

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Specializes in ICU.

:devil:Surely just ONE cookie won't hurt!:devil:

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Try making a zip lock bag full of nuts, raisins, yogurt covered raisins, dried cranberries, etc. Thats what my co-worker and I do. Anytime I see someone eating something that may even tempt me a little, I grab that bag. Also, I buy yogurt and put granola in it..its delicious, had it for dinner last night. :) Hope my ideas help

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I deal with this constantly as well. I'm a school nurse, and it is always a teacher's birthday, or shower, or celebrating the 100th day of school, or students baking cookies to learn to measure, or pizza parties every Friday. The office staff know that I am watching my weight (30 lbs down!), but I do not broadcast it. I either politely say no, thanks or if it is placed on my desk or offerred by a kiddo (I just can't say no), then I wait til they leave and discretely dispose of it. I hate to waste, but it is better that than for it to end up ON my waist :)

I will confess, today I was given a slice of pound cake, unfrosted, and I did eat that. It is one of the lightest dessert options and I was running all day, so I think it will balance out.

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You guys have time to eat at work? :p Maybe when I get more organized I will too, but in the meantime I think nursing is the best "diet" ever - I never sit down and I never eat!

Honestly though, I agree with the other posters. Fill yourself up on healthy snacks instead, or bring in a healthier dessert to share with your coworkers. And go ahead and indulge yourself once in a while! Moderation! Good luck :)

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thanks guys...that helps. I just need to work on the assertiveness part. Oh...and you are right Sparrow...sometimes nursing (especially these days) is a great diet! You end up eating your lunch on the way to doing something else for a patient. My job though is big on taking a break...because they deduct it from your paycheck anyhow. So you might as well. :)

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I have told them Im wanting to keep the weight off...yet, they constantly offer me cookies, ect?

It is so tough to avoid the junk at work, especially when you are starving! And it's so easy to justify when everyone else is eating it, too. That's part of why your co-workers constantly offer it to you even though they know you are trying to stay healthy. You know, they are looking for a partner in crime :lol2: Sorry, I don't have any more advice to offer but I hear you!

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Are medical places the unhealthiest places to eat, or what?

I lost about 90 lbs ~ 5 years ago and have kept all of it off through great diligence and persistence. And I've offended a few (okay, more than a few!) people along the way. It's not that I don't believe their homemade brownies look delicious, or that I think your house is dirty and don't want to try your home cooking, or that I'm just too snobby to hob-nob with my coworkers. It's that I know how hard it was to change my nutrition and activity and I'm NOT GOING BACK.

I worked at a hospice and an outpatient clinic until recently (in nursing school right now) and the food was crazy! Lovely and grateful hospice patients' families brought goodies daily. There was always a birthday, baby shower, holiday, pat-on-the-back-for-a-good-job, etc. to be observed and celebrated. What I had to do was define for myself what constituted a special occasion. Privately, I know that every store-bought birthday cake at work is NOT a special occasion. So....

Pack your food before going to work. Take snacks. Have something available that appeals to you as a treat when others are loading up on lard-frosting, hardened pepperoni, and Clara's special brownies. Maybe a bar of some sort that fits into your plan, or nuts, soy chips, etc. People who won't take "no, thank you" for an answer are rude.

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thanks guys...that helps. I just need to work on the assertiveness part. Oh...and you are right Sparrow...sometimes nursing (especially these days) is a great diet! You end up eating your lunch on the way to doing something else for a patient. My job though is big on taking a break...because they deduct it from your paycheck anyhow. So you might as well. :)

I gained weight when I went to running 12-14 hours a day with little time to eat to a desk job where I actually got a lunch almost every day! I have 10 lbs. more to go

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