Healthy Fit Nurse navigating potlucks.

Nurses General Nursing

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History, lost a lot of weight recently and keep doing so. This time around it's about not only motivated but determined

. Fitness has become like a game with a prize at the end. It's become a devotion and I crave to be the better me. It's hard. Its not always fun. Although physically I still have a way to go, mentally I consider myself fit and healthy.

I do aspire to have tone and definition but that takes time and it's okay. It takes time and hard work.

Anyway!

I've only ever worked in nursing/health care in acute care and no other industry my whole life.

Is it common for other workers to also have frequent unhealthy pot lucks and engage in unhealthy eating habits at work?

Not one stretch goes by where I'm not witness to fast food, catering, or some pot luck with carb and fat heavy foods.

It it takes a lot of will power to resist those foods, and if anything ... if I get a bad enough craving I attempt my best to fit it into my macromolecules for the day.

Apps where you can scan barcodes or search foods and add to your log are a GOD send!

Anyway, any of you worked other industries? Were bad eating habits also common?

Teachers? Cops? Engineers? Retail? Administration?

Specializes in ICU, trauma.

we sometimes have a potato bar potluck....baked potatoes....everyone brings a topping ==== heaven.

to defend myself before i post: I am by no means overweight

but i have ZERO time to make sure my lunch is healthy. My lunches generally consist of left overs, tv dinners, and yes...sometimes fast food. why?? because it's easy and fast. the last thing i want to spend time doing after being at work 13 hours is working on a healthy lunch for tomorrow.

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

Just contribute something healthy and what you can eat, then let your colleagues to know that you're on diet and that's your doctor's order.

I was doing just this for years because of my many allergies. With time, everybody got it and was pretty happy with my baking. Although it was also much easier for me because I'm awfully picky and won't eat 97% of "normal potluck foods" anyway.

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we sometimes have a potato bar potluck....baked potatoes....everyone brings a topping ==== heaven.

This sounds delicious.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
we sometimes have a potato bar potluck....baked potatoes....everyone brings a topping ==== heaven.

to defend myself before i post: I am by no means overweight

but i have ZERO time to make sure my lunch is healthy. My lunches generally consist of left overs, tv dinners, and yes...sometimes fast food. why?? because it's easy and fast. the last thing i want to spend time doing after being at work 13 hours is working on a healthy lunch for tomorrow.

I think it's about making time. For me, seasoning fish or chicken breast and throwing it on a disposable aluminum pan literally takes 10 minutes and then I throw it in the oven and go do my homework or study and just wait. I can do this same process with any veggie. Drizzle it with olive oil, hymelian pink salt, and pepper or whatever else and bam.

But to each their own. I'll make time for gym and food even if it means a little less sleep or foregoing leisure time.

Its a choice but I refuse to believe anyone is SO busy that they can't cook simple healthy meals.

I know medical students and residents that are huge health freaks and they make time. My friend is a 4th MS and he's into CrossFit and he prepares his own meals. My coworker is a full time ICU Nurse and full time NP student and she does the same.

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Specializes in ICU, trauma.
I think it's about making time. For me, seasoning fish or chicken breast and throwing it on a disposable aluminum pan literally takes 10 minutes and then I throw it in the oven and go do my homework or study and just wait. I can do this same process with any veggie. Drizzle it with olive oil, hymelian pink salt, and pepper or whatever else and bam.

But to each their own. I'll make time for gym and food even if it means a little less sleep or foregoing leisure time.

Its a choice but I refuse to believe anyone is SO busy that they can't cook simple healthy meals.

I know medical students and residents that are huge health freaks and they make time. My friend is a 4th MS and he's into CrossFit and he prepares his own meals. My coworker is a full time ICU Nurse and full time NP student and she does the same.

no, i have also seen pharmacists, doctors, CNAs all eat unhealthy things; it's not about status. I'm happy with my weight and my health and dont care about going out of my way to make sure i eat salads or fish for lunch at work. Thats great that you do, but dont look down on others who dont.

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The strange thing......I ran into an acquaintance, an older woman, who said she had lost 150 pounds over a period of 2 years. She was working as a security guard.

I said "did you start eating healthy?"

She said " I limited myself to 1200 calories a day"

Big aha! moment.

The conversation possibly needs to change. Calories do matter. Very much.

But there are filling calories and non-filling calories.

Not "healthy and non-healthy" foods.

If you are obese and not losing weight, you are consuming too many calories.

The big question : How much work and effort to put into it?

I have made my decision. and would rather be dead than attempt to eat 1200 calories a day.

We are all made differently. I worked with several tiny nurses, and other employees who ate their lunch out of a 2" by 2" container and they functioned.

I would pass out from hunger.

After 40 years of very intense struggle, I now accept my body for what it is.

I exercised 2 hours a day most of my life, and I regret it. Big waste of time, and it just made me so very hungry.

Your body is what you have inherited.

If you are going to attempt to circumvent that, it will take every last molecule and fiber of your being. It will become your god, by necessity.

It will be far, far harder than any college program.

Almost no one succeeds in it long term.

It is not just a question of cutting a couple of calories, and adding in a little exercise.

My experience.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
no, i have also seen pharmacists, doctors, CNAs all eat unhealthy things; it's not about status. I'm happy with my weight and my health and dont care about going out of my way to make sure i eat salads or fish for lunch at work. Thats great that you do, but dont look down on others who dont.

Whoa WHOA... status? How the heck did you misconstrue my post? You mean like socioeconomic status????

I never made it about status, you did! Congratulations!!!

I mentioned the medical students and the ICU Nurse going to NP school full time to demonstrate that EVEN busy people have time to make healthy meals....

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Specializes in Critical Care.
The strange thing......I ran into an acquaintance, an older woman, who said she had lost 150 pounds over a period of 2 years. She was working as a security guard.

I said "did you start eating healthy?"

She said " I limited myself to 1200 calories a day"

Big aha! moment.

The conversation possibly needs to change. Calories do matter. Very much.

But there are filling calories and non-filling calories.

Not "healthy and non-healthy" foods.

If you are obese and not losing weight, you are consuming too many calories.

The big question : How much work and effort to put into it?

I have made my decision. and would rather be dead than attempt to eat 1200 calories a day.

We are all made differently. I worked with several tiny nurses, and other employees who ate their lunch out of a 2" by 2" container and they functioned.

I would pass out from hunger.

After 40 years of very intense struggle, I now accept my body for what it is.

I exercised 2 hours a day most of my life, and I regret it. Big waste of time, and it just made me so very hungry.

Your body is what you have inherited.

If you are going to attempt to circumvent that, it will take every last molecule and fiber of your being. It will become your god, by necessity.

It will be far, far harder than any college program.

Almost no one succeeds in it long term.

It is not just a question of cutting a couple of calories, and adding in a little exercise.

My experience.

Don't agree.

Peopel do succeed and it is possible. It doesn't have to be all-consuming. I'm not talking about being extremely fit or muscular. I'm talking about being obese versus moderate, or even a bit curvy. There are few reasons why the human body should be overweight beyond any possible repair. We're not built for our knees to crush beneath our weight.

So to eveyrone reading this, do not be discouraged. You can succeed. Be patient, love yourself. Don't do fads. Keep your carbs, they're your mental fuel. If you weigh 300 pounds or more don't suddenly start only eating 1200, because chances are you will burn out and fail ... because while 1200 may be "normal" for many people ... it's not for YOU because when you weigh 300 pounds and are starting to work out, your body needs more fuel, please don't make HUGE calorie deficits.

and yes you can succeed ... people do it all the time.

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Specializes in retired LTC.
But to each their own. I'll make time for gym and food even if it means a little less sleep or foregoing leisure time.

Its a choice but I refuse to believe anyone is SO busy that they can't cook simple healthy meals.

I think this is where that inflated opinion/attitude came from. I was reading along quite a bit enviously until this.

IT REALLY IS more than a matter of 'calories in & calories out' and some health cooking.

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