I've recently been thinking about work. I'm not working at the moment, so part of each day is spent in the slog of applying for jobs and trying to make my CV stand out from the crowd. It's tough. And yet ... there's a part of me that fears actually finding a job and going back to work.
This part of me thinks about the previous jobs I've had. For 15 years I've worked in the I.T. industry, so most of the jobs have been office based, sitting in front of a computer screen. Any exercise I've done in that time I've had to do outside of work. So I've joined gyms on and off for those 15 years. And has it made any difference? No. I've been overweight for those last 15 years.
One of my problems at work has been snacking. I've snacked a lot at work over the years. Chocolate, crisps, cake - whatever's been to hand. I'll snack out of boredom (nothing much to do) or from stress (too much to do). Sometimes I'll snack just to give myself some "energy" when I'm faced with a big piece of work ahead.
I also think about lunchtimes. I havent worked in an office with a canteen for a while, so most of the time I will go out and get a sandwich at a local cafe. What is a sandwich? Two slices of carbohydrate. In between meat or fish - usually covered in a high-fat mayo. I have a sweet tooth, so I'd also need "something sweet" (say a piece of cake) to finish off my meal.
Contrast this to now. Now I can eat exactly what I like for lunch. Maybe that's a pork chop , a few small potatoes and lots of green veg. I can also avoid snacking. If I'm stressed (or bored) I can leave the job application to one side and do something more enjoyable for a while. If I need to I can go and lie down on the bed until I'm ready to go again.
The other thing is exercise. When I was working I'd rush off to the gym in the morning before work (I hate exercising in the evenings). I'd get there, hit the machines for half an hour, rush out and then have breakfast in the cafe at the gym. Usually this would be a large helping of toast and jam. I'd then get to work exhausted. Blood sugar would drop because of the breakfast and I'd end up snacking by the time it was 10:30 or 11.
Now I can go to the gym after I've digested my breakfast. I can work out for an hour or more, take my time in the shower and then go home after. Yes I feel tired but it's a good tired. If I need a siesta later in the day I can have it.
Now I know I know - I dont have a choice. I have to work to earn money. But I also know this. If someone said to me "Dont work for six months, and I promise that at the end of that time that I will make you thin", then I would give up work. It would be worth it. Regardless of whether it meant a few personal sacrifices on the way.
The fact is, I've been fat for almost the whole of my adult life. What's a few months in the grand scheme of things?
I also need to think about what type of work it is I do . Is an office job something I should be doing? Is it an environment that makes me overweight? Now I know in the current economic climate - where I cant afford to be too choosy - I may not be able to get anything else. However is continuing to be overweight a price I'm prepared to pay? No it isnt. So finding a different type of work may be something I have to do for myself.
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2 comments:
I've worked sedentary jobs as well, and I know what you mean. Sometimes, a snack happens without even a real awareness of it. Can you maybe take good snacks for when the snack attack happens? I've gotten to keeping dehydrated kale chips and apple slices in my desk.
I'm also working in the IT field and you are right, it's easy to put on weight when you are in front of the computer a lot.
But I think too that it's a state of mind. As long as you make time for exercise and eating well, it will happen, no matter if your job (or lack of job) interferes. It sounds like you're doing a great job and keeping things real, and that's a big part of it.
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