Hey guys, I know that we have a lot of people of varying ages here from high school to those of us in the professional world. Right now, I am currently in college but I am almost done and I am looking to try to get a job in the banking industry.
Since, I currently have a lot of free time to myself, it’s rather easy to get in my 6 meals (or more) easily spaced out.
What I was wondering was that when I start working will it harder to eat constantly through the day? It seems like something employers would try to frown upon, and I was wondering how some of you guys manage to sneak in those meals without affecting your performance in the workplace.
I just have this feeling that in a competitive work enviroment that it might be impossible or at least a hinderence to my career to try to snack throughout the day/
You may be able to scarf stuff down during a couple short breaks and during lunch, but make sure you have a toothbrush and some breath spray if you are smiling at customers all day.
I eat in the car, in between appointments with clients, at business meetings where I’m in student/listen mode…but like the prior post, I keep a toothbrush and floss in my office :)…not every meal is whole food, some are protein shakes and bars
I also try to space 15 - 20 min break segments for myself where I can eat and maybe read the newspaper
In my line of work, I’ve come to accept that you simply will have no option but to miss a timed meal more than you would be happy with…Be prepared to choke down a nasty protein bar every once and a while…One trick I use is to carry a small container of aminos/BCAA’s…Real world is a bitch sometimes |;-J
Most employers will usually give you a couple of breaks plus a lunch break. What it takes on your part is to make sure that you bring food to work that’s easy to prepare.
I know the feeling. I grill a bunch of meat on the weekend, then bag it up into individual portions in sandwich bags. I also boil a bunch of brown rice and bag it up as well. When I go to work, I simply grab however many meals I’ll need (along with fruits and veggies, of course). Everything can be microwaved and eaten in 20 minutes or so. Giant, indescribable pain in the ass, but there is no other way to get huuuuge.
Just wanted to add that this really isn’t hard to do. Pre planning and a medium sized lunch container and you are good to go. Most employers will be happy to have someone energetic and healthy who uses their two breaks and lunch to eat a small healthy meal then someone who runs out to smoke and is overweight and unhealthy.
Knowing how those guys work, it is essential that you have meals that are quick and easy to eat. Your best bet besides lunch is shakes/bars/nuts/fruit. Healthy and quick.
Fortunately for me I work in an industry full of overpaid lazy asses, so my pace of work is a lot slower, and I can afford to take the time needed at 10am to eat a steak, baked potato, and green beans. If you aren’t afforded that luxury, convenience is paramount.
I actually find that I eat better when I am at work than I do on the weekend. This is because I am so prepared for work that I have all my meals sorted out a work week in advance and eat my meals at roughly the same time each day (subject to client meetings). I am in control of my own time which makes it easier as I dont have to worry about bosses giving me shit about eating all the time.
It is actually a long running joke in my office that whenever I am in the kitchen preparing food I always get asked by someone which number lunch I am up to for the day.
To summarise my babble above, if you are prepared it is easy to eat enough while you are working.
Obviosly water bottle and Metabolic Drive work great together. Keep a jug of Metabolic Drive and a case of the bars in your desk. It’s inevitable that you’ll be missing timed meals. Quick cold meals that can eaten quickly at your desk can be helpful. I frequently eat chicken breast and brocolli cold. If you can eat the meal in less than five minutes your gold.
If your going to be driving a lot, keep a cooler in your trunk stocked with everything you need for the day. I know a powerlifter that is a medical supply salesperson that has been doing this for years. Remember, protein bars melt in the car.
Also, mutlipe alarm settings on your cellphone can help with reminders. When you get really busy at work, it’s really easy to lose track of time.
By six meals do you mean… 6 whole meals or 6 meals including shakes/protein bars?
I am currently in college and working full time… but I totally lucked out on the job part lol. Surveillance at a casino… we dont get a lunch break because well… you can eat whenever you want… and since ur alone… thats all I do. My desk is literally two feet away from the fridge in there. I eat better at work than anywhere else because the job is so damn boring that eating helps pass the time.
NEWAYS back to your post lol… I did work in the mall for a little bit and what I would do is ask to use the restroom and sneak a protein bar in on the way down there. Usually I only worked a six hour shift so I would eat before I went… take a bathroom break… then lunch break… then MAYBE another bathroom break, if not then I would just eat something before I went home.
If I know I’m not going to get a meal for a while I try to eat a big steak (12-14 ounces of top sirloin) and a few baked potatoes with cottage cheese. Expensive… but that takes a while to digest so thats what I use for comfort lol
On the weekend, I pre-cook all my lunches and microwave them at work. Also, I take a sandwich. At work I have oatmeal and yoghurt stashed in the fridge. Fortunately, my employer has no problem with us eating at our desks.
Ah yes, in my old job, I always used to have a stash of nuts in my desk. The best way to eat, even when in a meeting was - sharing them. Made me popular and helped me keep up my calorie intake. Except of course for the comment: “Oh makkun has brought his nuts to the meeting again…”
…or you could eat fewer meals. BIG breakfast, HUGE lunch, pre & post workout shake, and when finished lifting eat til you go to sleep. That is of course if your goal is to bulk.
[quote]Blacksnake wrote:
…Be prepared to choke down a nasty protein bar every once and a while…[/quote]
Make your own.
I didn’t even think that was possible until I got Berardi’s Precision Nutrition (there are several bar recipes in the cookbook if you don’t want to buy the whole program.)
Not that much work and much much much better tasting and I know what’s in them.
It seems this question is dependant on what type of work you will be doing. I know you said banking, but working as a teller in a bank, to a loan officer, to manager, to call center in a bank are entirely different.
Personally, I work at a desk, so it takes me 2 minutes to heat up some food. I eat about every 2 hours at my desk and do not take a lunch break. I figure my lunch break is the time I eat during the day at work.
By the time I leave work at 5:00, I have eaten 5 meals including breakfast onthe way in to work.
Personally, I try to reserve meal replacement for emergencies.
Worst case scenario, if you are really pressed for time and surrounded by people who don’t support or allow you to eat… protein bar works well, looks like a candy bar (which is socially acceptable in most scenarios) and you can eat it in under 5 minutes, while still working. It won’t attract a lot of negative attention, like pulling out a bunch of tupperware might (it depends on your job).
Also you can get commerical protein drinks that come in juice box-type containers. These can be more ‘stealth’ than pulling out a shaker from home. Again, this is for a situation where it might not be socially acceptable to concoct a homemade shake, but nobody would blink an eye if you drank a can of Coke.
You should only have to worry about eating at off-times during work or school, only twice a day. Breakfast Lunch and Dinner (plus pre-bed snack) are all on your own time.
