Any servers out there?

[Captainfantastic]

I'm sure there are some servers out there, 

 

i serve at an Applebee's in the town I work during the weekends. All week I do pretty well with my nutrition and keeping my food clean and then I get to work and it all goes out the window! There's delicious food everywhere and if m something gets screwed up or someone orders food it's pretty much always a free for all, and with food around you all the time it's hard (for me at least) to keep from snacking, next thing you know you've eaten a ton of calories in just snack. 

 

Any ideas or tips for helping myself keep my diet clean even when working in a restaurant?

[Stonie]

I do all the hospitality things (cooking, serving, making coffee). Eventually I got sick of eating the same things at work so I started packing my own lunch. Having something already prepped stopped me having to decide what to have for lunch by the time I got a break and fall into the trap of grabbing / cooking the easiest thing available - which is usually either cake or deep fried chips. I hate food wastage so I rarely didn't eat the food I'd prepped because it would have gone to waste and it would come straight out of my hip pocket.

 

I also agree with Average To Abs about not snacking and picking something to eat at the end of your shift; trying to remember exactly how many chips  / mouthfuls of cake you ate over your shift is hard, especially if you happen to be calorie-counting. Or, pre-pack your own snacks so you know exactly what's in them and you don't have to stress about the excess food you might be eating. Also, drink lots of water. Being upright and moving is hard on the human body and drinking water helps stop feeling hungry.

 

As for the stuff-up orders, I started just eating less of the meal and sharing it with co-workers / throwing it out. Eventually I stopped wincing every time I tipped it down the bin  It's a good practice in 'saying no' by constantly turning down the food around you. I spend most of my time at work standing next to the cake fridge so I know that struggle all too well!

 

Just because we work with food doesn't mean we always have to eat what's at work xD but also, don't stress if you mess up and eat the food occasionally. You can work on slowly relying less on the food at work or plan your meals around knowing you'll be at work and eat there within your limits and without guilt. Some days I want pancakes for lunch, so I have the damn pancakes. I hear it's called balance. xD

[Nater]

I was a bartender at an Olive Garden for several years, over 10 years ago. That job was the start of me becoming overweight and loosing my endurance. It marked the end of me walking or biking everywhere due to the fact I had to leave the immediate area around campus.  Also no longer swam non-stop since I was not lifeguarding any longer. I consumed entirely too many meals of nothing but pasta, breadsticks and Alfredo sauce.  I didn't drink much on the job, but we were always sampling different wines and cocktails we came up with.

 

It was a fun job, but I did a poor job balancing food consumption with everything else. I would recommend looking at the available ingredients in your kitchen and having the cooks fix you something unique and healthy. Avoid sipping pop from the drink station and minimize any alcohol and desserts managers may tempt you with to boost your sales.