Today’s lunch was bright and cheery- a tropical getaway if you will! :mrgreen:
I had a yellow pepper with freshly ground pepper and black bean dip on the side. (Sorry, I just realized how unappetizing that bean dip looks- LOL).
I continued my tater addiction with mashed potatoes! I made these a couple nights ago and they include almond milk, garlic, sea salt, and vegan margarine. I heated them up with a pat of vegan margarine and parsley flakes.
Two words: COMFORT FOOD.
With an Amy’s Texas veggie burger, a high protein pita, Fontaine Santa hummus, salsa, and tomato paste. I like Amy’s burgers, but I really need to make more of the In A Jiffy Spelt Veggie Burgers. They are much, much tastier (and cheaper).
Dessert was a WRINKLY peach! It was now or never so I took one for the team…and ate it wrinkles and all. ;) It did look more ‘distinguished’ I must admit. :mrgreen:
Two exciting things:
1) Michael Pollan + Alicia Silverstone + Food Inc + Whole Foods on Oprah today. Loved it. Anyone else catch it? I thought it was funny how careful Oprah was about everything she said. I must have heard the line, ‘This is only my opinion, you must make the choice for yourself.’ a million times. I guess she is avoiding another lawsuit…
2) 5:30pm and still light out. Can I hear a woot woot for Spring on its’ way??
Do You Feel Pressured To Be Thin At Your Job?
This week I was chatting with a reader who is in school to become a Registered Dietitian. She told me that there is a lot of competition among the RD students at her school. Of course there is competition over grades, but she told me there is also competition over weight and appearance.
Because the focus of the program is so health oriented and it is so competitive to get internships, there is a lot of pressure to appear as that perfect picture of health. You know the saying: practice what you preach.
I instantly thought about my previous jobs and whether I have felt any pressure to maintain a low weight. Most of them were office jobs, so there wasn’t much pressure there. However, I worked in retail for many years and had to wear the store’s clothing. At times, I remember wanting to look thin in the clothing so I could represent it well to potential buyers. However, I never felt pressure from my boss. It was internal pressure I placed on myself.
With my current job, owning a bakery, I don’t really feel much pressure about my weight because baker’s tend to have the stereotype of being heavy. However, owning a healthy bakery, I do think it is important to show that a healthy weight can be maintained with balance and moderation. It is not about being thin as it is just overall healthy though.
Then there is my OSG gig. Given my past eating disorder, I had to think very long and carefully about how I wanted to approach my blog. I knew immediately that it might not be healthy for me to be a 3x a day food blogger just due to the sensitivity I have around it all. It works great for many people, but I had to chose the right path for myself. I decided to blog about a variety of topics that I am passionate about, throw some hot topics and recipes in there, and try to have a nice balance for myself. This approach has worked for me because I have not felt overly scrutinized or pressured to live up to some ideal. I just try to be healthy for myself and not think too much about what other people think or expect of me.
Whether I had OSG or not, I would still want to maintain my weight and be a healthy person, so the blog really doesn’t change anything. At times I have fallen into the comparison trap, like many of us do, but I just try my best to work with what I have and never expect perfection from myself because it does not exist. [For a great discussion see Part 1 and Part 2 on Social Comparison Trap.]
So that was my long-winded way of leading into today’s question…
Do you or have you ever had a job (or school career) where you felt the pressure to be thin? What is it/was it and why do you feel that way? Are there things that you do to reduce the pressure?
You have to stay in shape. My grandmother, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She’s 97 today and we don’t know where the hell she is. ~Ellen
I am in school and there is of course a ton of pressure for girls to be thin and pretty and that led to my eating disorder. I am now in recovery and greatful for it, but I am writing a paper for my English 102 class and I was wondering if you had anymore information about Eating Disorders and the Insurances lack of providing care for people needing treatment??
Unfortunately my ED research articles are on an inaccessible PC right now or I would zip em and send them to you…I suggest checking out http://www.something-fishy.org/ for info. It should be a good starting spot!
I love the something fishy site!! I used to go on it very regularly when I needed a lot of support. It has awesome articles, resources, and the message board is amazing. Awesome job Angela for suggesting this site!! I am definately a strong believer in it.
Haha, yes, do I ever! But I think it comes with the job. I’m a ballet dancer and we have a weekly weigh-in and there have been many conversations involving us girls needing to lose weight. But, to show that things aren’t all bad, there is one girl who is constantly getting hassled to gain weight (so yes, there is a too skinny, even for ballet!)
Its tough when everybody you know who is non-dance thinks you look fine/wishes they looked like you etc. but you know that ‘ideally’ you should be 10-15lbs lighter.
Anyways, I find it really interesting (albeit dissapointing) that there are other jobs out there that have this pressure as well.
Hmmm, I do not feel pressured to be thin at my work, but rather, motivation to stay healthy and fit! I’m an ICU nurse, so I see the worst of the worst and although a lot of it is old age, there are younger people, too, who do not take care of themselves. Also, big motivation to never drink or do drugs, haha.
I am an ICU nurse as well, and I totally agree! I love my job and love my patients, but one thought that goes through my mind so often is that I never want to be that sick due to anything I could have prevented. I do feel some pressure (probably self-imposed) to “look” healthy because I am a nurse and should be setting a good example for others, and I have to admit that it frustrates me how many nurses are so overweight and how many smoke even though they see what those choices can lead to…
Just saw this comment. totally true, there are a lot of unhealthy nurses and I try not to be judgmental, but to me, it seems hypocritical to tell a patient to do one thing, but then go off and do that same thing yourself
I don’t feel pressure to be thin at work, although other people, mostly older women, comment on my size at work. “Oh you’re so small….” etc.,
I feel pressure to be thin at the gym. At the gym I go to, if you are a regular, and you miss a class for some reason, the trainers or other people will ask where you were, like you’re a slacker. There is definite competition among the “regulars” to see who goes to the most classes, etc.
One trainer told me I needed to up my training, as I only go to the gym 3-4x a week. However, those sessions are brutal. Circuit training with weights 2x, and interval spinning at least once.
I try not to let it get to me!
I have to say that although I don’t think I’ve ever felt the pressure to be thin from my job — as a female, I’ve felt the pressure of trying to …”unpretty” myself in order to be taken seriously.
What a great topic and great comments so far.
As a Registered Dietitian, I am somewhat disheartened by the pressure that the RD student feels. On one hand, I strongly believe that, working as a dietitian, it is important to practice what you preach. On the other hand, I believe that in this field, it is also important to be a role model of “wellness”.
Obsessing over being a certain weight or size (particularly if it is not a realistic ideal), in my humble opinion, is not a lifestyle of wellness.
I work in wellness and weight management. I eat well- balanced, healthy meals. I teach group exercise classes and I work out regularly too. But, I also eat ice cream and pizza, and take days off from working out and I think that all of those things can fit into a lifestyle that models health and wellness. My goal is to let my clients and patients know that you can be fit and healthy without being perfect.
I wonder too, how age plays into this discussion. At 35 years old, I know I am more comfortable in my own skin than I was maybe 10 or 15 years ago.
Great discussion, Angela! I look forward to reading more comments.
I studied broadcast journalism in college. There was definitely pressure to look a certain way — I still rarely wear ponytails because a professor once said that “no one” looks attractive with a ponytail. There were students of all sizes, shapes, etc. so I never felt singled out, but it is something that has stuck with me.
I’m of two minds:
Among my friends I feel slightly “freaky” (as others have said) because I do genuinely enjoy healthy food, and exercising. It isn’t a chore for me to cook, and it isn’t a choir to go for a run. I love eating whole grains, healthy fats and proteins. I order salads at restaurants because they appeal to me the most, not because I’m “on a diet”. That said I do indulge, and I enjoy it when I do. I’m pretty sure I have something sugary every day since I have such a sweet tooth. But some people can make me feel guilty that I like eating healthy.
Then there’s the dietetics program here at school. I won’t lie, it’s sort of competitive, and it does make me want to be thinner. Don’t get me wrong there’s a couple girls who aren’t tiny, but for the most part they are that size two. And some of them you know put big effort into being that size, while others are just that small. I think most of the pressure is internal, but some of it is a little bit true. A little catch-22 as someone said earlier.
Ah I wish I’d seen Oprah today! Too bad she never has re-runs :(
I’m a dietetics student too. I haven’t started applying for internships yet but I haven’t heard of this competition! It’s ironic…a good amount of nutrition majors don’t look very healthy. Practice what you preach…
First of all, your lunch looks incredible!!!! So many different things but they just look so darn good!
And I hate that I missed Oprah :( darn.
As for your blog, I think it’s pretty awesome. I like the fact that it’s a mix of things and not just one.. you have posts that really make me think (like this) and then you have recipes and then posts about your meals… I like the mix :) it’s fun! And I think you are a perfect representative of a healthy baker. You have moderation in your life, you have a healthy attitude towards it all, and you look amazing!! I hope that I can have your attitude one day.
I really don’t feel pressure at my job from others but from myself.. yeah. I work with 7 other girls (there are only 9=10 employees) and 2 of those girls are those naturally thin people… like they TRY to gain weight. That is hard to watch and hear when they say “oh i’m so thin.. i need to eat this and gain some weight” or “i woke up this morning and I weighed the most I ever have… over 110 lbs…” You can imagine my facial expression after hearing this… are you kidding me. I know that some people really are in this situation and it sucks from their perspective but it also sucks watching someone stuff their face with everything in sight and never gain a pound… ok sorry, rant over lol
Hmmm, I find it odd that these naturally thin girls feel compelled to “make light” of how they ‘need to gain weight’ etc…makes me wonder what really is going on there…
As a performer (classical music), I can feel pressure to look my best (thin, toned, healthy, etc.) because all the audience is looking at YOU. But I came to the conclusion that all these things, I just want them for myself. Not for the audience…
Great blog!
– Kloé
I’m one of your younger readers and I definitely feel pressured by my peers to be thin. It’s not really an outward thing that anyone says, it’s just when everyone around you is thin, you feel that pressure too.
Oh and the quote you have at the bottom of this post is a quote from Ellen Degeneres. There, not unknown anymore! :)
I saw Oprah and loved it. I got The Kind Diet for Christmas and it had a huge impact on me. I changed my diet back to veganism (I was for years in college and just after) and I haven’t looked back. It’s about health and what we CHOOSE to put into our bodies. I feel empowered and fantastic. I have 2 girlfriends who also purchased the book after checking out mine or checking out TheKindLife.com. It’s a must read, casual language with a serious message, lots of good facts.
I only caught the end of Oprah today. I didn’t realize they were on until the show was almost over! Too bad.. I’ll have to tape the re-run they have overnight here in Chicago.
I personally don’t feel pressure to be thin at my job, but many of my colleagues do. On-air television reporters face HUGE scrutiny about weight and appearance every day. I think that is part of the reason I decided to be behind the scenes rather than on air. I had a brief stint as a reporter, and while nobody told me I looked bad, but I felt a lot of pressure to look good every day. That isn’t healthy for me.
I am a professional dancer and dance teacher so, yes, I feel the pressure to be thin. Staying relatively thin is easy because I lead a very active lifestyle, however, I’m not NATURALLY thin so I do have to work harder than my coworkers. It’s just a fact of life in my profession so I don’t really pay it any mind.
Wonderful post and delicous lunch! I don’t work in a very glamorous job, but I do some meeting planning and there is a big emphasis on looking good when we are interacting with clients. Other than that, the office is a pretty casual crowd!
I have to try to see that Oprah show. I have such a literary crush on Michael Pollan!
I live in a very outdoorsy town, so there is more a pressure to look “fit”. Luckily, I enjoy the kinds of activities that help with that look, but I can imagine if that weren’t the case, there would be serious pressure. I also work from home, so I don’t notice it all that much.
The bean dip looks like chocolate, which isn’t unappetizing at all! :D
I most certainly feel pressure with my job. It’s always been evident that when you work in the outdoor science field you need to be lean and fit to be able to do the job, so i always feel like i need to be skinny, fit and strong. it’s hard, but i just keep telling myself to do the best job i can with what i do.
I work in the information technology field with a bunch of men. There is no pressure in my department to be thin. I do work in an office full of overweight women, however. Since I pack my lunch everyday, I get many comments, stares and icky-faced looks about what I eat. “What is THAT!?” or “Geez, that looks like a huge, healthy salad, Amy. Are you going to eat all that?!” We now have a small fridge right in our department, so I’ve decided store all my foodie things in the department fridge and eat at my desk. The guys don’t care and I don’t have to explain my food to anyone. lol Sometimes they tease me…offer to go outside and pick me some dandelions or eat their fast food and moan about how good it is. Overall though, there is no pressure about my body size. But, I like to challenge my own self to be healthy and I like that I’ve come so far. My kids have an awesome example to learn from, and I’m not too shy to pat myself on the back for that. They eat quinoa, kale, and green monsters….I am so very proud. :) So overall, no pressure from work, but there is pressure as a mom…to be the perfect model of health for my babies. Lord knows the media and school system isn’t going to teach them these things.
I’m in (kinda) the same position: I work as a software dev at a small company, and in my department (and most of the company), everyone’s male. The whole company eats lunch together, and there’s definitely some commentary. During my first week here alone, there was cake brought in no less than 3 separate times (I refused all 3). People are more used to it now, but most everyone here is on the pudgy side and I definitely feel like the odd woman out. It’s actually really hard sometimes to resist eating foods I simply DON’T WANT just to “fit in” with everybody else and seem “more normal.”
Yep, Ann, DBA/developer here, too! :) I don’t think I would like eating lunch with the whole company…haha! I work in healthcare and most of them don’t like our department. I try like it’s my job to break the stereotype applied to us “computer people.” I’m not a geek (shhh! don’t tell my husband that), I’m fit, I don’t just bang on a keyboard all day – this girl RUNS!, I don’t drink pots and pots of coffee, and I’m personable. :) We are a rare breed I tell ya! Even still, so much of me likes being very different from the rest.
I want to come live with you to eat your yummy food. :)
JK- but I will come for a vacation! ;)
There’s a girl at work that’s so thin it makes me sick. :( I’m like ughhhh why can’t I be that thin? :(