A Small Crisis

[jasonD2]

hello folks

i have a dilemma- i cant decide whats more important...my health or forging a new and exciting career for myself. ive been very stagnant in my job for the past 10 years and i feel like im going nowhere. ive been trying to break into sales and finally have an opportunity. I was on a full day interview with the company yesterday and didnt even think about my health or diet until the manager took me out to lunch. I then realized that people in sales always eat whats close, fast and convenient. this is not an option for me since i need to watch what i put into my body. i dont have celiacs, but cannot eat a lot of foods right now since i am trying to restore my intestinal fortitude and overall health after being diagnosed with leaky gut and food allergies.

Anyway at lunch i did my best to discretely order gluten and dairy free food and didnt want to make a huge scene with the waitress in front of my potential boss (who incidentally is over 200 lbs and ate a huge cheese steak). nevertheless, when my food came i could not tell if there was any gluten or dairy and didnt worry bout it. of course i paid the price....the vegetables were immersed in butter and garlic and my chicken was coated with a thick bed of seasoning and was on top of a huge pile of pasta. i removed the pasta ate the chicken and nibbled on some vegetables and of course paid the price for the rest of the daywith gas and bloat (probly the dairy). the airplane ride back was a nightmare since the change in pressure causes my insides to tense up and along with the gas it was just unbearable.

I don't know how its gonna be possible to balance this job with my health issues since i will be on the road 90% of the time. there will be meetings, seminars working with clients and i wont always have the luxury to run around town to find a whole foods. i will have to be flexible and make sacrifices. i also cannot afford to loose anymore weight. i went from 160 to 148 lbs after cutting out dairy and wheat from my diet. if im skimping on meals and just eating plain salads i will loose weight, be tired and irritable and wont be able to do my job. furthermore whenever i travel and change my routine i get constipated.

I just don't know what to do. everyone i know is telling me to go for it, but they dont know about my dietary needs. my parents think i should not accept it and wait for something that will be easier to manage. i feel like id be passing up a great opportunity and if i accept my fallback job i will be sitting there every day wondering WHAT IF?

Id really appreciate some feedback and support on this cause im feeling very sad and helpless today. thank you for listening

[Ursa Major]

Jason, I understand your dilemma. But think about how much you would enjoy your new job if you get sicker and sicker and lose all energy! You would start hating it very soon, and not soon after you would not be able to do it any more and will have to quit.

Right now, while you are trying to figure out your health issues is unfortunately NOT the time to take risks like that. Before you can have a traveling job with having to eat out all the time you need to be well, and having a good grip on your diet and how to handle it when away from home.

Your parents are right. I am sure it is heartbreaking to turn down a job you would normally love. But it doesn't sound like it would work out. Your health definitely has to come first right now.

[gfpaperdoll]

A fulfilling happy life does not depend on how much money you make or what kind of job you have.

[celiac-mommy]

I'm sure it would be helpful to get insight from someone who was in the same field and could answer what they do when their constantly out to eat, but as far as your overall health goes, you said you can't decide what's more important-your health or a new exciting career. If you're at a dead end job you don't enjoy and you wake up every morning wishing you didn't have to go to work--that's part of your mental health, which can take a toll on your physical health. If this is the right opportunity for you and it will make you happy, there's got to be a way to navigate the food. When our medical reps are here, they usually pick where they're ordering from and actually, most of the time they don't eat with us because they're busy giving their presentations. You could always eat before and then after if need be. If you're taking clients out, you can always plan where to go, you can call ahead of time if you don't want it to be a big deal during lunch. So many people out there have some sort of food intolerance, I'm sure some of your clients would appreciate your sensitivity to the subject! Good luck to you, things always have a way of working themselves out....

[jasonD2]

RE: gfpaperdoll

For you maybe, but for me having a job that i love and making decent money is very important at this point in my life. I'm a very driven person and if im not motivated and challenged then I waste away. But i agree that this may not be the right time to take this on

A fulfilling happy life does not depend on how much money you make or what kind of job you have.

[Lisa]

Jason, if you're a great saleman, you can talk your way around a meal with clients and no one would notice.

[jerseyangel]

Jason,

I would hate to see you have to pass up a job that you really want because of your food intolerances. I know there are people on here who have sales and other jobs where they have to travel a great deal.

Of course, only you know what you'll be able to handle. I'm wondering if you reposted this in the "Coping With" forum with a more direct title describing your situation, asking for other's experiences. I think that would be very helpful to you.

[happygirl]

You might want to contact pixiegirl --- she travels a lot for her job. Its certainly not impossible.

However, you will have to take charge of your health. Ordering food that you know isn't safe will not make your new job any easier.

[WW340]

If you feel like this is a major opportunity for yourself, I would really brainstorm with friends and family for solutions to make this work for you.

I don't know all of your food intolerances, but I know I keep stashes of non-perishable food with me at all times. I have a stash at work, in my car and in my computer case.

I travel in my work, and I have to eat lunch brought in by someone else almost everyday. I have a limited say in what I am getting. They know of my gluten problems, but sometimes my food arrives with croutons or a big fat roll on top, so I stay prepared to provide myself something else. I also frequently have dinner meetings. I try to steer the meeting to a restaurant with gluten free options, but I can't always control that. Many people will go out of their way to accomodate my eating requirements if I just mention it.

I keep things like the small individual cups of peanut butter, gluten-free crackers, or corn/rice cakes, corn tortillas, salsa, etc. I keep larabars, small cans of fruit, packets of tuna, soup, chili and whatever else I think might work in a pinch for a lunch or snack. Hormel has several gluten free items that work well for this.

If I have to eat out, I will generally order a salad with meat on it. I always order the meat plain, all veggies plain, no butter or seasoning. I can eat eggs, so I will request boiled egg if they have it added to my salad. Or, I will order a baked potato or sometimes both. If it is a restaurant I am familiar with, I will order what I know is safe other than a salad. Most places can do a steak or a piece of chicken plain without seasoning. Or, I will ask if they have a vegetarian plate, I find those are frequently just plain steamed veggies, that works for me, until I can get to my own food later. I cannot think of a time that I was unable to find something I could eat at a restaurant. It might not have been much, but at least I had something on my plate and could go through the motions of dining.

Later, I will snack from my stash if I need to supplement.

Most hotels/motels have micro and refrigerator available. I generally try to get a room with a kitchen/kitchenette.

Food tec makes many microwavable items that are easy to transport. You can make an edible piece of bread, pizza dough, cakes, cornbread, hamburger bun, etc. in just a couple of minutes. No they are not the best, but certainly edible and only require water and a microwave.

I keep one bag packed with my food. I buy fruit when I get there and keep a piece or 2 with me to eat sometime during the day.

I believe it can be done. Food will not be a highlight for you, but you can stay safe and earn a living doing what you enjoy.

I drive a lot in my traveling for work, so I keep an ice chest in my car and take some homemade frozen foods with me which I pop into the freezer when I get there and then just microwave before eating. I don't mess with ice, I have those cold ice gel packs that I keep in the freezer.

[jasonD2]

Good ideas! thanks

[Darn210]

Jason, I think you can do it . . . but you will have to speak up for yourself. You can be quitely assertive on your food requirements and then always pack back-up for when they screw it up. You don't need to fill your clients in on all the details of your food intolerances but have a handy/witty/simple remark for when someone notices/asks. And don't eat something just because you don't want them to know!!!! That will get you in trouble fast.

Long, long time ago . . . I had a boss on a special diet. I don't know how he arranged it, but at our big catered (departmental) meals together, he always had something different than the rest of us and I always thought . . . his looks better than ours, how did he do that? So if you're going into sales, make sure your client's food looks as good as yours!!!