Let’s Get Physical

[smile]

One thing about working as cabin crew is that you must be in good condition health wise. Having always been a little sporty this was never a problem - until now. :(

This little black duck has found herself putting on a couple of extra kilos as well as feeling a little tired a lot of the time. Now as I have only been working as cabin crew for six months I have figured that this is as good a time as any to fix this problem and have me in good condition for the rest of my career!!!:D

So in good tradition I announce my 'New Years Resolution" and ask for everyone’s help. Now I already have the motivation and exercise outfits for all weather-- what I need are all the little bits of knowledge that you all have stored away that will give me that edge. Any “helpful hints” and “guaranteed not to fail” or “I wouldn’t be without them” pearls of wisdom would be appreciated on all health and beauty related topics.

Thanking you all in advance

Happy New Year

love SMILE

[FormerFlyer]

Stop eating the jam tarts!!!!! :D

[Cart_tart]

check your pm smile
xx

[Maya]

Forget about the left over meals in C class :D :D :D
By the way I am new here, hello to everybody and best wishes for the 2003! :)

[Elvis21]

mix cardio workouts with a good weights regime, this will tone your body and firm it in all the right places;) , and you also need a healthy diet
however, make sure you only do l ight weights, but lots of them. this way you will not end up looking like a Russian shot putter.

[Big Hairy Potatoes]

Take a long look at your diet and what you eat on the plane. A lot of crew eat heaps of corbohydrates and are supplied carbohydrate loaded meals to keep energy levels up. If you don't have a high metobolism or excercise daily the excess carbo's store directly as fat. It's a double edged sword, you get tired because of the pressure and don't have enough energy to excercise but then if you don't excercise, you put on weight. I have come to this conclussion due to the fact of seeing alot of new girls come on line that have'nt flown before and put on 2-3 kilo's in the first 2-3 months of being on line. Also don't snack eat healthy, don't go back for seconds and watch your sugar intake.

Long winded I know . But I hope it helps

[vdd]

Hello Smile!

Hope all is going well at Virgin.... and happy New Year to you!:)

I have to agree with Big Hairy Potatoes comments. As you know I'm not an F/A but BHP's comments make a whole lot of sense - well for me anyway!:D :p

Cheers
vdd

[flyblue]

Those are my personal rules:

-No sugar or sweets
-no junk food
-no alcohol (except a glass of wine occasionally)
-lots of fruits and vegetables (sometimes carry it from home)
-try not to mix proteins with carbohydrates, and different types of proteins (cheese+meat, meat+yoghurt etc)
-excercise
-periodical medical checks

[qfmike737]

Hmmmm Everyone is having an emphasis on NOT eating or CUTTING back on foods. This sounds alright if it is cutting back on the carbs or fats BUT my suggestion for You to lose weight is to basically eat MORE nutritious meals MORE often! (this does not mean stuffing yourself!)

I used to work in the entertainment business and often shifts are odd and you can't always get a nutritious meal. There is always great pressure on looking "great" but keeping on the go! I imagine being a flight attendant is similar! ie. working at odd hours, eating a meal then crashing during the day with no exercise! and food is usually high in carbs or fat! (I know because I work in Qantas flight catering!)

I found that if you eat a small snack of fruit that is filling ie Apple/Banana & bottle of water (these things are handy carrying anywhere) every hour you wont feel so hungry and wont stuff yourself when it's time to eat a meal.

Try to stay away from Carbs altogether espeacially not within the 6 hours before you sleep (so no rice etc!) and if you do have to eat a larger meal have it before you know you are going to have time to burn it off...dont have it before u rest!

Regular exercise!!! VERY important...I suggest a simple cardio exercise. Get on the bike and SWEAT!!!! and dont laugh but I found Yoga great for toning, unwinding and keeping balanced. I strongly recommend Yoga for flight attendants!!!

Good luck everyone and happy new year!!

[cabinboy]

smile,

Some "lighthearted" cabinboy tips for keeping fit on the aircraft !

1. Always be the first to answer the pax f/a call button, another trip up and down the aisle makes you walk further ! Think about how many times you would do this in a days work and it would be equal to a 1km jog !

2. Take your own snacks to work - i.e rice crackers and popcorn, these little babies are somewhat fat free and are good for when you are peckish rather than pigging out on those virgin muffins ! :D

3. On my aircraft I like to play cricket ! I use the " BEV BATS " ( QF Coffee and Tea Serving paddle ) to play cricket with these paddles, you'd be amazed at how far I can knock a pack of peanuts for six ! Great exercise and useful for knocking pax in the back of the head with peanuts to keep them alert.

4. Walking to and from carpark I do a fast paced walk to get the hearbeat up, as we all know at BNE it's quite a walk from the QF/DJ carparks to the terminal.

5. Don't gossip in the galley, use spare galley time to get on the floor and do 100 sit up's - get those ab's working baby !

Smile, since started flying I have suffered badly with ill health too, always feeling tired and constantly getting URTI. I'm told that this will pass, but it takes a while and just like you I'm a virgin to the air :D so hang in there !

CB

[skypryncess]

In my first two months as cabin crew I put on 9 kilos - I kid you not!!! And it took a while to get my weight back under control. I went to see I dietician who gave me a healthy and easy to follow eating plan which worked really well. I also recognised my 'danger times' for eating. Generally after overnights when I got home having only had minimum rest.... if I got to the couch I stayed there and personally I think my body compensates for lack of sleep by eating too much. I found that If I went out for a walk as soon as I got home I was refreshed and revitalised. This is my one thing that I can't do without.


(Sit- ups on the galley floor cabin boy-WHAT THE???????)

[qfmike737]

for a workout try helping the caterers to clean the cabin and cross seatbelts that will get the fat burning!

[cloud nine]

You certainly do have to look after yourself to stay healthy and fit in this industry.

When you first start to fly, it does seem very exahausting. This leads to just wanting to "flop out" on the lounge when you do finally get home.

But excercise, even if it is just going for a walk definatley gives you more energy for the next day.

If you can drag yourself to do something a little physical, you'll definatley start to feel alot better. :cool:

Otherwise you can easily just get stuck in the "couch potatoe" mode, and it becomes a bad routine!

[RiskyRossco]

Smile,

Some great tips there, specially from the been-there-done-that brigade.
I agre with Skyblue, re: proteins and carbs in same meal. No-no, for keeping up energy because protien needs totally opposite digestive enzynes to carbs.
Tip one: in a standard day fruits and cereals for 'breakfast' to replace glucogen after 6-8 hrs in sleep mode.
Between (say) 10 am to 4:30, fats, veges and proteins as the base for light and separate meals - eat a little often - to give your stomach time to digest things quickly. Fruits and additive-free snacks. You're at your most sluggish while your stomach diverts blood flow to work.
After 6:00 pm only salads with proteins (such as steak or white meat), definitely no heavy fats like cheese. Or cheesecake.

In any industry where the body clock suffers disruption a 'standard' regimen is difficult to maintain. Diet is simple but not easy to follow.

Vitamin supplements ( pick only the top brands, preferrably in opaque jars/bottles) are a plus, even for those who don't believe in "expensive pee". The B6 and B12 groups are good for energy upkeep, Calcium/Magnesium help you to relax, taken an hour or so before bedtime, Ginseng/Ginko Biloba for mental sharpness, and good anti-oxidants to maintain your health in a stressful environment.
Basics, though if you're interested in further research,

www.BLI.com
I've studied nutrition as a chef, hope this helps

[cwatters]

> This little black duck has found herself putting on a couple of extra kilos as well as feeling a little tired a lot of the time.

Always see a doctor before starting a new diet/exercise program. Sure you aren't pregnant!

[smile]

First of all to 'cwatters' NO there are no little bubba- smiles on the way!!!!!:D

To everyone else thanks for your wonderful advice. I have just gotten home from a four day trip and you will all be very proud to hear that I stayed away from all evil food groups (ie choccie, alcohol etc) , and I took myself on some really good walks. I even took a pair of hand weights alongs for that little bit of extra toning!!!

Keep all the great advice coming. Also I would love to hear everyones secrets for keeping your outsides looking good. I have found some really good hydrating products for the face, but am struggling to find a good body cream!!!

Talk to you all soon

love SMILE:D

[cloud nine]

QV Cream by EGO ( it's in a blue and white tube )

I was recomended this cream by another FA at work, and since using it have thrown everything else away. It's great for your face too.

Good thing is that it is not expensive and can be found at most chemists.

Definatley worth a try Smile..... ;)

[Tart with the cart]

>cut back on junk food.
>eat lots of fruit and veg.
>drink 8 glasses of water a day.
>drink green tea.
>use a SPF moisturiser!