Anonymous
09/15/2025 06:37
Subject: Restricted diet and work events
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Bring your own food, excuse yourself for a few minutes, and eat it quickly before the event.
This. While we are very accommodating for meal restrictions at our events, the conservative Jews i works with always bring a meal. Just bring what you can eat. No one will bat an eye.
Oops - but don’t run and eat quickly by yourself! Eat with everyone else.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 06:36
Subject: Restricted diet and work events
Anonymous wrote:Bring your own food, excuse yourself for a few minutes, and eat it quickly before the event.
This. While we are very accommodating for meal restrictions at our events, the conservative Jews i works with always bring a meal. Just bring what you can eat. No one will bat an eye.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 06:33
Subject: Restricted diet and work events
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:are there any meal bars that fit within your restrictions? If so I would just bring one like that and pick at whatever is being served.
A “bar” is not a meal.
It is if there is nothing to eat otherwise.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 06:32
Subject: Restricted diet and work events
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I would prep food and bring it. Bring a lunch cooler and keep it with you. Pack silverware but also they should have some around at these lunches.
It’s not weird, it’s taking care of yourself.
It’s like my friend who I saw at a baby shower. I told myself I’d just eat fruit/water/yogurt type stuff (for what I need to do right now). No muffins etc
And my friend walked in with her protein drink and she just had that. No one questioned her (or me). We both had the foods we wanted and needed. Adults let other adults just take care of themselves.
And you don’t need to mention it or explain. It will be so professional for you to not explain. Mealtime comes, as others get their food, you open up your food. I promise, no one will question you. If they do it’s a quick chance to just say “I’m on a specific restricted plan right now.”
This. I work with several Orthodox Jews. They have very specific dietary restrictions. When they have to take part in meetings (any level) that include food, they simply ask whether the organizers will be accommodating them or should they take care of their own food. And they usually still bring something because people who are unaware tend to mess up their food.
To people that suggested eating in the bathroom, WTF!
Anonymous
09/15/2025 06:18
Subject: Restricted diet and work events
Anonymous wrote:are there any meal bars that fit within your restrictions? If so I would just bring one like that and pick at whatever is being served.
A “bar” is not a meal.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 05:51
Subject: Restricted diet and work events
No one really is aware of what YOU are eating. Bring your own food — there is no need to eat in a bathroom! If possible, bring food that you can eat at room temperature so you don’t have to ask for a microwave. If someone asks, tell them your diet is currently restrictive so you brought your own. Keep it light and move on.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 00:13
Subject: Restricted diet and work events
Can you ask your clinical care team for a temporary solution for the brain fog? E.g. Adderall?
Anonymous
09/15/2025 00:11
Subject: Restricted diet and work events
OP you are making this much weirder than it needs to be. This is so very common these days. Just ask the organizer for the ability to heat up / eat your own food somewhere due to a medical issues. NBD
Anonymous
09/14/2025 22:46
Subject: Restricted diet and work events
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Sending best wishes for the week, OP. You will rock it!
Thanks. I guess I'm just really nervous. I'll be meeting a bunch of people for the first time. My meds give me brain fog. And our partner team has done a terrible job of prepping us for what we are expected to present.
Usually I thrive with this kind of challenge, but right now I just want it to be over.
And it's been less than two weeks since we've really gotten my dosing and diet dialed in enough that I'm functional most of the time, so I'm really worried about messing that up.
I had a huge work worry on Friday. So anxious and thinking really hard about it. I posted here (and pulled it down).
It happened, it was positive. People around you could be rooting for it all to go well.. that it inevitably will go well.
Hang around positive people at work, if they exist, and have fun.
Anonymous
09/14/2025 22:39
Subject: Restricted diet and work events
Anonymous wrote:Sending best wishes for the week, OP. You will rock it!
Thanks. I guess I'm just really nervous. I'll be meeting a bunch of people for the first time. My meds give me brain fog. And our partner team has done a terrible job of prepping us for what we are expected to present.
Usually I thrive with this kind of challenge, but right now I just want it to be over.
And it's been less than two weeks since we've really gotten my dosing and diet dialed in enough that I'm functional most of the time, so I'm really worried about messing that up.
Anonymous
09/14/2025 22:30
Subject: Restricted diet and work events
Definitely go even in new clothes that fit.
Anonymous
09/14/2025 22:29
Subject: Restricted diet and work events
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Bring your own food, excuse yourself for a few minutes, and eat it quickly before the event.
The event is all day, including lunch.
Right. So you take a few minutes to feed yourself with food you brought with you that you can eat.
Anonymous
09/14/2025 22:27
Subject: Restricted diet and work events
Sending best wishes for the week, OP. You will rock it!
Anonymous
09/14/2025 22:19
Subject: Restricted diet and work events
Anonymous wrote:Just bring food in a thermos to keep it warm, and ask for an empty plate if it’s a seated meal, or eat it out of the thermos if it’s a boxed lunch.
Treating medical issues and disabilities like they are shameful or must be hidden isn’t the solution.
This is probably right, and I'm letting my own issues around my medical situation come into play. There are other factors making me anxious about this week, including I basically haven't stepped foot in any office or put on professional clothes since the beginning of July...and I've gained a lot of weight on these meds. I also get exhausted easily, and I'm worried about how I'll be feeling by the end of the week. The lunch is a logistical challenge, though, so something I know I have to handle.
Anonymous
09/14/2025 22:16
Subject: Restricted diet and work events
Anonymous wrote:I would prep food and bring it. Bring a lunch cooler and keep it with you. Pack silverware but also they should have some around at these lunches.
It’s not weird, it’s taking care of yourself.
It’s like my friend who I saw at a baby shower. I told myself I’d just eat fruit/water/yogurt type stuff (for what I need to do right now). No muffins etc
And my friend walked in with her protein drink and she just had that. No one questioned her (or me). We both had the foods we wanted and needed. Adults let other adults just take care of themselves.
And you don’t need to mention it or explain. It will be so professional for you to not explain. Mealtime comes, as others get their food, you open up your food. I promise, no one will question you. If they do it’s a quick chance to just say “I’m on a specific restricted plan right now.”