Desk Job
karirenae
Posts: 106 Member
I work at a state's attorneys office and my job is sitting ALL day at my desk. Does anyone have any suggestions on things to help me from binging or eating junk just because I am bored? I really have no way to exercise while im at work, and I get bored often and think I am hungry but I am really not.. any one else have this issue and any good tips? Thanks!
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Replies
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Can you get up and move every hour? Take the long way to the bathroom, do some squats and wall push-ups while you're there. Take the long way to fill up your water.0
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Fellow desk jockey. Unfortunately, I don't have any magic solution for you, for me it's something about which I have to stay aware. For a time I stopped carrying cash for the vending machines to break that habit, I limit my trips past the adjacent department who keep a candy dish out, and keep water on my desk at all times to stay hydrated. I also have an apple watch and try to hit my stand once/hour goal, not really sure how much benefit that has but it at least makes me feel like I'm doing something productive. Others in the office make a point to go for walks on breaks/lunch.
I've looked into getting a standing desk but the culture where I work isn't really about that level of forward-thinking. I do try to stand when I can, if I'm on a conference call, etc. but the majority of my work entails reading/working on my computer.
Ultimately, I find I just have to keep myself accountable when it comes to office landmines; breakroom cake, lunch meeting leftovers, vending machine grazing, etc.9 -
Cucumbers, carrots, pickles, cherry tomatoes, popcorn. All low cal options to snack on. When I worked a desk job I'd have lunch at my desk before my actual lunch break and spend the entire break walking around the block. I'd bring my sneakers with me to work. So I'd walk around in slacks or a skirt and sneakers. I lost a lot of weight.4
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I have a desk job and a commute. Best advice - bring your own food to work. I keep snacks in my desk and pack my lunch. Keeping foods on hand that are a part of my food plan helps me. If you can take a walk at lunch to keep activity up that helps too.
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I too sit at a desk for majority of day and I've started drinking hot green tea in morning and afternoon. I don't allow myself to have any snack until I drink a full cup of water and have my tea - then if I am still hungry (which I usually am not) I will eat one of my prepared snacks (cut up apple/bag of veggies/nuts or nut/fruit bar/ tuna pouch).
There are all kinds of flavored teas that make it somewhat "exciting" /something to look forward to...maybe not quite as good as snickers or bag of chips - but at least its not plain water!
So, preparation of healthy snacks that you can easily grab and tea is my suggestion.4 -
I have a desk job and a commute. Best advice - bring your own food to work. I keep snacks in my desk and pack my lunch. Keeping foods on hand that are a part of my food plan helps me. If you can take a walk at lunch to keep activity up that helps too.
Bingo. I bought a little fridge that fits under my desk so I keep water bottles, healthy snacks and bring my lunch every day so I don't ever have to worry about being tempted by foods that don't fit into my plan. I just plan ahead a few days or a week at a time and I'm always covered.
Just like anything else in life, If you have a goal you need to have a plan to get there, so I try to plan it out and head off any potential bad decisions at the pass. Or the fridge in this case...
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Drink water when you get the urge to eat. I find that helps me when I start thinking I'm hungry. It'll increase your water intake and your steps in a day (because you'll be walking to the bathroom more).2
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Drink, drink, drink plenty of water while sitting. If you can take a walk a couple times a day and get fresh air that helps too. I keep healthy snacks in the fridge and log all my food and snacks for the day in the morning so I stay on track and now how much wiggle room I've got if I want something "off chart".0
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unfortunately in an office setting...its moment to moment effort. I drink tea.water. bring fruit. healthy snacks and I literally DO NOT EVEN look at the day in day out garbage food that is all over the office for all to eat. I stand when I can. walk when I can..and do a walk at lunch and of course work out before I even get here. office settings are exhausting.0
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Same issues here: work a desk job and want to snack all day even though I am not hungry. Part of it is just working on self control, realizing I want to snack out of boredom and not actual hunger. Easier said than done, I know. Also, plan your snacks and make healthy choices; you will become more full on 100 calories of fruit vs 100 calories of cookie. Water helps curb it as well. I have a 24 ounce water bottle I keep on my desk at work that I try to drink at least 3 of a day, with time goals for each one.
Also, see if your work will purchase a variable desk for you. I have one and I set a goal to stand at least 2 hours a day (1 hour in the morning, one in the afternoon). If not, like others have said, get up and walk around once an hour or even just do a set of stretches.1 -
I work a 9-5 desk-job and I'm currently at my lowest adult weight ever!
Don't keep snacks at work. Pack a lunch, and that's it. Leave your cards and cash at home if you have to.
I like to use my lunch-break to go for a long walk or go to the gym. I also walk/workout after work.
I'm also a big tea drinker.0 -
Pack a lunch. and plenty of water.
1. it saves money
2. It means you've got an excuse- Oh sorry, I can't. I brought my lunch today.
Eventually you'll be able to condition your cow-orkers to pre-schedule stuff far enough out that you can plan it into your daily or weekly calories.4 -
I work at a desk all day too, I bring lots of low calorie snacks with me everyday. Once an hour I walk down the long hallway and back to my desk, then I get up a bit later and refill my water bottle. I find excuses to move. I park in the furthest parking space. I also walk 20 minutes on my lunch. Despite working in an office I average 15k-20k steps per day. I keep sneakers in my office, I spend 20 mins of my lunch walking then back to my desk to eat.2
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jefamer2017 wrote: »Cucumbers, carrots, pickles, cherry tomatoes, popcorn. All low cal options to snack on. When I worked a desk job I'd have lunch at my desk before my actual lunch break and spend the entire break walking around the block. I'd bring my sneakers with me to work. So I'd walk around in slacks or a skirt and sneakers. I lost a lot of weight.
This! I do the same, or eat after my walk at my desk. I managed to loose a decent amount of weight last Summer by just adding this simple exercise and some evening walks too.0 -
I bring all my food for the day (besides dinner with me), and that's what I eat, and I don't eat anything else. I eat what I pack and pack what I eat.1
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I am the same, I sit at my desk from 7am sometimes until 5:30pm. I carry my lunch and pack snacks for throughout the day. another thing that helps me out a lot is to take gum! When I want to snack, I will drink water (or a diet pepsi) or bring something healthy. I love the Atkins Endulge products(yum)!
I do walk 30mins on my lunch break as well, just sitting that long is a no-no for me now, and I think I can spare 30mins to unwind, enjoy the fresh air and get a quick workout in!0 -
I also walk 20 minutes on my lunch. Despite working in an office I average 15k-20k steps per day. I keep sneakers in my office, I spend 20 mins of my lunch walking then back to my desk to eat.
This is amazing! I can't wait to get to this point!! I have just hit a milestone of 12K steps a day!
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I make it a rule that I don't consume ANYTHING at my desk/in my office, except for water and occasionally hot tea or coffee. I think it looks unprofessional to eat while working. I know a lot of people do not share my view on this and it probably stems from my first few jobs which were retail & similar, and eating was frowned upon. But this has served me extremely well.
Luckily, my office isn't one of those filled with treats and potluck lunches and donuts in the break room. But when that does happen, I usually partake if it looks appealing, and just limit it to a seated, 10 minute break where I enjoy it with a cup of coffee and don't graze.1 -
I work a desk job too and it can be difficult to stay focused especially when you get bored. I work rotating shifts from days to nights and nightshifts are especially difficult to stay focused. My employer finally got us a adjustable stand up desk that has made it a lot easier. I set a timer so I stand for 1 hour and sit for 1 hour. I work 12 hour shifts and can't leave my space for lunch or breaks so standing has definitely helped. Depending on how your employer feels about activity and fitness you might convince them to allow you to do some stuff at your desk. When most of the employees leave I have a mat that I jump rope, and have dumbbells and bands I use at my desk. I have a pretty large area which most probably don't have. Meal prepping is another way to stay focused on the diet side. Prep for all meals and snacks and bring extra with you daily. I try to leave extra food at work just in case so I have no excuses to not eat right. Here is my view for 12 hours. I attached a link to the desks my employer purchased for everyone and they work great.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjm3f-UmI3bAhUQwmMKHRKCCtIQFgg-MAA&url=https://www.varidesk.com/&usg=AOvVaw2OolNAEVdwpzhPrIY7ZJBp
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I work at a state's attorneys office and my job is sitting ALL day at my desk. Does anyone have any suggestions on things to help me from binging or eating junk just because I am bored? I really have no way to exercise while im at work, and I get bored often and think I am hungry but I am really not.. any one else have this issue and any good tips? Thanks!
get a lacross ball or softball and mobilize for like 2-5 min break if you can. Im not sure how much space you have but you can even sit on the softball, mobilize your butt, and you can tell people youre on the ball today!0 -
I work a 9-5 desk-job and I'm currently at my lowest adult weight ever!
Don't keep snacks at work. Pack a lunch, and that's it. Leave your cards and cash at home if you have to.
I like to use my lunch-break to go for a long walk or go to the gym. I also walk/workout after work.
I'm also a big tea drinker.
Why no snacks? I plan and bring snacks. I keep chocolate protein bars in my desk for sweets cravings to get some good nutrients in with my treat. Snacks aren’t the enemy.
I’m at a healthy BMI and within goal weight range. I’ve eaten 1-3 snacks a day my entire journey
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If you're into the idea of a standing desk, ask your boss if it would be permissible to bring your own in. The only caveat I would give on this is to get one that allows you to either sit or stand. Standing while working is only going to burn 9 calories an hour, so don't look at it as a way to lose more weight. Maybe having hourly intervals where you change position (sitting to standing to sitting to standing) will work to reduce the boredom?
Amazon sells desk converters/risers that you can put under your keyboard and monitor that will allow you to do this. Example0 -
I work a 9-5 desk-job and I'm currently at my lowest adult weight ever!
Don't keep snacks at work. Pack a lunch, and that's it. Leave your cards and cash at home if you have to.
I like to use my lunch-break to go for a long walk or go to the gym. I also walk/workout after work.
I'm also a big tea drinker.
Why no snacks? I plan and bring snacks. I keep chocolate protein bars in my desk for sweets cravings to get some good nutrients in with my treat. Snacks aren’t the enemy.
I’m at a healthy BMI and within goal weight range. I’ve eaten 1-3 snacks a day my entire journey
For me, I find that snacking leads to more snacking. It's easier to just not do it at all and pack an appropriate-sized lunch. If I buy a box of protein bars to keep at my desk, I'll start with only having one a day, then eventually it'll be two... then three...2 -
I work a 9-5 desk-job and I'm currently at my lowest adult weight ever!
Don't keep snacks at work. Pack a lunch, and that's it. Leave your cards and cash at home if you have to.
I like to use my lunch-break to go for a long walk or go to the gym. I also walk/workout after work.
I'm also a big tea drinker.
Why no snacks? I plan and bring snacks. I keep chocolate protein bars in my desk for sweets cravings to get some good nutrients in with my treat. Snacks aren’t the enemy.
I’m at a healthy BMI and within goal weight range. I’ve eaten 1-3 snacks a day my entire journey
For me, I find that snacking leads to more snacking. It's easier to just not do it at all and pack an appropriate-sized lunch. If I buy a box of protein bars to keep at my desk, I'll start with only having one a day, then eventually it'll be two... then three...
This is me as well. I used to try and stock my cube with healthy snacks but then I found myself not being able to control my intake and I would just eat them all in one sitting. So for me it is better to have no snacks.
I sit for 9 hours a day at my job and when I first started I came from a job where I was on my feet all day and I gained 10 pounds pretty quick because my activity level dropped drastically. So now I bring my breakfast and lunch (enter it into MFP the night before ) and a huge jug of water. Constantly drinking water throughout the day helps to curb any mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack cravings plus it means I have to get up and walk to the bathroom quite a few times. I also try to take 15 minute breaks twice a day to walk around the parking lot to not only get in some physical activity but to get up and walk away from a screen is much needed for my sanity.2 -
magpie0829 wrote: »I work a 9-5 desk-job and I'm currently at my lowest adult weight ever!
Don't keep snacks at work. Pack a lunch, and that's it. Leave your cards and cash at home if you have to.
I like to use my lunch-break to go for a long walk or go to the gym. I also walk/workout after work.
I'm also a big tea drinker.
Why no snacks? I plan and bring snacks. I keep chocolate protein bars in my desk for sweets cravings to get some good nutrients in with my treat. Snacks aren’t the enemy.
I’m at a healthy BMI and within goal weight range. I’ve eaten 1-3 snacks a day my entire journey
For me, I find that snacking leads to more snacking. It's easier to just not do it at all and pack an appropriate-sized lunch. If I buy a box of protein bars to keep at my desk, I'll start with only having one a day, then eventually it'll be two... then three...
This is me as well. I used to try and stock my cube with healthy snacks but then I found myself not being able to control my intake and I would just eat them all in one sitting. So for me it is better to have no snacks.
I sit for 9 hours a day at my job and when I first started I came from a job where I was on my feet all day and I gained 10 pounds pretty quick because my activity level dropped drastically. So now I bring my breakfast and lunch (enter it into MFP the night before ) and a huge jug of water. Constantly drinking water throughout the day helps to curb any mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack cravings plus it means I have to get up and walk to the bathroom quite a few times. I also try to take 15 minute breaks twice a day to walk around the parking lot to not only get in some physical activity but to get up and walk away from a screen is much needed for my sanity.
I keep about 20 flavours of tea at my desk to keep my mouth busy between meals, it works great!
I also love using my lunch break to take long walks. I just put on some headphones and listen to my audiobook and it's a great way to feel refreshed for the afternoon.0 -
I also have a desk job and am currently nursing so all my breaks are currently revolving around pumping or visiting the daycare to feed the little one. I used to use those breaks for walking so I bought an under desk elliptical to help keep me moving while at my desk. I would much prefer to get up and walk around, but this will do for me for now.
I also agree with bringing snacks/lunch to work. I bring enough to eat either a snack or meal every couple of hours and pre-log everything in the morning.1 -
magpie0829 wrote: »I work a 9-5 desk-job and I'm currently at my lowest adult weight ever!
Don't keep snacks at work. Pack a lunch, and that's it. Leave your cards and cash at home if you have to.
I like to use my lunch-break to go for a long walk or go to the gym. I also walk/workout after work.
I'm also a big tea drinker.
Why no snacks? I plan and bring snacks. I keep chocolate protein bars in my desk for sweets cravings to get some good nutrients in with my treat. Snacks aren’t the enemy.
I’m at a healthy BMI and within goal weight range. I’ve eaten 1-3 snacks a day my entire journey
For me, I find that snacking leads to more snacking. It's easier to just not do it at all and pack an appropriate-sized lunch. If I buy a box of protein bars to keep at my desk, I'll start with only having one a day, then eventually it'll be two... then three...
This is me as well. I used to try and stock my cube with healthy snacks but then I found myself not being able to control my intake and I would just eat them all in one sitting. So for me it is better to have no snacks.
I sit for 9 hours a day at my job and when I first started I came from a job where I was on my feet all day and I gained 10 pounds pretty quick because my activity level dropped drastically. So now I bring my breakfast and lunch (enter it into MFP the night before ) and a huge jug of water. Constantly drinking water throughout the day helps to curb any mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack cravings plus it means I have to get up and walk to the bathroom quite a few times. I also try to take 15 minute breaks twice a day to walk around the parking lot to not only get in some physical activity but to get up and walk away from a screen is much needed for my sanity.
I’m with you on both snacks and moving to a desk job. I still eat lunch together with my coworkers and make it work with my calories, but I bring my own afternoon snack to work. Every Monday, I go out and buy bags of frozen berries and jars of quark (Finnish thing, I guess, yogurt would work just as well) for the whole week, and put them in the office fridge&freezer. Every day I take a bag of berries right after lunch and put them behind my screen to thaw, so they are thawed by 3pm when I mix the quark in, take my afternoon break and enjoy the healthy and filling snack. Then, I’m all fueled to hit the gym at 4-4.30 when I get out. Here, the part that makes me not snack all the time is this: it’s still frozen for most of the day, and I put it behind my screen so I don’t see it. Out of sight, out of mind. Only works with the combo of frozen + out of sight, I have finished the entire bowl of still-frozen berries if it’s within reach, and I have no problems walking to the conference table if I know there’s candy that’s ”ready to eat” right now.
I have a big mug at work (about 1.7 cups) that I use for water. The bathroom is next to the office kitchen, and I try to combine things so that every time I go to the bathroom, I have finished the mug and get a refill on the same trip. The trips are frequent, so I also get more steps and I don’t get too sluggish.
The standing desk also really helps. There isn’t much direct effect calorie-wise, but it helps with neck, shoulders and posture, and I don’t feel as sluggish if I don’t sit all day. Also, if I have to dome boring routine tasks, I put on my headphones, crank up the dance music and bust a move while I’m punching in numbers.0 -
Beverages, beverages, beverages. Water, hot teas, unsweetened ice tea, diet soda, coffee, etc. Added bonus - you have to get up and walk to the bathroom more often.
I also doodle a lot. Sounds silly, but it can be very satisfying and require some concentration.1 -
I work at a state's attorneys office and my job is sitting ALL day at my desk. Does anyone have any suggestions on things to help me from binging or eating junk just because I am bored? I really have no way to exercise while im at work, and I get bored often and think I am hungry but I am really not.. any one else have this issue and any good tips? Thanks!
Ask your employer for more duties so you won't be bored.3 -
i work at a law firm and sit a lot. no magic solution, i just credit my willpower with staying on track. its very hard though! I'm lucky that i live so close to work so i walk my dog at lunch for about 20 mins. Not a lot but its something! I also said no to having a desk scanner at work so it forces me to get up and move!0
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