Surviving in a Call Center

rfinger22

I would love some advice.

I started this venture over a year ago. I was on a special project, and it a) allowed some flexibility in my schedule, and b) it was a more active position that I was up, around, and about from my desk, along with a number of days where I got to be involved in a lot of moving of heavy boxes. So, I was more active and more fit, and as a result, I lost 24 pounds over those six months. Since then, in the last 9, I've gained 7 of those back, don't have nearly the same motivation I did then, and have been feeling more stuck. Most of that has to do with the fact that I work in a call center, I'm tied to my desk, and when my day ends, I'm more mentally and emotionally drained and have little motivation to want to exercise. Along with that, when I'm at my desk, I have the urge to want to snack. Taking it away from my desk doesn't gel; it just makes me more irritated and edgy.

My weakness is to fruity/chewy/sour things. Gummy worms and gummy bears (sour and regular kinds), Nerds, those kinds of things. So, while I'm looking to change things in my job, it's not going to be a quick and easy process of changing my job. So, I need to find things to change around me. While sitting at my desk, how can I curb the cravings since I'm sitting at my desk not being active? Along with that, what can I do at my desk to add a hair bit of activity? I have an exercise ball there, so that can be incorporated into something. But, I need to get past this because this job is making me heavy and out of shape. Don't get me wrong, I like my job. But, it's not helping me on the nutritional side of things as I'm continuing to just gain weight while being a part of it...

Thanks!!!!

keflexxxx

your job isn't making you heavy, you're letting your job make you heavy. i've worked in call centres, in call centre management and now in IT; basically a whole lot of office jobs. it hasn't stopped me from improving my body composition & athletic performance, and if you find these things going downhill it's because you aren't trying.

now trying doesn't mean standing up every 30 minutes to do some jumping jacks, trying means taking ownership of your own behaviour and modifying it. you like snacking while you're at work? well that's great but it's getting in the way of your goal. so what's more important, the snack or the goal? i'm not making the choice for you; if people want to choose the snack knowing full well what they're sacrificing then i have no issue with that. what i DO have an issue with is people positioning these dilemmas like they don't have a choice, like because the food is there they have to eat it, or because they're hungry they have to eat something.

newsflash: hunger can be TRAINED. ghrelin is the primary hormone in the body that dictates how hungry you feel, and after 10 days of consistent meal timing ghrelin will modulate its own levels to fit your regular eating schedule. you can literally CHANGE when you feel hungry by eating at the same times every day. hell you can do more than that if you want; i've gone 24 hours without eating and didn't feel hungry at all.

now a lot of this sounds like i'm placing the blame squarely on your shoulders, which isn't entirely fair. research is starting to indicate that because the part of the brain that governs rational thought is such a new facet of the brain in evolutionary terms, it's not particularly efficient. which is to say that expending willpower is energy-intensive, and we can generally only exert so much in any given day. this is why so many people do the same things as you: they work 9 - 5 in a demanding job, then come home and don't have the mental fortitude to eat what they "should" when it's so much easier and more enjoyable to eat what they "like".

but this is an explanation, not an excuse. do you really want to be such a slave to your biochemistry that you just give in, that you just let this happen and watch your physical ability & appearance fade into nothing? if that's what you want, then you should be comfortable with that. but if it's not - and i'm assuming it isn't because you're here - then fix it. fixing it is as simple as identifying what's wrong and resolving it and you've already identified what's wrong.

so fix it.

kj26boys

I've been there and heck I still work in an office at a desk all day long. Like you, after a long day of work, the last thing on my mind was eating right and working out. So... I had to do something. I sat down and wrote out my schedule, what things I had to do after work, etc. It appeared to me the only opportunity to work out was before work. I know, I know, who wants to get up at the crack of dawn. I hated it the first week, barely liked it the 2nd. But now? I have no idea why I didn't do it sooner. I gave myself plenty of reasons to avoid AM workouts, but they were just excuses. If I don't workout in the morning now my day feels off. Plus I love starting out with all my calories and then eating them down. It seems like this would work well for you. Another added bonus is I go to bed earlier so snack less at night. Try it for a few weeks and see what happens. I know it's not for everyone but if you want something bad enough, you'll find a way.

qtgonewild

water and set times for your snacks. I work in customer service and am on the phone ALL DAY. I manage to have a light breakfast, lunch, and a snack around 1-2 then dinner when I get home. then usually another snack before bed. I walk both of my breaks at work and love getting a nice walk on after work. just gotta find something you can stick with, and want it bad enough.

kiasophea

A lot of the people at my work have those bike pedals that you put under your desk. It's worth thinking about... Good luck!