Sitting on my butt all day

caity165

I'm really frustrated with my weight loss efforts. I can't help but feel as though my desk job has a lot to answer for. In the past six months I've gained 10lbs and I feel as though I'm constantly fighting the effects of so much sitting down.

I exercise intensively most days - either lifting heavy weights and doing plyometric training or in dance rehearsals. However, an hour or two hours of intensive exercise doesn't seem to counteract the effects of spending the remaining 22 hours of the day completely still.

It got to a point in May this year when my body got so stiff from not moving, that in a dance class, my hip literally just snapped. Luckily, I recovered very quickly but even now every so often I feel twinges of pain where my body is getting stiff.

I've tried so many things to help with this. Walking up all the escalators at the tube stations, taking a walk at lunchtime, stretching in my office a few times a day - but unfortunately I'm still spending hours just sitting.

People are getting laid off at my organisation, and I find myself hoping I'm one of them. Back in April I had a month off and I was in such good shape. This is so depressing.

TavistockToad

You just need to eat less

FerretBuellerr

You just need to eat less

Yes.

Or perhaps you are under-estimating your logging, so you are actually eating more than you think you are. Do you measure everything and use a food scale?

I work at an office, and before that I was a student, so I've always spent most of my sitting on my *kitten*. With proper logging, well, just look at my ticker for your answer.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

You just need to eat less

I have to agree with this.

It's possible to be successful at weight loss while having a desk job. Unfortunately it just means less food. I've got one of those jobs too and it means that even with exercising 5 days per week (lifting and running) my TDEE is only about 1850.

caity165

Okay, but I'm not just talking about weight loss.

Mia_RagazzaTosta

You just need to eat less

This

Weigh and measure your food. Chances are you're eating more than you think.

lauren3101

You know all that's recommended here in the UK is 30 minutes of moderate exercise 5 days a week? You don't have to be constantly on your feet to be healthy or lose weight. I have a desk job too.

You are not going to gain weight because you are sitting at your desk. You are gaining because you are eating too much. Open up your food diary, it will help us to give you more specific advice.

Also, how long have you been lifting for? Have you taken measurements?

sijomial

That's only about a 200 calorie a day excess, reduce food intake slightly or build in some extra activity into your daily routine.
Sounds like that's exactly what you have been doing - you just have to either do slightly more daily or one big burn a week.

You are very close to eating at maintenance levels it will only take a slight adjustment to swing a small surplus into a small deficit. Really the easiest way is to be extra careful on the food choices you make or reduce portion sizes slightly.

EvgeniZyntx

Okay, but I'm not just talking about weight loss.

Yeah, I'm going to respectfully disagree with the "eat less" posts.
The non exercise activity is a large part of our metabolism.

Do take those walking breaks, even park your car away from your work to get in 15 minute walks a day, work standing or schedule breaks to do something active during the day. It can make a huge difference.

Being active is more than just weight loss.

caity165

It's very difficult for me to eat less. I get hungry - I have a very long day - up at 6.45am and often not home until 12am by the time I've commuted back from dance classes. I tried eating 1500 calories and that's literally the lowest I can go without it leading to a binge where I've gotten so hungry.

But again, that's really the least of my problems. Sitting down all day & on the commute is creating more problems than that, see original post.

89nunu

I sit all day myself. Just find little ways to get up every now and again. Make frequent trips to the kitchen to refill your water/tea. That in turn will encourage you to get up more often to go to the toilet. If you got a private office or your toilet cubicle space allows it stretch, your back will thank you.
Use your lunch break for a short walk... so many ways to not just sit at a desk job...

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Okay, but I'm not just talking about weight loss.

Yeah, I'm going to respectfully disagree with the "eat less" posts.
The non exercise activity is a large part of our metabolism.

Do take those walking breaks, even park your car away from your work to get in 15 minute walks a day, work standing or schedule breaks to do something active during the day. It can make a huge difference.

Being active is more than just weight loss.

I can see that and I do like to get up and move throughout the day as well.

I was mostly responding to the first sentence of the OP. It sounds like she's already doing what she can to stay active despite sitting at a desk.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

That is a very long day. Any hopes of looking for a new job?

Apologies, I thought your main complaint was that you had gained 10 lbs from being less active.

lauren3101

Okay, but I'm not just talking about weight loss.

Yeah, I'm going to respectfully disagree with the "eat less" posts.
The non exercise activity is a large part of our metabolism.

Do take those walking breaks, even park your car away from your work to get in 15 minute walks a day, work standing or schedule breaks to do something active during the day. It can make a huge difference.

Being active is more than just weight loss.

Have you actually read her post?

"I exercise intensively most days - either lifting heavy weights and doing plyometric training or in dance rehearsals." - An hour or two hours of intensive exercise

"I've tried so many things to help with this. Walking up all the escalators at the tube stations, taking a walk at lunchtime, stretching in my office a few times a day"

The OP is far from not active.


OP, as for your other problems, I don't know exactly what you mean by your hip 'snapping', but if it's a serious issue, visit your doctor. A desk job isn't going to cause that, plus you are 27, you're hardly an old lady! I have a desk job and it doesn't give me health problems.

caity165

It's definitely a bummer. But for me, I find it very easy to lose weight when my calorie deficit comes from exercise compared to when it comes from food. So the solution for me is to up my exercise. I have major issues trying to restrict my eating too much. I have a very small deficit from food and that's about all I can manage.

Recently, I've been getting bad back pain in addition to the stiffness.

I'm looking for a new job, but chances are that too will be a desk job. The funny thing is, in my previous desk job I did just fine. I think with this one it's just so much less active. I'm very isolated so there's no getting up to see anyone, going to the kitchen, walking to filing cabinets - all those things I took for granted in my old department. Now I'm beginning to think they are the difference between being 190lbs and 200lbs

Squidgeypaws007

I'm really frustrated with my weight loss efforts. I can't help but feel as though my desk job has a lot to answer for. In the past six months I've gained 10lbs and I feel as though I'm constantly fighting the effects of so much sitting down.

I exercise intensively most days - either lifting heavy weights and doing plyometric training or in dance rehearsals. However, an hour or two hours of intensive exercise doesn't seem to counteract the effects of spending the remaining 22 hours of the day completely still.

It got to a point in May this year when my body got so stiff from not moving, that in a dance class, my hip literally just snapped. Luckily, I recovered very quickly but even now every so often I feel twinges of pain where my body is getting stiff.

I've tried so many things to help with this. Walking up all the escalators at the tube stations, taking a walk at lunchtime, stretching in my office a few times a day - but unfortunately I'm still spending hours just sitting.

People are getting laid off at my organisation, and I find myself hoping I'm one of them. Back in April I had a month off and I was in such good shape. This is so depressing.

I used to feel this working a desk job - it makes you ache from being so still for so long!

I used to get up every 30 minutes to get a glass of water, it'd take just a minute or two but it would make it hurt less at the end of the day. I'd also stand and work, especially during phone conversations - I don't know what your office is like, but once I'd explained my colleagues didn't bat an eyelid at it.

Otherwise there are some desk exercises you can do - rolling your ankles, lifting your legs, bending so your back is decompressed etc.

I found the only way to be happy in terms of not aching at work though was to get a new job, I'm constantly on my feet now and just don't have the same issues

Good luck!!

SuperSexyDork

Okay, but I'm not just talking about weight loss.

Yeah, I'm going to respectfully disagree with the "eat less" posts.
The non exercise activity is a large part of our metabolism.

Do take those walking breaks, even park your car away from your work to get in 15 minute walks a day, work standing or schedule breaks to do something active during the day. It can make a huge difference.

Being active is more than just weight loss.

NEAT can also include things like fidgeting. Try to keep your legs moving, tap your fingers. Have a tiny bit of a stretching routine that you do every hour. Also, some places will let you bring in an exercise ball to sit on instead of your desk chair and with doing that you'll engage your muscles more while you're sitting.

caity165

Re my hip snapping - I tore, I think, a tendon. I can't remember the exact problem. I was taken to A&E where they knocked me out with painkillers, x-rayed me and put me on crutches. They thought I had done some kind of damage to the bone because the snap (pop) was extremely loud when it happened. Prior to that, I had noticed that my hips were becoming very stiff, so I do kind of feel like an old lady!

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

It's definitely a bummer. But for me, I find it very easy to lose weight when my calorie deficit comes from exercise compared to when it comes from food. So the solution for me is to up my exercise. I have major issues trying to restrict my eating too much. I have a very small deficit from food and that's about all I can manage.

Recently, I've been getting bad back pain in addition to the stiffness.

I'm looking for a new job, but chances are that too will be a desk job. The funny thing is, in my previous desk job I did just fine. I think with this one it's just so much less active. I'm very isolated so there's no getting up to see anyone, going to the kitchen, walking to filing cabinets - all those things I took for granted in my old department. Now I'm beginning to think they are the difference between being 190lbs and 200lbs

There's a difference though between my desk job and yours I think-- mine is only 8 hours and my office is pretty social. Maybe you can find something that's still a desk job but that gives you more opportunity to get away from your desk, or one that has shorter hours.

I can sympathize on the deficit-- I can really only cut down to about 1650-1700 calories (which only gives me a 150-200 calorie deficit) without my workouts going to crap and having intense cravings.

Maybe you can try cutting calories by just a small amount and see how that goes.

makemewannadie

Nothing new to add from everyone else's comments really, that if you're doing as much exercise/movement as you can but you're still not seeing the results you want that you've got to look at your intake and see what you're able to change! I sympathise with how much it sucks having to be seated for so long- I don't have a desk job but I am in uni and sitting in uncomfy seats in lecture halls for 8+ hours a day drives me crazy!

(eta- I would really suggest yoga if you don't do it already! in the morning when you wake up for as much time as you have- I normally only have 10/15 minutes, I love tara stiles' videos on youtube- and before bed can make such a difference in my opinion)

EvgeniZyntx

Okay, but I'm not just talking about weight loss.

Yeah, I'm going to respectfully disagree with the "eat less" posts.
The non exercise activity is a large part of our metabolism.

Do take those walking breaks, even park your car away from your work to get in 15 minute walks a day, work standing or schedule breaks to do something active during the day. It can make a huge difference.

Being active is more than just weight loss.

Have you actually read her post?

"I exercise intensively most days - either lifting heavy weights and doing plyometric training or in dance rehearsals." - An hour or two hours of intensive exercise

"I've tried so many things to help with this. Walking up all the escalators at the tube stations, taking a walk at lunchtime, stretching in my office a few times a day"

The OP is far from not active.


OP, as for your other problems, I don't know exactly what you mean by your hip 'snapping', but if it's a serious issue, visit your doctor. A desk job isn't going to cause that, plus you are 27, you're hardly an old lady! I have a desk job and it doesn't give me health problems.

Yes, I "actually" read her post. I saw that she was complaining about inactivity for 22 hours a day. Aside from planned exercise, NEAT is a major part of metabolic function and clearly implicated if the OP is feeling stiff from inactivity.

Spending hours at a desk, remaining inactive, is an unfortunate health risk or so would the various studies make us think that associate it with increased disease risk (causation and correlation aside). People that are more active, and specifically take breaks away from 6/8 hour sitting spells (Rosencranz Kansas State study - can't make that name up) are generally healthier.