The perils of a desk job

mmipanda · March 2013

Hi everyone,

I need some help/advice. I sit at a desk for at least 40 hours a week. The inactive job, plus easy access to biscuits and coffee, has made me slowly but surely gain weight since I started. I'm now at my heaviest in almost 10 years. I've been trying to combat this recently, by going for a brisk walk on my lunchbreak, doing yoga classes twice a week, and I've cut out a lot of sugar, only having one hot drink per day with stevia in place of sugar.

None of this seems to have any effect so far. I'm just now ordering lite & easy meals to ensure I'm not tempted by bad things... but is anyone else in this position? Do you have any advice?? It sure was a lot easier to maintain an acceptable weight when I was a bartender.

raegan1215 · March 2013

i'm in my last semester of full-time grad school and three years of sitting in class and doing homework did the same thing to me. i was never overweight when i had a desk job, probably because i was so bored by it i was always wandering around the building away from my desk! but seriously - i know what you're talking about. you've got to counteract the sitting as much as possible and eat well. take movement breaks. walk on your lunch (like you said you're doing!). use stairs instead of the elevator. stretch at your desk. exercise before/after work. etc. etc. and don't eat the crap people bring in to share!

nxd10 · March 2013

I set up my desk so I can stand at it.

There is research that suggests that if you walk every half hour/45 minutes for 5 minutes (trip to bathroom?) it keeps your metabolism up so you use more calories.

I drink herbal tea by the pot with no sugar. You simply can't snack.

And I walk at lunch and eat a bag lunch.

mmipanda · March 2013

haha, I suppose my problem there is that when I'm bored, I just log into facebook or buzzfeed instead of going for a walk.

mmipanda · March 2013

I set up my desk so I can stand at it.

There is research that suggests that if you walk every half hour/45 minutes for 5 minutes (trip to bathroom?) it keeps your metabolism up so you use more calories.

I drink herbal tea by the pot with no sugar. You simply can't snack.

And I walk at lunch and eat a bag lunch.

ahhh herbal tea, I keep meaning to buy some! good suggestion thanks.

Rynatat · March 2013

I bring my own food & prelog it when I start my day. I stick to what I have with me (I do have some emergency health snacks in my desk drawer in case I really need a little boost, but they've been there a while - lol!).

I also start my day with a workout (yoga, pilates, tai'chi, budokon) before I get ready for work & then hit the gym after work for weights & cardio. I've found this helps, it gives me something to look forward to and I'm eating for my health & muscles. It didn't happen overnight, but the more I wanted it, the easier it became.

Danni3ll3 · March 2013

I put my phone and printer away from my desk so I have to get up to answer it or to get pages from the printer. I also make my daily walk part of my day.

SweetestLibby · March 2013

i pack my lunch and snacks and bring it with me. I also keep healthy snacks at my desk. Instead of reaching for a cookie I'll have one of the snacks that I brought with me...when I want salty I'll grab popcorn rather than chips. why do you limit tea? I drink multiple cups a day - but I also don't put sugar in mine.

mmipanda · March 2013

i pack my lunch and snacks and bring it with me. I also keep healthy snacks at my desk. Instead of reaching for a cookie I'll have one of the snacks that I brought with me...when I want salty I'll grab popcorn rather than chips. why do you limit tea? I drink multiple cups a day - but I also don't put sugar in mine.

ah some days I'd make 2--3 cups of coffee or tea with white sugar and full fat milk [the only supplies provided here] Now I've got stevia sachets but I think i'd be much better off going with a herbal tea instead?

Brownsbacker4evr · March 2013

My completely jokingly suggestion: Get a job at a warehouse or a retail store. You'll make half what you do now and do twice as much physical labor! Win/Win! That's the route I took, but thats because I ain't no good at the book smarts.
But in all seriousness, maybe try and get in a little more walking either before or after you are done with your shift?

SweetestLibby · March 2013

i pack my lunch and snacks and bring it with me. I also keep healthy snacks at my desk. Instead of reaching for a cookie I'll have one of the snacks that I brought with me...when I want salty I'll grab popcorn rather than chips. why do you limit tea? I drink multiple cups a day - but I also don't put sugar in mine.

ah some days I'd make 2--3 cups of coffee or tea with white sugar and full fat milk [the only supplies provided here] Now I've got stevia sachets but I think i'd be much better off going with a herbal tea instead?

Ahhh that makes sense. I like green tea, earl grey, and sweet apple chamomile (this one I add stevia so that it's sweeter).

Ed98043 · March 2013

I have a desk job too, and it's at home so I don't even have a commute to get me moving a little.

So I set my activity level at sedentary, my weight loss goal at 1 lb per week, wear a Fitbit on days when I'm active so I can eat back the calories, and COUNT AND LOG EVERYTHING so I know to stay close to my 1,510 calories per day. When I tried to self-gauge my calorie intake I did a completely miserable job at it but just couldn't figure out why I was gaining a pound or two every month (like, for 7 years). Talk about denial - I blamed the weight gain on my age, my genes, anything but how I was eating. Now I know, but I was really mystified until I started counting the calories in everything I was eating.

americangirlok · March 2013

I have a desk job too. We have a central printer, (but it's only about 15 feet from my desk) so instead of printing like all the reports I need for a day- like say I have five accounts I need to review, instead of printing all five account histories- I'll print one and go get it- work that one. Then print the next one. Also I've been drinking a ton of iced tea and water- so I have to get up to go to the bathroom about once an hour. I haven't tried walking at lunch much b/c the weather has been unpleasant- but that's next on my list. I ordered a fitbit that shipped today so I'm anxious to get that and see how much I am or am not moving at work so that I can modify that. Oh and I don't keep a shred box at my desk- I get up and take it to the shredder. Or if I'm talking to my boss about an account or crazy phone call or problem I have I usually stand- unless he answers the phone for 15 minutes while I'm standing there- and then I usually sit or go back to my desk.

But all those horror stories about desk jobs killing you combined w/ an hour and a half round commute I try to at least stand more.

mjm9003 · March 2013

I sit on my toosh for work most of the day, too. Instead of emailing people down the hall, I get up and go to their work space. I use the restoom two floors away. Definitely agree with another poster about bringing snacks. The seeds and dried fruit have helped me not to grab candy from the dish as often as I have in the past. Good luck!

jcmacfit · March 2013

I can totally relate to your situation! I park away from the building, take the stairs instead of the elevator and try and get a walk in at lunch. I have a software program on my computer that reminds me every 30 minutes to stretch (stretchware.com). Of course, when I get really busy I have to be careful to not just turn it off and ignore it. I have been walking on the treadmill most mornings and sometimes in the evenings.
I keep snacks like pistachios and microwave popcorn at my desk.
Good luck!

mmipanda · March 2013

My completely jokingly suggestion: Get a job at a warehouse or a retail store. You'll make half what you do now and do twice as much physical labor! Win/Win! That's the route I took, but thats because I ain't no good at the book smarts.
But in all seriousness, maybe try and get in a little more walking either before or after you are done with your shift?

haha! I've done my time in retail and barwork

Though if I earnt the same $$ as here, I'd totally go back to bartending. Its frustrating when I think about how much time I'm spending just sitting staring at a computer screen, yet still tired [mentally] by the end of the day!

Thanks for the suggestions guys! Its a very small office here, just a single storey building, but I'll make sure to get off my butt and go talk to everyone in person instead of using the phone/intercom system. I might try that stretchware website too?

The perils of a desk job

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