Losing Weight At A Desk Job HELP!

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  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    I need some tips for losing weight while working as a secretary! I am typically sitting 8-9 hours a day!

    Eat less. Caloric deficit is all that is needed to lose weight.

    QFT.
  • iulia_maddie
    iulia_maddie Posts: 2,780 Member
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    I am also sitting at a desk for 8-9 hours a day. Eat less, do something active after work. That's all.
  • kizzyb1977
    kizzyb1977 Posts: 199 Member
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    I also have a desk job 8 hours a day, 5 days per week. In the last 3 weeks I have lost 17lbs by watching what I eat, and I work out at the gym 5-6 days per week. If I can't get to the gym I make sure to stay active at home, cleaning, walking, etc.
  • MrsTorresisBACK
    MrsTorresisBACK Posts: 98 Member
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    Sitting 8 hrs can really hinder your health....my legs were starting to swell from being so sedentary.

    I started walking outside lunch time for 25-30 minutes and that has helped soo much!

    Just need to get up and walk away....makes such a difference.

    All the best!
  • A_Fit_Mom
    A_Fit_Mom Posts: 602 Member
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    Eat less and bring your lunch. If you control what you eat and not go out for lunch..then you will eat better. Also, if you bring your lunch, you can spend half your lunch walking.

    Park further away from the door and never use the elevator. Have a big water cup/bottle.

    It really comes down to what you do after work. Exercising in the morning or evening..and you will be fine. Most of us work at the desk, it is about making the right choices.
  • Lone_Wolf70
    Lone_Wolf70 Posts: 2,820 Member
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    i sit all day.

    But, before work I get a solid 60 min workout in and I try to watch my diet. Its all elementary.
  • Unaisha8
    Unaisha8 Posts: 247 Member
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    Hey I'm in the same situation as you but I always go for a 30 minute jog during my lunch break and then go to gym after even though it's late. Sometimes you have to sacrifice to achieve something :smile:
  • JulieAnn1109
    JulieAnn1109 Posts: 21 Member
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    I sit 7-8 hours a day too! :(

    However I bring my 3lb weights and do arm reps while I'm not busy. I also go walk on my lunch break :bigsmile: But one thing that is cool and helps burn alot is a little stationary pedal machine I bought at Walmart....It is small and fits under my desk and I pedal while I'm typing! It's just the pedals, so its very lightweight and inexpensive! It works great and keeps me active and my blood pumping...so no afternoon slump!! You could honestly do it all day and noone would know...its that quiet!
  • tubbajello714
    tubbajello714 Posts: 3
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    Me too... what i do with my 10mins break I walk at 10:30-10:40am. eat my lunch at 12:00-12:30 do my 2nd 10mins walk at 2:30-2:40pm. I set my alarm to 5mins so i know what time i need to turn around and be back on time. I walk 3.2-3.5mph. I downloaded the Sport Tracker and recorded everytime i walk/jog and even run. after work i do my 3miles walk..
    it helps...
  • allinoelle007
    allinoelle007 Posts: 163 Member
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    I don't have too much to add except to echo the walks at lunch. That fresh air and movement make the afternoons go much smoother in addition to helping curb my wanting to snack. I will be walking on my lunch break today :) I leave a set of workout clothes and shoes at my office so that I am always prepared. I also tend to change into my workout clothes at the end of my work day so that I will go straight to the gym to get my workout in.
  • blpnana
    blpnana Posts: 36
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    Right there with ya. It's so hard. I'm starting today though to get up and walk around my floor more frequently, then take half of my hour lunch to go walk outside. I have to do this. The most difficult part is that the longer I sit, the lazier I get!!! Horrible!!! But I love my job. We just have to get up and make ourselves move.
  • Ashshell
    Ashshell Posts: 185
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    I sit on my butt behind my desk for 8-9 hours Monday-Friday. I go to the gym before or after work, whichever works best for me that day so I don't worry about being inactive at work. I set my activity level to sedentary and stick to my calorie limit. I haven't had any issues losing weight.
  • ash012
    ash012 Posts: 34 Member
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    Now that the weather is nicer, I get outside for walks, etc. I've even gone for a few runs on my lunch break.

    I've fallen off a bit, but when I was drinking a ton of water, every time I went to the bathroom I would either do 10 quick squats, or 10 lunges on each leg. By the end of the day I'd done at least a hundred reps!! LOL

    This is what I do every day! Run at lunch and squats/pushups off the counter in the bathroom.
  • matt2442
    matt2442 Posts: 1,259 Member
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    Do you have co workers? These two surely are burning some cals

    WupmLEX.gif
  • Ashshell
    Ashshell Posts: 185
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    I got dizzy just watching that.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    Wow. So many options. I'll add mine.

    Carbohydrates. The more active you are the more your body can handle. The less active you are, the less it can handle. (not all carbs are evil. IMO, grain and sugar carbs ARE evil - IMO only).

    I sit all day. Sometimes I go home and I'll sit all night. I used to exercise all the time - when I was trying to lose weight following the healthiest version of the SAD - I had no choice - you have to following the SAD (was losing weight AND becoming diabetic at the same time - my genetic diabetes risk is lower than the "average"). When I switched to Primal Blueprint (Mark's Daily Apple) things got SO MUCH EASIER. Who would've thought that just by removing grains, beans, nasty grain/seed oils (had already removed sugar) and replacing with FAT (animal fat and coconut fat) that I would drop 10lbs below what I have ever seen as an adult (110-113 range but it will go above and below that occasionally). Oh I also removed all processed food products - about 95% of your typical grocery store has no use for me now. The food I eat (most of the time) is real, whole food. Only eat what you can pick, dig or spear - mostly spear.

    I don't have to eat every few hours. Sometimes I don't eat for 24 hours. my body and my activity regulates my appetite now. If my activity increases, my appetite increases. If it decreases, my appetite decreases (there is a bit of a time lag, though. I'm still trying to figure this one out).

    My N=1 is that as long as I stick to Primal I can maintain weight with very little exercise. I am active - no strict routine or regimen; I don't do well with those - but that "active" is just part of my life (my Primal journey is ongoing. It will never end. I will always be trying to improve my health).

    And I'm not 100%. It was a crazy crappy food weekend (although the homemade chocolate chip cookies were made with organic sprouted whole wheat flour). I'm hovering at 112 (winter weight - it goes up in the Fall and comes back down in the Spring). I had a junk fest this weekend and the scale jumped to 118lb. Back to normal and this weight will be gone by Thursday. Not by starving or by doing huge amounts of exercise. Just by getting back to eating real, whole food.

    If I applied CI/CO (I pronounce this "psycho" or "sicko") I must have over eaten by 21,000 calories on Saturday and Sunday. I didn't. But I didn't even "over-eat".
  • bethlaf
    bethlaf Posts: 954 Member
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    i got out with the smokers, but i walk around the building instead, can you bring soft weights to the office, i have started doing a lot of soft weight lifting , and i get up and walk more than i used to , i focus on doing so , it seems to help me a lot, i know i feel better about it , and about myself ,

    YMMV
  • torivivian1993
    torivivian1993 Posts: 10
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    I need some tips for losing weight while working as a secretary! I am typically sitting 8-9 hours a day!


    News flash, a lot of us have desk jobs and it's never held us back from getting fit. Get a proper workout in during non-work hours and you'll be fine.
    There is nothing wrong with wanting to find ways to improve your weight loss while at work - I mean 8 hours is a 3rd of my day... I would like to do something even just for a few minutes because that can add up over time.


    Hey I've been known to do jumping jacks and squats in the bathroom. But I do think people need to know having a desk job is not a handicap, it doesn't prevent you from being a fit person. Walk, move, stretch during work hours it's great for your circulation. But don't cheat yourself by skipping a proper workout!
    True, but she didn't say it was a handicap nor did she use it as excuse. I'm not sure why you felt the need to make that comment when all she did was ask for suggestions. I have found myself in the same place wondering what else I can do during the work day to keep myself from leaving work all hunched over and stiff and blah... I already posted what I've been doing but hey- I'm always looking for more so I will be checking this thread myself to see if I can add to the list. Speaking of that, time to stretch my legs! :)


    Yah ! I just started last week and was looking for tips. Not this guys arrogant post! I started biking to work which is a 50 minute ride.. I started weight training last week which is twice a week and I am starting Zumba tonight.. I have found other ways to stay active outside of work but was just wondering if there was anything we can do while sitting at a desk :) Thanks everyone for there support :)
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
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    Oh gosh; me too! Sitting is so bad for you, and I've been doing it for nearly 40 years as a medical transcriptionist. I've learned to stand up for part of my day (typing AND operating a foot pedal), plus I get in a good workout as often as I can. I have to get up early to do it because it's really hard to overcome the inertia. Sitting and typing all day makes me very tired.
  • Thorbjornn
    Thorbjornn Posts: 329 Member
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    Another "desk jockey" weighing in here (no pun intended :tongue: ). I exercise after work, and have been dieting. No, not dieting, changing my eating habits. In almost two years I've lost almost 40 lbs (my ticker shows only from when I started MFP). It's possible even as a desk jockey. I'd rather have a physical job, for less mental stress, but it is what it is.

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