Tips for "getting started" with a sedentary lifestyle?

marinetteloser
marinetteloser Posts: 27
in Motivation and Support
Hi guys, basically I'm wondering if there's any office workers / tech nerds around here with tips on how to be "less fat", if that makes any sense.

A few years ago I went from working in sales, and walking around a store 8 hours a day back to writing code at a desk, which was what I did before sales. Over the past 3 years I've put on around 50 pounds, putting me at around 240LBS.

My diet hasn't changed since before, I cook for myself every day at home, generally "healthy" stuff, but I'm on call for tech support when I leave work for the day, so basically I'm looking for any tips for getting in some activity or ANYTHING that can be done by people who are "stuck" sitting in a chair 16-18 hours a day.

Sorry if I have this in the wrong board, I've got a bad case of new-guy-itis.

Thanks!
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Replies

  • Woodsmoke
    Woodsmoke Posts: 360 Member
    First of all I'd suggest finding a kind of exercise you'll ENJOY.

    Ordinary cardio, weight lifting etc is the worst kind of boredom for me, so I've taken up 'Poi Spinning' and Bellydance. (Not suitable for you, mind you, but ya know...) ;)

    I am 300lbs+, so I know how you feel.
  • marinetteloser
    marinetteloser Posts: 27
    This is probably going to sound completely silly, but the only exercise I've "enjoyed" was playing Wii Fit, lol!

    Bellydancing huh, I'm pretty busty for a guy so I could probably make a couple bucks doing that :-P

    Poi spinning I've never heard of, but I'm the kind of person who would try anything to see if they'd like it.

    Going for walks I have fun with, frisbee golf on days off and whatnot, which probably just equals walking, but I have the same problem with "being bored" and don't really know what I should be doing that wouldn't bore me out of my mind.
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
    I love wii fit and certainly would advise you to keep playing it. I'm currently 241 so were at a similar weight - stick your headphones on and walk, walk, walk. Then walk some more :)
  • massivediet
    massivediet Posts: 54 Member
    A lot of people on MFP have had success with videos like 30 day shred and Ripped in 30. They take minimal time.
  • marinetteloser
    marinetteloser Posts: 27
    ...'Poi Spinning'...
    So I googled it and I'm pretty confident I'd kill someone if I tried that from some sort of flaming stringed ball flying out of my hand. :-)
  • marinetteloser
    marinetteloser Posts: 27
    Wii Fit has been a pretty reliable option for me, I work 7-4, 6 days a week and then am on call and have to be in the house to type some code quick or do some tech support if a client calls usually until 8PM, and other than during the summer it kind of ruins walking, because it's dark outside, and I live in the country, bears and whatnot. (I wish I was kidding)
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
    Download some free cardio apps if you have a iPad or iPhone?

    They suggest things like running on the spot, star jumps, leg raisers and butt kickers - all of which burn calories and can be done in your front room. Also take a look at fitness blender.
  • ze_hombre
    ze_hombre Posts: 377 Member
    Fellow programmer here. I did C25K (Couch to 5k) and loved it. Well, more specifically, I hate running but I love what it does for me more. Can't beat the calorie burn in a short time. 30 minutes will get you between 300-500 calories burnt.
  • JustDeena
    JustDeena Posts: 40 Member
    You Tube is an amazing resource, there are tons of workout videos on there. I started just being generally more active, even deep cleaning my house just to be moving, now I am doing Couch to 5K, and have done a few workout videos. We don't have the money for a gym membership, and frankly I don't really have the time to be away from home most days with a family and going to school full time. I also very closely watch my portions, most of us have an inflated idea of what proper portion sizes are, and tend to overeat without even realizing it. (even if we are eating mostly healthy stuff) Where there is a will, you will find a way!
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    Now I have to laugh, because I read your headline completely wrong. I thought "Oh I can get him started on being sedentary all right!" laugh: :laugh: :laugh: "



    The WII Fit is awesome for working out. Use MFP to log ever bit of food that goes in your mouth, stay within your calories, exercise to feel healthier and more confident............then before you know it you will be on your way.


    Welcome!:flowerforyou:
  • anaconda469
    anaconda469 Posts: 3,481 Member
    I have the Bob Harper Biggest Loser video, Boot Camp. There are exercises for all weights and abilities. The easy segments are about 20 mins long, and it does work. I lost 60 pounds doing that and just walking. Unfortunately I gained 10 of it back. So I have restarted my regimen and have thrown in bike riding to boot. Don't get discouraged, just a 20 to 30 min walk in the evening or when ever you can does a lot.
  • crimsontech
    crimsontech Posts: 234 Member
    Since I'm a fellow "nerd who doesn't move much" (work from home code monkey)... my first suggestion to you is to buy a FitBit. (http://www.fitbit.com) You can get one online or at Best Buy (many other retailers are starting to stock them too... seen them at Brookstone, Apple Store, Microsoft store...)

    As a fellow geek, you will appreciate the data and pretty charts the website provides. They will drive you to park farther from the store, walk alllll the way back to the dairy case because you forgot the milk, or do just about any extra walking because "FitBit steps". It will give you credit for all the random extra calories you burn throughout the day and motivate you to get up and move around more.

    Your first battle is going to be in the kitchen. You have to start swapping out some of your more unhealthy foods for the leaner versions (Lean Pockets instead of Hot Pockets, grilled chicken with no breading instead of KFC, etc). Watch your portion sizes (start weighing things) and try to stay within your MFP calorie goal for the day.

    Like I had to, you have to look at this as a lifestyle change. You're not going to be able to eat blindly so long as you're strapped to a desk all day, so in order to stay trim, you'll have to watch the eating and get your physical activity elsewhere. Maybe look on Meetup.com for a frisbee golf group that meets on your day off? Find a nice local hiking trail with lots of uphill. Buy a bike and go exploring the woods? (Maybe geocaching?)

    And, last but not least, be glad that you started doing this when you had only gained an extra 50 pounds. I made the switch from walk-all-day job to sit-on-butt job back in 1999 and gained about 130 pounds on top of my already overweight body before I decided I needed to fix it. Good on you for tackling it NOW!
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    Look into a treadmill desk.

    Also, look at your time spent on the computer with work related material. Is all of it really necessary? Are you repeating tasks or doing something that somebody else should do? See if you can move some time back to yourself.

    Walk everywhere you can, anytime you can.... park as far away as possible when you go to the grocery store, for example. Or walk there, depending on where it is.

    Good luck!
  • harleygroomer
    harleygroomer Posts: 373 Member
    Since you work at a store--walk around the parking lot on your break or lunch. Every little bit helps
  • bulbadoof
    bulbadoof Posts: 1,058 Member
    See if you can sit on a yoga ball instead of your chair.
  • terilea2
    terilea2 Posts: 11
    Hello there! I have a desk job and sitting all day can truly wreak my good "healthy" intentions. This is how I make sure to get my physical activity in. First, I get up and get my workout in before coming to work. I MUST exercise first thing in the morning or I will make every excuse not to go later. At work I try to get up as much as possible even if it means take a longer route to the ladies room...every little bit of extra exercise helps! During the cooler months ( I live in Az) I will use half of my lunch hour and take a 30 minute walk.

    The biggest thing is to watch your diet too. I can exercise and still gain weight if I am not watching my diet closely. I try to always keep healthy snacks on hand such as veggies and hummus.

    Good luck to you! :happy:
    Teri Elkins - BS in Health and Wellness
  • FitGeekery
    FitGeekery Posts: 336 Member
    Wow there are a lot of great tips here, definitely going to add some of these in myself :)

    A couple of the easiest changes I made was to keep some healthy snacks in my drawer or emergencies. I normally bring my own healthy food and snacks, but it's nice to know that if life/laziness gets in the way I have healthy backups to lean on.

    The other thing I'd suggest is to move whenever you can at work. If you get breaks beside lunch, walking around or using the stairs are great ways to get a little more activity. And if you can pack a portable type lunch (ie. sandwich or wrap) you could also go for a short walk on your lunch break.
  • rswalls
    rswalls Posts: 157 Member
    Your second reason for wanting to get in shape is priceless :-)
  • nolongerXXL
    nolongerXXL Posts: 222 Member
    I started with plain ole' walking, walking a mile was a struggle. I was over the 300 mark and would not even consider anything that was high impact or even jumping rope/jumping jacks!!!

    As I lost the weight I added more time/distance, and jogging in place. Then the elliptical and finally started C25K (on week 7 now, 25 minutes straight running!)

    I also swim, now it is summer and I have access to a small pool.

    Biking is another low impact activity.

    Honestly, the BEST exercise you choose IS one you enjoy! If you don't enjoy it, you will not stick to it.

    Good luck, you can to it!!
  • AndHab
    AndHab Posts: 2
    They make little folding pedals instead of complete exercise bikes to go underneath tables and the like, that way you could have continuous activity throughout the day.

    Worth a look at least.
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
    I have a desk/office job and sit most of the day. I try to get up once every couple hours and "do rounds" - maybe print something to the furthest printer (totally opposite side of the office) and go to get it.

    All of the "organized" exercise I did while I lost my weight was either PS3-based (EA Sports Active 2), or Xbox (Your Shape Fitness Evolved (both original and the 2012 version). They both provided decent aerobic workouts for a newbie, and the feedback they provided was decent (if repetitive).

    It was nice that I could get a workout in 4-5 times a week after work at home. Each one took about 45-50 minutes total, and there was no driving to the gym..
  • annabell48
    annabell48 Posts: 42
    Start out simple. When I lost most of my weight, I bought some Richard Simmons workout tapes and did them with walking. I have added Wii Fitness, Wii Fitness Plus, Wii The Biggest Loser Challenge (which I have been doing for little over 3 years) and have Jillian Michaels Wii Fitness Ultimate disc that I tried a little bit. I also have some workout DVDS that I need to try. Hubby bought a treadmill little over a year ago that I use pretty much daily with The Biggest Loser Challenge and a weight bench and some weights/dumbells that I need to incorporate. I have to agree to do what you like.
  • TheEffort
    TheEffort Posts: 1,028 Member
    I have a desk/office job and sit most of the day. I try to get up once every couple hours and "do rounds" - maybe print something to the furthest printer (totally opposite side of the office) and go to get it.

    All of the "organized" exercise I did while I lost my weight was either PS3-based (EA Sports Active 2), or Xbox (Your Shape Fitness Evolved (both original and the 2012 version). They both provided decent aerobic workouts for a newbie, and the feedback they provided was decent (if repetitive).

    It was nice that I could get a workout in 4-5 times a week after work at home. Each one took about 45-50 minutes total, and there was no driving to the gym..

    This.


    8488541.png
  • marinetteloser
    marinetteloser Posts: 27
    ...Also, look at your time spent on the computer with work related material. Is all of it really necessary? Are you repeating tasks or doing something that somebody else should do? See if you can move some time back to yourself...
    Sadly, yes. A couple years ago I was hired because they wanted a "young" coder to automate things, make things more effecient, etc. Within my first week I was able to write my own programs to do my job for me, turning the guy I replaced 8 hour a day job into a 5 minute a day job, but it's under an ongoing tech. support contract, where my job is basically to be someone who will always be available to the customer I'm contracted to, during business hours and for double time after business hours untgil 8PM, so they can have someone to call about something "just in case". Generally the first five minutes of my shift is spend running my programs I wrote to do my "actual work" the rest of my shift is waiting to go home or for the phone to ring and them tell me "write us some code that does this!"
    Your second reason for wanting to get in shape is priceless :-)

    Thanks, I'm kind of a one trick horse when it comes to having a good sense of humor and not too much else :-)
    ...The other thing I'd suggest is to move whenever you can at work. If you get breaks beside lunch, walking around or using the stairs are great ways to get a little more activity. And if you can pack a portable type lunch (ie. sandwich or wrap) you could also go for a short walk on your lunch break.
    Here's where I feel kind of "doomed". There's only 3 people who work for the company where I work, the farthest spot in the parking lot is maybe 30 feet from the door, lunches are only allowed at your desk, everyones office has a refrigerator and bathroom attached to it because you're supposed to be at your desk all the time.
    Otherwise, thanks for all of the tips everyone!
  • mattschwartz01
    mattschwartz01 Posts: 566 Member
    Hi guys, basically I'm wondering if there's any office workers / tech nerds around here with tips on how to be "less fat", if that makes any sense.

    A few years ago I went from working in sales, and walking around a store 8 hours a day back to writing code at a desk, which was what I did before sales. Over the past 3 years I've put on around 50 pounds, putting me at around 240LBS.

    My diet hasn't changed since before, I cook for myself every day at home, generally "healthy" stuff, but I'm on call for tech support when I leave work for the day, so basically I'm looking for any tips for getting in some activity or ANYTHING that can be done by people who are "stuck" sitting in a chair 16-18 hours a day.

    Sorry if I have this in the wrong board, I've got a bad case of new-guy-itis.

    Thanks!

    One of the secrets to physical activity is finding something that you genuinely enjoy, get satisfaction out of, and could become a hobby of sorts. Exercise is arduous whereas physical activity is, on most days, a lot of fun. In this way, your physical activity also becomes an extension of you life, an inexorable part of who you are. I'm an IT guy so I do know about the tendency towards a sedentary lifestyle. I (re)discovered bicycling quite by accident and below is the story. No matter where you start, always start with being kind to yourself, patient, and positive! These small mental techniques help out tremendously.

    When I began my health journey on March 14th of this year, I started slowly and in a safe and healthy fashion. I joined a gym seeing as I could barely do 15 minutes of exercise without getting winded and hurting badly. 362 pounds is a lot of weight to carry so I started slowly, considered every step a personal victory and reinforced that within my own mind. Two weeks later, I was brave enough to try the elliptical trainer and managed 20 minutes. Over the next 4 weeks I gradually increased duration and intensity. The elliptical wasn't something I loved but something I could do and didn't mind.

    After about 4 weeks, I found that I developed knee and shin pain after 50 or 60 minutes. I pushed through thinking it was all mental but I wasn't getting better. Instead of bemoaning what the past has done to my body, I decided to adapt and overcome. After hearing about Spinning from one of my friends of MFP, I decided to take the plunge. His story was motivational. By about that time I was down 30 pounds so I was around 332, I began Spinning. I had some initial trepidation about group exercise classes as I've been overweight all of my life and I had the proverbial nasty gym teacher. My first class was a little nerve-racking but the environment was positive and I participated to the best of my ability. At the end of that first 45 minute class, I was floating on an endorphin high.

    My endorphins were positively flowing and I was ecstatic that I had even lasted the entire time without getting off of the spin bike. So I decided I would go once per week - I was hooked. Lo and behold, 5 classes later I thought that I might like and be ready for a road bike. While shopping for a road bike and as an intermediate step, I bought cycling shoes that clip in instead of using the cumbersome toe clips and sneakers. It made a world of a difference. One week later, the craigslist gods found me a Cannondale R500 road bike in fantastic shape for around 300.00. I had to give it a tune-up, buy new pedals, and have custom touring wheels built to better support my larger frame. At the time I started road biking, I weighed around 314 pounds and I did short flat rides on paved trails and gradually increased from there. The key was keeping it enjoyable by not pushing too hard too quickly but in graduated steps.

    Fast forward to today and I average about 60-70 miles of riding per week and I've found something that truly is an extension of my life. I love the freedom of the outdoors and the road. I've been training for a YMCA Benefit Bike ride and hope to do the 80 miler and I joined a bicycle club. As of this writing, I weigh 281 pounds. Due to the cycling and a weight management program, I dropped from a waist size 52 to a 42-44. I've found an activity for the rest of my life.

    I hope you too can find an activity that is as rewarding.
  • marinetteloser
    marinetteloser Posts: 27
    One of the secrets to physical activity is finding something that you genuinely enjoy, get satisfaction out of, and could become a hobby of sorts. Exercise is arduous whereas physical activity is, on most days, a lot of fun. In this way, your physical activity also becomes an extension of you life, an inexorable part of who you are. I'm an IT guy so I do know about the tendency towards a sedentary lifestyle. I (re)discovered bicycling quite by accident and below is the story. No matter where you start, always start with being kind to yourself, patient, and positive! These small mental techniques help out tremendously.

    When I began my health journey on March 14th of this year, I started slowly and in a safe and healthy fashion. I joined a gym seeing as I could barely do 15 minutes of exercise without getting winded and hurting badly. 362 pounds is a lot of weight to carry so I started slowly, considered every step a personal victory and reinforced that within my own mind. Two weeks later, I was brave enough to try the elliptical trainer and managed 20 minutes. Over the next 4 weeks I gradually increased duration and intensity. The elliptical wasn't something I loved but something I could do and didn't mind.

    After about 4 weeks, I found that I developed knee and shin pain after 50 or 60 minutes. I pushed through thinking it was all mental but I wasn't getting better. Instead of bemoaning what the past has done to my body, I decided to adapt and overcome. After hearing about Spinning from one of my friends of MFP, I decided to take the plunge. His story was motivational. By about that time I was down 30 pounds so I was around 332, I began Spinning. I had some initial trepidation about group exercise classes as I've been overweight all of my life and I had the proverbial nasty gym teacher. My first class was a little nerve-racking but the environment was positive and I participated to the best of my ability. At the end of that first 45 minute class, I was floating on an endorphin high.

    My endorphins were positively flowing and I was ecstatic that I had even lasted the entire time without getting off of the spin bike. So I decided I would go once per week - I was hooked. Lo and behold, 5 classes later I thought that I might like and be ready for a road bike. While shopping for a road bike and as an intermediate step, I bought cycling shoes that clip in instead of using the cumbersome toe clips and sneakers. It made a world of a difference. One week later, the craigslist gods found me a Cannondale R500 road bike in fantastic shape for around 300.00. I had to give it a tune-up, buy new pedals, and have custom touring wheels built to better support my larger frame. At the time I started road biking, I weighed around 314 pounds and I did short flat rides on paved trails and gradually increased from there. The key was keeping it enjoyable by not pushing too hard too quickly but in graduated steps.

    Fast forward to today and I average about 60-70 miles of riding per week and I've found something that truly is an extension of my life. I love the freedom of the outdoors and the road. I've been training for a YMCA Benefit Bike ride and hope to do the 80 miler and I joined a bicycle club. As of this writing, I weigh 281 pounds. Due to the cycling and a weight management program, I dropped from a waist size 52 to a 42-44. I've found an activity for the rest of my life.

    I hope you too can find an activity that is as rewarding.
    Wow, that is one hell of a story. Great job!
  • Woodsmoke
    Woodsmoke Posts: 360 Member
    No need for fire when you do poi! You start off with VERY light weights (like bags of rice) on the end of strings, often trailing pretty ribbons. :)

    I would suggest downloading audiobooks for walking... I always enjoy listening to Moby **** or Edgar Allen Poe.
  • FitGeekery
    FitGeekery Posts: 336 Member

    Here's where I feel kind of "doomed". There's only 3 people who work for the company where I work, the farthest spot in the parking lot is maybe 30 feet from the door, lunches are only allowed at your desk, everyones office has a refrigerator and bathroom attached to it because you're supposed to be at your desk all the time.

    Ok, here's another alternative: is it possible for you to keep a resistance band at work? You could easily get some kind of simple at-your-chair-at-your-desk exercises done at lunches or breaks.
  • uthatswho
    uthatswho Posts: 34
    Google desk exercises. There are stretches you can do while seated. Exercise at your desk.
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    So I got my sendetary behind up and moving and did wii fit yoga and zumba on the wii, and started taking 10 minute walk breaks at work twice a day. I now do Barre 3 routines / classes over the internet. I bought a nike fuel band and aim to move more every day.

    It just takes one step at a time. I think wii fit is awesome.

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