Sitting on my butt all day

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.

You just need to eat less

This

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

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.

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.

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.

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!!

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)

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!

You mentioned a bad back - what is your chair like at work? Is your posture correct? These things are important to get right. Speak to your employer, get a risk assessment of your desk area. Ask for a better chair, or an under desk foot stool. Take regular breaks from your desk, if you can, so you aren't just sitting in one position for hours. And make sure you warm up before exercising.

I still think you should visit your doctor, however.

I feel your pain, I have the same sort of thing. I just try to get up and do "a lap" every now and again.

Depending what you have to actually do at your desk... Can you stand? Get one of those laptop desk stations with adjustable height, they don't take up much room...and then for at least some periods throughout the day, stand instead of sit. You could even get some movement and stretching in as you work if you're standing. Also, there are those chairs where you put some of your weight on your knees. From what I've read, it's not JUST the sitting that causes issues, but sitting in the same way for too long. If you had a few alternatives to switch up during the day, that might be helpful.

Eta: of course if it's your weight you are concerned about and you are exercising all you can, you need to eat less. But it seems that you know that, and are concerned with the effects of sitting on your butt all day...which is what my response is meant to address, obviously

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.

I understand what you are saying, but my point is, the OP is doing all she can to increase activity. She has already said she gets up at 6:45am and is not home till 12am, she does 1 - 2 hours of moderate activity daily (including strength training), she goes for walks on her lunch break, she move as much as possible on her commute, she stretches during her working hours. There is no more time for additional exercise.

There is no doubt that people with a more active job are healthier, but without a career change, there's not much that can be done about that!

I am still convinced there is an underlying problem and/or that the OP is eating too much, Exercise is beneficial for health but not actually necessary for weight loss.

The OP states she's tried various things to increase her in office activity, I have no way of knowing if she does these consistently (she states she tries) or just every once in a while. Rather than assume, I'm underlining how important these may be. Even if she has an undiagnosed medical condition like fibro - it makes senses to continue to take planned breaks away from sitting.

Unlike you, I'm not convinced about anything here, the suggestion to see a doctor does seem valid, to identify the root cause of an injury. And while exercise is not needed of weight loss, NEAT actually has a much greater impact on weight loss than just exercise and the OP is complaining about inactivity. NEAT addresses both.
The OP complained about 10 lbs gain in 6 months that's slightly less than 200 cals per day. One can eat less, exercise more or increase NEAT. Any of the three are valid or a combination of them. In a situation where someone complains of activity level if makes sense to increase it, if possible (without increasing exercise).
Now the thing about eating less is that it actually decreases your NEAT, so whenever possible it makes sense to look at everyday lifestyle elements as part of the overall view of things and not just call out to "eat less".

Edit:You'll also notice that the OP has stated that she finds it very difficult to eat less. Why insist on that if this leads to binging for her?

:flowerforyou: