I have a "Desk Job" anyone else?

I see there are already a ton of replies, but I'm going to put my two cents in any way... This will be a long post, so I encourage everybody to skip over it if you don’t really care

I have a desk job and we do working lunches every day. I'm lazy, and have to commute an hour and a half to work on the subway every day so I don't pack lunches usually (a bad move, I've found, for my wallet more than for my weight loss). I've found a couple things work best:

1. Drink coffee - I've made it routine to have a heavy coffee in the morning as breakfast (usually just a dark roast with almond milk if I'm making it at home or a skinny mocha if I buy). This keeps me full until lunch time, and the health benefits are endless. The caffeine in coffee not only keeps you awake (I work as a research assistant, so my day is all about thinking) but also acts as a mild appetite suppressant while slightly increasing your metabolism by raising your rate of thermogenesis. Even though it's fabled to be a diuretic, the current science no longer supports this. Thus, in the proper amounts, coffee will not dehydrate you. I recently read (though I don't remember where) that if you drink 5 or FEWER cups of coffee a day it will benefit a diet routine. More than that, however, and it may begin to mess with your system - the article didn't specify how, though I imagine it's not great for your heart. Your average 8ozs of coffee only has 2 calories in it, too, so it's a good way to "save up" calories for lunch. That's why I like the almond milk, too - lots of calcium, protein, no lactose, soy or casein and it's thicker than typical dairy so it sits in your stomach longer and keeps you full for significantly fewer calories. I put about a quarter cup into my coffee which equals to about 7.5 calories (30 calories per cup), as opposed to 21.5 in the equivalent amount of SKIM milk (about 86 calories per cup). Plus, personally, I've always found it easier to concentrate if I have something to drink - as a full time student as well; coffee seemed like a natural choice.

2. Have a satisfying lunch - My moods are very dependent on me being gustatorially satisfied and though this isn't one of my favorite aspects of myself it's one I've come to accept. If I'm not already in a good mood and I have a plain turkey sandwich with carrots on the side for lunch I'm going to be pretty unpleasant for the rest of the day. This is specifically problematic because I generally work for 9 hours then attend another 2 - 4 hours of classes, exposing enough people to me that it's just mean to be in a foul mood. So, I always make sure to have a good, satisfying, protein filled lunch. I work in central Manhattan (so I realize that I've got that benefit) so my options are pretty extensive, but recently I've found that Indian food is great for this. Aloo chana, chana masala and aloo gobi are all very tasty, satisfying and high in nutrients so I don't feel bad later. What makes this even better is that (basmati rice aside), Indian food is usually spices and veggies, so it's healthy but low in calories. Further many of the traditional spices (that don't hurt when you eat them) such as turmeric, cumin and coriander, pack some pretty impressive health benefits -- and add a punch to your meal without extra calories. Turmeric may have cancer-fighting properties, cumin is a surprising source of iron, and also may help with digestion. 1.5 cups (the typical delivery serving) of aloo gobi is only 136.5 calories. This will keep you full for a long time AND you don't have to feel bad later. Roti, also, is a great choice because it's whole wheat and packs fewer calories than the typical naan. Ultimately, what I'm trying to convey is this: research what is available in your area and figure out how to make it work for you. Instead of moo goo gai pan try the chicken and snow peas, ditch the KFC and opt for the deli down the street, just make sure you're satisfied. Bringing lunch is always a good idea, too, but sometimes there are healthier options (for example, a homemade sandwich can cost you upward of 200 calories on bread alone). Later, too, if you're still full from lunch you'll be less tempted to have a big dinner.

3. Keep tasty snacks around - People have taste receptors and neurochemicals that are directly linked to them. Food makes us happy, so I've never understood why people will eat things they don't like just in the name of weight loss (particularly those people who eat more when they're sad!). I try to keep craving-busting snacks in my desk and then regulate how much of them I eat. I tend to crave nuts, salt and chocolate, for example, so I got some pumpkin seed, cashew, almond and pistachio clusters dipped in dark chocolate. At 210 calories per serving (3 pieces) they're not really the best choice, but after just one I've more or less satisfied all my cravings and will be able to wait until lunch/dinner before eating again. If I find that doesn't work, I get coffee (!!!) which is offered free through my work (as in most places which employ us desk jockeys). Sometimes you just need a new taste or something to do with your mouth, and being able to satisfy that urge will be key. I like to think of my digestive system as a recalcitrant child: when it starts acting up, give it something to keep it busy for a while and that'll usually quiet it down long enough for you to finish what you need to.

4. Have a home cooked dinner - a few nights ago I had steak, potatoes and steamed broccoli for dinner. It was amazing. It was also only 495 calories, and I was full until noon the next day. Later in the week, I had mushroom, brie and bacon soup with all sorts of tasty veggies which came in at only 493 calories (for two servings! And that's with the bacon!!). For contrast, a wedge salad at Applebee’s is 560 calories, PF Chang's Thai salad is 900, Chili's grilled chicken salad is 430, California Pizza Kitchen's Chicken Cobb Salad is 1,285, and Quizno's Mediterranean Chicken salad is 590. I got bacon for less than a cobb salad. Maple bacon. I seriously think I win.

5. Supplement with (enjoyable) exercise - I have the benefit of having to walk almost a mile every day just to get to the subway, then another half mile before making it to work (and that's just one way!). I realize that this has benefited me greatly, but I also realize that the extra time I put in to class every day is time that most people could be putting in to working out. Use your time wisely and spend some time in the morning, at lunch, in the evening, whenever you have time, burning calories. And do something you like. For a long time I hated running because I was overweight and it was just genuinely uncomfortable (even painful) for me - compounded with my acute asthma, cardio exercises were not something I looked forward to and this would cause me to shy away from exercise all together. I've always loved weight lifting, though, and while it burns calories at a slower weight it got me moving (plus, we all know that muscle burns more calories than fat) and eventually opened me up to more kinds of exercise. Now, 41 pounds later, I often look forward to jogging and have begun to incorporate flexibility training into my routine as well. I still prefer weight lifting, and will do it while I watch TV on the weekend so I can relax and still do good things for myself. This also brings up another point: if you don't like working out at the gym, then don't. When I was in college and at my heaviest I worked out at the gym because it came with my student fees (and was a really nice gym...), but I didn't put my all into it because I was self-conscious. Now, it's routine for me to do it at home because my time and funds as a graduate student are limited, and I still don't really like the environment at gyms. Sure, I don't have access to heavy weights or fancy equipment (you try fitting a treadmill into an apartment in Brooklyn!), but while I spend three hours catching up on Family Guy and The Following I can spend the whole time doing squats, lunges, and various lifts to keep myself occupied and moving. Even jogging in place (or around the coffee table if I'm feeling adventurous) has become my new answer to "hell if I'm going on a run when it's -7 degrees outside." I enjoy this time alone doing good things for myself, and enjoy the burn I feel the next day - so obviously I'm doing something right. It's led to me feeling better about myself and generally being happier.

6. Don't be afraid of food - I think the worst thing that dieters do (especially when they're trying to lose a lot of weight) is treat food as the enemy. Remember, we need it to survive, so don't fight it; embrace it. Food keeps us alive, it keeps our hearts pumping and our neurons firing and we absolutely must consume it. So don't make eating the worst part of your day, don't body monitor and feel bad for choosing the bag of chips while all the other women in the office are eating salads (this is a constant source of stress for so many women I know, and I think it's just deplorable). Eat what makes you comfortable and happy. Don't loathe your desk job because it means you have to relegate yourself to iceberg lettuce and low-fat Italian dressing for lunch, embrace that it means you get a chance after/before/during work to discover activities that you truly enjoy doing and can look forward to. Be proud that you will learn some new things about the foods in your areas and maybe be forced to try things you've never eaten before because they're healthy, and also sound kinda interesting. Maybe you'll even find a new favorite! People like food, and I personally find it depressing when they try to deny it. Make your fuel intake supplement your weight loss goals, not define them.

7. Give yourself a reason to compete! - When I first started really tracking my calories it was because a friend of mine with whom I've always been very competitive finally signed up here (prior to that, I had been hush-hush about MFP, because I was a little embarrassed and hadn't really fallen in to my philosophy yet). In November I got a Fitbit because the same friend had one. At first, we would compete to see who could stay within their daily goals better, then who got more steps, who could get more miles in a week, who could have more very active minuets, etc. But as time wore on and our respective jobs & educations got in the way it became evident that my lifestyle simply put me at an advantage (she lives in San Francisco which is far more car-friendly than it is here in NYC). So, I began to compete with myself. "Yesterday I only got 9,000 steps. Let's go for 10,000 today!" "Last week I only managed 65,000 total steps - this week it'll be 70,000." "What? I went 4.93 miles yesterday? Well, heck, I'm gonna make sure it's 5 today!" "I walked 31.9 miles last month? Well, this month the goal will be 35." My goals are never impossible and always something I end up meeting, but by pushing myself a little bit every time I get more and more active - just a few tenths of a mile at a time. When I first started trying to lose weight (and was doing the whole no carbs, just salads and fruits thing), I dropped my first 5 pounds no problem, then couldn't do much more until I really pushed myself, at which point I plateaued for about a year after an additional 10 pounds. After moving from the south west to NYC and completely changing my lifestyle, I lost another 15 pounds without even trying then once again plateaued regardless of my efforts. Eventually, I changed my goal to be a 22BMI instead of a specific weight, but still couldn't move on until I began to set these goals. In just three months, then, I dropped 11 pounds without monitoring my weight, changing my lifestyle, monitoring my food or actively exercising more and am actually under my 22BMI goal. Challenging myself made all the difference and I continue to see the scale ticking down. Fitbits are a little pricey, but I really like them - they sync with MFP and offer a community wherein you can "meet" new friends, compete with those you already have, or cheer them on if you're less competitive than me. Further, I also joined everymove, where you can earn rewards for your activities AND sync it to MFP/Fitbit. I always work toward a charity donation (last one was Make-a-Wish foundation) because I don't have the money to actually donate, which encourages me to work extra hard.

8. Lastly, set (reasonable) goals to meet, but don't beat yourself up if you don't meet them – when I first started trying to lose weight circa 2009 I would set unreasonable goals then get down on myself if I didn’t meet them. “Why couldn’t I lose 10 pounds this week? It shouldn’t have been that hard!” Once I became a little less irrational and set goals that I could actually hit it became much easier. For a while, I even set them low so that I could feel great when I beat them. “Lookit that! I lost seven pounds this month! I was only shooting for four!” If you set a reasonable goal and don’t meet it, don’t count it as a failure. Sometimes **** happens – work isn’t going to go light on your stress just because you want to feel better in your body. You cannot control how you’re biologically predispositioned to emit cortisol or where your body puts its stress fat or anything like that, so there’s no reason to try and control it. Too much effort in times of biological or neurological upset will just end up hurting you in the long run. If you don’t meet a goal, reevaluate why that may have been and adjust the impending ones accordingly. If you aim to lose a pound a week then don’t meet that goal for three weeks running, the fourth week is going to be completely impossible because you’re too far behind. Allow for adjustments. Some weeks will be good, some will be bad. You’ll learn as you go along.
Specifically for you, too, Country88girl, remember that everyone at your reunion will be more preoccupied with their own issues than yours. Say you don’t make those last 5 pounds before you go, just realize that most of the people there will still have their extra 60 and you’re gonna be way ahead of them.

I know that was long winded, but I feel like when you're really trying to make the commitment to losing a large amount of weight (like you) the number one obstacle won't be your desk job, but your ability to stick to it - and I honestly feel like it's easier if you make sure to keep yourself happy in the meantime. There's an ugly side to weight loss that nobody tells us about, and in my experience (along with other people I know who have tried to lose weight) the most detrimental element is upset and depression from the chemical imbalance that results from a lack of good, endorphin releasing foods and people just trying too damn hard. Don’t let making a good decision have negative consequences – in the end, it’s seriously not worth it.