Sedentary Lifestyle

stinaisgreat · May 2014

11 months ago I got a desk job working at an art school. The job is great but I find myself snacking constantly because I can easily get bored when I run out of things to do on my checklist. Before this job I was a healthy 130 (I'm 5"2'). Currently at my heaviest of 163. (I only have 30 or so lbs to lose but that is still a lot of work!!)

My shift is from 2pm -8pm, so it's smack in the middle of dinner and I get so hungry!! I have stopped the unhealthy snacking at the desk (thanks to nature box and graze). I no longer eat cookies or chips at the desk. I now eat dried fruits, nuts and veggies, or a portion of one of my nature box snacks at the desk now. I still mess up sometimes when they do "employee dessert day" or when the donut shop next door brings me like 6 dozen donuts to give out to the teachers. They always have me take home the extra goodies! They want me to take a gallon of icecream home tonight!

I have three big problems that are halting my weightloss.

1. Home: When I get home, I eat the whole house. My mom isn't working right now and we are in the process of opening a bakery so she is constantly testing recipies. And I cannot resist the cookies, cakes, pies and pastires. My mother is a certified pastry chef so everything she makes is amazing!!

2. Boyfriend: He is amazing. While we do active things like go on walks, longboard rides and sometimes hikes, we more often do the opposite and sit around playing video games, boardgame night, or watching movies/tv shows on netflix. He also does this amazing thing where he buys me whatever I want. It's unhealthy because I always want cake or carmel popcorn. He is not the best infuence. Not to mention the winter kicks our butts. We end up doing nothing but sitting around. I think the only active thing we did this last winter was go ice fishing. Once.

3. Hobbies: My hobbies are things you do sitting down. I oil paint and play video games. These mixed with my desk job do not make for a healthy lifestyle.

4: Gym: I never feel like I have time. If I wake up in the morning to go to the gym I don't have time to do anything else but shower before work and then that night my boyfriend and I play videogames online for a few hours. I end up going to sleep at 1 and waking at 9 or 10. I try to do something active everyday. Whether its deep cleaning my house, going for a bike ride or a hike that morning I still find myself unable to get to the gym. I also have really bad asthma- so running is nearly impossible for me. I cant even jog half a mile without having to run for my rescue inhaler.

So I guess what I really need is someone to keep me accountable and some advice.

Hey I might even give you my phone number and you can text me to make sure I ate healthy or went to the gym.

Thanks for reading my novel

4aces61 · May 2014

Not trying to be mead/rude, but it sounds like you're just making excuses not to take the steps needed for weight loss. Are you logging your food? If you want it, you'll have to make changes to achieve what you want. If you're just starting out, yes it's always tough.

Your day doesn't sound so busy you can't make the time. For example, my day starts at 3:45am. I get up for work to start at 5am. I'm a train mechanic and have an extremely physical intense job. I do that for 8 hours, get off and go straight to the gym. 1-2 hours there most days, come home and get ready for the evenings events, cooking dinner, clean up, making lunches for the next day, by then it's usually after 7. Still have to shower, get my clothes, work/gym ready for the following day and try to be in bed by 9:30. then it starts all over. You really have to want it. Sometimes you just have to dig deep. Check out my profile, I have a slogan I live by. If you can do that, you can be successful at anything.

Good luck to you!!

ew_david · May 2014

Hey I might even give you my phone number and you can text me to make sure I ate healthy or went to the gym.

I would HIGHLY advise against this.

You either want it or you don't. Plain and simple. When you want it, you'll cut the excuses and make it happen.

stinaisgreat · May 2014

Not trying to be mead/rude, but it sounds like you're just making excuses not to take the steps needed for weight loss. Are you logging your food? If you want it, you'll have to make changes to achieve what you want. If you're just starting out, yes it's always tough.

Your day doesn't sound so busy you can't make the time. For example, my day starts at 3:45am. I get up for work to start at 5am. I'm a train mechanic and have an extremely physical intense job. I do that for 8 hours, get off and go straight to the gym. 1-2 hours there most days, come home and get ready for the evenings events, cooking dinner, clean up, making lunches for the next day, by then it's usually after 7. Still have to shower, get my clothes, work/gym ready for the following day and try to be in bed by 9:30. then it starts all over. You really have to want it. Sometimes you just have to dig deep. Check out my profile, I have a slogan I live by. If you can do that, you can be successful at anything.

I probably am. Haha I am very lazy.... I've lost about as much weight before but I was just working at a fast food restaurant and doing nothing else, so I made it to the gym everyday. Adult me is much busier! haha

I am logging my food and trying to be consistent with it!

I guess I wasn't super clear about my day though. I have a lot of things that take up my time nearly everyday. I have sugar gliders as pets (and they can be time consuming), a piano lesson, painting classes, friends to hang out with, a second job that I work between 1-4 times a week, making plans with my mom for the bakery we are opening and weekend comitments. Trying to find time for my hobbies is hard enough! I do try to go to the gym around when I get off work at 8, but that's when my gym is the busiest so it can be a pain to get to any of the equipment I want to use. I usually make it to the gym twice a week

Things should be slowing down soon so I should be able to make it more often coming up pretty quick.

tl_dr · May 2014

Ah! You're in almost the exact same situation I was in this past summer... I worked at a bakery. I know what you mean. It's hard to be around such tasty food all day and not snack just a little bit.

What I had to do was limit myself to one thing a day, no exceptions. I would try to hold off until the evening to have my snack so I wasn't tempted to have a second. I'd also sip on unsweetened tea all day--usually something with a naturally sweet taste, like oolong or peppermint. It kept the sugar cravings manageable. If I was just really dying for something sweet, I'd eat a peach or a frozen banana.

Also... Are you ever tempted to eat your oil paint, or is that just me? :indifferent: :sick: It smells so nice...

Anyway! Just focus on making it to the gym! Don't sweat it if you can't stay for very long. Just focus on getting into the habit at first. Once it becomes part of your routine, then you can start staying a little longer and working harder each day--it will feel like less of a chore if you start slow.

Nt2Badhuh · May 2014

I pack a bag and go right after work.... I find that after a long day if I make it IN the house I am not going back out for any reason but if the bag is in the car I have no excuse just go... focus on going ONE day... then another.....then it becomes habit. but you have to get over that first day hump. As far the the snacking things.... I do this too... Ive had to to pre-pack my snacks into single serving and I try to eat around every two hours so im never STARVING.... If I let it get to that point...im done for.....

also... I would not give my phone number out ... ( no judgement but you have no idea whose on these boards)

btsinmd · May 2014

I had a very similar life to yours for 25+ years and still do, to a point, There is no way that I can regularly go to the gym and live my life the way I want to and get everything in. So I tried many things. Some worked for me and some didn't.
-- Do active video games - there's Just Dance, various exercise games, Dance Dance Revolution, and even Walk It Out, even many Wii or other console games can involve movement or sports
-- There are DVDs and You Tube channels just dedicated to getting you moving. If cardio is too much for your asthma, focus as much as you can on body weight strength training
-- Check out the You Are Your Own Gym books, DVD, and or App or Convict Conditioning
-- Arrange to go to the gym or meet a friend there on the way home from work. Keep gym clothes in your car. Just get a half hour in and go home.
-- Eat just before you leave work, something small and healthy so that you can exercise if you want and/or just not be starving when you arrive home.

Good Luck

LINIA · May 2014

Oh No --- you basically LIVE in a bakery and if that isn't enough, your boyfriend buys you treats and you have snack days at work.

Not many people would only have gained 30 pounds, most would have gained a lot more.

The only reason i am writing to you is to say that somehow, through some very strong intervention...you must step away from all of the exposure to baked goods, snacks, cakes, pies, ice cream and cookies.

Many of us live in a somewhat toxic food environment but your exposure sounds extreme----if you can't control the eating, you will likely continue to gain and end up gaining much more than the 30 pounds you have put on.

The advice that you have received about going to the gym is a step in the right direction, hopefully you will be able to start running, lifting, jogging etc and very soon.....you probably also need to let your Mom know you can't continue to "sample" her baked treats (well not as often) good luck OP. ????????????

HaelaBaer · May 2014

My hobbies are gaming, television, computer gaming, then board gaming, with some craft time, reading comics, then watching a Horror flick followed by another game. So I get you. And I'm probably twice your age, lol.

When it's just me around, I find that I love to putter. I used to get up and just do things, all unstructured like. I'd finish the day with a bunch of things started and nothing really done. So I started to focus on how long it should take me to do something, and I'd give myself a stricter time frame. I even gave myself a cushion around that time, like an extra half hour of playtime in case the server was slow or some such. I'd even prioritize and delegate, which is tough when one is a control freak.

By being realistic and concentrating on time, I was able to get more things done. I get up early to exercise and make a sensible breakfast ( which can quiet your tummy at work quite a bit!). I make sure I have time for play and to relax too. I started trying to find ways to combine chores to make even more playtime, like cooking a few meals for the week on a Sunday and measuring it all out.

Make a schedule for yourself and try it out. Start small, like a 15 minute walk. Work up to a longer more intensive routine. .

Also, tell everyone you're counting calories. Tell them you're exercising. Ask for their support. Your mom and boyfriend should understand. My family was pretty supportive when they saw my commitment.

And if you get hungry in between meals, try water. It does help. And rather than sit and eat, stand and eat. Any time you pop food into your mouth, stand up and walk around your desk or chair. Maybe it'll make you think twice if you have to pace!

fificrazy · May 2014

Although nuts and dried fruits are nutritional, the calories can add up fast. A few handfuls of either could add up faster than a couple of cookies. So my advice: switch a good portion of your intake over to veggies. Not saying you should blacklist all other foods (no, definitely not. That's the recipe for some major reactive eating.) but with veggies if they don't appeal to you at lunch/dinner, then clearly you're not hungry enough. Fill up on them before having some sugar and you'll probably find yourself satisfied/full when a smaller portion of the sweet stuff!

Next, figure out which hobbies and job tasks you can do standing up, on an exercise bike, taking a walk. Or make breaks to run around the block, do some jumping jacks, etc. Find time before you start your day, or before you go to bed to work out. I've discovered a lot of times I feel like eating, I really just want that brain buzz/stimulation and you might be surprised how equally mentally satisfying some activity can be! Although, beware of the muscle building stuff- that can make you hungry. Lol.

Oh and if you think they'd be receptive, open up to your family friends boyfriend about the changes you want to make. Hopefully they'll support you- but I know moms in particular can get a little worried and start shoving food on you twice as hard haha. In situations like that, always be sure to make room in your life for the treats and social eating (so as to show them it isn't about restriction and self-deprivation hahaa), but maybe suggest to them new ways they (and you!) can find new ways to bond instead!

Sedentary Lifestyle

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