9-5 Office Job Diet Plan

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Replies

  • angieroo2
    angieroo2 Posts: 970 Member
    The hardest thing for me is the tons of food choices to resist. I bring my lunch every day and I have loads of snacks in my cabinet. I try to make sure my first snack is a fruit (typically an apple). I drink lots of water throughout the day.
  • melissat888250
    melissat888250 Posts: 79 Member
    I will bring baggies of chopped up veggies (cucumbers are best, since carrots/celery can be a little loud to eat at your desk!) or apple/pear/banana to snack on. I have a box of the maxwell house international delight coffee mix (this month it's vanilla caramel latte) in my desk drawer along with a coffee cup, so if I have the urge to stop and buy a fancy coffee I resist and just make a 60 calorie cup of fancy coffee at work instead. This usually saves me 100-300 calories. I use my coffee cup as a water cup and usually drink 6-8 cups of water to curb snacking.

    Gum helps in the afternoon when I want something sweet or if I run out of snacks. I leave a pack in my desk.

    I also go to the gym right after work, so I get out all my pent up energy then.

    Hope this helps!


    Schedule:
    Breakfast at home: 7:30
    Snack: 10 (fruit)
    Lunch: 12
    Snack: 2:30 (gum or fruit)
    Gym: 4:45-5:30
    Dinner: 6:30-7
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  • iperceive2
    iperceive2 Posts: 72 Member
    I sit on my *kitten* all day and i have to find reasons to get up! I do squats, I have light weights on my desk that I use, lunges and just marching in place. When Im sittng i suck in my tummy and sqeeze my but and hold ...lol...i do several reps of that. There is also a deskercisers group on here and we do something every 30 mins just to stay active at the desk!! I snack on almonds i play a game. I count out 13 and eat 2 every 2 mins. Also maybe think of adding more protein to your breakfast. I did and it helps.
    Good luck!!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member


    I know I need to eat healthily but find it hard to find things that I can keep at work that aren't perishable but are healthy.

    I also get up for work at half 5 and get back home at about half 6/7 so find it hard not to make convenience/quick foods

    Any help/ tips would be appreciated.

    :)

    Bring an insulated lunch box with yogurt and cheese stick, fruits, veggies. Microwave popcorn, a whole bag is filling and low in calories.
  • SlytherinPrefect
    SlytherinPrefect Posts: 64 Member
    Here's something to consider:
    I don't have a plan to lose some specified amount of weight by some specified time. I don't even really have a plan to lose weight. My plan is a lifetime of health and fitness. Therefore, every choice I make is a reflection of that. In general, I want to be healthy and fit. Do you ever wonder why people that obsess about losing weight never really do? Because there is no over-arching goal that transcends the silly goal of losing weight. If you ask, "why do I want to lose weight", and keep asking why to that answer, and again, and again, until you get to the core of the issue. When you get to the bottom of it, that is your reason. It's probably not about losing weight, truly. Losing weight is just a symptom of something else.

    Look higher. It's easier and not such a struggle when you have focus on something bigger.

    Truth.

    I eat basically all day long. Snack snack snack. As long as it's keeping in line with my macros, I'm in. I usually eat a lot of protein at dinner, so I really can eat what I want during the day.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    I bring my own lunches in too, but someone pointed out to me that it is mainly full of carbs! I need to get in the habit of eating more protein and more veggies - I'm such a fussy eater though which doesn't help. It's now 11:30 and I haven't snacked once, I'm doing well :) T x

    To help with protein, I cook chicken breasts on Sunday and put them in tupperware. I chop them up in the morning to use in salad or whatever my lunch is that day (if I am doing the chicken). Otherwise, I do egg salad, tuna salad etc... I discovered a love for raw spinach so I use that instead of lettuce :bigsmile: I can make a mean salad :laugh:

    I make spinach salads too! A bag does my whole week of lunches, and I add tomatoes and cucumber and some sort of protein source - cottage cheese, tuna, tinned mackerel, etc. I have a few crackers if I want to add some more carbs.

    As a fellow 9-5 worker I make sure I have protein at breakfast - usually muesli and a protein shake. I'll then have a snack around 11am, usually a protein bar or some nuts or a latte. I'll have greek yoghurt with my lunch or in the afternoon and this'll usually keep me going until dinner which will be around 6pm or 7pm depending whether it's a work out day or not.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I am just sitting on that food and not burning that energy up?!

    You "burn up" most of your calories (energy) just being alive. Actual exercise only makes up roughly 10-15% of the average individuals calorie requirements. Yes, it helps to move more because movement increases your calorie requirements...but you "burn" 24/7.

    By the by, I'm also a desk jockey....
  • 53welshlady
    53welshlady Posts: 136 Member
    I find that I am better at work than at home. When I am in work, I may or may not have something like yogurt or cereal for brekkie. I start early so am at my desk by 7.00 a.m. I bring my own lunch, normally either salad stuff or home made soup. I keep cans of tuna in my drawer for lunch. Sip water all day.

    BUT..... the main thing is, I don't bring any snacks and I don't bring any money.

    Yes, I feel hungry sometimes, particularly if I have not had much the day before, or ate earlier than usual. However, I believe that hunger pangs are not going to kill me, and continually snacking, even if within my daily allowance, is not going to help me.

    I feel that sitting down all day, is bad enough, but snacking on top of that is no good.

    NB - I'm not talking here about those folk who deliberately eat X small meals a day for their own reasons, I mean just snacking because you "feel hungry"
  • clambert1273
    clambert1273 Posts: 840 Member
    I bring my own lunches in too, but someone pointed out to me that it is mainly full of carbs! I need to get in the habit of eating more protein and more veggies - I'm such a fussy eater though which doesn't help. It's now 11:30 and I haven't snacked once, I'm doing well :) T x

    To help with protein, I cook chicken breasts on Sunday and put them in tupperware. I chop them up in the morning to use in salad or whatever my lunch is that day (if I am doing the chicken). Otherwise, I do egg salad, tuna salad etc... I discovered a love for raw spinach so I use that instead of lettuce :bigsmile: I can make a mean salad :laugh:

    I make spinach salads too! A bag does my whole week of lunches, and I add tomatoes and cucumber and some sort of protein source - cottage cheese, tuna, tinned mackerel, etc. I have a few crackers if I want to add some more carbs.

    As a fellow 9-5 worker I make sure I have protein at breakfast - usually muesli and a protein shake. I'll then have a snack around 11am, usually a protein bar or some nuts or a latte. I'll have greek yoghurt with my lunch or in the afternoon and this'll usually keep me going until dinner which will be around 6pm or 7pm depending whether it's a work out day or not.

    yummm crackers! I had a veggie scramble this morning (4 eggs - 225g) was like 28g protein - - whoop whoop.. that's what I call breakfast :)
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    For bloat and boredom, maybe sip hot herbal tea or even hot water with lemon. Lemon has diuretic properties and water is the best cure for bloat. Walking to the kitchen to brew a fresh cup once or twice an hour helps with movement, too. Pace while your water heats. Chat up some coworkers on the way back. Drag it out. The more you drink the more you'll be running to the restroom, too.

    Can you change your desk environment? Sit on an exercise ball, if so. It uses more muscles than a chair and will help you feel more active. Do some subtle rolling exercises while stuck at your desk.
  • mazmataz
    mazmataz Posts: 331 Member
    I hear and feel this....I really need to get better at bringing in my own snacks so that I don't end up at the canteen or the vending machine. I know that munching all day at work it pure boredom, as when I am at home I can get to 3pm and realise that I haven't eaten anything all day.

    Stoopid office!
  • sgupstate
    sgupstate Posts: 15 Member
    I am really into tea so I got a bunch of boxes of different types of tea and keep them in a desk drawer. It is warm and comforting and helps me to get more water while avoiding snacking when I am not actually hungry at work. The key for me is having all the varieties of tea to keep it interesting, sometimes I will have three cups of tea a day but all different flavors.

    Disclaimer: I am not substituting tea for meals, I still get my calories, just using this trick to avoid unnecessary snacking.

    As another note, when my boyfriend has greek yogurt or an egg with a piece of whole wheat toast for breakfast he says it helps him to curb hunger until lunch.
  • Barbsunshine7
    Barbsunshine7 Posts: 2,693 Member
    I'm also a 9-5 desk jockey...I hate it! I start my day with either a green veggie/fruit smoothie (Love my Nutri-Bullet!) while I'm at home, or I'll have a bowl of old fashioned oats with cinnamon, no sugar. I also have my one cup of coffee in the morning...can't live without that! I always pack a small can of low sodium V-8 and a string cheese for my morning snack and I'll either bring leftover dinner for lunch or have a salad. A bag salad will last me a week and I keep pouches of tuna or salmon in my cabinet to go on the salad. I only get a half hour for lunch so I try to walk for 20 minutes, weather permitting. Afternoon snack is usually fruit.

    Working a desk job makes it so much tougher to lose weight. Before this job I was home taking care of my elderly dad. I was able to take a break once in a while and walk around the block, and I was on my feet a lot doing laundry, etc. Now I weigh 20lbs more than I did 4 years ago :(
  • Jcallaghan1
    Jcallaghan1 Posts: 1 Member
    In regards to drinking water - I have a hard time with it too. I found that when I have a straw, I drink more. I keep my cup within eyesight to remind me that its there and I need to drink some. Also, I make it like a game. Keep the caps off the bottles of water and see how many I can get before the end of the day. Or, give myself a goal of how many/much to drink in a day and then try like crazy to make it or exceed it. I downloaded an app on my phone to keep track of how much water I'm drinking and set a goal on it for myself. So each time I finish a glass or bottle of water, I put that amount in the app and see how far I've gone and how much further I have to go to meet my goal. This app also lets you set notificiations to remind you to drink (i have one set for 6:30pm EST to remind me to keep drinking) and tells you when you haven't entered anything for one day (or multiple) :)

    I don't have a problem drinking water while I'm at my 7a-5p job, it's when I get home that I have to keep reminding myself to drink water. I dont keep anything else in the house besides water, some juice, and some adult drinks - so I tend to stop drinking (totally) when I leave the office. The app notification keeps me on track (most days) because I'm usually home by 6:30pm and haven't had anything to drink since leaving work.

    I hope this helps!
  • KerryITD
    KerryITD Posts: 94 Member
    I work 8-5 and live quite a ways away so I'm gone from home 11 hours a day. It's been hugely difficult for me to combat desk boredom and bring enough/healthy foods for the day!

    The biggest help for me was to have only protein or no more than half protein/half carbs for breakfast (and preferably lunch too). Then I seem to make reasoned choices about what to eat instead of mindlessly nibbling.

    I also try to walk 10-15 minutes twice a day (my legal breaks that I never used to take) even if that's just going around the building a few times. Lately I've also been doing a 7-minute high-intensity workout (adapted so I don't have to get on the nasty office floor, lol) at the end of lunch, which really wakes me up.

    Good luck!
  • mamacoates
    mamacoates Posts: 430 Member
    I've been trying SO hard to drink 8 cups of water a day and I barely manage 2 without a struggle! I normally drink alot of tea which obviously has water in so could easily get my 8 cups a day in, but now I have cut back on the tea, I can just about manage 2 bottles of Evian a day! T x

    Try a squeeze of lemon or other citrus, or some of the flavored drink mixes that are now available. That is how I managed to transition form LOTS of diet soda to water only ... all day long. I have maybe one diet soda a week now but usually none. I drink upwards of three liters of water a day.

    If you are drinking decaffeinated tea, it shouldn't be an issue ...
  • spazza89
    spazza89 Posts: 2
    I've been trying SO hard to drink 8 cups of water a day and I barely manage 2 without a struggle! I normally drink alot of tea which obviously has water in so could easily get my 8 cups a day in, but now I have cut back on the tea, I can just about manage 2 bottles of Evian a day! T x


    The best thing I ever did for drinking water at the office is to buy a drink bottle with a built in straw and i sit it directly in front of me so I can still use my computer etc. This means that i don't even have to stop what I'm doing to drink the water and there really is no excuse for me to not drink it. I tried this on a whim and it has been such a great idea. I go through so much water during the day, plus what I drink while I'm working out in the morning so it all adds up to probably over the minimum requirement per day. I feel heaps better just from drinking more water so maybe give that a go?
    Hope that helps anyway :)
    Good luck
  • spazza89
    spazza89 Posts: 2
    I like this idea but also if you are like me and hate lemon I have switched to filtered water only and that actually tastes nice to me so maybe look at getting a bottle with a built in filter :)
  • rms705
    rms705 Posts: 8 Member
    I tend to have a bannana almost every day at about 10-11am, bring my own lunch to work (which is generally a salad, a sandwich or leftovers from the night before) and drink lots of water during the day. I'd suggest maybe taking some fruit with you each day or I find cut up celery or carrots are also really great for afternoon snacks.
  • CptCappie
    CptCappie Posts: 21 Member
    I always bring protien bars, beef jerky, tuna, and protien shakes

    ^^ This guy is right. Also try eating a protein rich breakfast. Eating protein at every meal will help you stay full.
  • Moxie67
    Moxie67 Posts: 8
    Ginger can relieve nausea and bloating because of its ability to disrupt and expel gas in the intestine. Ginger accumulates in the gastrointestinal tract, which helps to alleviate many stomach issues. If you like Ginger, you can try buying some fresh, and put a few slices into some green tea or herbal tea and sip it while at work. Of course you can find more information on how to make tea with it online. I have always given it to my kids when they had a tummy ache when they were little. I do agree that changing your early morning food choice to avoid getting bloated in the first place is the optimal thing to do. But ginger might be a good idea to add to your diet anyway if you are having problems digesting fiber comfortably. Good luck, and let me know if you try the ginger and how it works for you!
  • arlenejoneswilson
    arlenejoneswilson Posts: 49 Member
    I also supplement lunches with bags of frozen veggies. I cook them in the microwave, alongside a low calorie Smart Ones or Healthy choice entree.

    I also have a healthy snack drawer-- and Crystal Light Go packs to make the water more appealing. Lots of tea and coffee (easy on the creamer) with Splenda.
  • starsybyll
    starsybyll Posts: 32
    Just drink tea. I drink probably 8-12 cups of tea a day and Im never hungry. Half the time I even skip lunch because Im not hungry enough for it. Use artificial sweetener and drink some any time you feel like snacking on something unhealthy.
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