Desk Job
Krispychillens
Posts: 1
I have had a desk job now for the last 6 years. However, 5 of those years I was also a student and would be walking around campus. Now I sit in a room as a tutor without a lot of movement. I get up from time to time and walk to refill my water, I take the stairs when I can and I just generally try and move. The problem is I feel that this constant sitting is hampering my weight loss progress. I constantly feel the need to snack when I get bored, and though I've gotten better about that it still doesn't stop me from going to the vending machine around mid afternoon for a sugary snack. I keep fresh fruits and veggies on hand and most days I have a lunch bag full of healthy snacks, but I want the junk food. Any advice on how to get moving more when I'm at work and what to do about the sugary snack problem.
Thanks
Thanks
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Replies
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I think preparation is key. If keeping fruits and veggies doesn't stop you from eating junk, then it's not working! Maybe you could try snacks that have more protein or maybe that you find tastier, but are still going to be better choices than a vending machine. If all I had was an apple at my desk I might be tempted, but if I bring an apple and a little peanutbutter or a fiber one bar, I won't. Or don't keep change around so you can't go to the machine!
I sit all day too and it's rough! During the nice weather I walk on my lunch break. I think it's really nice to get out. Also, I keep little dumb bells at my desk. I might look weird but I don't care! Whenever I find myself not doing anything for a few minutes I'll grab them for a few sets of arm exercises.
Good luck!0 -
sugary snacks are ok as long as you log them and make room in your day calorie-wise. If you're not moving enough at work anymore, the best advice I can give is to try and be more active outside of the office.. before, after or on your lunch break. take walks or join a gym if that's an option. I have the same problem, and feel like I gained about 10 lbs my first day of sitting on my butt for 8 hours.0
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I have a desk job, and like you I take the stairs (including a trip around the building once or twice per day, climbing all 6 flights).
Here's how I don't snack on the donuts and cookies that show up in the break room almost every day: I have a rule that I don't eat things that I don't bring in myself. Ever. No vending machines; no donuts.
Any item that I haven't packed isn't even food. There's no temptation to eat, because that decision has already been made.0 -
Sitting at your desk all day will not hinder your weight loss unless you have allocated a portion of your calorie deficiency to exercise. For example, you planned to lose 1 lb. per week (500 calories x 7 days = 3500 calories = about 1 lb.) and subtract 250 calories from your food and burn 250 calories from exercise. If you don't exercise, you will not lose 1 lb. per week. On the other hand, if you cut all 500 calories from food, you will lose 1 lb. per week without exercise. Snacking will not be a problem as long as you work those calories into your food budget.0
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Sitting all day hasn't stopped me for losing weight, so don't be disheartened. Although I have gradually managed to work more activity into my day, this has been VERY gradual. Basically, I started walking a bit, and built it from there.
The snacking habit I can sympathize with. This is exactly what I used to do as well. I confronted it head-on and spent 2 weeks which were quiet at work and absolutely focused on not eating anything outside 3 set meal times. It was incredibly tough, but it's a habit and can be broken with effort if that's what you choose to do. I work from home, and my office is right next to the kitchen, so the temptations were huge.
Having said that, lots of people manage their snacking by planning ahead, and I do include snacks now, but mainly as a way of making sure I get enough protein, fat or fiber rather than as something I do when bored.0 -
I started a desk job a couple of months ago and it is killing me to not move around all day! What I have done is set a timer on my phone. Every 30 minutes I will get up and walk around for 5 minutes, or 10 minutes every hour, etc., depending on my schedule for the day.
This keeps me a bit more active, my back from hurting, and my brain from getting bored enough to snack when I'm not truly hungry.0 -
I have had a desk job now for the last 6 years. However, 5 of those years I was also a student and would be walking around campus. Now I sit in a room as a tutor without a lot of movement. I get up from time to time and walk to refill my water, I take the stairs when I can and I just generally try and move. The problem is I feel that this constant sitting is hampering my weight loss progress. I constantly feel the need to snack when I get bored, and though I've gotten better about that it still doesn't stop me from going to the vending machine around mid afternoon for a sugary snack. I keep fresh fruits and veggies on hand and most days I have a lunch bag full of healthy snacks, but I want the junk food. Any advice on how to get moving more when I'm at work and what to do about the sugary snack problem.
Thanks
I have a desk job and find my activity tracker very useful. I have a fitbit and love it, but there are many others. I recently set it for negative calorie adjustments to help motivate to move more during the day.
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I sit at a desk for work half the year, which is so hard because the other half I'm out hiking doing field work as a biologist. My tricks are to keep healthy food handy, but more importantly, just DRINK WATER when I'm bored instead of snacking. I have a fairly small water bottle and get up at least once an hour to refill it, so that gets me out of my chair on a fairly regular basis.
I also like to bring in my bike or running clothes to work and use my lunch break to get in a workout.0 -
I have a desk job, and like you I take the stairs (including a trip around the building once or twice per day, climbing all 6 flights).
Here's how I don't snack on the donuts and cookies that show up in the break room almost every day: I have a rule that I don't eat things that I don't bring in myself. Ever. No vending machines; no donuts.
Any item that I haven't packed isn't even food. There's no temptation to eat, because that decision has already been made.
I like this. I don't have a desk job. But I have used the "rule" idea for myself before and it worked. For me, I never ate anything at a food court in a mall or any concessions at a sporting event. My lifestyle took me to those places often and not eating at those venues made my weight loss happen way more quickly.0 -
I have a Garmin Vivofit which shows red bars if I don't move within an hour. I find it more motivating than I expected.0
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set an alarm on your computer or phone or what have you. I set mine for an hour and every hour I make a trip around the office, up and down the stairs, and around through the shop. It's not far but it's movement.0
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I can somewhat relate. I like to think I have a eating disorder because I'm TOO picky! I barely eat because I don't like this and that which in a way hampering my healthy diet and weight loss.
I too have a desk job. I'm a programmer so I sit there and write, write, write. I only take 2 flights of stairs because my work is on the 2nd floor. I don't walk as much as you do. So what do I do when there's cupcakes and doughnuts in the break room, especially, the vending machine (chips junky here big time)?
I bring in different fruits and keep oatmeal, flavored or salted nuts. I bake small appetizer on Sunday night for the entire week and bring them to snack on.
I LOVE savory / spicy food. I get this mini chicken empanada from Costo and take 3-4 pieces. If I don't feel like eating oat int he morning, I eat one/2 empanada. Then have a guava/apple next hour, then maybe few almonds.
I DO keep a small bag of chips in my drawer, HOWEVER, then I feel like eating, I suck in one chips for as long as I can. That was I get the flavor and not eat entire bag of chips. Next thing I know, my cravings are gone and it's lunch time. Tada!
Don't stop eating stuff because you are trying to lose weight. Eat small portion and eat smartly. I tried quitting white rice, then holiday came around and I had a taste of it. That was the downfall and I went wild. Since then, I realize I cannot stop eating something I like, I just have to keep it at minimal. I go to gym 3 days a week. Couldn't be more happier.0 -
My co-workers and I all sit at desks and our cure was to ask for a stand-up desk. The ones that we got were from varidesk.com. I love it as I can collapse it and sit or raise it and stand up. Helps me to feel a lot better.0
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I worked in an office for a number of years where most people sat all day. One of the people there was a very fit man in his 50's. He used a standing desk and would walk a lap around the office every few hours, and go to the gym after work. A number of employees used an exercise ball to sit on or also used standing desks. Of course, other employees looked like their chairs were part of their bodies. It takes more effort in job where you sit at a desk all day, but you feel so much better if you can keep yourself moving despite it.
If you're tutoring, perhaps you can get up and walk around the room during slow periods (I also tutored and would need to do this). Parking far away from the building if you drive and walking across campus (or sprinting if you're late) helps too. :laugh:0 -
I march in place for 5 minutes every thirty minutes ... I also use my lunch break and watch something on the computer while I march in place. With my Fitbit keeping me accountable to at least 10,000 steps a day, this is the only thing that helps me reach that goal when I couple it with my hour workout each day.0
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I have a fitbit and have it set up for two silent alarms during the day (one in the morning and one in the afternoon). When they go off, I get up and walk for 15 minutes. You might not be able to do 15 minutes, but try to get up and do something. Its helpful for me to have the structure of the alarms instead of just trying to remember to get up and do it.
I also second the standing desk. I have one, but don't use it nearly as often as I should.
I also try to do 10k steps a day (hence the fitbit) which I get by doing my 3x a week runs or walking on my off days, in addition to my walking mentioned above.
As far as snacking goes, I don't snack during the day. I just don't. I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If I have calories leftover at the end of the day (usually do, especially on running days), I'll snack then.
Edited to add:
I like the idea posted above about marching in place. I might try to add a little bit of that in while using my standing desk more. I prefer to get my steps done earlier in the day instead of later. Even with my 30 minutes of walking during the day, I still end up with a lot of steps to make up on non-running days.0 -
I have one of those jobs where some days I'm at my desk all day and others I'm on the go from the start to the end of my day. I never know which it's going to be or where I'll end up so I pack my breakfast, lunch and 2 snacks in my lunchbag and keep some emergency supplies in both my car and desk. I probably sound like a food junkie to some people but if having a granola bar when on the road stops me from grabbing a big muffin at DD's than call me what you wish.
As for movement or lack of I dug out my old pedometer so I could be honest with myself, if I don't move then it shows me just how sedendary my life is and I hate the feeling that I'm lazy. If I'm at the office all day I now force myself outside for 2 walks a day, I'm entitled to breaks and previously I'd just work away all day fixing issues of others while allowing myself and my needs to drop to the bottom of the list. My goal is to always have 10,000 steps a day, there are days that's a struggle, there are others I get in close to 20,000 but at least now I know just what I'm doing. On the days I'm "on the road" all day I park further from the building I need to go to, make extra trips with equipment and sometimes use my lunch break when I spot a walking path just for fresh air and mental clarity.
I actually did an experiment last week. I wanted to see the difference my usual walks made and well here's what I found. I worked at an office with other employees (usually I'm locked up in my little closet all day) where there was a flight of stairs to use, chocolates left out to eat and suggestive eating. I did not schedule my walks, still ate my prepacked foods/snacks but I didn't walk, normally when I would have gone walking I found myself chatting with coworkers or nibbling chocolate. I didn't do any real damage as when I got home from work I looked at the pedometer and gave myself a reality check and moved those legs. The difference..........5,000 steps I actually walked 5,000 fewer steps those 2 days last week than I do when in my own office aka closet.0 -
I have one of those jobs where some days I'm at my desk all day and others I'm on the go from the start to the end of my day. I never know which it's going to be or where I'll end up so I pack my breakfast, lunch and 2 snacks in my lunchbag and keep some emergency supplies in both my car and desk. I probably sound like a food junkie to some people but if having a granola bar when on the road stops me from grabbing a big muffin at DD's than call me what you wish.
As for movement or lack of I dug out my old pedometer so I could be honest with myself, if I don't move then it shows me just how sedendary my life is and I hate the feeling that I'm lazy. If I'm at the office all day I now force myself outside for 2 walks a day, I'm entitled to breaks and previously I'd just work away all day fixing issues of others while allowing myself and my needs to drop to the bottom of the list. My goal is to always have 10,000 steps a day, there are days that's a struggle, there are others I get in close to 20,000 but at least now I know just what I'm doing. On the days I'm "on the road" all day I park further from the building I need to go to, make extra trips with equipment and sometimes use my lunch break when I spot a walking path just for fresh air and mental clarity.
I actually did an experiment last week. I wanted to see the difference my usual walks made and well here's what I found. I worked at an office with other employees (usually I'm locked up in my little closet all day) where there was a flight of stairs to use, chocolates left out to eat and suggestive eating. I did not schedule my walks, still ate my prepacked foods/snacks but I didn't walk, normally when I would have gone walking I found myself chatting with coworkers or nibbling chocolate. I didn't do any real damage as when I got home from work I looked at the pedometer and gave myself a reality check and moved those legs. The difference..........5,000 steps I actually walked 5,000 fewer steps those 2 days last week than I do when in my own office aka closet.
This!
I use my two walking breaks as my 15 minute breaks and still get my half hour at lunch. It amazes me how many people will not take their legally sanctioned breaks. It actually makes me more productive throughout my day!0 -
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This is good. Definitely continue to do this.I have had a desk job now for the last 6 years. However, 5 of those years I was also a student and would be walking around campus. Now I sit in a room as a tutor without a lot of movement. I get up from time to time and walk to refill my water, I take the stairs when I can and I just generally try and move.
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The problem is I feel that this constant sitting is hampering my weight loss progress. I constantly feel the need to snack when I get bored, and though I've gotten better about that it still doesn't stop me from going to the vending machine around mid afternoon for a sugary snack. I keep fresh fruits and veggies on hand and most days I have a lunch bag full of healthy snacks, but I want the junk food.
[/quote]
Make your own "junk" food? If you're just looking for a sweet snack, do some greek yogurt with granola and honey on top. If you want salty, go for an appropriate amount of peanuts (if you're not allergic).
If there's a gym at work, use your break times as time to hop on the treadmill or the elliptical. I lost a lot of weight by getting my recommended 30 daily minutes of activity a day almost entirely at work. 5 minutes at end of first break after eating breakfast, 7 minutes at end of 1/2 hour lunch, another 5-10 or so after afternoon snack of an apple or something like that. That puts me at 17-22 minutes before I leave work. If I walk the dog for 10-15 minutes that night, BOOM...did my 30 minutes. If you can do that every weekday and maintain the calorie deficit and if you don't eat stupidly to excess on the weekend, you'll see pounds come off. If you're able to really get some exercise in (I've added running and tennis), you'll really see it drop off.Any advice on how to get moving more when I'm at work and what to do about the sugary snack problem.0
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