When your job requires you to sit down 8 hours...

I set my alarm to get up every 30 minutes I go to the bathroom and do 10 -20 squats. Sounds stupid but it adds up. I have to sit for up to 10 hours at my job and after I got my job I gained around 30 pounds in the first month doing nothing different so it makes a huge difference having to sit all day

jesscowart0501 wrote: »

how do you loose weight when you are required to sit at a desk for 8-9 hours 5 days a week? Any ideas??

Eat less.


I am in that same situation ... office job, sitting lots.

But in addition to eating less, I also ...

-- walk part way to and from work.
-- go for a walk every lunch.
-- get up and walk around the office about once an hour.
-- try to take the stairs up to my office at least once a day (5 flights) ... sometimes I've managed to do it twice in one day.
-- after work, I walk or cycle for at least an hour most days.
-- on the weekends, I walk or cycle for more than an hour both days.

I used to snack on cup of noodles at work, microwave popcorn, give myself a "treat" of Jamba Juice smoothie on the way to work...and 15 pounds snuck up on me! I ended all those treats, and refuse to eat at my desk now. I walk in the morning before work, I get to work about 20 minutes early and walk around the building. At lunch I do a quick walk outside.

Make it work.

I have a 9-5 desk job as well. I've love 64 lbs so far. You eat better, track your food (weigh everything that you can) and count your calories to stay within your calorie allotment. Go for walks or to the gym over your lunch break. Work out in the evening time or in the morning before work.

Lunch time walks! And park further away if you can or walk to the next bus stop etc. Find a way to move a bit more and keep a supply of 'diary approved' snacks Also, you might find pre-logging your day helpful so you know in advance what you can eat during your working hours.

If you are alotted breaks utilize them as walking time. I get an hour lunch so I use 45 mins of it to walk and then come back and use the other 15 to eat. Also when I go to the restroom I'll go to the furthest one or even go to one that is a few floors up and take the stairs. I also make it a habit to not sit for more then 30 mins. Just getting up and stretching a little at the desk gets my blood flowing again. I have a Garmin Vivofit which has the red idle bar thing and that's a good reminder for me to get up and move about for a bit. But weight loss is about diet more then anything. People like us that have idle jobs need to be extra vigilant about tracking correctly and accurately.

BeckaFrieri wrote: »

I set my alarm to get up every 30 minutes I go to the bathroom and do 10 -20 squats. Sounds stupid but it adds up. I have to sit for up to 10 hours at my job and after I got my job I gained around 30 pounds in the first month doing nothing different so it makes a huge difference having to sit all day

I dont do the squats but I do take breaks to walk around the hallway, to the coffee machine, smoking breaks even though I dont smoke. Thats why I got a vivofit to tell me to get my butt off the seat and move occasionally.

by eating less.

jesscowart0501 wrote: »

how do you loose weight when you are required to sit at a desk for 8-9 hours 5 days a week? Any ideas??

Yeah. No one else has th problem.

You get your eating in line. End of story.

Most importantly, eat less.
That's going to have more of an effect than exercise.

Build in inefficiencies.
Park at the far edge of the lot, get off the bus 1 stop earlier, take the stairs, go to the furthest bathroom or copier.

Do little bits of exercise. Fidget. Bounce.
When you go to sit down, do 5 squats. Yes, it looks strange.
Use a sturdy non-wheeled chair to do dips.
When you go to the bathroom, walk the perimeter of the floor.
Waiting for the copier or elevator? Do toe raises.

Walk on your break/lunch.
Ride a bicycle to work if you can.
Exercise before/after work.
Go for a walk while dinner is cooking.

I work 8-4 and it's mostly sitting down. I get up and work out before I go into work and on my lunch breaks I go for walks outside weather permitting.

It's all about burning more calories than you are taking in. Make sure you are eating in a deficit and you will lose weight. Invest in a food scale if you don't have one already

I walk in the mornings for 45-60 minutes, and then lift 3x per week.

Obviously, the calorie deficit through food is the biggest component, but I find it's easier to make the deficit if I walk. Those extra calories burned add up.

I had a similar problem, went from standing/walking up to 8 hours a day plus walking to and from work to sitting for 9 hours and working too far away from home for walking to be an option. I wasn't too big to start with but it made the difference of at least a stone increase in weight.

I cannot really help as I have not managed to put myself right. Yet. But to all those who don't work in an office, please don't assume that because our jobs are not physically challenging we bounce home each day, the job itself can be very mentally draining and doesn't necessarily put you into an energetic mindset when you are finished for the day. At least in my experience.

And to whomever told the OP to use the other 16 hours a day!......do you not consider that 8 of those are used for sleeping, a couple could be used for travel, cooking and eating evening meal and possibly many other things that cannot be avoided.

I agree with the eat less option but who said the OP was eating a lot in the first place.

DavPul wrote: »

jemhh wrote: »

The same way anybody loses weight. Eat less, move more, or do a combo.

Yeeeeaaaah. I'm not even sure what the question is supposed to be here. Do most people have jobs that require them to jog for 8 hours per day?

I sit for 8-10 hours a day in an office. When I was a student and working in retail I was on my feet constantly and yes - "jogging/running" up and down stairs to get stuff for customers. Not to mention all the lifting and carrying when accepting deliveries! I didn't realise it at the time but I would love it if I were on my feet all day again. Sitting in front of a computer makes you so sluggish!

You work 8-5 5 days a week - what do you do with the rest of your day?

Me, I work out for 1-1.5 hrs before I even set foot in the office. Then I go home, play video games/do laundry for 2 hours and then head out for an evening activity of 3 hours. Come home, shower and sleep. This happens 3x a week. On the 2x a week in the remaining 5, I do my 1-1.5 hours of working out, my 8 hours of work, then hang out with my partner for the evening (and we sometimes take walks, otherwise we sit on our *kitten* and watch TV), then head home to sleep.

On the weekends, I have 3 hours of karate on Sat mornings, then the rest of the weekend as rest.

I ask again - what do you do with the other 16 hours of your day?

@KatyP29 I'm not the original person who said to use the other 16 hours of the day, but I think it's a bit of a stretch to say that the OP of that statement meant "work out for 16 hours straight - do not leave your desk, store a barbell and plates under your desk and go straight from sitting to lifting many heavy things. Do not eat, sleep or *kitten* - just lift".

But what you do in those 16 hours - whether it's sleep, working out, sitting on the pot, doing meal prep - will dictate how your results look despite those 8 hours. If you try not sleeping, obviously it's not going to be a good time. If you try not *kitten*, obviously it's not going to be a good time. I think the OP knows how to properly use 16 hours to get in the required bodily/social functions and still have enough time to workout.