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

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

  • blossomingbutterfly
    blossomingbutterfly Posts: 743 Member
    Change your eating habits so you are eating less. The first 30 lbs I lost on here were food intake changes alone from logging accurately on MFP. Then, when you're ready, walk home from work, take weekend hikes, do activities that your schedule allows.
  • Harleyb87
    Harleyb87 Posts: 279 Member
    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
  • Leigh_b
    Leigh_b Posts: 540 Member
    get up early
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,706 Member
    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.

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,262 Member
    The same way anybody loses weight. Eat less, move more, or do a combo.
  • softblondechick
    softblondechick Posts: 1,276 Member
    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.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,954 Member
    Eat less calories than you burn and use the other 16 hours of the day to get some exercise.
  • whatatime2befit
    whatatime2befit Posts: 625 Member
    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.
  • cyronius
    cyronius Posts: 157 Member
    I get up an hour earlier than I used to and go for a run. I often go for walks at lunch. And most importantly, I eat less than I used to...
  • chloeelizabethm
    chloeelizabethm Posts: 184 Member
    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.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    edited July 2015
    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?
  • Soundwave79
    Soundwave79 Posts: 469 Member
    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.
  • myfelinepal
    myfelinepal Posts: 13,000 Member
    You get to sit for eight hours a day? You must have tons of energy to work out before or after work then.
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,643 Member
    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.
  • laurie62ann
    laurie62ann Posts: 433 Member
    edited July 2015
    I bounce my legs and do leg lifts at my desk, and get up every 1/2 hour to at least stretch.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    by eating less.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,706 Member
    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?

    Well, not jog, but my husband is quite active all day ... agriculture industry. He burns a whole lot more calories than I do in a day.

    It's a little bit frustrating for me because he can come home and have a large snack before dinner ... but I haven't burned nearly that much so I can only have a tiny portion. This motivates me to walk before and after work, and at lunch, and to take the stairs, etc. etc.

  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    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.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    Can you set up a sit/stand work station? I do. I spend about half my day standing. I cannot sit or stand all day due to various issues. So I have a tall desk, monitor stands that raise the monitors more, and a tall drafting stool instead of an office chair. Works for me.
    And I have a pair of 10# dumbbells in my office :)
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    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.