Anybody out there Treadmill desking?

deefield1968
deefield1968 Posts: 8 Member
in Introduce Yourself
About a year ago, I stumbled across a development manager on a WebEx who looked on video like he was walking. Sure as shinola, he was. So I started asking questions.

Took me several months to get things in order - first off being a remote (work from home) designation from the employer. Then I acquired a treadmill at a yard sale ($30 for a NordicTrack = bargain of the century, but the incline does work, but who cares?). Started with a piece of scrap wood from where the hubs put shelves in our garage. Then designed what I was looking for, and shipped it off to a friend of ours who is a woodworker, so now I have this awesome double-tiered desk - two screens up top, keyboard and mouse on the lower shelf - that is attached to the handrails.

I hit it pretty hard in January - all things considered (had a friend visit, so took some vacation, and later in the month, my type 2 diabetic husband had his second heart attack, that which I'm desperately trying to avoid, both the diabetes and the resulting heart problems). Lost 11 pounds, which I wasn't at ALL disappointed by. And while the scales haven't moved in Feb, it's only Feb 2, so I need to get my expectations in check. LOL

BMR has me burning between 800-1100 calories walking a day (thank you fitbit) in addition to the sedentary calories I'd otherwise have. I'm logging 17-20k steps a day, anywhere from 6-8 miles per day. I have cut alcohol consumption since my bestie went back home. I log intake via MFP, and easily leave 500+ calories uneaten above and beyond the amount I'm allotted for a .5-1 lb loss per week.

Anybody out there getting paid to walk like me? If so, tell me about your diet? I have a harder time with that than anything. I like variety. I just finished the first case of Orgain protein beverages (in two weeks), and I could care less to see another at this point.

Protein is boring, especially in liquid form. I admire those of you who can get excited about the various forms of meal replacement and whatnot, but the protein beverage will be what sends me over the edge of nuttiness.

ALTHOUGH, I will say I have a much better disposition, get my work done in less time, and seem to be a bit more sharp mentally. Thank you for that, endorphins!

Let me hear from you!

Replies

  • lexykassan
    lexykassan Posts: 19 Member
    Hi there.

    I'm also "getting paid to walk." Love that phrasing of it. I got my treadmill a couple of years ago when I switched to a remote work position then went to Ikea and got adjustable table legs and a basic desk top. I use extra board games to prop the laptop up to an appropriate height and another game under the keyboard.

    I've been a bit hit-and-miss on using the treadmill desk over the time I've had it. Getting back into it now. I usually do one "set" in the morning. A set for me is 100 minutes, which is when the treadmill suddenly cuts out because it wasn't programmed to count that high. 99:59 causes a bit of a jolt. This 100 minutes usually gets me right about to 10k steps. I use my FitBit Zip (the little pocket one) to track while I'm on the treadmill because I've found that my Charge HR gets an inaccurate read when my arms aren't really moving in time with the steps due to mouse use and typing. Sometimes, though very rarely, I will do another set later in the day.

    My dietary weakness is sugar. I have a big sweet tooth and cannot use artificial sweeteners. To get my fix, I eat fruit and make my own sweet-tasting protein shakes. I get your ire about them - they can be nasty and the pre-mixed ones tend to be disappointing. But there are ways! I found that the vanilla Orgain protein powder isn't bad, especially when mixed with chocolate cashew milk and PB2 (or fruit). It ends up pretty thick and rather sweet. It may be a little too sweet for some but you can also cut that with unsweetened, unflavored cashew milk to keep the thickness without adding more sugar.

    That said, if shakes still aren't your thing, I have a yummy lemon pepper chicken recipe that gives plenty of protein with basically no sugar and minimal fat. :-)
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I don't have a treadmill desk, per se. But we do have a treadmill, and I jerry rig my laptop to it when I need to edit a long document. It's a great way to do something boring. :smile:
  • funfitfreeme
    funfitfreeme Posts: 64 Member
    Hey there,

    I rigged a treadmill desk by simply putting a wire bookcase shelf across the arms. I sit my laptop, keyboard & mouse on top of small boxes to get the ergonomics right.

    I haven't been consistently using it but plan to get back in the groove after today's results. I walked for 3.75 hours today while working on a proposal that's due next week. Boy did it make what's usually a totally "not-fun" activity, pleasant - the time flew by and I burned just over 1,000 calories.

    My diet has been out of control lately (too many sugary snacks). However, after ending the day with a calorie deficit because of the walking, I'm encouraged to get my eating back on track.

    Consuming sufficient protein is a challenge for me too. I guess I'll just have to take baby steps (no pun intended, but he-he :) ).

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