Sedentary Job

Simple skip the crap the coworkers bring in. Also sitting is hard on the body. I would up the mobility/flexibility work you do.

Good luck

I work a job "in which I'm sitting on my backside for 8 hours", sometimes 12 or 14, and where the employer provides an abundance of candy, snacks, and lately good fruits and a few good snack choices. I have to eat a good breakfast for any of my weight loss plans to succeed. When I started my weight loss journey, I partook of the company junk food. Over days and weeks, I partook less, so that after a month I partook not at all. I carry my lunch to work, which is 250 calories which I nibble on throughout the day, then I get home and fix a big dinner. It works for me.

I too went from an active job (nurse in a very busy trauma center) to a desk job a few months ago. Luckily several days a week I can actually take a real lunch hour and get a walk in. For days I can't I've been thinking of getting one of those peddle machines that I could put under my desk. Anyone tried one of those?

Cindude wrote: »

Can you bring in your own chair? You can get a balance ball chair for 80-90 dollars. At least you would be "active sitting" at work.

At one point half of my office was using activity balls for chairs. It was a bit disconcerting during meetings when everyone was bouncing up and down at different rates.

Not going to push any specific product, but you could see about buying a standing desk...
(http://www.varidesk.com)

Above is just an example.

If you talk with your boss, they may be willing to pay for it or share the cost with you if you discuss with them that it is for your health.

Equus5374 wrote: »

Thank you to those who have given me practical advice. Much appreciated. Simply telling me to "avoid the crap" is not helpful; I'm well aware I should avoid it, but the struggle is all to real. I struggle every minute I'm there to avoid it!! Thanks to those who shared their struggle.

I like the idea of standing up at least once per hour; I think I'll do that and add some stretching or maybe some squats.

I've also looked into those under-desk peddle machines. If my co-workers wouldn't mind, I think I might get one. Seems like it would be a good investment.

I'm working hard at packing quality, protein and fiber rich meals that take me a while to consume. If I have a bag of carrots and cucumbers in front of me to munch on, I'm a lot less apt to go over to that dreaded snack table.

Thanks all!!!

Sorry if you don't like advise to avoid the crap, but face facts, you are less active then you were in your prior job. You need to reduce the calories or up the movement. Avoiding the crap is the easier solution. You have to make the choice if you want the office snacks or the belly flab.

As @GuitarJerry said, eating crap because it's there is not a valid reason.

I've had an office job for 35 years. After about the first 3 I decided to leave all the office food where it sat. I had a promise to myself I wasn't going to the next pants size. I've probably eaten about 5 office treats in the last 30 years.

As others have said, if you can get a standing workstation, it is really helpful. Sitting for 8-10 hours is hard on the body, nice to be able to change position.

Wow-some harsh words here. I'm assuming we are all here due to struggling with weight or health. I think OP's issue is a common one, I've certainly faced the same and I've appreciated good advice from others here about strategies, especially when I first moved from an active job to a sedentary one. Let's be supportive of each other!

DanaDark wrote: »

Not going to push any specific product, but you could see about buying a standing desk...
(http://www.varidesk.com)

Above is just an example.

If you talk with your boss, they may be willing to pay for it or share the cost with you if you discuss with them that it is for your health.

The one I have was from Amazon and only $20.:)

Why is telling someone not to do something useless? Because that is what you have to do if you want to lose weight. You do have to not eat the high calorie treats. Some people just don't candy-coat things and just say it like it is.

If a standing desk isn't possible, perhaps a small exercise peddler for underneath?
Good luck!

Sadly, avoiding the treats at work is one of the hardest things for me, but it's paid off enormously. It's not mean or rude to tell you to "avoid the crap". The fact is that one donut could have 500 calories eaten in a few minutes. If that's over maintenance, you're on track to gain a pound a week.

You will walk out of there feeling better about yourself, knowing you didn't blow your deficit on a donut that wasn't anything special to begin with.

Remind yourself that these treats will always be there, and YOU get to decide when YOU want to fit one into your day. If you can do this, I bet you'll wait until there's a magical special donut that you've just gotta have, instead of indulging daily.

Ahhh the good old desk job! That's how I got to my previous 240 lbs! Now I go have an exercise ball in my office and try to get some stuff done on that as well as 10 lb dumbells just to do little things with. It's a good idea to get up and walk a bit every hour. I can't leave my office much so I do lunges around the door of variations of squats/ push ups. The diet is the main part and it sounds like you are doing good with that!

I use an under the desk exercise bike at work. It's awesome! Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B0418 Magnetic Mini Exercise Bike, Gray. It's very quiet too. I purchased mine from amazon. Another co worker has on as well. http://www.amazon.com/Sunny-Health-Fitness-SF-B0418-Magnetic/dp/B00QIM5CMA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1462819993&sr=8-4&keywords=under+desk+bike
I also do squats, calve raises and stretch while at my desk several times a day.

I have had that issue myself. The other part of a sedentary job is back pain and muscle cramping that comes from sitting. There are several sites that offer exercises you can do at your desk. I have a friend that does exercises every time she is listening to a conference call. As long as you are not out of breath when you have to talk or easily distracted this might work. At least standing up and walking around during the call. That is if you are in an office and not a cubicle.

As for the junk people bring in I have tried to encourage healthier snacks but it is hard enough to break our habits let alone others. I have learned to politely decline and bring healthier options for myself. A lot of planning a head and mindfulness is needed to stop the junk food snacking. I could easily walk by a table of goodies and pick one thing up and then one more and one more before I realized I ate the whole thing myself. Avoidance helps too.

For me wearing an exercise tracker like fit bit has helped also. It reminds me that I am not moving enough and need to do more when I get home. You may not have had to track those things in the past since you were so active but it is amazing how much you don't get done in a sedentary job. It is motivating for me to see I have only walked 5000 steps at the end of my work day and push me to do more in the evening. I really need to get up early and exercise also.