9 to 5ers (Office jobs and weight loss)
ToreToodles
Posts: 59 Member
I started my new job this week and having been out of the office a few months I immediately resorted back to my old eating habits (several cups of coffee, constant snacking, and heavy dinners). Prior to this I was doing extraordinary as far as staying within my calories. How do you recommend I take on crazy days at work and focus on my weight loss simultaneously? Any suggestions help. Thank you
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Replies
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I work 6:30am-5pm, then train and get home around 8pm. I just...drink coffee, eat a crap ton of vegetables, lean protein, pre-log when I can. Honestly there are a lot of pretzels at work and I will eat like 500 calories worth per day, but I've been at this for so long I know what to make when I get home to stay in a deficit. Including dessert. Getting through the day involves a lot of diet soda though.5
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Packing enough lunch and snacks for my day is key for me. Otherwise I will raid the snack supplies which are generally not things that fit in my eating plan!
I'm not sure what your daily numbers are like, mine are pretty low, so I try and take some low-cal things like vege sticks with a small amount of hummus, a boiled egg, or air-popped popcorn. If I have that with maybe a small serve of last night's dinner and a piece of fruit I am stuffed full until hometime. I've recently re-discovered stuffed baked potatoes which I love hot or cold and can be made with all kinds of extras stuffed in them to keep it interesting (or not so interesting at the end of the week when there's nothing much in the fridge...).
Prepping things the night before (or enough for a few days) helps me out a lot - I am always tired in the morning, plus busy rounding up the kids for school.
Taking a water bottle (preferably chilled, possibly flavoured) helps me keep the coffee in check. Or on cold days, switching to tea/herbal teas.
Trying to get out for a walk at lunch or just afterwards can help me avoid afternoon sleepiness and snacking too.
Good luck!4 -
Prelogging is key for me!
I bring breakfast and lunch to work and work them into my day. I like to eat the same or similar breakfast and lunches so I know what I'm getting into calorie wise and then dinner I make usually on the fly but it usually fits into my day.
I'm out of the house most of the day too 5am to 5pm generally. Gym, work, and commute.
Planning helps make it much easier than just winging it!2 -
I work full time in an office and have a 3 hour commute.
What works for me:
- Go on a walk during your lunch break. I walk around the block during my breaks (I get 30 mins for lunch and 2x 15 min breaks). I eat at my desk so I can use my breaks to walk. I get about 10,000 steps done by doing this per day. I also have to walk from the train station to work which helps (about 10 min walk each way).
- I pre-log what I plan to eat every day and just make small adjustments if need be.
- I pack my lunch and my snacks 90% of the time and have one day of the week where I let myself buy lunch. I prepare salads of a Sunday night. I make 3 days worth and then get some other kind of microwave meal for the other 2 days. For snacks I bring a yogurt every day and a protein bar or muesli bar.
- I prepare my breakfasts in advance, too. I usually have a fruit smoothie made with almond milk, frozen fruit and protein powder. I make it the night before and just leave it in the fridge. They still taste fine and save me time of a morning.
- Bring a bottle of water every day and refill
- When I'm really tempted to snack I will bring things like chewing gum and flavoured tea7 -
Packing enough lunch and snacks for my day is key for me. Otherwise I will raid the snack supplies which are generally not things that fit in my eating plan!
I'm not sure what your daily numbers are like, mine are pretty low, so I try and take some low-cal things like vege sticks with a small amount of hummus, a boiled egg, or air-popped popcorn. If I have that with maybe a small serve of last night's dinner and a piece of fruit I am stuffed full until hometime. I've recently re-discovered stuffed baked potatoes which I love hot or cold and can be made with all kinds of extras stuffed in them to keep it interesting (or not so interesting at the end of the week when there's nothing much in the fridge...).
Prepping things the night before (or enough for a few days) helps me out a lot - I am always tired in the morning, plus busy rounding up the kids for school.
Taking a water bottle (preferably chilled, possibly flavoured) helps me keep the coffee in check. Or on cold days, switching to tea/herbal teas.
Trying to get out for a walk at lunch or just afterwards can help me avoid afternoon sleepiness and snacking too.
Good luck!
I do all of the above which really helps. I also do not bring my debit card or money with me, so that I cannot go out and purchase foods not on my plan. I only consume what I pack and bring with me. If I eat it all by 10 am, then I have to make it until I get home.2 -
I pack my lunch and keep healthy snacks on hand. I also do a 2 mile walk when I get home after I fix the family dinner and then I make my dinner when I'm done with my walk.0
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Big breakfast before work. Snack lightly at work. Big dinner after work. I have 1600 calories to get everything in, and I do.0
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For me, it's doing a lot of pre-planning. I start with the meals I plan on cooking throughout the week, and making sure that I cook enough to have leftovers for my lunch the next day.1
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hola. I work also in an office. 9+ hours a day plus 2+ hours commute. Planning ahead and prepping ahead is key!
As other posters have said. Making and/or planning meals in advance in the best. Bringing lunch and snacks. I have breakfast and lunch here. sometimes pre-dinner too.
As for exercise, I have to workout before work if I want to do it at all. At my last job there was a gym a few mins away and would go at lunch. It was awesome.2 -
Routine. Pack food to eat at specific times (may have to adjust due to meetings, cut can stay on a basic routine). Avoid any free food (which unfortunately for me we have non-stop).0
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Cheerios0392 wrote: »I work full time in an office and have a 3 hour commute.
What works for me:
- Go on a walk during your lunch break. I walk around the block during my breaks (I get 30 mins for lunch and 2x 15 min breaks). I eat at my desk so I can use my breaks to walk. I get about 10,000 steps done by doing this per day. I also have to walk from the train station to work which helps (about 10 min walk each way).
- I pre-log what I plan to eat every day and just make small adjustments if need be.
- I pack my lunch and my snacks 90% of the time and have one day of the week where I let myself buy lunch. I prepare salads of a Sunday night. I make 3 days worth and then get some other kind of microwave meal for the other 2 days. For snacks I bring a yogurt every day and a protein bar or muesli bar.
- I prepare my breakfasts in advance, too. I usually have a fruit smoothie made with almond milk, frozen fruit and protein powder. I make it the night before and just leave it in the fridge. They still taste fine and save me time of a morning.
- Bring a bottle of water every day and refill
- When I'm really tempted to snack I will bring things like chewing gum and flavoured tea
Ya, walking at lunch time has been great for me to manage the munchies. That and eating sufficient protein in relationship to carbs.1 -
I try to get as many steps in during the day as possible. When I take a bathroom break I use the one downstairs. I take a walk at least twice per day for 10-15 minutes. I park at the back of the parking lot and always take the stairs instead of the elevator. Little things like that add up! I also run every other day and lift weights at the company gym on the weekdays in between.
I always have something to drink at hand. It's hot and dry here most of the year so we need more water to stay hydrated but sometimes having a couple of sips of water or Diet Coke is enough to get me past the feeling I want something to eat when it's not time.
I always have protein bars in my desk, which are what I eat for breakfast. I don't like to eat early so I don't eat breakfast at home. Sometimes I'll bring Greek yogurt instead.
I almost always bring my lunch to work with me. I don't trust things not to disappear in the fridge so I have a nice insulated lunch bag with a freezer pack to keep it cold all day. I try to pre-log my lunch but if I don't have time I'll just enter it into MFP while I'm eating it. I usually include a snack for mid-day, too.
I keep a couple of pouches of 100 calorie tuna salad and a pack of crackers for those day when I forget my lunch or run late in the morning or end up staying later than expected. I keep appropriate snacks in my desk drawer for those times when my lunch is not enough or I'm just feeling like I need a treat. I also always have gum available.0 -
I bring my breakfast and lunch, and snacks. I take walks around the building, and go work out or walk/run at lunch. (I eat at my desk). I don't really eat much of a dinner as I usually hit the gym after work and get home around 9 or 10, so I try to eat a small snack right before I leave work (at 6) and then I try not to eat anything else.0
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arditarose wrote: »I work 6:30am-5pm, then train and get home around 8pm. I just...drink coffee, eat a crap ton of vegetables, lean protein, pre-log when I can. Honestly there are a lot of pretzels at work and I will eat like 500 calories worth per day, but I've been at this for so long I know what to make when I get home to stay in a deficit. Including dessert. Getting through the day involves a lot of diet soda though.
Diet soda = Water for me lol1 -
ToreToodles wrote: »I started my new job this week and having been out of the office a few months I immediately resorted back to my old eating habits (several cups of coffee, constant snacking, and heavy dinners). Prior to this I was doing extraordinary as far as staying within my calories. How do you recommend I take on crazy days at work and focus on my weight loss simultaneously? Any suggestions help. Thank you
My job is a standard Office job. I walk on my breaks and on my lunch with a goal of getting around 60 minutes of walking.
For food, I don't keep snacks at my desk and I pack my lunch. If food is brought in and its something I want I readjust the plan for the day to stay within my calories.0 -
arditarose wrote: »I work 6:30am-5pm, then train and get home around 8pm. I just...drink coffee, eat a crap ton of vegetables, lean protein, pre-log when I can. Honestly there are a lot of pretzels at work and I will eat like 500 calories worth per day, but I've been at this for so long I know what to make when I get home to stay in a deficit. Including dessert. Getting through the day involves a lot of diet soda though.
Diet soda = Water for me lol
Right? I'm all about the diet soda. I didn't start drinking it until last year.0 -
I take a breakfast/snack (I don't do big breakfasts) with me, do not snack at all, have a decent lunch usually with a diet soda. I do get up from the desk once an hour to fill my very large glass with ice water (it holds about 10-20 oz of water plus ice) which I drink during that hour. Typically dinner is a larger meal, which I make when I get home from the gym. Sometimes there is a snack before the gym, sometimes after supper.0
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arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »I work 6:30am-5pm, then train and get home around 8pm. I just...drink coffee, eat a crap ton of vegetables, lean protein, pre-log when I can. Honestly there are a lot of pretzels at work and I will eat like 500 calories worth per day, but I've been at this for so long I know what to make when I get home to stay in a deficit. Including dessert. Getting through the day involves a lot of diet soda though.
Diet soda = Water for me lol
Right? I'm all about the diet soda. I didn't start drinking it until last year.
Isn't this like building a house just to smash it down *if you drink it crazy often that is. That stuff is garbage. Each to their own and all that jazz.
And OP, try snacking on an apple or two while eating a protein salad. Add a slight portion of carbs too if needed but the premise is on having a dense protein salad. That'll fill ya up.1 -
arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »I work 6:30am-5pm, then train and get home around 8pm. I just...drink coffee, eat a crap ton of vegetables, lean protein, pre-log when I can. Honestly there are a lot of pretzels at work and I will eat like 500 calories worth per day, but I've been at this for so long I know what to make when I get home to stay in a deficit. Including dessert. Getting through the day involves a lot of diet soda though.
Diet soda = Water for me lol
Right? I'm all about the diet soda. I didn't start drinking it until last year.
Isn't this like building a house just to smash it down *if you drink it crazy often that is. That stuff is garbage. Each to their own and all that jazz.
Nope. It's fine.. I used to be afraid of it too but there's really nothing wrong with it. And I'm healthier now drinking a bit of diet soda than I was when I was obese
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arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »I work 6:30am-5pm, then train and get home around 8pm. I just...drink coffee, eat a crap ton of vegetables, lean protein, pre-log when I can. Honestly there are a lot of pretzels at work and I will eat like 500 calories worth per day, but I've been at this for so long I know what to make when I get home to stay in a deficit. Including dessert. Getting through the day involves a lot of diet soda though.
Diet soda = Water for me lol
Right? I'm all about the diet soda. I didn't start drinking it until last year.
Isn't this like building a house just to smash it down *if you drink it crazy often that is. That stuff is garbage. Each to their own and all that jazz.
Nope. It's fine.. I used to be afraid of it too but there's really nothing wrong with it. And I'm healthier now drinking a bit of diet soda than I was when I was obese
I'm not afraid of drinking it lol, nor do I feel any ill effects when I do drink it, I just regulate my consumption of it because I don't rate what it's made from. But if you feel better in mind and body then hey, who am I to say anything otherwise.0 -
arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »I work 6:30am-5pm, then train and get home around 8pm. I just...drink coffee, eat a crap ton of vegetables, lean protein, pre-log when I can. Honestly there are a lot of pretzels at work and I will eat like 500 calories worth per day, but I've been at this for so long I know what to make when I get home to stay in a deficit. Including dessert. Getting through the day involves a lot of diet soda though.
Diet soda = Water for me lol
Right? I'm all about the diet soda. I didn't start drinking it until last year.
Isn't this like building a house just to smash it down *if you drink it crazy often that is. That stuff is garbage. Each to their own and all that jazz.
Nope. It's fine.. I used to be afraid of it too but there's really nothing wrong with it. And I'm healthier now drinking a bit of diet soda than I was when I was obese
I'm not afraid of drinking it lol, nor do I feel any ill effects when I do drink it, I just regulate my consumption of it because I don't rate what it's made from. But if you feel better in mind and body then hey, who am I to say anything otherwise.
That's right, who are you to? 1 -
arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »I work 6:30am-5pm, then train and get home around 8pm. I just...drink coffee, eat a crap ton of vegetables, lean protein, pre-log when I can. Honestly there are a lot of pretzels at work and I will eat like 500 calories worth per day, but I've been at this for so long I know what to make when I get home to stay in a deficit. Including dessert. Getting through the day involves a lot of diet soda though.
Diet soda = Water for me lol
Right? I'm all about the diet soda. I didn't start drinking it until last year.
Isn't this like building a house just to smash it down *if you drink it crazy often that is. That stuff is garbage. Each to their own and all that jazz.
Nope. It's fine.. I used to be afraid of it too but there's really nothing wrong with it. And I'm healthier now drinking a bit of diet soda than I was when I was obese
I'm not afraid of drinking it lol, nor do I feel any ill effects when I do drink it, I just regulate my consumption of it because I don't rate what it's made from. But if you feel better in mind and body then hey, who am I to say anything otherwise.
That's right, who are you to?
Hey now, be nice Miss soda
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arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »I work 6:30am-5pm, then train and get home around 8pm. I just...drink coffee, eat a crap ton of vegetables, lean protein, pre-log when I can. Honestly there are a lot of pretzels at work and I will eat like 500 calories worth per day, but I've been at this for so long I know what to make when I get home to stay in a deficit. Including dessert. Getting through the day involves a lot of diet soda though.
Diet soda = Water for me lol
Right? I'm all about the diet soda. I didn't start drinking it until last year.
Isn't this like building a house just to smash it down *if you drink it crazy often that is. That stuff is garbage. Each to their own and all that jazz.
Nope. It's fine.. I used to be afraid of it too but there's really nothing wrong with it. And I'm healthier now drinking a bit of diet soda than I was when I was obese
I'm not afraid of drinking it lol, nor do I feel any ill effects when I do drink it, I just regulate my consumption of it because I don't rate what it's made from. But if you feel better in mind and body then hey, who am I to say anything otherwise.
That's right, who are you to?
Hey now, be nice Miss soda
I was0 -
Down with diet soda. Tend to drink more in summer than winter. No observable detriments, comparing the seasons consuming more or less. Tastes good and a little energy boost. Not as good a boost as coffee, but doesn't interfere with sleep either.
ETA: arditarose, you look great. I really enjoy your comments and honestly cannot imagine you as obese. Awesome job, lady!1 -
Down with diet soda. Tend to drink more in summer than winter. No observable detriments, comparing the seasons consuming more or less. Tastes good and a little energy boost. Not as good a boost as coffee, but doesn't interfere with sleep either.
ETA: arditarose, you look so great. I really enjoy your comments and honestly cannot imagine you as obese. Awesome job, lady!
Technically obese at one point. 180 at 5'4". And thank you. I know I sound cranky tonight. Cuz I am bahaha2 -
I meal prep on the weekends and make lists of possible breakfasts. Take breakfast, lunch and snacks to work. Heat up dinner at about six. I try to leave 100 calories on the plan to make up for any food errors.
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I always hear that expression 9-5 but how come I and everyone I know works 8-5? I wish I was 9-5. I take snacks to work like hummus and carrots, seaweed snacks, bananas. I either pack my lunch or come home. I don't make heavy dinners because I'm too tired.1
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littlechiaseed wrote: »I always hear that expression 9-5 but how come I and everyone I know works 8-5? I wish I was 9-5. I take snacks to work like hummus and carrots, seaweed snacks, bananas. I either pack my lunch or come home. I don't make heavy dinners because I'm too tired.
I wish I was 8-5. 6:30 to 5:00 here
Technically 7:20-4:30 but that doesn't happen ever. 0 -
I avoid the lunchroom unless I am actually having lunch (stupid payday cakes look so delicious) and have a drawer full of low cal packed snacks that are nibble sized so I feel like I'm eating more. I am trying to cut down my soda intake so I have 600mL of a BCAA drink every morning that I just sip on until lunch alongside my water. If I'm feeling blergh in the afternoon, I have a drink like berocca or rehydration thingy (check for added sugar and salt content if you are watching your salt intake for health reasons).0
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Seems like everyone snacks at work. When I'm constantly eating I feel to eat more. The most I'll eat before a meal is an Apple or two. I fast so it's pretty much a decent sized meal to offically break that fast while I'm at work. 2,300 cals is a beautiful number 0
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