office job/weight gain
lkeskih1
Posts: 14 Member
Hey guys. I started a new (sitting down) job a couple months back, and I'm about 95% sure the sedentary lifestyle is causing me to put on the lbs. I use a fitbit and most days still end up with my 10,000 steps. but previously I was active all day every day, waitressing and running around with my son all morning (in addition to working out more, having more time to do so.) Basically I need tips for shedding the couple pounds i've put on, and for staying fit despite sitting for most of the day 4 days/week.
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Enter your stats into MFP, set a goal of "lose 0.5 pounds per week" (since it sounds like you don't have much weight to lose), log your food and stick to the calories it gives you.
The dramatic decrease in activity means you won't get to eat as much as you used to if you want to maintain your weight - but every extra activity you manage to incorporate will let you eat a little bit more.0 -
Office job = Sedentary
Office Job + 10k steps = lightly active
I have found the above to be true. Walking at least 10k steps a day keeps my TDEE at a reasonable number.0 -
There are little things you can do to boost your activity level even more. Park at the far edge of the parking lot so you have to walk farther. Drink lots of water while at your desk. Use a restroom that's decently far from your desk (up- or downstairs is a bonus). Don't succumb to office snacks or snack mindlessly at your desk. Use your lunch break to take a longer walk or work out.1
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I've always had sedentary jobs, here are my tips:
Use public transport if possible and incorporate walking into your commute if you can.
Pack your own lunch and concentrate on small portions of exciting things in several courses, that way you can get a satisfying lunch into fewer calories. The Japanese are masters at this, Google "bento" for ideas, and include lots of veg and protein and small portions of carbs. Bought lunches are generally quite calorie dense and involve choosing when you're hungry, which usually leads to higher calorie choices.
Go for a walk or run at lunchtime. It helps focus and energy as well as burning calories.
Practice control when it comes to workplace snacks, just because they are there doesn't mean you're obliged to eat them - but i try to keep some calories in hand so I can go for it if it's something really good.
Keep at it! If you adjust your calories to suit your more sedentary lifestyle, at first you'll be hungry but in a few weeks you will adapt. Don't quit!1 -
Hey guys. I started a new (sitting down) job a couple months back, and I'm about 95% sure the sedentary lifestyle is causing me to put on the lbs. I use a fitbit and most days still end up with my 10,000 steps. but previously I was active all day every day, waitressing and running around with my son all morning (in addition to working out more, having more time to do so.) Basically I need tips for shedding the couple pounds i've put on, and for staying fit despite sitting for most of the day 4 days/week.
It wasn't the desk job that did it for me, it was the eating out all the time that generally comes with a desk job. Have you seen an increase in the amount of meals you're eating out at lunch?2 -
I've had a desk job for over 30 years and weigh the same as when I started. You just have to watch your calorie intake and increase your movement at other times.0
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Hey guys. I started a new (sitting down) job a couple months back, and I'm about 95% sure the sedentary lifestyle is causing me to put on the lbs. I use a fitbit and most days still end up with my 10,000 steps. but previously I was active all day every day, waitressing and running around with my son all morning (in addition to working out more, having more time to do so.) Basically I need tips for shedding the couple pounds i've put on, and for staying fit despite sitting for most of the day 4 days/week.
It wasn't the desk job that did it for me, it was the eating out all the time that generally comes with a desk job. Have you seen an increase in the amount of meals you're eating out at lunch?
This is what I came to suggest. The eating out, the morning coffees, the donuts and sweets brought to the office, etc.0 -
You still have 3 other days of the week.. take advantage of those days..0
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Research has shown that people who were obese and people who were lean both with desk jobs are just as active as each other the problem is calorie intake so you have to watch what you eat really. Still get you 10,000 steps in and you will be right as rain.
Tips I would suggest is that you might eat out of boredom at your desk. For example you might just go for a walk to the vending machine or canteen just to have a chat with someone and you use the excuse of being hungry to do this. Do a trial and error where you see what actually makes you more Statisfied. When you think you feel hungry and need an afternoon or mid morning snack, then have a snack and see if you are satisfied. Then on another day when you think you feel hungry take a mini break from your desk and go have a quick chat or grab some water and see if that satisfys you. Just a suggestion to work out if it's boredom or actual hunger !!1 -
I have a health problem which makes me be on bedrest from time to time (usually for a weak or couple of weeks at a time). During these periods I maintain on around 1470 so I just eat less. I don't need that much anyway when I don't walk all day.0
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I pack my lunch every day, low carb lots of veggies, protein. I go for a walk at lunch hour, park far away. I'm doing everything right for not gaining weight yet it's still happening. Frustrating!0
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When your lifestyle changes you may need to adjust your diet as well. I am much more active in the warm months than the cold because I do a lot of outdoor work when it's warm (gardening, yard work, etc.). My weight gain was primarily from thinking I could eat the same during the less active months.0
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i've lost 60lbs working a desk job. i make sure to get 10,000+ steps a day, workout after work (personal preference), pack my own breakfast/lunch plus snacks, stick to my calories, etc.2
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I pack my lunch every day, low carb lots of veggies, protein. I go for a walk at lunch hour, park far away. I'm doing everything right for not gaining weight yet it's still happening. Frustrating!
How many calories a day are you eating now vs before you started your desk job then? You would probably want to eat 200-300 less for going from active to sedentary. But there is something you're not really seeing for the overall picture. Your diet is what will cause the weight gain unless you have an undiagnosed medical problem you're not aware of yet. So you are eating too much somewhere. Are you snacking all day? When I worked at Tesla, they had unlimited free soft drinks and some snacks. I gained a lot doing that and just didn't realize how much I was actually consuming.
Have your dinners gotten lazier with the new job? More processed foods and meals out where the calories have crept up and you didn't realize it? Are you weighing your foods and tracking your calories? If you're not weighing and tracking, the answer is plain and simple, you're eating more calories then you think, causing the weight gain.0 -
I have had desk jobs my whole working life - I've gained and now I have lost. The difference really is in your eating habits - I now bring my lunch everyday, something I know will fit into my calorie budget. I am in a small office, and we have all agreed that bringing in sweets or treats isnt good for any of us, so I dont have that temptation to deal with, but sometimes clients come in and they bring donuts or other goodies - our approach is to politely refuse, press them to take them with them when they leave, or trash them after they leave if they wont take them. So my advice is learn the office politics and set your standards early so that people will know from the outset that you are not a treats person, and perhaps you wont feel so much pressure to join in.0
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Research has shown that people who were obese and people who were lean both with desk jobs are just as active as each other the problem is calorie intake so you have to watch what you eat really. Still get you 10,000 steps in and you will be right as rain.
Tips I would suggest is that you might eat out of boredom at your desk. For example you might just go for a walk to the vending machine or canteen just to have a chat with someone and you use the excuse of being hungry to do this. Do a trial and error where you see what actually makes you more Statisfied. When you think you feel hungry and need an afternoon or mid morning snack, then have a snack and see if you are satisfied. Then on another day when you think you feel hungry take a mini break from your desk and go have a quick chat or grab some water and see if that satisfys you. Just a suggestion to work out if it's boredom or actual hunger !!
Not necessarily. 10000 steps is about 5 miles or 5-700 calories depending you your size. A coffee drink or muffin could wipe that out. As noted have to be very aware of diet/activity mix.0 -
I only have a "desk job" one or two days per week, but on those days I try to focus more on drinking water, coffee and teas, rather than eating snacks. I also purposely fidget, move my legs back and forth, and stand up and move around when I can. This will of course depend on if you will be bothering others. But ultimately, reducing food intake will probably help the most.
At home I use a treadmill desk and desk cycle to keep myself moving while I work. I've been known to use the desk cycle at the office as well, esp if it can stay there.0 -
How many calories a day are you eating now vs before you started your desk job then? You would probably want to eat 200-300 less for going from active to sedentary.
The difference between waitressing and a desk job is a lot more than 200-300 calories! Waitressing put her firmly into the "active" category (possibly higher if she also had active hobbies). The difference from "sedentary" to "lightly active" is 300ish* calories then there's another 300ish* calories up to "active".
*Number will be smaller for lighter people and larger for heavier people.
Another way to look at it is that every mile walked (or every 2000ish steps) buys you approximately 100 calories. Even a sedentary person ought to be getting 3000-5000 steps, so take 4000 as the baseline (i.e. "sedentary") and add 100 calories for every 2000 steps you take over that. That means that 10,000 steps is an "extra" 6000 steps or an extra 300 calories. These are all ballpark numbers but give you a general idea.0 -
There are lots of things that come with an office job besides being sedentary...people are always bringing in food, doughnuts, etc...and we seemingly have at least one birthday per week around here and friggin' cake at 8:30 in the morning...when I took my first desk job many moons ago, I also ate out more...
Basically, most people end up with a double whammy of being less active but taking in more calories.
What I do is brown bag my breakfast and lunch and snacks about 99% of the time. Occasionally I'll go out with a couple of the guys, but for the most part my lunch hour doubles as my workout time and then I just eat my food at my desk while I'm working.
As far as cakes and whatnot go, I just tell people that I really don't enjoy eating cake first thing in the morning...which happens to be true...but I've also suggested that maybe we have one monthly birthday celebration for everyone with a birthday that month...cake every week gets a bit ridiculous and the admin support staff are always going around asking for donations.
Other than that, I make sure I'm moving as much as I can and make time for deliberate exercise most days. Bottom line though, if you're moving less, you have to eat less. When I had active jobs like waiting tables and landscape construction, I didn't have to really give any thought to how much I was eating...I have to be more careful with a desk job.1 -
Have you downgraded your activity level to "sedentary"? You'll need to make that change, or the calorie goal calculated by mfp will be way out (assuming you use mfp to calculate your goal)0
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