The office job and weight gain

Aimeesdiet · January 2023

Hello,
I got my first office job and I thought I would be able to maintain weight easily. Since getting the job 2 months ago, I can see how my body has changed. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on making fast healthy lunches and good snack options. I’ve been struggling to fit in exercise too and sitting all day has definitely contributed. Thanks everyone

R2che · January 2023

Hi, I'm in the same boat as you. Started an office job, 5 months ago after being a postie and walking 12 miles a day. Its had a huge impact on my weight gain. I've now given my head a good wobble and started making better choices, drinking more water and not snacking on biscuits. Its been hard because I could eat almost anything before and know i would burn it off. I also try and get out for a half an hour walk at lunch. Since the beginning of jan I've lost 6 lbs. Its not fast but at least I know its going the right way.

tomcustombuilder · January 2023

You need to lower calories, mostly from fat and carbs. Sedentary lifestyles need to include a good bit of walking or some type of cardio to make up for the low NEAT calorie burning. Try to do some gym work also

AnnPT77 · January 2023

I'm not a great source for lunch/snack ideas, but I hope you won't mind if I pop in to comment on the "moving less with office job" thing. As a longtime office-ite and now retiree, I get it.

There's a thread here where many MFP-ers share their ideas for moving more in daily life (not formal exercise), which can make a surprisingly big contribution over time. I'm wondering if some of those ideas might be helpful to you? In case you're interested, it's here:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

Apologies for going off topic!

HoneyBadger302 · January 2023

I have to get a workout in before work, and do best when I also do something after work, even if it's just doing a training session with my dog(s), or a walk around the neighborhood, or some time on the elliptical or spin bike.
Along with that, a very key element was finding a diet that would satiate me while supporting my energy levels and was sustainable (in my case this has proven to be lower carb as long as I can afford to eat that way).
The office/desk job was awful for me - I went from a lot of activity to very little, and had no idea the impact it would have. I was in my mid-late 30's when I finally started the desk jobs and my appetite has never adjusted - I'm either eating what I should be (on a typical balanced diet) and STARVING all day long, going to bed hungry (and absolutely miserable and cranky, which isn't sustainable), or I'm over eating what I would need. Took me a long time to figure out that I really need to make exercise a much bigger priority, and which diet would help with that.
Enough exercise, and the right diet, and I can successfully lose/maintain. Every time I've let one of those slide, the weight creeps right back on to what has been my "average" weight since I got into the office world.

yirara · January 2023

What did you do before the office job? Did you have a more active job? Then yeah, you certainly need to eat less if you're moving less. Just being at home and not doing a lot? Shouldn't me much of a difference calorie-wise. Can you bring the same food you'd eat at home to the office, maybe in a microwaveable state if you prefer to eat something warm? if so then you're basically eating the same as before.

I don't think I can help you, really because I don't cook food until dinner in the evening. basically I eat cold, uncooked oats with skyr and fruit in the morning, various simple wholegrain bread slices, a cup of milk and some snacks or additional fruit. So that's easy for work.

Fuzzipeg · January 2023

I think its easy to underestimate the number of calories it takes doing light home things when you can move. Being tied to a desk, mostly only moving ones arms to the phone or what ever will restrict ones activity. I remember years ago, there was a suggestion for standing desks because sitting at one was so unhealthy. Standing takes more effort than sitting. I'm not sure any employer would countenance a standing desk.

Adding to the above postal deliver worker. Glaswegian postal rounds persons were said to average 18000 steps a day on their rounds. I'm not surprised someone going from very active to a sedentary post is going to have it reflected in their weight. I wonder if you take a bus to work, could you get on or off a stop away from where you start or where you get off or both, doing so would be beneficial to balance some of the sitting. Driving, could you park slightly further away, at the far end of the carpark for example, every step will help.

To address this by diet, I'd second reducing carbs though reducing fats can be controversial, fats in the right amount for you, are essential, they are the building blocks for hormones.

I hope you are enjoying your new position.

I hope OP you are enjoying your new job.

cwolfman13 · January 2023

Starting a desk job is definitely a huge slap, even if you don't think you were particularly active before. I gained pretty much all of my weight after graduating university at age 30 and starting a career behind a desk. I didn't realize how active I really was before until I started working behind a desk. I put on a good 40 Lbs over 8 years before I decided to do anything about it.

Before taking a desk job I didn't even really have to think about what I was eating ever. In college I primarily walked or rode my bike everywhere for transportation. I worked a variety of jobs to include being a waiter in a busy restaurant, warehouse work for a big retailer, and landscape construction. I also had quite a bit of free time that I spent hiking with my buddies or playing Ultimate Frisbee in the park, etc.

Even with deliberate exercise thrown in, it would be virtually impossible for me to be as active now as I was before, but I do what I can. The big kicker for me was learning that I just needed to eat less...both to lose the excess fat, but also I couldn't eat the same in maintenance as I used to either.

At the office I do little things to move a little more. I try to get up from my desk every hour or so and I take the "scenic route" to the bathroom or to the breakroom to get water or whatever. Depending on what office I'm working at (I work in two different facilities) there may or may not be stairs involved. I also get up to go talk to colleagues quite frequently instead of emailing them a question or paging them on the phone.

Nobody has any qualms with me eating at my desk, so I use my lunch break for exercise. The gym I lift at is just a couple of miles from one of my facilities so I go and lift there 2-3x per week during lunch. If I miss a weekday, I make up for it on Saturday...but typically it's the weight room at lunch Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. My lifting routine typically takes me 40-45 minutes, so I spend an additional 15-20 minutes usually doing some kind of cardio in the gym. Depending on how the evening shakes out at home I try to get on my indoor bike trainer for 30 minutes or get outside for a ride for at least 30 minutes...but it's also often hectic when I get home so it doesn't always happen.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays I go for a 3 mile walk on my lunch break while I listen to one of my favorite podcasts. I will sometimes try to get in a ride either outside or on my indoor bike trainer depending on what has happened along the way for that week. I try to get on my bike at least 2x during the work week...more is gravy.

I also make sure that I utilize my weekends...if I'm going to take a day off, it's not going to be on a weekend when I actually have the time available to be active. Often this consists of a good 60 minute ride on Saturday and Sunday, or it may be some active recreation like going for a family hike or kayaking or something along those lines. My weekends are also usually just generally active being out and about running errands or walking around the zoo or museums with my kids, etc. Without deliberate exercise, I typically have at least 12K steps on a typical weekend plus whatever exercise or active recreation I engage in.

As food goes, "healthy lunch" or whatever is pretty subjective. I often just have leftovers from the night before for lunch...or a sandwich or something like that. I don't really snack at lunch. I learned while I was losing weight that for the most part my snacking was boredom, not hunger and I didn't really need them on the regular. It made losing weight easier and also maintaining weight a lot easier just avoiding snacking throughout the day. At most I might have a planned early evening snack when I get home because my wife and I don't typically eat until around 8 PM.

Having a desk job really makes it imperative to watch what you eat and to MAKE time for deliberate movement and activity outside of your work environment and daily humdrum. When I first started working behind a desk I frequently made the excuse that I didn't really have the time to exercise or be active, but really it was just an excuse and the reality was that at the time I would have rather sat down and watched tv or gone outside on the deck to chill out and drink some beers...but with age, my priorities shifted and I make time to be as active as is practical without slacking on other obligations.

nossmf · January 2023

Dealing with weight issues due to desk jobs happens even within the military, which should be very aware of physical fitness. But when I got assigned a desk job working graveyard shifts, the combination of lack of exercise plus drinking tons of caffeinated beverages just to stay awake really took its toll on me. At first I'd get done with a shift and go for a run, just to get the blood flowing, but soon enough I was married with kids leaching away even more sleep, and I was tired all the time, and more personal life demands meant less time for exercise until eventually it stopped completely. Pictures of me when I left active duty look NOTHING like the fighting trim me fresh from basic training a mere decade before.

I still have a desk job 14 years after leaving the service, but I'm in shape and look far more like the me half my age. Add exercise as a line item on your to-do agenda/calendar, so you're less likely to skip it. Learn to love sipping water throughout the day, both for the health benefits it provides but also because it's a ready-made excuse to get up multiple times to either refill or hit the bathroom. My lunches are typically leftovers in microwavable Tupperware containers where I save a portion of the main course and vegetables, but without carb-heavy sides like bread or potatoes (though I admit to eating a ton of rice simply because I love it lol). I park in the furthest spot in the parking lot from the office on purpose, for extra steps as well as to never have to guess where I parked that day. Most of my sodas have been replaced by caffeine pills and water, which lowers calories and also ensures when I do drink a soda it tastes like a special treat, not just as a liquid to help keep the mouth moist.

Good luck!

KimberlinaB · January 2023

I also have a desk job and have experienced the same challenges. Here are some things that have helped me make progress on my fitness journey while holding down a desk gig:
- Get up and move every hour, even just for one minute. I'll get up and fill my water bottle, or go to the washroom, or stretch. My watch reminds me to move, and I do.
- I pack all my lunches the evening before, otherwise I'll spend too much money at Subway or just go off track altogether. Preparation has been HUGE for me. I'll prep all my breakfasts for the week as a batch (Usually a Fruit & Greek Yogurt parfait with added protein), and plan dinners that will have leftovers I can bring with me the next day or two for lunch. (Think Casseroles, Soups, Etc)
- I go for a workout every lunch break, even if it's just a walk. I get up and move and it keeps me charged up the rest of the day. I usually don't save much of my "lunch" time for eating but my bosses don't mind if I eat at my desk after while I work.
- Last tip, I always try to pre-plan my meals for the next day (to week) to make sure I can hit my macro goals.
Hope some of this is helpful.

kshama2001 · January 2023

I rarely feel like exercising, so often I force myself to start. Once I do that for a few weeks, it becomes a habit. I used to exercise at lunch time, which I could take whatever time I wanted. It soon became a habit. If it got late in the afternoon and I hadn't gone yet, I'd feel itchy.

At other times in my life, I went to the gym before work and at other times after dinner.

In order to eat as much as I want, though, I have to get more than 1 hour of exercise per day. Moderate yoga isn't a huge calorie burn, but every little bit helps, and I do some a few hours before bed. This has the added benefit of helping me sleep better and have my back not hurt in the AM.

I don't currently have a gym membership and do various other things earlier in the day.

The office job and weight gain

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