Office Job

futuredaniel10 · June 2010

I'm getting married Oct 2011. My main concern before the wedding of course is losing weight! But, I just started a new job about two months ago. All I do for 8 hours a day is sit on my butt on the computer and the phone. (and TheKnot) Apparently working in the office has brought curses upon the workers and they say you gain an extra 20 pounds as soon as you start! I believe it!! The person I sit next to orders Japanese almost everyday!! This is my favorite food of all time!!

I'm trying to do good and get ready by drinking water and eating my lean cuisines for lunch. Any other suggestions as far as eating through the day? There's no problem with us eating at the desks so I thought maybe the best dieting trick would be to eat snacks through the day like apples and celery and things like that then just skip the lean cuisines? I know im crazy, Thanks girls.

Lilou902 · June 2010

Yeah I would skip the lean cusines all together. Too much sodium and carbs. i tried that before and I thought I was being healthy, but then I realized that it was acutally making me gain weight! I would avoid eating out at lunch and pack your own healthy lunch. Also, track your calories. I just started doing that this month on livestrong.com and it makes a big difference!

SarahRuthG · June 2010

My office almost always orders out. I always get a salad of some sort, or I split a healthy sandwich with a co-worker. It took a little while for my co-workers to catch on I wasn't going to join in on a pizza lunch but now I just hear "Which salad today, Sarah?" And they are very supportive and tell me I'm being really good with what I eat. It's starting to rub off on one co-worker.

Aside from the fruit and veggies to snack on work some protien in there. A hard boiled egg, a greek yogurt, or a low fat string cheese are good options. Dip your celery into hummus.

Ok gotta stop... my boss is buying lunch today and he wont be back for another hour. I just ate my watermelon but I'm SO hungry!

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · June 2010

I track my calories through sparkpeople.com and a lot of ladies here use the livestrong site as well. If you input your goals it will tell you how many calories, carbs, fat grams and protein grams you should aim for each day. Sparkpeople also gives you recommended meal plans if you want.

Combine that with excercise (gym, jogging, DVDs, etc before or after work) and you'll be fine. I also work a desk job and I've lost 25 pounds in the last 5 months. It's hard and takes commitment and dedication - especially t say no to those office snacks - but it pays off.

If you do go out for lunch, look up the nutritional information for the restaurant before you go and decide what you're going to eat before you get there.

a2joy · June 2010

I have an office job too & am on my butt all day at it. However, I park about 3/4 of a mile from my office & walk in & back from there every day. Plus, I take a full hour lunch & go for walks (eating only takes like 20 min, then I walk around the rest of the time in town). It helps to not feel like such a blob during the day.

lobsterhug · June 2010

I know how you feel! I've been working desk/office jobs since college and they can be so sedentary and people are always bringing in treasts. Like pp said, count your calories. Try to eat clean, unprocessed food for the best nutritional value. Also, drink lots of water! I refill my water bottle 4-5 times a day. It's a great excuse to get up and move around. I try to walk as much as possible. I will print items one at a time and get up each time to get them. If I print something for a colleague, I will walk it over to them instead of having them get it from the printer themselves. If I'm feeling antsy, I will go for a walk around the building, like for 5 minutes or so.

Even though you are allowed to eat at your desk, I highly recommed eating lunch somewhere else, whether that's outside or just in the kitchen/lounge/dining area. I feel much more satisfied and aware of what I'm eating if I'm not checking email or interrupted by the phone. I don't even bring my iphone with my. I just go and eat. Pack your lunch as much as possible. You'll save a ton of money!

futuredaniel10 · June 2010

Thanks so much!! i'll try out this spark website. I've heard great things about it! Way to go on your 25 lbs msmerymac! I hope I can do that soon!

aplatanada · June 2010

Definitely skip the Lean Cuisines. They are sodium bombs which make you retain water and bloat you like crazy! On a Sunday, I will make a big pot of something (soup, veg chilli, lentils, etc) and freeze it in individual portions. Voila, my own frozen meals!

Also, plan plan plan. Make your lunch the night before going to bed so it's ready the next day. Bring everything you would need in a day: snacks, meal, fruit.

Another thing I did to discourage spending $$ on eating out was track every penny I spent on eating out while at work. By bringing my own coffee, lunch and snacks I am saving $100 a month, easy.

I also do the walking thing on my lunch break. Helps energize me for the afternoon also.

futuredaniel10 · June 2010

I really need to start walking. Sitting here dealing with customers on the phone all day wears me out and by the time I get off at 3 im ready for a nap! I know that's just adding to my laziness and it's definitely not doing me any good.

LesPaul · June 2010

I try to walk the stairs in the building (14 stories), or go out for a walk mid-day. My problem is snacking, so I try to limit what's in my desk drawer so I don't sit there munching empty calories. I bring my lunch and only eat out once a week or so, and it's usually DH and I sharing a salad (saves $ and calories). And I skip the cake and treats in the kitchen (4 dozen donuts in there this morning!)

GJones27 · June 2010

Office jobs aren't as bad as school. I gained 15 pounds during college due to the stress of staying up working all the time. Office environments are far less stressful.

Go for a long walk during lunch. Bring food from home. If you crave sweets, pop a mint Altoid in your mouth. Sometimes to stretch, I stand up in my office and read articles. Before I injured myself, I would walk home on days I wouldn't exercise (basically, 1.25 hours or 3 miles, fortunately I live in a pedestrian friendly city.) Don't bring temptations to work -- the boredom will make you eat. Good luck!

futuredaniel10 · June 2010

Thanks!! What about Hummus? Have any of you tried it? What do you dip it in and what flavors do you get? i have never tried it but i figure it may be better for me than the typical celery and ranch dressing.

And for those of you that walk at work...Id LOVE to be able to do that, but I work in a horrible part of town. Just getting here in the mornings I pretty much run to get to my car for fear of the prostitutes and rapists. Really. People get shot on this road everyday. Im not even kidding. But thank goodness we are moving to remodel in a few short weeks and when we move back here in a year the whole building will be gated. phew.

christa62105 · June 2010

I feel your pain!! Sitting all day drives me crazy (especially days like today when it's beautiful outside).
I try to incorporate little things in throughout the day. For example, I work on the third floor and whenever I have to use the restroom I use the one on the 1st floor just for an excuse to take the stairs and stretch my legs a little bit.
Like a lot of people have said, drink a lot of water. I try to keep healthy snacks on hand, such as greek yogurt. It helps fight the urge to eat all the junky food people bring into the office.

Good luck!!

afloggie · June 2010

The ladies in my office order out every single day. I have stopped doing it and if I have no other choice I will order a small salad. I work next door to a physical therapy office and they let me use their bike/treadmill at lunch when they are closed so during the week I try to go there at least 3 times a week. I just did my first boot camp class this morning at 6 am! Luckily its only 1 day a week because I am NOT a morning person. Good luck and just watch what you eat and stay on these boards because people can keep you motivated.

lobsterhug · June 2010

Hummus is a great veggie dip! I find the original flavor quite tasty on its own. Roasted red pepper, garlic, and spinach artichoke are also good.

futuredaniel10 · June 2010

It is hard sitting all day! I thought I'd like it. But man, it makes my legs hurt just as much as being on my feet all day!!

And thanks lobsterhug! I plan on going to the store after work and getting some to try!

[Deleted User] · June 2010

I take apples, bananas, peaches or whatever fruit I have at home to work for a snack. If I get hungry I have a piece of fruit to snack on instead of the treats that are brought into the office. I also bring walnuts and snack on those as well. Having healthy snacks around helps when you do get hungry.

finalgirl · June 2010

completely off topic, but i like those exercise balls for chairs. i love them! you can bounce a bit to wake yourself up & the constant balancing is good for your muscles.

Camoo · June 2010

In all honestly the Sushi is not a bad option for you. Just make sure you eat only half the rice and stick with the dark fish as it better in the antioxidant group. "ie the expensive tuna" Stay away from the row as there is a lot of natural salt in it too. Remember the rolls whether inside or outside are not good. They usually have all the lesser cuts of meat and more salt.

Ditch the LC sodium bombs. I keep things like the 100cal packs of nuts and juice jellies at my desk. less chance of over doing it if you can only get 100cal in a package.

Also yoghurt and granola are great alternatives. You do need some carbs and fat everyday but most women pack it on if they have too many "white" carbs.

I am in an office job as well and there are a couple of things I do. Take a 5 or 10 min break every 2 hours and do a bit of stretching at your desk. There are lots of online resources for this. You can do some muscle strengthening pretty easily through isometric contractions and get some blood flowing.

I work as a personal trainer on the side so I have some background in "Office Workouts" because we have a large number of assistants that I manage and also do desk fitness for.

Cam

futuredaniel10 · June 2010

Thanks Cam! That's a lot of great ideas. Thanks ladies! You're a big help!

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