Question for those with desk/office jobs

[samy23]

How do you stay fit and healthy when you sit at a desk all day? I gained weight working in an office, sat at a desk on the computer most of the day....so that has definately put me off looking for an office job again in the future. Im wondering if anyone else has found they gained weight with this sort of job? And how you feel about that or what you do to combat it?

[Lizbiz]

When I am working in an office - I have to work out regularly and watch my food intake. It's as simple (and as complicated!) as that. When I'm at home with my kids (on mat leave, or I had a stint where I was working more part time teaching or taking classes), I have to focus on it less, because I'm moving around so much more with my kids or on my feet teaching. 

I'm now in an office.  I run four days a week.  I try not to pig out.  That's about it! 

[Alyantavid]

I agree. 

I'm thin, but I do eat out of boredom at work.  And there's always some kind of food here.  As long as I'm doing some kind of exercise and paying attention to my eating, I'm fine.

[Poodge]

I try to walk on my lunch break at least three times a week.

Also I try to keep my desk stocked with healthy snakcs because I find that if I don't have something to snack on I am more likely to grab a donut that someone brought in, eat out of the candy dish, or hit the vending machine.

[CI Mama]

I commute to work via bicycle, which now also includes dropping off DD at pre-school on my way to work. It's a great workout.

I also take the stairs instead of the elevator, take short walks outside my building, and generally try not to stay seated for too long during the day.

In terms of food, that's a tricky one for me because the building where I work on campus has several food units and it's really easy to over-eat just because a lot of tempting stuff is there. Plus I often have a 2:00 pm "slump" where I feel like the only way I'm going to get through the day is by eating all afternoon. I bring my own lunches & snacks from home, and I've set a rule "no sweets at work" that I find helpful in terms of having some self-control. But I would say that getting tons of exercise is my primary way of keeping myself healthy.

[MsFortune]

I just restrict my calories.  I don't snack.  I only have breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I actually find it easier to watch what I eat at work because at home I have yummy food a few feet away.  At work, not so much.

I made it a rule that I get NO food or drink out of the vending machines ever.  

For emergency snacking, I have some packets of instant oatmeal but I rarely touch it.  

[LittleGriff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MsFortune 

 I actually find it easier to watch what I eat at work because at home I have yummy food a few feet away.  At work, not so much.

Exactly my situation.

Earlier in my career I went through a multiple small meals a day plan which turned into the never-stop-eating plan and resulted in a lot of weight gain. Now, I stick to 3 meals a day. Period. Not a single calorie can be consumed out of meal time.

Because I start work quite early I eat breakfast and lunch at work. I eat a very large lunch because I can't get through the day mentally and I find myself trying to snack in the afternoon if my lunch was insufficient. I'm also so busy at work I don't really have time to eat more than my two meals. But if too much free food/candy starts showing up around the office and I start to snack I feel a huge difference (for the worst). So I try to stay very firm on the no food outside of meal time rule. I do exercise moderately but have found I can make more of a difference in my weight through diet than exercise since I can't spend much more time exercising than I already am!

[MomTo2inCA]

I'm on materinity leave but my job is the traditional desk job.   I just make sure to monitor my food intake, make sure to bring fruit and veggies if I need a snack.  I also make sure to stand up as much as possible and stretch, and if I go out for lunch I like to try to walk to and from the place if possible.    What also helps is finding other people at your office who are also trying to stay fit and forming basically a support group so you can keep tabs on what you're all eating and making sure to go somewhere healthy for your lunch.