When it comes to losing weight throughout the workweek, it can either be a very difficult or very easy process – and the deciding factor is one basic element: you. It’s easy to slip in to very weight loss-unfriendly habits when you’re at work. After all, when you’re at work, you’re busy, distracted, often in a rush, and you don’t have time for anything but the most convenient options. This can make it hard to stick to a diet or to get exercise in…if you don’t know the right techniques.
However, you may be pleased to discover that there are many different things that you can bring into your everyday work routine that can make all the difference to your weight loss while barely changing anything throughout your daily work life. For example, you can walk or bike to work every day if you live close enough, or you can get off the bus a stop or two early, or park further out in the parking lot. Inside, you can take the stairs instead of the elevator, or run the stairs instead of walking.
Use your lunch break to its fullest by taking a little walk. Not only will this help with your weight loss, but it will also get the blood circulating and will bring your energy levels back up again and help you to work more efficiently for the second half of your workday. There are also some great exercises you can do while sitting and exercises you can do at work that will get your body moving, your blood pumping and help you burn a few calories.
In terms of eating, make sure to pack a healthy lunch every day. The two worst things that you can do when trying to lose weight is eating out (especially fast food) or skipping meals altogether. Eating out means that you’ll struggle with portion control or will eat foods with lower nutrition and that have much higher levels of fat, sugars, and salts overall. On the other hand, if you skip meals, you’re much more likely to eat larger portions in your other meals, and you’ll experience cravings for fatty and sugary foods because your body will believe that it is experiencing a time of minor famine. In fact, it is actually better for weight loss to eat several smaller meals instead of fewer large meals. If you eat five or six small meals throughout the day instead of the traditional three big meals, then you’ll keep your metabolism running at its highest all day long, maintaining high energy levels and burning more calories instead of storing them.
Another great workplace weight loss tip is to keep your own stash of healthier, low-calorie snacks in the office if you are prone to snacking between meals. These can be as simple as small applesauces, a small bag of almonds, or some cheese sticks. Snacks that are higher in protein or fiber will have the most benefit because they will help to keep you feeling full for longer.
Let’s also not forget about how many calories coffee can have if you add creamer and sugar to it. I used to use International Delight coffee creamer in my coffee and tea at work (about 2-3 tablespoons per cup). Sounds harmless enough, but by the end of the day that added up to about 400 calories worth of creamer. Yikes, that’s 30 minutes on the elliptical just to work off my coffee calories for the day. And 400 calories is on the lower end of the scale. Many of the coffees, such as latte’s, cappuccinos and mocha’s you buy at your favorite coffee shops on the way to work or during the day contain 400 calories or more each. So if you’re serious about losing weight then one workplace weight loss tip to follow would be to stick to coffee and tea without cream or sugar or just drink water (remember, you should drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses a day).
Other Related Posts and Articles you May Find Interesting: “NEAT Weight Loss”, “5 Ways to Naturally Increase Metabolism” and “Low-Calorie Lunch Ideas”.
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