Losing weight is hard enough as it is, let alone trying to do it with a desk job. There’s no chance of getting a workout in your 9-5 schedule. And no, typing on your keyboard doesn’t count.
The available office snacks and vending machines make it even worse. And if your job is stressful, you’re likely to keep packing on the pounds with those snacks.
If you’ve ever wondered how to lose weight with a desk job, we have good news. It’s possible! Even with your busy schedule, there are tips you can implement in your daily routine to shed those extra pounds. All you need is determination and consistency. In a couple of weeks, you’ll start noticing results.
1. Choose the Farthest Parking Spot
Instead of parking close to your office building, park far from it. It’s not convenient and will take you longer to reach your office because you have to walk a long way. But that’s the point. It allows you to increase your daily activity which will eventually result in losing weight over time.
2. Ditch the Elevator, Take the Stairs
Taking the stairs will take more effort and feel uncomfortable at first, but it’s a great way to get some exercise into your busy schedule.
This combination of strength training and cardio will get you in great shape within a few weeks of consistency. Make sure you get to work earlier so that you have enough time to take the stairs and cool off before you start work.
3. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!
Drinking water will speed up your metabolism, flush toxins out of your body, and suppress your appetite. Also, many times we think we’re hungry, but we’re actually just thirsty. Fill up a water bottle and drink some water throughout the day.
You’re less likely to overeat or binge on unhealthy snacks. For better-tasting water with added benefits, try infusing it with fruit like lemon or herbs like rosemary.
4. Participate in Your Employer’s Wellness Programs
If you’re serious about losing weight, don’t waste the opportunity for a workplace wellness incentive. Some employers will fit a workout space/gym area within the building, or arrange for at-office aerobics/dance classes for 30 minutes after work.
All this without you paying a dime. What excuse do you have to leave the building without working out?
5. Plan and Pack Your Own Meals
Spend the weekend planning, preparing, and packing your own healthy snacks and meals for the workweek. Don’t get caught unawares with a box of filled donuts in the work break room.
Be intentional about packing healthy meals. These can include snacks like protein bars, nuts, seeds, and fruit. Lunch can include baked chicken breast/salmon with steamed vegetables.
6. Workout during Your Lunch Break
Are you using your lunch break to eat unhealthy food or catch up on the latest office gossip? Change your bad habits by forming new ones.
Use part of your lunch break to take a jog or a walk around your office building. Ask some colleagues to do this with you for support and encouragement. You can also head to the gym for a workout session.
7. Plan a ‘Walking Meeting’
If you’re meeting with one or two of your colleagues, you can have a walking meeting instead of sitting at a conference table. Walk through the building and outside the building.
You’ll feel invigorated and not sluggish (especially if it’s after lunch). Not only will you get your body moving, but you’ll also have an active and productive brainstorming session.
1. Trade Your Chair for a Stability Ball
To maintain your balance on a stability ball, your oblique and abdominal muscles will need to get to work. In so doing, you’ll start burning fat around those areas.
Please note that it is not recommended to sit on the ball for over 45 minutes in one stretch. Also, if you already have any back pain, it might only get worse. However, this is a great tool to improve your posture and stability while losing weight.
9.Set a Timer to Stand up Every 30 minutes
Did you know that you can burn calories by just standing (only 9 calories per hour more than if you’re sitting)? Small activities like walking from your desk to the water dispenser play a big role in weight loss.
Obese individuals typically sit 2.5 hours a day more than their desk-bound slender peers. Try setting your timer to remind you to stand up from your desk at least every 30 minutes.
10. Drink Green Tea
Research has revealed that green tea increases your metabolic rate and ultimately helps you lose weight. It also contains antioxidants and anti-cancer compounds.
To get the best out of green tea, do not use boiling water. Let the boiled water sit for 10 minutes, then pour it over the tea and let it steep for about a minute. For best results, avoid adding any sweeteners for the best results.
11. Use Public Transportation
People who use public transport are more active than those who don’t. Sometimes they have to walk to and from a bus stop or a train station, sprint up and down the station stairs, or remain standing on a busy train.
Desk-bound individuals who drive to and from work are more likely to get stuck in a traffic jam, meaning you sit even longer. Also, you have the convenience of stopping by your favorite drive-through – bad idea.
12. Don’t Do it Alone
Talk to your colleagues about your desire to lose weight and ask for their support. Some may want to join you, which is great because you won’t have to take this journey on your own. A group of colleagues supporting each other is great for accountability and morale.
In Closing
We hope that we’ve opened your mind to the possibility of losing weight with a desk job. Simply apply these tips consistently and you’ll see great results.
Some may apply to your particular workplace and others may not, plus you don’t have to implement them all at once. Try one until it sticks, then add on another one and keep going.
