Office workers unite!!

[MissLisaC]

Hi All,

I'm a 25 year old female and have worked in an office since I was 17...guess what...I got fat!!! Sitting on my backside for 8 hours a day and being too tired to do anything when I get home, oh, and of course when its someones birthday in the office and they bring cake...it would be rude not to right?!?!?!

I'm now trying to turn my life around and lose weight and get fit and healthy, looking for friends who have the same problems and aims as me...

I also use my fitness pal to keep track of what im putting into my body, my username is LilMissLisaC

Thanks xx

[iMike]

Are you on the first floor or you are you a few floors up?  Even though your office is small, if you're a few floors up you can always take the stairs.  it adds up fast, trust me.  Do you have a gym membership?  If so and your gym has an indoor track, like say the Y, you can do some walking around the track.  What about your house/apartment?  I understand not wanting to walk around outside on your breaks in Phoenix, but what if you got up and did some extra walking before work, that way you could get a good chunk in prior to getting ready for work.

[Raviv]

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@KelseyAZ wrote:

I'm trying to figure out how to get more steps in without taking walks outside the building on breaks (I'm in Phoenix and right now in August, we try to avoid being outside).

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I'm in Vegas, so I literally feel your pain.  It's not just that it's hot, it's that it's hot and monsoon season.  All that "It's a dry heat!" you usually hear just isn't true this time of year.

Having said that, I still do get outside.  We have a few fast food places near my work, and if I'm going to eat that then I'm going to have to leave my building and walk to them.  Where I work we also have three buildings, so I'm constantly going back and forth between them.  I'm in one building, my boss is in another, and the mail is in the third building.  So I do have that "advantage."

But it's also why I just dig in and spend $10 per month to belong to a gym.  I'm not a fan of the treadmill, but this time of year it's really a legit way to work out when you live in one of the hottest parts of the country and it's the height of summer.  While I'm there I can also use their weights, which helps a lot too.

[awood08]

@Raviv & @KelseyAZ

I walk in place in my office to get more steps in, if I have down time from the phone or my work I stand up. Walk in place and I can squeeze in at least an extra 1,500-2,000 per day.

[Lorieanne]

Yes, office workers need to UNITE.  I sit at a deak or attend meetings all day long.  I need some motivation!  I've gained several pounds over the last few years and want to make an effort to move more during the day.

I also use fitness pal: pughla 

[KellsDBQ]

I am in the same boat! I am 29 and work in a small office. Very small. So even when I have a chance to get up and walk around...there is no where to go. The pounds have creeped on over the years and it is time for them to go. 

I don't have the My Fitness Pal but might need to check it out. I tend to eat mostly healthy but my issue is timing. I need to eat more earlier in the day and less later at night. 

[fbuser2015]

I sit at a desk pretty much all day as well; there are some days where I'm up and moving a lot but more often than not I'm plopped in front of a computer. I try all the tricks going to the water in the office further away versus the one right across from me, getting up randomly and taking a walk around the office even if I don't really have a reason, walking down to salad bar in cafeteria. It still really doesn't add up steps wise.

I've been going to the gym pretty consistently the last few weeks for at least 1 hour but usually 2 (Zumba, weight lifting, boxing, yoga, insanity, or other class) and only on the days I do 2 hrs do I reach at least 10k, on days when I can only get a hour it's more like 7.5-8k, and on the days when I don't make it to the gym it's even lower! Lately I've been trying to walk at least 30 minutes of my 1 hour break (haven't been too successful/consistent with this yet), but some days I'm so busy that I don't even get a lunch more like grab something and eat while I'm still working.

Since you all are office workers...are you hitting 10k steps a day? Are you having to workout several hours in order to do so? If you're not getting 10k steps what's your average? This has really been bothering me, I feel like I've really been working hard at the gym, getting better at the diet, but I just can't consistenly get the 10k steps. Frustrating!

[pcobb8]

@fbuser2015   It took me a while to build up to 10K steps without having to go to the gym.  I would add walks little by little.  My current work day looks like this 

I park 0.8 miles from my building and walk in.  Round trip  3200 steps

I walk my 30 minutes at lunch and a 15 minute break        4000 steps

I added getting up 20 mintues earlier and walking another lap around the building before work 0.6 miles 1200 steps

So usually when i get to my car at the end of the day, I have hit 10K.  On my gym days during the week, I will get 13-15K.  And when i am in the office, I answer phones, so i am completely glued to my desk for all 40-50 hours a week. 

It took me about 3 months to work up to that many steps.  When I 1st started I was at 4-5K a day.  

[saraj91]

Hey all! 

Fellow office worker here. Been at my job for 3 1/2 years, gained (more than) a few pounds over that time what with the sitting down all day & the endless 'cake' days.

I was a super active kid & to this day still love sports. But I'm sure some of you are familiar with the vicious cycle of weight gain, the more you gain, the more tired you are, the less up for exercise you feel & so on...

So, I decided enough was enough & my Easter gift from my lovely family was a Charge HR & with it I've lost 34lbs in 5 months (slow & steady progress). 

So please feel free to add me  

I still have a way to go with my weight loss journey & it would be fab to have some fitbit friends in a similar situation.

Sara 

[awood08]

Welcome @saraj91

You sound alot like me 🙂 Congrats on those 34 pounds 🙂

[crazygoatlady]

Also have an office job which has not been good for my weight!  With the Charge HR I am motivated to get out and move!  So I do my workouts at lunch time, may be hot but I get out and hike, have lost 30 pounds this year, need to lose another 20 to be where I want.  Doing the challenges with FB friends really helps a lot.  So if you want to get in on the challenges friend me and you will be invited..

[Raviv]

I wrote about it on another thread, but I have had to stay late all week (and will next week too) because my son's truck is in the shop and I need to give him a ride.  Only he gets off work two hours after me.  😕

Since the gym is close to the house and not where we work, and it's still too hot outside at about 100F (plus a lot of... let's call them people with unpredictable behavior in the area) to run around the perimeter of the building, I had to think of something else.  After 5:00, my area is deserted, so I just run laps around my desk, down the corridor, around the corner and back toward my desk.  I did that for 28 minutes Tuesday.  Shooting for 30 minutes today!

[SaLandrum]

I have worked my paper pusher / glorified babysitter position for 16 years now.  In that time I had gained 100 pounds overall.  In the past 6 months I have lost 25 pounds just watching what I eat and increasing my activity level.  

I am in the same boat as others here - we have lots of employees -and everyone gets a b-day cake to celebrate getting older. 

I am looking to lose another 60 pounds before I end my weightloss journey. 

Sabrina 

[baci]

 I can totally relate i work in an internal medicine practice, when I see the people that come to the office and the health they are in it is very scary  and almost every day of the week we get lunch brought into the office by drug reps. ALL BAD STUFF, and when you really sit down and think about it, it doesnot really taste that good it is just there, easy food. So free food along with sitting in front of a computer all day a recipe for  being  unhealthy  Now I pack my lunch every day. Never thought I would be a lunch bagger but it tastes so much better and I admit that  it is a pain to make sure i have food every day for lunch but after I have my lunch I do feel so much better that I did not have what was brought in that day. Its usually the same sandwiches, pasta,  mayo laiden salads  And weather permitting i walk half a mile at lunch time and it gives you the chance to breath and refocus for the rest of the afternoon.

Every day is a new one, so it you stumble, just refocus

have a good week every one !

[freetobeme97526]

 Hi,

 I just got my first office job in management at an assisted living facility. I thought it would be a great idea to get off the floor. I just took this position and am now trying to find a balance. I have to start packing my food and not eat at work and during lunch break get up and walk around as well. I can not leave the building so I just have to get up an walk laps inside the building. I need to find friends who are on this journey and at a sit down job as well so we can bounce ideas off and stay motivated.

[ktkat]

I joined the FB life in May, but am trying the community for the first time. This is the perfect place for me. I have worked in office jobs for most of my adult life and recently I switched from one to a new one with a different company. I didn't think it was possible to move any less.....well I do at the new job!

Recently I synced FB with MFP and that has been helpful in keeping me on track. My daughter and I purchased a bundle of personal trainer sessions and we only have 3 remaining. It has been the jump start I needed to get moving.

The only thing that was missing was a group that motivates and encourages. It will be helpful to remember these posts when the cheesecake is passed around at the office....or the apple cinnamon fritters arrive when the boss visits our office....or the "breakfast club" on Friday mornings...etc, etc!

My current focus is to remember that what happened yesterday does not have to sabotage today!

Burning question....do you weigh yourself at home? only weekly? or is there a different thing that I haven't heard/read about yet?

[johnr]

A big hello to all of you office-workers! I've read all the posts here, and I can definitly relate to all of it. Been working at an office for the last 13 years.

In the first years I was working tech support (IT), so my day involved some walking. Usually around 2,500 steps. But the last 4 years I've been a manager, so those walks has been replaced by more sitting (meetings).

I've been doing som exercising after work, but it's been a long time since I've managed to get 10,000 steps on a daily basis. But I will try harder from now!

Good luck to us all. We're not going to let that deskjob destroy our bodies!!

[BelindaW]

I can relate 100% to this. I have been an office worker for nearly 20 years, and the weight has been sneaking up on me. So - finally doing something about it.

I got a fitbit in early August and thought I would get some baseline figures for the first couple of days. Only 3000 steps per day (which I later discovered was about average for office workers).

So, I have been working on increasing bit by bit over recent weeks, and finding strategies so don't have excuses not to exercise.

Tactic 1: Use treadmill.  ( I have gut problems which means extended walks outside aren't an option - need to be within bolting distance of a bathroom.)

Tactic 2: Install television directly in front of treadmill at eye height so I don't get bored.

Tactic 3: Use walking sandals that are quicker to get on, and comfy to walk in

Tactic 4: Wear exercise gear to bed so that it isn't as much effort at 5am to convince myself to get on the treadmill for 20-30 mins before work.

I can't go too fast at the moment (was getting shin splints so had to slow down), but am finding 100 steps per minute.

So 20 mins in the morning before work, normal walking around at work, and then 30-50 mins in the afternoons is getting me 8000-10,000 per day at the moment. Which is a big improvement on my starting position.

Since Sep 1 I have combined it with the MyFitnessPal website and am getting some results - 2kg so far.

Hoping for 10kg by Christmas. Might be a bit ambitious, but something to aim for.  🙂

[LC1710]

Hi Everyone, Like all of you my desk job has forced my weight to creep up... I use my FB one alongside my MFP to try and keep an eye on what I'm eating but these last couple of months I have been a bit slack with it and got back into some bad habits. I have never used the community before and none of my friends have a FB so I would love some likeminded friends to do some of the challenges with to hopefully get my motivation back 🙂

[freetobeme97526]

Good for you. I have a gazelle at home and get on that first thing in
mirning. I set my silent alarms to every hour to remind me to walk.

[MRose]

There are some awesome tips here, you guys rock!

I reach 10,000 steps by taking the stairs, walking up a single flight of stairs if I start getting tired (hey, I'm more productive that way!), and the kicker: I set an alarm on my computer reminding me to get up and move every hour. It's amazing how often you will sit there for 2-3 hours without even getting up for water. If I'm on the phone, I stand up and walk within the confines of the phone cord (basically walking in place, but hey! Still movement!).

Also, steps are steps! My friend and I compete on FitBit and she said she didn't like to count walking in place, but I walk in place all the time as I'm washing dishes or folding laundry. That stuff *has* to be done, so why not add movement? That's the whole purpose of a FitBit! Sure, running burns more, but walking in place gets blood pumping more than just standing there.

And hi @ktkat! Welcome to the addiction! For weighing, I actually only do it once a month. It lets you truly see the results of your hard work, but it also lets you concentrate less on the scale and more on getting/feeling healthy! Do you just want to be skinny, or really want to be healthy? Either way, I still find it easier to say no to the chips and salsa (my ultimate kryptonite) when I remember that I feel less sluggish the next day if I don't, rather than thinking "that might add a tenth of a pound!"