Struggling to take off those last few pounds?
Stuck just a few pounds away from achieving your goal weight?
Here’s how your day-to-day work habits might be jeopardizing your success:
Sitting all day long
It's easy to fall into the trap of sitting in your desk chair from 8am to 5, really only getting up to go to the bathroom. After all, you can text or call fellow colleagues in the building, pack a lunch and sit at your desk and eat it, and have a coffee maker in your office to keep you going all day long! But this isn't good for our physical health, mental wellbeing or productivity. Make it a habit to get up every hour. Walk around the office building, go up and down the stairs a couple of times, go outside and get some fresh air, or do some stretches or body weight exercises in your office. These regular breaks will decrease your sedentary time as well as keep your brain active and engaged so you can get the most out of yourself and your work day!
Having treats in the drawer beside you
It seemed like a good idea the day you purchased them, when it was lining up to be a long Friday and you needed a little sugar fix to get you over the edge to the weekend. But now, on Tuesday of the following week, when you have downed the whole bag over two days, you're having second thoughts. Remember that it is a function of convenience and proximity: the treats are close by, easy to access and you don't even have to move to get them. If you find yourself falling victim to these circumstances, don't let yourself keep treats in your drawer! Every once In a while, on a particularly long/hard day, it is okay, but when you do that, buy them, have a few and then don't leave the rest in the drawer for temptation!
You skip meals
Do you skip breakfast so you can get into the office quicker? Do you sit at your desk for lunch, just quickly downing a sushi roll from the stall in your building and then carrying on with your tasks? If this sounds like you, and you know you are skipping out on having proper meals, it's time to make a change. Not only do we need to fuel properly to have optimal brain function, but also, the break of a lunch hour, and getting away from the office, is key in helping you reset and be ready to tackle the afternoon. Commit to breakfast in the morning and a break at lunchtime and you'll be impressed at the increase in your daily productivity and efficiency.
You graze on office treats
Every time you get up to go to the bathroom, fill your water bottle, get a snack from the fridge or walk down the hall to speak with a colleague, you are tempted by the treats sitting on the table of the office kitchen. It can be hard to resist these day after day, especially when it is some of your favorite treats, but you can help by bringing your own treats! Feeling full and satisfied and having regulated blood sugar levels will reduce your desire for said treats and in turn reduce your tendency to reach for the treats at all. Pretty soon you'll just walk straight past and not give by of it a second thought!
You don't leave on time
While it may seem like a good thing at the time to stay late and finish a project (and earn brownie points from the boss), the repetitive activity of staying at work late and coming in to work really early can wear you down. Not only will you be compensating on sleep, but there will be several other areas of your life that will suffer as well: you will likely adopt poor eating habits, neglect exercise and self care, not take time to unwind and relax, and gradually build up increasing levels of stress.
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