Weight loss for the office-bound

Staying slim is easy for those who work in the great outdoors or are employed in jobs that require them to be on their feet, rushing around all day, but for the office-bound it’s a different story.

Many office workers struggle with keeping trim, but there are a number of things that those who wile away their days sat behind a desk can do to make sure they not only lose weight fast, but keep those extra pounds off.

Maximise your lunch break

Rather than sitting at your desk or in your staff room throughout your lunch break, aim to get outside. Even if it means just going for a ten-minute walk around the block – every little bit of exercise counts and will burn off calories, helping you to lose weight.

If your office is near a gym, go for a half-hour workout on your break. This should still allow you time to have a shower, grab something healthy to eat and get back to work feeling energised and ready to take on the challenges the afternoon brings.

Back in October last year, a study into obesity and activity levels of office workers was published.

Researchers from the University of Montreal looked at data from a number of studies conducted after 1970 and found that obesity increased by ten per cent between 1978 and 2004.

They suggested a lack of physical activity during office hours could be partly responsible for this.

Get active outside of office hours

Those who struggle to fit exercise into their office hours should try their best to get active before and after work.

Tam Fry, spokesperson for the National Obesity Forum, suggests that the best time to exercise is in the morning, before work.

Going for an early swim is a great way of not only getting the heart pumping and burning off a large number of calories, but it makes sure you are fully awake and raring to go by the time you get to the office.

If at all possible, sign up at a gym that is in between your office and where you live. This way you have no excuse not to go – just stop off on your way home for half an hour a day and you’ll soon notice your waistline shrinking before your very eyes.

Change your eating habits

Aim to eat healthily when you’re at work, snacking on fruit and vegetables such as apples and carrot sticks when you feel peckish.

For lunch, don’t opt for a stodgy sandwich, layered with lashings of mayonnaise, cheese or fatty bacon, choose a nutritious salad instead with a low-fat dressing.

Helen Heap, nutritional therapist at the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic, said office workers should eat a diet that is rich in protein and contains lots of beans, tofu, chicken, fish and salad.

Unfortunately, when things get tough, people’s diets tend to go out of the window.

Research carried out last year on behalf of Chef & Brewer revealed that work stress causes one in three people in the UK to comfort eat.

Rather than reaching for a sugary snack when work is stressing you out, think about your weight loss goals and how happy you’ll be when you achieve them, then head to the fruit bowl instead.

Basically, the key to weight loss for office workers is the same as it is for everyone else – exercise regularly and eat well. Follow this and you’ll be looking sleek and slender in your work wear in no time!