A majority of people would agree that losing weight is a struggle, but for those who work in regular 10-hour shifts with the pressure of meeting deadlines, weight loss can turn into a never-ending battle. Wondering how? Surviving on “grab-and-go” breakfast, replacing healthy meals with fast food, and spending a majority of the day glued to the work desk with no time to hit the gym – weight gain and not weight loss is the most likely outcome. Not to forget, increased dependence on vending machines serving packaged food to quell 4 pm hunger pangs! Are you one of those workaholics starting the day with bread and jam for breakfast, gorging on doughnuts and pizzas for snacks, crushed under work pressure, with the only way to unwind after a long day of work by binge watching TV shows or Netflix compromising on sleep (less sleeping hours is directly linked to belly fat!). Whether you are an entrepreneur, software engineer, or into advertising, it’s time to find out if your job is making weight loss difficult and how to overcome hurdles, read on:
1. Trading Real Food with Junk Food: Increased dependence on fast food because you have no time to prepare elaborate healthy meals would mean you are eating high-calorie food with low protein, fiber content, compromising on vitamins and other nutrients. Also, adhering to portion control with food served at corporate food courts is quite difficult. But there’s a way out – follow a weight loss diet that shows you how to prepare easy and time-saving diet food, check out Rati Beauty diet to find out how to lose weight as a busy bee. You can also learn how to meal prep to save time on weekdays. Also, try to minimize the number of times you eat out, and do stick to the meal plans on the weight loss diet.
2. Wrong Posture at the Work Desk: Long hours of slouching over the computer can cause anterior pelvic tilt, loosening ab muscles, causing the belly to protrude. Avoid slouching over, sit with a straight back, and make sure it’s an ergonomic chair supporting your back. Also, do check out if a working desk is a good option for you.
3. Leading a Sedentary Lifestyle: Spending 10 to 12 hours in a sitting position at the work desk, commuting through vehicles, and unwinding in front of the TV on the couch or bed – can spell doom for your weight loss goals and overall health as well. As you might have heard previously, sitting is the new smoking because it sharply increases the risk for metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, etc. Always take 10-15 minute break every hour and take mini strolls in the office to keep the fat burning process active. Also, fidget those legs whenever you can. What! Yes, apparently, people who fidget their legs through the day can burn significantly more calories than people who are standing still! So, even while watching TV, fidget those legs to lose up to 300 calories in a day!
4. Frequent Snacking: As we have mentioned earlier, vending machines make unhealthy treats easily accessible. Not to mention, colleagues at work show up with treats which are hard to say no to. Frequent snacking (especially on sugar-rich and refined carbs) would raise blood sugar, spike insulin release, and this hormone then facilitates the storage of extra calories in the body. Stick to fixed meal and snack timings and politely say “no” to a colleague who shows up with a box of doughnuts next. Put an end to frequent snacking and mindless eating by sticking to fixed meal and snacking timings.
5. Chronic Work Stress: Striving to meet deadlines, answering a string of never-ending emails can create chronic stress which leads to overeating and increased appetite. In such a situation, sugary treats and high-calorie food look comforting. Sugar-rich and high-fat food generate the release of dopamine and lights up the reward center of the brain. When someone indulges in comfort food like these, they activate the pleasure center of the brain, which can in turn calm jittery nerves and provide relief from stress (albeit temporarily). It’s completely essential to find ways to de-stress and detach emotional dependence no food to cope with work stressors. Stress, by itself, triggers weight gain, and overeating can add to the woes. As we have mentioned above, stress and anxiety leads to overeating and unhealthy food with high sugar and fat content looks appealing, triggers emotional eating, so it’s extremely essential to find ways to decrease work stress; no one else can do it for you!
6. Long Working Hours and Sleep Deprivation: There’s nothing worse than sleep deprivation that can ruin your weight loss goals. Lack of sleep leads to increased stress, hormonal imbalances, sluggish metabolism unhealthy cravings, triggering weight gain instead of weight loss. You can eat less and exercise every single day, but without 8 hours of sleep, you would not see any weight loss. So, do not set alarm until you get 8 hours of sleep each night.
7. Are you Drinking Enough Water? Everyone says we should be drinking at least 8 glasses of water every single day, not only for clear skin, but to lose weight as well. Our body mixes up hunger and thirst signals, and most of the times, we are just thirsty yet reach for a bag of chips thinking it’s a hunger pang. Often too much focus on work and stress can keep you from drinking your daily amount of water. Make it a habit to keep two bottles on your work desk, and get up from the workstation to refill the bottle. Keeping yourself hydrated can do wonders for your weight loss – boosting metabolism and preventing water retention as well.
Summing up, even if you are a proud self-confessed workaholic, you need to invest in your health first – do take time out to prepare healthy meals, avoid processed food, cut out the frequency of eating out, take time out for exercise, be physically active, reduce stress, and most importantly, sleep for 7 to 8 hours to allow the body to rest and rejuvenate. Without proper rest, lowering of stress, nutrient-dense diet, losing weight is quite not possible.
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