5 Ways to Loose Weight At Work

I recently spent just over two weeks working crazy long days.  

(I was gone from 7 am till 10 pm or later every. single. day.  Madness!!)

What was worse is that I was constantly surrounded by unhealthful foods that smelled really amazing and were very tempting.

Now, I may not work all of the time, but I did gain a few insights.  Here are 5 tips that helped me succeed at weight loss while working.

1. Be Prepared

"...to be prepared is half the victory." ~Miguel de Cervantes

The weekend before I started work, I developed a plan.  I went shopping for healthful foods and portioned them out in easy-to-grab containers.  That made it easier to pack and plan my lunches and dinners.  I also made these breakfast sandwiches so that in the morning I could have something quick and easy to eat.  I made a meal plan so that I knew what I could pack and how many calories it was.  And then, just in case, I packed a few extra goodies (granola bars, nuts, cheese sticks, etc) so that if I was feeling super hungry, I wouldn't be tempted to grab any of the junk options readily available.  It took just a little time on the weekend to keep me on track for two weeks.

2. Go The Extra Mile

I thought of how I could get in a little extra movement every day.  I parked further away.  I used my break times to take quick walks around the grounds.  I volunteered to deliver anything (by foot) that needed to go somewhere.  I made a conscious decision to stand and walk and move whenever I could. I went the extra mile...literally.

3.  Stay Hydrated

I carried two giant water bottles with me every day.  Having lots of ice cold water helped me avoid high-calorie convenience drinks, made me feel fuller, gave me energy, and helped to boost my metabolism. 

4. "I Don't Eat That"

One of the biggest obstacles at work is avoiding all of the goodies and treats that others bring to work. I found that if I told the others I was on a diet, that they would say, "Well, you don't have this every day.  You can break your diet for just one day."  I know that they meant well, but since goodies were brought almost every day, that logic was quite fallible.  Instead, I found it much easier to say a simple, "No, thank you."  If they really pushed it I would follow up with a simple, "Thanks, but I don't eat that."  For some reason, people did less "convincing" when I made this simple statement.

5. Say YES Every Now And Then

On occasion, we would have a potluck or a special occasion that I would join in on.  I wanted to have the fun that comes when you bond with others over meals.  I would simply plan ahead (if it was a pizza day, I would log my pizza calories first thing in the morning so that I knew exactly how much I would eat and what else to pack for the day) and then I was able to enjoy food with my coworkers without undoing a whole week's worth of work.

What have you found helpful when it comes to losing weight at work?