If the most activity you get from an eight hour work day is the walk you take from your desk to the printer, copier, fax machine or lunch room then your answer should be yes, “my job is making me fat.”
Most of us spend our days at work sitting, then we go home and sit some more. Well, that is unless you have children, and even then you find a way to rest because you are so tired from your busy, but not so busy day at work.
The average American work an eight hour work schedule with an hour or more out for lunch. We do this for fifty two weeks a year. The dietary recommendation for healthy active adult females is approximately 1600 to 2000 calories, and 2000 to 2500 for healthy active males. The average person eats far more than what is recommended, a good 500 more. Exceeding calorie recommendations is easy, most of the time we eat and we are not aware of what we are eating. Many of foods we think are healthy are very unhealthy often loaded with extra calories. We eat out more than we cook and often times we overeat because of the large portions most restaurants serve. Calories in should equal calories out and calorie intake is usually based on individual height, weight, gender and activity levels. If you are consuming 2000 calories and burning only 1000 a day expect to gain weight. Calories that are not being used by the body, are stored as fat. Food is energy, one of the main reasons we eat is because we need energy to do work. Eating 2000 calories daily for 52 weeks adds up to approximately 520,000 calories, which turns out to be an extra 149 pounds a year. It is recommended that if we want to maintain our current weight we should consume the same as we are exerting, if we want to lose at least a pound a week then we would have to reduce our total intake by 500 daily.
Confusing, maybe, but if you do the math 7(days in a week) x 500calories is 3500, and 1 pound of fat is approximately 3500 calories.
Aside from inactivity, stress is a major factor when it comes to work related weight gain. Stress can lead to dependency on foods that are not good for us. Our work environment plays a major role in relation to how and what we eat. We spend a good majority of our day sitting, snacking at times and interacting with others who may also influence our choice of foods daily. Realizing our work habits and the negative impact they may have on our health is important in the fight to eat healthy and stay healthy.
Now that you know your job is contributing to your weight gain what can you about it?
There are simple steps workers can take to begin burning more calories, eating healthier and increasing activity levels.
1. Start a walking routine during lunch break.
2. Skip the taxi, or bus and walk to work if it is reachable without transportation.
3. Get off bus or train 2 or 3 blocks before your destination and walk the rest of the way.
4. If you drive park at least 15 minutes from the office and walk the rest.
5. Utilize your company’s health programs, most large companies offer discounted gym membership, while others may have a gym onsite. Participate in health fairs or educational seminars geared towards health to increase your knowledge. The more you know the more effective you will become.
6. Start packing lunch and snacks for work. Preparing a healthy meal at home along with healthy snack options put you in control of how many calories you take in each day.
7. Find a healthier alternative. Eating out is an option for most because of time constraints, finding foods that are healthy on a one hour lunch break can be challenging but it is possible. Visit the salad bar and prepare a healthy salad with a lean protein and low fat salad dressing or skip the dressing all together. Choose low sodium soups and sandwiches made with whole grain breads and lean meats with added vegetables. A healthy balanced lunch will give you the energy you need to make it through the rest of you day.
Let’s eat and move with purpose!
