The Word on Weightloss

We’ve all heard the saying, you are what you eat (which, by the way is true) but recently I’ve begun to wonder, where you eat may be just as important as what you eat when considering your weight loss plans. Are the foods you eat at the office different then those you eat at home? How are they different? Are they different by time or consistency or sometimes type and amount?

All these questions are important because they allow you to understand your eating habits in order make your weight loss program successful. If you’re anything like me, you probably spend the majority of your day at the office. After first starting my 9-5 I gained 15 pounds and quickly realized that I had to change my ways. It took a while to understand that where I was eating was the real culprit. Today’s workplace is a veritable danger zone for the sweet stuff. Everywhere you turn there are cookies, chocolates, candies at the front desk, and then it’s someone’s birthday or probably a Friday pizza party. Not only is it the snacks, but also back-to-back meetings and conference calls may not allow you to break for a hearty nutritious meal. The workplace madness just doesn’t stop and if you don’t catch it on the forefront, it won’t stop your waistline from growing either.

There are several things that happen at the workplace that enable bad eating behavior.

The first is that sense of anxiousness or frantic rushing to cover last minute details for a deadline or a presentation. These feelings cause us to turn to our favorite comfort foods; a fatty yet sugary combination always seem to do the trick. Here’s the problem: after eating a sugary snack the brain releases natural chemicals called opioids which give our body a feeling of intense pleasure which forces a craving, causing you to eat one treat right after the other. 

Second is peer pressure. Your colleagues can influence your eating choices on a daily basis. Whether it’s going out for lunch or skipping an evening workout for a happy hour cocktail, your peers can influence where you go and how much you have when you go there.

Third is based on the principle of work hard, play hard (or in our case: work hard, eat hard!). We live in a society where we constantly reward ourselves for our hard work, there’s nothing wrong with that unless we set boundaries. If you allow yourself a sugary treat every time you take a break, you’re not rewarding yourself in the long run.

There are always unavoidable situations at the office, so here are a few ideas to help you resist temptation and stay on your weight loss program:

1. Eat a hearty lunch. Pack a lunch full of protein or bring last night’s leftovers. A lunchtime meal with hearty grains and protein will fill you up and quiet that afternoon hunger and the unnecessary snacks.

2. Go ahead, and snack. Plan ahead and pack some healthy snacking treats with you to work like an apple with peanut butter or nuts and dried fruit. Get your nutrition in while avoiding those candy bowls that keep calling your name.

3. Just say no. Walk past the kitchen with your head high and say no to the snacks, in fact say “NO!” out loud if you need to and why. You’re self awareness might just be the trick to avoiding the extra calories.

4. Drink water. Water will always curb your hunger cravings because the majority of the time you’re not hungry, you’re thirsty! Before you pick up that cookie drink some water and see how you feel – water might just be the thing you need.