Honey, Does This Job Make Me Look Fat?

CareerBuilder recently released a survey stating that 44 percent of workers surveyed claim they have gained weight at their current job and 54% attributed their weight gain to sitting at their desk most of the day. Other factors that respondents believed contributed to their weight gain included:

Stress-related eating – 37 percent
Eating out regularly – 23 percent
Skipping meals because of time constraints – 19 percent
Workplace celebrations (potlucks, birthdays) – 18 percent
The temptation of the office candy jar – 16 percent
Pressure to eat food that co-workers bring in – 10 percent

I recently had a conversation about on the job healthy eating and fitness habits with Stephanie Mansour, a health and fitness expert and facilitator of corporate wellness programs for top firms like GE, owner of Step it Up With Steph, and featured trainer on Chicago-based weight loss reality show Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.  She offered these tips for managing your waistline on the job.

1. Don’t forgo breakfast and a mid morning snack in favor of a huge lunch where you are likely to be so hungry that you overeat. It’s best to eat 5 small meals each day to keep hunger pangs at bay and keep blood sugar levels stable.
2. Schedule your exercise time in your calendar like you would any other important appointment.
3. If you plan to go out after work with colleagues, schedule an exercise session first. Yoga can help you become more mindful in your eating and cardio exercise will help you burn some of those extra calories you may consume while you are out with colleagues.
4. If you don’t have time to go to the gym during your workday, run up and down the stairs a few times or do some stretches in your chair or at your desk.
5. If you plan to exercise during your lunch hour but don’t want to return to the office drenched in sweat, wear a headband to absorb sweat or perform yoga or Pilates exercises that work the muscles without working up too much of a sweat.
6. Make each decision separate from the last one. Just because you began the day eating badly doesn’t mean you have to finish the day that way.

Stephanie’s client on Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is lost 83 lbs. in 12 weeks while working a high-powered stressful job that requires a lot of travel. You can watch her journey here.