I think one of the factors for obesity and weight gain is the type of environments we work in. Most of us are chained to a desk and computer for 9 or 10 hours a day at work–and then we go home and often sit in front of the home computer or the TV.
There are other major factors to weight gain at the office. The biggest factor, in my opinion, is eating out. Eating out every day for lunch will definitely pack on the pounds. Unless we’re eating salads and healthy soups for lunch, our choices can add up the calories FAST.
Working in downtown Portland, I’m surrounded by amazing food. There are food carts in front of my office and another group of food carts less then five blocks away in two other directions. Not only that, I’m in the thick of some really good restaurants. It’s so tempting to just eat out.
I’m really thankful that the one habit I’ve been able to avoid is buying my lunch. I take my lunch to work every day. If I had to guess how often I eat lunch out in a year I’d say it’s less than 5 times a year. I just don’t want to spend the money OR the calories!
Packing On The Pounds
Obese: Is usually described as being 30-40 pounds overweight
Severely Obese: Is believed to be about 60 pounds overweight
Morbidly Obese: Is the condition of being 100 pounds overweight
Super Obese: A very serious condition of carrying 200+ pounds overweight
Wow–seeing that list spelled out for me is shocking. I was definitely classified as being morbidly obese when I weighed 250 pounds. There’s no avoiding that label, as much as I try to deny it (even to this day it’s hard to admit that I was “obese”).
When I was heavy (fat, obese, whatever you want to call it) I ate out a lot. I ate out a lot at home, I rarely cooked real food and I also ate my lunch out probably three times a week at work. There was a cafe in the same building as my office and I’d get their sandwiches or soups and salads. I thought I was making okay choices but I really wasn’t. I also ate fast food that was around the office (Subway, Taco Bell and I think there was a pizza place nearby).
I rarely took healthy foods to work and if I did eat my lunch in the office it was often from a vending machine.
Shedding the Extras
One of the tips I often give people who are trying to lose weight is to examine how often they eat out. If they eat out at lunchtime every day at work and then go home and order out food for dinner–that adds up fast. Simply eliminating the lunch time temptations could make some immediate differences when trying to lose weight.
It’s clear to me now what the temptations are and that’s why I bring my lunch to work. I get creative so I don’t get burned out. I bring salads and top it with leftover chicken or tuna fish. I bring soups for lunch or leftovers. Check out the post I wrote on how to Reinvent Your Lunch. I have some good tips on making lunch time fun without getting burned out on sandwiches.
If you’re just starting out trying to lose the weight, try eliminating one lunch date a week. Then the next week, eliminate another one. You might find that you enjoy eating your lunches made from home! Small changes like a lower calorie coffee drink, water instead of soda, or walking at lunch time, or change your printer to as far away as possible so you have to walk a lot, can make a humongous difference. Making time to run during your lunch break to energize yourself and get out of the office is also a plus and it frees up your evenings.
QUESTION: How often do you eat lunch out?
Roz@weightingfor50
It is SO true that there are numerous temptations in and around the workplace. Like you, I’m in a neighborhood with endless offerings of healthy and not so healthy fare. For the most part, I bring my own lunch, and when I do go out, I try to make smart choices, or portion control if I’m in a group setting which involves shared plates (like dim sum). It’s not always easy, and I’m not always successful at it, but it all balances out in the end. Have a great Tuesday Lisa.
Lisa Eirene
Sharing plates is a great way to resist overeating. Portion control is SO hard when eating out!
Lori
Well, I work at home, so I almost never eat out for lunch LOL! It is hard, though, because food is so close by and it is all food I like to eat (since it is my house).
When John and I were both significantly overweight, we were eating out a lot, mostly breakfasts on the way in to work and then going out after work. Then we would eat out on weekends.
Lisa Eirene
Working at home probably presents a very different struggle. I know that being home alone, bored, I am more apt to graze when I shouldn’t. It really isn’t any different than the candy room at work–I only graze when I’m bored (or stressed) so keeping busy is crucial.
Eating out a lot is definitely difficult on the waistline. I ate out a lot too when I was heavy, but it was more junk and fast food.
Jess
I take a packed lunch every single day. I’m a teacher at a school that is a 5 minute drive from any cafes, and once you take my 35 minute lunch break and factor in waiting for the slow eaters to finish up and driving to and from the cafe, I would only get 10 minutes to sit down and actually eat! Much easier and cheaper to pack my lunch. When I worked in retail, however, I purchased lunch several times a week. What a waste of money and calories!
Lisa Eirene
You sum it up pretty well, Jess! I take a 30 minute lunch too and I’d much rather go for a walk then stand in line at a restaurant! I pack my lunch 95% of the time during the work week.
Carbzilla
Hi – I have compulsive overeating issue, and I’ve been put in charge of feeding 40 people. You know that’s gonna be a battle, and it is every day,
So today I realized that our favorite catering site has the sandwich calories – they average 750 – 1000 each. I’ll never eat a whole sandwich again! But it’s so hard when it’s free. So I have to figure out how to let them feed me in my calorie range. Being unemployed sucked, but at least I weighed 15 lbs less than I do now.
Lisa Eirene
Oh wow! That does sound hard! I am with you, free food is so hard to resist! That happens in my office too but it seems like the collective office has a sweet tooth so it’s always things like cookies, cake, brownies and donuts. GRRRR!
Stay strong, my dear! I know you can do it. #losing20
Jane
I always did better when I worked in the office setting. It gave me structure to my days. It wasnt until after I had bilateral arthroscopic knee surgery and left the office work setting that I regained my weight. The bad results/recovery/chronic pain in addition to the lack of structure to my schedule wreaked havoc on my ability to stay on track. I guess either way it boils down the planning to succeed or the lack thereof is a by default a plan to fail.
I eat lunch out now about once or twice a week. It is a salad from the cafe at the gym or a pre picked menu item that I know is a good choice from one of several healthy spots I go to. I do my best to eliminate bad settings where I can slip, derail and end up “in a bad choice situation.”
Lisa Eirene
Structure does play a big part. Sometimes just having a routine helps a lot in resisting the grazing and overeating issues.
Miz
I rarely eat out but only because, working from home, I HATE to interrupt my flow since the afternoon bus always feels seconds from arriving.
but working from home is fraught with pitfalls too 🙂
Lisa Eirene
That’s awesome that you have a better reason for resisting eating out! Working hard! 🙂
Diane, fit to the finish
I am at home, but my hubby struggles with this. The food is ridiculous. Ladies bring in home baked goodies, the snack machine is full of junk, and the lunch restaurant meals are calorie-laden. It is a challenge for him.
Lisa Eirene
Your hubby and me are in the same boat. Just last week I resisted steaming, oozing cinnamon rolls a coworker tried to make me eat. Literally. He was shoving the plate in my face saying “You want this!” He’s a fairly new addition to my department so my other coworkers explained to him not to do that and he later apologized and commended me on losing the weight. It’s a challenge. I surely wanted that roll!
Kati Mora, MS, RD, Kellogg's FiberPlus(R) Wellness Advocate
Bringing your own lunch to work is definitely a step in the right direction. There often are a lot of temptations at work and packing your lunch can definitely help ward them off. I like to try and make sure I also have plenty of nutritious snacks around too. My go-to’s are homemade trail mixes, apples, and baggies of Kellogg’s FiberPlus cereal. I keep them in my desk for those moments when hunger strikes in between meals.
Lisa Eirene
Good point. Having healthier go-to snacks are crucial. I always bring fresh fruit or veggies every day to snack on, but I also have a stash of protein bars, oatmeal, etc in my desk just in case.
Crystal
I work with a bunch of computer geeks who go out to eat every day ~ we have endless options within a short walk or drive. I was one of them for 4 of the 8 years I’ve worked here and it was when I packed on the pounds and lightened my pocket book!
I started bringing my lunch and snacks almost religiously about 4 years ago allowing myself to join the group eating out once a week on Fridays. Then I started a circuit class Friday’s at lunch and stopped eating out all together. While it is great for the health and the pocketbook, the worst part of not joining the co-workers eating out is you lose that social aspect ~ so much intangible work goes on during these lunch hours, that it is almost isolating to not do them. If it is like this in many workplaces, I understand why many people eat out.
I’ve managed to find the balance (hopefully), but the temptation is always there!
Lisa Eirene
There is definitely a social aspect missing when you don’t eat out to lunch. I experience that as well. Since I don’t eat out, or partake in the goodies in the office, I’m seen as someone who maybe doesn’t want to have fun? Not sure, that’s just the vibe. But eating out is costly and not something I really want to do.
That’s cool that you started a fitness class! Good for you! Fitting it in is often the hardest part and you’re doing it.