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Now that the New Year is here it’s time to start a new. Like so many of you, my resolution is eating healthy and exercise. However, I find myself being able to incorporate eating healthy and exercising on the weekends, only to abandon it during the weekday due to the daily grind of work. One step forward and two steps back seems to be the consistency I tend to create.
The stress or monotony of that daily weekday grind creates a hole of bad habits that I easily slip into. I know the keys to looking better is a combination of eating healthy and exercising daily but the real question is how do you maintain that while at work? Below are some strategies or concepts that may help in your quest to look and feel better for the summer months ahead
Eating Healthy
I have realized that most of my poor eating choices are due to stress. Work is where I feel the most stress and is the easiest place to take that walk to vending machines to get that daily snack of chips and a soda; during that walk, I’m telling myself that it is a one-time “thing”. The reality is that it is a daily thing due to lack of discipline. The key is to develop a routine with these critical components in mind.
On Sunday, write out or pre-make healthy lunches that are realistic for you to prepare. Of course, I would like to have the salad with goat cheese and sliced strawberries but that is not a reality for me to prepare every day. Ignore the magazine suggestions and start small and realistic. Instead of the typical sandwich with chips, maybe only have ½ of a sandwich and replace the chips with Greek yogurt or try some of these recipes amazing recipes from Positive Health Wellness. These are simple and achievable steps to eating healthy.
Pack healthy snacks. Throughout the day I bounce back and forth between cravings for sweet and salty so have both close by. Have a salty snack like peanuts or almonds on hand so you don’t make that trip to the vending machine for chips. Have some fruits or one or two bite size chocolates on hand to satisfy that sweet tooth that results in getting the king size candy bar.
Leave the cash and change at home to resist the temptation of going out to eat and to avoid that impulse purchase at the vending machines
Exercising at Work
I feel this is the most difficult to develop and maintain. It’s hard to exercise at work; especially if you’re someone who spends most of their day at a desk like I do. There is also the idea that I don’t want to look foolish or mess up my hair. Below are some thoughts on how to discreetly incorporate some exercises.
Increase the amount of sustained time in motion. Park your car at the farthest possible spot in the parking lot. Take the stairs. Always for both. No exceptions.
During wait times at the copy machine or waiting for a meeting to start, do exercise like wall pushups, calf raises, arm lifts, wall sits
At your desk, practice proper posture. Keep your legs in motion through leg extensions, leg circles, or simply getting up every couple of minutes to engage your body and get your blood flowing
During lunch or break times, instead of chatting with coworkers while sitting down, encourage them to take the conversation outside for a walk. Involving a co-worker with your quest to exercise at work is a great way to make sure you stay true to the plan.
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