Not surprisingly, studies have shown that people who work at a desk are more likely to be overweight than those
with more active jobs. The risk is probably even higher for those of us who work at home. For one thing, it’s easier to forget to eat a meal when you don’t have scheduled lunch and break times, increasing the likelihood of overindulging when you do eat.
In addition, because the entire office is usually in one room, you have no more trips to the photocopy room, the mail room, or the file room. For some people, job-related stress helped keep their weight down, a discovery that may not be made until that stress is eliminated.
It’s no secret that weight gain has a negative impact not only on your appearance, but on your health. Taking care of yourself is especially important when you’re self-employed, because you don’t get paid for sick days or time taken off for medical appointments.
Despite this, it’s a sad fact that many of us don’t eat properly or feel we can’t take time away from work for exercise. There are, however, a number of changes you can make without a significant impact on your lifestyle or your pocketbook.
- Make the effort to eat proper meals during the day, so you’ll be less likely to overindulge in snacks after dinner.
- Avoid eating at your desk. If you’re hungry, take a break! If you munch while you’re working, you may not notice that you’re full and eat more than you need to.
- Drink water instead of soft drinks, and black coffee (or even better, herbal tea) instead of loading up on cream and sugar.
- Take time on weekends to prepare food for the rest of the week. You’re more likely to snack on celery sticks if you don’t have to take the time to wash and cut them up!
- Instead of heading straight for the computer, go for a walk as soon as you get up. Whether it’s a result of the activity or because you feel you need to work harder to make up the time, you just may find that you’re more productive when you kick-start your morning.
- Ignore the productivity experts who tell you to place your filing cabinet close to your desk. You need to increase your movements, not decrease them!
- When meeting with colleagues or clients, go for a walk instead of a meal.
- Walk around while you’re talking on the telephone, if you don’t have to be reading or writing notes.
- If you use exercise equipment, kill two birds with one stone by reading business books or listening to audio classes while you’re working out.
- If you live in a condo or an apartment, take the stairs instead of the elevator, whenever it is safe to do so.
If you think that gaining weight is inevitable when you work at home, try one or more of these steps – you might be in for a pleasant surprise!
About the Author
Janet Barclay is the General Manager of Organized Assistant and the Founder of the Golden Horseshoe Virtual Assistants Group. After gaining 15 lbs during her first two years working as a full-time VA, she has managed to take it off (and keep it off) by developing a healthier lifestyle. Learn more about Janet and her business by visiting her website www.organizedassistant.com and her blog www.janetbarclay.com.
