by Alan Turnberry
It seems like just about everyone you know today is on a diet. If you ask your friends, family and coworkers – you’ll easily find that many of them are currently on a diet or are thinking of starting one. Many of these dieters face the challenge of being on a diet while working. Trying to learn how to lose weight quick at work and being in the workplace itself can be very stressful for your diet. It is critical that the smart dieter be prepared for any of these potential hazards that they may face. The more prepared you are for work challenges that will affect your diet, the less they will affect you. You’ll soon discover that you too can successfully diet while at work!
Tip #1: Know common work stresses that you face. Everyone’s job is different, so they’ll face different types of stressful things. Even more important, people react differently to stress based on their backgrounds and their chemistry. Some people just seem more hardwired to handle more stress than others! Take the time to know the work stress that you face on a regular basis and how this could affect your diet. You might be tempted to snack as you prepare the monthly budget for a project. Or speaking at a meeting might overload your stress level and that could have you headed for the vending machine. Look critically at your job and discover exactly what makes you feel stress.
Tip #2: Keep healthy snacks at work. It seems like everyone does some type of eating while they work these days. Most workplaces have vending machines and many also have cafeterias. Sadly, these often do not have that many healthy alternatives for you. It is far too easy to get a double cheeseburger with onion rings than it is to find a large leafy green salad. Healthy snacks are even harder to come by on a regular basis. Bring your own healthy snacks in from home every day or once a week and nosh on these when you need a break. Ideal snacks could be cups of yogurt, pieces of fruit, baby carrots, grape tomatoes, string cheese, a half a sandwich, a container of milk, V8 juice or a handful of nuts or low-fat microwaved popcorn.
Tip #3: Plan your lunches and meals ahead of time. All of us seem to work harder every day, all the time. Make your diet a bit easier and plan your lunch or break meal ahead of time. You’ll save both money and fat and calories by planning this healthy meal. Best of all, you’ll eat something you truly want to eat. Try to also plan your dinner or the meal you eat when you return home. Have some healthy food waiting at home for you so you are less tempted by a drive-in.
Tip #4: When eating a business lunch make healthy choices. There are many times you need to eat meals with your coworkers or clients. There is no need for you to go off of your diet even for this time. That being said, you also don’t have to lug a calorie counter or even worse – a measuring cup or scale out to lunch with you if you plan ahead! The biggest secret to successful dieting is planning ahead. If you work in a field where the business lunch is a common occurrence, then come up with several healthy choices you know you can order. Grilled fish or a chicken salad over leafy greens is an excellent option. Sushi is also a healthy choice. Remember that restaurant portions are generous and you can most often get a “dieter’s portion” by simply cutting your serving in half.
Tip #5: Let your coworkers in on your diet “secret.” When you tell your coworkers and boss you are on a diet, quite often you’ll discover that they are too, on diets! You can cheer each other on and share dieting tips. Your office can go for walks on your lunch hour and get creative with healthy lunch ideas. Best of all, you’ll motivate each other to stick to your diets. Teamwork is the best way to get any type of project at work done – this includes your diet! Bottom line, learing how to lose weight quick at work isn’t as difficult as it seems, especially if you follow these 5 simple tips to weight loss.