As much as I would love to write about the exciting new healthy Bestowed Box I got in the mail this week, that post will just have to wait. Because, as I have recently just started a “desk” job position (oh no!), I’ve begun to realize a few things.
Staying Healthy and moving throughout the day just ain’t that easy.
When I worked just as a Personal Trainer, I took for granted how much movement I got throughout the day. I used to be ENVIOUS, that’s right, envious of those with desk jobs. How nice it must be to sit all day, take lunch breaks at your leisure, instead of running into the break room between clients to shove half a sandwich down your throat, anticipating the other half in the next hour when you have another 5 minutes between clients. My boyfriend used to work a desk job, and he would complain how much it sucked, but hey at least he got to stay consistent with his meals and snacks ( which is extremely important when on a strict workout and meal regimen).
And, as much as I really do love my desk job, I owe an apology to all of my weight loss clients, who I urged to get up and move every hour, to skip that Starbucks latte on their way into the office, and to simply try harder.
Well let me tell you, my office is right above a Starbucks, with the smell lingering throughout the hallways at all hours of the day. I can’t even go for an afternoon walk without the rich smell of coffee beans hitting my nostrils. Not that an afternoon walk ever really happens anyways, because by the time I look up from my desk, it’s already 330pm and I have an hour and a half to get the rest of my piles of work done. And you can bet that 9 out of 10 times, I’m stopping into Starbucks for a pick-me-up…I honestly haven’t missed a day yet.
I’m not trying to say that coffee is bad, but that I get it. I GET IT. As an RD, it’s easy for me to skip the cream (not that I want to), order the skinny frappe, get up early for my workout, or leave work and go right to the gym, but that’s not the case for everyone. Perhaps you are struggling with your weight and whenever you pass a Starbucks, it’s not quite as easy to walk in and just order the healthier option, let alone pass it up altogether.
With this new position, I’ve realized just how tough it can be, and so my new plea is to simply take it one day at a time.
Failure is a part of success.
Stop beating yourself up. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about trying and progressing.
Some days I am so buried in work I can’t always get up and move for 5 minutes. But I do try to take an hourly stretch break, walk to the kitchen, do a lap around my office, or walk to a coworkers desk, because at least I’m getting up and recharging my mind and re-energizing my body this way. Fortunately, my office has an adjustable desk that I can stand at some times- which is another great option for those of you that work desk jobs and don’t get many breaks.
At the end of the day, weight loss is as much about our thoughts as it is our behaviors. Don’t ever tell yourself “I wish I had more self-control.” You do! You just have to get used to replacing old habits with new ones, accepting where you are at, and choosing to believe you can get to where you want to be. Sometimes our behaviors won’t always match up with what our mind is telling us (no you shouldn’t have that), but overtime choosing those daily healthy actions will get easier, and who knows? Maybe you’ll be able to walk into a Starbucks soon and order the nonfat latte or skip it altogether!
Paleoprincessblog 
Hey there thanks for the post! I can totally relate. I recently had a stint where I was sitting ALL day and it drove me crazy!! The way I dealt with it was to make sure that i included a 15 minute ‘stairs’ break. There were 2 floors in the building I was in, so I put on some good music on my earphones and did stairs for my break every day around 3pm. It was great because I was falling asleep at my desk, so this forced some blood flow, and it was winter so it was cold out and a good way to get warm! While it wasn’t always EASY to huff and puff, it helped me to keep my sanity. The only sad part to it was I felt like i had to ‘sneak’ it in as I worried my co-workers would think I was crazy. I’m looking forward to the day when exercise breaks in the middle of the day are not only accepted, but, encouraged.
That is such a great idea! I agree that sometimes co-workers can think you are crazy! Right now it is hard to even get a 15 min break but it needs to happen! Exercise is starting to become more accepted but it’s still not quite there yet and certainly not encouraged.