Working from home definitely has its perks, but it can also be a challenge to stay fit and healthy. What makes working from home weight loss so hard to achieve is that it’s all too easy to spend hours working at your computer without getting up for a break, and before you know it, you’ve eaten an entire bag of chips. Or you’ve taken, like, 500 steps in the whole day which was just to go and get the chips from the kitchen.
We’ve all been there.
So when it comes to researching tips for losing weight, there are a lot of things that us folks working from home can’t do as quickly. Like hitting 10,000 steps per day or making sure we only pack healthy snacks for work. I don’t know about you but I can take healthy snacks to my desk but it doesn’t stop me from knowing I’ve got candy in the kitchen.
I’m working from home on a weight loss journey and like you, I’m always looking for ways to lose weight that I can apply to my working week. Realistically, it’s the only way we’re going to achieve our weight loss goals while we work from home.
So I want to share my tips for staying fit and healthy while working from home that has actually worked for me. No fluff!
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Invest in exercise equipment you can use at home
It’s easy to say you’ll take a lunch break or get up early and go to the gym, but will you really?
I’m going to hazard a guess that if you’re anything like me, you might not stick to this routine religiously. Particularly if you have big work deadlines you need to hit sometimes. It’s too easy to say “not today” and pretend you’ll go tomorrow.
Instead, you need exercise equipment at home that stares you in the face every day and guilts you into using it.
My favorite method for this is my DIY treadmill desk but you don’t have to totally disrupt your work station to make sure you exercise while working from home.
Whether you buy a rowing machine for your garage, place an exercise bike in the corner of your office, or just roll out a yoga mat in your living room in the morning, make sure you have exercise equipment at home so when you get a spare 20 minutes, you’ve got no excuse not to workout.
Walk wherever you can
WALKING IS CARDIO GUYS. OK?
It’s low-impact cardio, but it’s cardio, and cardio is great for burning calories.
There’s no need to fit 60 minutes of cycling or running miles and miles into your day to get some cardio in. Even just taking a walking break in the afternoon will help you get some light cardio in and it’ll make a huge difference to your productivity when you return. Everyone needs a break now and again!
Clock in the right amount of good quality sleep
I laughed typing this one because as a mom of two, good quality sleep is lacking in my house. And on the days one of them is ill or up in the night? I know about it.
I used to stay up until 10 pm watching TV and then wonder why I struggled so much in the day, particularly with my kids as unknown variables for how my night would go until I decided I just couldn’t live life like this anymore.
Nowadays I go to bed at 8.30-9.00 pm and it’s made a world of difference to the quality of sleep I get. Sure, it’s not the ultimate working from home weight loss tip because it doesn’t burn calories but it does help me to make healthier food choices during the day.
So if you’re only clocking in 6 or so hours of sleep per night and find yourself reaching for a sugar hit mid-morning, this is probably why!
Focus on healthy meals and snacks
It is too easy to snack on junk when you’re working from home. Which makes working from home weight loss even harder to achieve. The best way to combat this is to take healthy snacks to your desk in the morning and afternoon so you’re not tempted by anything in the kitchen.
You can also prep your lunches ahead of time (I find batching a few days ahead works best for me) so you’re not making quick, unhealthy choices out of desperation when lunchtime rolls around.
Drink crazy amount of water
This tip is a bit of a no-brainer and gets done to death but it’s so, so important for working from home weight loss. The more water you drink, the better you will feel (and look) in many ways but it’s essential for weight loss.
I aim to drink 8 gallons of water per day and find I eat a lot less on the days I hit my target. You’ll be peeing a lot, so make sure the toilet isn’t too far away from your desk! I use a water bottle like this to help me keep on track.
There you have it, guys! My top working from home weight loss tips that work for me. No fluff! Let me know how you get on if you decide to give any of them a go or if you have any other great tips to add.
Until next time!