How do you not become fat when you have a WFH job that requires 8 hours of sitting a day?

A work-from-home scenario can make losing weight a challenge. Also, the possibility of gaining more weight is quite realistic, especially if you’ve made it a habit to snack while working at your desk. 

But not all is lost, there’s still hope. Even if your desk job requires you to sit for 8 hours or more, you can still keep weight gain at bay.

We’ll loop you in on some of our fitness tips for those who work remotely.

How to still be fit even if you are working full time at home

Sitting in front of the computer for longer hours means less energy expenditure. Not to mention, there might be activities, though mundane but calorie-burning,  that you can miss out on. 

A simple walk to the bus stop or waiting in line for the train can add up to your daily energy expenditure. 

This and other calorie-burning activities, be it minute, will be cut off once you start working from home.

As such, weight gain can become inevitable. 

You might find it hard to keep your weight within healthy limits. And to prevent gaining unhealthy fats, these are simple tips that can help you be a bit fitter even if you are working from home.

Plan your day ahead

To be able to stick to any routine, you have to make a cohesive yet sustainable plan. 

While working from home has a lot of liberties, these can also be traps if you do not know how to manage your time.

You don’t need to wake up earlier to allow time for the traffic. It can save you hours of travel and time for prepping up.

But if you don’t plan, you might be spending the entire day wondering where you spent those extra hours that you have.

So the first thing that you have to do is to have a cohesive yet sensible plan. One, plan your meals.

Now is the time to make home-cooked food ahead since you are going to have full access to your kitchen all day. 

Two, plan your physical activities.

WFH can sometimes feel like a trap Some, if not most folks tend to just spend the entire day slaving away, in front of the desk, thus missing out on the calorie-burning activities you used to do. 

Plan when you will do that run or walk, and stick to it. You can make it short and simple so you’ll be able to do it regularly. 

The key word here is sensible. It’s something that you should find easy and simple so that you can stick to it long-term.  

So keep scrolling and we’ll help you plan.  

Healthy meals: be mindful of your food

Since you have the luxury of your kitchen and fridge for lunchtime and snacks, now is the time to be mindful of the food you eat.

Having a sensible meal with a balanced combination of complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and a lot of fruits and vegetables can help you maintain a healthy weight. 

You can curate a menu plan a week ahead so that you can also work around your groceries. There are a lot of resources online for healthy and delicious meals that are easy to prepare.  

Also, it’s important to never skip any meal.

Most often skip breakfast since everyone is caught up in the morning, rush, traffic, and all.

Now that you have more time in the morning, might as well fuel up properly.

Eating a healthy and nutrient-dense breakfast can help speed up your metabolism and prevent excess snacking during the day.

And speaking of snacks, it’s okay to munch on some noms while you’re in front of your desk.

You have to park the chips, the cake and cookies, the soda and chocolates. These are empty-nutrient foods and are very high in sugar and fat. This can easily lead to weight gain.

Instead, consider snacking on nutrient-dense food that can make you feel fuller and are lower in fat and sugar such as fruits, veggie sticks, or nuts. 

Almonds are perfect for weight loss if you’re wondering what are the best nuts for fat loss.

And oh, drinking lots of water helps make you feel fuller and curbs cravings.

Exercise: plan a workout at the time you feel most energized

Getting wrapped up in your work can lead to laziness. And when you’re working from home, it’s very easy to get wrapped up in your work.

That’s why it’s important to curate a plan on when you will do your walks or run on the treadmill or bike. Plan to do this at the time when you feel most active and energized.

Most folks often start their day with a light run or walk on the treadmill.

If you’re up for a night run, you can also do this after your shift ends. The important thing is to keep it regular so it becomes part of your daily routine. 

And oh, choose physical activities that you really enjoy doing, that way you’ll be looking forward to it.

Sleep enough: Quality snooze

We cannot state the importance of sleep any more than this.

Getting a good snooze for 7-8 hours is crucial in maintaining a healthy weight. If you lack sleep, your metabolism slows down.

Your muscles and body will not have time to properly recover. This can lead not only to slowing down the metabolism,  you’re also putting your health at risk.  Your immune system weakens if you lack sleep.

So even if you are working remotely, never underestimate the power of sleep.

Our body gets energy in two ways,  through eating and sleeping. Lack of quality sleep can lead to excess binging and then to weight gain  

Create a designated space for work: be in the work zone

We know how tempting it is to just show up for work in your pajamas. After all, that is one of the perks of working remotely right?  Or perhaps just change your top and go right to the computer from the bed for a morning Zoom meeting. 

This happens a lot. There might not seem to be anything wrong with it.  But in the long run, it can jeopardize your schedule.

Doing this habitually can also lead to working beyond your shift and you might even feel like you’re working 24/7, with just lots of breaks in between.

That’s why it’s crucial to keep a schedule for when you will exercise and when to take breaks, especially when you are on flexible time. 

It will also help a lot if you dress up for work as you would in a corporate setting. This helps you be in the work mode. So after your shift, you know it’s time for other stuff other than your desk job.

It also helps if you create a dedicated space for work, especially if you have the liberty of space.

Using your kitchen, dining room, or worse, the bedroom as a work zone can be detrimental to your schedule. 

How can these lead to weight gain?

As it wreaks havoc on your schedule, you will not be able to have time for exercising and even for preparing your meals. 

This can also disrupt your sleep, especially if you are using your bed for working on your laptop.

It’s also about creating a balance between work and life

The idea is to change your improve your eating habits and inject physical activities, even if it’s as short as 15-30 minutes a day. You have to get off the chair and never allow yourself to get wrapped up in work the entire day. 

Creating a schedule for the day can help you a lot. But you have to be sensible in doing these schedules and plans. It’s the only way to be able to stick to it.