Avoid the Fat Traps at Work

For most, the days of physical labor are gone and with it, many great opportunities to exercise. It’s hard to stay fit when you’re sitting at a computer all day. In our current sedentary work lives, it’s even more important for exercise and proper diets. The workplace contains all sorts of diet hazards. Zappos.com highlights 5 “fat traps” that we should all avoid:

• Fat Trap #1: Free Donuts and Bagels at the Morning Meeting
• Fat Trap #2: Staying Stuck Behind the Desk for Eight Hours Straight
• Fat Trap #3: Lunch Meetings
• Fat Trap #4: The Candy Jar
• Fat Trap #5: Snacking when Stressed

Here are some ways to avoid these traps a keep up your energy level:

Eat a Proper Breakfast

Thanks to a new NYC law, chain restaurants are required to display their calorie content. Did you know some muffins at Starbucks contain 470 calories? Start your day with a proper breakfast at home and skip the muffins at the office.

Get out from Behind the Desk

Staying behind your desk for eight hours just isn’t practical. Take a break, use your lunch time to go for a walk. The increased blood flow will help you think and walking burns calories.

Brown Bag It

Lunch meetings can be productive, but they’re usually accompanied by junk food, or take place at restaurants (avoid the fast food chains.) There’s nothing wrong with getting a little work done over lunch, just make sure you choose a healthy place to eat. Packing your own lunch not only saves you money, but also lets you control what you eat.

Pack a Snack

The candy jar and snaking when stressed go hand-in-hand. I quickly scanned my work area and didn’t see any snacks. Remove the sugary treats and you’ll avoid continuous stress snaking. Also keep an emergency stash around just in case, like raw almonds or trail mix (sans the M&Ms).

The workplace can be hazards to your diet, but it doesn’t have to be. Eat a proper breakfast, dine at healthy establishments and pack a nutritious snack; you’ll be good to go - for the entire day!

Written by: Gregory Schnese