If you work in an office or organization, you're probably familiar with the challenges and concerns of trying to lose weight in such environments. Office environments are filled with many temptations, such as back-to-back birthday parties, snacks shared with colleagues, and fast food meals.
One of the challenges employees face is that office work and sitting at a desk can lead to issues like obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even diabetes. Therefore, having a healthy eating pattern in the workplace can be a big help in maintaining the health and fitness of employees.
The life of an employee is not something that lasts just a couple of days, so you shouldn't skip homemade healthy meals during that time. One of the biggest mistakes and issues that lead to weight gain and health risks for employees is that they resort to ready-made meals, fast food, and junk food instead of homemade meals. To prevent such problems, it’s recommended to prepare main meals like breakfast and lunch at home and pack them in appropriate containers so you can easily take them to work. If you don’t have time to eat breakfast at home, it's highly recommended to avoid eating industrial cakes, cookies, or biscuits at work and instead bring a simple sandwich with bread and cheese.
Many employees suffer from chronic constipation due to lack of movement and sedentary lifestyles, combined with poor eating habits. Therefore, it’s recommended that when preparing their meals, employees fill half of their containers with various vegetables like parsley, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, sweet peppers, and so on. Additionally, when preparing their lunch or breakfast for work, they should include two seasonal fruits in their containers for a mid-morning snack.
One very unhealthy eating habit that is prevalent among employees is the regular consumption of cakes, biscuits, cookies, chocolates, and salty snacks. All of these snacks can not only lead to weight gain but also increase the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and even heart attacks. Another bad habit among employees is buying and eating sweets, chocolates, or ice cream when they want to celebrate small office events. Therefore, it’s recommended that employees always keep healthy snacks like dried fruits, raw nuts, and seeds in their desk drawers to eat when they feel hungry. However, employees should be aware that like everyone else, they need a certain amount of calories each day. If they overindulge in even healthy snacks and don't maintain moderation, they will experience weight gain and its associated complications.
As mentioned earlier, chronic constipation is a common issue among office workers. On the other hand, these individuals might also face skin dryness, wrinkles, dark circles under their eyes, or hair damage. All of these problems can be due to employees’ lack of attention to drinking enough water throughout the day. Moreover, some employees have a habit of consuming too much tea or coffee during their working hours. The caffeine in these drinks is a diuretic, which can lead to dehydration. Therefore, it's recommended that employees always have a water bottle on their desk and drink at least one cup of water every hour.
Although office jobs usually involve a lot of sitting, employees are encouraged to avoid prolonged periods of sitting to prevent local obesity, constipation, and even varicose veins or cellulite. For every hour of sitting, they should try to stand and work for about 10 minutes, take standing breaks, stretch, or even walk a bit during lunch to keep their bodies active. They can also avoid using internal phones and go directly to their colleagues' desks when they need to call them.
Unfortunately, in some countries, bone diseases, tooth decay, osteoporosis, and even joint diseases are common among office workers. Research shows that calcium deficiency among employees is the main cause of these problems. Therefore, it's recommended that employees include milk in their morning or afternoon snacks and, if possible, consume a bowl of yogurt mixed with vegetables with their lunch. Adding some sumac, cumin, or coriander to their lunch can also aid digestion, reduce bloating, and prevent a feeling of heaviness after eating.
In the first phase of an employee diet, if your workplace does not offer dedicated parking, it's better to park your car further away from the office and walk for 10 minutes to get there. This way, without even realizing it, you'll fulfill part of your body's exercise needs while walking to and from your car during the workday.
In the second phase of the employee diet, although using the elevator is tempting, employees should make an effort to use the stairs to get to their work environment. Climbing stairs increases metabolism by boosting heart rate and fat burning, which aids in weight loss. If your office has many floors, try to use the restrooms on other floors to force yourself to go up and down the stairs. Repeating this will help you in your weight loss and employee diet.
In an employee weight loss regimen, instead of moving from one chair to another during meetings, try to hold meetings while walking. You can walk with a colleague and discuss your next big project or, if you're in a large group, have standing meetings so that at least you can give your legs a break from sitting.
For a proper employee diet, instead of eating unhealthy restaurant food because of hunger, prepare your homemade meals the night before. By doing so, you'll have healthy meals prepared with fresh ingredients, and you’ll ensure that you're eating nutritious food for lunch. Every 30 minutes, try to change your position and move around to avoid sitting for too long.
Most of us skip our lunch break, eating at our desks. However, to increase your weight loss and follow the employee diet, you should try to increase your activity throughout the day. Use your lunch break to go to a nearby park or walk around the building. This will help significantly with your employee diet.
Many companies offer health incentives for their employees and promote employee wellness initiatives. Some companies provide gym discounts or pool passes, while others might have dedicated spaces for employees to work out. If such facilities are available, make sure to take advantage of them. Exercising in such spaces might not only help with your employee diet but also foster new friendships that could positively impact your career.
Employees should never skip breakfast due to lack of time, as they will work long hours from morning until lunch, and will certainly get hungry. To avoid this, it's recommended that if employees don't have time to eat breakfast at home, they should always take some whole-grain bread with them, which can be eaten at work with homemade jam, honey, or grape molasses. These items are not perishable and can be stored in your desk drawer. This breakfast, due to its fiber, sweetness, carbohydrates, and vitamins, can provide you with energy until lunch. For lunch, make sure to have a serving of lean meat, like lamb or chicken, along with some brown rice, whole-grain bread, or boiled potatoes. It's also a good idea to add a little sumac, cumin, or coriander to your lunch to aid digestion and avoid bloating.
Be mindful to avoid oily rice and instead prepare your rice without oil. Keep your meat dishes low-fat and try to maintain a regular eating schedule. If you're a lean person, you can enjoy jams as a dessert after meals at work. However, if you're overweight, avoid consuming appetizing condiments like pickles and salty snacks during meals.
In conclusion, paying attention to the physical health of employees can improve their mental well-being and lead to higher productivity. So, don't neglect your diet and physical activity. I hope you enjoyed this content on weight control, and feel free to share it with others who care about their fitness. For more informative content, visit the Sports section of Saadnews. Thank you for your support!
