Losing Weight at the Office

Posted: Jan 04 in Weight Loss Blog by Staff

After weight loss surgery, many people worry about what their life will be like once they return home. With temptations lurking in the back of the pantry and family members who aren’t required to follow the same post-operative diet as you, finding a bit of weight loss help at home in Naples or Ft. Myers can seem like quite a challenge. But your home is somewhere that you can take complete control of as you are losing weight—unlike your office.

When you are trying to lose weight, the office can prove to be treacherous territory. Between birthdays, office parties and the endless holiday treats of this time of year, most offices are looming with traps for the calorie-conscious worker. But after getting weight loss surgery these dietary pitfalls aren’t something you can fall for. Straying from your diet can lead to serious upset stomach, as well as a number of other uncomfortable symptoms depending on the type of bariatric surgery you had.

Most Americans spend a minimum of 40 hours a week at their place of work. That is a big chunk of your time, and it is not realistic to your health or weight loss goals to think that what happens at the office will stay at the office. To improve your health you need to make universal changes to your lifestyle habits in all avenues of your life—and this includes the workplace.

Whether you work in a typical office setting, a warehouse, a school or a hospital, there are likely temptations waiting for you at work. Here are a few strategies to combat workplace weight gain:

• Bring your own lunch. Sometimes the biggest problem with office meals isn’t what is actually in the office, but what is just outside of the office. Fast food restaurants may be convenient for grabbing a quick bite on your lunch hour, but after weight loss surgery they are not practical meal solutions. Pack a post-bariatric surgery friendly lunch and eat that instead.
• Socialize and exercise. If the break room is filled with more donuts than opportunities to socialize, then it might be time to break away from the habit of lingering there. Invite your coworkers to go on a lunch time walk with you. This is a great way to boost your activity level as you are trying to lose weight, too.
• Say “no thank you.” You don’t need to explain to everyone in your office that you’ve undergone weight loss surgery. When treats are brought in you are perfectly permitted to say a kind “thanks, but no thanks” and go on about your day. Chances are your coworkers will finish off the treats before too many people notice you refrained.

If worst comes to worst, be honest with your co-workers and explain to them that you are taking strides to become healthier. You may find other co-workers who are making similar commitments, and you might even be able to form an at-work support group to keep you on track.