DonutsNCoffee

I work in the computer field as well and see a lot of people who have an office a**. I made up my mind a long time ago that I would not to end up that way so I've been taking preventative steps and would encourage you to do the same. First, find excuses to walk around more. I drink a lot of water so that makes me have to leave my desk at least every hour to either get more water or go to the bathroom. If I need to discuss something with a coworker, I try to avoid using the phone and instead walk to his or her desk. I'll park at the end of the lot and use the stairs whenever possible. Even when I'm trying to figure out a solution to a problem, I'll get up and walk around while I think. My coworkers take a lot of smoke breaks. I don't smoke, but I do take "fresh air" breaks. When I go out to lunch, I pick places within walking distance. Obviously, you can't exercise at your desk, but if you make these small changes, they'll add up over time. Second, drink water as your main beverage. I know that a lot of us IT workers are hooked on caffeine so we drink a lot of soda and coffee. Well, you need to break that habit. It's not the chair that's giving you an office a**, it's the calories. You'll also be doing your teeth a big favor. Definitely cut out soda. It's one of the reasons you have a lack of energy. Soda or anything with a lot of sugar will cause your blood sugar to shoot up and then come crashing down so you end up tired. I also drink green tea in addition to water. Supposedly, it helps with weight loss, but I mainly drink it for the health benefits. Third, eat a small meal every 3 hours. By eating often, you'll keep your energy level up and speed up your metabolism. It will also help curb appetite. I eat little things like yogurt with some fruit or tuna on whole wheat. Pick something low in fat, high in protein, has complex carbs and fiber. It enters your system a lot slower than candy or soda. Even though you're on a different shift than most people, the same rules apply as far as meals. Whenever you wake up, eat breakfast immediately. The exception is if you decide to exercise first. From that point on, try to eat every 3 hours. Make sure your last meal is no less than 3 hours before going to bed or else you risk having it be converted to fat. The bottom line is no matter how much you may not like to exercise, you have to do it if you want to lose a significant amount of weight. The less active you at work, the more important exercise becomes. I sit at a desk all day and tell myself, "there's absolutely no excuse not to exercise at least 1 hour every day." And I adhere to it and that's why I'm in better shape now than when I was 22 and in a LOT better health than the guys in my neighboring cubicles.