Work: A ‘weighty’ obstacle?

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Fend off (too many) Friday drinks

The key word to remember for Friday after-work drinks is "moderation". There's no harm in having a beer or a glass of wine to wind down after the busy work week - the problem comes when you're still out draining your (ninth) glass at 2 o'clock the next morning! You can guarantee that your “healthy eating” motto will have truly gone out the window.

• Offer to be a designated driver - that way you're restricted to one drink, if any, and you've got a great comeback to peer pressure. No one can argue if you're driving them home, right?
  
  
• Before you leave your desk and head to the local watering hole, eat a filling snack. This means any alcohol you drink will be absorbed more slowly into your blood stream. It will also help you to resist the unhealthy snacks that tend to accompany drinks.
  
  
• Don't forget that although they contain no fat, most alcoholic drinks have at least 100 calories or more. These are empty calories, with no nutritional value at all. Keep these extra calories in mind when you're counting your day's calorie intake.
  
  
• Alternate your drinks with water or diet soft drinks, and choose diet drinks as mixers.

Engage in easy exercise

If you work at a desk, you probably feel like you spend your whole life sitting down. To avoid this becoming true, the trick is to build more opportunities for exercise into your working day.

Try these quick tips:

• Use the stairs rather than the lift
  
  
• Get off the bus or train a few stops early and walk the rest of the way to work
  
  
• If you drive to work, park the car a five to ten minute walk away from the office
  
  
• Keep your snacks in the office fridge, or even on another floor, rather than at your desk so you have to walk to get them
  
  
• Offer to do the mid-morning coffee run and bypass the coffee shop just outside the office for one a short walk away
  
  
• Organise a break-time "power walk" with a co-worker or two (keep a pair of your sneakers in a desk drawer to change into)
  
  
• Get your workplace involved in a stair climbing competition - try the National Heart Foundation of Australia for more information

If you're worried about work getting in the way of your weight loss goals, make sure you eat carefully at work and make an effort to add a little extra exercise into your day. You might find your weight loss efforts are well-rewarded when you have to buy a smaller sized suit!

Related articles :

• 10 Minute Workout
• 6 Simple Steps to an Active Lifestyle
• Gourmet Lunchboxes for Grown-Ups
• Who Says You Don't Have Time for Exercise?
• Work it Out! Fitting Exercise into your Working Day

Last updated: September 8th, 2006