The Lady Shake
Shop Now

4 Reasons Your Job Is Making You Gain Weight

Share

It is easy to get caught up in the working environment and pick up other peoples habits especially when it comes to eating! Here are 4 ways your job could be contributing to weight gain and how to avoid it!

4 Unhealthy office eating habits and how to avoid them

1. There's always junk food in the office

Now this can be one of the biggest challenges we face at work when on our weight loss journey! The endless cycle of yummy pastries, donuts or sweets that are often in office. They don't do our waistlines any favours. It's easy to give into temptation when other people are!

Our top tip is to always ways be prepared! Pack yourself a healthy snack incase you get hungry around 3pm. You'll curb those cravings and avoid over eating when Sheryl from accounts offers you that brownie!

2. Your office air con is too cold

Now, we know it sounds crazy but studies have shown that our bodies respond to cold climates by eating warmer fattier foods. So the colder the air con is, the more you will gravitate to eating junk food. Always keep your jacket on stand by and ensure you keep warm to avoid over eating in the office.

3. You're a stress eater

Being stressed or anxious is a common in the work place. But why do we stress eat when things get tough?

From a scientific point of view, the reason we want to eat junk food is because our adrenal glands to release a hormone called cortisol. This can cause an increase in appetite because our brain is preparing for a potentially harmful situation - it's from the part of the brain that think we still live in caves and hunt wild animals.

It's easy for us to say "try to de-stress", but our tip is to at least try and allow yourself some de-stressing breaks. Perhaps that means taking a step outside every hour and go for a short walk and some air and allow yourself to re-group and recover. Find what works for you, whether it's a warm bath at night, breathing exercises or some afternoon yoga.

4. You eat lunch with your team

Did you know that most people eat 30% more food if they eat lunch with another person. This is because we often tend to mimic what our co-worker or friend is ordering even if we know it's not healthy.

We then tend to linger around the lunch table for longer making it easier to pick at the plate or order dessert even when we are not hungry. When we are talking while we eat, we become mindless of how much we are consuming. We don't want you to be a loner at the lunch table, but ensure that you are still ordering something healthy regardless of what your co-worker is eating and be mindful of how big your portion is.

Ladies, if you are experiencing high levels of stress or anxiety at work - or anywhere for that matter. The best thing you can do is to talk about it. Reach out to a friend, co-worker or helpline and get the support you need to need happy and healthy. Beyond Blue is one of many organisations that offer help and support if you are feeling overwhelmed. Don't be afraid to speak out.