Chained to a desk?

Hi everyone,

I am new to 811 (5 wks) and I am transitioning. In August I start a desk job after a year "off" during which I was able to develop some great exercise/dietary habits.

To get my exercise in I can ride 10 miles to work and shower there....then after ride 10 miles back home. But for the diet....

I am anxious about being in a work environment and following 811. Out of those who work behind a computer for 6-8 hours a day, can I get some motivation/tips about how to make this work @ work?

I can just imagine tons of bananas at various stages of ripeness sitting all over my office. I think this will be my reality. I just want to make sure I get enough cals so I can perform well and make it through the day without resorting to any sort of junk.

I would even love to hear what everyone does/how you get through a typical day at work. What do you bring in? How many cals do you eat during the day compared to home?

Thanks!

Tags: working

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Permalink Reply by Bart M on May 5, 2011 at 1:49am

When I work in an office-type setting, I bring jars of smoothies to work with me. It's a bit more socially acceptable than bananas sitting all over the place. I bring whole fruit too, but not a giant amount.

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Permalink Reply by Amandy on May 5, 2011 at 4:27am

Bart, do you drink the smoothies right away or all day long? How long after you make a smoothie does it have to be consumed - for optimal nutrition?

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Permalink Reply by Bart M on May 8, 2011 at 4:59am

If I wanted absolutely optimal nutrition, I wouldn't even make smoothies, I would just eat the fruit whole. But I gotta compromise sometimes :) I put ripe bananas in the fridge the night before I make the smoothie, so that when I make it, it's already cold. Then when I take it to work, it's refrigerated, and takes a couple of hours to come up to room temperature. Oftentimes, I'll drink the smoothie 4-6 hours after I make it. Yes, it's not optimal. But it works pretty well for me. It beats taking the time to eat 10 bananas in a high pressure environment when ya just can't do that. I do the same with freshly squeezed orange juice sometimes.

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Permalink Reply by Joe Williamson on May 5, 2011 at 1:56am

I used to bring a large insulated canteen with a 10-banana smoothie, and a large tupperware with 10 whole bananas, or other sweet fruit. I would eat the smoothie as my mid-morning snack, and the whole bananas for my afternoon snack, and work through lunch (I can get more done during lunch break as there are no distractions). I also keep dates and dried fruit in my desk. Not so convenient on a bike, I know. I work near home now and drive home to eat. Curious what others have to say, as I am considering moving farther from work and wanting to run/bike commute.

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Permalink Reply by Perry Fullerton on May 5, 2011 at 2:06am

I work at a computer doing 12 hour shifts. I eat the same things I normally eat: bananas, oranges, dates, smoothies, salads etc. I take mini breaks away from the desk and do push ups, planks, etc. People made lots of comments about my food initially but they are over it. I now see more coworkers eating salads and green smoothies!

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Permalink Reply by Dejan on May 5, 2011 at 2:17am

I usually bring 15-20 bananas and 10-15 of some other fruit like oranges, apples etc. I try to eat two meals during the work hours: one around 10 am and another around 3-4 pm. (Otherwise I would be snacking all day since all that food is right in front of me. :) )
I also take banana peels out of the office as soon as I am done eating to be considerate to my coworkers (banana peels tend to give off an odor)

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Permalink Reply by Amandy on May 5, 2011 at 4:24am

I like the times you choose to eat. Those seem to be "hungry" times for me so I may try that schedule when I work. Eating at 3 or 4 will also give me energy to bike home or take a hike on the trails after work.

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Permalink Reply by todd on May 5, 2011 at 2:20am

smoothies are what work for me too.. usually banana/romaine

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Permalink Reply by Chris P. on May 5, 2011 at 2:27am

Oh yeah! Totally doable! :) People may raise an eyebrow at a bunch of produce in your cubicle, but that's part of the fun! :)

I would just bring in some apples, bananas, clementines/oranges and a nice big bag of dates. Smoothies in a jar as Bart mentioned is a good idea too! You could even bring something small like a magic bullet to work if you want to whiz one up and drink it fresh.

For me the hardest thing was work lunches, but if I stayed calm and didn't let myself get too worried about the absolute optimum food , I did quite well at salad bars when out with co workers. I'd often bring along a lemon or a lime to squeeze over the salad to avoid the dressings, plus the longer I eat this way, the more I appreciate and like "bare" greens and other salad stuff.

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Permalink Reply by Helena on May 5, 2011 at 2:38am

I buy fruit to eat at work at local shops at lunchtimes and fruit and salad to eat at home on my way home. I don't have a car so that cuts down on the distance I have to transport large quantities of heavy fruit (and the permanent shoulder soreness from carrying a rucksack full of fruit & veg everywhere). I also bought a cheap blender to keep at work, which is really useful if you have a kitchen area at work.

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Permalink Reply by Chris P. on May 5, 2011 at 3:00am

LOL! I'm with you on the sore shoulder thing Helena! I often ride a motorcycle so sometimes what I'll do is tag along when a coworker drives to the grocery store to get something for lunch and do a little produce shopping then.

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Permalink Reply by Amandy on May 5, 2011 at 4:22am

Produce shopping at lunch is a great idea.... on the days I don't bike I can bring in loads of food for that day and the next. This requires a lot of planning because I really don't want to fall off here.