Do you do the 8-5 grind 5 days a week? If so, chances are that you sit for prolonged periods of time if you have the typical office job. But hey, it beats working in a coal mine, right? At least coal miners are moving around, burning calories.

You don’t have to get down and dirty like a miner, though, to prevent weight gain at work, if you have the standard desk job. Here are some ways to stay healthy during the work week….

Drink Lots of Water

Sounds pretty simple, right? Though drinking water throughout the day may make you go to the bathroom more--not a bad thing, it’ll make you get up and take more walks--it’s a very effective way to lose weight.

Drinking water, according to one study in the journal Obesity, concluded that “drinking water may promote weight loss in overweight dieting women,” regardless of whether or not they exercised.

Staying hydrated also may prevent energy crashes and also help maintain mental clarity.

So if you’re thirsty at work, resist the temptation to pop a few quarters in the soda machine. You’ll not only save money by sticking with water, drinking regular soda leads to weight gain.

There are 150 calories in a can of regular cola. Drink 2 cans a day and that’s an extra 300 calories. There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat. Drinking 2 cans a day per month equals an extra 8400 calories per month. It’s easy to see how drinking soda can lead to weight gain (diet soda is no better; your body will crave regular sugar and the chemicals are potentially carcinogenic).

The chemicals in regular soda are no better. Consumer Reports says that the caramel coloring in many sodas is also carcinogenic.

Add lime or lemon and cucumber slices to make your water more appetizing.

Type While Standing--or even Walking

If possible, consider getting a standing workstation or laptop stand. Sway your hips in a circle as you type. Dance. Do knee bends. Listen to music with infectious grooves to help maintain your Disco Fever while you type.

It’s not likely you’ll want to stand for 8 straight hours, so opt for a standing workstation or laptop stand that can lower to a seated position. While seated, sit on an exercise ball and bounce slightly.

While it may not seem like you’d be burning many calories, it all adds up. Even if you’re not breaking a sweat while standing and typing or seated on an exercise ball bouncing, over the course of several days, weeks, and months, you’ll notice a difference.

For those who want to take it to the extreme when it comes to an upright workstation, there are treadmill desks or computer stands attached to stationary bikes!

Bring Healthy Snacks to Work

You’re only human and will occasionally fall off the healthy eating bandwagon at office parties and that’s ok. Have a slice of birthday cake or a cookie every now and then. But make it a once in a blue moon occurrence rather than a daily habit.

One way to reduce the power of your sweet tooth is to keep your workstation stocked with healthy snacks.

Here are some examples:

• -An apple with a tbsp. of almond butter

• -Celery sticks with cottage cheese and raisins (ants on a log)

• -A handful of nuts or seeds mixed with dried cranberries

• -Soft-boiled egg with a slice of low-fat string cheese

• -Rye crackers with hummus

• -Homemade flatbread mini-pizza slices with roasted veggies

The main goal of healthy snacks is to keep your energy levels steady, not spiking them with artificial sugars or caffeine. Maintaining steady energy will help eliminate cravings, which is one major cause of weight gain at the workplace.

Learn 3 More Ways To Prevent Weight Gain at Work in the next Miracle Noodle Weight Loss Blog….

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