what to do?

[Evenlyn]

I am 22 years old. I am overweight. I am working. I used to sit whole day in front of computer. Can any one help what should i do or what diet to follow? Is my overweight is due to constant sitting?

[spinspinsugar]

Hi,

I struggled a bit with my weight too working in an office environment. I got myself a FitBit (activity tracker) and make sure I do at least 10,000 steps a day. This is hard when you're sitting at a computer all day but it encouraged me to get up and walk away from the computer numerous times throughout the day. If the weather is nice I go for a short walk in my lunch break to increase my steps. I like to run too as often as I can 3/4 times a week. It's an exercise I enjoy, the gym is not for me.

I also changed my eating habits. I'm not on a diet and no food is banned, as that was where I used to fail with weight loss! I make a fruit/veg smoothie everyday for my morning snack at work which helped me to ignore the office biscuits till lunchtime. I try and have a balanced food diet and I do count my calories, which is helped with my fitbit. It calculates how many calories I burn each day, and I input what I have eaten through the day so I can see how much I should/should not eat.

I eat 3 meals a day plus healthy snacks, and the occasional treat. It's very much about portion control, even with healthy foods, too much of anything is not good for us. Everything in moderation!

I've lost 15 pounds since January and am continuing to lose weight, but slowly. I calculate it at about 1/2 pound weight loss per week, which although is slow it is manageable and it stays off.

Good luck with your weight loss journey!

[PoppyM]

Your overweight is due to sitting for so long without moving and probably snacking a lot because you are bored. There's plenty of diet tips online, you could count your calories, about 1200 a day is considered suitable for weight loss for most people. You could join a diet club such as Weightwatchers or Slimming World and above all get out and move more.

[Hidden]

I pretty well agree with the other contributors but would add the following.

If you are on a tight budget and have a smartphone you can download a pedometer app as an alternative to purchasing a fitbit in the first instance. 10,000 steps is a pretty good target but don't be too demoralised if you are not achieving it at the outset - make it something to aim for. I aim to complete 10,000 steps a day in addition to my day to day activity and that means a decent walk of around 1h15m. Walking is such a great way to lead you into a more active lifestyle and as you improve and gain in confidence then you may be encouraged to look for other enjoyable ways to get moving. It has got to be enjoyable if you are to make lifestyle change.

In addition to a pedometer app I would recommend that you track your eating with an app like My Fitness Pal. It does not encourage a calorie intake less than 1200 so is responsible and will re-educate you about portion control. Also, you can keep your progress private - Weight Watchers would not be for me. You can also input your exercise and get an idea of how many calories you are burning and this can act as a motivator. Even after the pounds have melted away it can be a useful way to track your diet - especially if, like me, the pounds go on easier than they come off.

The only other bit of advice I would offer is to try and cut out anything with added refined sugars . It is widely used in processed foods but is a source of empty calories and fosters a taste for sweet flavours - in short it is like an addiction. If you can manage, try to make things from scratch and know what you are eating - eat well. A home made pasta sauce for instance is more likely to be better nutritionally than one from a jar! I am not a fan of the low fa/diet options either.

Finally, give it time and you take control of your eating and exercise and not let it take control of you. Think in terms of small achievable goals and by all means reward yourself - not with food or drink though! This may sound grim but the only way I can really stay in control of my weight is to see food merely as a fuel and not associate it with reward or a regular way of socialising. Basically I eat to live and not live to eat.

Wishing you all the best