You can walk 10,000 steps to justify your 500- calorie bagel with cream cheese, or try this: low-fat spreadable cheese like Laughing Cow Light on an English muffin.
8.Tone in traffic
Use the time spent bumper-to-bumper to develop your buns of steel: Squeeze your derrière each time you tap the brake, holding for 10 seconds. Shoot for 10 to 15 squeezes a trip.
9. Snack smarter
Portion out the day’s snacks into pint-size zip bags, or buy single-serving portions. For example, four regular Oreos have 200 calories versus the 100-calorie snack bag version. Go for the lower
fat chips: a Lay’s Light bag has only 75 calories, while the regular has 150.
10. Casual day payoff
You will blast more calories during the day wearing comfy clothes like jeans or khakis, sport shirts and soft-soled shoes than donning
constricting suits, skirts and heels. Why? Because you walk more, a study found. Now you just have to convince the boss.
11. You know squat
At your desk chair, pretend you’re going to sit but don’t—stop and come back up without using your arms. Always start squats by lowering your hips, not bending knees forward, and keeping your weight on your heels. Repeat the motion throughout the day (even at the potty!) for 15 to 20 total. Strengthens quadriceps. Burns 15
12. Switch your soda
Your body doesn’t register calories from liquids the same way it does those from foods, so you won’t get those “stop eating” signals to help you compensate for the overload later on. Change from two glasses of regular soda or fruit juice to diet soda or a flavored seltzer.
13. Talk it UP
Every time you grab the phone, stand up and pace around. Heavy people sit on average two and a half hours more per day than thin people, according to the Mayo Clinic.
14. At lunch, pick a pita
Use one mini whole-wheat pita instead of the usual two slices of
white or refined wheat bread for your sandwich.
15. Get face time
We use e-mail so much we’ve forgotten what our co-workers look like. Pick a colleague or two who sits farthest from you and deliver 10 of those daily messages in person. And go out of your way: Hit a bathroom or a copier on another floor—and take the stairs, of course.
16. Firm as you file
Pause from your papers with a few wall push-ups. Place hands wide at shoulder height against the wall. Take a couple of steps back so your body is at a slight angle and your weight is on your toes, and do three sets of 10 push-ups. Strengthens chest and triceps. (For more desk exercises, go to changeone.com/workout.)
17. An apple (or more) a day
They’re packed with fiber and water, so your stomach will want less. Plus, studies out of Washington State and Brazil have shown that people who eat at least three apples or pears a day lose weight. Try two small apples and two fewer large cookies.
18. Try a simple chair workout
• Dips: If your chair has wheels, brace it against something. Facing forward, place palms on the front edge of the seat with knees bent at a right angle. Lower butt toward the floor; raise and repeat for two sets of 10. Tones triceps. |
