Progress Report: Getting fit & healthy while having a full-time sedentary job

[contemplatingfarmer]

@aarcus Thank you I started writing this like 3 or 4 times in the last month and kept deleting it, then I realized that I should just go for it and people don't care if it's organized the best it can be.

 

[sugarbunny]

@contemplatingfarmer Thanks for sharing! My story is pretty similar to yours, sedentary job and lifestyle led to weight gain when I always so lean and active, even in college!

How many steps do you walk each day?

 

[contemplatingfarmer]

@sugarbunny I try my best to walk 10,000 steps - I've recently started walking more at lunch instead of just sitting at my computer and watching The Office (even if that's all I want to do), walks can be a lot of fun unless the weather is horrid. I average about 8,000 though and that includes the steps it counts during my workouts.

 

[sugarbunny]

@contemplatingfarmer Nice! I love walking, I had a FitBit Charge 2 for a while that really helped with making sure I hit that daily goal. I noticed when I didn't prioritize walking, I was only getting 3,000-4,000 steps/day! The difference is insane, maybe I should get one again...

 

[haigcraylett]

@contemplatingfarmer It’s nice to see someone at 5’4 eating a decent amount of calories while still getting fitter! I’m 5’3 and relatively active, still struggling to figure out how much I burn on a daily. You look great and I’m glad you found a routine that works for you

 

[contemplatingfarmer]

@haigcraylett If you work out 3-5 days of moderate exercise, it's safe to assume to you can easily do 1800 calories a day! Have you calculated your TDEE before? I like this one. My FitBit tells me I burn about 2000 a day when I work out and walk at least 8,000 steps.

 

[apbranch]

@contemplatingfarmer Did you have a stall in your weight loss when starting to workout? I’ve been doing 6 days at the gym with a 1200-1300 calorie day for about 6 weeks and can’t seem to drop the weight. Also I’m same height but a lot heavier than you so I would think weight loss rate would be decent .

 

[contemplatingfarmer]

@apbranch I did actually, it took me about a month to see solid results. And then it came off way quicker. I remember one time I somehow weighed in at 123 once and 117 just a week later, blew my mind. Depends on the time of day you weigh yourself as well.

 

[apbranch]

@contemplatingfarmer Thank you for responding, this encourages me to stick it out even though the exercise by itself has already improved my life in a couple ways on its own.

 

[ladymatsuke]

@contemplatingfarmer How do you get so many steps in?? I work a desk job too and there are days where I don't even break 3,000 steps by the time I'm getting in bed (when I'm not purposefully going on walks and/or working out that day)

 

[dmm]

@ladymatsuke employees are also typically entitled to two 15 minute breaks per work day, I use both of mine to take a walk, so it adds up to 30 minutes of walking in addition to whatever else I do. Between that, walking at work, and walking my dogs for a mile or two in the evenings I often end up with 12-16k steps per day.

 

[eisha]

@ladymatsuke I'm with you. I park far out in the lot and usually walk a mile on my lunch break, and even then I'm not hitting my 5k step goal unless I go to the gym.

 

[contemplatingfarmer]

@ladymatsuke I walk around at work, I get up to get water, I walk around at lunch, walk around at home playing with the cats, volleyball, yoga, going to and from places!

 

[joepierce1988]

@contemplatingfarmer I find that at least one trip from my office (I have an office job too) to the production floor adds 1-2k steps and keeps me from feeling like a slug all day.

 

[stevejackson]

@contemplatingfarmer Way to go! Super motivating!

 

[contemplatingfarmer]

@stevejackson Thank you I'm glad you find it motivating. Have a wonderful day!

 

[contrecoup]

@contemplatingfarmer Love everything about it.

Question tho, why the 2 isolation moves (lateral raises and curls) when everything else is a solid compound movement.

Have you tried chin/or/pull ups or adding a press to the goblet squats... To work muscles in that up/down plane?

 

[contemplatingfarmer]

@contrecoup What do you mean by isolation moves? My lateral raises I do together with both arms, like each hand holding 5 lbs, and my bicep curls same thing but with 10 or 15 lbs.

I don't have a pull up bar, but I've recently started using the weight bar machine and have been doing pull ups that way. Unfortunately we also don't have a squat rack, I used to love doing weight bar squats.

 

[m32s]

@contemplatingfarmer Compound movement meaning an exercise that works multiple muscles at once.

You look fantastic btw! Great job

 

[contemplatingfarmer]

@m32s Oh that's a great question then! Because my arms were a huge target point when I started working out, I carried a lot of weight in my face and arms.