Tips for losing weight when you work from home

Working from home can make losing weight difficult, especially when you don't know how to separate work life from personal life, and give yourself a break.

The three primary keys to losing and keeping weight off are good nutrition, regular exercise, and quality sleep.
When you work from home, it's important to make time for movement. Y ou don't have to go to the gym to lose weight, but you should dedicate space in your home to exercise.

Invest in workout equipment you can use at home – You don't need fancy machines and clunky equipment to achieve your weight loss goals. You will, however, benefit from investing in a few basic tools to help speed things along.

Find activities you genuinely enjoy doing, and you're more likely to stick with a plan – Oftentimes, fitness is looked at as a chore — something that has to get done in order to reach your weight loss goals. Although it's true that physical activity is an important component, it shouldn't feel like a burden, and it doesn't have to. The key is to find exercises and activities you genuinely enjoy doing so that the time you commit to doing them feels like time well spent.

Clock in the right amount of quality sleep – Nutrition and fitness are two of the most important elements of weight loss. The third is sleep — getting the right amount, and the right quality of it. And because when you work from home, your living space is also your workspace, it's important that you not only set parameters for yourself, and know when to shut down, it's also important that you create a sleep space that's designed for sleep, not work under the covers.

Create a space in your home that can be your designated workout area – You'd associate a gym or yoga studio with exercise, right? When you work from home and opt out of a membership, it's important to make room for exercise in your living space by reserving either an entire room or just a section of one, and transforming it into your workout spot.

Plan your workouts around the times you're most energized – Are you a night owl? Early bird? Do you prefer afternoons to morning and evening hours? When you figure out what exercises you're most likely to enjoy, your next task is to figure out when you're most likely to exercise.

Be mindful of your meals and snacking options – Nutrition is just as, if not more important when it comes to losing weight — whether you work from home or otherwise — so if you have a sweet tooth, you'll just have to find ways to nip mindless cravings in the bud.  Fill your fridge and pantry with healthy snacks, and prepare nutrient-dense meals in advance so that when you go grazing, you already have good-for-you options at the ready. For someone who might be easily tempted by junk foods, to avoid buying them altogether if eating them in moderation just isn't realistic for you.

Don't skimp out on cardio – Walking from the bedroom to your couch or dining room isn't much of a commute, but when your career can be done from the comfort of your living room, it's easy to forgo cardio altogether. cardio is key to most weight loss goals, so even though your work doesn't require you to get up and out of the house, there needs to be a concerted effort to put the pencils down and get in a workout daily.

Drink a ton of water, but don't sip on a glass with meals – According to The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the average adult should be drinking two liters, or eight cups, of water per day. However, the key is to drink these eight cups between meals, not during them.

Remember that small adjustments to your schedule can make a difference, too – You can become more active by making some small changes like planning a time to exercise each day, setting alarms to get up and walk around each hour, stretching while you are making your morning coffee, and getting up and walking around during conference calls.

Practice mindful eating – Getting up and away from your desk to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner is just as important as taking a walk to the kitchen for a coffee break when you work from home and your job can virtually be done from every room in the house.

Cut back on sugar, alcohol, and high-fat foods – The biggest things to stay away from while trying to lose weight are sugars, alcohol, and high-fat foods. It is important to eat a super balanced diet and additionally, stay away from food that is labeled low fat or sugar-free. Typically those food have to either added fat or sugar for taste than the normal full calorie options.
 

Sources: Insider