How to lose weight at work

One of the biggest challenges for anyone with a job is how to get fit and lose weight.It simply seems that there are not enough hours in the day to get it all done. Employees face the demands of doing well in their jobs and employers seem to only be focusing on being able keep their doors open. Yet by working together employees and employers can work together to promote a culture of health and weight loss.And best of all each group can see tremendous benefits.Studies show that employees who feel that they are being supported at work in their weight loss efforts have better success at meeting their weight loss goals, have higher job satisfaction and feel more loyalty toward their employer.Employers in turn can benefit from healthier employees who take less sick days, have much lower absenteeism and much higher productivity while at work.The bottom line-it is in everyone's best interest to institute weight loss strategies at work.Here are a few tips to get you started-

• Enlist a work buddy to help you lose weight. Employers have seen the benefit of having their employees "buddy up" to become diet partners.Some wellness programs offer rewards for a team approach to losing weight. Usually if the program is employer sponsored there is nutritional and fitness counseling available for the teams.Each team is then given a goal or percentage to work towards.If there is not a program at your company you can simply enlist one of your work time friends so that you can work together to become healthier, more fit and lose weight with the people you spend the most time with! Studies have proven conclusively that when people work together to lose weight and support each they are much more likely to reach their weight loss and fitness goals.
• Hit the water cooler. (And not just for the latest gossip!) It is important to get in those eight glasses of water a day. Studies have shown that staying hydrated will help employees stay focused, prevent fatigue, and may even keep cravings at bay. In addition with the lack of good ventilation in many offices the cubicle dweller can find themselves thirsty and reaching for a high fat food. This is because the sense of thirst is easily mistaken for hunger, so we tend to reach for a snack when what our bodies really crave is hydration. It is important not to wait until you are thirsty to drink water; by then you are already on your way to dehydration. Instead, sip a little water at a time, all day long. Employers can help by providing easy access to water coolers, stocking water bottles (there are "green water bottles") in the company fridges and even providing insulated mugs with the company logo! Instead of providing sodas or other high calorie beverages at meetings and other employee gatherings employers can simply serve water as part of their fitness commitment to their employees.Employees should train themselves to take advantage of all of these hydrating opportunities.
• Get enough sleep!This may seem like a surprising at work weight loss tip but scientists have shown that getting enough shut-eye may play a part in keeping weight-gain at bay. Workers tend to naturally reach for less-than-healthful foods that give an energy boost (such as a candy bar) when we need to pep up after getting less than optimal sleep. A lack of sleep may also increase your body's production of the stress hormone cortisol, which may be linked to the development of extra belly fat. Employers are seeing the benefits of a well-rested work force and a few companies are offering napping or break rooms where employees can catch a quick nap to rev up productivity and help improve their fitness.If you are an employee be sure to take the time to get enough rest for you and your job's sake.