Dieting on the Job

We probably don't need to tell you how tough it is to lose weight whenyou sit at a desk all day, five days a week. What's a dieter to do?"Weight control is simply a mathematical equation," says Melinda Hemmelgarn, MS, RD, nutritionist at the University of Missouri. "To loseweight, you must burn more calories than you take in." If you sit at adesk all day, you're sedentary and more likely to snack, which may make it difficult to win the calorie contest.The solution is to make the most of your desk's diet potential. Wesurveyed weight-loss experts and dieters who've done it. Here are thetricks they believe work best. =Snack wisely. "A lot of people snack while they sit at the computer,"says Hemmelgarn. If you're one of them, be prepared. Keep healthyoptions handy so you don't rush off for an emergency visit to the vending machine. Bring fresh fruit, veggies and salsa to work. Onedieter's smart suggestion: Keep snacks not at your desk, but stowed awayin a file cabinet. Out of sight, out of mind. If that strategy doesn't work for you, only bring the amount you want to eat each day.=Drink up. As with healthy foods, keep enough water at your desk andyou'll easily drink your six 8-ounces glasses by the end of the day.Keep a bottle or glass full of fresh water next to your computer at alltimes.=Plan lunch. "I eat half of my lunch at 11:30; then, when themid-afternoon munchies hit, I eat the other half," suggests one dieter. Schedule your lunch to protect against cravings. Also, says Hemmelgarn,it's best to bring your lunch from home - that way, you can control yourportions and keep track of exactly how many calories you consume. =Portion Patrol. In this age of "supersizing," prepacking your meals incontainers will help you eat reasonable servings. "Get to know trueserving sizes, and plan meals with that in mind," says Jean Anliker, director of the Nutrition Education Program at the University ofMassachusetts, Amherst.A good guide to follow: One ounce of meat isabout the size of the average thumb, 2-3 ounces is about the size of apalm, and a cup of cereal or rice is about the size of a fist. =Move! "Even if it's just 10 minutes of exercise at a time," says LeanneWagner, a certified personal trainer in Los Angeles, "get up and movewhenever possible." Here are some ideas: Eat your lunch at a park a few blocks away, and walk there instead of driving. Walk to a colleague'sdesk rather than e-mailing or calling. Take the stairs instead of theelevator.Park as far away from the front door as possible.Include exercise breaksin your calendar. Treat them just as you would any other appointment -you have to be there! Place your wastepaper basket far away from yourdesk so you'll have to move to throw away garbage.Place your phone outof reach so you'll have to stretch or even get up to answer it.=Exercise during off hours. Get in exercise before and after work tooffset all that sedentary time at your computer. "If you don't live too far, think about walking to work," suggests Wagner. "And if that's notpossible, instead of spending an extra hour sitting in traffic, find agym near your office and go there instead. Once you're done exercising, rush hour will be over and you'll still be home at the same time."=Work out with friends. Get your co-workers in on the weight-loss game.That way, you can encourage each other throughout the day, have healthy lunches together and exercise together on breaks. Try organizing anat-work exercise or diet group. See if your company is willing to giveyou space and even funds for equipment (mats, weights, etc.).Nothing is possible for the unwilling