7 reasons that are making you gain weight at work

You are exercising every day, even on Sundays. Yet the weighing scale does not seem to come under your turf. Even though you are doing everything right, you do not seem to lose weight. For working millennials, work-life balance has taken a toll on your health. Despite the fact that you may be sticking to your exercise regime every day, here are some reasons due to which your worklife may be making you pile on the pounds:

PEOPLE-PLEASING EATER: Corporate culture includes lavish lunches and dinners as part of team building activities. This may happen too often in a month and can be the primary reason for your weight gain. Buffets often have you binging on foods you wouldn’t eat otherwise. It is best to stick to salads, lentils and subzis during times like these if you wish to keep your weight under check.

NOT THINKING WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO EAT: Mindful eating is a broad category which means you need to think before you eat. While at lunch you may eat healthy and homecooked food, by 4 pm you are physically and mentally exhausted. This exhaustion may lead to eating foods like sandwiches and street food just because you are hungry. Carrying homemade snacks and fruits is the best option at times like these.

ATMOSPHERE MATTERS: According to science, if the lighting of a room is dim, you tend to eat more as compared to a bright light setting. This rule applies for room temperature as well. If the lighting in your office is dim, step out and go for a short walk once in a while.

ERRATIC WORKING HOURS: Late and early working hours often messes up with your meal times. When you do not have enough time for yourself, you wish to let go of your gym and prefer to sleep. This also disrupts hormones leading to you feeling hungry all the time. Opt for stairs and prefer to move as much as you can in a situation like this.

STRESS-INDUCED EATING: Your current lifestyle makes you extremely vulnerable to stressful situations. You tend to eat more as a response to this. The secretion of cortisol in your body triggers hunger pangs at unnecessary times and we hog on foods even when we shouldn’t. Getting proper sleep and exercising majorly helps in such a condition.

MULTI-TASKING: Studies have found that even though the human body is equipped to handle multi-tasking, this may end up inducing stress and hence hunger. Your mind and body are engaged in different things all through the day which leads to exhaustion once work is over and hence you eat whatever food you get to relax yourselves. Try and keep snacks like peanuts and makhanas so that you do not eat junk foods before dinner.

HAVING LESS WATER: This is the biggest cause for gaining weight at the workplace. Often you forget to drink water during work hours because you are so occupied with work! Drinking less water and consuming caffeinated drinks may shoo sleep away but also affects your weight and energy levels tremendously. Keep a water bottle with you and target to finish at least thrice a day.

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