Do you find it difficult to lose weight when your job takes up so much of your time? Here are 21 tips I’ve compiled to help you lose weight.

Do you have trouble losing weight because you’re at a desk all day?

You’re not alone. Many of my clients come to me with this exact issue. The tips that I have compiled below are exactly what I share with them. Just by adding in a few of these weight loss tips, my clients were able to see great results.

I guarantee you can lose weight by following these tips as well!

What are the Benefits of Losing Weight?

There are many benefits to losing weight in a healthy manner. With just a quick Google search, you’ll find a list of the benefits of weight loss compiled by verywellfit.com that includes but is not limited to:

Decreased risk of diabetes
Lowered blood pressure
Improved cholesterol levels
Decreased risk of heart disease
Decreased risk of certain cancers
Improved mobility
Decreased joint pain
Improved blood sugar levels
Decreased risk of stroke
Reduced back pain

This Process is Fun!

When you start your weight loss journey, you are creating a new lifestyle. This means that everyday health and wellness will start to occupy a big piece of your life.

Who wants to do something they hate all the time? Not me.

It is important to craft a sustainable and effective routine that you can easily implement into your life. By incorporating a few items from the list of weight loss tips below, you will construct a healthy habit of your own and see your weight loss goals come to fruition.

21 Brilliant Tips for Weight Loss

Here’s a collection of my favorite tips to help you lose weight.

Tip #1: Frequent Movement

When you sit at a desk all day for work, it can be challenging to burn calories and lose weight. On top of this, it has been shown that by moving for 5 minutes every hour can have several other health benefits. Since a major part of weight loss comes through calorie expenditure, frequent movement is going to be helpful for your journey. My favorite forms of movement while at work are walking, squatting, taking the stairs (we will talk more about taking the stairs later), and arm circles.

Tip #2: Hydration

Everyone knows that staying hydrated is a major foundation to being healthy and fit, but exactly how much water should you drink per day? As a general rule of thumb, take about half of your body mass in pounds and drink around that number in ounces. This means that if I weigh 200 lbs, I’ll want to consume around 100 ounces of water. For more specifics on this topic, check out Mayo Clinic’s recommendations here.

Tip #3: Resistance Training

I could talk for days about the health benefits of resistance training. In relation to weight loss, this style of training not only burns calories but creates a better metabolism within the body through effectively growing and strengthening the muscles.

In short, EVERYONE SHOULD BE RESISTANCE TRAINING.

You can form a simple routine either before or after work. I even have some clients that bring resistance bands to their work to do simple movements like curls or lateral raises during their breaks.

Tip #4: Walking

Walking is a very simple and effective way to burn calories throughout the day. While at work, I recommend that you walk at least once an hour for about 5 minutes. For burning additional calories, walk for about 20-30 mins daily with a heart rate of around ~130 bpm. The American College of Sports Medicine goes into further detail on their recommendations for walking here.

Tip #5: Amount of Food

The single most important factor when you are losing weight is your CALORIE CONSUMPTION.

This simply means that if you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight. If you do not, then you will either maintain or gain weight. It’s very simple and yet it can be a challenging task to accomplish.

I recommend downloading apps like MyFitnessPal to help you keep track of your daily calories.

Tip #6: Food Timing (intermittent fasting)

I have had several clients lose 20-30 lbs in no time through implementing intermittent fasting.

By performing this dieting technique, you are essentially cutting the amount of calories that you may normally consume by limiting the time frame that you eat.

Some people fast after a certain time, like 5 pm, until the next morning. Some people only eat between a specific 6-8 hours a day. There are several ways to intermittent fast. However, at the foundation of it all, this is just a simple psychological technique to help you with Tip #5.

Tip #7: Carbs Are Friends… and Food

I love carbs. Everybody loves carbs.

A common myth is that carbs will cause you to gain weight, but that’s simply not the case.

In fact, your body needs carbohydrates. If you’re not eating enough carbs, your body will take other nutrients and turn them into carbs through a process called gluconeogenesis.

The reason people should limit carbs isn’t because they make you gain weight, it’s because they are also calories (refer back Tip #5). My recommendation is not to cut out carbs completely, but rather, eat more fibrous ones like wheat and oats (usually the darker colors) and limit the sugary ones like soda’s and candy.

Tip #8: Caffeine Used Right

Caffeine burns fat and suppresses the appetite.

Most people are unaware of these facts, but they’re true. Does this mean that you should consume massive amounts? Absolutely not, refer to Tip #9. However, by having caffeine here and there, it can be used as a helpful tool in your weight loss journey. It can boost your metabolism for a short period of time and give you more energy to have better workouts.

Tip #9: Caffeine Not Used Right

Having said Tip #8, when caffeine is misused, it can be disadvantageous to your health and fitness.

It may negatively affect your sleep, induce anxiety, or a plethora of other effects. Your body can also become immune to the stimulus of caffeine, meaning that if you are having it too often, the positive effects from Tip #8 will go out the door.

If you feel like you are addicted to coffee or tea, then try going on a fast from them for a month or two. I guarantee you won’t regret it!

Tip #10: Shake It Up!

In most cases, I recommend my clients have a protein shake during or right after their workout. Any sort of protein that is fast-digesting will do. Whey protein is a great option for most, assuming you don’t have allergies to it. This protein supports muscle growth, adaptation, and in turn, better metabolism within the body.

I also recommend that you try casein protein shakes as a snack replacement or at night about an hour before bed. These are great substitutes for the late night munchies and can play an important role in fueling your muscles while you sleep.

Tip 11: Sugar Timing

Sugars are not always bad to have.

In fact, they may be beneficial when consumed at the appropriate time.

When are those times? First thing in the morning, right before you need a spark of physical or mental energy, or right after a workout. This doesn’t mean that you need to eat all of the gummy bears in the world, but it does give you the most appropriate time to have your favorite sweets every now and then.

Tip 12: Dance!

Who doesn’t like to dance??

Except for that middle school version of myself…

Dancing burns many calories and most people don’t even think about it being a workout while they’re performing it. Not only this, but you also learn valuable coordination skills that you may not have had otherwise.

Tip 13: Zero Calorie Drinks/Sweetener

There’s a common myth that diet drinks and sweeteners cause cancer. In reality, this is not true and there have been ample amounts of research to show that.

Here is a great article by Healthline on the topic. Consuming diet drinks or adding hints of sweetener to them are great substitutes for the typical sugar-heavy options on the market.

Tip 14: Decaf Tea / Coffee

I love me some decaf tea and coffee.

At their core, neither of these drinks have calories and often contain great micronutrients to support better overall health. When I get cravings, I find that having one of these helps tremendously.

Tip 15: Chew Gum

While chewing gum isn’t going to cause you to lose massive amounts of weight, it can help suppress the appetite when you are feeling hungry.

In fact, many times when we feel hungry, we’re not actually that hungry. Often, just having something to drink or chew on can help ease that psychological tension.

Tip 16: Vegetables Rock!

Vegetables are negative calories.

This doesn’t mean the label will say zero or negative calories. Veggies are often in the 10-50 calorie range. However, when you consume them, especially vegetables that are higher in fiber (i.e. broccoli), the amount of energy they provide you with is usually much less than what it takes for your body to break them down.

On top of this, they contain some of the best sources of micronutrients that you can find.

This is why I recommend a healthy amount of veggies with nearly every meal.

Tip 17: Use the Stairs

This is a simple, but helpful tip. By using the stairs more often than you use the elevator, you will most definitely burn more calories and find that the process gets easier over time. The reason it gets easier is because stairs are essentially a resistance exercise that will make your legs stronger the more you do them.

Tip 18: Eat Spicy Foods

Spicy foods have been found to slightly increase metabolism and produce feelings of satiety (or feeling full).

This may be a great way to incorporate a small change to the types of foods that you eat and cook to help with the bigger picture of weight loss over time.

Tip 19: Fiber

Fiber has tremendous benefits and is an essential part to any healthy diet.

Fiber helps promote healthy bowel movements and is counted as 0 calories because it isn’t digested or absorbed. On top of this, foods that are high in fiber also make you feel fuller quicker. This means that you are less likely to eat as much in the long run.

To learn more about the benefits of fiber, check out Mayo Clinic’s article here.

Tip 20: Sleep

Sleep, along with nutrition, is the most important factor in your body and mind’s recovery process from your work day.

It is important to get enough quality sleep to create the energy that you need for health, work performance, and fitness.

On top of sleeping a healthy amount every night, try to take a 20 minute power nap halfway through your day. This will re-energize you to help make they second half of your day just as efficient as the first.

Tip 21: Laugh

What’s a life without laughter?

On top of making you feel better, laughing contracts your abdominal muscles and will promote weight loss. In fact, laughing 15 mins a day can help you burn up to 40 calories!

Obviously, this isn’t enough to be your primary workout during a weight loss phase of life (wouldn’t that be amazing?), but it does give us an excuse to watch your favorite comedy show at night.

Learn More About Healthy Living

Here are a few great resources that have changed the way I approach my own health and wellness.

Harvard Health – This is a fantastic site for all things weight loss related.
The Scientific Landscape of Healthy Eating - Here is a great TED Talk by an old professor of mine on the basics of nutrition.
Understanding Healthy Eating – This is a phenomenal book written by the top doctors in the health and fitness industry.

I also routinely upload fitness content on my Instagram @rickerfit.

Download the ‘Core Toning Guide’ Today

You Can Lose Weight

Losing weight takes a habitual practice of pursuing a helpful direction. That all starts with one singular decision. Once you’ve made that decision, your life will have already changed.

You deserve your best body.

I look forward to hearing all about your weight loss and health journey!

What do you think?

Did any of these 21 tips resonate with you? Have any Questions?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

21 Brilliant Weight Loss Tips for Working Professionals