I’ve gained 20 pounds since I started working from home

It’s odd that so many people don’t realize just how much exercise they actually get when they work from an outside the home job. When you think about it, there may have been flights of stairs to climb, or you may have been on your feet quite a bit of the day. Now that you work from home, you MIGHT have some stairs to climb but it probably isn’t that many. Also, your office is most likely arranged so that you don’t have to be on your feet a lot. Whatever the reason, you get on the bathroom scales one morning to find that you’re 20 pounds heavier than you were on the last day of your outside job. Now what do you do?

This is such a simple dilemma that you’re going to slap yourself when you realize that the answers were all right there in front of you. Read on and prepare to slap:

Take a walking, jogging, biking or tennis break: One of the reasons you started to work from home was so that you could make your own schedule. Therefore, start making your own schedule. In that schedule, block an hour or whatever works best for you, so that you can get outside and go walking, jogging, biking or playing tennis. This time is meant specifically for whatever physical activity that you enjoy doing.

Install a treadmill or stationary bicycle in your home: On those days that the weather is too bad to go out in, or you’re expecting an important call, or you just don’t feel like going out, have a treadmill to hop on or a stationary bicycle. These can be set facing a window so you can see outdoors or the television, whichever motivates you more. You can still get in your physical activity.

Eat a healthier diet: Now that you work from home, you’re right there at your kitchen. When you do your food shopping, you can now include healthy things such as fruits and vegetables, or low calorie meals that can be heated in the microwave. Following a better eating plan will do a lot to help you LOSE unwanted pounds.

Be faithful about following your new routine: If you start working in a daily exercise activity and eating healthier, you’re going to be amazed at the differences you’ll see not only in the physical appearance of your body, but in your mind and spirit. You’ll be more motivated and less susceptible to burn out.

Remember why you started working from home and don’t lose sight of the fact that there’s no one looking over your shoulder. As long as you schedule your day so that all deadlines are met, you can definitely get in some exercise time. Your snacks will come from your local supermarket rather than a vending machine. These things alone will help you improve your appearance and the way you feel about life in general. The next time you get on those bathroom scales, you’ll see that they’ve dropped more in the direction they need to be.