Hello, my dears! It’s Alla Sem here. I know how busy life can get. During my years at 110 kg, I spent countless lunches hunched over my desk, eating mindlessly while answering emails. I thought I was being productive. In reality, I was harming my health and my weight loss goals without even realizing it. Today, let’s talk about how to handle eating at work in a healthier way.
We hear a lot of cases when people say that they eat at their desk during work because either they are too lazy to get up and go or are too busy to do so. Study shows that this type of eating is not only bad for health but also for food safety. Spending your lunch hours at your desk to finish off work can be harmful without you knowing it.
Following are some tips to help you manage your lunch time without affecting your work.
Drawbacks of Desk Dining
One of the major drawbacks of eating at your desk is that you tend to overeat when you are not properly focusing on your food. When you’re answering phones, sending emails, and working while eating, you don’t register how much you’ve consumed. The food disappears, but you never feel satisfied.
Your body needs proper blood flow. When you sit for eight hours straight and don’t get up, your blood doesn’t circulate as it should. This affects your digestion and your overall health.
Moreover, sometimes you have to pause eating to finish off some work first. That half-eaten sandwich sitting on your desk becomes a happy place for bacteria. Food safety is compromised. A sandwich sitting on your desk for more than three hours is a party for bacteria, and they dwell there happily.
Worse is yet to come. You must know that your desk is more a home for bacteria than your toilet. Yes, that’s daunting. Desks are left dirty and are not cleaned after eating. Crumbs fall into keyboards, spills dry on surfaces, and bacteria multiply. I was shocked when I first learned this, but it motivated me to change my habits.
7 Tips for Desk-Bound Diners
It is always healthy to eat at a cafeteria or restaurant. But people who are too busy to get up and go out for lunch might find the following tips helpful in managing both their work and their lunch time.
1. Pay attention to what you are eating. It’s important that you don’t overeat because you were too deep in your work. When you eat, try to take at least 10 to 15 minutes of focus on your food. Put the phone down. Close the email. Just eat. You’ll eat less and enjoy it more.
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2. Bring lunch from home. This is a very good tip for staying healthy. Choose sandwiches or salads instead of ordering food from restaurants that are not only expensive but also high in fat and calories and not very nutrient. Use an insulated bag that can keep your food cold until you put it in the office refrigerator. I started meal prepping on Sundays, and it made all the difference.
3. Walk whenever possible. Walking is very important for the human body because we are genetically designed for it. Find even the tiniest chance to get up and move. Walk to a colleague’s desk instead of emailing. Use the bathroom on another floor. Take a short walk before or after eating. Movement keeps your metabolism working and helps your muscles. Do all your work yourself instead of asking someone else to do it. Those small steps add up.
4. Keep your desk clean. Use a disinfectant spray or wipes to clean your desk regularly. Also keep a hand sanitizer in your drawer at all times. Clean your hands before eating, even if you think your desk is clean. This simple habit protects you from those desk bacteria we talked about.
5. Use a placemat. A small placemat not only keeps your desk clean but also separates your food from direct contact with bacteria. It creates a physical barrier between your lunch and the surface where you work. Plus, it signals to your brain that it’s time to eat, which helps with mindful eating.
6. Invite a colleague or friend to join you at lunch. Even if you eat at your desk, eating with someone else makes a difference. It not only develops friendly relations but also has good effects on eating. You eat slower when you’re talking, and you’re more aware of what you’re consuming. I made some of my best work friends by simply asking if they wanted to eat together.
7. Don’t make a habit of eating at your desk. Find time to go somewhere and have a change. Even once or twice a week, getting away from your desk refreshes your mind and breaks the pattern. Eat outside, in a break room, or at a nearby park. The change of scenery does wonders for your mental health and your relationship with food.
The Bottom Line
On my journey from 110 kg to 80 kg, I had to learn that where I ate was just as important as what I ate. Desk dining led to mindless overeating and poor food choices. By implementing these tips, I turned lunch into a real break that supported my health rather than undermining it.
You don’t have to be perfect. Start with one tip this week. Maybe just clean your desk and pay attention while you eat. Small changes lead to big results over time.
With love and belief in you,
Alla Sem
