I am not a fan of posts that give five minutes of 'filler' reading before getting to the point, if you like the supporting material fluff, I've added that below. :)
Now that I've saved you some scroll time, please consider my favorite tips on how to be fit while working in IT:
I can share my exact regimen in another post if desired, but I've generalized it here.
It's all about Habit creation: Your diet and exercise habits must be EASY to accomplish, and EASY to access. Especially in the beginning. If you are going to make a change, you have to be able to do it with the lowest barrier threshhold possible. For example: Do you have a gym at work, but also a membership to 24 Hour Fitness? Use the work gym. Tend to forget your workout clothes, or lunch at home? Always have a backup bag of clothes in your locker, and a frozen meal in the break room.
You CAN NOT outrun your mouth: You will need to find a way to estimate how many calories you're putting in your body. No matter how good of a marathon runner you are, that visit to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch is going to prevent you from running enough to even break even. This can be done meticulously with an app (high barrier threshhold), or by rule of thumb estimates "I need to eat two fist sized portions of vegetables, and one palm sized slice of lean meat per meal"....Advanced Tip: Consider Intermittent Fasting - I recommend leangains.com for further information.
Keep your exercise short and sweet (as in you enjoy it): This goes back to habit creation and a minimal barriers. Start with as little as 5-10 minutes at your most reasonable and consistent point in the day. Do whatever it is that makes you feel good, that you had a small win and leave happy. You're going to be more likely to repeat that bit of joy the next day, and will gradually want to increase that post exercise glow a little more each day. ....Advanced tip: You'll ultimately want to get in 30 to 60 minutes a day for optimal health. Lifting something heavy 2-3 times a week, and doing cardio and core 4 to 5 times per week.
Be flexible with your definition of exercise: Just as you are flexible with the rollercoaster of IT work, and how your "To Do" list gets destroyed in the first 30 minutes of your day, so to must you roll with your exercise regimen....just maintain the habit! If you normally work up a good sweat during your lunch break, but a meeting gets scheduled, go for a walk instead. If someone is using your favorite elliptical or rack, then fit in some extra core or tying something new. All of this advice fails if number 1 gets short changed.
Macro-nutrients matter, just not as much as overall calories: This may take some experimentation on your part, as you'll need to come up with a healthy diet that works for you. But try to eat whole foods as much as possible and lay off the carbs. My personal favorite is keeping carbs (not including dietary fiber) under 100 grams, getting ~125 grams of protein, and 150 grams of fat per day.....that's approximately a 50% Fat - 30 % Protein - 20% Carb (by calorie) breakdown.
Meditate: Meditation can reduce stress, which in turn will assist your body in burning fat. This can take multiple forms - but for beginners, just following the breath for one minute is a great start. During that minute try not to latch on to the thoughts that come up. Try to work your way up to 20 minutes a day, broken up or in one sitting. I've been through many apps but I've found the Headspace app to be the most useful.....Advanced Tip: Try to work your way up to two sessions a day, 20 minutes a piece. Again, find the easiest time\place of day to always get this done.
Now for the stuff you normally would have been forced to scroll through prior to seeing my tips:
As I was on my run today, I realized that I hadn't seen anything (yet) regarding health or fitness on steemit. Though I will not presume that this community is on the unfit side, it is always wise to share that which works well for one's self in case it helps another Steemian.
With that said, this is my first Story to submit. I've intended to write an Introduction story, and still will, but can share in short my background here to give credence to my advice.
I am a lifelong "Jock-Nerd," or is that "Nerd-Jock?" We an settle on "Jerk" if this comes across the wrong way. This life arch has lead me into finding the best way to keep myself athletic and healthy, while working in IT. I've been through many iterations of diet, and exercise. I've done high carb; high fat; high protein diets as well as strict Paleo. I've experimented with all sorts of exercise regimens from HIIT, and power sets to low-reps and what amounts to chronic cardio.
Now that I'll be turning 40 in short order, I'm in the best shape since college. This has all happened after my family has grown via the addition three kids, and I've had three joint surgeries over the past ten years (too much basketball). Thanks to those six life events, I grew overweight.
I now have a very specific, though flexible, regimen that I've habitualized and it fits well in with my career.
If you've found these tips to be helpful, or would like me to do a deeper dive on any area, it will be my pleasure to assist.