Losing Weight While Working

Stand And Deliver

James Levine, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic professor, found that we burn about 1,500 fewer calories per day than we did 150 years ago. That deficit could mean a 10-pound gain in one year.

Chained to your desk? Get an adjustable-height work station so you can stand for part of the day. Your posture will improve, and you'll burn a third more calories.

Schedule Snacks

An American Dietetic Asso­ciation report found that 75 percent of workers eat lunch at their desks at least two to three times per week. But that kind of multitasking can lead to multi chins, so minimize mindless eating by booking snack appointments in your calendar.

When an e-reminder pops up, step away from work and enjoy your food. If you're aware of what you eat when, you'll be less likely to nibble all day

Go Green

Fill your mug with green tea. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who drank oolong tea fortified with green tea extract every day for three months lost 2.4 more pounds than people who drank plain oolong tea.

Catechins, antioxidants found in green tea, may stimulate the body to burn calories and decrease fat.

Put a Lid on It

Give your willpower an assist and keep candy in an opaque dish. A study by the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab found that workers dipped into chocolates 71 percent more often when they were in transparent containers. Or switch to hard candies: They're lower in calories than bonbons, and they last longer.

Smell Success

Break out the air freshener. A group of overweight people who inhaled sweet smells (green apple, peppermint, vanilla, or banana) when they were hungry lost an average of 30 pounds in six months.

Alan Hirsch, M.D., neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, believes the scents suppressed rather than stimulated appetites. Can't stand room spray? Go au naturel: "Just having the smell of a green apple on your desk could suppress your hunger," Hirsch says.