Fit for the office

In the traditional corporate world, it's difficult to remain active and practice healthy habits when most of your day takes place behind a computer screen, in meetings or walking past tables filled with free food and treats. But notice I said it's difficult—not impossible.

As a self-proclaimed fitness freak, it often drives me crazy that a large portion of my day has me confined to an office. (Let me step back and clarify: I truly enjoy my job, coworkers and company...just not the fact that I can't be at the gym WHILE I'm writing marketing material, working on campaigns and developing communications. Time to invest in one of those treadmill desks, eh?)

I like to stay moving throughout my day, but not being able to leave the office for extremely long periods of time poses a slight obstacle. However, if you know me well, you know I love a good challenge. Bring. It. On.

Many people assume that "being healthy" means I spend all of my free time at the gym or eat salads for every meal. (I actually love a jam-packed salad, so this assumption is only half true.) But in my world, staying fit and feeling energized is a combination of physical activity and eating a balanced diet that supports my fitness goals, while still enjoying life and furthering my career. And, if I do say so myself, I do a decent job of carrying over my healthy practices into my daily office routine. Read and learn:

Fit tips for the office

1. Food for thought.

Friends, food is fuel. Would you put crappy fuel in your brand-new BMW and expect it to run smoothly? Doubtful. Treat your body the same way!

My suggestion: Bring your grub with you! I can't express how convenient (and cost efficient) meal prep has made my life.There have been days when I have early meetings or work later than expected, so I'll end up eating part of my breakfast, a snack, lunch and another snack at the office—all before calling it a day and heading home for dinner. A coworker once asked me if I brought my lunch every day, and my response was "Why wouldn't I?" At this point in my life, I should probably own stock in Trader Joe's, because I spend a huge chunk of my paycheck on groceries. So yes, I enjoy packing my lunch and not wasting money, not to mention I'm not too keen on cafeteria or fast food. When I make my lunch, I can eat exactly what I like, I know exactly how it's been prepared and I know who's handled it. (And I can eat a larger amount because it's not drenched in oils or grease—score!)

Does this mean you have to pack a lunch every single morning? Heck no! I sure don't. Right now, I tend to eat the same lunch Monday-Friday. That doesn't sound appealing to some people, but I know what foods I like, so why change what works? On a side note, I'm sure people have labeled me as "the girl who brings her food into a meeting," but this girl's gotta eat! So while we discuss deadlines and projects, I'm the person in the corner shoving asparagus into her mouth.

My strategy: Every Monday morning, I'll bring in a massive bag filled with the following contents: a Tupperware of protein (grilled chicken, lean beef and ground turkey are the usual suspects), a Tupperware of roasted sweet potatoes or brown rice and a Tupperware with some kind of veggie, plus a bag of mixed greens for salad. I keep a few dressings/condiments in my mini-fridge, along with other cold snacks like fruit, Greek yogurt, almond butter, etc. In my desk drawers, I have little packets of nuts or trail mix, oatmeal, tuna packets and Quest bars. It sounds like a little much, but I never go hungry, nor am I tempted to visit the evil vending machines. #winning.

2. Be on your toes—at all times.

You might ask: "How can I remain active when I have to sit behind a computer?" Where there's a will, there's a way...and my way = STAND while you work. When I worked at Men's Health, the company installed these nifty movable desks you could raise or lower if you wanted to stand or sit. Needless to say, I was totally spoiled, because my current situation of propping my computer screen and keyboard on different boxes and a questionable step stool just isn't the same...but I make it work.

If you stand at your desk while working, will people stare and ask questions? Absolutely. But does it really matter? Not at all. Aside from the fact that I personally feel much better when I'm not plopped down on my rear all day, standing while working has truly improved my posture. Oddly enough, I feel like I focus better, too. When I stand, all my attention is on my computer screen, and I become fixated on whatever I'm doing. For some reason, that doesn't seem to the case when I'm sitting slouched down in my chair. One of my coworkers saw me standing and thought it was a brilliant idea, so she actually built this pretty legit platform for her keyboard and computer. So again...I'd say I'm #winning.

3. Every day you're guzzlin'. (And hustlin'...to the ladies' room.)

We all know the benefits of drinking water and staying hydrated throughout the day, so I'll spare you the lecture. But if we know that something as simple/mindless as drinking water can help improve our health, why don't we make it a larger priority? Beats me.

When I first brought my meathead gallon of water to work, people seemed utterly confused. Somebody even asked me if I was going to actually drink the entire jug. I simply smiled and replied "Yes," although the sassy side of me wanted to respond "No...I brought it to water the plants I don't keep at my desk...?" Bringing my own water helps me keep track of my intake and alleviates the need to run over to the water fountain every thirty minutes (although that'd be great exercise). Also, we have to pay small amount for unlimited access to filtered water, and I ain't about paying for water. (I'm pretty it's something embarrassingly cheap like $7 a month, but it's the principle of the matter.) So I bring my own gallon, chug down my water and use the restroom practically every thirty minutes, which I also see as a small victory to get away from my desk and keep moving throughout the day. #winning.

4. Look at stairs in an entirely new light.

To no surprise, I've actually considered bringing a pair of dumbbells into the office and keeping them under my desk, but I decided that'd be taking things a little too far. So instead, you can make small changes to your day. And by small changes, I mean TAKE THE DANG STAIRS!

I've worked at the same company for over a year and a half (on the third and fourth floors), and I can count the number I've times I've stepped foot in an elevator—four times. It truly blows my mind when I see people hop in the elevator (ours are glass, so there's no hiding) and get off after moving down one floor. I completely understand some people might be injured or have other medical reasons that might encourage them to use the elevators…but I mean, we have a massive staircase in the middle of the entire building. I'm pretty sure it's not for decoration.

Sometimes, instead of using the restroom on my floor, I'll trek down to the first floor so I can climb up three flights of stairs before heading back to my desk. I know it sounds crazy, but it's practically the next best thing after the stairmaster. On days when I'm feeling super ambitious and have a rare lull in my work (not to mention I didn't wear heels that day), I'll head over to one of our side corriders and simply go up and down the stairs for a brief period of time. I usually listen to make sure nobody else is coming up/down the stairs then, if the coast is clear, I'll take the steps two at a time or walk up backwards and sideways. Creativity (and booty gains) at its finest! #winning.

5. Share the wealth—and health.

In my office experience, people can always find a reason to host a potluck, and my department definitely follows suit. We have team gatherings for baby showers, wedding showers, birthday lunches, holiday gatherings—and the list only continues. I think potlucks are a brilliant idea, but I'm one of those people who can fall into the trap of "my eyes are bigger than my stomach" or "let's fill up my plate with every single dessert because I don't want to miss out." And while I enjoy eating all foods in moderation and am a huge advocate of "treat yourself," I also don't like feeling stuffed or sick to my stomach for the rest of the day because I ate 20 different types of cakes and cookies.

The simple solution? Bring a healthy option (or two) to ensure you'll have a little nutritional balance in your meal. My go-to dishes are: a massive veggie tray + hummus, healthy deviled eggs or an amazing fruit pizza for dessert. Don't underestimate the power of a veggie tray—it seems lame, but I've noticed carrots and celery are always one of the first foods people pile on their plates. I bring my deviled eggs so I can grab a protein-packed option and, every time I've made this fruit pizza, people have raved about it. I promise your coworkers won't even realize you're trying to force healthy food on them; but if they do, I'm sure they'll thank you later. #winning.

I'm well aware that drinking  more water, packing your lunch or walking around are no new, ground-breaking ideas, but I wanted to show you how I make office life work for me...and how it can work for you, too!

Stay sweet [sweat] and sassy,

Kat

Discovering my inner chef: Honey dijon chicken

I eat a lot of chicken.

When I say I eat a lot of chicken, I don't mean a chicken breast here or there throughout the week—we're talking approximately two and a half pounds in a seven-day time span. It's gotten to the point where I have no shame in browsing the weekly grocery ads to see what stores offer the best deal on chicken. You know, adult things.

I'm not embarrassed to admit that I consume chicken at an alarming rate for a tiny female my size. (I'm a whopping 5 ft. tall, although I claim 5'1".) After all, when you're living the fit life, chicken usually becomes one of your staple foods…and no questions are asked when your coworkers pop into your office around 10 a.m., only to find you gnawing on a hunk of chicken. #totallynormal

Since I eat chicken so often, I typically don't branch out from my go-to cooking/seasoning methods. I either throw a few chicken breasts in the Crock Pot with chicken broth, spices and Frank's Red Hot Buffalo sauce and let the Crocker do the work, or I coat them in some kind of Mrs. Dash seasoning before tossing them on my George Foreman grill. When you food prep and cook chicken for Monday-Friday, you can't really get too crazy or try to make elaborate recipes.

Last weekend, I needed to make chicken before it went bad but didn't want "the usual." I had a bottle of spicy dijon mustard chillin in my purse (because I'm obsessed and eat mustard on 85% of my food, so it's normal to bring along condiments with you, right?), and I grabbed that, started rummaging through my cabinets and grabbed a few ingredients to concoct a sauce for the chicken.

Holy YUM, y'all. I ended up making an incredible honey dijon chicken. It's definitely one of my new favorites, so check it out!

Honey Djion Chicken
What you need:

• 3 large chicken breasts (I think we used 1.5-2 lbs.)
• 1/2 cup spicy dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 packets of stevia
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Pepper & paprika, to taste (you don't need much of this)

Instructions:

• Cut the chicken breasts into chunks—approximately 1 inch thick.
• Spray a large nonstick pan with cooking spray and put it on the stovetop with a low to medium heat.
• While the pan is heating, mix together the mustard, honey, vinegar, stevia and garlic powder.
• Transfer the chicken into the pan, then pour the sauce over the chicken. Mix until all of the chicken pieces are evenly coated with the sauce mixture.
• Sprinkle the pepper & paprika over the chicken.
• As the chicken cooks, stir/flip the pieces every 2-3 minutes. We left our chicken on the stove for maybe 15 minutes. 
• Cut into a few of the chicken pieces to make sure they are fully cooked and no pink is showing.

(Note: You can cook it on a higher heat, but I've had difficulty with the chicken getting too dry.)

One thing I loved about this recipe the short list of ingredients. I can't stand making recipes where you have to buy one random ingredient that you'll never use again. Luckily, I always have these items in my  pantry! I know what kind of chicken I'll be making for the next month...

Stay sweet [sweat] and sassy,

Kat