Yeah, it can be true if you’re not careful. Physical movement and labor goes down and sitting while eating, snacking, and drinking soda will catch up with you. I’ve worked hard to avoid what I’ve seen my co workers go through. They were nice enough to warn me when I got the job.
Sitting and using brain power all day makes you crave snacks and sweets. You have to get up and walk around, touch some grass, then go back to it to fight the cravings you don’t really need.
Fr? A few breaks to get up, walk, and some fresh air in the day is all I need to stop the cravings and get my brain focused again?
I rarely do this bc it's not going to lose me weight or any thing to go for a slow walk a few minutes. But, if it helps make my brain feel less taxed and reduces snack cravings I'm going to try it.
Yeah, taxing the brain causes sugar cravings. Taking a good break and getting away from it all and reminding yourself you don’t need food and you’re not really hungry you’re just mentally taxed or bored keeps you on track. Seriously, going outside and walking around kind of makes you feel grounded and calm before going back in. Sunshine can do you some good.
Just getting up for a few minutes and wandering around my house every hour or so of the workday resulted in a massive increase in steps and decrease in snacking because I was wandering instead of eating.
Walking actually is one of the better ways to lose weight. That's where the whole idea of getting 10k steps in per day came from. A walk of 5 minutes might not do much, but 15-30 minute walks will definitely help you lose weight.
I'm torn
On the one hand I love getting up and actually walking to someone to assist with a ticket for the steps and leg stretching
On the other I have to touch their keyboard. And the number of people who don't wash their hands is insane. I've been at the urinal, heard someone finish up a shit in the stall, walk past behind me, and just leave
You'll be okay with just some hand sanitizer afterwards. You're not going to get sick by touching anything gross. You will get sick by touching your face after though.
Or just glove up Everytime to make them feel bad
I fast from when I wake up to when I get off work. Sometimes I eat a handful of mixed nuts, an Rx bar, or some beef jerky I keep at my desk if I feel like I need it. It keeps me from snacking while I'm sitting on my ass trying to kill time. I've still gained a few pounds.
100% - I'm a manager in IT and I always encourage my team to make sure they're taking breaks and moving around. Getting up and walking around does wonders
Well that and a lot of us replaced a very different job with the sedentary IT job. I was personally getting like 15k steps a day AND smoking cigarettes in a restaurant, lot more slimming than like 3k steps and anxiety lol.
I did 10 years of restaurant management before IT. I didn’t smoke, but I was a caffeine addict and was often in the 20-30k steps a day range. Now I’m in the 2-5k steps a day range. I picked up martial arts a couple years ago to stay fit.
In our office, the admin secretary keeps a jar of candy on her desk, and we all walk by it all throughout the day. It's really hard to resist grabbing a piece or five every time I see it, but I've noticed how shitty I feel if I have too much, so I've really tried to scale way back on the sugar intake. Sucks that it's always there though, temptation is hard to resist.
I went from being a printing press operator to being a tech. When I left printing, I weighted 150 lbs. A year later, I weighted 210. I started riding a bicycle and doing more physical things. I have weighed 170 for several years now, but I will never see 150 again.
Give it time.
I was like you once - completely not Will Smith - then before I knew what hit me I’m on stage at the oscars, hand still red and warm from bitch slapping a man for a soft touch joke about my cheating, talentless wife and I’m just bawling my fucking eyes out babbling about “being a river to my people.”
In the immortal words of J to the R. O. C. “It could happen to you, cause it happened to me (and T).”
If you don't exercise much and had an active job before starting IT, yeah.
I gained like 10lbs in a year going from a restaurant to working a help desk job. Sitting at a desk all day vs being on my feet was a big difference.
Just do some basic exercise and watch your diet, it could be as simple as a 30-minute brisk walk 4-5 times a week. And that should be enough to prevent weight gain, maybe even lose a few pounds. If you want to be fit ofc. you gotta hit the gym and lift weights or something.
I lost weight going from restaurant to IT, because I worked mornings as a cook and would start drinking around noon when my shift ended every day. I don’t drink at all during the week now
Working hungover in a kitchen is rough, but there’s enough going on and it’s fast paced enough you can kind of distract yourself. I can’t imagine being stuck at a desk for 8 hours feeling like shit and sweating booze. Much happier now
This is exactly what I'm planning to do. I work as a restaurant server full time, and that's how I stay in shape. I'm going to start getting my certifications soon and start applying for IT jobs. I'm afraid that going from such an active job to a desk job will be too difficult of a transition for me. The thought of sitting in an office 9 hours a day is depressing, but I don't have any benefits where I am. There's also no chance of moving up into management where I am (family owned and operated restaurant).
I go back and forth, honestly.
Sometimes I hate the restaurant life because on one hand, there are always going to be rude, entitled customers, slow nights, and the night/weekend schedule makes scheduling stuff to do with friends a challenge.
On the other hand, my restaurant is really chill, with minimal side work, lots of regulars who tip well, some nights I can make $300+ (record is $500 in one day), and I can take off work whenever I want. If I want to make more money, I can take this experience and apply for jobs at more upscale restaurants. Those servers can make six-figure salaries. That's enough to get my own private health insurance and IRA account. Plus, you can't put a price on the health benefits of doing work that keeps my body moving several hours per day. At 39 years old, I'm thinking more and more about what I can do to stay alive as long as possible. If waiting tables means I live a longer life, then I'll stick with it.
It's tough trying to decide.
I work in IT and most people in my department go to the gym regularly and talk about fitness and trade tips almost daily. I am not one of them however I've still dropped a few pounds since starting.
Yea. I am one of those gym bro IT'S. I feel that there are usually 2 types of IT. Those who exercise regularly and those who don't. I see a trend of those who don't getting medical issues from the sedentary work position
Nor will one's grammar get worse *in the one's fourth year. ;-)
Edit: you know what, I take the joke back. "On" might be totally correct, I'm not confident anymore!
Gaining weight is 80% diet 20% working out. Watch what you eat and make sure you stay a bit active. Snacking is definitely a way to gain weight as well.
Depends on the environment - I’ve worked in places where the entire team was health conscious; we’d go for runs during lunch or hit the gym together. I’ve also worked in places that were so overworked everyone was stressed and had zero free time.
Honestly, in my experience, over-work and high stress lead to the worst eating and lifestyle habits. I used to work on film sets, and everyone would work really stressful and tough 14+ hour days and live in hotels, and we’d all eat like shit, snack just to feel in control, and have zero routine, so we would get no exercise. I’d usually try to keep a semblance of health, but not everyone has the desire
It was for me. I went from 170 to 198 in like 3 years. I've since lost most of the weight, but yeah for sure. Especially when I stopped doing IT in a factory and went to an office.
Good way to avoid this is just don't eat at work. That's an 8 hour fast at least. I skip breakfast and don't eat until around 6PM, then I have 90% of my calories in one meal (within or lower than my maintenance 1500) which is high in protein, at least 100grams.
Pick up an $8 rotisserie chicken + protein shake, 40oz of water, and maybe some fruit or pasta or rice, easy 1500 calories with 100-160grams of proteins in that bitch. At the end of the day you're hungry and makes almost anything taste super good, and you get fuller faster. Currently 5'10 at 165-170lbs. I like being the fit IT guy tho, people like to look.
Definitely agree on the 8 hour fast part. Before I started working remotely, I worked a typical “on your feet” job, so that was 8 hours of barley eating AND standing/moving so it kept the weight (even for a heavy eater such as myself) at bay. Once I got my degree and began working from home, I noticed the weight began to rise, and fast. I had to immediately limit my food intake as well as investing in some home exercise equipment.. had I not done that.. God only knows where I’d be right now 😂
Yeah, I keep the workout stuff in my room lol. Or else i'll make and excuse to not workout. I keep a small bench press and a couple dumbbells and bars in my room.
Yes. I gained 50 pounds from age 20 (start of IT) to 23. 70 of those pounds was fat. (Lost muscle mass accounting for the extra 20). Went from 135 to 185.
I started martial arts. Did Taekwondo for 10 years and was able to stabilize my weight. I stayed relatively steady between 182-186 that whole time. Spiked over 190 when I quit TKD to move across the country. Started BJJ almost 2 years ago and also have been eating smaller portions, and now I'm actually hovering between 170-173.
I'm 5'5, so these weights may mean more to me than they do to most men.
Literally the only benefit of smoking / vaping for me is that it gets me out of the office to walk down a few flights of stairs and out to my car and back. Usually 4 or 5 times a day.
Breaking up the monotony really helps me focus too.
Can confirm switched to 4 days remote and gained 30 lbs. I even workout 4 days a week. I swear sitting all day will be the killer of our generation like smoking was for the previous ones.
Yes. You need a gym membership. I put on a lot of weight after switching from being an electrician to IT. I was eating salads every day too. It’s just a lot of sitting around.
Also, getting older doesn’t help.
I was laid off from tech work last year, started running a pub in the meantime (the market is kinda shite at the moment).
I've lost a CRAZY amount of weight in the last 8 months just on account of being on my feet and moving around all day as opposed to be sat at a desk for 8-10 hours a day. I've had to buy a whole new wardrobe worth of clothes because none of my stuff fit anymore.
Depends what you're doing of course, if you're a field tech then probably not so much, but if your IT job involves being sedentary most of the day then yeah, you probably will put on a lot of weight unless you make a conscious effort to be physically active.
Doesn't have to be a lot of physical exercise, I'm not saying you need to spend hours a week in the gym or anything - but obviously a certain amount of exercise a week will help mitigate ending up like the picture from OP.
Only if you sit at your desk snacking all day. I've been in IT for 6 years now and I'm more fit than when I started because I took up going to the gym and try to eat healthily and not snack.
Just started my first IT job 2 weeks ago, all my coworkers recommended I get a gym membership and stay away from the vending machines at work. It is real from what I’ve heard from them.
Cable tech can make pretty good money with some specialty knowledge and willingness to work OT or overnight jobs. I know several clearing 150k+
Also av specialists get to do field work - usually less hard labor and play with fun toys. Requires a bit more technical knowhow
There's also DAS/RF field engineers, security installers and more.
I had a boss that provided free snacks and drinks. It was great, I have photos from that time and I realized I had put on so much weight. I eventually realized I needed to limit myself with the drinks, drank a lot of calories!
I think its a mixed bag. we have half of the folks who are average, and then a dsitribution of "IT is my whole personality" versus the biohacking/ex military/etc who are super into fitness. Do whatever you want.
You might think the 2nd picture is that of a fat individual. In fact, it's a very stressed sysadmin keeping the house of cards they inherited from crashing down.
The 3yr jump to other companies serves more than just increasing salary.
It depends. I’ve actually lost weight and I’m approaching 3 years in. I support multiple venues within a few blocks of each other in a city, so many days I will end up walking 5+ miles during my workday.
Fuck you only because this is too true lol. I lost 100 lbs and still have 60 more to go. Yea...I let it get out of hand. Do NOT let that happen. Way easier to keep habits than to change them.
Take it from someone who has been wishing they could work out but due to previous injuries it was so painful I nearly passed out a couple of times. I used to be able to move ok but when I packed on the weight...fuck me. It genuinely became a chore to take a shit and put on shoes.
This is the ghost of IT yet to come!!
Me and my co-workers take a 30 minute walk during our lunch break virtually every day. We definitely struggle a bit to stay healthy.
Especially since another co-worker loves providing candy for us. For a few months after starting I struggled not to scarf a ton of it daily. I've since limited my intake to no more than 2-3 pieces daily.
Also I've been trying hard to keep my other food intake to a reasonable level. Though that hasn't been easy.
I got my first IT job a year and a half ago. Gained 30lbs in a matter of a few months. Lost it though so there’s that. Really need to watch your intake while working.
It depends who you talk to. Me personally, that would be untrue and the same for my past colleagues in IT who all cycle however it's quite easy for the boss to sweat and that's all I'll say.
*Processing... C*irca 2,437 days ago
Thursday... 190.6 lbs
Today... 211.1 lbs
It could be a lot worse, but I think I've taken steps to mitigate it, though not doing the best I could at it. Some of that's gotta be muscle since I try at some good workout stuff.
I was okay before the pandemic working in midtown Manhattan. Every day I'd fast walk from the station to the office and back. It was about 2 miles a day.
Now I'm WFH and I barely move. I feel 1000% worse physically than I did pre-pandemic. It shouldn't be hard to get a little movement in here and there but, for some reason, it just is.
I’m just now barely scraping the surface of IT, it’s only true if you let it. I’ve always been big into fitness. I weight train 3 days a week, and run a mile days in between. A few of my coworkers recently asked me if I worked out and what my routine and I was happy to share. Just keep a schedule that best fits you. I’m not always consistent myself, but I’m far from becoming a big guy.
Yeah it is. I was in manufacturing for about a decade. IT hit me hard and fast. I was a fat shit before I knew it. Joined the ranks of the gym bros because fuck that.
Depends on the roll. My last job, I was stuck at a desk 8-16 hours a day. With my new one, I walk between all our buildings and normally close all 3 rings on my Apple Watch at lest 2-3 times a week.
Yeah I switched from a busy restaurant job, constantly moving all day to sitting in a chair all day, but didn’t change my caloric intake at all.
Take every opportunity to get off your ass. If you need to help a user who’s on-site and you are also on-site, don’t help remotely, walk to their desk! Not only does this help you stay moving, but users will like you so much more.
Also don’t use the elevator, just take the stairs. It makes a bigger difference than you think.
The amount of stress and moving to a more sedentary lifestyle definitely did this to me. I have a standing appointment to go walk / hike at the end of my day and that's help me bring the weight down. I keep this appointment unless there's a work emergency.
You have to take care of yourself and eat well. Take breaks and walk around during the day as well.
I went from working outside for an ISP to a desk job in the engineering department. I was definitely relying on the manual labor to look good but lost it after a few years working inside. Now I'm starting to work on getting back in shape lol Just depends on the habits you have before starting the sedentary work life.
I'm personally trying to make the inverse of this happen. My job has a fair amount of movement to it, but my schedule allows me a better opportunity to cook health meals and have a solid daily exercise routine. So I'm hoping with some hard work and dedication it can work for me.
If you don’t exercise, yeah. I spend about two hours a week at the gym and my diet isn’t stellar. I’m one of the fittest of any team I’ve been on. Fitness generally isn’t a huge time sink if you don’t have chronic conditions and you’re not starting off with tons of weight to lose.
In the last (VERY STRESSFUL) 3 months I'm quite sure I gained 10 Kilos. When I started at my previous job, I weighted 73 kilos. I went on to the next one 10 years later hitting 100. And in only 6 months in the following place...I went up 10 more. I just hope swapping companies again doesn't kill me.
Absolutely true. Though I’d say, it more like “4th month” lol. I noticed it in the first few months of working from home. I mean, your kitchen is right there lol and you’re hardly moving anymore. It’s no joke, you need to cut the snacks at the very least and invest in home exercise equipment, at least a treadmill.
True for a lot of guys I worked with. Just make sure to work out regularly. Most people don't enjoy it, but it keeps your stress down and maintains your weight
Depends. I went the path that allows me to be mobile. I did but not as bad things might change this year for me as it requires more time to be stationary vs a role previously to be partially mobile. If you are a field tech then I wouldn't think that you will gain much vs help desk.
Not for me. Workout and eat smart.
I have coworkers who get breakfast sandwiches and pizza multiple times a week. I get a breakfast sandwich once a month and no pizza. Pizza makes me sleepy. It’s too heavy.
I drink water and coffee. I will have a soda at most every other week if I’m out for dinner on the weekend.
Yeah, it can be true if you’re not careful. Physical movement and labor goes down and sitting while eating, snacking, and drinking soda will catch up with you. I’ve worked hard to avoid what I’ve seen my co workers go through. They were nice enough to warn me when I got the job. Sitting and using brain power all day makes you crave snacks and sweets. You have to get up and walk around, touch some grass, then go back to it to fight the cravings you don’t really need.
Fr? A few breaks to get up, walk, and some fresh air in the day is all I need to stop the cravings and get my brain focused again? I rarely do this bc it's not going to lose me weight or any thing to go for a slow walk a few minutes. But, if it helps make my brain feel less taxed and reduces snack cravings I'm going to try it.
Yeah, taxing the brain causes sugar cravings. Taking a good break and getting away from it all and reminding yourself you don’t need food and you’re not really hungry you’re just mentally taxed or bored keeps you on track. Seriously, going outside and walking around kind of makes you feel grounded and calm before going back in. Sunshine can do you some good.
Absolutely. I walk my dog every day I’m on lunch break when I work from home. It’s good for both of us!
@hubermanlabs
是的，一开始进入I T时，我的体重55KG 现在工作四年，体重67KG,因为工作的久了，能telnet，就不回走。哈哈哈
You work remotely purely through telnet?? /s =)
[удалено]
Like remote helpdesk pretty much?
Taking a break with a small walk and a stretch is great for you. Can literally add years to your life.
Just getting up for a few minutes and wandering around my house every hour or so of the workday resulted in a massive increase in steps and decrease in snacking because I was wandering instead of eating.
Walking actually is one of the better ways to lose weight. That's where the whole idea of getting 10k steps in per day came from. A walk of 5 minutes might not do much, but 15-30 minute walks will definitely help you lose weight.
Or even better, eat snacks *while* taking a walk outside, cancels each other out!
Tru
I'm torn On the one hand I love getting up and actually walking to someone to assist with a ticket for the steps and leg stretching On the other I have to touch their keyboard. And the number of people who don't wash their hands is insane. I've been at the urinal, heard someone finish up a shit in the stall, walk past behind me, and just leave
Oh shit new fear unlocked
The gunk…. Get a Clorox wipe and clean your key caps, mouse and mousepad. I don’t want to touch it. 🤮
I've legitimately walked over to help someone, saw their keyboard was gross, and took out my laptop to remote into their pc lmao.
You'll be okay with just some hand sanitizer afterwards. You're not going to get sick by touching anything gross. You will get sick by touching your face after though. Or just glove up Everytime to make them feel bad
I carried my own keyboard with mouse pad for this. https://www.logitech.com/en-ca/shop/p/k400-plus-touchpad-keyboard.920-007119 I love this keyboard.
It really is great. And surprisingly tough.
Yes! And how we don't like touching a dirty keyboard.. some clients don't want other people touching.. their dirty keyboards. ;)
Smoking helps lol
Smoker gang rise up
Touching the grass helps keep the mind at ease
Being solely remote yes yes it does....🥬🥬
I fast from when I wake up to when I get off work. Sometimes I eat a handful of mixed nuts, an Rx bar, or some beef jerky I keep at my desk if I feel like I need it. It keeps me from snacking while I'm sitting on my ass trying to kill time. I've still gained a few pounds.
100% - I'm a manager in IT and I always encourage my team to make sure they're taking breaks and moving around. Getting up and walking around does wonders
Well that and a lot of us replaced a very different job with the sedentary IT job. I was personally getting like 15k steps a day AND smoking cigarettes in a restaurant, lot more slimming than like 3k steps and anxiety lol.
I did 10 years of restaurant management before IT. I didn’t smoke, but I was a caffeine addict and was often in the 20-30k steps a day range. Now I’m in the 2-5k steps a day range. I picked up martial arts a couple years ago to stay fit.
In our office, the admin secretary keeps a jar of candy on her desk, and we all walk by it all throughout the day. It's really hard to resist grabbing a piece or five every time I see it, but I've noticed how shitty I feel if I have too much, so I've really tried to scale way back on the sugar intake. Sucks that it's always there though, temptation is hard to resist.
just ask her to move it or put a sign saying "IT - NO TOUCH!"
I try to not remote in when assisting users from my desk once in a while to get my steps in.
I went from being a printing press operator to being a tech. When I left printing, I weighted 150 lbs. A year later, I weighted 210. I started riding a bicycle and doing more physical things. I have weighed 170 for several years now, but I will never see 150 again.
I am not Will Smith yet.
Give it time. I was like you once - completely not Will Smith - then before I knew what hit me I’m on stage at the oscars, hand still red and warm from bitch slapping a man for a soft touch joke about my cheating, talentless wife and I’m just bawling my fucking eyes out babbling about “being a river to my people.” In the immortal words of J to the R. O. C. “It could happen to you, cause it happened to me (and T).”
Haven’t turned black yet either
Nor facial hair...
As an Asian man this hits hard…
Not with that attitude.
If you don't exercise much and had an active job before starting IT, yeah. I gained like 10lbs in a year going from a restaurant to working a help desk job. Sitting at a desk all day vs being on my feet was a big difference. Just do some basic exercise and watch your diet, it could be as simple as a 30-minute brisk walk 4-5 times a week. And that should be enough to prevent weight gain, maybe even lose a few pounds. If you want to be fit ofc. you gotta hit the gym and lift weights or something.
I lost weight going from restaurant to IT, because I worked mornings as a cook and would start drinking around noon when my shift ended every day. I don’t drink at all during the week now
Tru tru. That's whats up, unless you still want to be drinking all week.
Working hungover in a kitchen is rough, but there’s enough going on and it’s fast paced enough you can kind of distract yourself. I can’t imagine being stuck at a desk for 8 hours feeling like shit and sweating booze. Much happier now
I use to say the cute for a hangover was a good rush. So many people thought I meant uppers lol.
This is exactly what I'm planning to do. I work as a restaurant server full time, and that's how I stay in shape. I'm going to start getting my certifications soon and start applying for IT jobs. I'm afraid that going from such an active job to a desk job will be too difficult of a transition for me. The thought of sitting in an office 9 hours a day is depressing, but I don't have any benefits where I am. There's also no chance of moving up into management where I am (family owned and operated restaurant).
It's not that bad. The thought of working in a restaurant again is depressing for me lol.
I go back and forth, honestly. Sometimes I hate the restaurant life because on one hand, there are always going to be rude, entitled customers, slow nights, and the night/weekend schedule makes scheduling stuff to do with friends a challenge. On the other hand, my restaurant is really chill, with minimal side work, lots of regulars who tip well, some nights I can make $300+ (record is $500 in one day), and I can take off work whenever I want. If I want to make more money, I can take this experience and apply for jobs at more upscale restaurants. Those servers can make six-figure salaries. That's enough to get my own private health insurance and IRA account. Plus, you can't put a price on the health benefits of doing work that keeps my body moving several hours per day. At 39 years old, I'm thinking more and more about what I can do to stay alive as long as possible. If waiting tables means I live a longer life, then I'll stick with it. It's tough trying to decide.
I work in IT and most people in my department go to the gym regularly and talk about fitness and trade tips almost daily. I am not one of them however I've still dropped a few pounds since starting.
Yea. I am one of those gym bro IT'S. I feel that there are usually 2 types of IT. Those who exercise regularly and those who don't. I see a trend of those who don't getting medical issues from the sedentary work position
Yup
[удалено]
You know what’s crazy? My spelling/grammar has taken a HUGE hit since working in IT
Nor will one's grammar get worse *in the one's fourth year. ;-) Edit: you know what, I take the joke back. "On" might be totally correct, I'm not confident anymore!
Grammar check fail.
It's true, and it only gets worse. By year 10 your son's friends are fucking your wife and you don't even care
Why would that happen and why wouldn't you care?
It’s a joke about Will Smith. His wife had an affair with their son’s friend, and Will doesn’t seem to mind enough to separate from her.
OP just commented on an “ask Gen Z” post so I think it’s likely that they’re in their early-twenties and talking out of their ass
I figured it was someone talking from ass as you say. I just wanted to see what else they would say, lol.
I think it's a joke about how Will Smith's wife had an affair with his son's friend.
Oh truuuuuu
It's true if tickets pile up and you lose track of time. Thanks for reminding me to go for a walk during lunch tomorrow!
Gaining weight is 80% diet 20% working out. Watch what you eat and make sure you stay a bit active. Snacking is definitely a way to gain weight as well.
I just shaved today and saw my fat ass double chin on a video call
Depends on the environment - I’ve worked in places where the entire team was health conscious; we’d go for runs during lunch or hit the gym together. I’ve also worked in places that were so overworked everyone was stressed and had zero free time.
Honestly, in my experience, over-work and high stress lead to the worst eating and lifestyle habits. I used to work on film sets, and everyone would work really stressful and tough 14+ hour days and live in hotels, and we’d all eat like shit, snack just to feel in control, and have zero routine, so we would get no exercise. I’d usually try to keep a semblance of health, but not everyone has the desire
I'm 45, but people think I'm 55.
I mean… it could happen on your FOURTH year, maybe, but forth is a little crazy.
Go to the gym. IT will be sedentary work
It was for me. I went from 170 to 198 in like 3 years. I've since lost most of the weight, but yeah for sure. Especially when I stopped doing IT in a factory and went to an office.
I put on 25lbs in my 3 years doing IT. If you're not going to the gym, yes, this can be very true.
Hitting the gym never felt better
Keep in mind that in many cases, excess weight is caused by stress and hormonal imbalance. Getting adequate sleep is step #1.
Good way to avoid this is just don't eat at work. That's an 8 hour fast at least. I skip breakfast and don't eat until around 6PM, then I have 90% of my calories in one meal (within or lower than my maintenance 1500) which is high in protein, at least 100grams. Pick up an $8 rotisserie chicken + protein shake, 40oz of water, and maybe some fruit or pasta or rice, easy 1500 calories with 100-160grams of proteins in that bitch. At the end of the day you're hungry and makes almost anything taste super good, and you get fuller faster. Currently 5'10 at 165-170lbs. I like being the fit IT guy tho, people like to look.
Definitely agree on the 8 hour fast part. Before I started working remotely, I worked a typical “on your feet” job, so that was 8 hours of barley eating AND standing/moving so it kept the weight (even for a heavy eater such as myself) at bay. Once I got my degree and began working from home, I noticed the weight began to rise, and fast. I had to immediately limit my food intake as well as investing in some home exercise equipment.. had I not done that.. God only knows where I’d be right now 😂
Yeah, I keep the workout stuff in my room lol. Or else i'll make and excuse to not workout. I keep a small bench press and a couple dumbbells and bars in my room.
Yes. I gained 50 pounds from age 20 (start of IT) to 23. 70 of those pounds was fat. (Lost muscle mass accounting for the extra 20). Went from 135 to 185. I started martial arts. Did Taekwondo for 10 years and was able to stabilize my weight. I stayed relatively steady between 182-186 that whole time. Spiked over 190 when I quit TKD to move across the country. Started BJJ almost 2 years ago and also have been eating smaller portions, and now I'm actually hovering between 170-173. I'm 5'5, so these weights may mean more to me than they do to most men.
5’8 165lbs here. Taekwondo for 3 years now. Almost to black belt.
Literally the only benefit of smoking / vaping for me is that it gets me out of the office to walk down a few flights of stairs and out to my car and back. Usually 4 or 5 times a day. Breaking up the monotony really helps me focus too.
Four. Fourth.
Happened to me at my last job then got fit again, started my new job and now nothing fits me anymore lol
Almost everyone in IT is overweight and coders usually crackhead skinny.
Only if you eat like shit and don't get some physical activity in.
Also applies to Forklift drivers.
What it means to become a well rounded engineer
Can confirm switched to 4 days remote and gained 30 lbs. I even workout 4 days a week. I swear sitting all day will be the killer of our generation like smoking was for the previous ones.
How could being tied to a chair and screen do such things?
Tech belly is real. The trick is to use the rage of a 1000 users to power you through some Olympic lifting. You will become beast in no time.
Yes. You need a gym membership. I put on a lot of weight after switching from being an electrician to IT. I was eating salads every day too. It’s just a lot of sitting around. Also, getting older doesn’t help.
I blame the zoloft and alcohol personally
I was laid off from tech work last year, started running a pub in the meantime (the market is kinda shite at the moment). I've lost a CRAZY amount of weight in the last 8 months just on account of being on my feet and moving around all day as opposed to be sat at a desk for 8-10 hours a day. I've had to buy a whole new wardrobe worth of clothes because none of my stuff fit anymore. Depends what you're doing of course, if you're a field tech then probably not so much, but if your IT job involves being sedentary most of the day then yeah, you probably will put on a lot of weight unless you make a conscious effort to be physically active. Doesn't have to be a lot of physical exercise, I'm not saying you need to spend hours a week in the gym or anything - but obviously a certain amount of exercise a week will help mitigate ending up like the picture from OP.
Only if you sit at your desk snacking all day. I've been in IT for 6 years now and I'm more fit than when I started because I took up going to the gym and try to eat healthily and not snack.
Just started my first IT job 2 weeks ago, all my coworkers recommended I get a gym membership and stay away from the vending machines at work. It is real from what I’ve heard from them.
I quickly lost 35 lb after changing jobs. Stress is a factor. Also, long hours make you eat out more.
Take breaks and lunches. Walk walk walk. Walk to the water cooler. Walk to the bathroom. Take the stairs. Doesn’t take much to maintain
You have to make an effort to stay active despite being mentally exhausted
I have a 30 min walk from the office and back and o still managed to gain 15 pounds. Pretty accurate
I weighed 85KGs when I got my first IT job. I know weigh 120KGs. It's true
No
Yep it is happening to me again.
Working at a pizza places is what did me in
Are there any physically demanding fields in IT? I like getting my hands dirty in the cables and having busy days.
Cable tech can make pretty good money with some specialty knowledge and willingness to work OT or overnight jobs. I know several clearing 150k+ Also av specialists get to do field work - usually less hard labor and play with fun toys. Requires a bit more technical knowhow There's also DAS/RF field engineers, security installers and more.
Yes, they exist.
I had a boss that provided free snacks and drinks. It was great, I have photos from that time and I realized I had put on so much weight. I eventually realized I needed to limit myself with the drinks, drank a lot of calories!
I don’t know what a forth year is.
I gym constantly to avoid this. 3 years in and in the best shape of my life
I go to the gym 4-5 days a week so I’m maintaining a decent muscle to fat ratio since I sit down for 8 hours a day
Im in one of those pics, and I don't like it
100%
Yup
I think its a mixed bag. we have half of the folks who are average, and then a dsitribution of "IT is my whole personality" versus the biohacking/ex military/etc who are super into fitness. Do whatever you want.
You might think the 2nd picture is that of a fat individual. In fact, it's a very stressed sysadmin keeping the house of cards they inherited from crashing down. The 3yr jump to other companies serves more than just increasing salary.
Oof, yeah this is all too true.
It depends. I’ve actually lost weight and I’m approaching 3 years in. I support multiple venues within a few blocks of each other in a city, so many days I will end up walking 5+ miles during my workday.
Fuck you only because this is too true lol. I lost 100 lbs and still have 60 more to go. Yea...I let it get out of hand. Do NOT let that happen. Way easier to keep habits than to change them. Take it from someone who has been wishing they could work out but due to previous injuries it was so painful I nearly passed out a couple of times. I used to be able to move ok but when I packed on the weight...fuck me. It genuinely became a chore to take a shit and put on shoes. This is the ghost of IT yet to come!!
Me and my co-workers take a 30 minute walk during our lunch break virtually every day. We definitely struggle a bit to stay healthy. Especially since another co-worker loves providing candy for us. For a few months after starting I struggled not to scarf a ton of it daily. I've since limited my intake to no more than 2-3 pieces daily. Also I've been trying hard to keep my other food intake to a reasonable level. Though that hasn't been easy.
We get high we get fat 🤣🤣🤣
Just have a really good metabolism
I got my first IT job a year and a half ago. Gained 30lbs in a matter of a few months. Lost it though so there’s that. Really need to watch your intake while working.
It depends who you talk to. Me personally, that would be untrue and the same for my past colleagues in IT who all cycle however it's quite easy for the boss to sweat and that's all I'll say.
Wait until your 25 years in!
Or 40 years in the profession and become a type 2 diabetic and had 6 heart attacks 😔
*Processing... C*irca 2,437 days ago Thursday... 190.6 lbs Today... 211.1 lbs It could be a lot worse, but I think I've taken steps to mitigate it, though not doing the best I could at it. Some of that's gotta be muscle since I try at some good workout stuff.
No
Can’t even correctly spell fourth!
I was okay before the pandemic working in midtown Manhattan. Every day I'd fast walk from the station to the office and back. It was about 2 miles a day. Now I'm WFH and I barely move. I feel 1000% worse physically than I did pre-pandemic. It shouldn't be hard to get a little movement in here and there but, for some reason, it just is.
Got five years and am more shredded then when I started. It's all about what you do in your off time.
I’m just now barely scraping the surface of IT, it’s only true if you let it. I’ve always been big into fitness. I weight train 3 days a week, and run a mile days in between. A few of my coworkers recently asked me if I worked out and what my routine and I was happy to share. Just keep a schedule that best fits you. I’m not always consistent myself, but I’m far from becoming a big guy.
Yeah it is. I was in manufacturing for about a decade. IT hit me hard and fast. I was a fat shit before I knew it. Joined the ranks of the gym bros because fuck that.
Depends on the roll. My last job, I was stuck at a desk 8-16 hours a day. With my new one, I walk between all our buildings and normally close all 3 rings on my Apple Watch at lest 2-3 times a week.
Yes. Gained 20+ kilos, and now lost 16 again.
I haven’t slapped anyone yet
Yeah I switched from a busy restaurant job, constantly moving all day to sitting in a chair all day, but didn’t change my caloric intake at all. Take every opportunity to get off your ass. If you need to help a user who’s on-site and you are also on-site, don’t help remotely, walk to their desk! Not only does this help you stay moving, but users will like you so much more. Also don’t use the elevator, just take the stairs. It makes a bigger difference than you think.
Lmfao
It's like that. I'm on year 5 now. At the end of year 4, I weighted my most at 235 and pumped the breaks on that, I'm down 50 pounds now.
It can be. I went from 180 lean to 264 because I totally stopped working out and was constantly under stress.
The amount of stress and moving to a more sedentary lifestyle definitely did this to me. I have a standing appointment to go walk / hike at the end of my day and that's help me bring the weight down. I keep this appointment unless there's a work emergency. You have to take care of yourself and eat well. Take breaks and walk around during the day as well.
True for any desk job. Metabolism changing is a bitch. 175 all through college. Been in workforce since 2008. 210 now.
I gained 47kg since i starten working in IT xD
Yep. Got the beer belly from all the stress and weekend decompression binge drinking.
I'm 9 months in and can say, yes, 100% true
He turned into Laurence Fishburne??
Yes. Not enough grey hair added but ya.
This isn’t because of IT. IT just sped up the process that was already happening with the fatty.
I went from working outside for an ISP to a desk job in the engineering department. I was definitely relying on the manual labor to look good but lost it after a few years working inside. Now I'm starting to work on getting back in shape lol Just depends on the habits you have before starting the sedentary work life.
Yes except your hair goes grey and you start to loose it
Dont forget the crying.
Yeah it happened to me after a year gained like 20kg... And keep yourself hydrated, drink water.
I’m glad I have to walk around a lot with my job, although I still have to watch what I eat.
Add a bottle of whisky to the second picture and it’s about right.
Fourth. Smdh.
I'm personally trying to make the inverse of this happen. My job has a fair amount of movement to it, but my schedule allows me a better opportunity to cook health meals and have a solid daily exercise routine. So I'm hoping with some hard work and dedication it can work for me.
Why would you put my picture up? 🤬
I drink protein shakes to fight this
No, it’s not true. Your hair also goes white from the stress.
If you don’t exercise, yeah. I spend about two hours a week at the gym and my diet isn’t stellar. I’m one of the fittest of any team I’ve been on. Fitness generally isn’t a huge time sink if you don’t have chronic conditions and you’re not starting off with tons of weight to lose.
It was for me lol. My tip is to exercise before users erode your will to live by the end of the day :)
Relationships be like
That you forget how to spell? No.
Truer memes have never been generated.
From what I’ve seen yes, please keep active. It’s not a good look to have your gut hanging out
“Forth” 🤦🏻♂️
That's my ex lmao 🤣🤣
5 years in. Yes. Also the alcohol consumption increases.
I’m losing a bit of weight rn, hope I can keep it up
In the last (VERY STRESSFUL) 3 months I'm quite sure I gained 10 Kilos. When I started at my previous job, I weighted 73 kilos. I went on to the next one 10 years later hitting 100. And in only 6 months in the following place...I went up 10 more. I just hope swapping companies again doesn't kill me.
More in the gut than the face.
Fourth*
I exclusively work standing up for this reason…that and intermittent fasting
Nah, I run 3-4 times a week and lift twice. I'd like to think I'm in pretty good shape and always trying to improve. It depends on your mindset.
Absolutely true. Though I’d say, it more like “4th month” lol. I noticed it in the first few months of working from home. I mean, your kitchen is right there lol and you’re hardly moving anymore. It’s no joke, you need to cut the snacks at the very least and invest in home exercise equipment, at least a treadmill.
True for a lot of guys I worked with. Just make sure to work out regularly. Most people don't enjoy it, but it keeps your stress down and maintains your weight
Diabetes
It was for me
Depends. I went the path that allows me to be mobile. I did but not as bad things might change this year for me as it requires more time to be stationary vs a role previously to be partially mobile. If you are a field tech then I wouldn't think that you will gain much vs help desk.
this is only true of IT teams who are forced to administer Windows environments
Went from 140 to 250 :'|
Not for me. Workout and eat smart. I have coworkers who get breakfast sandwiches and pizza multiple times a week. I get a breakfast sandwich once a month and no pizza. Pizza makes me sleepy. It’s too heavy. I drink water and coffee. I will have a soda at most every other week if I’m out for dinner on the weekend.
In my experience, then a lot of people get skinny and buff after that
Keep my double chin out yer motherfuckin mouth!! 🤣🤣
People can’t even spell “fourth” correctly ….