How I lost 5 pounds with a "desk job"....

I am a recruiter. Typically, this means I spend the majority of my day talking to potential new employees for my company. I am oversimplifying what I do....but the details aren't necessary. All you need to understand is that I sit behind a desk with a phone a computer for 8+ hours a day. I still lost weight on Tuesday of this week, and the following story details how:


I had to leave early today to pick up my kids from daycare. This meant I had to leave the office at 4PM. Because I am a multi-tasker I had scheduled a phone screen at 4:15. I figured I could be in my car, and receive the call, and walk through the phone screen, etc..

I got into my car at 4:13, and started it up. I drive a Ford Explorer. I tell you this because if any of you own a Ford Explorer you know that the air conditioning is not the fastest to cool down, and while it is trying to cool down, the fan blows at mach 3 and is loud.

I started the truck, and looked at the temperature gauge, it said 92 degrees Fahrenheit. For those of you in Canada, I have no idea what this is in Celsius….but no matter where you are this is hot. No problem, as remember I am a multi-tasker. I can deal with the fan blowing while conducting a phone screen and should only be uncomfortable for a few minutes.

The candidate, true to the plan, called me at exactly 4:15. Not sticking to the plan, I quickly learned that communication skills were not his forte. In fact, on a scale of 1-10, 10 being good…I would put him at a 2… only because I understood “Hello”.

I looked down, the gauge now read 94. Unfortunately, because I did not want the candidate to think I was not giving him a fair interview, I decided that I would strain to understand what he was saying….but this meant that I had to turn off the air conditioning as I simply could not hear him well enough.

I could not role down the windows, as the wind was too noisy for me to strain and understand his answers to my questions.

So….94 degrees is hot for an average person. Although I am not morbidly obese…I could stand to lose a few pounds….and because of this 94 degrees is really hot.

But as they say in recruiting “the phone screen must go on”…

So I turned off the air conditioning and rolled up the windows, thereby creating a moving sauna…. And started in with my questions.

Hoping this phone screen could be short, I went with the abridged version….but 6 minutes in I was sweating more then I have in a long time.

To close the interview, I graciously asked if he had any questions for me. When I asked this question, I was praying that he would respond “No, I will save them for the interview”….instead…I think he said “I have a few”….

29 minutes later I had answered all his questions. Because I struggled to understand him, I will admit that I answered two questions, not even really sure what he asked.

One time he either said "Do you have growth opportunities" or "can I work in China?". So, of course I answered "we have growth opportunities in China...."

So, the phone screen lasted a total of 42 minutes. Conducted in a rolling sauna with a temp of 94 degrees. I believe I lost 5 pounds. There is a chance I fainted twice as it got really hard to breathe about halfway through.

When I got home, I took off my shirt, and literally could ring it out as it was drenched.

So, for those of you who think we can’t lose weight with a “desk job” I will give you a phone number of someone you can phone screen and you too can lose some weight while working…..

Because they will love me even when I sweat....I love my girls...