Food Sabotage At Work
kbc7288
Posts: 10 Member
It is so difficult to eat healthy at my office. Someone is always bringing in fresh homebaked goods, leftover halloween candy, birthday cake, etcetera. What are some ways that you've successfully navigated healthy eating while at work?
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I have my own snack drawer in my desk. When I see everyone snacking away, I'll grab one of my healthier alternatives and join them. Though, I don't deny myself everything. If you bring in brownies, I'll find a way to fit that into my goals for the day.0
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Just say no. Simple but true.
Our receptionist keeps a bowl of chocolates and a bowl of mints on her desk. I love chocolate so I've told myself that I just can't have any. I'll have an occasional mint when I'm wanting something sweet because I don't like them very much and I know I won't go back for more.0 -
You just hafta learn to say no. Pack a cooler, include your own version of healthy treats, meals and drinks. You can also save a specific number of calories for an office treat. Only use that special allotment if the treat is one of your faves. Be stingy with your calories.0
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Congratulate yourself every time you say no to snack you want but don't need. It can feel very satisfying. Pack lots in your lunch so you aren't hungry when you're offered the goodies. If it's something you really want, indulge a bit. Take a small serving and fit it into your daily goals. Good luck!0
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In....for sabotage.0
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herrspoons wrote: »By not eating them?
This (for any situation). Or if I really do want it and I have the macros/cals for it, I eat it and log it, and move on. i had 2 Lindt balls on Saturday. So worth it, although I actually felt nauseous after the 2nd one - I don't eat nearly as much chocolate as I used to lol.0 -
The biggest thing that's helped me with this is someone on here told me to think of calories as an expense. Just because it's "free food" doesn't make it FREE food. Do you have the calories to spend? If not, walk away. It is worth spending those extra calories? Is this your only chance to "purchase" this item or will you likely see it again in a little while, the next time someone brings in the same treat. You'll often find that these treats are just overpriced junk that isn't worth your time, or your calories.
Also, as someone said here, pack your own snacks! I LOVE keeping some apples with caramel dip in the fridge at work. Low cal, ("cheap") and delicious!0 -
That's not sabotage. That's just folks living their own lives.It is so difficult to eat healthy at my office. Someone is always bringing in fresh homebaked goods, leftover halloween candy, birthday cake, etcetera. What are some ways that you've successfully navigated healthy eating while at work?
Bring snack foods that you like and enjoy them.
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The biggest thing that's helped me with this is someone on here told me to think of calories as an expense. Just because it's "free food" doesn't make it FREE food. Do you have the calories to spend? If not, walk away. It is worth spending those extra calories? Is this your only chance to "purchase" this item or will you likely see it again in a little while, the next time someone brings in the same treat. You'll often find that these treats are just overpriced junk that isn't worth your time, or your calories.
Also, as someone said here, pack your own snacks! I LOVE keeping some apples with caramel dip in the fridge at work. Low cal, ("cheap") and delicious!
Love this! I talk myself out of all kinds of stuff that isn't worth it!0 -
I keep a pile of fruit on my desk so its visible and easier to eat than the cookies and cakes outside my office.0
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Just say no!
....or make it fit0 -
It is so difficult to eat healthy at my office. Someone is always bringing in fresh homebaked goods, leftover halloween candy, birthday cake, etcetera. What are some ways that you've successfully navigated healthy eating while at work?
All those things can be incorporated into a healthy diet. I don't understand the question.-1 -
I keep picturing "part of this nutritious breakfast" commercials from my childhood...It is so difficult to eat healthy at my office. Someone is always bringing in fresh homebaked goods, leftover halloween candy, birthday cake, etcetera. What are some ways that you've successfully navigated healthy eating while at work?
All those things can be incorporated into a healthy diet. I don't understand the question.
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I "accidentally" trip and knock the cake on the floor so that no one can eat it0
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It is so difficult to eat healthy at my office. Someone is always bringing in fresh homebaked goods, leftover halloween candy, birthday cake, etcetera. What are some ways that you've successfully navigated healthy eating while at work?
All those things can be incorporated into a healthy diet. I don't understand the question.
For some people, unhealthy treats can be trigger foods. Speaking for myself, if I start nibbling on our receptionists' bowl of chocolates (mentioned above), I'll end up buying Oreos and Snickers from the vending machine.0 -
And for some folks: we just don't want to eat unhealthy foods.0somuchbetter0 wrote: »It is so difficult to eat healthy at my office. Someone is always bringing in fresh homebaked goods, leftover halloween candy, birthday cake, etcetera. What are some ways that you've successfully navigated healthy eating while at work?
All those things can be incorporated into a healthy diet. I don't understand the question.
For some people, unhealthy treats can be trigger foods. Speaking for myself, if I start nibbling on our receptionists' bowl of chocolates (mentioned above), I'll end up buying Oreos and Snickers from the vending machine.
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0somuchbetter0 wrote: »It is so difficult to eat healthy at my office. Someone is always bringing in fresh homebaked goods, leftover halloween candy, birthday cake, etcetera. What are some ways that you've successfully navigated healthy eating while at work?
All those things can be incorporated into a healthy diet. I don't understand the question.
For some people, unhealthy treats can be trigger foods. Speaking for myself, if I start nibbling on our receptionists' bowl of chocolates (mentioned above), I'll end up buying Oreos and Snickers from the vending machine.
This is true for some people. In those cases, I think it's ok if you need to cut it out, at least until you can learn to incorporate it in a healthy way. So, to answer the question: don't eat it. But please also consider that the person who brought it in, is not trying to "sabotage" you.0 -
It is so difficult to eat healthy at my office. Someone is always bringing in fresh homebaked goods, leftover halloween candy, birthday cake, etcetera. What are some ways that you've successfully navigated healthy eating while at work?
I feel lucky - I work with all women who are relatively conscious of calories and treats, thus my office doesn't have that many. We have a bowl of candy up front that we all try to avoid to varying degrees of success.
So, beyond feeling happy about my office situation - advice wound be, avoid the break room like the plague, pretend the food from other peoples homes is contaminated, bring plenty of your own treats.
In the end, if you really want it, have it, but then really think about the flavor, texture, nutrient factors and decide if it is worth it the next time. Most the time if I do indulge, I am really picky, it has to be worth either the workout, the upset stomach, not eating something later. I love rich foods, but most the time I can't stomach them. If it's baked goods, I love those too, but most the office goodies are dry, over done, or just the run of the mill cookie. Meh, if I want a baked treat, it had better be awesome, fresh, buttery, and an existence. Candy is fine, but is it the really good stuff? If it's just the normal everyday candy, I will pass so I can have Belgian chocolate at a later date.0 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
And for some folks: we just don't want to eat unhealthy foods.0somuchbetter0 wrote: »It is so difficult to eat healthy at my office. Someone is always bringing in fresh homebaked goods, leftover halloween candy, birthday cake, etcetera. What are some ways that you've successfully navigated healthy eating while at work?
All those things can be incorporated into a healthy diet. I don't understand the question.
For some people, unhealthy treats can be trigger foods. Speaking for myself, if I start nibbling on our receptionists' bowl of chocolates (mentioned above), I'll end up buying Oreos and Snickers from the vending machine.
Yeah, but those folks don't have to worry about eating things they don't eat ...
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There are only two people in my office, including myself and not counting our two maintenance men. My Director loves to order pizza, bring in candy and other sweets. Our vendors love to bribe up with donuts and Starbucks and other yummy breakfast foods. Some of our residents love to bring us frozen pizzas and ice cream. It is a terrible situation and was extremely hard to get used to...as I type this there is a bowl of candy staring at me from across my desk. I had to change my habits and ways to get around it.
I started preparing snacks ahead of time. Sometimes I will bring in bags of vegetables (One per day) and keep them in the crisper in the office fridge. I have a huge desk with a lot of drawers so when I get ready for work I make portioned baggies and plan when they will be eaten and keep them in my drawers. I make sure I have what I'll be craving (Sweet or savory) and that it fits into my calories for the day. That way if I get a craving beyond my normal eating times I have a snack there.
Oh and a larger breakfast has helped cut the cravings down! Good luck!0 -
Will power. The desire to look good is stronger than the desire to eat a cookie.0
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Sigh - existence was supposed to be experience. Auto correct is not my friend today.0
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Try to walk the long way around them, so you don't have to see them. That helps a lot. Don't let anyone park snacks near your desk. Make healthy snack foods more accessible than the junky stuff. If you have to walk by the snacks, try really hard not to look at them, and repeat your goal over and over in your head while you do. "That snack isn't going to help me to get to my 45 pound weight lose goal!" I tell myself, as I walk by the counter where they keep snacks. Also, I do occasionally just have one, and work it into my day.
Google has free M&Ms for their employees, and they found that if they put a lid on the candies, and put healthier snacks right next to them in open containers, "In the New York office alone, employees consumed 3.1 million fewer calories from M&Ms over seven weeks. That’s a decrease of nine vending-machine-size packages of M&Ms for each of the office’s 2,000 employees."
Humans are very out of site, out of mind creatures, (and saying "Just don't eat them" is not helpful, by the way). Perhaps you can provide snack "bins" to the office that have lids, or make sure the lids on the doughnut boxes are closed.
Even better, try providing a healthy alternative right next to the snacks, to keep yourself on track, and help others in your office to make healthy choices. I keep an emergency bag of dried fruit that I put out a bit of next to unhealthy snacks in the office to help all of us trying to lose weight.
Remember to have faith in yourself, your diet plan, and your decisions to eat healthier. You can do this! Also, remember, if you eat one small piece of candy or a doughnut, it's not the end of the world!
Keep on keeping on, my friend!0 -
eh?Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
And for some folks: we just don't want to eat unhealthy foods.0somuchbetter0 wrote: »It is so difficult to eat healthy at my office. Someone is always bringing in fresh homebaked goods, leftover halloween candy, birthday cake, etcetera. What are some ways that you've successfully navigated healthy eating while at work?
All those things can be incorporated into a healthy diet. I don't understand the question.
For some people, unhealthy treats can be trigger foods. Speaking for myself, if I start nibbling on our receptionists' bowl of chocolates (mentioned above), I'll end up buying Oreos and Snickers from the vending machine.
Yeah, but those folks don't have to worry about eating things they don't eat ...0 -
I've used mantras...my favorite is "nothing tastes as good as fit feels". I also really look at the food and am like, you know that is not even the worlds best cupcake it is a cheap store bought one. And if I know we have our birthday cake for someone in the office I'll just save my afternoon snack to eat during that time. After saying no time and again it becomes much easier. I pretty much don't treat myself at work because it is usually not worth it. I feel much better about myself for longer after saying no than the quick sweet taste of the sugar would have lasted.
It's always mind over matter.
Best of luck!0 -
Tell yourself "I will let them all eat their pieces first". Then decide if you still want a piece. Most likely you will not. I myself work in an office and this is what I do. Usually after the junk is ate by my coworkers they are complaining about how they wish they didn't. Guess what I am always glad I didn't!! You will be too!! Hang in there and get pass the moment. Sometimes I think we say "yes" only to not be left out. I don't know about you, but I will be glad when weigh in time comes that I said "no".....The time of the weigh in will be my "YESSSSS" time!!!0
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At the end of the day, it's your decision what you eat and drink - however much someone waves cake or chocolate in your face, it's still your decision to actually put it in your mouth and swallow. So, if you really don't want to eat the unhealthy snacks people bring into work, um, don't.
I saw a really cool quote the other day that has stuck with me: "Don't be upset about the results you didn't get from the workout you didn't do". You could equally relate this to food...something like "Don't be upset about the weight you didn't lose because you ate all the cake"...or something.
ETA: If you want to eat the cake, then eat the cake. If it takes you over your calories, just adjust your goals for the next day or two to compensate, or do an extra workout. It's no biggie.0 -
I "accidentally" trip and knock the cake on the floor so that no one can eat it
I seriously hope that you're joking, it would take a special kind of jerk to ruin other people's enjoyment because he or she lacked willpower.......
To the OP....it's just a matter planning your food and sticking to the plan (your plan should allow you to have a little treat now and again, depriving yourself only makes things harder than they need to be)
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If I want a snack candy, I'll put the numbers into MFP. If it's too high or if I can substitute something else, that might work. Example: I wanted a "fun sized" pack of Peanut M&Ms the other day. After looking at how many calories, etc that little pack had, I decided to eat a teaspoon of crunchy peanut butter instead. All I wanted was the nutty, crunchy texture/flavor.0
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »That's not sabotage. That's just folks living their own lives.
Bring snack foods that you like and enjoy them.
I agree.
Also, try pre-logging your food for the day. That way you know ahead of time if you have room for snacks. For me, seeing what I would have to give up to fit in some "I can get this whenever I want it's really not worth the cals" office snack is enough to keep me away.
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