How do you deal with work?

whiteoutpen

Hey guys!

I'm looking for some tips on how to keep up with making healthy choices while at work. I have a great job with great people and I absolutely love it. The only thing I don't love is the fact that there's always unhealthy food around. The owner is constantly bringing in doughnuts, breakfast burritos, buying us lunch, etc., often times just bringing it in and leaving it for us. I've been pretty good about practicing moderation, and they all know I'm trying to eat healthier. But they're the kind of people who just want to give and make sure we're happy and comfortable and don't need anything.

I know it's definitely not the worst problem in the world, but I'm just looking for some motivation on how to keep up on making healthy choices

Thanks guys!

segacs

Same with my office. There's constantly food on offer -- cookies, doughnuts or Timbits, someone's bake sale stuff, cakes at birthdays, you name it.

I deal with it by just not eating it. Sure, at first it was hard to force myself to walk past it or to say "no thank you" but that went away after a week or two, and now it's just habit.

I'd rather save my calories for food I enjoy more.

cwolfman13

I pretty much brown bag my breakfast, lunch, and snacks unless there's actually an occasion or something going on at work, in which case I will usually participate. There are doughnuts in the breakroom right now...I had half of one earlier this morning...no biggie. Breakfast burritos sound great and I wouldn't say there's anything inherently "unhealthy" about them...I eat them all the time.

segacs

I'll also add this: I used to feel like I had to eat the food that was offered to me at work because it was "free food".

I stopped thinking of it as free. It may not cost money, but it costs calories, which are rarer and more precious to me.

Once I stopped thinking of it as free, it became easier to pass it up.

successgal1

Bring your own food, and make sure you have snacks.

Fittykitty11

Our office is the same. I avoid the consistent things (doughnuts, bagels) by having alternatives at hand (in my desk). Birthdays with cakes I take a SMALL piece or slice or split a cupcake with a coworker whom is also health minded.

jdhcm2006

My general rule is if I didn't bring it, then I don't eat it. However, there are times where I will break that rule if I know I can fit it in my calorie goals and it's something that I want. Last week, someone brought in homemade rice krispy teats with m&ms. I had one b/c they looked good (and they were).

Next week, we're having a coffee concert, which means we will literally have 200-400 donuts in the building. I plan to have 1.

Just try not to stress over it.

whiteoutpen

I bring my food with me to work 95% of the time (time permitting, some mornings are harder than others), so I'm definitely never lacking in healthier choices. I just feel bad when I come to work and they walk in with smoothies or burritos for everyone and then I have to either eat it or throw it away. There's only four of us in the front office, so they buy one for each of us. And then the box of doughnuts just sits on the cabinet next to my desk calling my name

It's definitely more of a guilt thing than me really wanting the food for the most part. Aside from the orange "Super C" smoothies they bring sometimes. I could drink those every day..

Fittykitty11

Can you politely ask them not to buy you food? I mean, it would save whomever is paying some money and it avoids you feeling guilty.

maxit

What I realized was that for me, the first bite was the deal breaker. So I never ate that first bite of break room stuff.

juggernaut1974

Perhaps then, in that case, a frank sit-down with your boss is in order.

Tell him/her you genuinely appreciate the gesture, but that you'd prefer they didn't include you in the group orders. Or to at least check with you first, and you can decide whether you can fit the 'treat' into your day.

You don't have to go into a lot of detail, but explain you're carefully watching what you eat, and don't want their kind gesture to go to waste.

whiteoutpen

jdhcm2006 wrote: »

My general rule is if I didn't bring it, then I don't eat it. However, there are times where I will break that rule if I know I can fit it in my calorie goals and it's something that I want. Last week, someone brought in homemade rice krispy teats with m&ms. I had one b/c they looked good (and they were).

Next week, we're having a coffee concert, which means we will literally have 200-400 donuts in the building. I plan to have 1.

Just try not to stress over it.

Rice krispy treats with m&m's sounds amazing. Luckily, I'm the baker in the office, so I'm typically the only one bringing in homemade sweets for everyone. I think I'm just struggling with the whole willpower thing. This is the best job environment I've had; I've never really had to deal with being offered food and snacks on the daily. I love how nice they are and the family atmosphere, I just wish it was less unhealthy.

ana3067

Don't eat it or log it at eat it.

whiteoutpen

I've told them I'm eating healthier and trying to make wiser choices, but they're a bunch of enablers. They mean the best, though. It's a rather successful family business, and they're definitely not lacking in money in the slightest. They're the kind of people, however, that believe you're perfect just the way you are and that I don't need to lose any weight, etc.

I'm not grossly overweight or anything, I'm on the higher end of average, so I don't seem like I have too much weight to lose as opposed to when I first started. And they're all healthy and on the thinner side, but eat whatever they want kind of people. I don't think they've ever really tried to eat healthily.

segacs

whiteoutpen wrote: »

I just feel bad when I come to work and they walk in with smoothies or burritos for everyone and then I have to either eat it or throw it away.

If you keep taking it and then either eating it or throwing it away surreptitiously, then they're gonna keep buying it for you because they think you want it.

Next time, smile and say "no thank you!" and if they insist, just say, "really, I appreciate the thought, but no thanks, I have my own lunch today." Once or twice of that and they'll get the message and stop buying it for you in the first place.

tulips_and_tea

ceoverturf wrote: »

Perhaps then, in that case, a frank sit-down with your boss is in order.

Tell him/her you genuinely appreciate the gesture, but that you'd prefer they didn't include you in the group orders. Or to at least check with you first, and you can decide whether you can fit the 'treat' into your day.

You don't have to go into a lot of detail, but explain you're carefully watching what you eat, and don't want their kind gesture to go to waste.

Yes, this is what I would do. I'm also in the camp of "if I didn't bring it, I don't eat it". Of course, there are a few special exceptions overall, but since this is a daily thing at your office I would definitely apply the above rule.

Aviva92

i'm jealous of your office environment. we had donuts yesterday, but nobody told me about them and then i just found an empty box

agree with others who said to just politely ask your boss or whomever to not include you on these orders anymore so as to not waste their money.

whiteoutpen

segacs wrote: »

whiteoutpen wrote: »

I just feel bad when I come to work and they walk in with smoothies or burritos for everyone and then I have to either eat it or throw it away.

If you keep taking it and then either eating it or throwing it away surreptitiously, then they're gonna keep buying it for you because they think you want it.

Next time, smile and say "no thank you!" and if they insist, just say, "really, I appreciate the thought, but no thanks, I have my own lunch today." Once or twice of that and they'll get the message and stop buying it for you in the first place.

That's true. I'll have to grow a pair and say no, basically. They're just rather insistent sometimes. When delivery people come in, the owner will offer them a doughnut or something, and basically talk them into eating it haha. But I'll try harder to decline when I'm offered food in the office. Thank you for the advice, I really appreciate it.

Fittykitty11

Maybe they can buy you an expensive fruit basket every morning then

ShibaEars

maxit wrote: »

What I realized was that for me, the first bite was the deal breaker. So I never ate that first bite of break room stuff.

This is me. If I don't have any of the snacks, I can walk past it all day no problem. But if I have one bite, I'll be back there 3, 4, 5 times lol. I bring my lunch & try to just stick with that.

I also agree with the suggestion that you politely ask them to not buy you food.

Azexas

Usually we don't have food brought into work unless it's a staff meeting. I've learned just to say "no thank you" and eat whatever I had packed for lunch that day.

whiteoutpen

Fittykitty11 wrote: »

Maybe they can buy you an expensive fruit basket every morning then

Now you're speaking of the things I dream of

whiteoutpen

ShibaEars wrote: »

maxit wrote: »

What I realized was that for me, the first bite was the deal breaker. So I never ate that first bite of break room stuff.

This is me. If I don't have any of the snacks, I can walk past it all day no problem. But if I have one bite, I'll be back there 3, 4, 5 times lol. I bring my lunch & try to just stick with that.

I also agree with the suggestion that you politely ask them to not buy you food.

I definitely feel that pain. We work in a small one room office, so they leave the food right in here and I can smell it and omg. Sometimes the struggle can be so real. I totally agree that once I break for the first time in the day, I'm more likely to go back and have more.

whiteoutpen

herrspoons wrote: »

Don't take this the wrong way, but you're responsible for your own eating decisions. Either eat it, log it, and make room for it or don't eat it. It really is as simple as that.

I agree, I'm completely in control of my own eating decisions. I just needed some tips when I'm getting served unhealthy food on a silver platter. Definitely not the worst problem in the world, but I figured y'all could give me the best advice of anyone

SuggaD

Same here. But I just bring lots of food to work and don't eat what I normally wouldn't eat. I will indulge on occasion. Its all about self-control.

kristen6350

I bring my own food 100% of the time. No excuses. And I have a rule that if it's out and free, it's not for me.

cwolfman13

whiteoutpen wrote: »

I bring my food with me to work 95% of the time (time permitting, some mornings are harder than others), so I'm definitely never lacking in healthier choices. I just feel bad when I come to work and they walk in with smoothies or burritos for everyone and then I have to either eat it or throw it away. There's only four of us in the front office, so they buy one for each of us. And then the box of doughnuts just sits on the cabinet next to my desk calling my name

It's definitely more of a guilt thing than me really wanting the food for the most part. Aside from the orange "Super C" smoothies they bring sometimes. I could drink those every day..

Why can't you simply say, "no thanks...I already had breakfast/lunch." You say that you understand that you are in control of your eating decisions...your problem is simply that you're not exercising that control.

Do you maybe get some weird looks at first? Sure...but who the *kitten* cares. I'm going on 2.5 years of good livin' and people are for the most part are used to the way I live. I do participate in formal work functions and celebrations...but most of my fellow colleagues are pretty used to the fact that I brown bag it...that I ride pretty much every day at lunch, etc. It's not so weird to them anymore, and even if it is, it doesn't bother me being known as "the fit guy" at the office..which I am.

theoryofempire

Pack a lot of snacks and prelog them for the day. This way you know what you can munch on when everyone else is having doughnuts. My manager likes to throw candy at us, and it's really easy to pull something out of my bag when I have the munchies instead of eating candy

Vcorz

Don't eat it....work is what caused my weight to skyrocket! Other ex-skinnies in my office too.

whiteoutpen

cwolfman13 wrote: »

whiteoutpen wrote: »

I bring my food with me to work 95% of the time (time permitting, some mornings are harder than others), so I'm definitely never lacking in healthier choices. I just feel bad when I come to work and they walk in with smoothies or burritos for everyone and then I have to either eat it or throw it away. There's only four of us in the front office, so they buy one for each of us. And then the box of doughnuts just sits on the cabinet next to my desk calling my name

It's definitely more of a guilt thing than me really wanting the food for the most part. Aside from the orange "Super C" smoothies they bring sometimes. I could drink those every day..

Why can't you simply say, "no thanks...I already had breakfast/lunch." You say that you understand that you are in control of your eating decisions...your problem is simply that you're not exercising that control.

Do you maybe get some weird looks at first? Sure...but who the *kitten* cares. I'm going on 2.5 years of good livin' and people are for the most part are used to the way I live. I do participate in formal work functions and celebrations...but most of my fellow colleagues are pretty used to the fact that I brown bag it...that I ride pretty much every day at lunch, etc. It's not so weird to them anymore, and even if it is, it doesn't bother me being known as "the fit guy" at the office..which I am.

I understand that I'm responsible for my own eating decisions, but I feel bad when they buy me things and I say no. I hate being wasteful, but I understand I need to be more firm in saying no and try to decline preemptively. I've been primarily good at exercising control, I just wanted some tips on how everyone else says no. Sometimes sheer willpower just isn't cutting it, sadly. But thanks for the advice!

awesomedjmcvey

I am very open about it with my peeps. I also am very loud about if the company buys lunch to offer a healthy option. Now there is always something for me. Alot of the time it is a veggie tray or power bar but atleast they think about it. I also always keep protein bars and other items that I can eat at my desk in case something not so good is brought in.