How to avoid FREE FOOD from work??

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Like seriously, I find myself scoffing so much. Well, I don't think it's THAT much and it's not unhealthy food! I work at a hospital where we serve patients so most of the food is very low fat and calling, but once I start, I get far too excited and mom my way through so much! I actually get so excited, it's like the highlight of my day. How do j stop this and resist the temptation!?!?
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  • Strawblackcat
    Strawblackcat Posts: 944 Member
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    I chew a lot of gum. Minty flavors make sweet flavors taste icky.
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,325 Member
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    I bring my own food to work daily. My lunch bag looks like a shopping bag.I have breakfast and I have fruit (3 servings) sAlad (1 serving) and lunch. and water water water.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
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    I chew a lot of gum. Minty flavors make sweet flavors taste icky.

    Gum is awesome. No mindless snacking, but just toss it when you're ready to eat. You'll stop relying on it after a while.

    I also pre plan my days. I bring just my lunch, no snacks (although I used to years ago) and don't consider that to be part of my plan. We have a lot of potluck type events and I'm the only one who always includes calorie counts and ingredient lists/amounts and posts them on my food.
  • UncaToddly
    UncaToddly Posts: 146 Member
    edited November 2015
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    As one who is still in the very early stages of losing a whole person, I am learning to just remind myself how important it is to stay on track and what giving in could mean for me. I am on a low carb/high protein regimen and it is amazing how many things I like are high carb/little to no protein LOL.

    I work in a manufacturing environment so the first thing was to stop buying the overpriced food in the breakroom. Once I got used to that it was also what you talk about, free food that might be available, typically in the office.

    In the past, I used to visit the offices quite often because it was common for people to bring in goodies (Halloween has not been easy LOL). So there is almost always cookies, cakes, muffins, bagels or donuts. Sometimes if they have a luncheon for a client and there are leftovers it is taken to our breakroom. In the past if they brought in leftover donuts, a deli sandwich platter or maybe a member of the sales staff brought donuts or muffins in as a way to say thanks, I would quickly eat one, then hide a couple in the cabinet and then eat another on my way back out. That kind of idiotic stuff is a hard habit to break but I just have to keep reminding myself what the goal is and if my carb goal for the day is 50-100, is it really worth it to eat all of that and more in one 10 minute "OMG GOTTA HAVE IT" moment dorfing out on donuts. I remind myself that it is that type of thing that helped get me where I am to begin with and it is too easy to slip back into my old ways and just because the food is free doesn't mean that there won't be a price to pay.

    So far, so good. I did accept some free food today but that is because it was a bag of pork rinds that someone was eating and asked me if I wanted any. At first I said no when the bag was offered until I saw what they were. They fit my macros. :) Later on though I had to pretty much beat her off of me with a stick when she kept insisting I have some of her potato crisps. LOL.

    As I am supposed to eat every 2 hours or so, I have everything I am going to eat on my forklift and it seems like I am always eating even though it is what I am supposed to eat at that time. So if nothing else, that helps some because I don't have a need to seek out food. I can just grab the string cheese or hard boiled egg I am supposed to eat at that time and get back to work. :)

    So for me it has just been mostly a matter of willpower. I have given in a couple times but instead of taking a 4"x4" hunk of coffee cake, I just trim off a 1" slice so I can enjoy the flavor without messing up my numbers. I mean, we can't be perfect ALL the time. :)
  • Josalinn
    Josalinn Posts: 1,066 Member
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    "There's no such thing as a free lunch." Economics 101. It applies to everything. It's what I think about when I'm offered "free food" and it helps. The cost is the calories and the extra workout later if the food doesn't fit in my day.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    I may be reading this wrong, but you eat your patients food?

    Food should not be the highlight of your day.
  • bover145
    bover145 Posts: 119 Member
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    My office also has lots of sweets out. I have been good about walking on by. If I am hungry, I know I have food with me to eat. If I am not hungry then I don't need the donut!
    I also say (to myself) that nothing tastes as good as being thin will feel.
  • LadybirdQueenie
    LadybirdQueenie Posts: 4 Member
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    elphie754 wrote: »
    I may be reading this wrong, but you eat your patients food?

    Food should not be the highlight of your day.


    Oh god no! We get a lot of spare meals when people don't want to eat or change their mind. We normally have lots of fresh, still hot leftovers like sweet and sour and sausages!!!
  • Jake3844
    Jake3844 Posts: 7 Member
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    I would try to stay away from the areas where you know the food will be if you can. If not, you can cut down on your cravings by eating more complex carbs or good healthy proteins and by keeping yourself hydrated. If you're doing all these things, you may just need to discipline yourself.

    Temptation to eat food is probably not going to stop. The best way around unhealthy cravings is hydration, good choices within your calorie limit, and to discipline yourself in those moments to walk away.

    Hang in there, you are obviously in a tricky situation having free food around that will probably get thrown away if it's not eaten. I would say it is an opportunity to really train yourself to be in control of the decisions you make.
  • scorpcookie
    scorpcookie Posts: 113 Member
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    Resisting free food at work is always a tough one. I would like to say that I'm always successful at passing it up, but I'm not.

    Some times I can ignore the tempting desserts, other times no. When I can't resist them, I just tend to do a bit more cardio at night in hopes that the added exercise helps keep me at around maintenance.

    Today I was successful in ignoring a mountain full of desserts, last week, not so much.
  • jcow84
    jcow84 Posts: 75 Member
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    If I see something I'm tempted by, I usually tell myself I can have it later in the afternoon, by which time all the food has been picked over/is all gone and I no longer want it anyway. I seem to be easily trickable, lol.
  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
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    urloved33 wrote: »
    I bring my own food to work daily. My lunch bag looks like a shopping bag.I have breakfast and I have fruit (3 servings) sAlad (1 serving) and lunch. and water water water.

    This is me too. On Monday I bring a big bag of food with me (fortunate enough to have a fridge at work) that will last me 2-3 days. Yogurts, string cheese, fruit, ect for snacks plus my actual lunches. I always have MY food there so there's no need to look to anything else.

    Why not just try the line of thinking that says....that food is for the patients (regardless if there are leftovers or not).
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Try pre-logging your days.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    Like seriously, I find myself scoffing so much. Well, I don't think it's THAT much and it's not unhealthy food! I work at a hospital where we serve patients so most of the food is very low fat and calling, but once I start, I get far too excited and mom my way through so much! I actually get so excited, it's like the highlight of my day. How do j stop this and resist the temptation!?!?

    Avoid free food? If you work it just right, you can stock your cabinets and save some money.

    Just kidding.

    I just say no and walk away.

  • betuel75
    betuel75 Posts: 776 Member
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    SLLRunner wrote: »
    Like seriously, I find myself scoffing so much. Well, I don't think it's THAT much and it's not unhealthy food! I work at a hospital where we serve patients so most of the food is very low fat and calling, but once I start, I get far too excited and mom my way through so much! I actually get so excited, it's like the highlight of my day. How do j stop this and resist the temptation!?!?

    Avoid free food? If you work it just right, you can stock your cabinets and save some money.

    Just kidding.

    I just say no and walk away.

    seriously though. I would bring my food scale to work and save money on buying food.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,566 Member
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    Like seriously, I find myself scoffing so much. Well, I don't think it's THAT much and it's not unhealthy food! I work at a hospital where we serve patients so most of the food is very low fat and calling, but once I start, I get far too excited and mom my way through so much! I actually get so excited, it's like the highlight of my day. How do j stop this and resist the temptation!?!?
    Honestly you just have to make the COMMITMENT to not engage. Till you do, no answers will really sound appealing.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    It is not free if it costs you something.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Like seriously, I find myself scoffing so much. Well, I don't think it's THAT much and it's not unhealthy food! I work at a hospital where we serve patients so most of the food is very low fat and calling, but once I start, I get far too excited and mom my way through so much! I actually get so excited, it's like the highlight of my day. How do j stop this and resist the temptation!?!?
    Honestly you just have to make the COMMITMENT to not engage. Till you do, no answers will really sound appealing.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

    Yes! And to add to that, once you've been committed to saying no to that stuff, it becomes easier and easier to say no over time!!! You could even share your commitment with a trusted co worker. It may help you to have someone at work holding you accountable, even if he/she is only doing so by making you dread having to explain your failure to do so later.
  • scyian
    scyian Posts: 243 Member
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    I use to work somewhere that had free food and was the highlight of my day too because I hated working there. I quit in the end but I wondered if you enjoyed your job?

    I would try and stick to eating at lunchtime. If you're hungry mid morning/afternoon have a big glass of water first and see if that curbs your pangs. If not have a hot drink or a small snack.

    Pre logging is a great way to stay on track as is making your own lunches so you know the calorie content.

    A bit of willpower too is your best friend. If its 11 and lunch is at 12, you have to tell yourself to just hang on for another hour.

    Gum is a good one but I find brushing my teeth more effective.
  • joshuakcaron
    joshuakcaron Posts: 343 Member
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    Like seriously, I find myself scoffing so much. Well, I don't think it's THAT much and it's not unhealthy food! I work at a hospital where we serve patients so most of the food is very low fat and calling, but once I start, I get far too excited and mom my way through so much! I actually get so excited, it's like the highlight of my day. How do j stop this and resist the temptation!?!?

    I work in a restaurant and I yell at anyone who asks if I want any free food. They're all trying to sabotage me!!!!

    Haha,

    I actually do that but in a joking kind of way, I don't really have any advice other than maybe pack more snacks to work? I used to eat at work all the time but I have lots of munchies that I track while I'm there and no more temptation.