Quick Rant: Snacks at Work

Heather_MXP
Heather_MXP Posts: 48 Member
in Motivation and Support
Mass email: "There are crackers, cheese, and M&Ms in the break room!"

I get so tired of constantly having to deal with avoiding/resisting break room snacks on top of trying to make good choices about packing my lunch, etc. I work with healthcare professionals, for heaven sake. You'd think they'd "get" it. But, no. The break room is still a constant parade of junk food.

Just needed to vent.

Replies

  • ManiacalLaugh
    ManiacalLaugh Posts: 1,048 Member
    Work is the worst. We always have vendors and employees that bring in gourmet donuts. Resistance is not as easy as simply avoiding them, either. The snack desk is literally one 1/2 cubical wall away from me, which means I can see and smell them all day.
  • Heather_MXP
    Heather_MXP Posts: 48 Member
    ManiacalLaugh wrote: »
    Resistance is not as easy as simply avoiding them, either.

    Similar here. The break room isn't off in some remote corner. I basically have to walk right by the tables of junk every time I need to venture out of my office. Then I also have to decide if I want to become the grumpy office troll who never socializes, or endure eating my lunch surrounded by the junk and the coworkers who are indulging in it.

  • Heather_MXP
    Heather_MXP Posts: 48 Member
    edited February 2016
    And another thing! haha. As a diabetic I'm constantly being told, "Well, you have to live a little." Yeah. If I indulged every time someone wanted me to, eating junk that sent my blood sugar sky high would be the rule, not the exception. People never seem to take into account that their exception isn't the only one I'll face that week, or even that day. (Man, I'm grumpy today.)
  • kandell
    kandell Posts: 473 Member
    The struggle is real :[ Snacks and food days are big at my work, too. What makes it worse is that any time someone on our team brings in treats, they go in my cube. MAJOR temptation...
  • mommazach
    mommazach Posts: 384 Member
    We have the daily food truck menu that comes out. Are you serious???? Lots of work lunches to go with the meetings we sit through. I'm the one who has to ask for a salad when everyone else is eating and Italian meal with Garlic bread. I'm with you on the grumpy scale. I want a cookie and crackers, but know my sugars will skyrocket. I've got my "healthy" snacks with me, but quite honestly wish the emails announcing snacks would say sugar free popcicles
  • giraffe_draft
    giraffe_draft Posts: 15 Member
    Same thing in my office. Lots of cakes and cookies in the break room on the regular.

    Depending on any dietary limitations it isn't necessarily what you eat but how much you eat. Can I eat one girl scout cookie on Friday afternoon? Sure. Should I eat 6 of them? No.

    All things in moderation. :smile:
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
    At one job I had, there were 8 directors. One of our vendors sent each director (screw the assistants! LOL) at least 5 pounds of chocolates. I could have thrown up!!! One of the directors was typically a COMPLETE JERK, however, this was one occasion I could have kissed him. He came up to my desk, asked what was in the box. I told him. He opened it up just to confirm...I'm just shaking my head. He says, "I think I'll box this up and put it in my car to remove the temptation for the both of us." (He had been trying to pay attention to his weight too.) I was like, "Thank you!!!!"
  • jenlaw71
    jenlaw71 Posts: 56 Member
    There is a group here that goes out EVERY Friday for lunch - I was going - but now that I'm trying again to get fit/lose weight/become healthier I have stopped going. I pack my lunch every day and just bring a current knitting or crochet project. I've been called "rude" for not going - but the hot spots they always go to have NOTHING healthy - unless I want to order 2 leaves of lettuce and a water................
  • hekla90
    hekla90 Posts: 595 Member
    I'm an RN and I have a hard rule: I just eat the food that I bring to work. No if, ands, or buts. Yeah I have a reputation as being boring/cheap but when food is constantly being bought for holidays, or birthdays, or nurses weeks, or we order in food every night (they just got us food trucks at night too!) there are too many exceptions. Patients families also will buy is delicious treats from expensive bakeries too, not talking Walmart donuts but stuff like tiramisu from nice places! Rarely, a charge will buy us pizza if we are having a busy night and I'll have one slice but I can count on one hand the times the times I've done that the past year (2x!). I found making a hard rule and making it off limits was easier for me than trying to fit it in my budget all the time.
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
    Personal responsibility. The world does not end because we are trying to lose weight, its goes on regardless of how all of us feel about the temptation that is put in our way.

    Grow a spine and ignore what is in the break room.
  • UG77
    UG77 Posts: 206 Member
    I get the same thing. They're always buying us lunch too.

    I found these "eat smart" broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, 4 serving vegetable packs at Braums and now I keep them on hand at work. It's about the same size as bag of chips and it gets me something munch and crunch on without being stupid about it.
  • LittleAppleAndBean
    LittleAppleAndBean Posts: 9 Member
    socajam wrote: »
    Personal responsibility. The world does not end because we are trying to lose weight, its goes on regardless of how all of us feel about the temptation that is put in our way.

    Grow a spine and ignore what is in the break room.

    I wish there was a "LIKE" button!

  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    We always have tons of food in our break room. I stick to what I pack. There's usually cake or pie once per month that's planned and I'll fit it into my calories as I'm pre-logging. You're going to have to figure out your method that's going to work day after day forever.
  • mean_and_lean
    mean_and_lean Posts: 164 Member
    Just don't partake? Seriously, how hard is it to delete the email and not feel obligated to go eat the food they have? When I worked in an office I had no issue not partaking in the treats that my department would get. Once in a while I'd have a bagel when they had them on Fridays but that was like once every 4-5 months. Even if we had a pot-luck type event I would make something to bring but then eat my own food (mostly because I have this thing about eating other peoples food because I have no idea how clean their house is, how it was prepared etc.) I never felt obligated and if someone guilted me into grabbing something I'd chuck it in the garbage at my desk later.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    It's very hard.

    My coworker's son runs a bakery and needs our input as to what's good and what's not.
  • rhtexasgal
    rhtexasgal Posts: 572 Member
    socajam wrote: »
    Personal responsibility. The world does not end because we are trying to lose weight, its goes on regardless of how all of us feel about the temptation that is put in our way.

    Grow a spine and ignore what is in the break room.

    Yep ... this is my attitude. The only one that has power over you is yourself! I am fortunate that I am essentially the only one in my office so I keep healthy snacks in my desk and always bring my own lunch and a large stainless steel thermos of ice water as I am prone to "drink" my calories if I get bored so I remove that temptation to visit the building's vending drink machine.
  • mean_and_lean
    mean_and_lean Posts: 164 Member
    MostlyWater wrote: »
    It's very hard.

    My coworker's son runs a bakery and needs our input as to what's good and what's not.

    So let your co-workers taste the treats.
  • dotti1121
    dotti1121 Posts: 751 Member
    Same here! I have to keep my office stocked with healthy snacks so I'm prepared...
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
    Allow me to solve all of your problems for you.... Imagine how many of your gross coworkers are going to the bathroom, wiping with that flimsy, workplace toilet paper... And not washing there hands before wondering out to peruse the snack table.

    I'm sorry/you're welcome.
  • socioseguro
    socioseguro Posts: 1,679 Member
    socajam wrote: »
    Personal responsibility. The world does not end because we are trying to lose weight, its goes on regardless of how all of us feel about the temptation that is put in our way.

    Grow a spine and ignore what is in the break room.

    Second
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Why do all of your coworkers hate you for being healthy and successful?
  • neohdiver
    neohdiver Posts: 738 Member
    Heather_MXP wrote: »
    Mass email: "There are crackers, cheese, and M&Ms in the break room!"

    I get so tired of constantly having to deal with avoiding/resisting break room snacks on top of trying to make good choices about packing my lunch, etc. I work with healthcare professionals, for heaven sake. You'd think they'd "get" it. But, no. The break room is still a constant parade of junk food.

    Just needed to vent.

    You could look at the mass email as a blessing - you have advance notice when there's junk in there so you don't wander in/unexpectedly encounter it.

Categories