Random Question...

musicalityrnb

Hi everyone,

My job has catered lunches every Tuesday and Friday from reps and sometimes, if the meal is simple enough, I'll partake of it. My question is: For those who weigh everything, would you bring your scales to the office to weigh what you might consume or do you simply stick with your pre-portioned and weighed foods?

285to170

I take my scale out with me sometimes. Be prepared to get odd looks. Most of the time I just get chicken or some other form of protein and some veg and guesstimate when logging.

I'd recommend getting a mini scale so you're not lugging around a full size scale everywhere.

ogtmama

I would not take scales to my place of work. Right or wrong, your image matters there.

musicalityrnb

eveandqsmom wrote: »

I would not take scales to my place of work. Right or wrong, your image matters there.

This is sort of what I was thinking... However, how should I approach the office catered lunches without going over my caloric limits - or would it be better for me not to even touch them?

FYI: I work in a surgeon's office so I don't think I'd get too crazy of looks considering the whole office is aware of my weight loss efforts.

RodaRose

Fit into your plan (less dinner maybe), or just eat a little of the low calorie options and eat your own lunch as planned.
(I would be o.k. using a scale around family and friends but not at work. -- that's just me. Maybe your work place is nicer than mine.)

endlessfall16

eveandqsmom wrote: »

I would not take scales to my place of work. Right or wrong, your image matters there.

I notice I tend to like your posts. You're among those who usually make good points

OP, eat your free catered lunches and save money and time. It's quite difficult to eat one meal like the rest of the people around you do, that will cover the next 2 meals. You can eat light or skip dinner and use the free time for other interesting things.

That's how I enjoy big meals on weekend, events. I drop every oz gained by Wednesday. When a week is over, I will have dropped a bit. Rinse and repeat.

hamstertango

Drink a load of water and Eat a banana or other fruit before you go so you are not super hungry when you hit the lunch buffet.

ElizabethOakes2

What kind of place do you work? Grab the receptionist's mail scale.
Or just rely on estimate measurements and keep your portions small. It's harder to log, but far less crazy making.
As to "image at work", which one person mentioned, I'd rather see my coworker measuring and weighing portions than stuffing their face and saying "I just can't understand why I don't lose weight"!

boomboom70

No I wouldn't take a scale to work.

Either guesstimate the meal as carefully as you can and overestimate calories by 200-300.

OR just make your own lunch, is it really such a big deal to miss out on these meals or is it important socially or politically to partake?

ashaiovin10

There's no such thing as a free lunch! Honestly, as a pharmacist, it's frustrating to see drug reps influencing prescribing of high cost medications. I realize it might be medical supplies they are discussing too. However, I stopped going to the fancy free dinners because at some point, it just felt wrong! Ok soap box done. If you want to do your part to control medical costs AND your weight loss efforts, I say once in awhile skip the lunch...

missh1967

I would never in a million years take a food scale to work. I would, however, take my own lunch and avoid the catered lunches as much as possible.

pebble4321

I eat a fair few free lunches, especially when it's conference season. I just pick things that I like the look of, don't go overboard, and estimate the calories. It's not a big deal.

Carpercia

musicalityrnb wrote: »

Hi everyone,

My job has catered lunches every Tuesday and Friday from reps and sometimes, if the meal is simple enough, I'll partake of it. My question is: For those who weigh everything, would you bring your scales to the office to weigh what you might consume or do you simply stick with your pre-portioned and weighed foods?

I'm lucky enough to work at a tech company where everything is provided, all of the time. From healthy foods to sugary snacks. It's a balancing act. Generally at lunch I will fist fill my plate with veg, then I'll add protein of some sort.

Staying away from the desert is hard but worth it. I usually try to drink enough water and grab a black coffee or espresso instead.

trigden1991

Estimate calories in the meal.

LivingtheLeanDream

I never take my food scale outside my house, which seem OTT to me. Guesstimate it and be generous with the guess.
Its two days a week so its not the end of the world if you can't know portion size exactly. Its how you eat the rest of the time that counts.

DaniettaF

trigden1991 wrote: »

Estimate calories in the meal.

This. It's not worth the social awkwardness. I'd estimate quantities based on what you've measured before and perhaps overestimate just in case. As RunRutheeRun says, it's just two meals out of a week, so I wouldn't worry if you're just looking to lose weight.

musicalityrnb

ashaiovin10 wrote: »

There's no such thing as a free lunch! Honestly, as a pharmacist, it's frustrating to see drug reps influencing prescribing of high cost medications. I realize it might be medical supplies they are discussing too. However, I stopped going to the fancy free dinners because at some point, it just felt wrong! Ok soap box done. If you want to do your part to control medical costs AND your weight loss efforts, I say once in awhile skip the lunch...

It's funny that you mention this because I can't even imagine the whole drug pushing thing since the reps who come to the office are for medical and surgical supplies, but I can definitely see where your perspective is coming from. I left the pharmacy field for this office three years ago because I wanted to have more of an impact from a different angle.


Thanks to everyone for your perspectives. I definitely will not be bringing in my scale to work, but since I've already prepared my lunch for the week forgetting that we were having catered lunches from reps, I'll just take my lunch and eat that... I'll partake in salads should they bring any this week, though.

'Twas just a question to see perspectives. I've never brought my scale to work and never intended to. We do have a mail processing scale though (never thought of that), but I don't intend on using that unless I absolutely have to (and behind closed doors).

beatyfamily1

Really pay attention to the size of the portion of each food when you cook at home. You can eyeball it when you are at work. If you know the particular type of food being served is high in calories, either take less of that food or find a food that is not so high in calories or skip it all together. I do it when I'm out with family and do well enough where I'm either at maintenance calories or below. You can exercise that day knowing you might have gone over your calories to compensate for it.

cathipa

I have the same problem. I just eat small portions of the healthier choices and log what I think is close. Depends also on what they bring. there are some days I just say thanks, but I already brought my own. They get it. Don't worry about it and leave the scale at home.

VintageFeline

I have take away pretty regularly, I just estimate. At this point I generally know what a portion looks like and one or two meals across a week of meticulous logging won't have a massive impact if I'm sensible about both what I eat and how I log it (not logging low to appease myself!). It's about creating strategies and habits for life and quite frankly, I don't have time for worrying about what happens when I can't use my scale.

RobD520

eveandqsmom wrote: »

I would not take scales to my place of work. Right or wrong, your image matters there.

How would using a scale to weigh food harm someone's image at work? That seems totally bizarre to me.