Work and calorie consumption

HM2206

I find the work and social stuff kind of hard now that I am approaching the final few 'vanity' pounds... If I was unhealthily obese, then people around me would probably be supportive and all, but when you're in the normal range it's more along the lines of "oh come on, you can treat yourself!".

My office consist of people who seemingly think the only way to enjoy yourself is with fatty food. Don't get me wrong, I love food too and I don't eliminate anything completely. But with small margins and difficulty exercising every day, it's simply too much.

We have cake when it's somebody's birthday, somebody's anniversary, someone's started, someone's leaving, we won a pitch, it's summer, it's Christmas, it's the weekend. If we have a lunch meeting it's croissants and for a late meeting it's pizza. Both my managers are sticklers for this kind of food, so light suggestions would not be welcome.

As a PR agency we are often selected to "test" new food brands we're representing, or have lunch at a new Italian restaurant to give our opinion. First world problems I know, but not really compatible with a healthy lifestyle.

Today I knew we were having Italian food for lunch and I scheduled a workout at 7am. I also had a protein bar before lunch so I wouldn't be starving, and ended up having an appetizer and a side dish only (still came in at about 700 cals ) and I have to restrict the rest of my Friday.

How do you manage around it, those of you who work in 'fatty' offices?

jemhh

I perform a cost/benefit analysis of food. How many calories is this? Does it benefit me in any way--provide a nutrient I need or want? taste good? is it satiating? if I eat it will I have room to eat something else that I have planned for later?

If the overall benefit is lacking, I don't eat it. People don't push me. I don't get "oh come on, treat yourself" from people. I say "no thank you" and move on, continuing my conversation, walking through the room, etc. I don't offer an explanation and I don't get wishy washy about it. Let your no be your no and people will soon lose the idea of pressing you on this type of thing.

laurenebargar

Well it doesnt seem you can avoid the eating out, and thats okay, you should have to always avoid eating out. But for the late night meetings or lunch meetings I suggest bringing your own food. If your having pizza, either have one slice, or dont have any and bring a salad for dinner. For lunch you can do the same thing, you could still have a portion of what was provided, but only if you want too.

xXGearheadXx

If it doesn't fit my goals i don't eat it. Simple enough. Peer pressure can be a pain, but i'd rather be staring at another met goal a month or 3 down the road than still having 5-10# to lose. Usually a no-thanks will suffice.

tinkerbellang83

Luckily most of our cakes,etc are kept in the kitchen rather than in the office so I just bring my own snacks in and avoid the kitchen until I make my lunch. If I have social occasions, I pop it on my weekly meal/exercise planner and try and work around it with lower calorie meals the rest of the day, cutting down snacks or additional exercise.

Say no if you don't want any food, if they get particularly pushy take the food and put it in the bin. If you do want some there is nothing to say you have to eat the whole thing if you're out to lunch or are having a piece of cake. Have what you want and leave the rest, see if someone wants to split an appetiser, ask for dressings/sauces on the side so you can add as much or as little as you want.

You need to try and find a balance where your lifestyle work in harmony with work.

court_alacarte

i work for an auditing/tax firm, and during busy season (february-april) they catered lunch EVERY DAY. even when it's not busy season, there are still meetings and celebrations and what-have-yous going on where it averages about 3 times a week that there's free food available. however honestly, it comes down to willpower and just declining taking that extra boxed lunch and cake, while making sure to bring in your own food. or if you know you'll be eating at your favorite lunch spot, make your other meals fit around it.

but i know it's a different beast when eating out is a career move, and from a professional standpoint, deals are made over meals and happy hours. at my previous job, my bosses ate out for lunch every single day, and while from a calorie-counting standpoint, i definitely could/should have declined most offers, professionally it was in my best interest to break bread with these guys to get a rapport established. if that be the case, you'll have to make smart choices; check out the menu beforehand and plan from there, don't eat extra chips/fries with your sandwich, only eat half your meal, drink vodka sodas, etc.

tl;dr -- just say NO! or eat lighter meals to counter the delicious pizza and cake

SmithsonianEmpress

I would eat that at work just very small portions. I normally indulge in free work food but I learned to control how much of it I consumed.

hcdo

I don't really have much to add other than I feel for you. We have a ton of food around at work, including a constantly-stocked vending machine and plenty of food for every celebration. I'm usually my own worst enemy in that my coworkers might offer, but they're not really pushy. It's my own cravings that get me. Unfortunately my coworker across the cube aisle from me has three different candy jars each filled with different types of chocolate. People are constantly stopping by his desk to grab some so I hear the opening and closing of the jars all day. It's like Satan himself is tempting me. Willpower only goes so far with me, so I try and keep myself full with other stuff (including drinking A LOT of liquids) and try and bring a lot of healthy food with me to work. I definitely slip up, but I try and just include it into my daily calories instead of beating myself up about it. Eating smaller portions of stuff is often a slippery slope with me, so I try and abstain when I can. Good luck!!

stacief82

The office I work in has monthly celebrations sometimes more than one. I don't find it too hard to avoid the food table in those instances, but I eat lunch with the same lady everyday (she is pretty much the equivalent of my best friend at work LOL). So anyday she doesn't feel like bringing a lunch we eat out. I have learned to just find stuff on the menu that fits in my calories for the day. Today wasn't a great, she chose White Castle. While I love their greasy food, it is impossible to make a good choice there LOL. My lunch ended up being around 1,000 calories, so I will either go over a bit today or try and squeeze in an extra workout.

Rebecca0224

My suggestion for cakes and treats that are brought in is to just say no and if you want an excuse for those pushy people just tell them it will upset your stomach (gas, bloating, diarrhoea) and that usually stops the conversation. Keep a protein or meal replacement bar at work and on late nights when pizza is ordered have the bar instead and if they push say pizza will give you heartburn.

We shouldn't have to have to make excuses for what we eat or don't eat but sometimes in a work environment it's best to make an excuse.

nevadavis1

I honestly do have an egg and a milk allergy, so even if that isn't my only reason to turn stuff down it works pretty well.