As a grazer, I'm slowly being killed by the massive amount of free snacks in the break room. Help!

mikepoplawski

My company spends $100+ weekly for free snack food in the company break room.

There's only 20 employees so there's always a ton of junk food available.

Some of the food is portioned controlled like individual 1-3 oz. bags of popcorn, chips, granola bars, etc.

Plus, there's a wide variety of trail mix, banana chips, etc.

The trail mix stuff typically comes in large containers from a grocery store.

As a grazer, I eat 10-15 times every day; grabbing something every time I go near the breakroom.

I keep food in my office too; plain greek yogurt mixed with protein powder, flatbread sandwiches, etc.

But I tend to snack on the junk food instead.

By the end of the day, I've consumed at least 5 bags of junk food and a minimum of 2 cups of the trail mix crap.

I need advice from other grazers who share the same dilemma as I do.

If I could only stop eating this crap and stick to my normal food regimen, I would achieve every goal.

This food is literally devil food and I'm possessed.

I truly need a snack food exorcism.

dadsafrantic

ask them to stop. none of it sounds healthy. maybe they have a vendor that does a delivery service thing. they may have different options.

kommodevaran

Two alternatives: Stop eating 10-15 times per day. Ask to have those five dollars per week in ready money.
Supporting thoughts: Food isn't evil and you're in charge of what you eat. There's no such thing as a free lunch.

pinuplove

Sounds like the grazing is a habit. Break the habit. When you feel compelled to go to the break room and get food, walk around the office instead, do some stretches at your desk, or any other deliberate action that says 'I want to go get food right now, but I'm doing this instead.'

If you need to eat frequently (10-15 times send excessive to me but you do you) keep appropriate snacks at your work station. Stay out of the break room.

joemac1988

I can fix your problem for $100.

DON'T GO TO THE BREAKROOM.

How would you like to pay?

WJS_jeepster

All it took for me was watching a coworker come out of the bathroom wiping his hands on his pants, then head to the breakroom where he stuck those hands directly in a jar of jellybeans. No more breakroom snacks for me thank you very much.

He probably did wash them but still. I was so grossed out I've used that as the reason for not taking the breakroom snacks.

Aine_60

I would probably grab ie one bag of popcorn and one cereal bar in the morning and log it on MFP before I even eat it. I would also have the breakfast, lunch and dinner (pre)logged. And then simply stick to that, only eat what logged. This way you can stay within your calories, but can still have some of the goodies.

88olds

You logging everything in? Trail mix is a calorie bomb.

Wouldn’t fit you exactly, but I became the office germaphobe. One day I took a few seconds to watch my coworkers around the food that was out. I never reached for another donut. I was no longer temped by the community candy dish.

If you can’t stay away from the individual snack bags, buy some little bags of baked chip, or make up your own little bags. But you gotta find room in your calorie budget.

SteamPug

Grazing is nothing more than a habit which you can get control of, but first stop calling yourself a grazer. That’s like me calling myself a non-exerciser and using that as my reason for never ever exercising. ^^’

hesn92

I try setting somewhat consistent meal/snack times. Say you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, and two snacks. Allow yourself to get one (appropriately portioned) snack at 10am, and another at 4pm (for example). I am also a grazer and it's a hard habit to break. Especially when there's free food all over the break room Willpower is like a muscle, you have to work it. It gets stronger in time. Lol.

GoodLardy

We have this at work too. Different lunches provided everyday. Yummy wonderful things. Myself and some others do not go near that room. We bring our own lunches and stay away. It’s not fair to ask them to stop when everyone else is enjoying it and you’re the one who can’t control yourself . Not trying to be mean truly, I’m only speaking from similar experience.

cmriverside

Here's my rule:

Only eat the food I bring in myself.

Everything else is, "not mine."

My last job was just like you describe. Small company. Big deliveries weekly from Costco. Potlucks every Friday. Ugh.

"Not mine," became my mantra (not out loud, just in my head!) I had a candy bowl on my desk for guests. Not mine. Potluck? Not mine. I didn't even show up. Hard to do in a small office, but I did it. Birthdays, bar hops, all that had to be relegated to, "Not Mine."

It's hard.

It's hard being fat.

Pick your hard.

solieco1

If you don't want to give it up altogether, like the idea of picking out whatever you want for the day first thing and prelogging it. Then you are not to go into the room until the next day.

TonyB0588

I eat three normal meals per day at home.
I do not go to the Break Room at work.
It is impossible to find a reason to leave my desk 15 times in an 8 hour work day.
Assuming it runs in the region of 10 minutes each time, that's 150 casual minutes apart from your designated lunch time, therefore a big chunk of unproductive time.

Its all about self control. just tell yourself to STOP.

steveko89

I used to go out and run a lot of errands during my lunch hour and invariably poor planning would result in haphazardly getting something for lunch at the grocery store, gas station, or fast food. I wasn't a junk/fast food addict, I just wasn't holding myself accountable. Same goes for vending machines or breakroom food. We don't have the snacks like you described but there's enough people in the office there are almost always lunch meeting leftovers or cookies, candy, cake, or donuts for somebody celebrating something. All the tips and tricks in the world can only take you so far; to some measure you just have to decide to hold yourself accountable for your choices.

kimny72

1. Imagine all your co-workers sneezing, picking their teeth, and not washing their hands in the bathroom. This should stop you from eating all the "not individually packaged" stuff.
2. Are you logging here? If not, start. If you are, make a conscious decision to log everything before you eat it. Log all the food you are bringing with you first thing. Then go ahead and grab that granola bar, there is nothing inherently wrong with eating a granola bar. Take it back to your desk, pull out your phone, and log it. Look at the numbers. Look at what it does to your totals for the day. If it fits, or you can make it fit, go for it. If at the end of the day you are hungry and your numbers look like crap because of the extra breakroom snacks, maybe you will remember that when you log that second bag of chips tomorrow.

Pre-logging as much as possible LITERALLY changed my relationship with food. I still eat plenty of "treats", but I eat them consciously, understanding where I may or may not need to give something else up later and how it affects my progress.

mariluny

You are in charge. Bring snacks that you truly enjoy eating and once you see those other snack they won't be as tempting. It's hard, it truly is and everyone here know hard it is. But really you are the only person able to stop doing it.
Like someone said, maybe to break the habit, when you get up to go to the break room, go the other way and do a 5 minutes walk outside. Find something to distract yourself.

Lounmoun

Are you required to go to the break room 10-15 times a day? Start with not going in there so often. Keep busy with other things. Set some eating times like every 3 -5 hours. Chew gum between those times.
Log everything you eat before you eat it. Look at your log. Are you meeting your goals? Are you satisfied with the use of your calories?
If you'd like to eat less of that type of food try replacing it with lower calorie snacks you actually enjoy instead of food you think you should eat but don't really like. Bring the food you enjoy that fits your goals.
Talk to whoever is buying the food and give some feedback on what you see that is positive and suggestions for changes.

Moderation is something you practice. It doesn't mean you are perfect the first week. It takes time and repeated effort to change behavior. Realize that calling yourself a grazer or possessed is an excuse you use to overeat.

Lisa760

Get a cute little basket or container for your desk. Stick a motivational sticker or encouraging sign on it. In the morning go "shopping" in the break room and only put a few snack items in your basket. That's your allotted snacks for the day. You can change up your choices every day to keep it fun.

Alternatively, before you grab a snack from the break room, you have to do twenty-five squats.

megbeveridge93

I am so there with you. I'm also a grazer and like to eat just a bit of this and that in lieu of a big lunch and dinner (I love me some breakfast though). I started bringing myself an extra sharp cheese stick, an apple, and a nut mix. The natural sugars, fats, and protein help me stay more full. Also drinking black coffee helps. The hot liquid makes you feel satisfied without being full. Bring just a few of your favorite snacks so you won't be as tempted by the Pandora's box that is the break room. Good luck!

happytree923

I also have a snack laden office, but luckily I work from home up to three days a week. Lately I prelog all my food so when I know I'm going into the office I'll pick out what I would like to eat when I'm logging in the morning. That way the snacks are in there, I can adjust my other meals accordingly and I don't feel the pull of forbidden snacks every time I walk by the kitchen (on the way to the bathroom, it's unavoidable!) because I already know I'm going to eat some at some point. Especially if the snacks are predictable, this has helped me a lot.