Goodies at work

kereseyshannon

Does anyone else have trouble with goodies brought to the workplace? We always have candy and chips available, and now with the holidays clients constantly bring cookies/cake/treats. I am very disciplined at home because I don’t keep that food here. But when I’m at work and stressed and starving because I didn’t get a lunch I reach for the crappy food. I know I can just not eat it but it’s hard! Does anyone have good snacks/meals to eat when you’re busy?

nowine4me

Yes. It’s my absolute #1 problem. I would like to have a rule that I only eat what I bring, but that quickly flies out the window for home made baked goods

smolmaus

If it's more of a problem when you're hungry because you didn't get lunch... fix whatever made you miss lunch? Bring your own, eat at your desk, meal prep on weekends or find a convenience option that fits your calories. You're entitled to have time to eat during the day and not spend the afternoon starving! But if you end up having cookies and no lunch, hey you just had cookies for lunch! At least you got some food in you! Log it, adjust dinner kcal if necessary and plan better for tomorrow.

We also have plenty of treats and cakes floating around the office but when you have your own food options closer at hand it definitely makes sticking to the plan a bit easier. I keep rice cakes at my desk, sometimes a box of those NAKD snack bars and we have a fruit basket in work. Just bring something you like and account for it in your calories. I find single serving things easier to moderate when I'm stressed or bored than having a bag of something (like roasted pistachios, that was a habit I had to cut out very quickly).

TavistockToad

kereseyshannon wrote: »

Does anyone else have trouble with goodies brought to the workplace? We always have candy and chips available, and now with the holidays clients constantly bring cookies/cake/treats. I am very disciplined at home because I don’t keep that food here. But when I’m at work and stressed and starving because I didn’t get a lunch I reach for the crappy food. I know I can just not eat it but it’s hard! Does anyone have good snacks/meals to eat when you’re busy?

take the time to make your lunch and bring snacks that fit your calorie goals, then you don't need to snack at work.

or, fit a snack or 2 from work into your daily calories if that's what you want to do?

aimeetu

So one thing that helped me a lot in the beginning was to imagine how many hands had touched the food in the break room. How many of those people can be trusted to have washed their hands? Ewww gross I know but man oh man was that a deterrent. I also had to avoid the break room for a long while when I knew I wouldn't make good choices.

Packerjohn

If you are able to eat the stuff at work why wouldn't you also be able to eat healthy pre-measured lunch/snacks you brought from home. Fresh veggies, fruit, sandwiches (less messy toppings) are great to eat while working. Take charge of your environment, don't have a victim mentality.

Best of luck.

snowflake954

smolmaus wrote: »

If it's more of a problem when you're hungry because you didn't get lunch... fix whatever made you miss lunch? Bring your own, eat at your desk, meal prep on weekends or find a convenience option that fits your calories. You're entitled to have time to eat during the day and not spend the afternoon starving! But if you end up having cookies and no lunch, hey you just had cookies for lunch! At least you got some food in you! Log it, adjust dinner kcal if necessary and plan better for tomorrow.

We also have plenty of treats and cakes floating around the office but when you have your own food options closer at hand it definitely makes sticking to the plan a bit easier. I keep rice cakes at my desk, sometimes a box of those NAKD snack bars and we have a fruit basket in work. Just bring something you like and account for it in your calories. I find single serving things easier to moderate when I'm stressed or bored than having a bag of something (like roasted pistachios, that was a habit I had to cut out very quickly).

I like that there's a fruit basket. OP--why don't you start a trend in your office bringing fruit? You might be surprised that your co-workers will like it better. Nobody says anything, but maybe others are struggling too. Now fruit, or too much, can blow you off course, but it's a lot less than a dessert.

amy19355

I solved the 'tempted by goodies in the office kitchen' problem when I started packing approx 1000 calories into a lunch bag and bringing it to work with me.

That lunch bag has a variety of foods, tastes ranging from savory to sweet, and a balanced assortment of macronutrients.

I 'meal prep' every other weekend so that packing the lunch bag is easy.

A sample bagful might contain:
1 cup of 2% yogurt,
4oz chicken breast
1 cup beans
1 cup baked sweet potato
1 cup of brown rice
2 dates stuffed with almond butter
1 cup leaf spinach
1 can of chicken rice soup (2 servings)
1 cup or more of a raw cruncy vegetable - cauliflower, peppers, carrots,

The chicken, rice, beans and sweet potatoes get cooked ahead of time for quick portion/packing.

snowflake954

Reflecting on your problem OP I started remembering all the threads where people have goodies left over around the house and don't want to eat them. The advice is almost always--take it to work.

thisPGHlife

Lots of great ideas here and I LOVE the bagel if food. I've done that often. One other option is having protein bars. I love the Luna salted caramel ones. It gives me a sweet treat while helping tide me over until I can eat something more substantial and they are only 180 calories. I also make sure to take my time when eating it and really appreciate it.

Maybe along with having options, allow yourself one day a week that you budget for one serving of a sweet treat that is brought in. If you know that you love peppermint bark, or your one coworker makes amazing brownies, factor in that one treat that's totally worth it. That way you get to indulge without going overboard. I also love the fruit idea as well! Along with that, if you have a holiday treat that fits better into your calories, maybe bring that in. You get to indulge more easily while not keeping a potentially problematic food in your home.

FireOpalCO

I agree with others that what you actually need to address is your lack of lunch and healthy foods at work. I sometimes have to work through lunch and sometimes I don't have time to pack one in the morning. So I found places that deliver healthy food (Panera Bread for one) and just deal with the delivery fee as my cost for not prepping ahead.

Otherwise I have a nice big lunch bag with a frozen block on the bottom that I fill with healthy foods: cooked chicken breast, thin sliced steak, cooked potatoes, steamed veggies, fresh fruit, carrot sticks, yogurt, string cheese, etc.

CarvedTones

Discipline - watch portions when you take something. Always track, even when guessing on home made or even when it is small (like a mini tootsie roll). Consider the trade-off you are making and stick to it. If it isn't worth it, then don't have it. Discipline...

Running2Fit

Pre-log your food for the day. It helps you know that if you eat that cookie, you are going over your calories.
Bring lunch to work, pack it the night before if you are pressed for time. Same with some healthy snacks.
Try bringing in some healthy options to share with everyone. It may help prompt a shift in your work culture.

cwolfman13

I ignore them unless I'm really wanting something in particular. I bring my own "goodies" to work with me. I brown bag my breakfast, lunch, and snacks pretty much everyday.

In most cases, the "goodies" people bring in are commercially baked goods which don't hold much appeal to me. Homemade stuff sketches me out too because I've been in a lot of other people's houses and lets just say that many don't hold the same sanitary standards that I do.

Cbean08

2 things-

1. I always have an emergency meal/snack around. Something like a can of vegetable soup (150 cals), a protein bar (200 cals) and a piece of beef jerky (100 cals). If needed, I can eat all that and have a decently balanced meal, but it's not tempting to eat just because it's there.
2. When others bring stuff and leave it out, I tell myself, "that is their food, not mine, and I wouldn't eat someone else's food." And, if they are bringing it to schlep off to others, it probably wasn't that good to begin with. If it is something that is brought in specifically as a holiday treat and you really really really want it, have a bite and share it with another coworker.

hcdo

I definitely struggle with this, too, especially at this time of year. I like the suggestions listed, but sometimes even having plenty of my own food doesn't stop my brain from telling me that I HAVE to have that brownie/Christmas cookie, etc. A big part of the issue is mental for me, especially if I'm stressed or bored, and I have to do things like avoid the break room (hard to do since the microwaves/water, etc. are in there) and try and find something to take my mind off the food that is calling my name. I hate to cook, and mainly eat the same thing all week, so it's easy for me to be bored by what I bring and go for the easy quick fix. Not that any of this helps you, I'm just letting you know you're not the only one who struggles!

apullum

I ask myself whether the food is special. If it's a thing I can't get anytime I want it *and* it looks particularly appealing *and* I have the calories for it, then I'll eat it. But if it's ordinary candy, cookies from the local grocery store bakery, etc. then I know I can get those things anytime and I don't need to eat them just because they're in front of me right now.

DaisyHamilton

Sometimes I bring those dessert flavored Yoplait yogurts when everyone else is having cake or whatever for someone's birthday. It helps that my coworker who sits next to me is also "dieting" so we usually just leave the area together

kereseyshannon

Thanks everyone for your advice! I love the lunch bag idea of a bunch of things to choose from. That is a good point too that I can get those goodies anytime on my own and just because it’s in front of me doesn’t make it special. I appreciate the support!

dommylifts

We always have snacks at work. I very recently stopped snacking on them. I just remind myself that I’m trying to lose weight and a donut will not help that.

alyssanavetta

Thinking of other peoples hands touching/ opening / grabbing grosses me out and helps me resist shared food at work and prelogging my calories helps me resist because I am lazy and don't want to re-log or mess up what I logged previously!

hesn92

Yes I struggle especially when someone brings in donuts or bagels If someone does, I'll eat that donut or bagel but just skip my mid morning snack. It's usually more than my snack would have been but it helps. 99% of the time someone brings in donuts they are from this really amazing donut shop nearby, so... I HAVE to have one. Lol.

jrhnewfirstday

I am the secretary at an elementary school and my office is right next to the staff break room. There is often food left in there after parties or other events. Until I can get a handle on it, my personal rule is not so much that I'm cutting off a food group but instead a food location -- nothing from the break room. The one exception is actual parties for the whole staff where food was brought specifically for the party, and then I'll only eat homemade stuff that looks really worth it. If it was bought at and presented in the box from the grocery store, then it it isn't worth it to me.

GratefulWayFarer

That's why I bring peanuts, almonds, pecans, Brazil nuts, etc to work instead