Tips for saying no to junk food

13albie31

I work as a baker so am surrounded by chocolate/icing/sweets all day. When they're right in front of me I can't stop myself from eating them. I take healthy snacks to work with me but it doesn't help and I'm just eating more and more and gaining so much weight because I have no self control! Any tips on how to stop myself from eating everything in sight?

pontious11349

Lord have mercy,haha. I would be the exact same.

New Job not an option?

Do you exercise? If I know I have to exercise after work, I dont want to eat *kitten* before hand as the exercise will hurt so much more...

88olds

For some reason this thought has helped me in certain situations- “That’s not for me.”
I’ve looked at the spreads they bring in for lunch meetings, survey the offerings and say to myself”There’s nothing there for me to eat.”

Would it help to think that the things you are making at work are meant to be offered for sale, not for your snacking?

Maybe this- I think weight loss is mostly a matter of problem solving. Over and over again. Sometimes when confronting a particular issue I would think “If I don’t find a way to deal with this, I’m not going to make it.” Not a big believer in willpower as a long term strategy as I think it wears out.

But the reality of your situation is tough. Assuming you don’t wast to change careers over this. Keep trying until you find the right path. There’s an answer.

cbstewart88

One summer when I was a teen, I worked part-time in a family-owned donut shop. I helped make the donuts in the early mornings, then served coffee and donuts to customers on their way to work. As a perk, I could eat and/or bring home all the free donuts I wanted. At first it was a bit of a free-for-all. Then, they slowly lost their allure and glamour. Donuts suddenly didn't seem so enticing when I could have all I wanted - at any time.

Now, 50 years later - I still cannot stand the sight or smell of donuts. A small gift, I suppose....

LenGray

I'm an emotional eater and when I get stressed, I want all of the feel-good chemicals that junk food provides lol Because of that, I try to look at eating junk food as a habit that doesn't help me anymore and reward myself when I take a step toward breaking that habit.

For example, yesterday I really wanted a chocolate-glazed cake donut, which clocks in at about 450 calories. After considering it, I realized that I just stressed out and wanted chocolate. So instead, I had a homemade dark chocolate muffin made with greek yogurt and splenda. It was just as satisfying and was only 137 calories.

Find a high-value 'reward' item for resisting temptation and tell yourself you can have it if you succeed with your goal. On most days, I prefer muffins over nearly any other baked good, so it helped me resist emotionally eating a donut I didn't really want. A friend of mine who used to overeat at lunch found that they loved going for walks on their lunch break and successfully limited her intake because if she ate too much she got tired and wouldn't get her 'reward' walk. Another friend loves shoes and buys herself a pair every time she successfully sticks to her budget. It's all about finding out what motivates you to reach your goals

88olds

I’m back with another thought. I lost my last 30lbs going to Weight Watchers. I’ve been to 100s of meetings.

A regular thing at WW is what I think of as The Quest For The 2 Pt Chocolate Cake. WW counts points, not calories. Pretty sure you would find some of the recipes pretty funny. Stuff like brownies made out of black beans and diet soda.

In the interest of disclosure, I make something I call a cookie out of overripe banana, quick oats and maple syrup. If gave one to my grandmother and said it was a cookie she’d fall on the floor laughing.

Just saying there’s a lot of interest in plan friendly, or even friendlier, treats. You work in the business. Can you try to invent something you can fit into your plan? Good luck.

MichelleSilverleaf

13albie31 wrote: »

I work as a baker so am surrounded by chocolate/icing/sweets all day. When they're right in front of me I can't stop myself from eating them. I take healthy snacks to work with me but it doesn't help and I'm just eating more and more and gaining so much weight because I have no self control! Any tips on how to stop myself from eating everything in sight?

-better balanced meals. Generally if you feel full over long periods of time you usually have less of an urge to snack. Maybe you need more protein, or more fats, more fiber. Experimenting with different macro combinations will help you figure out what tides you over longer, it differs for everyone.

-self-reflect over whether you may be an emotional eater?

-consider that if you're depriving yourself of sweets that this may be a sign it's backfiring. It's not uncommon for people to think that in order to lose weight and be healthy, they have to give up the "junk" or treats or things they like. Some do, many don't. Sometimes denying ourselves things we enjoy only makes us want it more, and when we cave it becomes that nasty cycle. Moderation, telling yourself that oh well I can have a bite of this as soon as I do x, y and z first may help to shift your focus.

-are you eating enough throughout the day?

PaytraB

cbstewart88 wrote: »

One summer when I was a teen, I worked part-time in a family-owned donut shop. I helped make the donuts in the early mornings, then served coffee and donuts to customers on their way to work. As a perk, I could eat and/or bring home all the free donuts I wanted. At first it was a bit of a free-for-all. Then, they slowly lost their allure and glamour. Donuts suddenly didn't seem so enticing when I could have all I wanted - at any time.

Now, 50 years later - I still cannot stand the sight or smell of donuts. A small gift, I suppose....

This.
In my teens I also worked in a bakery that let us eat whatever we wanted to while at work. At first, a total free-for-all. Everything was delicious. After a while, nothing appealed on a daily basis; just occasionally.
Now, 40 years later, the same applies. The sweets I eat are mostly controlled and I don't have big cravings for them.
Perhaps, over time, you'll tire of what the bakery offers.

Five0Six

88olds wrote: »

Maybe this- I think weight loss is mostly a matter of problem solving. Over and over again. Sometimes when confronting a particular issue I would think “If I don’t find a way to deal with this, I’m not going to make it.” Not a big believer in willpower as a long term strategy as I think it wears out.

I like this. *ganks and adds it to my personal repertoire of sayings*

tracybear86

Make yourself log the food before you eat it. A lot of times when I see how many calories something has or how much room it takes from the rest of my day I won't find it nearly as appealing. It will also slow you down and make you think for a extra couple minutes if you are eating emotionally.

13albie31

Thanks for your replies!
I like the idea of logging the food before I eat it. I think that would help me think it through before eating. Although if I know myself I know that would only last a couple of days before I get sick of logging 😂
I've tried to think of some sort of reward to motivate myself with if I'm good but nothing comes to mind that isn't food...
I've been making an effort to include more protein in my diet and although that helps me feel fuller, I still eat all the chocolate that I can see 😅
I also try to exercise a few times a week but am yet to find anything I enjoy that doesn't feel like a chore.
I love this job and baking is a career I want to stay in so I really need to sort myself out because this can't continue... It's been 6 months and its only getting worse 😭

emmamcgarity

For me since I try to follow a DASH model I don’t allow myself treats until I have eaten at least some of the foods that fit within that model. (Example - one of my goals is to have 4-6 servings of fruit and/or vegetables per day. Another is 2 servings of dairy.) If I want a treat, I make sure I’ve eaten 2-3 servings of fruit/vegetable and one serving of dairy. That way I work at least halfway toward my goals first. Then if I still want a treat, I decide which treat and the portion size and log it before I eat it. I find this strategy helps me be more mindful. Obviously each of us have different goals. Think about yours to help keep yourself in track. Yours might be related to fitness instead of nutrition.

apullum

13albie31 wrote: »

Thanks for your replies!
I like the idea of logging the food before I eat it. I think that would help me think it through before eating. Although if I know myself I know that would only last a couple of days before I get sick of logging 😂
I've tried to think of some sort of reward to motivate myself with if I'm good but nothing comes to mind that isn't food...
I've been making an effort to include more protein in my diet and although that helps me feel fuller, I still eat all the chocolate that I can see 😅
I also try to exercise a few times a week but am yet to find anything I enjoy that doesn't feel like a chore.
I love this job and baking is a career I want to stay in so I really need to sort myself out because this can't continue... It's been 6 months and its only getting worse 😭

Pre-logging gets very quick when you've done it for a while. You can copy entries from other days, and MFP also saves lists of your recent and frequent foods.

I am personally not motivated by "rewards" that don't have any direct relationship with my goals. Seeing my goal numbers on the scale is a reward. Not feeling sluggish when I run is a reward. Being able to wear the clothes I want is a reward. YMMV on this.

You're not "good" if you stay away from certain foods, because you're not "bad" if you eat those foods. You're simply eating in ways that promote your goals, or not. Your goals can be anything you want, from meeting a certain calorie goal to enjoying a special meal with family. Putting undue pressure on yourself to meet some arbitrary definition of "good" can be a burden on one's mental health.

Protein does not substitute for chocolate for me. Getting enough protein does not make me not want chocolate. Protein is not chocolate unless it's a protein bar or shake, and even then it's not the same as what I consider "real" chocolate. Chocolate is chocolate. If you want chocolate, budget it into your calories for the day. I always recommend Ghirardelli squares: they're a decent quality chocolate that's easy to find in many grocery stores, 50-75 calories per square, the squares are pretty big, and they're individually wrapped if that helps you with portion control.

acpgee

Sometimes I remind myself I can enjoy food without actually eating it. Try telling yourself to enjoy the smell and the way it looks without the need to consume it too. If your job requires you to taste, do what wine tasters do. Have a taste and then spit it out in a little sealable dish you can discretely carry around.

quiksylver296

acpgee wrote: »

Sometimes I remind myself I can enjoy food without actually eating it. Try telling yourself to enjoy the smell and the way it looks without the need to consume it too. If your job requires you to taste, do what wine tasters do. Have a taste and then spit it out in a little sealable dish you can discretely carry around.

Isn't this a tactic of people with eating disorders?!?

Five0Six

quiksylver296 wrote: »

acpgee wrote: »

Sometimes I remind myself I can enjoy food without actually eating it. Try telling yourself to enjoy the smell and the way it looks without the need to consume it too. If your job requires you to taste, do what wine tasters do. Have a taste and then spit it out in a little sealable dish you can discretely carry around.

Isn't this a tactic of people with eating disorders?!?

It is.

Also carrying around a bottle of food laden spit is kinda gross.

quiksylver296

Five0Six wrote: »

quiksylver296 wrote: »

acpgee wrote: »

Sometimes I remind myself I can enjoy food without actually eating it. Try telling yourself to enjoy the smell and the way it looks without the need to consume it too. If your job requires you to taste, do what wine tasters do. Have a taste and then spit it out in a little sealable dish you can discretely carry around.

Isn't this a tactic of people with eating disorders?!?

It is.

Also carrying around a bottle of food laden spit is kinda super gross.

FIFY