Just Started but Scared

littledsoon

I just started tracking with MFP in the last week and I have been very motivated and successful so far, but today I am returning to work from our winter break from school. My office at school has so many temptations that I am so scared that I will fall into. I gave up pop about 4 weeks ago and I am worried about falling back into the trap of feeling like I need it while working because I get tired. I am also worried about the cookies and treats that people and students bring in. Help me be strong!!! I also need to avoid the horrible school food. It is supposed to be healthier with the pass of the Healthy Kids act but I am not convinced that it is very good for us.

cmeiron

Very often when I show up at work there's a pile of cookies or pastries in the lunch room. I have a wicked sweet tooth and it's hard to resist. The cafeteria is handy too, but in my case I can't afford to eat there so it's not a huge temptation. Some things I do are: 1) ALWAYS pack a big lunch with food that I've already entered in my diary - it means I have a plan; 2) allow myself to occasionally enjoy a treat; I might plan for it by leaving some calories empty in my diary and then adding the treat in later, or sometimes I'll just simply go over a bit that day. I don't do the latter too often, not so that it's a habit, but every now and then is not going to hurt my progress in the long run. I find that if I try to say "NO" all the time, I obsess over the food I'm denying myself and just want it more, and usually end up overdoing it far more than if I'd just said "ok" to one treat. I'm a firm believer in incorporating treats and foods you enjoy in your diet while losing weight - you don't have to totally deprive yourself in order to drop body fat. Another thing to ask yourself is did you need to totally drop the pop? Could you replace it with a diet pop instead if you enjoy the taste and want the caffeine? There's nothing wrong with pop.

LucyGooseD

When I want soda (pop) I drink seltzer water with a slice of lemon or lime. Seltzer is different from club soda in that it is carbonated water with salt. Give it a try with lots of ice. It is refreshing and feels like a treat.

Cmeirun also had great ideas. Packing your lunch is great, as in allowing the occasional treat. Can you find a diet buddy at work? Can you buy 1 small bag off M&Ms, split it up into bags of 2 or 3 candies to be your treat bags? Put some in the freezer at home and some in the desk at work? Each M&Ms has 3.4 cal, .15 g fat and 0.5 g sugar. A bag of M&Ms would be a diet's undoing, but if 2 or 3 get you past the occasional craving you could make room for that in your plan.

I travel for work sometimes and I try to get a room with a fridge. Then I go to the local supermarket for healthy food. You can also eat half of a restaurant meal, and save the other half for the next day. Ask for the take out box before getting that urge to continue to pick at the plate!

chopper_pilot

If I were you, I would decide today that I would be the girl at work with a reputation for being the girl who doesnt cave except once in a while, who nails her workouts 80% of the time... and ends up being the one that didnt quit. So that next year... you can stroll in after winter break and not even worry about stuff like this.

cause youre THAT GIRL.

:flowerforyou: