Binging on free food at work

VintagePhoenix

Please take this seriously and do not respond with 'just say no' - thank you, I need ideas I haven't already thought of.

I can't help but binge on 'free' food at work. I work at a school and there's ALWAYS biscuits/cake/crap going for free and sometimes when my sugar levels are low I find them too tempting.

I already bring my own snacks to work, don't take my purse so I can't eat at the canteen, and have given myself the rule 'no eating free food' but sometimes I still mindlessly eat it.

Anyone got any tips for helping me with this.

I know it sounds like I have zero will power and I probably have but I'm not joking when I say they are literally everywhere. This week alone we have been offered a free bagel or bacon cob at breakfast, had a cake bake off for teachers to try and vote AND the year teams got students to walk around with cakes for the teachers. I seriously can't win!!!

TheGymGypsy

If you already bring your own snacks I don't know what to tell you except to try and keep them out of sight. if you don't walk past them you're less likely to take something. Out of sight out of mind.

navyrigger46

You could quit your job. Or, you could take responsibility for yourself. I know that's not what you want to hear, but it's what needs to happen, regardless of your sensibilities.

Rigger

viglet

I work in a school type setting as well. Everyone brings something god damn new every god damn week. I literally get so annoyed!

Some weeks I just say no but others (take a look at my Tuesday diary entry) I just give up and give in.

Honestly, my only suggestion is to try and pick one of the things in the office and make it fit for the day. If it just can't fit, try and remind yourself that it won't be the last time in your life you will try so-and-so's homemade coffee cake.

I wish I could help you more, but I am in the same boat. :sad:

Branstin

Drink plenty of water before you snack and you'll eat less. Another idea is to incorporate some of it into your calories range. Sometimes, I earn the calories by exercising more beforehand.

melsinct

You can win, you just have to make the decision that losing weight is more important than gorging on free food. I know where you are coming from because that is my office. Every day there are leftover pastries from morning meetings. In the afternoon, we'll usually see some leftover sandwiches, potato chips and cookies. Cakes for various birthdays are usually around every week or two. Bowls of chocolates and candy are EVERYWHERE. Every single day.

You know what you need to do. You have healthy food alternatives on hand. There really is nothing else to do other than say no. I hate to sound so insensitive about it because I really do get it. There really is no other way, it is all about you saying no, period.

stephrivas84

Where I work we do not always have free food but when we do it gets crazy! What I do during those times is allow myself one treat after my healthier snacks are gone. That way I am not so hungry and can enjoy it rather than inhale it. Also making sure I drink plenty of water with my snack helps me feel fuller. I am not saying it always works but it helps.

ellenmg

I like what the last person said - you have to make the decision that losing weight is more important than gorging on free food.
The answer is 'just say no'. Or you can pick 1 thing per day to snack from. You just have to remember where you are on your calories for that day and see if you can squeeze in a cookie or whatever.
I just say no. People think I'm crazy and anti-social when I don't participate, but losing weight is more important than a cookie.

albayin

We have free food at work, too, but maybe not as often as where you are at. It takes time and practice...You mentioned "when your blood sugar is low", I totally hear you. The key thing is stay full like eat your breakfast (if you are breakfast person) and your lunch seriously. Drinking hot tea and coffee help me resist the tempation.

joeboo81

There is tons of free (unhealthy) food at my workplace as well. The best thing I do is keep healthy snacks around and eat those when the urge hits me. Also, when there's the free food, I try to find someplace else to go when it shows up. The last thing resort is if just can't say no, I'll try to find the least unhealthiest and get a small amount. Then I find someplace else to eat it, so I won't get seconds.

Not saying I'm perfect though. Someone brought a peanut-butter cheesecake into work the other day, cut me a slice and just handed it to me. What was I to do? Of course I ate it, and felt super guilty afterwards. Cheesecake is one of the worst for calories and fat but best for taste!

But if you do eat it, just try to burn it off with some exercise later, or adjust your calories accordingly. This is a hard journey and the obstacles are many. You'll learn to adjust, with each small victory.

tech_kitten

Log everything. If you eat it, it's ok, but log it. After a few days getting upset that you can't eat very much dinner (or at all) you will get to the point where you won't eat that stuff, or you will decide that dinner isn't as important as the office food. I know it's hard, but especially if it's not quality treats, I have gotten to where I can't eat them because it's not worth consuming if they are not tasty enough.

VintagePhoenix

Thanks for the help guys, to be honest I think I needed more people to say they were in the same boat and found it hard too....so I didn't feel like I was the only one who found it difficult.

I do realise I just have to say no...I wondered if there were any more tactics

megantischner

My suggestion, if you haven't done so already, is to spend some time looking up how many calories are in biscuits, bagels, cake, cookies, etc .... I find it easier to resist food when I think about how many calories are in it and what eating it will "cost" me.
Edit: I have the same problem -- it's not easy to pass up free yummy food! You're not the only one with this problem.

Kenazwa

Sometimes it helps to think about something you don't like. One year the doctors gifted the medical records department with a big box of Sea's chocolates, which I love. I had to walk by that box every time I had to go to the restroom or elsewhere in the building. So I'd tell myself "black licorice, nothing but black licorice" as I got up from my desk. Then I'd hurry by without even looking at the box. I hate black licorice so much that I don't think I'd eat it even if I were starving to death.

Otherwise, go for the one thing that you love the most and fit it into your calorie count for the day.

Good luck!

astrampe

Nobody ever said it was easy - but sometimes you just need to take responsibility for yourself....Avoid the free food corner, but ultimately YOU have to decide.... It's really not that hard once you have done it a few times.....

scraver2003

1.) It is not free. It is very expensive. Eating excess food costs you time, money, energy, and emotional stress to burn off. Don't look at it as free. Look at it in dollar signs and exercise time. How long will you have to work out to burn those calories? How much would you have to pay to go to WW to lose the weight gained by eating those? (Not saying you go to WW - just that is an example of something you could spend money on to help with weight loss.) And the expense of emotional stress - you clearly don't feel good about eating it.

2.) Is it homemade things? Imagine the person who made it had dirty hands. Or that their dog's hairs got in it. Imagine all the people that have walked by it and breathed their germs on it and touched it (after picking their noses!)

3.) Think about how GOOD you will feel going ONE day turning stuff down! NSV!! (Non-Scale Victory!) You will go home and pat yourself on the back and think: You did it!! Then the next day, do it again. Rinse. Repeat. Eventually you won't struggle walking past it. It will be second nature.

Booksandbeaches

That was my downfall too. I couldn't resist the snack area at work. People would also bring homemade brownies, pies, cakes and insist on giving a small slice. When I went very low-carb (the horror!! the horror!)/ketogenic diet, the cravings for carbs went away completely. I can pass the snack area without wanting anything over there. It's been over two months now since I've had anything there. Bring on the low-carb hate now. :laugh:

ultrahush

I hear you. I struggle with this on an almost daily basis working in an elementary school. One good thing for me is that I have a gluten intolerance so most of the baked goods are off limits (the pain I get from it is NOT worth it at all... took me awhile to learn that). I have recently started a new thing that has been working for me. If I eat candy/sweets at school, I have to bike at least 5 miles when I get home (on top of any other exercise I already did/planned to do that day). It may sound weird that I can hold myself accountable for this, but not so much when it comes to 'saying no'. I am hoping that using this rule with myself will help me over time learn this kind of cause/effect relationship between less than great food choices. I think the concreteness of knowing I will be spending an extra 15+ minutes working out on these days is much more helpful at this point to the more abstract "this is bad for my body" outlook. I hope this helps/inspires you!

Mistraal1981

I think the best thing I have ever seen written was, "being fat is hard, being disciplined to lose weight is hard. Pick your hard." Its all about choices.

I have put a post it up on my computer screen with the word choices on it. It makes me think twice.

mschicagocubs

Same thing in my office. Donuts, candy, catering meals...

It really does have to come from you.

If you bring your own snacks just keep walking by the free food.

There isn't any secret that I do except hide from the snacks and eat my own.

albayin

I got a habit now that I always walk to our kitchen area with a bottle or mug to get some water/tea/coffee. This helps me big time.

BahamaMama85

I like to think about all the germy hands that touched the free food. That person who didn't wash their hands after using the restroom or the other person who is blowing their nose all the time.

Good luck!

LVCeltGirl

1.) It is not free. It is very expensive. Eating excess food costs you time, money, energy, and emotional stress to burn off. Don't look at it as free. Look at it in dollar signs and exercise time. How long will you have to work out to burn those calories? How much would you have to pay to go to WW to lose the weight gained by eating those? (Not saying you go to WW - just that is an example of something you could spend money on to help with weight loss.) And the expense of emotional stress - you clearly don't feel good about eating it.

2.) Is it homemade things? Imagine the person who made it had dirty hands. Or that their dog's hairs got in it. Imagine all the people that have walked by it and breathed their germs on it and touched it (after picking their noses!)

3.) Think about how GOOD you will feel going ONE day turning stuff down! NSV!! (Non-Scale Victory!) You will go home and pat yourself on the back and think: You did it!! Then the next day, do it again. Rinse. Repeat. Eventually you won't struggle walking past it. It will be second nature.

I second this. It is hard but I've found that losing weight is harder and I have to be the most important person for me (before my son even or I won't be there for him). We get "free food" from vendors almost daily. I've had to turn down bagels, or homemade treats because they didn't work into my day. It really is as simple as learning to change your thinking. But while I'm trying to change my thinking, I also drink more water before giving in and mentally weigh the "cost" of the seemingly "free food". Some days I still fail and have something. Epic Fail is eating it and not working it into my day. I don't beat myself over it but rather climb back up on the wagon, keep trying to use my distraction methods (own snacks, water, etc) and keep moving forward.

michelleamhill

I've had this happen to me as well. The only thing that worked was to picture the food with something disgusting on it. Imagine flies or bugs, (or worse!). You have to play a mental trick on yourself and literally imagine it being befouled by something unappetizing. I know this sounds gross and weird, but it worked for me.

Another thing I tried was to just tell myself that those items were NOT for me. This requires some willpower. I looked at the people that ate them and noticed they appeared unhealthy or not fit and I didn't want to put myself in their category. I do the same thing if I'm in line behind someone at the mall and I'm about to binge on funnel cake. I look at the people in line. It really helps remind me that donuts, cakes and such are NOT for ME. Say it out loud. Look at the cake and say, "That is not for me." Believe it is not for you. Tell yourself what IS for you. If all else fails, try eating a healthier alternative, like a big, gooey, sweet date dusted with cinnamon. Or a banana with all natural peanut butter and a drizzle of honey. But fat laden, processed, sickeningly-sweet, empty calorie junk is for THEM NOT YOU. You are special. You deserve healthier food. You are a goodess.

So now you know what battles go on in my crazy head!

I hope this helps. Good luck!

michelleamhill

I like the germy hand advice!

LifeItself

I am sitting at my desk as I type this, eating a turkey and spinach sandwich brought from home while my colleagues eat a fully catered hot meal in the break room. I can tell myself over and over and over that I can be like them and use "portion control" and "moderation" and "splurge a little"..... in reality I will eat plate after plate of that *kitten* until there's nothing left on the serving platters but that weird lettuce-like garnish and crumbs.

I cannot eat food when its quantity isn't limited to a correct portion (by someone else, not me). When this sandwich is gone, it's gone. But if I go in that breakroom there will be enough goodies to snack on for the rest of the afternoon... and that's just what I would do.

Yes, it makes me hate life in this moment. But so would the result of bingeing on free food that I only gorged on because it was available and unlimited.

ErinMcMom

I am a teacher too (kindergarten) and there is always yummy treats in our staff room, being brought by students, and in our staff meetings too. I know how hard it is to say no when the things you love are being offered to you all the time but you've got to find the strength and remind yourself that success is more satisfying than a handful of cookies, no matter how tasty they are!

Bring snacks with you, pre-log the food you'll eat at school each day, drink lots of water. Eat lunch in your classroom on days when the staff room is particularly snack-filled (Wednesday is our designated "treat day"). Leave yourself some extra calories every once and a while to take a treat, log it and keep rocking your plan. I find that it's very hard to turn things down in the beginning but once you make a habit of it it becomes much easier to do.

You could even try proposing some sort of fitness challenge at your school with the staff. My school is doing a biggest loser challenge where a bunch of staff members have put $10 into a pot and the biggest loser at the end of June wins the money. That way, you've got a supportive group of people working towards a goal to help keep you on track and focused!

I'll add you as a friend and we can support one another. You can do this!

chrissythepoet

Have a peice of fruit. Then a big glass of water. Then wait 30 minutes before you touch "the snack".

Plus I dont know about you but once I have the first nibble it is hard to stop.So dont tell yourself just one tiny nibble.

hope that helps
hugs
Chrissy

xmichaelyx

I don't consume anything at work that I don't bring myself (except on rare occasions when I have a lunch meeting). I bring my own lunches, snacks, and coffee, and just refuse to eat anything else.

Today there were donuts for a meeting. I sat with them in front of me and was barely even tempted.

Do you eat because you're actually hungry? Or just because it's there?

If the former, then you need to either take more to eat, or reevaluate what you're eating. I find that eating carbs makes me hungrier, so the food I take to work is mostly protein and fats. I rarely get any food cravings that way.

madhatter2013

I know you don't want to hear it but


A lot of weight loss is based on will power. You gotta decide what you want more; instant gratification or lifelong gratification.

Phaedra2014

You can't help it? Then you'll just have to deal with the negative consequences.

When you decide that you CAN help it then you will have positive consequences.

It's really all up to you.