A GIANT free breakfast (yikes!)

Onesnap

Today we get out of work at Noon. There was a huge breakfast made in the work kitchen. It involved this French toast cake-thing covered in chocolate syrup, blueberry pancakes, and sausage. Also, the fake maple syrup (as a New Englander don't even get me started on that). This breakfast smelled amazing when I walked in. I went straight in to my office, did work for around 40 minutes (to wait for the festivities to end). I made my usual oatmeal, and added blueberries left over from the pancakes. No one saw me (don't want to offend the people that made the food!). Heading into a holiday weekend being away with friends. I knew that if I ate this giant breakfast it would pave the way for a long weekend down a slippery slope of bad choices! (and it was not easy to resist). Those of you that deal with free food at work (and the worries of not offending people) know just what I'm talking about!

How do you deal with similar situations in your workplace? I have a friend that works in a small office and colleagues actually bring the free food to her desk! So it's really hard for her not to make people angry by politely turning down the food.

jrich1

Everyone here knows I am dieting, its a small office and the only thing that we really ever get is donuts and such and I eat my breakfast so i am not hungry to get get one.
You did a great job resisting temptations, its a lot of little choices that will make you sucessful.

jraps17

I made people around me aware that im trying to cut calories and lose weight, some are supportive others don't care. I just got offered some sweets a few minutes ago, which i turned down. Of course there is always the comment or two from the smart mouths, but you just roll with the punches and move on, I think ultimately some people will say stupid thing out of envy because the feel like they themselves cannot do it - lose weight that is.

SarahSway

I deal with that everyday! I work at a hotel where I get a free meal each day, working mornings that would be breakfast. The breakfast menu is giant; eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, waffles, corned beef hash, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, etc... pretty much whatever I want. I try to take my bagel thin that I bring, eat some of the fruit and ignore it. The worst part is that I have to walk by it and smell it all morning too!

happy_jax

Wow! Well done you, I must say it sounds so yummy I'm impressed by your will power!! :happy:

My office is absolutely terrible for naughty treats - we have this "snack cupboard" full of horrors - and people gorge themselves throughout the day all day! Thankfully though, I have said no enough times now - so they don't even ask me anymore!

I can see it being much tougher in your situation - as people have gone to the effort of making treats for you, rather than just purchasing them. That is always hard when it is people's birthdays - as you don't want to be rude. I used to just have a tiny bit of whatever was brought in...but it's difficult to go un-noticed and you don't want to offend (plus it actually looks so damn tasty!)

Now, my easiest way around it is to always be the one to offer to bake for someone's birthday or a celebration! Okay, it's a bit of a hassle - but that way I can just mumble that "I had loads at home last night..." or something - and people are so busy delving into all the yummy baked goods I have brought in that they don't even question it too much! :laugh:

ladybg81

Luckily (I'm not sure that is the right word!!!) we never do anything at work. Not really the warm fuzzy type of place (or people for that matter.) When we do something, it is always BBQ but that is pretty easy to track and not go over board on. Good for you for resisting. I remember one place I used to work we had snack day almost every week or for someone's birthday or something. Tons of BAD food all the time. That was before I had my son so I still had my natual thinness that helped plus I worked out so I would totally over do it but never saw a change in the scale. Having a child does hell on your body and metabolism (at least it did for me!!!)

Let me add that we do have some of our vendors that bring in stuff. Donuts, panera bagels, which by the way are amazing! Since I started this I've been able to turn it down much easier. No one has done panera yet so I am worried about that one. Their cinnimon bagel with the honey walnut spread is just ridiculous. So we'll see how that goes!

ka_42

I have a incredibly difficult time resisting food at work. I know it can be very hard. Good job staying committed. YOU SHOULD BE SO PROUD OF YOURSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cam_

I just say "Can't. I'm on a diet" Seems to work. But yeah, I can relate - it's pretty silly when you start feeling guilty about eating properly when you think about it. Way to go by the way.

Onesnap

Thanks all! The free food at work is my biggest downfall and has led to much of my weight gain this past year. I try hard each day to only eat the food I take to the office.

Oh and, "we have this "snack cupboard" full of horrors" made me laugh! Here we have a counter of horrors and bins of M&Ms right by the front door that I see dozens of times/day.

Onesnap

Let me add that we do have some of our vendors that bring in stuff. Donuts, panera bagels, which by the way are amazing! Since I started this I've been able to turn it down much easier. No one has done panera yet so I am worried about that one. Their cinnimon bagel with the honey walnut spread is just ridiculous. So we'll see how that goes!

We have a delivery of Panera bagels and muffins EVERY Wednesday. I just have to pretend they are not there. Those bagels are amazing, but it's like eating 3 English muffins!

immacookie

Good job resisting!!! :flowerforyou:

After a few years working here the people I work with all know that I always bring my own food... unfortunately after so long it's swung the other way that I'm pretty much always excluded from invitations to go out to lunch or order in or what-not. I've tried to explain that "occasionally" it's fine but not 3x a week... but I still get the "Oh brangwen NEVER goes". Apparently in my office it's all or nothing. *insert eye roll*

KimAggie04

I don't think you should have any reason to feel bad that you passed on the food. Good for you! My office always has cakes for birthdays... sometimes 3 cakes a week. My co-workers gave me a hard time at first, but now they just ask if I want any and move on. It gets easier passing on the sweets. I still allow myself some sweets, like a small slice of cheesecake during the weekend, but I don't need everything that passes in front of me, especially the work sweets. Congratulations again!! Learning to change your eating habits is the hardest part.

NenaM812

I have to deal with that almost daily. Down here in South Texas, breakfast tacos are almost essential. Someone goes to the little Mexican food place down the street almost every day and brings back one! And since those are individual, it's hard to get away with not eating it. My secretary is also ALWAYS bringing cakes and cookies and goodies back. And then she gets her feelings hurt if you don't eat it because she'll call you on it!

If it's something like a taco, I'll eat it and just work hard the rest of the day. If it's like a cake or something, I'll have a tiny piece and do the same thing.

But luckily, Secretary is on a diet now, so she's been bringing a lot of fruit

Onesnap

I'm so glad you all understand. It's a company culture thing for sure. It's also working with people that constantly make food in the kitchen because they almost like to 'mother' the office. They mean well of course!



I had a friend say recently the 'free' food at work is not actually FREE.

Smittyinthesun

I was at a community reception last week and there was snacks and drinks, which are hard to resist. So I ate the items that were protein, and some cheese, I skipped the crackers and went with a diet soda( yippie) There was lots of yummy stuff there and i could have easily blown my whole calorie count for the day.