Avoiding free food at work?

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LoveRagdolls
LoveRagdolls Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
My workplace has a lot of free food available on a regular basis. Treats for meetings. Treats for birthdays and other special occasions. With my sweet tooth, I am having a terrible time saying no to these treats! Any advice?
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Replies

  • JCM1969
    JCM1969 Posts: 141 Member
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    Not easy..... We are getting pizza today... but I brought my salad and will stick to it. It helps me to look up how many calories are in the treat I want... then I realize it isnt worth it!
  • Kebby83
    Kebby83 Posts: 232 Member
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    Just say No. That's what we teach our kids - can we have the same will power we expect them to have against something as serious as drugs against a candy bar? I think so.
  • jynxxxed
    jynxxxed Posts: 1,010 Member
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    I just bring my own food and pre-log my entire day so I know ahead of time that I have no room to eat any of that junk people brought in. Unless I DO want it, and in that case I still pre-log and work the rest of my food around the junk.
  • kinrsa
    kinrsa Posts: 111 Member
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    If I know it's coming (like birthday treats or something) I'll plan to have a little.

    Otherwise I don't think of it as free food. I think of it as free fat. That usually stops me.
  • runnninginmd
    runnninginmd Posts: 67
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    I am a teacher and every time I walk into the teacher's lounge there is a different treat. Yesterday there was pumpkin cheesecake, donuts, a strawberry/vanilla cake, and a seven layer taco dip. People just bring their leftovers from home constantly, or parents bake stuff for us all the time. Then, when it is a student's birthday, they go from classroom to classroom offering the cupcakes to the other teachers. I used to take a small bite of the things I liked, and though I live a healthy lifestyle and it was seriously harming my weight, it just made me feel gross! This year, I made a new rule. I only eat the stuff that is my absolute favorite. So basically if it is a chocolate chip cookie cake or red velvet I eat it. Anything else, I ignore it! Sometimes it's hard, but I feel better in the long run.
  • smittybuilt19
    smittybuilt19 Posts: 955 Member
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    My workplace has a lot of free food available on a regular basis. Treats for meetings. Treats for birthdays and other special occasions. With my sweet tooth, I am having a terrible time saying no to these treats! Any advice?

    My boss provides us with breakfast and lunch...everyday. Is it healthy choices? No. Is is free? Yes. It's a very thin line. I choose to just eat little and stay within my calorie limit.
  • jsj024519
    jsj024519 Posts: 400 Member
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    I always eat free food.
  • wolfehound22
    wolfehound22 Posts: 887
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    Do your best, but really a small bit here and there is fine, just plan around it. This is a life change, so you need to be able to work this stuff in.
  • elleloch
    elleloch Posts: 739 Member
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    I just bring my own food and pre-log my entire day so I know ahead of time that I have no room to eat any of that junk people brought in. Unless I DO want it, and in that case I still pre-log and work the rest of my food around the junk.

    This is exactly what I do.

    I can usually trust that if I have an early morning meeting and my boss says they'll be providing "breakfast," it actually means he'll be picking up a tray of donuts. Crap food is easy to bring to work. Bring your own.
  • smittybuilt19
    smittybuilt19 Posts: 955 Member
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    For about the past week, there has been a new box of doughnuts everyday in the break room. lol.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
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    I have this all the time at work. I find it helps to look up the calorie content of things. Today is a good example; it's someones birthday, so she's brought in home made cupcakes at just under 400 cals each. When I think what else I could eat for that, it just isn't worth it in my mind.
  • 1960HikerDude
    1960HikerDude Posts: 215 Member
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    I'm going to have this issue on Election night. My boss asked all of us to work late and said he will be provide dinner. I don't want to insult the man. But, I don't want to sabotage my efforts either.
  • notsosimplyabby
    notsosimplyabby Posts: 138 Member
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    Bring something else for backup! If you know ahead of time that you will have free food, pack an alternative!
  • kittyhug1986
    kittyhug1986 Posts: 60 Member
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    I try as hard as possible to avoid it. With Halloween just the other day, free candy galore is all around the office. The only thing that has helped me is by going in a different path so I dont see it, and if I have to pass the candy bowl, always have something in my hands and say "I can't grab candy, because I have no room in my hands." Then that quickly also turned into, "It is not worth it, I want to achieve my goals."
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
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    Everyone realizes that it takes conscious effort to insert food into the mouth, chew, and swallow it, correct?

    So, depending upon which circumstance you find yourself in, your reaction will need to be different.

    Code Green (food is in the same room with you): do not walk over to it.
    Code Yellow (the food is on a table in front of you): do not reach out to pick up the food.
    Code Orange (the food has been placed in your hand): do not activate your bicep to bring the food to your mouth.
    Code Red (the food is being brought to your mouth): do not engage the muscles in your jaw, which will keep your mouth closed, thus preventing the food from entering it.
  • a_crotty
    a_crotty Posts: 225 Member
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    This is the hardest part of my dieting for sure! I am beginning to eat alone as of 2 days ago. If I only go back there for water I feel accomplished! We have a potluck once a month so I will cheat on that date only.
  • karensoxfan
    karensoxfan Posts: 902 Member
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    If it's something you don't actually want to eat, here are my strategies for it:

    1. Stay physically away from it if you can.
    2. Chew gum
    3. Drink a lot of water
    4. Think of all the germs that might be on it from coworkers handling it.

    Even if you want some, but only want a little bit, take what you want, and then walk away from the supply. Good luck!
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
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    We do a monthly meeting here where everyone brings stuff. I just always bring in fresh cut veggies and a ranch dip made from greek yogurt. That way, I control exactly what I'm eating. Plenty of ways to avoid eating other food at work, will power being the best of them.
  • Martucha123
    Martucha123 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    no food is free food
    I think about my daily cals as a budget

    Do I really want to waste calories on candy when i can have steak/ milk with cereal / ice cream at home?
    the answer is usually no, so I don't eat it.
  • DebraYvonne
    DebraYvonne Posts: 632 Member
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    someone earlier this week said to pretend it had been made in a dirty kitchen! I am going to try that next time someone brings it!

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