Why do I fall at work?

JMactive190

I woke up this morning feeling good, then I got on the scale. I was up 1/2 lb from yesterday. I try not to weigh myself because this is what happens every time. What happens? well this is it. I go all day doing well with my food intake, I pack my food for the evening and head off to work. I get to work and even before dinner a co worker brings up a peice of Birthday cake for me... I do not want it but I also do not want to be rude - so I except. I eat said cake and it really is no big deal because I know that I closed out yesterday with over 200 calories under. Here is where the problem lies - there is left over candy from Halloween everywhere and it keeps ending up in front of me and we (me and my co workers) eat and eat and eat... it is not candybars or any thing big... a few skittles and a few... well you get the picture!!! My question is how do you stop this behavior? I am on a diet at least once a month so all my co workers are immune to me stating that!!!

SheilaG1963

Keep healthy snacks! Veggies, fruit, nuts. Grab for that instead of the junk. I passed up all candy at work this year, but it's hard.

You can do it!!

tekwriter

I agree bring some healthy treats. Move around when the candy starts crunching, get busyi doing something. It is true you don't want to alienate your friends. I understand that I would probably take that cake too. make it a game, decide before work how much you can afford to have and then spread it out during the shift and keep track. Just stay focused and you can do it.

susanswan

Old habits, pure and simple. Your profile looks like you have 104 pounds to lose. Instead of thinking and saying you want to lose a few pounds you may want to consider your health risks. Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. Not to shock you, but one day you may be fighting for your life.

IT never gets easy. Nobody is responsible for you but YOU. People don't really care. Sometimes it is a power trip. They want control. People don't like it when someone loses weight. It points the finger at everyone else.

Eating cake does matter. Eating bits of candy does matter. It matters because little by little it is silently killing you. Being a woman with a waist circumference over 30 inches (according to Dr. Oz) makes you the same health risk as someone with cancer. Does this scare you? It should!

I don't know you but I care about you. I am not interested on patting you on the head telling you it will be okay. One day you will figure it out. You might be okay and you might not. You might figure it out if you have enough time and you might not.

It all starts with you and saying "No, thank you." If someone brought you a line of coke for your birthday would you snort it? How about a nice syringe of heroin? After all, they did bring it specially for you? Sugar is your drug. It was mine, too. I started by saying, "no." Was it easy? NO. Did it get easier over time? Yes. But you know what? After stopping sugar and white flour for a week I no longer felt I HAD TO HAVE these things. I still wanted them, but it was so much easier to say no. They are full of corn syrup, chemicals, and refined carbs and that is not recognized by your body as food or calories. Therefore you can eat hundreds or thousands of calories in sugar and crap and still want more. Your body can't use it. It is looking for nutrition. You keep eating because your body wants nutrition.

I know you can do this. You just start by saying, "no." People succeed every day. But it is because they want to, not because it is easy. If you dont' succeed it is because you don't want to.

rubyautumn4

Let your coworkers know you are focused on getting healthier and eating healthier. Perhaps its something you can all do together and encourge each other with?
Agree with pp in that bringing healthy treats is a good idea - plan out your food and eat accordingly.

If you really want the cake or candy or whatever other treats, have a bite and throw the rest away. I've also noticed though that for me the cake or whatever is never as good as I am expecting it to be and I am disappointed by that as well as upset at the wasted calories.

bufger

I have really healthy snacks. my workplace is the same

Today it was someones birthday and they bought in cookies. I did P90X and an hour of basketball last night and i can fit it into my calories today so i had one after lunch.

Last week someone had cakes, the week before it was krispy kremes. I didnt have anything either time because i didnt get as much time to work out those weeks.

Pure willpower. Once you practice it a few times you can do it a few more

cmriverside

First of all, a half pound is nothing to worry about. You can flucuate up to five pounds due to hormones, water retention, exercise, salt, stress, lack of sleep...you ge the picture.

Then, you know what? We all have the exact same temptations. We each have to learn to navigate a world full of sugary, fatty, completely-void-of-nuttition-foods. You have to come up with some stategies.

Just because you are given birthday cake doesn't mean you have to eat it. She didn't actually force it down your throat, did she? Either say, "No, thanks." or take it, wrap it up and throw it away, or take it home and throw it away. You can't let other people influence you. Would you take a hit of crack at work? So don't take the "crack" that is junk food.

Take responsibility for your own life and your behavior that got you to be overweight.

jameseylefebure

My hubby has the *exact* same problem. We're dieting together and he sometimes really struggles because he's got a fair bit more to loose than I do. While I work on my own in a shop he works in an office with a group of other people and he always struggles when it's time for peoples b'day and like you mentioned the aftermath of Christmas. (plus there is a woman there who makes the *meanest* carrot cake I've ever had in my life!)
I always make his lunch/snacks for him and that has helped him a lot, but he found that he actually had to kind of say to people that he's on a diet and that he's ok for the snacks. At first people thought he was (like you mentioned) being rude by not taking it. Now a few months later people will offer him stuff, but when he refuses they understand or better for him they have stopped offering. (not in a horrid way, just in a they want to support where they can kinda way).

dsjohndrow

I woke up this morning feeling good, then I got on the scale. I was up 1/2 lb from yesterday. I try not to weigh myself because this is what happens every time. What happens? well this is it. I go all day doing well with my food intake, I pack my food for the evening and head off to work. I get to work and even before dinner a co worker brings up a peice of Birthday cake for me... I do not want it but I also do not want to be rude - so I except. I eat said cake and it really is no big deal because I know that I closed out yesterday with over 200 calories under. Here is where the problem lies - there is left over candy from Halloween everywhere and it keeps ending up in front of me and we (me and my co workers) eat and eat and eat... it is not candy bars or any thing big... a few skittles and a few... well you get the picture!!! My question is how do you stop this behavior? I am on a diet at least once a month so all my co workers are immune to me stating that!!!

Most folks have my seen progress and when I say, "I don't eat that anymore." with a smile, they usually get the hint. That said I do have people who don't hear me, and I say "no thanks." When that doesn't work, I drop it in the waste can before they leave the room. Being rude if you need to, just might save your life.

1DayAt_aTime

Old habits, pure and simple. Your profile looks like you have 104 pounds to lose. Instead of thinking and saying you want to lose a few pounds you may want to consider your health risks. Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. Not to shock you, but one day you may be fighting for your life.

IT never gets easy. Nobody is responsible for you but YOU. People don't really care. Sometimes it is a power trip. They want control. People don't like it when someone loses weight. It points the finger at everyone else.

Eating cake does matter. Eating bits of candy does matter. It matters because little by little it is silently killing you. Being a woman with a waist circumference over 30 inches (according to Dr. Oz) makes you the same health risk as someone with cancer. Does this scare you? It should!

I don't know you but I care about you. I am not interested on patting you on the head telling you it will be okay. One day you will figure it out. You might be okay and you might not. You might figure it out if you have enough time and you might not.

It all starts with you and saying "No, thank you." If someone brought you a line of coke for your birthday would you snort it? How about a nice syringe of heroin? After all, they did bring it specially for you? Sugar is your drug. It was mine, too. I started by saying, "no." Was it easy? NO. Did it get easier over time? Yes. But you know what? After stopping sugar and white flour for a week I no longer felt I HAD TO HAVE these things. I still wanted them, but it was so much easier to say no. They are full of corn syrup, chemicals, and refined carbs and that is not recognized by your body as food or calories. Therefore you can eat hundreds or thousands of calories in sugar and crap and still want more. Your body can't use it. It is looking for nutrition. You keep eating because your body wants nutrition.

I know you can do this. You just start by saying, "no." People succeed every day. But it is because they want to, not because it is easy. If you dont' succeed it is because you don't want to.

^^^love this advice. Going to listen to it myself

TinaBean007

Old habits, pure and simple. Your profile looks like you have 104 pounds to lose. Instead of thinking and saying you want to lose a few pounds you may want to consider your health risks. Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. Not to shock you, but one day you may be fighting for your life.

IT never gets easy. Nobody is responsible for you but YOU. People don't really care. Sometimes it is a power trip. They want control. People don't like it when someone loses weight. It points the finger at everyone else.

Eating cake does matter. Eating bits of candy does matter. It matters because little by little it is silently killing you. Being a woman with a waist circumference over 30 inches (according to Dr. Oz) makes you the same health risk as someone with cancer. Does this scare you? It should!

I don't know you but I care about you. I am not interested on patting you on the head telling you it will be okay. One day you will figure it out. You might be okay and you might not. You might figure it out if you have enough time and you might not.

It all starts with you and saying "No, thank you." If someone brought you a line of coke for your birthday would you snort it? How about a nice syringe of heroin? After all, they did bring it specially for you? Sugar is your drug. It was mine, too. I started by saying, "no." Was it easy? NO. Did it get easier over time? Yes. But you know what? After stopping sugar and white flour for a week I no longer felt I HAD TO HAVE these things. I still wanted them, but it was so much easier to say no. They are full of corn syrup, chemicals, and refined carbs and that is not recognized by your body as food or calories. Therefore you can eat hundreds or thousands of calories in sugar and crap and still want more. Your body can't use it. It is looking for nutrition. You keep eating because your body wants nutrition.

I know you can do this. You just start by saying, "no." People succeed every day. But it is because they want to, not because it is easy. If you dont' succeed it is because you don't want to.

Best post I've ever read on MFP. Tough love... I wish everyone who responds was like this.

My1985Freckles

Coworker's B-day here too. We have a b-day cake for every birthday in the office (about 15peeps). This morning I was getting a little hungry at 9:45... The cake was supposed to be served at 10. So I grabbed my cheese stick to help maintain my control. I politely declined the fabulously delicious looking chocolate cake. This isn't anything "new" for me. I decline the cake 95% of the time.

That being said, I DO have sweets and I actually have some fabulous cake at home. I'll probably have a piece tonight as long as it is still in my calories.

There is nothing wrong with saying no. Its hard at first, but it gets easier and soon your coworkers will be less of junk food "pushers". ;-) You CAN do this! Make sure you have some healthy snacks (or at least "healthier"). I have 90 calorie packs of Mini Cinnamon Swirl Rice Cakes from Aldi... OMG! So sweet! They are delicious and there are a bunch in the pack so they take a little to eat.... And Crystal Light is great for a "sweet" pick me up with minimal calories..... And sugar free gum!

You CAN do this! Just have alternatives. :-)

AlmstHvn

I think i'd make a playful sign like "No Candy Zone" for my desk! There's little harm in the occasional treat, but have it somewhere other than your desk. Having a candy dish on your desk is really tempting.

grover0ca

You stop this behavior by being accountable to yourself and saying saying "no thanks". Your the only one that can stop it.

In my office the "treat" table is right outside my door, I walk by it at least 30 times a day. No one else cares if I am eating healthy, no one else cares that the treat table is by my door, no one else cares what my scales says. I have to be the one to care and be the one to say NO THANKS. Just suck it up and do it, you'll be proud of yourself! And don't think of it is as rude for saying no...think of the them for being rude for offering you JUNK when they know you are trying to live a healthy lifestyle.

that's not to say you can never have a treat..but you should not be eating the stuff because you feel obligated because someone offered it to you!

susanswan

To OP you may want to look into www.fatloser.com. Steve Siebold is a motivational speaker for business and increasing wealth. He became 40 pounds overweight and developed his own program for weight loss motivation. You pick the diet, you pick the exercise, he gives you the motivation to follow through. No cost, no spam. It worked for me when I lost my way. I just needed the kick in the pants to get back on track and he succeeded where a year of wringing my hands did not. Please try it out.