confession: I am a serial baker

miracole

There are a lot of posts out there right now about the "terrible colleagues who are constantly bringing in baked goods and other bad for you foods" that tempt them beyond compare. And the general sentiment is that these goodie purveyors are rather like drug dealers, or worse yet, old world grandmothers, the kind that constantly heap more on your plate telling you to "eat! you're too skinny!".

Well here's my confession....I am that colleague.

And you know what? It's not about you!

I bring in baked goods on a regular basis, I have a side cake business and I often have leftovers, and sometimes I crave something at home and I don't buy baked goods, I make them, and then I end up with way more than I can legitimately consume within my macros. So guess where it goes? To the office! up for grabs! I am not trying to destroy anyone's diet, I don't want to sabotage people, and I NEVER press someone to eat the goodies. If they want them? they're available. If they tell me they're losing weight? I don't even let them know I've brought something in.

My guess is? 80-90% of the people that bring in goodies are doing so because when that 2:00 sugar crash happens people appreciate having something available. They do it to be nice, not because they are Beelzebub. And I'm betting that a fair few, like me, don't want to eliminate the delicious from their diet, but can only moderate by making sure that the remainder gets distributed among the masses. If that makes us terrible? well, so be it.

I'm guessing I'm going to get judged for this one, but frankly I don't care so much, because I've found an AMAZING side benefit to being the office baker. When I make sweets, I crave them less. When I have something fabulous and home made sitting in my office? I am less likely to eat something store bought. After all, I know exactly what's in my 200 calorie cookie bar, and I bet it will be a crapload more satisfying than the timbits that someone has on offer. It's like an inoculation against the temptations other people bring in. Right at this moment I have cookie bars, rocket candies and peanut butter cookies in my office, if I want a treat I don't have to go anywhere for it...but these things have been on offer all week, and I haven't had a single one during office hours. For some reason, the knowledge that I CAN is enough.

lacurandera1

You could be my serial baker/enabler colleague any day! I love me some cake!

Sparlingo

I can always find room in my calories for a cupcake. My macros? Maybe not. . . but if it's cupcake day, macros be damned.

Jaulen

I'll admit, I'm a serial baker and cookie pusher also. I make scones for office fundraisers.

I bring stuff in since if it sat at my house, I'd be the one to eat it all. My husband can have 1 cookie out of a whole batch and call it good....and since I don't want to eat all of them, I bring them in, and just leave them out on the table in the break room.

WendyTerry420

I love baking too! My husband thinks I should *start* a side business, but I haven't yet. I just love to eat freshly baked goods. That's the truth.

lem_orc29

I'm a baker too! It relaxes me. It's stress relief. I tried to not bake and it made me feel a little empty inside. I bake and take it to work so I won't eat it all myself. Bake on!

chels0722

I am the same way. I just love to bake..... well I pretty much like to cook all together haha and I love sharing :0

Sweet_Potato

I'm a serial baker too, although my stuff never makes it to the office. Usually I have no trouble staying under my calorie goals as long as I don't binge on the stuff I bake.

AntShanny

That's me, too! I love baking and bringing in treats to my coworkers, and they love me for it...luckily no complaints about it from them! They always want to know when I'm bringing in something next. I'll usually bake stuff over the weekend, freeze some and bring the rest to work. Or take it to friends.

healthy4heidi

Yes, I saw those posts too and felt awful for bringing my baked goods into the office. I don't push them on anyone either but I love baking and hate wasting food. I probably should quit my job and work at a bakery but that won't pay the bills. Just be glad you don't work in my office.

ladymiseryali

I bake a lot too. Just learned how to make buttercream frosting, and have been able to ice cupcakes with just a plastic bag with a hole cut in it. I don't even eat them most of the time. The bad thing about it, is that I leave them out for my diabetic future MIL and my morbidly obese future BIL. But then again, they're adults and if they choose to eat things that are unhealthy, it's really on them, not me. I bake because I like to create things.

Louder4

I'm a serial baker too! I do it just because I enjoy it and love to surprise my kids/hubby/friends with my latest creation. I do however only leave out half a batch, other half goes right to the freezer. Also sweets aren't really my thing to binge on, um hello wine!

liesevanlingen

Actually, I don't think it's bringing in treats that is the problem so much as trying to force them on people. I bring in baked goods too, but I just put them on a plate in the lunch room with a note saying "Help yourself." I also try and make healthier treats--containing wheat germ, flax seed, baby food (pureed carrots or squash are easy to hide in muffins and don't affect the taste) and that sort of thing.

barb1241

A couple of years ago, I made so many cookies/cakes/breads that when I took them to my family in Denver, my SIL threated to make me sleep on the porch if I ever brought that many again.

We are having friends over for dinner tomorrow night. I'm making a rare non-"diet" meal for all of us. My friend is bringing dessert. She loves to make it, she, her hubs and my hubs love to eat it. I love to eat it too, esp. when it's chocolate. I will not be having any, probably not even a "taste". With my meal, my calories won't allow for it unless I run a marathon first. BUt-I am so pleased that she is making something from scratch and my hubs can have it and so can they. And I don't ever feel like she is trying to sabotage me. I am an adult grown woman and I have the coice to eat or not. Nobody is holding a gun to my head. And she knows I need to lose more tonnage, so she understands.

You keep on baking and show them this reply!

(I hope she doesn't bring cookies :noway: ) If she does, I still won't eat them, it's just harder to resist.

hausofnichele

My sister is a serial baker. I think she just really enjoys creating beautiful little works of art and sharing them with her co-workers. I would imagine it must make her feel really good to be recognized for her talent. Plus the goodies generally make people feel happy when they see them so I don't think it's done as a way to corrupt everyone. Personally, I love baking and cooking but rarely eat those types of sweets.

RunsOnEspresso

I like to bake but I don't like eating all the brownies or cookies (or whatever I make). I like a little but no way can I eat all I make. And I don't like to mess with halving a recipe.

I've never forced anyone to try them. Like others, just put them out with a sign or in a designated "free food" spot. They usually disappear pretty quickly.

Maidofmer

i'm one of them! right now i'm experimenting with gum paste, fondant, marzipan, and sugar paste flowers. want to make mini cakes for my MIL's for mothers day with their favorite flowers. also, I want to be a professional cake decorator.

TxLdy3

I LOVE to cook and bake too! It's my stree-reliever also as funny as that sounds. It's not hard @ all to cook and bake & only eat a small portion......My family, neighboe & co-workers LOVE when I share Now I workout to relieve stress but I cook @ least 4 days a week and am down to baking something at least once a week.

marinegirl92

I love your post. Thank you for sharing.

EstiloPanama

That's pretty awesome. I generally suck as baking. Well, I can make awesome bread from scratch, but all desserts and goodies suffer a slow, painful death straight into the trash. Lol...

I think goodies once in a while is awesome. I don't see why people act like it's the Devil.

IbiH

I love baking to but try and use low cal/low fat options, such as banana instead of butter/margarine; half the amount of sugar; making mini cakes so that I can have a small piece of indulgence.

seif0068

Same here! I also love baking and as I've gone through this weight loss process, I have also taken to bringing things to the office, giving treats to neighbors, etc. I love doing it but it's a shame to have all that food go to waste.

Mustang_Susie

LOVE baking!
And if I'm going to do it right, I use "real" ingredients
Love the smell of cinnamon and vanilla extract

tegtmeyerd

Love baking!! I bring food to work, but wish I had another outlet so I could bake more. I may start sending cookies to starving college students I know...

If i keep it in the house, hubby and I will definitely eat it!

dangerousdumpling

I am also a serial baker. But I can't bake when I'm working on weight loss because I have no self control when baked goods are around. None whatsoever. I certainly don't take offense when someone brings sweets around.
However, dealing with a sweets pusher really ticks me off. I went to a friend's house a few days ago who is also trying to diet. Her husband is a house husband at the moment and made breakfast for dinner. He deliberately tried to sabotage us. He asked over and over if we wanted french toast. I said no four times and then he started offering soda. Finally I just stopped answering him and started glaring at him silently until he walked away. It's not anyone's job to make sure baked goods or off limits foods are unavailable to a dieter.

tripodsmom

I'm. A baker too.... but my specialilty ( my husbands favorite ) is oreo balls... there is a batch in my freezer now, I haven't even eaten one. Oreos cream cheese, dipped in chocolate....... great now my mouth is watering...

miracole

I love how many bakers there are here! Haha maybe we should start a group after all, there is no need to feel ashamed of an activity that can be incredibly beneficial, anyone who doesn't think baking is a workout has never felt the muscle pain in the forearms that comes from 5 hours of piping buttercream icing on a 3 layer wedding cake! We could call it baker's anonymous. "hi, I'm Mira, and I have managed to lose weight even though I always check at least twice to make sure my icing is not poison!":laugh:

Coquette6

I love to bake! About once a month I'll bake cookies, or squares or brownies or someting and take it to my classmates. If people are watching what they eat and don't want one, it's no offense to me. But so far I've had no complaints!

vmekash

OH MY GOSH! I too find that I don't really crave sweets by baking them. I actually lose weight (even when not monitoring calories) during "cookie season." I thought I was alone. Thanks for sharing!

msbunnie68

I am a rabid baker too.

...and I still lost my weight despite my baking addiction... and to honest I found it great because I put my favourite recipes in the recipe builder and worked out what portion sizes are going to work for me. Hmmm...I might make black cherry cheesecake for dessert tonight after I have made a fresh batch of vanilla bean and oreo icecream.

dangerousdumpling

I love how many bakers there are here! Haha maybe we should start a group after all, there is no need to feel ashamed of an activity that can be incredibly beneficial, anyone who doesn't think baking is a workout has never felt the muscle pain in the forearms that comes from 5 hours of piping buttercream icing on a 3 layer wedding cake! We could call it baker's anonymous. "hi, I'm Mira, and I have managed to lose weight even though I always check at least twice to make sure my icing is not poison!":laugh:

Two weeks ago my arm almost fell off when I was whisking eggs into brownie batter. I managed to only eat one small brownie. Hey, I did have self control that time! Yay me!