A Dieter's Worst Nightmare.
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When I was younger I worked at a Bakery and then Haagen - Daz. It was really hard. I chewed A LOT of gum .I think that the Donation Box is a great idea! Make sure it's not see thru.
I don't think it would have helped me with the Ice Cream - it just went on my thighs - sigh.0 -
I have a hard time with snacking at my work. I try to brush my teeth in the afternoon, after my second break- that is usually when I cave into the evil vending machine. When your mouth tastes like peppermint, it's kinda icky eating something sweet and sugary...
Plus, I try to remind myself have much I would have to run to work off the calories. Is that 200 calorie cookie worth 2 miles of running? Slice of cake worth your gym workout?
If you can't donate the broken/imperfect baked goods, here's another suggestion. I know this might seem super wasteful.. How about throwing away the broken cookies/crushed cupcakes in the trash- like right away? That way, you won't be tempted. Don't even give it a second thought, just DO IT.
I love baking and fresh baked goods.. so, I feel your pain! Good luck!0 -
Allow yourself one cupcake/tastetest/brownie per day and then find an exercise you like to work off the calories? That way you're not torturing yourself, you do get to have a treat but you're still burning off the calories. I think that approach is more realistic than abstaining.
Sometimes what works for me is, instead of thinking about how awesome that brownie/cupcake is, think (very graphically) about what it does to your body. Actually picture the nasty cellulite congeeled on your thighs/butt and think about how every bite is bringing you closer to diabetes and blackened amputated toes. It sounds a little drastic but it works for me! ha.0 -
That would be hard! I usedto work in food service, and you're right: its way too easy to just eat some of the food you're surrounded by. I also have a huge sweet tooth, and managing my sugar intake has been painful for me. We spent a lot of last year living with my in-laws and there was always tons of Twinkies and Oatmeal Pies and things to eat. Some things that have helped me:
1. Manage your blood sugar by eating 4-5 small, balanced meals per day. This has helped me dramatically cut down on cravings.
2. I eventually had to get to a point where I mentally labeled food as "not mine". I'm big into boundaries, so once I started thinking of food as belonging to someone else, it changed a lot of things. Food is mine if I bought it myself, made it for myself, or if it was given to me. If I wanted a Twinkie I had to go out and buy my own, which was a deterrent.
3. I will often plan my meals at the beginning of the day and pre-log them. This helps me plan my calories, but it also helps me avoid getting over hungry and snacking too much or even binging. I have found that if I don't do this, I will sometimes try to skip a meal or lunch because I don't know what to make for myself, then later when I'm hungry I end up just reaching for whatever is fast and available.
I love the ideas about putting it in a box and giving it to someone else! The last time my MIL sent cupcakes home for the kids (I have two kids who don't need 12 cupcakes!) we gave them each one then hubs took the rest to work withhimin the morning and gave them away.0 -
I really like the donation box idea.
Maybe create an incentive program for yourself? Every time you avoid the sweets for all six hours, you contribute a dollar to your reward jar. Every time you indulge, you take away a dollar. Once you have enough, reward yourself with a beautiful, smaller dress or workout outfit.0 -
Wow, this takes occupational hazzard to a whole new level! You are avery brave girl entering a bakery on a daily basis. Sweets are my downfall so I tend to try to avoid them all together. I occasionally indulge on one item without any guilt. I find that when I don't eat sweets daily they actually taste better when I indulge. Sometimes I find that the sweetness is even too much and I don't finish it. My advice to you would be to bring a huge container of water with lemons, mint, cucumbers and sip on that. I find drinking that reduces my cravings for sweets. Also be prepared with meals so that you don't make bad decisions. Have gum handy, preferably mint, also reduces sweet cravings. Lastly pick on treat per week and indulge, we are human and it's all about moderation.
When all else fail remember that nothing tastes as good as being healthy and thin feels!! Good luck!0 -
Cash jar based on hours - I think that is a fabulous idea! I have to say this forum has shown very smart, creative replies.0
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You guys are awesome! Excellent ideas!0
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I worked at a bakery for about a year (well, two different ones. French ones. Delicious LOL). Seriously, get a new job. I love sweets and no, the novelty doesn't go away. The only positive is that you're on your feet all the time, and often running left and right, so you burn more calories during the day. But heck, I'm very motivated right now and I still don't think I could do it again.
Try what people suggested, but the bottom line is you'll have to decide if you like your health or your job more.0 -
Honestly..... Get a different job. I understand you love this job, but if it is detrimentall to your health, it is not what is best for you in the long run.
While I have considered this, it's not exactly an option. I'm in college. For a college student with no degree, jobs that pay well above minimum are extremely rare. If it came down to it, I'd choose being fat over finding a different job and being broke. Plus with no degree, I'd probably end up at a fast food place with the exact same problem.
I am AMAZED no one mentioned BRUSH YOUR TEETH!! before work , on break , when you go to the restroom , etc...
sweet stuff never tastes as good after a good tooth brushing! oh , and its not bad for you .. and i would use either the clove or the natural strong mint ( think toms of maine)
gum is probably Verboten..
but what about grab a quick Altoid, mint or cinnamon ??0 -
thats gotta be rough.
I'd want to eat goodies all the time.0 -
I used to work in a bakery, and I totally understand. I'm also diabetic, so it was literally a dangerous place to be!
What worked for me was just an absolute ban on eating stuff from work. If it's there all the time, it's no longer a treat, it's a habit. In general, I don't cut out any particular food from my diet, but if I'm surrounded by junk only a total ban works for me. Same with the work candy bowl. It's just too hard to be intentional and avoid constant grazing.
I also tricked myself mentally by just pretending the food was "merchandise" and not edible.0 -
This may be a bit odd but bring a little bottle of mouthwash to work. If you get the craving for something sweet, take a good swish of it to (hopefully) destroy any yumminess that the baking may have if you indulge. Make sure it's something STRONG so that it completely overpowers your tastebuds and will make everything taste like listerine (or whatever brand you pick).
THAT my friend, is genius.0 -
I don't work in a bakery or in the food industry. However, I work in an office where people bring in baked goods or candy quite often. I say to myself several times a day this quote I heard on a show on the Cooking Channel called "Drop 5 Pounds"
TEMPTATIONS are EVERYWHERE......VISUALIZE your SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just saying this sometimes I even have to say it outloud.
Good luck to you and remember all of us on here are here to help you0 -
One thing that I read that helped me stop eating chocolate during lent, was that instead of saying to yourself 'I can't eat that' say 'I don't eat that'. I don't know why but it worked for me, perhaps the first way of thinking makes it sound like denial whereas the second is a choice?
THIS!! This is a huge help for me. Saying I can't is like waving the red flag in front of the bull - the minute you say I CAN'T do something it becomes my number one priority. Saying I don't says I have a choice and choose not to, at least not now. And you do have a choice! Best of luck!0 -
Try tracking it before you eat it. Pre-log your food, and watching those calories mount up *before* you put them in your mouth, makes them taste much less sweet. I've gotten to the point unless it's *awesome*, it quickly loses it's appeal if I know what it's going to 'cost' me.0
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I worked at a bakery in college too. It was a bakery coffee shot and seriously the most amazing baked goods I've ever had before and since.
on the up side, I'm so picky about baked goods now having had the best, that it's easier for me to avoid them now.
But at the time, I gained 10 lbs working there at first.
I got free lattes and muffins every morning. I love coffee cake...
Honestly the trick is to make sure you have other things to eat and a written out shedule of your snacks and meals: (however that works best for you - notebook, smart phone, dry erase board, write on your arm).
Y aknow 8am - breakfast: xxx
11am: snack: xxx
and stick to it.
Since you are actively trying to lose weight, avoiding the baked goods as snacks is the best option.
My lattes killed me too. I had to stop putting syrup in them and started drinking cafe au lait b/c it has less milk then a latte.
You don't wanna be starving yourself. If you have lots of healthy snacks prepared and you eat them on schedule, you won't be hungry.
Then maybe treat yourself to something once a week
If the stuff isn't free - that would be another incentive for me since I Hate spending money.
call me Scroodge McKitty.0 -
I work in a bakery too!!
IT IS SO HARD NOT TO EAT EVERYTHING!
I try to stick to ONE treat when I work. and I usually pick a bagel with cream cheese. (Or a slice of their bread that's on special)
So far no weight gain.
Though sometimes I have 2 treats if I am working for 8 hours.
But lately I've been doing well with the one thing a day.
I ask myself: Do I want this? Do I need this? Do I want those 40 pounds back?
Also sometimes I work out before work and running 2 miles makes me not want to ruin that awesomeness with a cookie/cupcake.
Good luck!0 -
How about setting aside a box as previously selected, but also or just include in it everything that you would have legally been able to eat (a piece of broken brownie or broken cookie for example) and not tell yourself that you can't have it, but that you can't have it now.
At the end of the day, set aside what you'd like to eat then, or after dinner, or for breakfast the next morning, and that fits in your calorie goals. Then, either give the rest away to someone who would appreciate it, like the homeless shelter, or if it's not worth that, like a tiny piece of stale cake, just throw it away.
Something similar to this, but collecting the food items in a box allows you to see what you would have eaten. It could be an eye-opener for how much "small" bites add up. Plus you could do as suggested above, purposefully choose one thing from the box to eat on your way home as an end-of-shift treat. And toss/donate the rest. Good luck!0 -
Do the math!
Pick out your favorite things and figure out the calories for them. (A whole slice, a bite, etc).
Pick a day or two a week (maybe the days you do more intense exercise and have more calories?) and pre log those items that you will have as a snack. Then, you will have to fit your macros around them, or lessen the amount you eat. IE, half a brownie instead of a whole one, etc.
This way you have something to look forward to... "I don't need to eat this cookie today, I get to have a brownie tomorrow". It's not a "NO", it's a "Not right now".
The main thing is, make it fit your macros. If you get all your protein in and have the calories, go for it! It will make you work harder to make better decisions. Some days you'll realize that it doesn't fit that day and that's ok, there will be another day when it will.
For me, if I outright deny myself something I want it more. If I have to work for it I appreciate it more and then next time get to decide whether it's worth it.0 -
Chew gum, drink lots of water and don't restrict!!!! Allow yourself some treats. I am a home baker and cook and I make yummy things all the time, sometimes skinny versions but usually full fat/calorie versions. Also, try to have some protein before your shift so you'll stay fuller! Good luck! (P.S. sounds like heaven on earth for me lol)0
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I used to work at a pizza by the slice restaurant, so I can sympathize with the temptation aspect. We used to donate all our left over pizza at the end of the day to a homeless shelter. You could start collecting the "not pretty enough to sell but still delicious" bakery items in a designated box. Then run it by your local homeless shelter or after school program every couple of days or after your shift. The biggest thing for me is to get it out of sight, out of reach, and off your workstation where you can't eat any way.
That is a GREAT idea! What kind of jerk would eat a cupcake that would otherwise go to a homeless shelter? You won't do it! (Well, not as often.) 0 -
One thing I've found to help me out - even though this seems harsh - is that it's okay for food to go in the trash can.
I mean. Where would you rather it go? Into the trash or add itself onto your face fat and belly fat and butt fat and thigh fat??? UGH. I'd rather throw it out!
Before you pop it into your mouth - think - do I really need this in my body?? I think it needs to go into the trash can instead.
Another thing: According to http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ I burn 2370 calories on average per day. So I eat an average of 2015 calories per day. I'm still creating a caloric deficit, but I am definitely not hungry.
So far today I've had two scrambled eggs, a coffee with skim and splenda, 3 oz of chicken, a potato patty, a protein bar, a tuna wrap with spinach and cheese and an apple. It's 1pm, I'm super full and I still have 830 calories left for the day.
Anyways, just thought I'd mention that. *shrug*0 -
Have you thought of trying hypnotism? There are weight-loss hypnotism discs that plant the idea in your head that those types of food are repulsive, disgusting, inedible...can really help with your willpower.0
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Okay I don't like the word "diet", but I couldn't think of a better word.
Remember on The Biggest Loser, when they locked the contestants in a room with junk food as torture? Well that is my life. I work at a bakery, surrounded by cheesecake, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, lemon bars, pecan bars, pie, cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, muffins, etc.
6 HOURS A DAY, 5 DAYS A WEEK!!!!
You'd think being around it all the time would make me not want it. FALSE. Every day is a battle. It's so easy to eat a cookie here, a broken piece of a brownie there, "oops this cupcake isn't pretty enough for the display, I better just eat it", taste-test the icings, and so on and so forth. By the end of my shift I've probably just had 600 extra calories, more if I caved and had a slice of cheesecake.
I've been working on my willpower... but it's just so HARD. I lost 20 pounds between October and December, and then I found this job which I LOVE, and it all went downhill. The last 3 months have been disastrous. I want to get back on the wagon, but being at work is like being in a torture chamber.
I need tips, ideas, and motivation for how I can survive work and learn to "turn off" my desire to eat every piece of sugar in sight.
I've been where you are!
i used to bake delicious treats all day in an assisted living home. It was tough - im a total sweets lover and there was ample oppurtuinty to eat that sweet suff all day long. and i did.
I would advise you to just assume every little broken piece of food you popped in your mouth or tasted was 100 calls. and then LOG it. be consistent and you'll see its not worth it. Start an work out regimen and log that too. Logging and using logic will set you free.0 -
Chew gum while at work. On the sly, because it's probably a health violation.
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We used to donate all our left over pizza at the end of the day to a homeless shelter. You could start collecting the "not pretty enough to sell but still delicious" bakery items in a designated box. Then run it by your local homeless shelter or after school program every couple of days or after your shift.
We volunteer at a local food pantry that gets the left over goodies from bakeries to give out to folks who have a birthday in the family or something. So, I bet your local pantry would be happy to have these things.0 -
Practice your will power girl. You will an iron will power that could kill Chuck Norris by the time you are done. Keep up the good work.0
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You are stronger than I..... no way in hell I could be around all that every day and not weigh 500 lbs! Cheesecake is my weakness!! So is anything pecan.
My hat's off to you for staying as strong as you do!0 -
I both envy you and feel sorry for you!! I can't imagine how hard it is for you. I say take some of you favorite healthy snacks to work with you and then once a week, treat yourself to 1 brownie or 1 cupcake to reward yourself for doing so well all week!! It will make you appreciate the special treat so much more and you will like the scale better too!!!0
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