desk job = major food temptations

acchickpea
acchickpea Posts: 43 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
All Day.. staring at the computer screen... All I can think about is going to the vending machine and getting a soda and some chocolate.... ALL DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Replies

  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    I feel ya. It is bad enough sitting there is sucking the LIFE out of us, but then throw in snacks around and it's double trouble.

    I keep celery and peanut butter around and can nosh a small amount of that and feel full. I also get up and doa quick mile walk on my 15 minute breaks to get my heart rate up. In the office, I try to stand for 5 minutes every hour.

    Good luck!
  • devilwhiterose
    devilwhiterose Posts: 1,157 Member
    Quit keeping dollar bills and change on hand. That's what fixed me of the habit. :laugh:

    I keep chewing gum on hand! And crystal light for something to drink with a little flavor.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    well, you should quit your job and be a doctor.
  • daniellemm1
    daniellemm1 Posts: 465 Member
    I keep healthy snacks, low cal, in my desk for just those moments. And I have a large water bottle that I keep full and sip throughout the day.
  • JJordon
    JJordon Posts: 857 Member
    What's interesting, is in some office location jobs?

    They reward with...

    ...food...

    What's up with that? I'd rather not get a pat on the head like a good little doggy and fed with treats.
    Pay me, let me go home and do something worth while, outside of the job.
  • JossFit
    JossFit Posts: 588 Member
    Its the boredom factor. I see so many posts from people who say that they really struggle on the weekends, but for me it's the afternoon hours while I'm at work. At home or on weekends I'm fine, but being confined to my desk drives me bananas and it's so hard dealing with the food cravings at times!

    The only thing I've ever found to help me is just keeping busy, but I know that can be so much easier said than done.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I keep healthy snacks, low cal, in my desk for just those moments. And I have a large water bottle that I keep full and sip throughout the day.


    ^This!

    Keep healthy substitutions available. The water in my office is nasty, so I use a Brita filter bottle. I pack my lunch everyday .... when I want a snack in the A.M. .... I go to my lunchbox & grab the veggies.

    Afternoon snack (possibilities) are chai tea with milk & honey, hot chocolate, 100 calorie popcorn, or fruit.
  • acchickpea
    acchickpea Posts: 43 Member
    I honestly get up and walk around.. to talk to people, to go to the bathroom, to just srtetch the legs... but then the vending machine is screaming at me... oh boy....
  • Rose_bee
    Rose_bee Posts: 226 Member
    I have the same issue. My only saving grace is that the vending machines are in the basement, and I work on the 4th floor (3 flights up from ground level for the UK people).

    I'm starting to keep beef jerky at my desk, and Luna protein plus bars.

    I walk 3 blocks to starbucks for a nonfat tall/grande latte every other day or so.

    I need better ideas for healthy snacks to keep at work (or bring with me in my lunch sack).
  • kwilliams386
    kwilliams386 Posts: 156 Member
    I am glad I am far too broke for starbucks or vending machines, but I do tend to snack a lot. Healthier snacks make it better, but I eat much more during the week than the weekends with a LOT less activity. If anyone can find me a "non-desk job" I will be on it!
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    Here is what helps me combat the temptations... I don't bring cash for one... I can't raid the vending machine if I don't have anything to raid it with. Then I bring my own snacks... like Dove Dark Chocolate squares or mixed nuts... that usually helps curb any cravings.

    Oh and I preportion my snacks and bring one portion with me from home... otherwise I will eat all of what I have stashed in my desk.
  • Anna800
    Anna800 Posts: 639 Member
    Yep don't bring cash and bring healthy snacks. I bring cashews, fruit, and string cheese every day for 3 separate snacks.
  • dontcallmecass
    dontcallmecass Posts: 10
    I don't bring singles with me (for vending) and I drink LOTS and lots of tea. I probably have like 4 - 6 cups of hot, unsweated black/green tea during my work day.
  • geralynhoerauf
    geralynhoerauf Posts: 73 Member
    I don't even think about traveling down 19 stories to the vending area. I stash unsalted cashews, prunes and Annie Chuns Seaweed Snacks in my desk drawer. I also bring a huge salad for lunch everyday. Snacking is definitely all about boredom for me too.
  • christel8302012
    christel8302012 Posts: 3
    I stash Chocolate chex in my bottom for my rare chocolate cravings. The soda cravings are so much harder-- I went down from a 6 pack or more a day to one can of caffeine free in the a.m. and I miss the bubbles. Plus, I haven't lost a pound since giving it up 2 months ago, so I am not sure what I am sacrificing for, but I will keep my chin up and keep working on it:)
    Good luck.
  • Rottnme
    Rottnme Posts: 167 Member
    Plan your meals, bring your meals, stick to your meals and ONLY your meals.

    It took a while to figure out the right combination for myself. What works best for me is to have the same feeding regimen during the week based roughly around a 3 hour feeding time. I have a small breakfast (6:00am), a mid morning snack (10:30am), a mid afternoon snack (1:30pm )and no traditional lunch. I then have a snack when I get home from work (anywhere from 4:30-6:00), and then a traditional dinner around 7:00-7:30. Everyone is going to be different and I had to try a number of different combinations, timings, and quantities but once I got it sorted out I found that my body responds best to this timing and it is extrememly rare that I get any sort of hunger pangs during the average day.
  • ellejay1214
    ellejay1214 Posts: 42 Member
    I have a co-worker who brings donut holes to share all the time. As soon as one bag goes empty, she brings more. I put a sticky note on my computer that says "NO SWEETS" and I spent lots of time making it pretty. On days that doesn't help, I make a new one as fresh motivation. Today, I brought in a bunch of clementines for little sweet round treat that is way healthier. Also, keeping almonds in my desk helps when I'm having chocolate cravings. 7 almonds will usually calm me down. :)
  • NotBonJovi
    NotBonJovi Posts: 187 Member
    Mid-afternoon is when I start having sugar and snack carvings. Yes, I too get pretty bored sitting at my desk and watching the clock to see when its time to go home. :-)

    I force myself to go for a walk in the afternoons and make sure not to carry my wallet with me. I work in Manhattan where I see food joints and food carts everywhere. With no money, I can't feed my temptation. I chew gum during my walk and when I return I am mildly perspiring and out of breath and my craving is gone. Even the usual desire to have coffee at that time, if I had stayed at my desk, is gone. I drink some green or black tea after my return from walk and then the countdown to go home does not seem bad as I am happy after logging my calories burnt by walk. :-)
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
    i can't say i completely understand, the vending machine is within eyesight of my desk but i just don't care for overpriced junk food (cheap junkfood? i'm there!)

    i drink tea throughout the day, keeps my mouth and hands busy.

    oh, i also keep myself well-fed. big breakfast, delicious lunch, then some almonds at 3 or 4pm.
  • littlebudgie
    littlebudgie Posts: 279 Member
    I stash Chocolate chex in my bottom for my rare chocolate cravings. The soda cravings are so much harder-- I went down from a 6 pack or more a day to one can of caffeine free in the a.m. and I miss the bubbles. Plus, I haven't lost a pound since giving it up 2 months ago, so I am not sure what I am sacrificing for, but I will keep my chin up and keep working on it:)
    Good luck.

    Switching to carbonated water helped when I missed the bubbles.
  • khall86790
    khall86790 Posts: 1,100 Member
    Stop taking money to work and bring all your food in from home. That way even if you are tempted, you can't do anything about it.
  • Patty19550711
    Patty19550711 Posts: 6 Member
    It is rough. I am the only woman in the office and the guys here seem to subsist on caffeine and chocolate! I try to always pack my lunch and 2 snacks to take to work. I also try to make sure lunch and snacks are balanced with protein, good carbs and a little good fat. I did find that by trying to go very low fat, I felt hungry all the time. After adding in some good fat (EVOO, Pecan Oil, etc.), I seem to be able to handle the goodies around the office better.:smile:
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    Our vending machines have credit card accessibility :sad: but they are on a different floor and that alone keeps me from hitting them up.
  • Pixi_Rex
    Pixi_Rex Posts: 1,676 Member
    I must have a very involved desk job because most days I forget about lunch all together and end up eating at 1 or 1:30.

    I don't bring change to work with me though and maybe that is the big difference if I know I have no money on me than I have no way to go to the vending machine, and to go to the convenience store down the street means losing my parking spot and thats not convenient at all.
  • jmc0806
    jmc0806 Posts: 1,444 Member
    almonds are your friend in this case. My desk is like an almond store
  • alexandracandace
    alexandracandace Posts: 1
    I know how you feel. I work at Subway. And everyone thinks its healthy and so on, ha! One cookie is 300 calories. And I wanna shove them ALL in my mouth LOL... so hard.
  • zoesimple
    zoesimple Posts: 9
    At my desk job, they have junk food day almost every week, where everyone is supposed to bring chips, donuts, candy, soda, cake or basically anything unhealthy to share with the others. They frown upon those of us who bring veggies and dip or hummus, as it is not considered "junk". The temptation is horrible, and I find it is a bad idea and bad work environment! I feel you..!
  • Jaxxy_Fae
    Jaxxy_Fae Posts: 28
    I'm a writer so I spend a lot of time sitting at my desk (at home) on the computer. I have a basket with baggies full of healthy/healthier snacks. Each baggie is 1 serving of whatever snack. I have veggie chips, dried fruit, nuts, etc in my basket. All I have to do is reach over and grab a baggie and I know exactly how much I am eating and am not grabbing chips or cookies or something. It's been working pretty well so far.

    Maybe you can do something similar for the office so you have a better choice as opposed to the usual vending machine items?
  • trishgrace
    trishgrace Posts: 279 Member
    I also have a desk job and we don't have a vending machine, but we have a "junk drawer" it has all kinds of cookies, crackers, chips and suckers. I found that I keep 100 calorie packs of popcorn in my desk, I can pop one around 11 and snack on that same bag all day long and not feel like I am missing out.
  • Brandon74
    Brandon74 Posts: 453 Member
    So true, especially when people bring something in. I already gave in today.

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