Office food: put it on rotation or leave it in the lunchroom

filergirl
filergirl Posts: 240
edited September 18 in Motivation and Support
Same problem every day. Trays of food (items people bring in, leftovers from meetings) get plunked on the table directly across from my office. First it was chocolate truffles and strawberries (9:20 am), then some spicy jellybeans my boss brought with him from Texas. (I've been hearing people gagging on them and spitting them out, so no real temptation there, thankfully.) I figured I was home free, until I opened my door to see a huge box of pizza, complete with chicken wings and bread sticks.

I caved and ate two bites of a bread stick. Arrggggh. It's cold in Toronto. Really friggin' cold. And now I will have to WALK for probably an extra 20 mins. for that stupid greasy error.

I realize that the counter is convenient, but perhaps my colleagues could consider rotating food to other areas (there are several other locations around the office). Really it should all be left in the lunchroom. That's where people go to EAT.

It doesn't seem very responsible of employers to be continually encouraging staff to eat junk food, especially chocolate truffles and spicy jellybeans for breakfast.

Naturally, if I bring this up I'll seem like a grinch.
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Replies

  • filergirl
    filergirl Posts: 240
    Same problem every day. Trays of food (items people bring in, leftovers from meetings) get plunked on the table directly across from my office. First it was chocolate truffles and strawberries (9:20 am), then some spicy jellybeans my boss brought with him from Texas. (I've been hearing people gagging on them and spitting them out, so no real temptation there, thankfully.) I figured I was home free, until I opened my door to see a huge box of pizza, complete with chicken wings and bread sticks.

    I caved and ate two bites of a bread stick. Arrggggh. It's cold in Toronto. Really friggin' cold. And now I will have to WALK for probably an extra 20 mins. for that stupid greasy error.

    I realize that the counter is convenient, but perhaps my colleagues could consider rotating food to other areas (there are several other locations around the office). Really it should all be left in the lunchroom. That's where people go to EAT.

    It doesn't seem very responsible of employers to be continually encouraging staff to eat junk food, especially chocolate truffles and spicy jellybeans for breakfast.

    Naturally, if I bring this up I'll seem like a grinch.
    .
  • kistinbee
    kistinbee Posts: 3,688 Member
    I understand how you feel. That is exactly how it was at my previous job. Thankfully I now work at a company that promotes weight management and exercise. So, there are healthy foods in the cafeteria and always listings of the nutritional information. So, that is very helpful. Although I can't really help you with the situation you are in, I do understand it. And all I can suggest is to bring your own healthy snacks and food with you and try to avoid those temptations as much as possible.
    *kistinbee*
  • brb0i0
    brb0i0 Posts: 1
    I work in the same type of office. Somebody is always bringing in doughnuts, and crousants, pizza, and we have pots lucks too!!! What I do is keep my water and drink drink drink, and always have healthy snacks with me at my desk like apples, crackers, veggies, and i make sure im not full.. I find that when im hungry i will cave, but if i keep my self satisfied from my "snacks" then it is easier to not give in.
  • Alaskanhiker
    Alaskanhiker Posts: 46
    Mehughes:

    I know how you feel. The food that other people don't want to eat (donuts, pizza, candy) always ends up in the Kitchen/lunchroom which is right across from my office. Too bad I have to go in there to get my lunch. Why don't you just move the food to the lunch room yourself? After it's been there a couple minutes just subtlety move it back. What is the table across from your office usually used for? If it's mostly empty you could just move the table, put it in a storage room (or across from someone elses door) and replace it with a plant or something. If people ask just tell them you want to see the nice plant from your office door. Just some passive aggressive suggestions for you.
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,789 Member
    I'm a bit of a _____. I would either move it or put a sign on it that says "Free Garbage!" or "Clog your arteries here!" or "This is where the wasted waist begins!"

    People do not have to eat healthy with me, but when they try to sabotage my diet, they are going to get an earful about how bad their diet is. Fair is fair.
  • filergirl
    filergirl Posts: 240
    Passive-Aggressive -- shudder. Now this really sounds like my workplace.
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,789 Member
    Or, of course, you could just put something on the table like an arrangement of flowers. Preferably, poisonous ones. Nothing says snack time like Fox Glove.
  • filergirl
    filergirl Posts: 240
    Hmm. Good suggestions from the _____ . I kind of like to try to keep a low profile, but if the food just disappears, who would know?

    Quite the change from the girl who once considered reaching into an (otherwise clean) garbage can for a pastry (the only reason I didn't do it was the image of George Costanza).
  • filergirl
    filergirl Posts: 240
    The ethical solution would be to see whether we can arrange to donate the food to the on-campus or local food bank. But ooh, I like the foxglove. Nice touch!!!
  • kristie874
    kristie874 Posts: 774 Member
    I feel ya! It just gets worse, the closer we get to Christmas, too! I do keep my healthy snacks at the office and really focus on the end result when I'm wanting to splurge. I looked up breadsticks at Pizza Hut's website for you. Even if you ate 1/3 of a whole breadstick, you only had 50 calories, 2 grams of fat, 7 carbs, and 1.3 grams of protien. Not bad! You can just have a piece of fruit and call it your snack for the day! It's okay to occasionally splurge...and you didn't do bad! Just imagine it was some sort of healthy granola type bar. :) All better! :)
  • filergirl
    filergirl Posts: 240
    Thanks, Kristie!

    That info makes me feel a lot better. I'm doing a pretty intense fitness class tonight, and I'll probably do half an hour of walking, anyway, so I'm fine. Just want to have plenty of calories for a nice meal with my boyfriend tonight.
  • Alaskanhiker
    Alaskanhiker Posts: 46
    I guess it all depends on how much drama you want in the work place. The most straight forward thing to do is to say. "Hey guys, I'm on a diet and trying to stay healthy, would you mind keeping all the extra junk food in the lunch room?" No need to be mean or rude just be honest. Personally, I think this is the best way to handle the situation. But you then run the gambit of being a grinch or having people ask you about your diet, and people just being nasty. Most of the time when people eat bad foods they want a consensus of others to eat with them. If one person says their not interested then everyone else feels guilty about eating bad foods. So they have a vested interest in getting you to eat so they won't feel guilty about eating it themselves. Anyway, I suggested the passive aggressive ways for handling things since it seemed that you didn't want to be very confrontational in your first post. Ahh, the workplace where something as simple as eating or parking is a subject of heated debate.
  • filergirl
    filergirl Posts: 240
    Alaskanhiker:

    Your suggestions are excellent. I just balked at "passive aggressive" seeing as that's the main problem with the culture around here. But yeah, I see your point. I think the best way is for me to maybe gently move it myself, very quietly. But I'll have to, er, "ask permission" first. If I wanted to I could make a stink about it because technically under some arcane university rules we are not supposed to be eating anything that comes out of meetings, however . . .

    Self restraint is the best tool -- and I've been exercising it. Only I prefer not to have to do it quite so much . . .
  • jdaniels
    jdaniels Posts: 37
    The same thing happens here. So as soon as food is left I send out a company wide email telling evryone were the food is. It is gone in a matter of minutes and I look like a great person for "sharing".
    I also keep gum at my desk something hot so nothing really tastes good after I have been chewing it.
  • kjllose
    kjllose Posts: 948 Member
    And this is the reason I LOVE being a school bus driver, no office, no food, no temptation. If you sat on a bus with students which about 1/3rd of them have a cold all the time, you would have no problem even passing on snacks they want to share with you. I love my job!
  • bowling_king_82
    bowling_king_82 Posts: 29 Member
    I work in an office of irony. The business promotes good health. In fact, just four weeks ago we were made to do a health assessment, which by the way I failed miserably. Mostly because of my weight and blood pressure. Anyway, they promote good health but they don't provide us with any healthy food what so ever. We have a vending machine that we call 'the wheel of death', full of items like burritos, tacos, and other very unhealthy foods. The other vending maching is full of chips and candy. This last assessment was to find those of us that smoke because they are raising insurance rates for those of us that do. Thankfully, I don't. It saves me $5 a week for insurance now. If they were really worried about that they would make it a smoke free workplace. Next thing you know they will be raising insurance for those of us that are overweight.
  • denmother46
    denmother46 Posts: 272 Member
    Thank goodness I work at home now. I had worked for the last 25 years in the mortgage division of various major banks. The junk food was constant. Clients buying lunches for the office ( pizza, chinese...) The holidays were the worst, you had everyone sending baskets and buckets of candy, cookies, popcorn, chocolate covered pretzels, non-stop. Also had the potluck thing going constantly. Worst of all was my last job - we were one block away from "Restaurant Row" in Beverly Hills. My boss used to order lunch in at least 3 or 4 times a week to keep people in the office. Too much torture!!

    Much easier to control from my own little home.
  • bla115
    bla115 Posts: 206
    I work in a hospital and let me tell you these people LOVE to eat. Although you would think that medical folks would understand the problem with all the junk food, it is in abundance everywhere you turn. I agree that bringing healthy snacks does help to curb temptations. I also know that for me 2 bites of a breadsticks could have likely turned into eating 10 so I think you should be a little easier on yourself! Good for you for keeping it under control when it could have been a lot worse! :flowerforyou:
  • filergirl
    filergirl Posts: 240
    After I posted that comment, I ate the other half of the breadstick. It was taunting me. However, I countered that with a 30 min. walk to my fitness class from the closest subway station, and I worked by butt off (literally) in that class.
  • kristie874
    kristie874 Posts: 774 Member
    Just came up with another idea for those pesky office goodies. Someone brought in chocolate brownie things and they've been sitting on the tabel for a couple of hours now. I keep walking by and have pretty much needed to tie my hand to my waist to keep from grabbing one. I figured that everyone, by now, has seen that they're there, so I just covered them with a paper towel. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Hopefully nobody gets mad at me for doing that! Hehehehe! :laugh:
  • deanea
    deanea Posts: 1,437
    NO you are making sure they stay fresh, no bacteria get on them or flies right...LOL!

    I work midnights and if I see goodies I ask the night workers if they want some at the beginning of the shift and then I tell them I'll keep them in the fridge to keep them fresh! I agree out of site out of mind helps even just a little when we are trying so hard!
  • filergirl
    filergirl Posts: 240
    Chocolates againt today at 10 am. My boss, who had just finished griping about his weight, and why he can't work out, was just snatching one when I came around the corner. He looked at me guiltily and shrugged.

    This will sound selfish, but it's not even a self-control issue anymore. I just don't want to watch people do this to themselves. It's sad. :(
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