desk job = major food temptations

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Replies

  • booboojava
    booboojava Posts: 3 Member
    Agreed. I've gained 20lbs since starting this job.
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
    I work nights. Desk job in IT field. No vending machines but there is the bimonthly potluck or someone retiring. Tons of food and cake EVERYWHERE! When that happens, I stare at the leftover goodies and go into "Hiro mode" from Heroes. Ahhh...nemesis... and usually resist.
  • KatrinaWilke
    KatrinaWilke Posts: 372 Member
    This is so true. To make matters worse, there are only a couple of us who worry about our health in my entire building...no joke!! Everyone here is either overweight, out of shape, and/or a smoker. There is always cake, cookies, desserts, and all sorts of junk food in the break room. Not to mention all the pot lucks and burger/brat parties!

    I get stronger each time I resist the temptations!!!
  • marissa3209
    marissa3209 Posts: 45 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! Plus every once in a while in indulge in a little bit so that I don't feel totally deprived (and to remind myself that it's not that great anyway).
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    Quit keeping dollar bills and change on hand. That's what fixed me of the habit. :laugh:

    That wouldn't even work at my job. The soda machine, snack machine, and "fresh" foods machine all take credit/debit cards.

    But for me, I just pack exactly what snacks I plan to eat for the day the night before and enter them in my log. That way I know what I have to eat and how it fits in my day. So when I want a snack, I just have one...that I brought.
  • marissa3209
    marissa3209 Posts: 45 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.

    They just installed a card swipe on our soda machine...yikes!
  • BioMechHeretic
    BioMechHeretic Posts: 128 Member
    Water, water, water. All day every day sipping water every now and then. I eat a really solid breakfast, drink water in the morning at work, have a small snack and coffee mid morning, more water, eat a little later lunch, and more water and the day is about over!

    The water really is the magic key for me, I was getting killed the same way as you before I added that into the equation
  • jilliew
    jilliew Posts: 255 Member
    Aaaaaagreed! Here's what I do:

    I have combated this by spreading my snacks and meals out to even intervals throughout the day. This is what my day usually looks like:

    8am - Breakfast

    9:30-10am - banana

    11am - protein snack

    noon - lunch, and I usually creep on here, so I make sure it takes me the whole hour to eat. I find eating my meals slowly keeps me feeling full longer.

    2pm - another snack

    3pm - coffee

    4pm - emergency snack (which is usually a 100 cal pack of something) on non-work out days, or another protein snack on days I work out, which is directly after work at 5pm.

    I always have a full glass of water or tea at my desk, as well, and if I start getting really bored I take a bathroom break or I go walk around the building for my coffee break.

    It's HARD to combat those cravings and boredom eating things. You have to keep on keeping on, though, and figure out what works for you!
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Develop more sophisticated tastes. I started eating dark chocolate (the good kind, at least 70% cacoa if not 85+%) and since the, milk chocolate just tastes way too sweet to me. I'm also not much for salty snacks so that probably helps too.

    Try packing more snacks and keeping things at your desk. Lots of good recommendations I've seen - almonds (get the cocoa roast kind if you like chocolate), chocolate cereal, pretzel sticks, even instant oatmeal can be a good snack. Just make sure whatever you bring is already portioned out so you're not mindlessly eating.

    Also, really think about whether you're just bored or hungry. You said you get up and walk around - that's good! Maybe you need to listen to music or even audiobooks to help distract you. I know listening to music helps me a lot on days when I need to shut out all the distractions (usually in my own head) and really focus on the task at hand.
  • ChrissieP80
    ChrissieP80 Posts: 112 Member
    I put on something like 10lbs when I started my desk job. Not only can you not walk away from the goodies that are plonked on meeting desk behind you, but sometimes you greatly reduce your activity too (going from a 'on my feet all day' to 'on my bum all day' job).

    I plan my whole day before I go to work, bring everything I am to eat for work. If I get tempted, I don't eat it until I've logged it. (It's a good deterrent and I won't go overboard if I can see the calories adding up before I eat it).
  • Outside my cubicle today is a big plate of m&m cookies and two bowls of peanut butter m&ms. Ugh.
  • Lalouse
    Lalouse Posts: 221 Member
    I've got a job that's a desk job most of the year. I hear you about the temptations. You have to keep snacks around and lots of water. Get a water bottle that you can refill and give yourself time limits to when you have to go refill it (i.e. you have to drink it during that time). Cold water helps keep cravings away.

    You don't have to stop yourself from eating anything and everything. Although it's better to cut soda out completely, if you haven't reached that point and you actually go to the vending machine, get a diet soda or a healthier snack.

    Try to keep things that last at your desk, like nuts (which help fight off chocolate cravings, but don't eat them all!), dark chocolate, and so on. I actually have tons of healthy tips on the walls around my desk to help me to remember to eat healthy. I also ripped a page out of a magazine that is about being at a desk job and having cravings and why you have them. You can find stuff like this all over the internet. Make your desk a healthy place (or at least a nagging reminder to be healthier)!! :)
  • mitziku
    mitziku Posts: 22 Member
    I fight the same battle. I bring healthy snacks like protein bars and Greek yogurt. If you need chocolate, try bringing a sugar free variety to keep in your desk. Atkins make some wonderful protein bars that satisfy my sweet tooth. Drink lots of water and stay away from caffeine. I find being caffeine free helps control my sugar cravings. I drink at least one protein drink at work and water with Crystal Lite. The temptation is gone when I use these items. Good luck!
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 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.

    Yes please.
  • JenSD6
    JenSD6 Posts: 454 Member
    I find the easiest way to curb the vending machine temptation is to look at the prices. I'm not going to spend that kind of money on a small bag of chips that I can snarf down before I've even blinked. And the chocolate bars do nothing for me. If I want chocolate, it has to be good, dark chocolate.

    I've actually never had a desire for pop during the day, so that's never been a temptation. Plus again, the vending machine prices has me saying "no thanks". I'll save my money for something else that I'll get more enjoyment out of.
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
    This is so true. To make matters worse, there are only a couple of us who worry about our health in my entire building...no joke!! Everyone here is either overweight, out of shape, and/or a smoker. There is always cake, cookies, desserts, and all sorts of junk food in the break room. Not to mention all the pot lucks and burger/brat parties!

    I get stronger each time I resist the temptations!!!

    I feel like what you described is every office on earth. It truly is disgusting the way that people take care of themselves without even realizing it.
  • I too work at the desk all day and it's a struggle. I have started bringing tons of low cal (100 or less) snacks, like air popped popcorn, fresh fruit (berries), I drink Green Tea, and then also will bring celery, hummus, etc....I also try to incorporate big protein at lunch to keep me full longer, and then of course my trusty water, water, water. This has helped tons......
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  • I don't bring cash just my debit card - and I regiment my eating so I know what I'm allowed and when (like training a dog!)

    The thing that kills me is when people have birthdays or leaving do's cake, KETTLE CHIPS, homemade cookies - it's a living nightmare!
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  • Change_is_Good_
    Change_is_Good_ Posts: 272 Member
    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.

    This! I have to measure at home

    Fruit/green tea is my saviour, and celery, love celery
  • cxmoore2
    cxmoore2 Posts: 3 Member
    I love your idea! I'm thinking that throwing the food container would be good exercise as well as an emotional outlet. Right now, I'm trying to focus only on calories. I'm eating what I want, just not as much as I want. It forces me to think of ways to balance the number of calories with the amount of food I can have. Like the granola bar that really doesn't fill me up is 140 calories, whereas the slice of cinnamon bread is only 90 calories. Bread works better for me. And some people have mentioned soda. I prefer diet drinks, but find that after I've had one that I'm actually hungrier than before. I read somewhere that artificial sweeteners actually trigger a low blood sugar response.

    But, I've only lost 2 lbs in 12 days . . . that should tell you something.
  • hannahpark3r
    hannahpark3r Posts: 50 Member
    I have the same problem! I've gotten in the habit of bringing my lunch and bringing healthy snacks with me to work and that's helped a lot. Fortunately the closest place to my office that sells food it pretty far from my office so I'm not able to go that much.
  • Try cold water instead. If that does not fix it, try green tea. I am sure you can control your munching cravings in check.
    Best wishes
  • KettleTO
    KettleTO Posts: 144 Member
    I get bored and all I want is to put something in my mouth. I try for tea and sugarless gum. I was chewing so much gum that I had tooth and jaw pain.

    Bombard me with phone calls and high pressure tasks and I wouldn't eat, but I wouldn't make it to the gym either. Can't win.
  • miracle83
    miracle83 Posts: 4 Member
    food carving is my biggest problem ! and i am more of an emotional eater :(
  • fun_b
    fun_b Posts: 199 Member
    I never buy from the vending machines mostly because most of the snacks are cheaper in store. My office temptations comes from people bringing in food for their birthday!
  • squatsandlipgloss
    squatsandlipgloss Posts: 595 Member
    When I just started out eating healthy, I did an internship, it was also a desk job at an office. They would ALWAYS have chocolate, cookies and cake on the table right in front of me. I hated it. I would always make sure to have healthy snacks on me, so every time someone would offer me something, I would quickly sayno (give myself no time to think about it) and eat something healthy. If I really, really, wanted it, I told myself "1 cookie, and thats it" and that would work for me. I would have that cookie, enjoy it and be done with it.

    When you have a vending machine, that is terrible. I have a similar problem now, traveling to and from school I pass a few places where I could buy snacks or other sh... I try to leave my cash at home and m debit cards.
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    my sister in law has this issue too, but she's noticed people arent 0washing their hands well in the bathroom, and often don't wash before cutting the cake etc, even though there's a sink in the same area. so she only eats it if it's something she really likes, and she opens the package herself. no homemade packages unless she trusts the person that made it.
  • bluebear_74
    bluebear_74 Posts: 179
    I'm glad our vending machine is a 5 minute walk each way for me. Like others I keep low cal snacks in my draw. I find green tea helps also.