Resisting Free Food at Work

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  • mamacoates
    mamacoates Posts: 430 Member
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    Nothing in life is free. Think of your daily calorie and macro goals as currency. If the FOOD is not costing you any money, are you willing to spend your CALORIES on same option? If not save your calories for a better "purchase."

    Anything in moderation is not a big deal. Taking advantage of a sandwich provided to you as your mid-day meal ... or wrapped up to take home as your evening meal, is not a big deal. It's when you eat your lunch and then eat the office lunch that will cause the problem. Or maybe eat the sandwich but not the chips and cookie (or whatever).

    So remember ... calories are currency. How do you wish to spend today's budget?
  • allikat399
    allikat399 Posts: 36 Member
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    Oh man, I've been having the worst week! Someone in this office has a little Girl Scout under her wing. We have no less than 3 boxes sitting around at any given time! I've given in everyday, but limited myself to just one. So it hasn't wrecked me yet but I'm scared...
  • SCV34
    SCV34 Posts: 2,048 Member
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    I wish I had this issue where I work!I never turn down free food, even if I have to save it for future reference.
  • michybeans
    michybeans Posts: 106
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    Willpower! I struggle with this too. When I resist, my coworkers sometimes make fun of me or say things like "oh right, you're on a diet" all snotty like when no, I'm not on an effing diet, it's called LIFE. Anyway. If I REALLY want something, I eat a sensible portion and log it and adjust my other food for the day. But it has to be something special. Like someone else mentioned in this thread, if it's just something you can get from the grocery store yourself, why bother? (Unless of course you really have a craving for it that day!)

    I would say it's all about balance. Don't nom on it every single day, but once in awhile (define that for yourself - once a week? once every two weeks? etc) and IF you are actually REALLY craving and wanting that item, go for it! Just don't forget to log it. :)
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
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    Stay out of the office kitchen. Bring your lunch in a paper bag and keep/eat it at your desk. Temptation removed.
  • Fit4Nature
    Fit4Nature Posts: 16
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    Free food at work is awful. Where I work, the food is within plain site because its on the counter across from our workstations. Right now there is chocolates on the counter and while I have walked past it for three days, today is definitely a challenge.

    Log the food, no matter what and just work harder at the gym ?
  • PatheticNoetic
    PatheticNoetic Posts: 905 Member
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    When I was a poor biologist, eating free food at work was often one of the few ways I could get a meal. :smile:

    Later on, when this wasn't an issue I'd just have a little bit of what was offered and very slowly eat it. If you already have something it tends to stop people from trying to force more on you. This also seems to work with drinking.
  • michybeans
    michybeans Posts: 106
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    Nothing in life is free. Think of your daily calorie and macro goals as currency. If the FOOD is not costing you any money, are you willing to spend your CALORIES on same option? If not save your calories for a better "purchase."

    Anything in moderation is not a big deal. Taking advantage of a sandwich provided to you as your mid-day meal ... or wrapped up to take home as your evening meal, is not a big deal. It's when you eat your lunch and then eat the office lunch that will cause the problem. Or maybe eat the sandwich but not the chips and cookie (or whatever).

    So remember ... calories are currency. How do you wish to spend today's budget?

    I love this post - so right on. Great way to think about it! :)
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
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    Food gets put out on the break station in the main hallway near the bathrooms, so I'll walk by it several times a day. On top of that, people are walking around with it in hand, constantly reminding me that it's there. For the people saying "Just avoid it," sorry, that's not an option.

    Things I do:

    -Most free food is regularly scheduled. I know there will be breakfast tacos on Wednesdays, bagels and ice cream on Thursdays, etc. If I wake up and a breakfast taco sounds better than my protein shake for breakfast, I skip the protein shake. I also pre-log everything to make sure my calorie numbers will work out.

    -I remind myself regularly that there will be bagels next Thursday, and the Thursday after that, and after that... and if I really have to have a bagel, I am capable of going out and buying one. That bagel in front of me in that moment will not be the last bagel I ever will have the opportunity to have.

    -If people bring in baked goods, I assess them. Do they look like the best damn brownies in the world? No? Ok, don't need it. (But I ate a brownie yesterday that put me over calories, and it was the best damn brownie in the world. No regrets.)

    -For things like sandwiches, I'll pre-log them before I eat them. I often find if I eat the turkey and veggies but not the bread it helps me meet my protein and fiber goals without going over calories. If you can't resist the temptation, make the snack work for you.

    -Save a sandwich for later. It will save you money on dinner.

    -Always, always, always, always, always pre-log it before you eat it. Always. No impulse decisions. Think about how much that morsel that you won't be able to taste a minute after you eat it is really worth to you.

    Edited for a typo.
  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
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    Yes! Log it before you eat it is great advice!

    I was going to have a sweet the other day, but when I saw in my log it was 500+ calories, I declined!

    Sometimes even a small sweet can be a huge blow to calories.

    A few days ago I had a peice of cake.

    I weighed it. After the dinner was over I logged it and that sucker was 900 calories! 900 calories in my peice of Wal-mart cake!

    That's great advice.
  • cnl91_W
    cnl91_W Posts: 89 Member
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    Thanks so much for all of the replies everyone! The food is not scheduled so I can't pre-log it at the beginning of the day, but I can absolutely log it to see if it will fit in my calories--and ditch it if not. I love the idea of thinking of the calories as currency, so it's really not free food at all! Usually I don't miss it if I don't eat it, it's just walking by the kitchen (15 feet from my desk) that makes the temptation extra present.

    With the exception of a couple "suck it up"s (this is the motivation and support section, thank you), I really appreciate all of your tips!!
  • Keliandra
    Keliandra Posts: 170 Member
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    When I have my treats, I buy really high quality ones now. Is that wal-mart cake worth the slice of coldstone creamery raspberry ice-cream cake? Is having a couple of thos gummy worms worth the piece of sees candy I have at home? or the euphoria truffle?

    And, this is unkind of me, but I have a co-woker that is only 1" shorter but the same weight. I watch her walk slowly and painfully over to the free food, help herself and then slowly move back to her desk. The baggy clothes, the jiggling...well, I know that I would look like that too, and I just cannot bring myself to do it anymore.

    Between the diabetes and the office holiday video, its become much easier to just say no.
  • eddiesmith1
    eddiesmith1 Posts: 1,550 Member
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    Yes! Log it before you eat it is great advice!

    I was going to have a sweet the other day, but when I saw in my log it was 500+ calories, I declined!

    Sometimes even a small sweet can be a huge blow to calories.

    A few days ago I had a peice of cake.

    I weighed it. After the dinner was over I logged it and that sucker was 900 calories! 900 calories in my peice of Wal-mart cake!

    That's great advice.

    that; ^^^^^^^
    I have pretty much given up on any serious sweets low cal pudding has been it or a square or 2 of Dark chocolate . I also gave up post dinner cheese plates when i did the calculation of what they added up to ( a small plate of 4 cheeses with a little bread and figs or membrillo - 7-800 calories eeek:sad: (Mind you wonce i'm at goal weight i will have this again to make up my intake to maintenance once in a while)
  • darkrider42
    darkrider42 Posts: 5,317 Member
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    So one of my biggest challenges has always been turning down the free food that magically appears in our office kitchen after meetings. Yesterday it was giant sandwiches and potato chips, this morning already there are donuts!

    I'm really trying to stay focused on my goals, but does anybody have any tips or similar experiences with staying on track? In the past I have always sabotaged myself, gone for it, and then been so embarrassed that I didn't even log the cheat.

    Since office freebies seem to be getting more frequent, I could really use some tips and/or stories.
    OMG. ALL. THE. TIME. I've honestly had to stop walking into the breakroom!! I go all the way to the other side of our office complex to fill my water bottle at a small kitchenette station!!! But that's okay.....it helps me add steps to my Fitbit!! :bigsmile:

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