Resisting free food

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BeneficentBengal
BeneficentBengal Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been yo-yoing around 170-200 lbs for the last 3 years of my life, and I'm trying to end the cycle. I've found that I'm most successful when I control my diet by eating low-carb and completely cut grains, oily foods, and refined sugars from my diet... BUT IT'S SO HARD NOT EATING FREE FOOD.

When I was a student, I'd go to events just to eat free food. And afterwards as well. And during work functions, there'd be free food. I'd find excuses to walk through the same line twice or even three times. Sure, there'd be the occasional salad snack offering, some celery or carrots sadly tucked in the corner... but mostly it's brownies, cakes, muffins, and even home-made cheesy sausages drizzled with maple syrup. It doesn't help that I'm a stress eater as well and people have a habit of bringing these treats when it's a crunch time.

I keep telling myself, "this'll be the last time, this'll be it..." but it's too late and I get a taste of that sweet, oily mess and suddenly I'm craving it and eating it for another two weeks again before I wean myself off the good stuff and back onto a diet. Then I resolve "no more, no more"... but someone's brought bacon-sprinkled, Nutella-slathered brownies in the conference room next door and I can take as many as I want for free, free, FREE ! How can any man resist this intoxicating combination of gluttony, sloth and avarice?

I admit it, I'm cheap and I'm lazy. And it's keeping me fat. Fortunately, I'm breaking that cycle... by leaving my job.

(Yes, there was some hyperbole in this post... and no, I don't recommend quitting your job if the only reason you'd do so is because you're being exposed to deliciously unhealthy food)

Replies

  • amblight
    amblight Posts: 350 Member
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    I struggle(d) with free food too. I'm a very frugal person, so turning down something free just feels so unnatural to me! Plus, so often I think "This may be only time to taste x, I must take advantage of it!" which is ridicoulous, because I could just buy it if I wanted 'a chance to taste it', or make it, I'm good in the kitchen. And so what, if I don't get to taste exactly that cake, or exactly this dish, there are looooooads of delicious cakes and dishes, I'm not missing out on my life quota of cake by turning it down this time. I really had to reason with myself to turn down free foods in the beginning, but now I'm used to it.
  • lavendy17
    lavendy17 Posts: 309 Member
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    I wish I knew too! I tried every mental tactic I could think of, but once the food becomes free and delicious my brain explodes and all sense is gone.
    My only strategy that helps is to make a resolution where I try to have less of it than usual. If I would normally grab 2-3 cookies, then maybe i will take 1 and a half next time.
    If there are 3 times that week that it happened- maybe I will avoid one of them.
    It doesn't solve the problem but it minimizes slightly.
  • madhatter2013
    madhatter2013 Posts: 1,547 Member
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    It isn't free. Just because it doesn't cost money it does cost calories. Equate calories to dollars in your mind and then see how much it'll cost ya.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    You being cheap and lazy is not making you fat. You are overeating and that has made you fat. You don't have to resist free food, just the amount that is causing weight gain and preventing you from losing weight. Set-up a good calorie counting plan and stick to it and you will lose weight. Download the free MFP app to your phone. Here is a great place to start:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • fay_pigu
    fay_pigu Posts: 125 Member
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    A silly way to deal with this issue. Should have stayed, got promoted repeatedly till you were in a position to ban such practices making everyone miserable with soy topped, bran crackers.

    Freakanomics podcast came up with an interesting, if nasty, solution. Fill a small jar with vomit, then every time you crave, open jar and sniff.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    Eat the free food, but only if you're hungry, and only eat enough to fill you up.

    If you end up going over calories, you can do one of two things:

    1) Look at it as just one day of many. Cut your losses and do better tomorrow. Or...

    2) Make up the difference in calories the rest of the week by making smart choices and working out extra. This is what I personally do.
  • tquill
    tquill Posts: 300 Member
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    I usually just try to remember how not "worth it" it's going to be 5 seconds after finishing it.
  • lavendy17
    lavendy17 Posts: 309 Member
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    Most tips people will give you might not work (because it's a personal thing)- try deep self reflection- I like to pretend I am at a shrink and I play both roles until I figure out why I am doing something that I know isn't very good for me.
  • kelseyhere
    kelseyhere Posts: 1,123 Member
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    Try to determine why you are stress eating at work. Is your job stressing you out? Is it something in your personal life? If you tackle the reasons why you stress eat, it helps a lot. I have to constantly remind myself YOU ARE NOT HUNGRY, YOU ARE NOT HUNGRY, REESES WILL NOT MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER. When I start to head for the candy dish at work (which is filled with all the best chocolate candies available) I try to remind myself that I will only feel guilty later. It's not worth 5 seconds of happiness to hate myself in the mirror that night. My last job had free food ALL THE TIME, sounds like where you were at. I eventually just stopped attending the free food events, or if I really wanted to socialize, I ate lunch before, then went and only got a water to sip on while I visited. Another tactic you can try is to find a partner who will help keep you away. It is tricky to find someone, because you can't be offended, but if you have an accountability partner it can really help. They don't even have to be at your office, it can be a close friend you text every time you feel an urge to eat with abandon coming on. Make an agreement to be supportive of each other, but stern and not afraid to call each other out when the other is slipping.

    BTW, where can I get those bacon slathered nutella brownies? LOL JK!
  • pinkshiningstar
    pinkshiningstar Posts: 140 Member
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    My way around "free" food? I judge how much time it's going to take me in the gym to burn off all those crap calories. I change my mind pretty quickly.

    Don't get me wrong, I love going to the gym (and I love food) but I don't love the gym enough to spend extra time there, working off the temporary satisfaction I had in the free food.

    Eat to live, don't live to eat, and don't live in the gym because you ate. :wink:
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Personally I'd eat the free food then put the lunch I was planning on eating in the fridge for the next day. Cuz you know, free.

    Now if the free food is something very very calorie rich that I don't think will satiate me and fit in my calorie goal then yeah I'd avoid it.
  • ponycyndi
    ponycyndi Posts: 858 Member
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    It isn't free if it costs your health and happiness.

    I know this doesn't fit in with the "IIFYM" crowd, but it's the only thing that works for me to stay on track. A plate full of free cookies is too much for me to resist, or only eat ONE. I'd rather have none than one. One cookie makes me sad.

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