My secretary, the saboteur!

NenaM812
NenaM812 Posts: 101 Member
edited September 27 in Health and Weight Loss
My secretary is a sweet old lady who spoils the hell out of us, but most of that comes in the form of junk food. Living in South Texas, there's a mexican food restaurant everywhere you turn. Almost every morning, she gets us breakfast taquitos, donuts, cakes, cookies, you name it. Right now, she just walked in and gave us each candy bars! She got me a Twix bar (my favorite!!! I should have never told her this). I very much appreciate her and everything she does for us, but dammit I'm the only one in this office who's dieting! Everyone here is overweight or just plain not in shape. I've got some serious chunkage to lose, and this is not helping!!!!

You can't tell her no. I've tried. She gets her feelings hurt, or does it anyway! I often decline the tacos, and she'll say, "Oh, you know you want a potato and egg" and brings one back! I guess the tacos aren't so bad because the extra fuel is nice, and I can modify what I eat the rest of the day to make up for it, but still!

I'm going to try to keep this Twix bar in my desk for as loooonnnnggg as I can, and only bust it out on one of those days. You know the kind, the ones where to stop yourself from pulling your hair out or punching your boss in the face, the next best thing is to eat a bite of chocolate.

Anyone else have these types of saboteurs in their lives?

Replies

  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    Tell her that the doctor put you in a strict diet due to health reasons. Ask her to help you to be healthy because if something happens to you she will be out of a job ...:devil:
  • kaylaCdewire1311
    kaylaCdewire1311 Posts: 110
    Oh Yes. I work at a bank. SOMEONE is ALWAYS bringing in FOOD! One of my good friend's mom has a catering business, and bakes cookies... so she is ALWAYS bringing in cookies! Another lady in my department always has 2 candy bowls on her desk, and I don't want any of it until I see someone else going after it! There are 5 of us in the department that are actually dieting. One solution we have come up with is eating a morning and afternoon snack every day.. instead of just snacking off and on every day. We take turns buying lowfat string cheese and almonds.. and that is our snack. WAY better for you than COOKIES!! Good Luck!
  • Starleng1
    Starleng1 Posts: 142
    My idea for the candy bar is to wait 5 or 10 mins., go to the restroom/breakroom/printer (you get the idea), and just slip it on someone else's desk. LOL. What you could really say is for everything "Ms. ??? I'm so sorry. I absolutely love you getting me candy bars, food, and whatever else, but under the guidance of my doctor, I have to decline, because of my health is deteriorating and he/she wants to monitor my diet for a while." Hopefully, as time goes on it will just become common that she doesn't try anymore.
  • JesaGrace
    JesaGrace Posts: 799 Member
    When they give us candy bars i work(I heart Snickers)....I immediately cut them into 4ths....and put them in a ziploc at my desk.....and have one everyday after lunch til they're gone....1/4 the calories....stil get the goodness...
  • ceschwartz
    ceschwartz Posts: 240 Member
    Sounds like she just wants to take care of you. You should try talking to her again and enlisting her help. Instead of a candy bar, maybe a protein bar. Instead of a taco, maybe a taco salad. Explain your goals and ask her to help you reach them.

    If that doesn't work...maybe it's time to regift. It took me throwing candy on the floor and plugging my ears (just like I did when I was five) to get my dad to stop handing candy whenever I came over. A twenty seven year old throwing a hissy fit, great, but whatever works.

    Good luck!
  • NenaM812
    NenaM812 Posts: 101 Member
    I should totally do that! Except that one of my coworkers (who works in another one of our offices) is morbidly obese, and actually had that happen to him! I'm not there at all...so I don't think she'll believe me lol. I should get a little dog to keep under my desk to feed all the tacos to haha.
  • pittielover23
    pittielover23 Posts: 268
    Oh yes. Not a secretary, but another person in my office. Brings stuff in EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. I know she does it to be nice, but good lord. It sits out all day right next to my cube. We also have a cafeterria here that makes the best breakfast burritos, and she is perpetually offering me half of hers.
  • BuceesNana
    BuceesNana Posts: 302 Member
    Breakfast tacos are the best! I have that problem too. Last week was hard because everyday we got a treat for Teacher Appreciation, and yes, one morning it was breakfast tacos. :)
  • Amberwaves01
    Amberwaves01 Posts: 14
    My husband hates my healthy lifestyle choices and refuses to change with me. So I've got a non-stop temptation in the house with his candy, fatty and sugary snacks. But at the end of the day I'm proud of myself when I don't give in to the junk. I agree with telling her it's doctor mandated. Can't argue with that!
  • jesslaur75
    jesslaur75 Posts: 75 Member
    You could tell her that with summer here you really love watermelon, or peaches or something like that. You could start dropping hints that you really love veggies or other healthy stuff. Tell her you're starting to hate chocolate and fried food. When I started this whole thing, about a month into it I realized I didn't crave the crappy food anymore. My cheat days were Sundays and I wouldn't really cheat anymore because I craved the healthy stuff. You'll get there, but you have to put your foot down.
    You might want to tell her that if she loves you and wants to bring you things that will make you happy, then bring you healthy stuff. Not like gross cardboard tasting health bars, but fresh fruits and veggies. Ask if she has a garden. Tell her this is stressful enough without the all of treats adding to it. She just wants to show you she cares. Give her another way to show it.
  • NenaM812
    NenaM812 Posts: 101 Member
    That's a good idea! The funny thing is, my secretary just told me about ten minutes before handing me the Twix that her doctor told her she needs to lose weight lol.
  • kimmerroze
    kimmerroze Posts: 1,330 Member
    There is a new girl at work that my boss (and father) just hired. You absolutely cant tell her ANYTHING sweet that you like, or the next day or week she will bring it in all baked and everything

    It helps that she is a terrible cook BUT! she is doing WW and while that may be a perfectly fine program, the philosophy she has learned through WW is that "It doesn't matter what you eat, as long as you count it."

    And while that is some what true, it is totally not the case, It totally matters what you eat. She insists on asking me 20 times if I want taco bell or mc donalds. and I have to say no like 20 times a day! its sooo irritating.

    I totally know how you feel.
  • jesslaur75
    jesslaur75 Posts: 75 Member
    My husband hates my healthy lifestyle choices and refuses to change with me. So I've got a non-stop temptation in the house with his candy, fatty and sugary snacks. But at the end of the day I'm proud of myself when I don't give in to the junk. I agree with telling her it's doctor mandated. Can't argue with that!

    I would tell him that none of that will be allowed in the house. If he wants to kill himself fine, but do it out of the house. No crap allowed.
  • Big_Dancer
    Big_Dancer Posts: 17
    Mine is my mother! She moved in with me last year and is very social. She is always going out to dinner with friends and trying to get me to go or bringing food back home for me after I ask her not to. She always wants to cook unhealthy food for me (she is very into southern cooking), even after I have eaten my weighed and measured meal.

    Typical conversation:
    Me: "The doc really freaked me out when she said that my BP is dangerously high and I need to limit my salt, eat healthier, and exercise or I could die any minute."
    Mom: "Do you want to go get some tacos and ice cream tonight? Or I could just make you some fried chicken and gravy."

    Its exhausting sometimes, but MFP is helping a lot.
  • NenaM812
    NenaM812 Posts: 101 Member
    When they give us candy bars i work(I heart Snickers)....I immediately cut them into 4ths....and put them in a ziploc at my desk.....and have one everyday after lunch til they're gone....1/4 the calories....stil get the goodness...

    That's probably what I'll end up doing. I'm determined enough not to inhale the whole thing, so I might break it up and have a teeny piece in the afternoon whenever I crave chocolate.
  • dlaplume2
    dlaplume2 Posts: 1,658 Member
    I had the same problem. I now work from home, :bigsmile: No I didn't quit my job, it just became a benefit. It is much easier to watch what I eat at home.

    I would come flat out and tell her "I am starting a new healthier lifestyle and will not be eating fatty junk food, while I appreciate your thoughfulness, I am doing this to improve my quality of life and longevity. If you want to help please stop bringing that stuff in for me." notice the Quotes.

    When I was at weight watchers we called people like that Food Pushers. Just say NO!!

    The hardest thing is planning around someone like that. The ones that are spontaneous.

    Best wishes.
  • NenaM812
    NenaM812 Posts: 101 Member
    My husband hates my healthy lifestyle choices and refuses to change with me. So I've got a non-stop temptation in the house with his candy, fatty and sugary snacks. But at the end of the day I'm proud of myself when I don't give in to the junk. I agree with telling her it's doctor mandated. Can't argue with that!

    My fiance is the same way. I told him he can go out and buy his own groceries and make his own fatty dinners if he wants to be so picky. At first I kind of felt bad, but I got over it lol. Now he eats whatever I make!
  • whiskey9890
    whiskey9890 Posts: 652 Member
    could you in ear shot of her (bless her) comment on how much you are really fancying (insert healthy snack of choice) because you are really enjoying them at the moment, she might start bringing those in for you instead
  • NenaM812
    NenaM812 Posts: 101 Member
    You could tell her that with summer here you really love watermelon, or peaches or something like that. You could start dropping hints that you really love veggies or other healthy stuff. Tell her you're starting to hate chocolate and fried food. When I started this whole thing, about a month into it I realized I didn't crave the crappy food anymore. My cheat days were Sundays and I wouldn't really cheat anymore because I craved the healthy stuff. You'll get there, but you have to put your foot down.
    You might want to tell her that if she loves you and wants to bring you things that will make you happy, then bring you healthy stuff. Not like gross cardboard tasting health bars, but fresh fruits and veggies. Ask if she has a garden. Tell her this is stressful enough without the all of treats adding to it. She just wants to show you she cares. Give her another way to show it.

    That's genius! It's going to be difficult to convince her that I now crave apples and not candy (I have a crazy crazy crazy sweet tooth, and everyone knows it haha) but I really think that just might work! She's definitely the kind of person who hears what you say and remembers it. Once for my birthday I said a couple times that I wanted to make my kitchen hot pink and she bought me hot pink pots and pans. I guess I'm just going to have to be more vocal =)
  • naturallykat
    naturallykat Posts: 118 Member
    Develop an allergy and say your doc is allergy testing you for *something* and that you can't eat what she buys you, but if she happens to pass anywhere that sells fruit you're going mad for it!
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