Need some tips for avoiding the office treats
Options
Replies
-
People bringing food to work to share should be banned. It's never healthy. Co-workers just want to make you fat so they can look better.
23 -
I struggle with this as well. We have a lot of meetings and there are always treats. I have three different ways of handling these meeting snacks. Sometimes I just bring the snacks and ensure there are healthier, lower calorie treats; sometimes i budget for it in my day; and sometimes I just politely decline.3
-
We have a cake table at work, known as the 'fat table' we have cakes, sweets, fruit and nuts. Occasionally it is all cakes and sometimes it is all fruit - it has taken a while for people to get used to there being fruit there and starting to bring fruit in instead of cakes. We even have fruit for the Macmillan coffee mornings4
-
LOL, well good thing this thread is about how NOT to partake in the tasty treatsTheWJordinWJordin wrote: »People bringing food to work to share should be banned. It's never healthy. Co-workers just want to make you fat so they can look better.
My deterrent it to log it in my diary as best as I can if I take a SMALL piece. Like, if someone brought brownies and they're already precut, I just half of a piece for myself. OR, if I already had planned meals for the day and have them logged at my calorie limit, I keep looking at the diary as a reminder not to go over my calories.
1 -
I just say "no thanks"4
-
. I have previously asked her decrease how often she was baking and she did for a few weeks.
Decide how often you want to have a treat or which of the stuff you would definitely not want to miss out on. She seemed to be understanding before, so just explain to her, that you think her stuff is delicious but that it is too much of a temptation for you as you are trying to limit your calorie intake. Ask her to only offer you something as often as you decided you would want it (like once a week, twice a month, whatever), and maybe preferably on your favorite stuff (so you would not miss out on that). She hopefully will be happy that there is some of her stuff so awesome even a weight conscious person does not want to pass on and that she can help. And she hopefully will remember to not tempt you too often.
5 -
That's the biggest problem in offices. I was strongly tempted to quit a job once because of all the food everywhere.
It's good if you can convince people to limit the treats to a breakroom or some other specific place where you can't see them unless you walk in there. I said I had health problems, which seemed to work the best (and it was true).
I've tried to gross myself out (imagine hair in the food, etc.), but it didn't work more than once.
You can also motivate yourself every day not to eat them. Remind yourself of your fitness and health goals. Put an inspiring photo or saying in a frame on your desk.
I do this as well only, as I am a bit of a germophobe. I ask myself "how many people have touched these and put them back? How many people have sneezed around or spit around them while talking" That usually does it for me. I with the crew that I cannot just have a little and walk away. if I have say half a donut that leads to many more and the whole day is shot so I just avoid them. I tell myself "if you have one you know you won't stop and is it really worth it?" I call it "opening the flood gates" when I say I will just have one lol because I know many more will follow. I also tend to feel groos, bloated, and sluggish after I over indulge so every time I want to I remind myself of how awful I felt the last time.1 -
eat what fits your calories and macros, or say 'no thanks'.2
-
We have cake Friday at my work which was a nightmare at first, but I just stuck to my guns and after a few weeks of declining it they started buying a bit of fruit for me, now about quarter of us have fruit instead of cake.8
-
skymningen wrote: ». I have previously asked her decrease how often she was baking and she did for a few weeks.
Decide how often you want to have a treat or which of the stuff you would definitely not want to miss out on. She seemed to be understanding before, so just explain to her, that you think her stuff is delicious but that it is too much of a temptation for you as you are trying to limit your calorie intake. Ask her to only offer you something as often as you decided you would want it (like once a week, twice a month, whatever), and maybe preferably on your favorite stuff (so you would not miss out on that). She hopefully will be happy that there is some of her stuff so awesome even a weight conscious person does not want to pass on and that she can help. And she hopefully will remember to not tempt you too often.
its not up to the person baking to stop OP from eating it...29 -
I have a coworker who not only brings in treats all the time (and not the yummy homemade kind, but generic store brought crap), who tries to pressure me into eating them with the "youll hurt my feelings" crap, but ALSO critiques my lunch choices, saying im not eating enough, I should eat more carbs, etc etc.
I started with the respectful no thank you's, or I brought my own stuff, or I'm trying to watch what I eat. Didn't work.
the day she came into my office, where I had closed the door, offering me some Ms. Smith pie or something, and also saying I am not eating healthy food, was when my eye started twitching.
Yesterday, others ordered out, and I declined. I was told to "live a little." This was the snapping point. I told her she needs to live a little less by the looks of it. Hurt feelings or not, I don't care. I'd had enough.
Don't feel bad for declining something, and if they act like they are hurt, oh well. Do they pester you constantly, begging to you take part? If not, leave it be. But also don't expect people to stop bringing in the foods they enjoy. What if they asked you to stop bringing in (insert food here) because they don't like it? It'd be wrong, right. You're a person free to make your own choices about the food you eat. Respect them, and have them respect you. Good luck!
23 -
TavistockToad wrote: »skymningen wrote: ». I have previously asked her decrease how often she was baking and she did for a few weeks.
Decide how often you want to have a treat or which of the stuff you would definitely not want to miss out on. She seemed to be understanding before, so just explain to her, that you think her stuff is delicious but that it is too much of a temptation for you as you are trying to limit your calorie intake. Ask her to only offer you something as often as you decided you would want it (like once a week, twice a month, whatever), and maybe preferably on your favorite stuff (so you would not miss out on that). She hopefully will be happy that there is some of her stuff so awesome even a weight conscious person does not want to pass on and that she can help. And she hopefully will remember to not tempt you too often.
its not up to the person baking to stop OP from eating it...
This^
I have a co-worker who has a candy dish in her office.....filled with chocolate kisses. It's her office she can do whatever she likes.12 -
hollyrayburn wrote: »
Yesterday, others ordered out, and I declined. I was told to "live a little." This was the snapping point. I told her she needs to live a little less by the looks of it. Hurt feelings or not, I don't care. I'd had enough.
:laugh:2 -
TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »People bringing food to work to share should be banned. It's never healthy. Co-workers just want to make you fat so they can look better.
Actually, I just enjoy baking, and my coworkers enjoy eating. This seems like a win win situation to both me and them! Plus they like their fancy birthday cakes. It doesn't bother me if folks say no thanks either, or take bits home, or whatever. It would seem quite selfish for one person to insist I stopped when everyone else involved enjoys it. I'd happily support someone who wanted to eat less though, I can definitely understand that, eg by baking their favorites less often, not directly offering it, trying to bring things on their days off instead etc. But I'm the only one with a serious weight problem in my office so it's mostly me declining things/taking smaller portions.9 -
You could save 500 calories for snacks each day. You can either snack at the office, or snack at home at the end of the day.
My other idea is to log your food for the entire day the evening before, so that your calories are already allotted before you step into the office in the morning. If you then choose to have a snack at the office, you'll have to change your food diary for the entire day to make room for it.2 -
TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »People bringing food to work to share should be banned. It's never healthy. Co-workers just want to make you fat so they can look better.
Or, as the OP is doing, people can take personal responsibility & accept that it's their own hands putting that food in their mouths & develop plans for avoiding tempting treats.7 -
What has helped me is waiting. Tell yourself if I feel hungry I will have one later. Sometimes when later comes then the food is gone. If you waited until after lunch then oops it's too close to going home time to have one.
We have one person in the office that always declines the birthday treat at lunch by saying she will have one later and then the social pressure is off and she can then decide later whether she will have one or not.6 -
I have a draw in my desk full of "in your calorie range Kelly " alternatives. I make sure that it is stocked with almond butter, rice cakes, Kind bars, granola, nuts, seeds. The director of marketing constantly walks around with candy to hand out and I simply say no thank you when he stops at the door of my office. We are headed into the fall/holiday season where the break room will be constantly filled with donuts, cookies, fudge, ice cream etc. from our Members and our vendors. I may indulge every once in a great while but I always make sure if fits in my calories by either banking calories and planning for it or getting on that treadmill and burning extra calories to fit it in. Can't expect others to work around your lifestyle, the rest of the office may look forward to her baking and she obviously enjoys it if she is doing it so often. There are always going to be social situations, holidays and celebrations, it's just every day life. Think about why you are changing your lifestyle, why is it important to you and then just stick to it. You are in control of you... You got this!!!4
-
Flip over the table.
You cannot tell her to stop baking treats. It is your responsibility to control your own temptation. Eat some fruits, veggies or protein to help you feel not hungry.5 -
You could save 500 calories for snacks each day. You can either snack at the office, or snack at home at the end of the day.
My other idea is to log your food for the entire day the evening before, so that your calories are already allotted before you step into the office in the morning. If you then choose to have a snack at the office, you'll have to change your food diary for the entire day to make room for it.
Wish i had 500 calories to spare for snacks, Itd likely leave me malnourished
Being small sometimes sucks haha 7
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.4K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 388 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.2K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 917 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions