As a grazer, I'm slowly being killed by the massive amount of free snacks in the break room. Help!

mikepoplawski
mikepoplawski Posts: 1 Member
edited November 28 in Motivation and Support
My company spends $100+ weekly for free snack food in the company break room.

There's only 20 employees so there's always a ton of junk food available.

Some of the food is portioned controlled like individual 1-3 oz. bags of popcorn, chips, granola bars, etc.

Plus, there's a wide variety of trail mix, banana chips, etc.

The trail mix stuff typically comes in large containers from a grocery store.

As a grazer, I eat 10-15 times every day; grabbing something every time I go near the breakroom.

I keep food in my office too; plain greek yogurt mixed with protein powder, flatbread sandwiches, etc.

But I tend to snack on the junk food instead.

By the end of the day, I've consumed at least 5 bags of junk food and a minimum of 2 cups of the trail mix crap.

I need advice from other grazers who share the same dilemma as I do.

If I could only stop eating this crap and stick to my normal food regimen, I would achieve every goal.

This food is literally devil food and I'm possessed.

I truly need a snack food exorcism.

Replies

  • dadsafrantic
    dadsafrantic Posts: 186 Member
    edited August 2018
    ask them to stop. none of it sounds healthy. maybe they have a vendor that does a delivery service thing. they may have different options.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    Sounds like the grazing is a habit. Break the habit. When you feel compelled to go to the break room and get food, walk around the office instead, do some stretches at your desk, or any other deliberate action that says 'I want to go get food right now, but I'm doing this instead.'

    If you need to eat frequently (10-15 times send excessive to me but you do you) keep appropriate snacks at your work station. Stay out of the break room.
  • Aine_60
    Aine_60 Posts: 38 Member
    I would probably grab ie one bag of popcorn and one cereal bar in the morning and log it on MFP before I even eat it. I would also have the breakfast, lunch and dinner (pre)logged. And then simply stick to that, only eat what logged. This way you can stay within your calories, but can still have some of the goodies.
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,538 Member
    You logging everything in? Trail mix is a calorie bomb.

    Wouldn’t fit you exactly, but I became the office germaphobe. One day I took a few seconds to watch my coworkers around the food that was out. I never reached for another donut. I was no longer temped by the community candy dish.

    If you can’t stay away from the individual snack bags, buy some little bags of baked chip, or make up your own little bags. But you gotta find room in your calorie budget.

  • SteamPug
    SteamPug Posts: 262 Member
    Grazing is nothing more than a habit which you can get control of, but first stop calling yourself a grazer. That’s like me calling myself a non-exerciser and using that as my reason for never ever exercising. ^^’
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    edited August 2018
    I try setting somewhat consistent meal/snack times. Say you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, and two snacks. Allow yourself to get one (appropriately portioned) snack at 10am, and another at 4pm (for example). I am also a grazer and it's a hard habit to break. Especially when there's free food all over the break room :# Willpower is like a muscle, you have to work it. It gets stronger in time. Lol.
  • GoodLardy
    GoodLardy Posts: 163 Member
    We have this at work too. Different lunches provided everyday. Yummy wonderful things. Myself and some others do not go near that room. We bring our own lunches and stay away. It’s not fair to ask them to stop when everyone else is enjoying it and you’re the one who can’t control yourself . Not trying to be mean truly, I’m only speaking from similar experience.
  • solieco1
    solieco1 Posts: 1,559 Member
    If you don't want to give it up altogether, like the idea of picking out whatever you want for the day first thing and prelogging it. Then you are not to go into the room until the next day.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    I eat three normal meals per day at home.
    I do not go to the Break Room at work.
    It is impossible to find a reason to leave my desk 15 times in an 8 hour work day.
    Assuming it runs in the region of 10 minutes each time, that's 150 casual minutes apart from your designated lunch time, therefore a big chunk of unproductive time.

    Its all about self control. just tell yourself to STOP.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    I used to go out and run a lot of errands during my lunch hour and invariably poor planning would result in haphazardly getting something for lunch at the grocery store, gas station, or fast food. I wasn't a junk/fast food addict, I just wasn't holding myself accountable. Same goes for vending machines or breakroom food. We don't have the snacks like you described but there's enough people in the office there are almost always lunch meeting leftovers or cookies, candy, cake, or donuts for somebody celebrating something. All the tips and tricks in the world can only take you so far; to some measure you just have to decide to hold yourself accountable for your choices.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    1. Imagine all your co-workers sneezing, picking their teeth, and not washing their hands in the bathroom. This should stop you from eating all the "not individually packaged" stuff.
    2. Are you logging here? If not, start. If you are, make a conscious decision to log everything before you eat it. Log all the food you are bringing with you first thing. Then go ahead and grab that granola bar, there is nothing inherently wrong with eating a granola bar. Take it back to your desk, pull out your phone, and log it. Look at the numbers. Look at what it does to your totals for the day. If it fits, or you can make it fit, go for it. If at the end of the day you are hungry and your numbers look like crap because of the extra breakroom snacks, maybe you will remember that when you log that second bag of chips tomorrow.

    Pre-logging as much as possible LITERALLY changed my relationship with food. I still eat plenty of "treats", but I eat them consciously, understanding where I may or may not need to give something else up later and how it affects my progress.
  • mariluny
    mariluny Posts: 428 Member
    You are in charge. Bring snacks that you truly enjoy eating and once you see those other snack they won't be as tempting. It's hard, it truly is and everyone here know hard it is. But really you are the only person able to stop doing it.
    Like someone said, maybe to break the habit, when you get up to go to the break room, go the other way and do a 5 minutes walk outside. Find something to distract yourself.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    Are you required to go to the break room 10-15 times a day? Start with not going in there so often. Keep busy with other things. Set some eating times like every 3 -5 hours. Chew gum between those times.
    Log everything you eat before you eat it. Look at your log. Are you meeting your goals? Are you satisfied with the use of your calories?
    If you'd like to eat less of that type of food try replacing it with lower calorie snacks you actually enjoy instead of food you think you should eat but don't really like. Bring the food you enjoy that fits your goals.
    Talk to whoever is buying the food and give some feedback on what you see that is positive and suggestions for changes.

    Moderation is something you practice. It doesn't mean you are perfect the first week. It takes time and repeated effort to change behavior. Realize that calling yourself a grazer or possessed is an excuse you use to overeat.

  • Lisa760
    Lisa760 Posts: 113 Member
    Get a cute little basket or container for your desk. Stick a motivational sticker or encouraging sign on it. In the morning go "shopping" in the break room and only put a few snack items in your basket. That's your allotted snacks for the day. You can change up your choices every day to keep it fun.

    Alternatively, before you grab a snack from the break room, you have to do twenty-five squats.
  • megbeveridge93
    megbeveridge93 Posts: 238 Member
    I am so there with you. I'm also a grazer and like to eat just a bit of this and that in lieu of a big lunch and dinner (I love me some breakfast though). I started bringing myself an extra sharp cheese stick, an apple, and a nut mix. The natural sugars, fats, and protein help me stay more full. Also drinking black coffee helps. The hot liquid makes you feel satisfied without being full. Bring just a few of your favorite snacks so you won't be as tempted by the Pandora's box that is the break room. Good luck!
  • happytree923
    happytree923 Posts: 463 Member
    edited August 2018
    I also have a snack laden office, but luckily I work from home up to three days a week. Lately I prelog all my food so when I know I'm going into the office I'll pick out what I would like to eat when I'm logging in the morning. That way the snacks are in there, I can adjust my other meals accordingly and I don't feel the pull of forbidden snacks every time I walk by the kitchen (on the way to the bathroom, it's unavoidable!) because I already know I'm going to eat some at some point. Especially if the snacks are predictable, this has helped me a lot.
  • tirowow12385
    tirowow12385 Posts: 697 Member
    Just cut back on snacking.
  • OHFlamingo
    OHFlamingo Posts: 239 Member
    Simple solution, if you can't control your grazing; just don't go in the breakroom! I would have been fired if my boss ever found me in the breakroom 10 to 15 times a day!
  • deputy_randolph
    deputy_randolph Posts: 940 Member
    I work in an elementary school...there are ALWAYS treats.

    I pre-log for the week on Sunday...and drink a massive amount of coffee during the day to prevent the snackies.
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