Saying no to office junk food

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I work in an office where sewers and junk took is always on hand and either breakfast or lunch is provided at least a few times a month but it is rarely healthy. How do I turn down these things that I am expected to eat without causing issues or hurting someone's feelings?
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  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,325 Member
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    most times I find I simply cant resist - I work it into my calories for the day. today is v day and guess what is in our kitchen, an entire valentines day spread. :# putting what I brought aside and re calculating pronto.
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,365 Member
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    psychod787 wrote: »
    I said no so much, most people just quit asking.

    ^^^ this is me as well. If I want a treat I have to go actively looking for it!
  • garystrickland357
    garystrickland357 Posts: 598 Member
    edited February 2019
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    I just say "no thanks" without any explanation. If they pester, I say "nah, I'm good." I try to keep it light but offer no explanation. It's tough for other people to understand sometimes, and I get their mindset, but explaining why has never really helped. I also never bring up that I'm not having something - I only say no if I'm asked, otherwise, I just pretend the food doesn't exist.

    This is almost exactly the way I handle it. I usually eat breakfast at home. If lunches are provided I sometimes A) Eat the lunch and manage calories with portion control or "B)" Bring a lunch from home. Honestly, after a while people started bringing a few healthy choices to the office for some of us who watch what we eat. We reinforced that and it is continuing to happen. As far as temptation - just act like the food isn't there. It took me a bit to learn but you can do it. It's a mindset.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    Just to add: Once people realize you aren't partaking, they eventually quit asking. A group at work goes out to lunch every day. They asked for a month or three if I wanted to go. After awhile, they quit asking.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    I either say no thanks, or I work it into my day/week.

    Honestly....IMHO, not that big of deal.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
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    bpetrosky wrote: »
    I work in an office where sewers and junk took is always on hand and either breakfast or lunch is provided at least a few times a month but it is rarely healthy. How do I turn down these things that I am expected to eat without causing issues or hurting someone's feelings?

    Working in an open sewer and landfill sounds unpleasant and hazardous. Definitely do not eat your meals there. Have you talked to your local OSHA office about this?

    Oh, you. xD

    Now I'm actually wondering what that word was supposed to be. "took" is obviously supposed to be "food" but what would sewers be?
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,874 Member
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    bpetrosky wrote: »
    I work in an office where sewers and junk took is always on hand and either breakfast or lunch is provided at least a few times a month but it is rarely healthy. How do I turn down these things that I am expected to eat without causing issues or hurting someone's feelings?

    Working in an open sewer and landfill sounds unpleasant and hazardous. Definitely do not eat your meals there. Have you talked to your local OSHA office about this?

    Oh, you. xD

    Now I'm actually wondering what that word was supposed to be. "took" is obviously supposed to be "food" but what would sewers be?

    Sweets?

    I'm the worst about auto-correct fails, so I have nothing but sympathy for the OP :lol:
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
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    pinuplove wrote: »
    bpetrosky wrote: »
    I work in an office where sewers and junk took is always on hand and either breakfast or lunch is provided at least a few times a month but it is rarely healthy. How do I turn down these things that I am expected to eat without causing issues or hurting someone's feelings?

    Working in an open sewer and landfill sounds unpleasant and hazardous. Definitely do not eat your meals there. Have you talked to your local OSHA office about this?

    Oh, you. xD

    Now I'm actually wondering what that word was supposed to be. "took" is obviously supposed to be "food" but what would sewers be?

    Sweets?

    I'm the worst about auto-correct fails, so I have nothing but sympathy for the OP :lol:

    Yessss, thank you. That must be it. I generally only post on the forums when I'm on a computer partially for ease of typing, but also because I'm so rotten with autocorrect too.
  • bpetrosky
    bpetrosky Posts: 3,911 Member
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    pinuplove wrote: »
    bpetrosky wrote: »
    I work in an office where sewers and junk took is always on hand and either breakfast or lunch is provided at least a few times a month but it is rarely healthy. How do I turn down these things that I am expected to eat without causing issues or hurting someone's feelings?

    Working in an open sewer and landfill sounds unpleasant and hazardous. Definitely do not eat your meals there. Have you talked to your local OSHA office about this?

    Oh, you. xD

    Now I'm actually wondering what that word was supposed to be. "took" is obviously supposed to be "food" but what would sewers be?

    Sweets?

    I'm the worst about auto-correct fails, so I have nothing but sympathy for the OP :lol:

    Yessss, thank you. That must be it. I generally only post on the forums when I'm on a computer partially for ease of typing, but also because I'm so rotten with autocorrect too.

    It's even worse when you create a post making light of an autocorrect fail and end up with an autocorrect fail yourself.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,874 Member
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    bpetrosky wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    bpetrosky wrote: »
    I work in an office where sewers and junk took is always on hand and either breakfast or lunch is provided at least a few times a month but it is rarely healthy. How do I turn down these things that I am expected to eat without causing issues or hurting someone's feelings?

    Working in an open sewer and landfill sounds unpleasant and hazardous. Definitely do not eat your meals there. Have you talked to your local OSHA office about this?

    Oh, you. xD

    Now I'm actually wondering what that word was supposed to be. "took" is obviously supposed to be "food" but what would sewers be?

    Sweets?

    I'm the worst about auto-correct fails, so I have nothing but sympathy for the OP :lol:

    Yessss, thank you. That must be it. I generally only post on the forums when I'm on a computer partially for ease of typing, but also because I'm so rotten with autocorrect too.

    It's even worse when you create a post making light of an autocorrect fail and end up with an autocorrect fail yourself.

    This is why 80% of my posts are edited. Of course I usually notice after they've already been quoted... :laugh:
  • kali31337
    kali31337 Posts: 1,048 Member
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    By boss often brings Dunkin Munchkins to the office. I may have told him I was so happy that he didn't today and if I would have kicked him in the shins....they sit right outside my cube and I have to walk by them EVERY TIME I leave my cube...
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    There's always food being brought into my office...I've never noticed any kind of expectation that everyone should eat it...it's just there if you want it. If there were, I don't really see any big deal in saying, "no thanks...I already ate" or whatever.

    I've learned after years of doing this that there are temptations everywhere. Sometimes I indulge and other times I just ignore them and walk away. In most cases, I don't find what's being brought into the office to be of particularly good quality...mostly commercial stuff. Also, it's sitting there in the open with the 95 other people in the office rummaging through the doughnut box which is kind of gross. I'm more tempted when someone brings in homemade stuff, but even then I often wonder about the sanitary conditions at their home and in their kitchen. I've been to a lot of people's homes, and they don't have the same sanitary standards I do.

    I work with mostly women. While they might not be the most sensitive with our clientele, they can get quite motherly when they bring food in. They worry about us few single guys. Lol
  • Bry_Fitness70
    Bry_Fitness70 Posts: 2,480 Member
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    Store bought items for non-birthdays or celebrations - I have no problem whatsoever just saying "no thanks" and walking away. If you get emotional about me not eating a donut that you just randomly bought on your way into the office, you have issues.

    Store bought items for birthdays or celebrations - This is infrequent and it means something to someone, so I make an effort to eat something.

    Homemade items - tough call. If I am reasonably comfortable that you don't hate us all and want to poison us and that you don't prepare the food on the same surface where your cat walks after it uses its litter box, I will probably eat it.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    There's always food being brought into my office...I've never noticed any kind of expectation that everyone should eat it...it's just there if you want it. If there were, I don't really see any big deal in saying, "no thanks...I already ate" or whatever.

    Exactly this. Someone might say excitedly "did you see there's [whatever it is], in the kitchen? Amazing!" and I'll say "oh, yum," and then ignore it.

    Every once in a while we do get something really good (one of the assistants has a family baking business on the side and will bring in things she is trying out, and always paczkis before Lent), and I'll have something, but mostly I just don't snack between meals and so office treats are out of my plans and typically don't seem worth the calories vs. something I might intentionally choose to have myself. For a long time I would eat something because it was there, and stopping that kind of mindless eating was key for me.