Rant: Office Work

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Terytha
Terytha Posts: 2,097 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm a desk jockey who attends many meetings. Every meeting comes with muffins and donuts. It's a rule that anyone driving through a certain place brings back fancy donuts. During summer we do pizzas and BBQs. People bring cake and pies and cookies for various events or just because.

I don't begrudge them their treats. It's not their fault I have a bad relationship with food. I'm just tired of fighting myself and my cravings. Plus I definitely eat out of boredom, and I can't even properly express the boredom involved in this morning's three hour meeting about inventory management, to which someone brought three boxes of muffins and two boxes of donuts.

Like torture. -_-

I did manage to limit myself to one muffin anyway.
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  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,814 Member
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    Terytha wrote: »
    I'm a desk jockey who attends many meetings. Every meeting comes with muffins and donuts. It's a rule that anyone driving through a certain place brings back fancy donuts. During summer we do pizzas and BBQs. People bring cake and pies and cookies for various events or just because.

    I don't begrudge them their treats. It's not their fault I have a bad relationship with food. I'm just tired of fighting myself and my cravings. Plus I definitely eat out of boredom, and I can't even properly express the boredom involved in this morning's three hour meeting about inventory management, to which someone brought three boxes of muffins and two boxes of donuts.

    Like torture. -_-

    I did manage to limit myself to one muffin anyway.

    I hear you. I am pretty much almost always in control but my one weakness is office pizza. For some reason it's even tastier than regular pizza. I only have myself to blame as whenever we have office pizza, it's because I bought it for my employees, but it's really the only thing (along with donuts and muffins) that everyone likes to eat. Luckily we do it pretty infrequently and don't have very many in person meetings.
  • lauragreenbaum
    lauragreenbaum Posts: 1,017 Member
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    This is one of the reasons I love working from home! Sorry for your struggles- maybe keep yogurt or fresh fruit at work if you have a kitchen there. Then when the donuts arrive you'll have something else to eat.
  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
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    This is one reason I appreciate my new job. I have so many fewer meetings now, and the people I work with generally bring a lot fewer treats than at my last 2 jobs. Pre-logging is my biggest defense against workplace treats. If I pre-logged my day and know those won't fit, I'm much less likely to indulge. It's still really hard though!
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,464 Member
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    Muffin is just another word for cake. A donut is just a fried wad of goo. I became the office germaphobe. It helped.
  • Terytha
    Terytha Posts: 2,097 Member
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    Being the office germaphobe is why I don't eat free candies or chocolates from bags anymore. Dozens of hands touch them, eugh. The donuts and stuff are less pawed at.

    Muffins being cake are why I love them so much. My sweet tooth is ridiculous. I love desserts more than anything. :(
  • 2baninja
    2baninja Posts: 511 Member
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    Terytha wrote: »
    Being the office germaphobe is why I don't eat free candies or chocolates from bags anymore. Dozens of hands touch them, eugh. The donuts and stuff are less pawed at.

    Muffins being cake are why I love them so much. My sweet tooth is ridiculous. I love desserts more than anything. :(

    Any way you can sit in the chair that is farthest from the goodies, that always works for me, for as much as I want them, I won't get up and walk to them....
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,464 Member
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    Less pawed at? Then wait. Watch your coworkers. That’s how I got over the donuts. I couldn’t believe it.
  • 2baninja
    2baninja Posts: 511 Member
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    88olds wrote: »
    Muffin is just another word for cake. A donut is just a fried wad of goo. I became the office germaphobe. It helped.


    I watched an episode of CSI years ago, and the new DNA girl said she didn't eat out because of all the people breathing/spitting on her food while they talked....
    It was interesting and the more I thought about it, I realized just how true that was.

    As I watch people talk and watch all the spit that comes out, and if they are talking and spitting that much over any food I might eat... Kept me eating only "my" food for a while, too bad it didn't last long enough....lol
  • Terytha
    Terytha Posts: 2,097 Member
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    I do watch my coworkers lol. Our office is snack central. Every treat ends up in the admin area, despite the perfectly serviceable kitchen.

    Sigh. I love my coworkers I really do, but watching calories around them is tough.
  • mstarks01
    mstarks01 Posts: 109 Member
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    lauragreenbaum wrote: »
    This is one of the reasons I love working from home!

    This! Since getting my wfh gig, my diet is much improved.
  • amorfati601070
    amorfati601070 Posts: 2,862 Member
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    Terytha wrote: »
    I'm a desk jockey who attends many meetings. Every meeting comes with muffins and donuts. It's a rule that anyone driving through a certain place brings back fancy donuts. During summer we do pizzas and BBQs. People bring cake and pies and cookies for various events or just because.

    I don't begrudge them their treats. It's not their fault I have a bad relationship with food. I'm just tired of fighting myself and my cravings. Plus I definitely eat out of boredom, and I can't even properly express the boredom involved in this morning's three hour meeting about inventory management, to which someone brought three boxes of muffins and two boxes of donuts.

    Like torture. -_-

    I did manage to limit myself to one muffin anyway.

    You know, theres is this handy trick to help eat less. Before a meal, drink .75 to 1L of water or no calories beverage and you'll eat less.
  • Terytha
    Terytha Posts: 2,097 Member
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    amorfati601070 wrote: »
    You know, theres is this handy trick to help eat less. Before a meal, drink .75 to 1L of water or no calories beverage and you'll eat less.

    I appreciate the advice but unfortunately it doesn't work for me. I don't eat because I'm hungry. I eat because there's food and I don't want anyone else to have it. In the past I've eaten until I was in terrible pain as a result.

    Food and I aren't on good terms. It's a little better now but if I'm not strict with what I allow myself I'll just keep eating way past where I should.
  • ercarta
    ercarta Posts: 74 Member
    edited April 2019
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    Terytha wrote: »
    I'm a desk jockey who attends many meetings. Every meeting comes with muffins and donuts. It's a rule that anyone driving through a certain place brings back fancy donuts. During summer we do pizzas and BBQs. People bring cake and pies and cookies for various events or just because.

    I don't begrudge them their treats. It's not their fault I have a bad relationship with food. I'm just tired of fighting myself and my cravings. Plus I definitely eat out of boredom, and I can't even properly express the boredom involved in this morning's three hour meeting about inventory management, to which someone brought three boxes of muffins and two boxes of donuts.

    Like torture. -_-

    I did manage to limit myself to one muffin anyway.

    @Terytha, if I may, what on God’s green earth could your team be discussing for three hours with respect to inventory?

    Its received, stowed, cycle counted,...
    ...pulled, transferred, consumed OR
    ...pulled, & shipped.

    I can’t imagine this whole conversation going on longer than a half hour, forty-five minutes tops. I can see why’d you be bored stiff and diverting your attention to said munchies. 😜

    I digress, I’d suggest you bring baked/boiled potatoes to work and eat them before meetings. They’re only 110 cal a piece or so (at least a third the cals. of pizza, a muffin, or a donut) but they’re so filling I personally can usually skip the next meal. At the very least, you’d be able sit in a room with snack food and be disinterested.

    That’s not your problem though as you stated you eat so no one else can get at the food.

    Perhaps you want to think on your intrinsic motivation for better eating habits, your “why” that is. It may be a “nice to have” currently but not necessarily be a top of the list, A number one priority for you.

    Think on it and keep talking to others about the issue. Figure out why it’s important to correct (to you). When it bugs you enough you’ll know what to do.

    All the best in your efforts! 😊👍🏼

    Eric
  • Yivs_87
    Yivs_87 Posts: 246 Member
    edited April 2019
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    I can relate. We have an open floor kind of office and everyone in the office is a foodie. There is hardly a day that there isn't something delicious brought to the office. What I do is I either make some calorie space in my daily allowance for one or two pieces of deliciousness (and I chase after my colleagues for the recipes so that I can log it somewhat accurately) OR I simply stay away as it would blow away my allowance in just a couple of bites. It's actually hard, especially when you are "locked" in a never ending meeting, but in the end it's all about me and what I'd like to achieve.

    And with all due respect to Ercarta, I fully disagree with him. The fact that I cannot control myself is no reason to make other people limit themselves as well. I'd rather learn how to control myself and how to live with food surrounding me rather than to make everyone else dance around me as if I'm a special person.

    The only issue with that whole story would have been if they were forcing you to eat, like physically and emotionally blackmailing you to eat the food they bring. Which isn't the case. And even if it was I think that announcing to people around you that you are restricting your calories and you don't want to blow them on a couple of bites will make wonders. People are understanding and they would stop pushing. But again this isn't the case.

    P.S. I might have misread/misunderstood Ercarta - Sorry if that's the case, it's too early in the morning & I'm cutting coffee off. ^^;
  • Terytha
    Terytha Posts: 2,097 Member
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    @ercarta, it was actually an inventory management software bundled with accounting and other stuff that management is considering buying. So it was like a three hour demo/sales thing. Exhausting.

    I am actually better than I was. I can resist over eating the usual dinner suspects like pizza or pasta. Sugar is just my kryptonite I guess.

    @Yivs_87, I very much want to be able to coexist peacefully with food. It's so hard and I don't really understand why.
  • jamiedowling1
    jamiedowling1 Posts: 1 Member
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    I struggle with this too. I'm back on the wagon after starting a second round of Adipex. It's not as effective this time but I want to continue losing and am scared to death of regaining any of the 60 lbs I've lost.

    Yesterday there was a GIANT cookie cake in the breakroom. I walked by it a dozen times. Even tried a little (postage stamp size) piece to see if the calories would be worth it. It was just ok. I broke down later and had a large piece.

    I so struggle with sweets. :(
  • TonnnnUK
    TonnnnUK Posts: 132 Member
    edited April 2019
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    Terytha wrote: »
    I don't eat because I'm hungry. I eat because there's food and I don't want anyone else to have it. In the past I've eaten until I was in terrible pain as a result.

    What is the reason for not wanting others to have the food?
    That seems odd, especially if there's enough to go around for everyone which is generally the case for office food culture.....

    Maybe it's a deeper psychological issue that should be discussed with a health professional.
  • sammidelvecchio
    sammidelvecchio Posts: 791 Member
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    My previous work environment was like this. I asked a friend/colleague to help me stay accountable. Worked well!
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,287 Member
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    My husband makes calls on his business clients.. and one company made a rule..no more sweets and junk food gifts from clients allowed or in the break room. They were told please bring fruit ..nuts and healthy snacks or nothing.

    I really think businesses should adopt this policy for the health and well being of their workers. the same company also had a group yoga class for employees.. I'm thinking they must have gotten a break on their health insurance plan implementing these new policies.

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