Lunch Provided...

Options
MittenKitten1219
MittenKitten1219 Posts: 82 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am sorry, I just really need to rant and rave because once again I blew my calories by being at work (not by much, but still!)

I am in Korea for job training until February. They work long hours and so both lunch and dinner are provided. This can be okay... except I never really know the portions or the calories, it is a complete guessing game. Also, they eat like speed demons and are polite and wait for me to finish, aka I feel very rushed. Oh, and I got just soup today and got funny looks and comments. THIS IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO WEIGHT LOSS!!! (not to mention a coworker brought me a cookie and I would feel really rude not taking it.)

For someone whose will power is as wavering as mine, this is getting to be a bit too much.

I have decided to be anti-social at the risk of offending them and eat a packed lunch at my desk. I am not busting my *kitten* for nothing.

Thank you :)

Replies

  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    Options
    I realize your diet is very important, but you may want to look at culturaly what it means to not participate in that food. It can be very insulting to them if you don't join in. If it is local food, you should be able to find some pretty decent low calorie food items too.
  • rocky282
    rocky282 Posts: 47 Member
    Options
    Good luck and if worse comes to worse you can always tell them you have to eat a special diet. I mean that isn't totally unheard of :)
  • PrincessGlitterTush
    PrincessGlitterTush Posts: 388
    Options
    I had the exact same thing today. Newish job - been here a month- and i got offered a donut, and a flippin nougat today. I didnt want either but i took them. Eff man. Why? Why do people do this. I have to do more exercise tonight and miss my daily evening snack just to make up cals. I hate my life today..
  • Meg28
    Meg28 Posts: 59
    Options
    Agreed. February is too long to sacrifice your health for custom/politeness. I'm sure there will be occasions and outings that you will participate in to make them feel that you appreciate the hospitality, but you are there to work anyway. Good luck, I feel your pain, work travel is SO hard. I used to get funny looks for waking up early to use the hotel gym.
  • asyouseefit
    asyouseefit Posts: 1,265 Member
    Options
    Have you tried explaining to them you are trying to lose weight/eat healthy?
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Options
    If you're going to be there for a while it would be worth learning a bit more about what's in the various dishes.

    I'm guessing here, but Korean food is usually pretty healthy - if you stick to soups and stirfried dishes, avoid anything with heavy creamy sauces or deep fried, you should be able to find some sort of manageable compromise.
  • MittenKitten1219
    MittenKitten1219 Posts: 82 Member
    Options
    I realize your diet is very important, but you may want to look at culturaly what it means to not participate in that food. It can be very insulting to them if you don't join in. If it is local food, you should be able to find some pretty decent low calorie food items too.

    I have been here for 2 months and have said yes to everything they have ever offered me... it is killing me :/ And since it is a provided lunch, I have no choice in what I eat.
  • MittenKitten1219
    MittenKitten1219 Posts: 82 Member
    Options
    I had the exact same thing today. Newish job - been here a month- and i got offered a donut, and a flippin nougat today. I didnt want either but i took them. Eff man. Why? Why do people do this. I have to do more exercise tonight and miss my daily evening snack just to make up cals. I hate my life today..

    Exactly!!! I feel so rude saying no, but if I'm at work 12 hours a day and then have to come home and exercise, I don't get enough sleep, GRRRR!
  • Bunn11
    Bunn11 Posts: 47 Member
    Options
    tough call -we have a work buffet once a month (not to mention the obligatory cakes for birthdays/holidays/end of the week) & I struggle enough with that :grumble:

    good luck!
  • Bunn11
    Bunn11 Posts: 47 Member
    Options
    posted twice d'oh
  • Le_Joy
    Le_Joy Posts: 593 Member
    Options
    Do they have different food everyday or do you see the same food a few days or a week later? If so you could do more research on cals for that food and what a serving size looks like so you don't have to bring your own food everyday...

    And I know this makes me sound like a b*tch but when I lost weight before I worked with ALL women (30 of us in the office) and maybe 1 or 2 of them were supportive of my weight loss, some were indifferent and the rest were jealous/tried to sabotage me! So once I had lost a lot of weight and had good self control I would make cookies or cake or some kind of dessert at least once a week and bring it to work and I wouldn't eat any of it. I would just be quietly smug while all the people who were rude about my weight loss chowed down on it all day.

    Like I said I know it doesn't make me sound very nice but it was fun... Oh & In my defense I didn't offer it to anyone, it was just sitting in the break room so they wouldn't feel like they had to have some to be polite.
  • DannyMussels
    DannyMussels Posts: 1,842 Member
    Options
    I turn down muffins and cake at least once a week at work. It's a kitchen and I don't even eat the food there, the snacks people bring, the 'specials' other chefs make or even the free drinks. I bring a protein shake with oats, adjust the calories/macros and drink that for 5-8hrs.



    If you're ain't runnin with the big dogs, stay on the porch.
  • gabrielled
    gabrielled Posts: 247 Member
    Options
    Do they have different food everyday or do you see the same food a few days or a week later? If so you could do more research on cals for that food and what a serving size looks like so you don't have to bring your own food everyday...

    And I know this makes me sound like a b*tch but when I lost weight before I worked with ALL women (30 of us in the office) and maybe 1 or 2 of them were supportive of my weight loss, some were indifferent and the rest were jealous/tried to sabotage me! So once I had lost a lot of weight and had good self control I would make cookies or cake or some kind of dessert at least once a week and bring it to work and I wouldn't eat any of it. I would just be quietly smug while all the people who were rude about my weight loss chowed down on it all day.

    Like I said I know it doesn't make me sound very nice but it was fun... Oh & In my defense I didn't offer it to anyone, it was just sitting in the break room so they wouldn't feel like they had to have some to be polite.


    YOU ARE AWESOME! I found this thread because I'm going to a teacher training next week at a different district, and lunch will be provided. I'm NOT going to eat their food. I will be taking my own, no offense. Losing weight feels too good to sacrifice it so THEY don't feel bad.

Categories