I work in marketing at a natural foods company. Our department is in charge of new product development. Usually I know when taste testing is going to happen and can plan for it. Sometimes I don't and am suprised when cookies/pizza/pancakes show up in our office. First, while our products are healthy- a cookie is still a cookie, ours may be healthier than some, but it's still a cookie. (the worst was when I had to taste 10 different energy bars- seriously!! that's essentially eating a whole energy bar for which I had not planned!)
Sometimes I will just have a small bite as a taste to prove to the department that I'm part of the team. People know I'm trying to lose weight, but a lot of people around here think that's a thing people say, not a thing people do.
I was just wondering if anyone had ideas for dealing with this. I don't really enjoy having to tell people that I'm doing weight watchers all the time which just leads to comments like "why? you don't look fat" (to which I want to scream, "That's cause I've been doing it for almost a year!!").
Anyway, if anyone has ideas, I'd love to hear some. Thanks!!
Last edited by Cassidy Lee; 11-14-2008 at 05:27 PM.
Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I'd just work out a bit longer that day or give up a snack that afternoon. If it's something you HAVE to do for your job, then there's not much you can do about it.
Thanks! I guess I just don't feel like it's something that I should HAVE to do, you know? I wish I could get behind that, but eating three different variations on pizza can be a bit rough on the diet. Thanks for the help, though.
Maybe it's a little dishonest... but can't you just lie and say you ate some earlier or something, or you just ate so you're going to try some later or something along those lines? Gets people off your back.
Taste testing does not mean you even have to swallow the product. From what I was watching on the Food Channel, the professional taste testers often don't. So are you being required to, or are you just feeling pressured into eating the product, because everyone else is. Even if taste testing is actually a job requirement, and spitting isn't condoned, only one bite is necessary to "taste test." There's really little or no additional information that can be gained in that second or third bite, so why take them.
If you find yourself unable to stop after one bite, and it is an important and non-negotiable job requirement, then you've got to consider whether it's the right job for you.
Thanks for the help everyone! I appreciate the ideas. Tomorrow is pancakes and cookies!! But, I'm committed to my being 'on plan' so am working to come up with some way to get through this.
Yeah, I'd stress that if you're forced to eat junk at work, when you're at home, make yourself filling, low-calorie meals. Load up on veggies at dinner, make a big bowl of oatmeal, and have a side of a home-made fruit salad. It'll help to make up for the fact that you're intaking more calories than you intended to.
Good luck honey, that sounds frustrating. As to people saying you don't look fat.. do it. Snap at them, "WELL, 25 lbs ago, you might have had a different opinion!"
This is so weird. I used to work for a health food company, and part of my job was taste-testing new potential products. I loved my job, but sometimes we would get boxes of products and try a little bit of each, and health food is not always healthy! I finally told myself that I could try 1 bite of 3 different products a day, and that was it. I tried to choose the healthier products, so all told it never accounted for more than 100 calories and I planned for that or incorporated it into my lunch. So, say, if I knew we were trying crackers, I would bring my own dip, or if it was granola I'd bring fruit or (soy) yogurt to try it with. My philosophy was basically that that would be how I'd eat it if I were the purchaser, anyway Not sure if your work would allow you to be that flexible, though.
I second the spitting. My mom and I are foodies/wino's and when taste testing food, a bite is perfectly sufficient, and then you can spit it out. The only thing we really needed to swallow is the minty frozen sorbet stuff they give you to cleanse the taste from your mouth before you try something else. Doesn't sound like you have that though.
Ideas for work that requires taste testing?
This is a bit long... 
Not sure if your work would allow you to be that flexible, though. 
