Arrrrgh! I work in a high school and the faculty members celebrate every occasion with food! On Wednesday, we catered in lunch for Secretary's day (including oreo bars and a cheesecake platter), plus it was a faculty member's birthday (another 3 cakes, plus various cookies) and held a breakfast reception for our cum laude recipients (holy pastries, Batman!) - this is an extreme day, but there really are treats almost every day. On top of all that, my boyfriend bought me a Snickers bar as a way to make up for a fight we'd had the night before, and I just feel like there's no way for me to succeed at weight loss! Does anyone have a strategy for avoiding treats at work or when family/friends give you something you don't want to eat?

Thank him for the Snickers and put in the freezer or give it away (he never has to know). In future, let him know you've developed a passion for non-candy apology gifts. Like diamonds! Ok, fine, maybe fruit?

As for your work functions, are they things where you're asked to bring something? If so, try www.cookinglight.com for some really amazing recipes YOU can bring to share and enjoy. They have a healthy alternative for anything you can think of.

I agree put the snickers bar in the freezer or throw it away when he isn't looking. When I go to functions with no healthy alternatives I eat before I go and say no thank you to all the junk. It is okay to say no to food that is not healthy for us. If I eat healthy and then go to work I'm not hungry and I wouldn't be tempted. My health is more important than putting garbage in my body.

At my school there are treats all the time as well. Our faculty has a scheduled rotation of which group of teachers bring in the goodies. When it's my group's turn, I've started bringing in large fruit platters with some lowfat fruit dip. Yes, there are still all the pastry type sweets, but I can tell you my fruit tray is emptied every time. So many are enjoying it, that now there seems to be at least one every time. I can pass by the pastries if there is something equally as delicious on the buffet table...and to me the fresh fruit fills that need! Good luck!

Hey Smisen!!! I worked in a high school cafeteria for a year and boy I can totally feel what you are talking about!!! But you can do it!!!

I just bring my lunch every day, and make sure that it's something that I like a lot, and actually look forward to eating. I find that if I have something that I really like that also happens to be healthy, that I really have no problem staying away from the junk and food "of uncertain origin."

When you bring food yourself it's great because you know what's in it, and how healthy it was made. I think the fact that I log my food also helps me stay on track because it's much easier to log my food than some combination of unidentifiable ingredients!

Overall, I find that I've convinced myself that my food TASTES BETTER, and that I also FEEL BETTER after I'm done eating. How can you beat that?!

My friend and I were leaving our class for the last time yesterday, and she absolutely insisted on buying me an ice cream to celebrate. I said no repeatedly, but she wouldn't take it for an answer. So I let her buy me the ice cream, because that way I wasn't offending anyone, had a little bit of it and then threw most of it away when we parted. So I guess you could just take a piece of cake so that nobody harasses you about not eating, and then just leave the room and throw it away!

We have similar problems. I brought a watermelon to work today and received a bunch of congratulations because no one buys a whole watermelon. Really, it isn't so hard to say no to crappy additive filled super sweet sugar balls of death if there's something nummy. Also, watch out for that friend and boyfriend who are forcing you to eat ice cream and snickers bars. It sounds like sabotage to me!!!

They may not really mean to sabotage you, they may just think "Oh she/he is doing so well, they really deserve a treat!" and think that they're being sweet. I agree with the others about bring your own stuff, the fruit platter is a great idea!

It may seem well meaning--"they deserve a treat"--but it's also pretty clueless! And I think it is sabotage, intended or not.

Would one keep offering a drink to a recovering alcoholic who had said NO? I hope not. If so, ya gotta wonder...

Jay

If it is a pot-luck thing, I always bring something safe. You would be surprised how many people feel the same way you do. I have had several women thank me for bringing a dish that is not entirely comprised of butter that they can eat and enjoy. I anticipate that there will be treats and I stock up on things I like and feel are safe treats (SmartOnes desserts, SF candy).

I always bring something healthy to a pot luck also (or try to). We have one coming up next week at work and someone even commented that I was bringing veggies and dip like they were dissapointed! I don't really care. If that's all I can eat then at least it is there. I know others will be stopping by the donut shop and bringing in horrible food that I dont want to touch. People at my work are constantly trying to offer fatty/sweet foods that they dont want to eat on their own. The other morning my boss had a surprise "breakfast" laid out for us in our monday morning meeting. THere were tons of breads and muffins, donuts, etc. He asked me why I wasn't eating it and I said I had already had breakfast - which I had (in the past I would have had 2 but I'm really working on this healthiness) and he said "so did I, you should have something anyway". I just said, it looks great, but I'm not hungry thank you. That got him off my back - but really, you just have to decide that you wont touch it before you get into the situation. I find if I go in the room with a no excuses attitude then I wont eat it. I think sometimes the other people are impressed by your will power. I think about that when I need a little push. Whatever helps!

Two things I do.

One is that I ALWAYS take my own snacks, no matter where I am going. I cut up apple and dip it in lemon juice (to stop it browning) and bag it. I also take maybe a yoghurt, or some rice crackers, or some fruit bread. This way, if there isn't anything I want to eat I always have something to fall back on. If I DO end up eating something else, I just have the other snack in the afternoon. I take my own snacks when I am shopping as well, to avoid temptation there. People sometimes look at me as though they feel sorry for me, not eating all of the 'treats' that are on offer, but they also compliment me for my choices and they have seen the results, so know that it is MY choice. I actually LOVE my snacks and hardly ever feel tempted anymore.

The other thing I do is what others have mentioned, and I take something healthy that I can share with others. At school, the other staff have also started doing this now, so there is usually something healthier on offer. I take carrot and celery sticks with some kind of dip, either a low-fat commercial dip, or one I have made myself. The last one I took was cottage cheese (200g), 2 boiled eggs - finely chopped, 2 gherkins (cocktail pickles?) - finely chopped and 1/2 a tablespoon of French mustard. YUM! This went down VERY well with everyone and we had people coming over to our table for some of the 'healthy' stuff. You will be surprised at the number of people who are actually looking for something lighter to eat. Another thing I take is a marshmallow (fat free) and half a strawberry on a toothpick. These are easy to eat, sweet, and VERY popular. They also look good as a display piece.

Just a couple of suggestions. There are ALWAYS ways to get around this problem, but it takes planning. Don't EVER worry what people will think if you take your own snacks to these things. People used to try to convince me to take something else from the table, but after a while they soon learnt that I couldn't be swayed and they stopped trying.

Good luck.

Zelma

Zelma... Amazing... You have lost an ENTIRE OTHER PERSON! Wow, what a journey!

Jay