I work at a cafe/bake shop. As you can probably imagine, it's really tough to avoid overeating sweets when you're surrounded by them all day. Before I began my attempt to change my lifestyle and eat healthfully, I would go to work and overindulge in day-old pastries that were unsellable. I would often be embarrassed about how many of them I ate and would do stupid things like shove them in my pockets and eat them in the bathroom on a break.

I've been successfully avoiding those temptations lately, though, by eating a healthy breakfast and bringing snacks to work with me. But today was a rough day. Lots of family stress, lots of work stress, and I forgot to bring healthy food, so I dove straight into that pastry bin and now feel an enormous amount of guilt. I stopped myself at one pastry, but can't shake the feeling that that moment of indulgence ruined all of my recent efforts to get healthy. I'm trying very hard to not let it ruin my momentum. After work today I really just wanted to go to Taco Bell and drown my sorrows, but instead came home and prepared a healthy (and yummy!) lunch for myself.

Does anyone else work in a food-related environment? Do y'all find it as difficult as I do, or am I just a complete weakling?

This is the "all or nothing" thinking that so many of us have and that, IMHO, contributes to our weight-related problems. Quitting most habits is not a linear process. We take four steps forward, one step back, two steps forward, three steps back---you get the picture. Even in my example, though, progress is still made. The point is that it's what you do most of the time that counts. For me, it would be unrealistic to think that I could work in a bakery and never again sample any of the pastries. I know I would. In fact, you might think about whether you should give yourself "permission" to sample a special, fresh pastry once or twice a week---guilt-free.

Anyway, progress does not mean perfection. Dump the guilt and move on. I think you're doing great that you stopped at one.

If you chew gum while you work, or at least have it in your mouth, it becomes difficult to just take bites or pieces of food.

I've spent my fair share working in the food industry, and even worked as a pastry chef for a time.

My advice to you: find another job! Yes, it's possible to lose weight and stay on plan while working in food service, and yes, temptations are everywhere regardless of where you work, but why make it harder on yourself than it has to be? Losing weight is hard enough!

Do whatever feels right to you. And one pastry won't kill you, but a pastry a day does add up.

And I thought biweekly donuts in the break room were hard to deal with! I agree with the above poster, unless your life passion is to become a pastry chef, look for another job. Even those of us those fortunate enough to be making steady progress don't keep a limitless supply of trigger foods at the house. I can only imagine the sorts of crazy rationalizations I would make up in the moment if I were in your place: "Why pay for lunch when I can eat for free?" "I'm clearly going to eat one eventually so why not now?" "Have I tried that flavor yet? I definitely haven't had it with frosting..." "This is probably only like 2 or 3 hundred calories, I could use the energy for work and I'll run it off later". Run far away from that job.

I work full time in a Maccy's during thehoolidays, and to be honest, it has not contributed to my weightgain. Yes, we get fed the food on our breaks, but in knowing the nutritional value allows me to make choices that are within my calorie allowance. Usually, my meal totals up to about 400 calories and if I want a treat, I substitute it for something else.

I think it is possible to lose weight with the temptaions. You just have to find something that works with your diet. Good luck xxx

I work at Tim Horton's and I get unlimited free food. Before I started trying to eat better, I ate a lot at work, mainly because it was there and it was free. However, it's not really one of the things that tempts me to cheat on my diet. I am so tired of everything that we sell, and I am not a huge fan of our food anyway. Is this a new job? It could be that once the novelty wears off it will get easier. I have mad cravings and went on a craxy french fry/bread binge today but work food doesnt tempt me at all. You could also try some coffee with splenda/stevia/ whatever works for you to kill the sweet tooth. Good luck!

Thanks for all the input, ladies! For me, finding another job is not an option, so I have to find healthy ways to dealing with the temptations.

PudgyFlamingo... it's funny, this is not a new job! I don't even really care for most of the things we sell. I'm tired of them, and they make my insides feel like mashed potatoes. I'm just used to consuming tons of sugar, particularly when I'm bored or stressed out at work.

I guess the ticket is just to plan to bring healthy stuff to snack on to avoid any hunger emergencies, and to allow me to get a healthful sugar fix (fruit, yogurt, etc.)

I work at a Wendy's and it's so hard not to eat stuff! We have to throw away chicken nuggets after they have been sitting for too long, and it's SO hard not to take a few. Yesterday I went a little crazy I had a shift that went right through dinner, and of course I was hungry, so I would take a couple here and there, which by the end of the night turned out to be quite a few.

I understand exactly where you're coming from. I do like fast food, but not very often and I am so sick of the smell of it, but even so it's like I can't stop. I try to tell myself that I can get one of the salads or healthier chicken sandwiches after my shift is over. Sometimes that helps, sometimes it doesn't. Like you, I can't find another job - I applied to several places, but no one is hiring unfortunately. We'll both just have to take it one day at a time Good luck!

Good luck to you, too, GordonGirl!

I actually bake cakes as a hobby and as a side business. Yep, totally possible to not want the junk

May I recommend a total temporary "detox" of about 3-5 days of NOT A SINGLE sweet and VERY limited carbs? After 3-5 days, you simply will not want anything sweet. And the smell of sugar will turn your stomach. Literally. And gum. The Extra desserts where my saviors.

It's been about 5 months since I have sampled any of my goodies, and they are ALWAYS around me. Unless I am testing a new flavor, I simply am not interested. And I am refraining from the new flavors...for now

You can do it. Have faith.

Something I have been trying is to really focus on how yucky I feel when I eat something unhealthy (kind of like a cognitive behavior treatment) and then recall that feeling when I am tempted to do it again.

For what it's worth, I am on a slow and steady, eat what I want IIFYM kind of plan, so really nothing is off limits, but I try to eat lower carb/higher fat and protein because I feel less hungry on fewer calories.

And, I agree with zoesmom that the less sugar/simple carbs you eat, the less you will crave.

Thanks zoesmom and fadedbluejeans. Doing a sugar "detox" is a really great tip! I'll plan to do that this coming week when I have several days off, so that there won't be too many temptations.

Thanks so much for all the support!

I'd like to add that maybe you can stash something you can snack on at work that won't expire, in case you forget to bring snacks? Maybe some portioned out almonds or a can of tuna with whole grain crackers? A pack of gum for when an intense craving hits. That way, you have emergency food.

I do this also BIG BAKER here if you DO NOT take the first bite not a lick nothing.YOU WILL not miss it after a very short time.

I am a waitress and have been for 20 years I have worked places where we were not allowed to eat but everyone sneaks...I now work at a BAKERY /CAFE and can have anything I want.
For about a year I would eat some of the baked goods sometimes and with what else I was doing managed to add 25 to 30 lb.

I follow the rules for baking at work I NEVER EAT ANY FOOD FROM THERE! I bring all my snacks ,Oatmeal,fruit nuts ect. I NEVER LET MYSELF GET HUNGREY! I lost all the weight and have been maintaining for months.
I do not even want the stuff once you get away from it...it doesn't really taste that great.