There are two things that drive me crazy about being a grad student. Okay, three. First is that I type so much my wrists hurt (I have chronic tendonitis). Second is that I sit in a chair in front of the computer all day, so I barely burn any calories at work. Third is that there is SO MUCH FREE FOOD. Argh!

I swear, ever single special event has free food. I know it's because they don't pay us very much, so we can use all the free stuff we can get, and because more people come to events if they get food. But it's gotten to the point where I am skipping talks and lectures I really want to hear, because I know I will not be able to resist the free food if I go. I went to hear someone's thesis defense the other day, and I ended up eating a huge piece of cake. I went to a talk by Google about job opportunities, and gorged myself on Indian food. A professor is going to have a discussion session to talk about what it's like to work in industrial research and development, and I really want to hear it, but they are going to have pizza and I just know I will eat some of it.

If I'm on my own, I can eat healthy, no problem. I watch my calories, and I'm fine. But if food is placed in front of me, I just can't help myself. I will eat and eat until I am stuffed, because all of a sudden I think "Pizza! I haven't had pizza in months, I'd better pack it all in while I've got the chance and it's free!" I just can't turn it down. If it was just occasionally, like, maybe once every couple months, that would be okay, and I could just eat a little bit. But the fact is that they have free food events multiple times each WEEK! Like three or four times a week! It's crazy! I can't control myself when there is free food in front of me.

Whew, I really needed to vent about that. Do any of you have this same problem? For that matter, are there any other grad students on this forum? I'm getting more and more tempted to quit this field (computer science) entirely for the sake of my health.

I am not a grad student, nor a member of this particular forum, but as a former Welfare kid, I can tell you: free food is the hardest to pass up, for me. My best defense is to pack a piece of (or canned in it's own juice) fruit & another snack (bagel, granola bar, lowfat string cheese, V8 juice, unsalted nuts,etc) and a can of seltzer. I eat a small portion of the free stuff, then stick to what I've packed. But it's much easier said than done. Good luck!

how frustrating! we have that problem at work as well - in fact, there are people who will crash meetings simply to get at the food [and trust me, the only ones who do that are the ones who are making big bucks! go figure!]

as always, SAPF has great ideas...

seems to me that you have a lot of things to consider in these choices: like, why overeat just because it's free? a portion isn't a bad thing. it's the over-age that seems to be the issue.

and let's just add in the stress factor that you have, and the fact that you're stuck in front of a computer all day long.

maybe a brief walk before these events, with a soothing cup of tea or <Decaf> coffee, or some other beverage would help.

and then when you're faced with the food [and let's face it, you're probably hungry at that point!], fix yourself ONE plate - and go sit FAR FAR AWAY from the food. and clutch a bottle of water or tea or soda or whatever for dear life after you're finished eating.

good luck!!!

that is my biggest problem in my weight loss journey. I work with Middle School and High School kids and we are constantly feeding them. Snacks every day which, I have gotten good at passing on. But when we are with them all day we have to eat luch with them and some times dinner and all they ever give them is Pizza. I have no chance to go out and get a salad and I promise my self I'm only going to eat one slice but that never seems to happen. Then when we have staff meetings, there is always so much food. Like they are feeding four times the amount of people. And don't forget the openings and lectures those events are catered. I ussually pray they will have stuff I won't like other wise I jsut seem to lose control.
I think a lot of it for me is that its my only option, I'm stuck in the building and with the students and I have to eat so I figure hey I'm already eating bad might as well eat extra bad. This is something I am constantly reevaluating and trying to figure out an escape route. When I do I'll let you know. Just give me any ideas you come up with!

I have this problem too, I work in a call centre (in fact am here now) sit on my big butt all day, and we get food as treats (like throwing fish at seal to make them perform!!!!) and it's all unhealthy. Like SAPF I have emergency food at all times, so that at least I don't feel quite as deprived. If you really have to eat something rotten, have one bit, fill yourself up on your salad sandwich or whatever, and then say ok if I am still hungry I will have one piece of pizza or whatever, that works for me. If I go for the flat out avoidance strategy, I stress out and end up eating more!!!

Best of luck with it and we're always here to help on another!

Thanks for your advice! I will try to make sure I eat before going to events with free food . . . I do have the bad habit though that if it is something tasty (especially cake or cookies), I will eat it even if I am full! I know that this is something I need to work on, but it's really hard to resist the temptation to eat eat eat when that little voice says "it will taste soooo good!"

I work for a department in a large medical complex/university and there is CONSTANT buffets sponsored by pharm. reps. You can eat something different on every floor....

I'm also in charge of planning medical student lunches....of course we have to go with what is inexpensive, but i asked the pizza caterer to do only thin crusts and use skim mozz. cheese.....i order veggie toppings and salad to go with, for desserts I order fruit trays....it meets with most people's approval to have a fresh alternative to the processed stuff....it's by no means weight-watcher, but not as "bad" for me. Exercising control for means giving the food away after I have a reasonable portion.

Paperclippy - Most processed food has transfats (hydrogenated fats) in it and they are very, very bad. They do horrible things to the body. So, when I'm faced with food at events, I tell myself that I DO NOT EAT TRANSFATS. I reframe the food as POISON (thanks, Ilene) or as VERY UNHEALTHY INDEED. This sometimes works for me. In fact, more often than not it works for me.

Good luck.

Kykaree - I can't make out your employer at all! Doesn't it provide a gymn? So what's it doing giving you food as so-called treats? That doesn't add up to me.

hey we had a free food night last night. it was hard... we had pizza first for the high schol kids so I had 2 slices of cheese only, no extra peperoni or sausage like the kids l ike. then after the lecture it was the buffet of finger food. you know what i did though, I skiped the food line and they had some wine so I just sipped my glass of wine the whole time. Probably not the best thing but it kept me from visiting the food line 10 times!

Drinks tons of water! Before and during the event and don't use the bathroom until the end. that way you'll feel full and instead of staying and snacking you'll have to run to the bathroom afterwards! (j/k)
Goodluck, I say go to the lecture or whatever it is. Education is important. You could up your excerise that day or next day and give in to just on piece or bring your own thing to snack on. I wish I didn't give up on school. It's so much harder to get back in than it would have been to finish it. Who provides the food? Maybe if you talk to them they would provide healthier food too. (they might want something from you like help setting it up or something though)

Thank you silverbirch!!! I can't make head nor tail out of my employer either!!! I have ranted at our department head before now, saying that it is completely ridiculous, to provide us with a gym but to motivate us with food. I think part of it is that the gym is provided by the company, but the department manager buys us food, without thinking of the big picture. I work for a health insurer!!!! Who buys us chips, cakes and biscuits - it's enough to make you bang your head against the wall!!!!

Last time though, they did get a selection of fruit as well as the bad stuff, so perhaps my ranting is doing some good!!!

Oh, can I relate! I work two part-time jobs for two different school departments as the Free/Reduced Meal Program Coordinator. Oh, and that job falls under the Food Service Department. Both of my offices are, literally, in the kitchens! Now talk about unhealthy choices! Oh, I could eat a salad . . . EVERY SINGLE DAY (NOT!). How about smelling dishes like home-made mac & cheese, fresh pizza, turkey swimming in gravy with gobs of mashed potatoes, fresh-baked chocolate chips cookies & right-from-the-fryer French fries & onion rings every day you go to work?!? Is it any wonder that I put back on 12 of the 45 pounds I was so proud to lose?

My new plan of attack? BRING MY OWN FOOD & supplement it with salads & hot veggies (they do serve steamed broccoli every now & then). The up side of it is that they do serve beverages like regular & flavored water (no cal/no carb) and Tropicana's Lite Lemonade (only 5 NC for the entire bottle). So I don't have to worry about bringing bottles of water.

I think it is just as bad to deny yourself good food as it is to deny yourself the benefits of listening to a speaker who has something you want to hear. Eat a good, filling meal before the event, bring a bottle of water (which you should be able to refill at a fountain or at least in the ladies room), and a low-cal snack (granola bar or energy bar). Another trick might be to bring sugar-less mints or gum with you as it is not possible to eat & chew/suck on these treats at the same time. I know that I now never travel without a bottle of frozen water, a low-carb meal bar & a pack of sugarless mint gum.

Good luck!

Yeah! That happens with me too now! The idea that something is really really bad for me just turns me off eating it. Something like a suger filled donut or a big mac just doesn't sound appealing no matter what it tastes like. I even had to throw away my poor tootsie rolls when I read they had hydrogenated oils in them. poor poor tootsie rolls.

We have free food, and booze, where I work at least once a week so I feel your pain. I just don't go anywhere near it and I'm fine because if I start I won't stop.

Okay. I just finished my post earlier and Windows shut me down. So, here goes again.

I work at a law firm that has luncheons almost on a daily basis. There are lots of leftovers, most of which are not good for anyone. Even the chicken has some kind of gooey sauce over it! The veggies are usually drenched in some kind of oil, so the veggies may be good, but the oils are not. Who knows what kind of oil is used!

Not only that, we have a Candy dish and Cookie Tin in the Services Department. My solution? I go into Services through the door that doesn't have the temptations near it. It does two things for me: One: I'm not near the goodies; two: I have to walk farther to get to the other door.

Keeping my fingers crossed that I can "step back from the leftovers and goodies" and stay OP!