OK, I've been lurking here for awhile now (since I joined in 2005 and this is my first post) I guess you already knew that.

Anyway, I've been overweight my whole life but feel like I am finally getting my eating under control and making a lifestyle change instead of "dieting". I have worked at my current job for 9 years, and one of my co-workers I have known for 25 years, so she has seen my struggles for all this time, so I am still surprised that she just doesn't get it.

I had a HUGE non-scale victory last weekend. I count calories and I had such a craving for brownies. I went into the kitchen and all I had was a 9x13 mix, so I made that. While they baked, I made some really yummy homemade frosting. As soon as they came out of the oven, I cut a 2" wedge all the way across the edge and put it on the plate. Then I put a big glob of the frosting on it. I ate most of it, and after I was done, I thought "You know, that really wasn't all that great, so I went into the kitchen and threw the rest of the brownies away, as well as the frosting. Then I did up the trash bag and put it out for the trash man. I was so thrilled with myself, this was just a huge victory for me to be able to get rid of them and not eat the entire pan through that night and the next day, because I had the next day off and I would have eaten them.

So the next time Im at work, I'm sharing my huge victory with them, and guess what they said?!?! You threw away PERFECTLY good food, and didn't bring it in for us? They were actually mad that I didn't bring it in to them! I told them that I didn't even think of that, I just wanted it out of my house, and also that I had the next day off and I didn't want to eat them. One of them said "well, you could have put them out in your car" and I said "Would you tell an alcoholic to just keep their alcohol out in the car and then it wouodn't be a temptation to them?"

So I just wanted to share this story with people who understand this type of thing and not judge me for what I did...

Thanks for reading...Tammy

I just wanted to add that I counted the brownie calories in my day's total and still kept at my 2000 a day goal, which was what I planned all along.

No, they don't get it. They don't understand that just because X food is available, you don't have to prepare it, you don't have to eat it, and you don't have to save it.

Food banks can sometimes use unopened boxes of mix and such--and that's another good thing to do with those items.

Jay

I understand, perfectly , I threw away most of a freshly baked peach pie ., I knew it had to be out of my house. It has taken me years to get over the "don't be wasteful " syndrome. Better it be in my garbage can than on my hips.

Good for you Fungramma! That is a HUGE accomplishment and I'm so glad you're proud of yourself!! You did something wonderful for yourself and from how I see it, I think it's the best thing you could have done then. You took care of yourself, and that is what this is all about

It's unfortunate that your colleagues weren't able to see it from that angle when you told them. I'm sure that was disappointing and not the reaction you were looking for. I think sometimes people don't realize how much of an addiction food is for some people. But I loved your alcoholic analogy, I think it hits the spot perfectly.

Hang in there and keep your chin up! It's individual victories like that, that overtime, build towards what you're striving for

*hugs* I am sorry In general people are just dumb lol.

that is why I love these forums and to talk to people who actually get it lol though I am quite a lurker myself lol

Good job you should be proud of yourself!!

Tammy - ignore them. They don't have a clue what a huge victory that was!
We do!

Decisions like that will add up to excellent results!

Wow, you guys are awesome!! Thanks so much for all the encouragement. it's so nice to talk to people that understand!

Yeah, people don't get it. That was a great victory! Congrats!

Yesterday one of my coworkers offered to buy me a soda. I declined, he pressed, I declined, he pressed. He was just being nice. I finally explained that I'd recently lost a lot of weight and I was keeping it off by planning what I eat and sticking to the plan. He finally stopped offering.

Those who haven't been there don't understand. You can always talk about your accomplishments here!! Stay delurked, okay?

Jeez, sounds like they couldn't even try to understand someone's else's difficulty over their own wants for treats. You did great! It's harder, for me anyway, to stop after I've already started, than to never start in the first place.

Good for you!

I, personally, am a bit of a masochist and *enjoy* making baked goods for other people and reveling in the fact that I don't eat any of it. It makes me feel like I'm beating my demons. But I'm weird like that...

(I do, however, lick the spoon and beaters!)

Keep up the good work!

I think you did great! Other people will never understand-like my friend who runs a pizza restaurant and doesn't understand how I can come in an just eat salad while everyone else eats the pizza. But, you did what you needed to do-make what you want to take care of the craving, eat only what you want, record what you ate, and dispose of the rest-that's incredible! Keep coming back and keep up the good work!

I'm that way, too. I read somewhere, could have been here, or could have been on one of the many diet boards I visit, that it's easier to say no once in the grocery store than 1000 times after you get it home. 100 calorie packs just do not work for me, if I know the box is there I have to either eat them until they're gone, or i drive myself crazy thinking about them and wanting them, so it's just so much easier to not even bring it in the house. Funny thing is, if I don't have anything like that in the house, I never even think about wanting it.

in my opinion, it isn't possible to "waste" junk food. yes there are other people who could eat it, but it's not something nutritional that anyone honestly should be eating.

throwing away a box of cookies is different than throwing away a bag of vegetables, in my opinion.

It is too funny to me that your coworkers feel like you are under some kind of obligation to bring them the food you don't want to eat yourself. I think it is hilarious that they were actually mad about this. Honestly, who thinks this way??

I don't mean to come off unsympathetic. Kudos to you for 1) recognizing that the brownies weren't good enough to be worth the calories and 2) actually throwing them out once you realized this. I'd have struggled with both those things. And I'm sorry your co-workers were so focused on themselves that they couldn't recognize this for the achievement that it is.

Good for you. I think being able to get rid of the rest of the brownies is a huge victory and unless people have been thru the same thing they will never get it. So you enjoy your success.