So guess what?

I work at the mall now.

The room where I clock out is directly next to the door that leads to the food court entrance of the mall.

This means I have easy access to my three favorite places, Sarku (Japanese), Sbarro (Pizza/italian), and Mandarin Express (Chinese). I could eat this stuff EVERY DAY. And I'm gonna be honest, my last two shifts -- I treated myself to Sarku and Sbarro. I don't know if my next shift will take me to Mandarin Express. Right now, I kinda figure since I used to NEVER go to the mall, I was never around these places, so I never got to eat there. So it's okay to give in just these couple times, right? Just to get my fix, and then move on.

But it's totally not. I'm so scared that I won't be able to not give in, and especially since I'll be getting regular paychecks now, gah it's going to be so hard! What do I DO!

Prepare your own meals!! Maybe you can treat yourself to one of those places, but only once in a while. Maybe once every two weeks or something. I'm such a hypocrite though. Before I started my weight loss journey, I spent a full week eating all kinds of crap and stuffing myself till I wanted to explode. I wanted to eat everything I desired, but I didn't think about the extra pounds I'd have to lose. You can eat the foods you enjoy, just learn portion control and try not to consume too many calories (:

Bring healthier versions of those foods with you! There's some great recipes for low calorie pizza type meals and you can make healthier Chinese food too. It's ok to have something sometimes but be careful; it's a slippery slope.

Well done on the job though.

Definitely bring your own pre-prepared meals and snacks.

Also, reduce the risk of purchasing from these establishments by not carrying surplus cash/funds, so even if you WANTED to, you couldn't (or would have to go out of your way to do so).

If you are able to get out of the mall on your lunch break this would be even easier.

Also try to remind yourself that you really have no idea what is going in this convenience/fast food and your wallet and your waist are going to thank you for steering clear of the quick fix.

Malls are great places to get some walking exercise in! Like others suggested, pack your own lunch then maybe take a walk after eating.

After awhile the newness will wear off and you won't be so tempted....in the meantime limit yourself maybe , once a month you can go to one of these places.

I agree with trying to limit yourself to once per month or once per paycheque. As I keep reminding myself, I can have whatever I want to eat, I just can't have it all RIGHT NOW. The have whatever I want right now doesn't work because I start gaining weight, and to be honest, I don't enjoy them as much when I have less healthy foods more frequently.

I was also going to say payday. Then you have something to look forward to, and also a reason to stop yourself (yes I can have it, but not until after I get paid). That type of food just costs too much anyways.

I like this idea. The more you plan, the better. For example: "On the first and third Monday of the month I can have lunch at one of those three places. Suitable menu options are X, Y and Z." As the saying goes, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. I'm sure you can do this!

F.

I agree with the pp - especially on the point of cost too! I think I'd give myself some visual reminders of how much I'm saving by not eating out 3x a week. Every time you'd normally go eat at one of those places but pack yourself a lunch instead, drop the same amount of money in a jar... then at the end of the month when you have your treat meal at the food court, bring your jar of money and go get yourself a new smaller piece of clothing to top it all off!

Bad situation!

I used to work at Manchu Wok which is pretty much the same as Mandarin Express.

It used to be common knowledge amongst food court employees that new mall employees who ventured into the food court would gain 50lbs by the end of the year (and no joke, many of them did, even 100lbs).

The food content is just horrendous, I can't even explain how horrible the food is for you. We used to make our own in the back (with the steamed rice, steamed veggies, and BBQ chicken instead of what we served). Still gained weight, but not as much.

The typical plate served was a rice, honey garlic chicken, and veggie combo (mind you, with rice and veggies, peoplee thought it was balanced).
430 calories, 21g fat, 940 sodium, 50g carb (honey garlic chicken)
130 calories, 10g fat, 500 sodium, 11g carb (vegetables)
410 calories, 13g fat, 1200 sodium, 65g carb (rice)

Total of... 970 calories, 44g fat, 2640mg sodium,126g carb...not including a non-diet pop or juice if you choose.
**And 40g of sugar, same as 2 chocolate bars

Really, some people were blowing their entire day on on meal if they added in a drink.

I hope that helps you make a decision

Such great ideas. Planning ahead will do so many positive things: save you calories, keep your motivation going, save you money.

Try the website emilybites dot com she has tons of fabulous recipes that aren't difficult (I'm no cook) but taste delicious.

Plan plan plan - and good luck - you can do it!

bring your lunch, and then walk around the mall window shopping for the clothes you are going to buy.

I agree with the others. Pre-pack your lunches and leave your money/debit card in the car or at home so you won't be tempted.

Bring your lunch AND leave your cash and debit card at home so you cannot buy it even if you wanted to.

Plan once a month and treat yourself.