The smell of a vanilla cappuccino wafts down the row to mingle with the scent of toast and peanut butter. A plate of homemade cookies sits on the desk to my left. 3 rows over is the bowl of expensive dark chocolates, placed out for people to help themselves to. At lunch time a delivery person walks by with 15 piping-hot pizzas, leaving a trail of aroma in his wake. Someone does a mid-afternoon run to the store, coming back with mini chocolate Easter eggs and a box of Halloween sized chip bags to share. At least once a week someone forgets their lunch so they run and grab take out, bringing it back to eat at their desk.
These are the office food pitfalls that I navigate every day. I arrive with my healthy, pre-packed, pre-measured lunch, making sure that I don’t have any change on me so that I can’t augment my meal with an extra snack from the vending machine. My co-workers know that I am trying to eat right and lose weight, and in fact, more than half of them are doing the same thing. Mostly they don’t offer me whatever item is currently being passed around, but every now and then I have to deal with what I refer to as “the pushers”. You know the type…. “Aww come on, just one won’t hurt you, have a cookie/chocolate/timbit/snack.” And they seem genuinely insulted when I decline, as if our level of friendship is directly related to me accepting or refusing their fares.
Too many times of late I have fallen into the trap of accepting just one, having a wee taste or sampling something new. I know that individually none of these will derail my progress, but I don’t always have the willpower to stop at just one. So for my own success I have had to take the stance of saying “No Thank You” to all of it. One day I may be at a place that I won’t have to refuse, but I’m not there today.
Do you have “pushers” in your life? How do you handle them?
Andy, I arrived back at the office... hadn't been to the office for a few weeks. There is our area, (we sit in groups) was my small basket I use for paper clips and stuff FILLED with chocolate kisses! I get to work early, so I brazenly THREW THEM AWAY! No one saw me and I didnt want them near me and NOT in my basket. Situation HANDLED!
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who I have to remind weekly that I actually CAN'T have sugar. Not "no thanks, I'm staying away" but I actually can't have it. She's like, oh it's just one cupcake, one cake pop, one tiny bite of cake! (she loves to bake) and every once in a while I say yes because I of all people know what it's like to want my friends to try my cooking, but come on already! I feel like a broken record!
ReplyDeletePushers.... yes.. I loved reading this Andy. So many of us have pushers. I don't know if it stems from the whole... I love you... here's a cookie theory from when we were kids, simply to comfort of " comfort foods" or the fact that sometimes, people just don't want to see us succeed. Misery loves company, harsh, but maybe there is some truth in it?!
ReplyDeleteI know on my weight loss journey, I have had my fair share of ridicule from people, often times the people you would least expect it from. The way I deal with this is take the good with the bad, and don't let the bad get into my heart of my head!
Love this blog, YOU ROCK! :)