Gluttony in the Workplace

What's wrong with this picture?  The fruits look great, I got some brown rice and mixed vegetables in the tupperware...could it be the sneaky croissant in the back?  DING, DING, DING!

So there you are, feeling awesome for eating healthy.  You've been sticking to eating clean for a few days and you're on cloud 9.  Then, BOOM...office party!  Or there's catering for breakfast, Or a co-worker brings in some goodies (which usually are evil little sweets which taste so good!)....the list goes on and on. What is it with junk food at work?  I've worked in so many different places (I'm a hardcore temp) and it never fails; always some sweet (or savory) temptations to knock you off your routine.

The food's not always "junk" but they always manage to sneak junky stuff in the mix.  For example, the picture above depicts the selection from my office's catered breakfast; fruits and pastries (muffins, danishes, cinnamon buns, you name it).  It's so hard for me to pass up FREE FOOD!  I was raised in a family which never wasted and it was ingrained in us to eat everything on our plates, take extras for leftovers the next day, and never, ever, ever pass up free food.  And then, there's always that one person at the office who sees you trying to avoid the fatty stuff, or knows you're trying to eat healthier and tries to thwart your routine.  They're like "no diet today" or "it's ok to take just one little bite"...evil!  They dangle the chocolate chip cooking you've been eyeing, or they eat that slice of pizza with the cheese dripping off, right in front of you (evil co-worker picture to the right).  You're trying to be good but then your stomach betrays you with a loud rumble.

I did good today because even though I had the croissant, it was only the croissant (and fruits of course, woohoo).  I'm not gonna preach to you on how to avoid junk food in the workplace.  There are tons of great advice out there on how you should take plenty of snacks and healthy treats with you to avoid temptation. Doesn't work for me!  I'm not gonna lie and say I'll pass...maybe one day if I'm truly not tempted to, but usually I take something.  The piece of advice I can give is to just take 1 "bad" thing if you absolutely must take something.  If I'm gonna take something "junky" I'm gonna take the best and enjoy it like the indulgence it is. I'll take my time eating it and enjoy every bite.  Also I've worked in places that had office parties every other day.  While yes it is awesome that they treat the employees to food, I aim not to partake in the festivities too often, only because I don't want to get caught up eating junk frequently.  I value that I've been able to ween off of junk food (for the most part) and I don't want to backtrack.  

Next time you're at an office function debating whether or not to have that piece of cake (or whatever), first get away from your evil coworker who wants to throw you off track, and then spot that one thing that you can't live without (at least for the work day), and enjoy it!  Once I come up with a better system I'll share it with you.

By the way, how do you handle the "goodies" at work?  And what does your evil co-worker say or do to try to throw you off track?

By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps.  Check it out!

2-day Detox - Day 2

Ok so Day 2 (Sunday) was another success!  I was feeling a little chocolate craving towards the middle of the day, but I don't have chocolate at home to give in to =)  

And the craving wasn't so bad; it went away pretty quickly.  So I started my day with a packet of Oatmeal. I currently use Better Oatmeal's "Oat Revolution" in Strawberries and Cream.  I like this instant oatmeal, even though it's not all-natural it's a better choice than the Quaker Oats instant, in my opinion.  It has flax and Omega-3, less sugar; it comes in a pre-measured packet and tastes so good.  Best part was I got a box of 5 packets for only $1 at Albertsons!  Can't pass a good deal!  I also had a cup of Trader Joe's Instant Coffee with non-dairy creamer and honey.

As a snack I had a peach, some grapes, and a cup of OJ.  For late lunch I had my version of a Chipotle "Burrito Bowl".  Everything made from scratch by yours truly; brown rice, black beans, and a tomato/corn ceviche.  I had left-over rice and beans from yesterday.  I tend to cook in bulk so I won't have to cook everyday.  I will be eating the same thing tomorrow for lunch (for work) and dinner.

For dinner I had Vanilla Shakeology with soy milk, peanut butter, a splash of OJ, and Kefir.  Then I had some light popcorn while I prepared my work outfit for Monday.

I feel absolutely great!  I feel proud of myself for sticking with my detox.  I think I will try to keep doing it this week, but incorporating a little more food because I get hungry at work.  I feel like I have more energy, I've been sleeping better, and best of all no headache or stomachache.  I can tell I've come a long, long way from last year where I would've quit a few hours in. 

Katherine- 1, Food Gremlins- 0

By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps.  Check it out!

Bitch, please! Where's my cheeseburger?

There are some days when I struggle with food, especially right before I get my period (yes I said "period" on my blog, whoa!).  I occasionally go on these crazy food binges.  I don't really go for sweets usually, I prefer savory over sweet, but when I get THAT feeling, I go in!  I'll go for "junk" food QUICK, especially my go-to comfort foods such as pizza, french fries, and chocolate chip cookies (can you say Cookie Monster)?

So I just give in to my occasional binge craze (since it doesn't happen often) and to try and avoid the madness I like to do what I call the "Saint/Sinner" technique.  Basically I'll be a Saint Monday through Thursday (avoiding processed foods as much as possible, drinking more water, incorporating more veggies, among other things), and Friday through Sunday all bets are off; I allow myself to be a Sinner those days.  I see these binge fevers as my inner child (my cutie-pie fat kid) having a tantrum.  She's like, NO MORE VEGGIES, WHERE'S MY BURGER BITCH?! So my Saint/Sinner technique works for me so she can stop trippin' so much.  Like today for example, it's Friday but I was "sinning" a little too much this week.  But ::sigh:: my little girl is not satisfied.  So what I think I'll do is try to compromise with her today.  I'll let her have that cheeseburger if she lets me add a salad on the side.

Let me know, have you ever experienced "tantrums" like this? If so, what do you do to get through?

By the way, have you checked out my FREE E-BOOK? It's called "Greens on the Side" and will help you get started with your weight loss goals in just 5 easy steps.  Check it out!