Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Avoiding workplace food-pushers

Recently one of my biggest diet pitfalls has been the "workplace food-pusher". You know that person. They *love* to cook or bake, and they're usually really good at it too. They also don't ever seem to care that you are trying to eat healthy, or, worse, seem to think that eating healthy is some sort of punishment or is in some other fundamental way, wrong.

So there you are, Just starting your day, having had a healthy breakfast with a healthy lunch packed neatly in your bag. You went to the gym that day, and so you're feeling good about yourself. Little do you know you are about to be faced with a *dun dun dun!* emotionally charged food crisis.

Last night, after going to the gym and only getting in a short session before work, I was faced with a colleague holding out a tray of "banana cake". I was hungry, as I usually am after a workout, and the really expensive, not so good for me mozzarella and pesto sandwich I had just demolished had not filled me up. Then the kicker. He needed people to try it to see if the recipe was any good. "Sure, I'll try it." I said, thinking, naively that "trying it" involved a small taste. He dished out a two inch thick, three inch long "slice" of the cake, and proceeded to top it with whipped cream. All the while talking about presentation being important. "OK, I thought, just eat a little, declare it amazingly scrumptious, and move on." But then emotional issue problem number two entered the situation. The chef of the dish happened to be talking to someone else in the room, and mentioned that someone else had "tried" the dish, declared it delicious, and then proceeded to not finish her piece. "If she liked it so much, why didn't she finish it?" Was the conclusion. So in the interest of saving egos, I ate the whole piece. It was alright, nothing amazing, and if you believe the chef, not too bad for me (but it was cake come on lets be realistic.)

Now normally this wouldn't be an issue. One day, one cake, no problem. However, one of the key traits of a "food pusher" is consistency. This is becoming a two to three time a week problem.

Luckily for me (and all of us since this post is now helpful instead of just whining), Ali over at The Office Diet wrote This post, appropriately titled "How to refuse a cookie".

Anyone else have any advice on keeping "food pushers" from destroying your diet?
-Meg

2 comments:

Penny said...

Don't listen to TA's advice please.

TA is RIGHT THIS SECOND tucking into a cupcake that her collegue gave her to say goodbye (she's off on maternity leave) because she knew she woulnd't be allowed to refuse. TA is food journalling at the moment and has gone a little bit cuckoo and consequently contemplating skipping her evening meal to compensate for the cupcake.

I am such a good example of WHAT NOT to do it's not even funny.

Learn to say no and then come back quick and tell me how, please please please.

TA x

PS whipped cream in the office? Is this guy TAPPED?

Meg said...

TA-

Well, lets just say the guy is...interesting. I have the honor of working the night shift with creative people, which makes for some interesting situations ^_^

Enjoy the cupcake, one every now and then is a good thing!

-Meg

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