can't stop eating biscuits at work

[Baba]

Please help.

At work we have lots of biscuits and cakes on our desks and they never leave the office.

I feel compelled to eat them, even when I am not hungry.

What can I do. I will end up the size of a house (and more).

[bundle]

who brings them in? they should be strung up for unprofessional conduct.

[bunny2]

Put a bowl of delicious fruit on your desk then, whne temptation strikes, reach for a crunchy apply or juicy satsuma. Easy!

[bunny2]

that was a joke btw.

[BigBird]

Do something like weightwatchers and allocate points to everything you eat. Then at the weekend if you've not enough points left you can't have your beer/wine etc. So during the week when the cake is in front of you you think 'what a waste of half a bottle of when I'm not even hungry'.
This is the only thing that has worked for me - and you have to write it down to stick to it.

[aloha]

Does everyone feel like you? I bet quite a few do, in which case you could stop having so much stuff around. Who does bring it in anyway, and why??

[Northerner]

Baba I know how you feel totally. We get reps bringing in goodies all the time. Everybody always complains that they are on a diet, but then we eat everything anyway and moan afterwards about how fat we feel. At home I don't snack at all, but at work I eat for england. Today I've had:
1 croissant with butter, 2 mini crunchies, tuna and salad, iced bun, blue ribband biscuit, jam doughnut, half a big chocolate chip cookie and countless jelly babies. God when I write it down I feel such a pig.

[SamboM]

Oh Northerner I'd kill for a choccy bar. Bloody Dr Atkins.

[fidget]

Northener, only one blue ribbon biscuit, they are on offer in our local supermarket and I brought them for the same price as one chocolate bar which justified me eating the whole 6 pack!!

[Furball]

Sambo - I'm sure someone here said something about Thorntons diabetic chocolate is ok on Atkins, I've tried some and it's lovely. Don't have too much in one go though as it can have a laxitive effect

[oliveoil]

Will everyone hate me if I say I have never been on a diet - think they are all a load of bollocks - and have nearly lost my pregnancy weight by being sensible like they advise and having everything in moderation and if you want choc just have it?

(ducks under desk to avoid deluge)

[Northerner]

Olive oil, Do you exercise aswell or just eat sensibly? Are you related to POsh Spice?!!

[Boe]

Do you look like Olive Oil then?????

[oliveoil]

I used to look like oliveoil at school, hence the nickname, I was stick thin and teased for it . Still have complex over legs even though they are now thicker .

I was one of those v annoying types who could eat whatever and not put on weight but since I had my dd in October I have to watch my lard intake. I have the biggest sweet tooth in the world which doesn't help, but I balance it out with decent food (hubby likes to cook!). I still have around 7 pounds to go back to my pre preg weight of 10 stone/size 12ish (I am 5'11" but not too fussed about depriving myself, only want to get back into my clothes that don't fit anymore.

I am not related to Posh Spice but would like her hubby and bank balance, in that order.

[oliveoil]

didn't mean , meant )

[aloha]

Oliveoil, my weight hasn't gone anywhere. I really, really envy you. Most people when they put on weight when pg do lose it all - or at least most of it - but some people don't. Like me Am off on holiday and am delighted we don't have a pool as I can't bear to wear a swimming costume anymore.

[SamboM]

Furball if that's true you are my new best friend!!!

[Furball]

It's in here somewhere. It also says Pork scratchings are a really good alternative for crisps. I don't know about you - but I lovvve em. I'm on Slimming World at the moment, I wonder how many sins they are, probably about a weeks worth!!

[SamboM]

Thanks furball, am off to Thorntons now!

Damn it's not open yet. Do you know whether things like oatcakes and water biscuits are ok. They seem to have very little sugar in the carb breakdown.

[oliveoil]

aloha - when I say I have lost the weight, my body shape has changed dramatically - I have NO waist to speak of, no really, straight up and down, a spongy wrinkly stomach and no boobs where there used to be a nice pair and cellulite to cry at....wouldn't relish a bikini either. If I exercised it would help but if I am awake I am either working, or with dd or dh - where is the time? Life is too short, get some surf shorts like I plan to and get in that pool! .

[Tinker]

oliveoil - can I ask how old you are? You can just say pre or post 30's . I used to be exactly the same, boasting (mean I did not you)about not putting on weight, flaunting eating chocolate, crips etc, but after about 35 or so, despite no change in diet (in fact it's probably healthier now) and continued lack of exercise weight it's just creeping on. I'm by no means overweight (BMI about 24) but it is so depressing to realise that I have to watch (a bit) what I eat.

SamboM - think oatcakes and water biscuits are full of carbs - I've scoured the supermarket shelves checking these things. But, mmmm, lovely Ryvita is not so bad!

[oliveoil]

I am 33. My mum warned me that she could eat like a horse and not put on weight but said that when she had kids (3) it all changed, reckon I will be the same, size XXXXXL here I come.

I don't diet as such, just try and eat properly, don't know calorie content of anything (apart from mini eggs, 15 each!). Sorry if I sound "holier than thou", I'm not - honest, I just think that food should be enjoyed and if you want something, then eat it, within reason obviously. I know far too many women who are gorgeous, can't see it and spend all day counting calories.

Think I should buy a soap box.

[Tinker]

No, no, no, wasn't accusing you of being holier than thou at all. I used to be, well still am really exactly the same. Don't believe in diets, the industry survives on failure etc but, reality (for me) is that I can't eat as I used to

[Baba]

Well I have finished work today and took a pound of strawberries, three bananas and more satsumas than I could get on the desk......

Only to find that it was someones birthday and they "forced" me to have a piece of bithday cake, two doughnuts with custard inside and a glass of champagne.

Guess how much fruit I consumed today then????

Oh well, back to the drawing board.

By the way, I am 35, a mum of one and I used to suffer with Bulimia in my teens/twenties and I can tell you that diets do NOT work. The only way to lose weight is to come off your diet and eat PROPERLY. I observed how thin people eat for months and in my report, I realised that, yes thin people do seem to eat more chocolate and crisps than fat people - however, they cut back on their next meal or eat really healthily for a few days or even just don't even think about it - because when you come off a diet, your metabolism will start to get back to normal and you can eat more anyway. Sorry wanted to get that off my chest (not literally of course - ha ha)

[tigermoth]

I too have found that after my second child (aged 42) I seemed to put on weight more easily. Now I am not thin, and have never ever been thin, apart from two years in my teeens when I dieted furiously. I'm average - a size 14, 5ft 6 ish - but have been this size, more or less for over 15 years (but my waist size is definitely bigger than it was pre children and I have a nice spongy tummy).

What caused me to put on weight, I am sure, was lack of exercise coupled with age. After my second child I stopped running my market stall, so stopped lugging around huge bags of stuff and generally being very active for one or two days a week.

As soon as I started running - 20 minutes 3 times a week - I started to lose the weight. It didn't matter what I ate. I have a big appetite. I eat more than my husband. But I need that exercuse. I ran with a few other women colleagues - they said they lost weight too. For the last 18 months I run, swim or go to the gym to use weight equipment 3 or more times each week (or aim to). Not a lot, I'm not sporty and plenty of people do much more than me. But if I miss even a few weeks, my clothes definitely feel tighter. I know if I step up my exercise, within a fortnight or so, I will feel thinner. BTW I never weigh myself so I can't tell you how this affects my actual weight.

At the moment I get in my exercise by running to work - a 10 - 15 minute run 5 times a week. The other times I walk (20-25 minutes). Not much exercise at all, but for me it makes a big difference.

[Baba]

tigermoth - I definetly agree that exercise is the key, along with obviously eating well.

I used to go the gym every day before I had my ds and I could also eat what I wanted and not worry about it - I was careful not to get obsessive with excercise, because after having an eating disorder, I knew I had an addictive personality that may just latch on to exercising addictively which is obviously just as bad in the long term.

I used to work different muscle groups and do different cardio work so that I toned up properly. Unfortunately I have not been back to the gym since - however we do have a treadmill, rower and bike in the garage as my dh is in the fitness industry!!

I just can't get myself motivated to do anything at the minute - however, I still eat what I want and when I want and am still the same weight as I was before I had the baby, albeit not as firm!!

So girls, get off your diets, start enjoying your food and start exercising in moderation and you will be laughing and put the Atkins diet out of business for good!!

PS I read a fantastic book once about how normal weight people manage to never become fat - it basically said, when you are hungry, take a moment and THINK about what you want. Don't eat what you think should have, ie ryvitas and cottage cheese - think about whether it is savoury or sweet, smooth or crunchy, bitter or sour, etc etc and you will be listening to what your body needs, even if it is haagen daaz icecream!!