Cakes and Treats at Work

[WhatTheFlipToDo]

I have worked at my current work place for about a year. I have been consistently a size 12 in clothes for two decades yet I have put on over a stone in that time and size 14 clothes are getting tight. The only variable between this job and my last one is a permanently well stocked table of ‘treats’. So, biscuits, those little M&S tubs of cake bites, donuts, Rocky bars. You name it.

It is a job where you end up incredibly tired sometimes and I have little will power around chocolate at the best of times but when I'm tired it’s a million times worse. Essentially, I eat far more sweet things now due to this bloody table of junk food. Obviously, as I eat things I replace them but then I just eat them again. I don’t know what to do. I’d like to ask the team to save treats for an actual occasional treat but, simultaneously, if I’m the only one who has no will power, is it fair to request they adapt their behaviour for me?

I feel the views in this article sum up my own well. https://amp.theguardian.com/society/2023/jan/17/people-should-not-take-cakes-in-to-the-office-suggests-food-watchdog-chief

Am I being unreasonable to want the team to cut back on the treats so I don’t get even fatter or is this my problem to manage? Genuinely contemplating leaving as I just will not be able to manage my weight without a change in workplace culture.

I agree with you OP.

where I work there are a couple of feeders who bring in hugs amounts of junk food , that they never touch themselves, and leave them next to the kettle. It’s torture every time I go to make a cup of tea.

it sits there looking so delicious…. I would never buy this junk or have it at home cause I know how bad it is…

I don’t understand the will power argument.why should going to work be an exercise in will power. If others want junk food at work, fine.. but put it in the cupboard or your desk.

I did say OP needed to find a way to control it herself, because relying on the office changing to remove the temptation isn't reliable. The "you" in "you need to get through the day without a doughnut" was generic, as anyone would know if you had not taken it completely out of context - including your own comments that prompted it - and presented it here in such a way as to misrepresent what was meant by it.

There is nothing hypocritical about my weight loss and acceptance of personal responsibility, because at no point have I berated OP for gaining weight. Why would I, when I know how easy it is and have done it myself? This is just something you have made up, presumably because you were losing the debate based on intelligent discussion and so instead tried to make it a personal attack on me.

As for the treat table, which was what we were discussing before your attempt at deflection, OP can certainly request it, but she can't demand it and so her best option is to accept she may have to do it herself. That, according to you, is hypocritical because I was once overweight.

I've had quite a lot of very dishonest posters lately and they are starting to annoy me.

It’s not other peoples fault you can’t control your Will power.

For the third time it’s not the weight loss I was calling hypocritical. It’s the fact that you’ve been overweight yourself and clearly had your issues with temptation. Rather than saying I sympathise OP because I was the same… you just tell her to control herself. Telling OP to do something that at some times in your life you couldn’t do yourself.

Presumably you're including your colleagues in your assessment of "most people"? They seem to be happy with the arrangement, so 🤷‍♀️.

Of course you can't expect other people to regulate your eating habits for you. It's entirely possible not to graxe at the treat table. That's entirely your responsibility, not anybody else's.

It is not my job or anyone’s job to regulate your food intake.

Totally agree its shit.
I'm the same and as is my workplace.

Check out the Glucose Goddess book. It’s full of great advice

I had to reply because I do strongly disagree with most of the replies. Free treats on the workplace is IMO an unhealthy workplace. Free fruit would be the way to go as employer. Most people do not have willpower. Banning the free treats, maybe cake once a month to celebrate bithdays would be a healthier workplace for everyone. If you want treats or cigarettes by them yourselve.

Just put a (light hearted) sign in the snack table along the lines of Whatthefliptodo is NOT allowed to snack from this table! I put a note on the sugar tub in my office kitchen when I was trying to get to no sugar in my tea so even if I said one sugar please colleagues knew I was trying to give up. It’s also a good reminder for yourself!

I would find that annoying as well tbh. These types of foods are specifically designed for over consumption so once you start it's hard to stop, it's not a personal failing. I read a book by Chris van tullekan, ultra processed people which I found very helpful. When I read about the chemical shit storm in these foods it ceased to make them attractive

Your problem OP. Quit the sweet treats and you won’t get fat

Can you not put a bowl of fruit there? Maybe it’ll temp you away from the junk food and it might open others eyes too.

OP you are not being unreasonable. I had the same on my previous job. It's very difficult to resist when you are stressed. It is always there on your face. And I think employers should encourage healthy eating. A bowl of fruit for example would be much better. I would mention in a meeting as a suggestion. I am sure you aren't the only one thinking like that. Didn't read the thread

Take yourself healthy snacks and munch on those instead. Also keep a bottle of water with you at your desk so you're well hydrated and less likely to want to snack. Also less tempted to get yourself a tea and pass the sweet stuff too. Maybe try chewing gum even.

Maybe download something like myfitnesspal and track everything you're eating. When you see it in front of you it brings it home how much you're actually eating and might help you not to.

I'd find it difficult too. Proper sweet stuff addict, but this is about you changing your habits not expecting the workplace to change.

How do you cope when you go in a supermarket and there is loads of sweet stuff to buy? Expect them not to sell it or manage your willpower.

I did say that I sympathise with her. Twice. Although that was earlier in the thread so I'm not surprised if you missed it.

But that doesn't change the fact that she cannot unilaterally demand that they abolish the sweet station. The only thing she can unilaterally control is herself. Which is why I said she should look to that as a solution rather than relying on her surroundings to change.

You don't have to agree with this, but it's extremely disingenuous to claim it's hypocritical to say it if I've lost weight (I lost it by controlling myself. Is there another way?), or that it equates to judging and attacking OP. It's especially unpleasant given your own comments.

If you no longer want to discuss how OP can manage the sweet station situation and instead want to attack people, may I suggest you aim it at people who have called her entitled, deluded and so on.

I'm done with your dishonesty.

Can people stop comparing eating a muffin
to smoking FFS? Second hand smoke kills. If someone lights up at their desk it has a direct health impact on people around then. The same cannot be said for having a few muffins around. It’s perfectly doable to eat a muffin twice a week in work and still have a healthy diet, maintain your weight and be happy with your life. If someone is obese it’s not just the office muffins is it? Take some responsibility for your diet and lifestyle during the rest of your life.

What kind of childish place has all this crap. Just say no. Weight gain leads to other serious life altering diseases. Stop eating it. You’re addicted and they’re enablers. This is a ridiculous problem entirely of your own making.

I have every sympathy, OP. I struggle to resist sugary stuff too if it's there. The only thing that helps is chewing mint gum or cleaning my teeth, nothing sweet tastes nice after that.

It is not my job or anyone’s job to regulate your food intake.
That's how I feel.

Sometimes I'd have chips at lunch, sometimes I'd have a salad, sometimes I'd have a biscuit from the team snack box, I'd usually join the bring and share lunches and eat the bits I wanted sometimes I'll say yes please when someone brings take out coffees in, other times I decline.

It's nobody's job to regulate my food intake and I'm also not responsible for other people's food intake

Look at it another way.
Suppose I have no trouble keeping weight off but I quite fancy a muffin sometimes.
The woman who sits at the next desk is struggling with her weight. Unlike me she finds sugar addictive and finds it really hard to stop once she has started or to say no when it is offered.
I could eat my muffin discreetly away from her. Or I could bring in a pack and offer them around and eat mine in full view of her.
I think doing the latter would make me a bit of a selfish arsehole.

this made me laugh. Savages. Apart from the total junk and rubbish how much money are people spending on food? Crazy.

OP, take some fresh fruit in for everyone and stay focused on ignoring all the sugary rubbish.

maybe read a book about the dangers of sugar it definitely made me realise the damage it can do.

I didn’t miss it, but telling someone you sympathise while telling her to control herself is not real sympathy it’s just lip service.

I am not the one here who is being dishonest. I told you 3 times what I found hypocritical in your posts, you’ve ignored it and persisted in claiming it’s because you lost weight. At this point that’s just a lie. Alors - ca suffit.

I think YANBU. I would find that hard too. And workplaces should be encouraging good wellbeing and a good balanced diet is part of that. We naturally crave fatty sugary things and when they're right in front of us can be hard to resist. I would make sure you have lots of healthy snacks around to eat instead.

My sister got very cross at a feeder at work who kept bringing in treats and just told her directly not to.

My sister is very slim but she likes a treat as much ad the rest of us and tbh I agree that people shouldn't bring in unhealthy food all the time to work. It's not good in a work environment especially when so many adults are clinically obese these days. Clearly willpower isn't working!