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.

“Eat it in full view” 🙄

No hiding and having to scoff a muffin in secret is not the obvious or rational solution.

I agree.
I was in a similar situation and some of the older ladies are "feeders". One actually joked she likes to make the younger girls fat so she can look the best (60yrs+). Especially when it is a home made items the workers are guilt tripped into having some and pressured by the bakers (older ladies). They literally bring slice of cake to your desk!

After I left that Job I lost 10kg!!!

Treats for special occasions only. Most large offices have a suggestion box. So if others feel the same the Manager should address it at the team meetings.

Take in some healthy snacks / fresh fruit, when you get tempted by the treat table get some of your healthy snacks out. Everything is okay in moderation :)

Who said anything about hiding? Doesn’t have to be in the stationery cupboard, just not right in front of her.
This is a very small bit of consideration I am talking about here and I am frankly surprised you are finding it so hard to countenance.

Haha I was going to say exactly the same

This is like soo saying it’s a woman’s fault for being assaulted because she was wearing a short skirt and low cut top 🙄.

Take some ownership for your actions.

I have a binge eating disorder. This is like me saying to my team, ‘oh guys pls stop bringing in all of the delicious treats because I have no self control.’

You can’t tell other adults what to do because you can’t handle the temptation. It’s annoying that there’s all these snacks around but you have to find a way to deal with it. It’s not their problem

Agree sugar can be just another addiction, like alcohol or any other drug.

I had lots of help from https://eatingless.com

Nothing off limits but thinking about how I'll feel afterwards before eating anything, means I no longer regularly eat any sugar, or any other kind of white carb. I can eat rhubarb stewed without any sweetener.

I've never felt better.

Said nothing to anyone, keep it private because do many people react strangely, taking it as a challenge . If not having anything is ever awkward, take something and wrap in a napkin, saying you will keep it for later.

Just don't swallow.

Take a pot of strawberries or something in with you to give you the sweetness you crave. Plan ahead!

Just to play devil's advocate- you could consider sending a tentative email suggesting reducing the cakes etc, to see if anyone agrees? They may do, even if they look like they have self restraint on the surface. Suggesting restricting it to 'wobbly Wednesdays' or similar. You do run the risk of some colleagues thinking you're being a d*ck tho, no matter how tentatively you email it, so u have to weigh up if that's a risk worth taking! I think if people don't agree they'd probably just ignore it.

It’s totally beyond me why people think of crappy processed food as a treat
read the labels ! Full of shite , maybe take healthy snacks to work with you chopped vegetables few bits of fruit etc
sugar in its processed from is the devils work
cancer , diabetes etc etc that’s to say nothing about all the crap they put in that stuff so it keeps for ever. do some research on junk food
maybe it will tame your sugar addiction

I feel your pain, OP. Snacks in the office is one of the many reasons I prefer to work from home. If I don’t see it, I won’t buy it and won’t eat it.

You keep mentioning that it’s a stressful job which makes it more difficult to resist the treats. It’s not at all reasonable to expect everyone else to change to suit you, but could you maybe look at addressing the stresses and managing things that way?

OP, I saw you mention 'the comfort of a Mini Roll' a few pages ago. How the hell can a MR (and associated goods) be comforting? They are gone in three bites. You are gaining weight by eating them. Which makes you feel bad on many levels, physically and psychologically. They provide precious little comfort and are, in fact, harmful. A lot like ciggies were to me before I quit. And cocaine, come to think of it (ex addict - 14 yrs clean!).

Why use food for comfort? Why do you even need comfort at work? Do you feel bad there? If you can look within, examine your own thought processes and take responsibility for your own actions, you'll soon be able to resist the lot.

If there are treats in my Staffroom I take one, wrap it and take it home. I never eat it there. I always say, ‘ooh yummy I’ll take that for pudding later’ Nobody bats an eyelid.
Is that an option for you OP?

Google Slimpod and see what you think

I’ve just returned to this thread and read the replies! Bloomin’ heck! There some straight talkers aren’t there?! Maybe some posters could do with seeking comfort in a Mini Roll themselves! 😆

Thank you to those who could empathise with my dilemma (even if you thought I was ultimately being unreasonable!) and for the many helpful suggestions. I will certainly put some into practice from Monday.

I just wanted to clarify that I’m not obese (or even close to it) At nearly 6 foot, a size 14 isn’t overly massive. There are a couple of other factors in my weight gain too, I’m not just shovelling in fistfuls of biscuits every time I make a cup of tea like some posters suggested! Essentially, I’m just someone who is approaching middle age, putting on a bit of weight, struggling with managing it and wondering if it was ok to suggest changes to one of the sources of that weight gain. Apparently it isn’t and I’ll accept that.

I haven’t read the whole thread but I completely agree with you!

Two more suggestions, OP -

1. Take in your own, healthier sweet snacks like fruit. It’s much harder to avoid the temptation of these snacks if the alternative is having nothing, and much easier if you have a juicy nectarine or apple in your bag (or whatever you personally enjoy most).
2. Read Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken. It will shed light on why it’s not just about personal willpower and why you probably don’t want to be eating so much of this stuff. A point that stuck with me is that if you took out the colours and flavours added to many of these foods, we would not even recognise them as food… it definitely put me off!

Grow up!

Essentially, I’m just someone who is approaching middle age, putting on a bit of weight, struggling with managing it and wondering if it was ok to suggest changes to one of the sources of that weight gain. Apparently it isn’t and I’ll accept that.

Good luck, OP. I know how hard it is, also approaching middle age.

I also work with a lot of younger people, with very fast metabolisms, who can eat a lot of treats with no weight again at all.

So I think this would be unfair to them if they enjoy the treats.

YABU - you can't ask the team the change because of your lack of willpower. We have constant cakes in the office for birthdays or other but rarely have any. Just make sure you have an alternative healthier snack to hand that you can have if you feel tempted

While we are at it, we should shut down McDonald's and KFC because walking past them in town is a temptation. And burger king has a drive through on the way home, that goes too.

The pastries are near the bread in the supermarket, so ban those too. And when paying for petrol, there are so many sweets and chocolates. Ban those too. I can see Gregg's from the window. They should paint their sign and windows black.

See how ridiculous you sound, op.

Well I appreciate it won't happen @ThatFraggle, but it would make for a far healthier country if we did!

As @RunBetter points out, none of these are actually food items - they are an engineered mix of flavourings, preservatives, fat emulsifiers & sugar delivering a higher calorie density than any human needs, devoid of any actual nutritional content (vitamins, minerals, polyphenoix flavinoids) and designed by the "food" industry to make us overconsume and to be addictive.

Other than, yeah just carry on & rely on willpower - it's clearly worked a treat for the 30 million or so in the UK who are overweight to the point it's affecting (creating) at least one other health condition for them!

As a practical suggestion @WhatTheFlipToDo you could try putting some cherries/raspberries/melon there as an alternative. Maybe others will want to join you on a healthier choice. But it's more expensive & doesn't give that addictive hit of sugar&fat&salt that doesn't exist in nature & is inherently addictive to humans.

Neither you or I are going to fix either of those national food policy problems here today, so good luck!

Take a pot of strawberries or something in with you to give you the sweetness you crave. Plan ahead!
I do this and also keep a small amount healthier snacks and herbal teas in my desk drawer.

I agree with PP about the ultra-processed food not being decent food. Because I try to be aware of calories across the week, I've no interest in using up a large chunk of weekly calories on UPF every day. A biscuit some days isn't the end of the world, but ultimately I'm responsible for my food intake. Nobody else.

I would do ALL of this. OP YANBU