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 think the bigger problem is that people DON’T see these things as treats. They’ve become normal food, to eat at any time of day whenever you feel like it.

Take in a cool bag of cut up watermelon and have a piece every time you look at the sweets.
Or do a reward tin.every time you look at the sweets and resist out some money in the tin then but yourself a little treat at the end of the week.
Ask to move desks or move sweet display
Ask for sweets to be covered.

Yes what helped me when I worked in an office filled with so called treats was I was a lot more fussy about things like that than others so I’d only eat a bit of cake or a biscuit etc if it was freshly laid out on the table. As soon as various people had their fingers in something or breathing/speaking over the food I’d go off it unless it was something lndividually wrapped.

Once my former manager in another job brought in out of date chocolate which I declined and she tried to riddicule me in front of others for being OTT over the best before date ?!

I laughed right back at her and told she could keep her mouldy chocolates. Some people are very pushy about it.

I struggled with insomnia in the first half of the pandemic,i WFH and found myself ordering a lot of junk. I’ve now weaned myself off that but it would have been awful to be back in the same kind of office filled with all that stuff while I was sleep deprived. It’s all very well talking about self control but being tired leads to certain cravings and the urge to binge. Again of course no one needs to consider my needs but it would be kind to. I don’t drink alcohol much and never have so it’s not a temptation, but I’d be happy with a rule that banned it from offices if there were recently recovering alcoholics who would prefer that.

You're taking the piss, right? Nobody's holding you down and forcing junk into your mouth. Take some responsibility.

I don’t drink alcohol much and never have so it’s not a temptation, but I’d be happy with a rule that banned it from offices if there were recently recovering alcoholics who would prefer that.

I can't imagine any modern workplace not having a zero tolerance policy on bringing alcohol on site/in the office with an intention to consume it while at work, unless it's a pub or restaurant holding alcohol for sale to customers.

I worked in a place where not only was there always stuff out on the kitchen table, but one member of staff would routinely go from desk to desk offering cake bites and doing the “ohhh you have SUCH willpower” bit every time I said no thanks. Sometimes when stressed by work or tired it was a lot harder to wave her away. Feeders get on my nerves.

We have alcohol at work but its locked away and occasionally had at work but after 5:00. Not a large company, only 20 something.

I worked for a heath/medical PR agency and not only was there a self service bar near reception but at least weekly they’d be celebrating something be it a new client or promotion or someone leaving etc and be handing glasses of Prosecco out to people at desks. You did stand out if you said no.

Interestingly enough they supplied healthy foods too like wholewheat bread, dairy free milk and fruit. There wasn’t so much cakes etc.

I just thought I’d pop back and update this thread. Thank you so much to those people who (even if they didn’t agree with me) made some helpful suggestions about how to manage the treat table at work (and my ever increasing waistline!) I took a lot of these comments on board and have shifted a stone and a half since I posted in July. Firmly back in my old clothes from this time last year. Phew!

I’m not sure which poster it was, but the person who told me to think of the treats in the same category as someone else’s lunch was the most useful. I’m not someone who eats my children’s Easter eggs or Halloween chocolate so I knew if I could make the distinction between food that’s mine/not mine at home then I could do it at work.

Wow well done OP.

It might help also to stop calling them treats. Junk food that makes you feel a bit sick is nearer the reality.

I can relate to how difficult it is. But essentially, you are the only person who can control what you eat.

I gained 6 stone working in a place like this and looking back I only have myself to blame. I'm an adult, I could have said no.

Lockdown was wonderful for me. I lost all the weight and have now kept it off for 2.5 year because despite there constantly being treats in work, I have the will power to say no than you.

This is up to you OP. Make a list of your reasons to want to stay healthy and stick to them. You CAN say no! X

Just seen your recent update OP.

AWESOME! WELL DONE YOU LEGEND! X

Well bloody done op! 💪

That’s a great update OP! I’m still in an office like this and what’s helped a lot is same, that is the treat food for those who’ve make the decision to join in with the bringing of crap, and although I’m welcome to help myself, I take the view I don’t contribute so it’s not for me to tuck in.

Wow! Well done!!

Well done OP - very inspiring!

It’s your adult responsibility to say no and not blame others for your lack of willpower
I work in a setting there are cakes,food,daily. Bring & share is a big deal
In a frenetic environment food is important to us. I bring my lunch daily and it’s my responsibility what I eat not anyone else
I do take food in. Savoury, salads, cakes

@Zone2NorthLondon
A little late to the party there! 😆 I’m now 2 stone 8lb down on the weight I was when I posted. I’ve laid off the treats, upped my running game and all is good.

However, that being said, I don’t think I’m alone in wanting to blame an external source for my weight gain. There are many posts with OPs who are frustrated about their partners eating fry ups in front of them; their MIL who is a feeder, even though she knows they’re trying to cut back, the mates who just can’t get on board with them not drinking.

Obviously, we’re all in charge of what we shovel in our gob but sticking to any sort of plan is a fuck load easier when there are no temptations. I think it’s ok to grumble about the frustration of that sometimes.

Aha, so in fact yes you had a plan and you stuck to it. Go you! Temptations abound and you need a reason & willpower to not deviate.