Petite Version of this Post
So the other day, I walked into the office and found these freshly baked donuts. Looks delish! But I wanted to be good and had to say no. I work in tech and I’m fortunate enough that my employer generously fills up the kitchen pantry and fridge with food galore. It’s been two months since I started and my body could tell I wasn’t eating as clean as I normally would.
Below are some ways I fight temptation. The struggle is definitely real.
[disclaim]I am not an expert in nutrition. I am simply your average health nut trying to balance a clean diet with YOLO treats in an attempt to maintain my sanity. I am human.[/disclaim] [line]Full Post
I am lucky to be surrounded by food all day. We have kitchen pantries stuffed with plenty of snacks, as well as a multiple fridges with basics like deli meat or mixed greens to make sandwiches or salads. There is also the frozen foods section should you ever crave a burrito or something like that. We even have a froyo machine. Life is definitely hard, I know. Just kidding! Fortune recently named us one of the “Best Workplaces for Millennials.”
On top of the fully stocked kitchen, we occasionally get treats like the donuts above. Sometimes, it’s hard to say no. Other times, it’s easy. Here are a few things I do when I want to be good and stay away from food that does not necessarily meet the guidelines of my nutrition plan, which is an attempt to eat clean, but still remain sane.
- Eat with my eyes (not entirely convincing, I know)
- I literally took this photo so I could satisfy cravings.
- Remind myself this will trigger my sweet tooth
- Once I get a taste of something too sweet, I will need to feed my sweet tooth the entire day with added sugar because fruit sugars won’t be enough to curb my sugar cravings.
- I thought about having just a bite, but knowing it might make my sugar craving out of control, I just couldn’t.
- I added fruit to my breakfast to cure the sweet temptation.
- I ate some protein and fat to keep me satisfied. I grabbed a banana, some almond butter, and a hard boiled egg or two from our kitchen.
- We also have Larabars here and I sometimes collect the coconut flavored ones as they are not overly sweet, but still satisfy my sweet tooth.
- I actually have some Rx Bars I keep in my purse for emergencies. (See below.) They aren’t as sweet as Larabars, but get me through my sugar cravings.
- Remind myself that although this donut is free, it will cost me a lot more to burn it off.
- This is what kills me. Sure the donut is free, but how many bootcamps or megaformer classes will I have to take in order to burn this donut off? I’m convinced it’ll be at least two classes, which is valued at about $60. So was the free donut really worth it? Not for someone who wants to lean out, especially in the belly.
- Remind myself that I have witnesses
- My co-workers know I like to make healthy choices. I’m sure they don’t care if I occasionally break my nutrition plan. However, knowing they might be watching me was enough for me to stay good.
- Drink water or tea
- I want to think this will keep me full or hold me over for an hour or two. Sometimes, when I think I’m hungry, I’m really just thirsty.
- I try to spice it up with sparkling water or a cool flavor of tea.
- Warm tea also keeps me “full” at night when I’m tempted to snack right before bed time.
- Brush my teeth
- I figure a clean palette will help me get rid of my sweet tooth. If I don’t have my toothbrush handy, I’ll walk over to the bathroom near the engineers because they have those toiletries there.
Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s ok to treat yourself every now and then. But when I indulged over the weekend or have another cheat meal planned for the week, I don’t want one donut to ruin the entire day for me.
For example: I LOVE the dried mangoes here. They are absolutely delicious, but I could tell that they are powdered with sugar. For the past two months, I noticed that I can’t eat just one serving. Once I start, I will continuously return to the kitchen and grab some more. And I just won’t know how to stop. I’ve already told a few co-workers to reprimand me if they see me reach for the mangoes. I figure some level of accountability here helps. The dried mangoes triggered my sweet tooth that I started to purchase them at the grocery store, and it’s just all bad because I can eat an entire 6 oz. bag in the course of one evening. I’m tempted to tell my grocer and cashier to not let me purchase these (along with plantain chips – another weakness of mine).
So in all honestly, I partially wrote this post to remind myself to evaluate what is worth it. I realize it’s easier for me to say no at work because I have witnesses. However, sometimes, the battle is at home, or really, the grocery store. I want to believe that if I put this out there, I will do better in holding myself accountable and not letting my trigger foods sabotage my goals.
I just feel like I am so close to where I want to be. Don’t get me wrong, I feel great and am perhaps in the best shape of my life. But I think if I have a little more self control, I’ll get to where I want. I’m a bridesmaid in a wedding this September and I want to look good in my dress, not to mention, during the bachelorette party.
[line]Conclusion
It is such a struggle to find balance between eating healthy/clean versus treating yourself. I try to know my limits before I take the dive and have that slice of pizza. A bite or two might not hurt, but three slices and I’ll feel it for days. I am not fortunate enough to eat whatever I want and still remain fit. I’ve accepted that and continuously assess when to live a little. I want to be at a point where I won’t have to second guess my choices, but genetically speaking, I’m not sure if eating what I want when I want will get me the fitness results I desire.
For those of you curious, I eat mainly paleo, but have incorporated Whole30 in my life. I’m tempted to start another round of Whole30, but just trying to see when it makes sense to start given my schedule.
Curious to hear what you do when tempted by goodies at work?
