I work in an office. Over the years, I have found it EXTREMELY difficult to stay on track with my diets when there were food days ALL the time to celebrate one thing or another. Each time, I would make my mind up in advance NOT to eat from the potluck table. I mean....I'm a grown woman! I have self control! I don't have to eat a treat just because I SEE a treat...right!?! So wrong. I swear if snack blackouts were a real thing, I would be their poster child. It is like my brain SHUTS OFF and my body commences eating without me! Hahaha And I know all the tricks - like pack your own healthy treat and fill up on that, eat from the veggie tray, etc. Except there is only so much raw broccoli that you can eat before you start feeling like you might do just about ANYTHING for a cookie....mostly because its right in front of your face!
But on a more serious note, I work in management and I always have felt pressured to try the food that my employees brought in to celebrate. Particularly if the dialogue went something like "Oh you just have to try Suzie's strudel its the BEST!" And evey other person that is staring at you in the group of ten looking at you is holding a plate with strudel crumbs on it and hope in their devilish eyes. There's like no good way to get out of that without putting people off. I mean you have to try Suzie's strudel and tell her how amazing it is...even when it isn't. Don't you?
Today was the first day of this new challenge for me and also the day my company had a picnic - with brats, burgers, dogs and all the potato salad a girl could eat. I decided to take a different approach. I just told people - I am trying to get back in shape, but I really wanted to at least be able to come and spend some time with you guys. Everyone was completely supportive! And instead of feeling like I was shaking them off, they felt like I was being self-sacrificing watching them eat delicious food just so I could spend time with them. (Secretely I had already eaten my lunch - a delicious salad with taco meat). So - from now on my response at potluck will be "Oh! I bet Suzie's strudel is to DIE for....but I'm trying to be good. I'd love to sit and chat with you guys while you eat!"