I have somehow become the resident office food curmudgeon. If I ate every bit of pizza or birthday cake my co-workers try to push on me, it would be enough that even dieting and exercising diligently, I’d have a hard time losing weight. I *might* be able to manage a bit of loss even so, but it’d be very slow, and forget about actually planning any indulgences for myself in addition to that.
Add in the fact that I’m fasting during the days (have been the last week and a half and will for the next 3 weeks) and don’t eat breakfast or lunch and so don’t eat during the workday, the food pushing has reached all-time levels of obnoxiousness.
I’m not even tempted — I’m just annoyed.
When I refuse office food, it’s often taken as an affront – it’s like there’s this unspoken pact that everyone must partake of the junk food and validate each other’s dietary choices. Abstaining is seen as threatening because it withholds that validation.
I don’t even talk about the fasting because I know at least a few of them will start screening me for an eating disorder (occupational hazard when you work with therapists; they start diagnosing you even when they know they shouldn’t).
FYI, dinner tastes so incredible when you fast during the day- like unimaginable pleasure and whimsy. You really appreciate your food, and I find I fill up way faster off my dinner when it’s the only meal of the day as opposed to meal #2 or 3.
Water, fiber pills, and a bit of caffeine are the secret to getting through without being grumpy pants. Low-carb also helps slash the hunger into a small fraction of what it would be since your blood sugar doesn’t fluctuate.