Food temptations as work can be SO hard!! I’ve tried many strategies over the years. Here are my favorites… If you make an effort and give these time, I bet the office temptations will soon be no big deal for you!
The strongest defense—and the one that takes a while to build–is the tremendous force of your own habit-making. After you resist the work temptations for a while—some people say a habit takes 21 days to build–you will do it automatically…I never even think about food temptations at work anymore! But how do you get the habits in place?
There are two defenses you can start using right away. The first defense is called distraction strategy. Research shows that if you can distract yourself for as little as five or 10 minutes, your craving for food likely will pass. Call a family member. Listen to a couple of songs on your iPod. Do some office stretches or exercises.
Most people say “it will be too hard to do that every day.” Remember: for most people, this isn’t a permanent solution…you only need to do it until your develop your habit muscle to resist the temptations automatically.
The last defense mechanism is the simplest and easiest, but you have to get up off your chair and make it happen! Keep something healthy on hand so you can satisfy your desire to crunch and munch without picking up a cookie, or a doughnut or a pile of candy! I like carrots, pickles, celery, radishes and sugar-free gum. Any low-cal food that you enjoy munching on will do the trick!
Before I sign off, as always, I want to encourage you to visit HealthyWage, which provides health incentives for everyone. Incentives make accountability fun, and studies show that incentives increase your odds of success. Check it out! Best wishes everybody!
