It’s hard to eat healthy at work. Sometimes we have the best intentions but the environment we find ourselves in can wreak havoc on them. It’s as if our coworkers don’t care about our intentions!
When I worked at an office it seemed like every day was a minefield of terrible nutrition choices. I had to be intentional to navigate those mines and not fall victim to them. I followed a few simple practices to eat healthy at work that helped me get through them. They are so simple that anyone can follow them. Trust me!
The Office: Like College, but Not Really
I’m a Seinfeld junkie. Somehow, I relate almost everything back to some Seinfeld episode. There’s one episode in particular where Elaine denounces office parties that come with cakes and all sorts of treats. She’s so sick of every single afternoon having to sing happy birthday to someone she doesn’t really like while eating another piece of grocery store cake. Once she denounces them though, she starts having sugar withdrawals every afternoon. She didn’t realize how dependent she became on those afternoon sugar rushes.
If you’ve worked in an office, like I did for years, you know this all too well. The office is literally a haven for junk. It seems like everyday someone has brought in donuts or someone is celebrating something with cake, cookies or cupcakes.
Why is this? Why have our places of work become such clusters of sugar-laden choices? Are we somehow treating work like college…minus all the alcohol…except at happy hours of course?!
Remember how awesome college was? Or even if you didn’t go to college, those wonderful years in your early twenties? Freedom, parties, zero cares.
There were many rites of passage during those years. The first taste of freedom, our first time away from home, our first time having so much alcohol accessible.
And of course, who can forget the Freshman 15?
The thing about the freshman 15 was that we were too young to care about any real “health implications” that came with it. We were just having a great time and the freshman 15 reflected that.
The Freshman 15 came with all of the good stuff and really none of the bad stuff. We got to eat junk food, have pretty terrible lifestyle habits, and got little sleep at night but a lot of sleep during the day, often through class. We were happy, having fun, and definitely not worried about cholesterol or blood pressure and any of that adult stuff.
It’s almost as if there is an “office 15” just like there was a “freshman 15.” The problem is though, the office 15 doesn’t come with any of that good stuff. But it does come with plenty of bad stuff.
No parties, no fun, no freedom. No best friends, care-free days, or endless optimism.
Just self-loathing, depression, and severe anxiety, with some high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and maybe even some Type 2 diabetes thrown in there as well.
The reality is that it’s HARD to eat healthy at work. We are surrounded by terrible choices. Donuts, constant birthday celebrations each with its own cake and cookies, lunches out, Starbucks runs for drinks that have more sugar and calories than many desserts, and vending machines filled with junk.
While the freshman 15 is filled with happiness, excitement, and a lifetime of memories, the Office 15 is filled with loneliness, self-loathing, and depression. The Freshman 15 comes with parties, all you can eat dining halls, late night pizza, laughter, friendship, and even a little learning. The Office 15 comes with lame office parties, stale grocery-store donuts that for some reason are irresistible, co-workers you may or may not like, and GUILT!
Lots and lots of GUILT.
WHY IS IT SO HARD TO EAT HEALTHY AT WORK?
It’s often important to understand the why of something if you want to change it. If you understand the why, you can understand the root cause. And once you understand the root cause you’ll know what to address to “fix” the issue.
Why did I eat those donuts…they didn’t even taste good? Why am I sitting here eating junk food from the vending machine when I wasn’t even really that hungry (hint: you were bored and had nothing healthy convenient to eat instead)?
So why do we do this to ourselves? Make choices that don’t make us happy. Make choices we regret. Make choices that keep us up at night beating ourselves up.
It’s obvious why we make the good choices. They make us happy. It’s not so obvious why we make the bad choices. They make us unhappy and often unhealthy too.
The craziest thing is that it seems like more of our decisions are geared towards not really making us happy…not moving us closer to the life we want. I’m not a psychologist so I can’t give you the clinical reason backed by clinical studies why we do this. But I am a human that has a long history, like EVERYONE, in making poor decisions. So I think I can speculate at least a little on the reasons why.
It probably boils down to a few things.
- Boredom – we eat when we’re bored and sometimes, or most times, work is BORING!
- Inability to delay gratification
- Lack of planning (letting yourself get STARVING with no good options available)
- Laziness
- Peer Pressure
Of course there may even be deeper issues rooted in experiences that go back to our childhoods or things we are currently going through. Those though, I’ll leave to the psychologists.
Instant vs. Delayed Gratification
I think we all struggle with the decision that’s right in front of us vs. the vision that’s 3 months or even 3 years down the road.
Sure, we desperately want to finally be able to put that bathing suit on in the summer and feel confident in it. However, when it’s October and you’re sitting there staring at the clock watching the minutes tick by and it’s eight months from swimsuit season, it’s a lot easier to forget about the future and to eat that donut staring you straight in the face.
Instant gratification usually wins out over delayed gratification.
And this one stings a little bit, and it affects ALL OF US…but sometimes it just boils down to laziness. Eating junk food at the office is easy. It’s everywhere!
Eating healthy at the office is not so easy. It takes some effort, planning and foresight. And with all we have going on in our lives, that often means that eating healthy takes a back seat.
There’s a TON of external stuff coming at us all the time. Especially now in 2020. Family, finances, work pressure, politics, etc. It’s endless! And to try and stay strong and plan to eat well at work can be overwhelming. It can be enough for us to throw up our hands and say, “forget about it!”
There’s a real fear involved here as well. Anytime we put ourselves out there we are potentially setting ourselves up to fail. Failure can be a great thing. It teaches us. Not surprisingly though, failure also invokes a lot of fear in us and fear can paralyze us. What if I fail? What will my coworkers think?
And even though we’re adults, by the time we’re working in an office peer pressure can still have an impact on us.
“Oh come on and go grab some McDonald’s for lunch with us.” Or “you’re not going to have a donut?!?!” “Please eat some cake! It’s my birthday!” It can be hard to say no sometimes. Unfortunately, your coworkers don’t usually make it easier.
All these reasons are why it’s so easy for instant gratification to win out over delayed gratification.
5 Steps, plus a bonus, to eating healthy at work
So we understand the why, but now let’s address the HOW.
How do I avoid junk food at the office? How do I make healthy choices at the office?
Saying no to the junk at work and avoiding the Office 15 doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It doesn’t require iron will power and thousands of dollars, or hours and hours of work per week.
Don’t fear that trying to make this change will lead you to a miserable existence sitting at your desk thinking about those donuts in the break room trying desperately not to get up and go grab a few.
In fact, with a few simple steps, ditching the office junk will be easy. You’ll feel fantastic and be on your way to a better overall lifestyle too.
It just boils down to making a few simple choices and doing them over and over until they become habits. Once that happens, you’re basically on auto pilot. Okay, maybe not necessarily auto pilot. But over time it will become easier and easier.
Here’s what to do:
1. Make the decision to stop eating junk food at work.
I get it…this sounds too simple. But it’s important.
Our actions follow what our minds think. We live the stories we tell ourselves!
Making this decision can be internal to you or if you like you can proclaim it to everyone around you. What matters is that it’s a decision you make and most importantly a decision you mean.
It has to be genuine enough for you to believe it yourself. Our actions follow what our minds think so it’s vital that you truly believe and think this.
We can only handle so much complexity in our lives. And if you think about it, it’s amazing the amount of complexity and chaos that constantly flood us. Our phones, television, social media, cable news, traffic…it’s never ending. Making decisions helps us to handle this complexity and to simplify our life around us. So do habits. Both ease our cognitive load.
By making a decision, you are allowing yourself the ability to simplify your thought processes. If you make a true decision, one that you mean, to stop eating crap at the office, then the next time you see donuts you won’t need to agonize over what to do. You’ll have already made that decision. Now you can move on.
I completely understand that this sounds overly simplistic. But it is the absolute first step necessary. Make a decision with conviction. Stick to it. And the beauty of it is, it’ll get easier and easier.
When I was in my early 20s I decided I wanted to be a Marine Corps Officer. To do so you must first complete Officer Candidate School in Quantico, VA. Officer Candidate School (OCS) is basically boot camp for officers. It’s 10 weeks of sleep deprivation, constant hunger, never-ending physical activity, and scary dudes, Sergeant Instructors, yelling at you non-stop. Think the beginning scenes from Full Metal Jacket but with no punching from the DI’s and a little more political correctness.
The thing with OCS is that at any time past week three you are allowed to quit. The thinking is they don’t want anyone with even an ounce of doubt leading Marines. The process to get to OCS is intense and takes months, sometimes years to prepare for. You have to prepare physically and mentally. Most folks do not come to this decision lightly. Yet, even with all this preparation, I’ll never forget that within the first few days there were already a number of folks who had decided OCS “wasn’t for them” and that they were going to quit.
I remember thinking that was crazy. How could they go through so much previously to get to this point and then within a few days just think it wasn’t for them? Quitting never crossed my mind even during the most intense moments at OCS. It wasn’t because I was physically superior than the others. In fact, I was probably in the middle of the pack in that regard. And many of the people who did quit were physically stronger than me.
What it boiled down to is that I had made the decision that I wanted to be a Marine Officer and that was that. By making the decision, and meaning it, I never considered quitting because getting through OCS was just one step to my final goal.
The decision to be a Marine Officer had been firmly committed to and that was the biggest factor in how I made it through OCS without considering quitting. Even on those days when I was being yelled at so much I couldn’t remember my own name or the times I was so tired I was literally falling asleep while standing up, I never considered quitting.
Make a firm decision and the process will be easier
Yes, the first time you see those donuts it may take a little willpower to resist. Okay, more like A LOT! But you made the decision to stop eating junk at the office so you do so. However, by the 5th time you say no to the donuts at the office, it’ll be much easier.
Like everything, the more you do it the better you’ll become. And with enough repetitions, it’ll become a habit. The decision will have been made long ago and your mind will ease the cognitive load by barely thinking twice about those donuts.
2. Change your mindset. FOMO is for kids.
FOMO = Fear of Missing Out
We often think that by making healthy choices we are missing out. Or depriving ourselves. Guess what, if you do it right, YOU’RE NOT! In fact, you’ll be giving yourself the fuel to thrive. To live a life that brings you joy and makes you feel unstoppable. After the initial shock to your system, you’ll never feel like you’re missing out again.
When FOMO does start to creep in, remind yourself that you are not depriving yourself. You are allowing yourself to thrive. You are NOT missing out on anything!
3. Don’t let yourself get STARVING at work!
Yes, it’s that simple. At work, don’t allow yourself to get starving. You do that by being prepared. By having healthy snacks and meals near you at all times. Never get caught starving with nothing good to eat nearby. It’s a recipe for disaster.
4. Meal Prep
For me, this is probably the most powerful habit when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. Spend an hour or two on the weekend cooking and portioning all of your lunches for the week so all you have to do is grab them in the morning on your way out the door.
I’ve written before outlining my meal prep process step-by-step.
5. Find other people who eat healthy food at work
Who we surround ourselves with has a profound impact on who we become. Find others in the office that are living a healthy lifestyle and surround yourself with them.
BONUS STEP: If this is a possibility, work out during your lunch break.
Find a gym nearby and use that hour to your advantage. Not only will exercising during the day make you more steadfast in your decisions to avoid the junk food, but it’ll give you the energy to avoid the afternoon crash and be full of energy come that 3pm dead time.
Follow those 5 steps and you’ll be set. I think it’s fair to say your life will be changed. I know that sounds so melodramatic, but these changes can have a profound impact.
Make a decision.
Change your mindset.
Don’t get hungry.
Meal Prep.
Surround yourself with people who have similar goals.
Bonus – work out at lunch
Final Thoughts
I’d like to leave you with a couple of parting shots.
First off, believe in yourself! You can do this. It might seem difficult at first, but after a few weeks it’ll get easier.
Stop putting off until tomorrow what needs to be done today! Stop sacrificing the future for the present.
- Donuts today is sacrificing good health tomorrow.
- Donuts today is sacrificing feeling amazing in that swimsuit come summer.
- Donuts today is sacrificing playing with your kids a year from now.
- Donuts today is sacrificing walking by a mirror a year from now and beaming at your reflection with pride.
- Donuts today may even be killing you tomorrow.
Why are you dogging donuts so much you might be asking? Believe me, I love donuts! To me they are just the symbol of junk food in offices because they seem to be the most prevalent.
And I have to say, it’s not like you can’t have donuts and still be healthy. But the norm must be saying no to crap more often than not.
As they say, a year from now you’ll wish you had started today.
Two final points:
- If you fall off the wagon, hop right back on. We’re all human. We all make mistakes! DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP. Don’t let that one mistake turn into 50. Don’t let one weak moment derail everything. Don’t let one candy bar from the vending machine lead to a month of gorging.
If you have a moment of weakness, remember the decision you made and WHY you made it. Get right back on track and brush it off. People often make one mistake and just give up. Don’t do that!
- And second, this is a weird parting shot, but be ready for EVERYONE to be all up in your business! All of a sudden EVERYONE will care about what you’re eating or what you’re not eating.
“Oh, look at James…eating a healthy lunch making us all look bad.”
“You’re not going to eat any donuts?!?! Why not? Go ahead and just eat one.”
“Just come to McDonald’s with us!”
“Cake in the break room everyone…of course James isn’t going to eat any!”
You’re going to wonder why in the world everyone is suddenly so interested in what you’re doing. The reality is it’s because you’re inspiring them. They’re noticing your positive choices and deep down it’s making them start to think about their own choices. It may not seem like that, but trust me, it is.
One thing I can promise you is that if you keep making these positive healthy choices at work, it won’t be long before some of these same people who seemed so concerned that you weren’t partaking in the office donuts will soon be asking you for advice on how to eat healthy at the office.
Before you know it you’ll be spending your time explaining how you meal prep, or what snacks you keep at the desk, or how in the world you cannot have a sugar-filled Starbucks drink every morning.
While the freshman 15 is something we love to joke and reminisce about, the reality is that the Office 15 can be a serious subject. It’s often accompanied with real, serious health consequences. It can also have devastating effects on our mental well-being and our self-esteem.
But the amazing thing is that if you implement these five steps you can spare yourself this pain. And honestly, it’ll quickly become a habit and something you won’t have to think twice about. And not to mention the positive choices you make at the office will most likely lead to more positive life choices outside of the office. You’ll feel so great at the office you’ll want to feel the same way all the time.
These are all things I noticed when I decided to eat healthy at work.
It’s that compound effect again. It works in investing, and it definitely works with your health.
Stick with this plan and before you know it you’ll be able to walk right by those stale donuts from the grocery store and not think twice about them.
You won’t be depriving yourself. You’ll finally be thriving.