One of the best or worst things (depending who you ask, and if they’re on a diet) about working in an office is the abundance of free food. The overwhelming majority of the time, said free food is of the “junk” persuasion: cupcakes for someone’s birthday, the chick in accounting’s latest cookie recipe, etc. What’s an assistant to do when the call of office snacks is irresistible, but their health (and possibly their waistband) is telling them no?
The Our Lady of Weight Loss blog offers some interesting suggestions for how to handle office junk food. While some of them are a little extreme (printing out a manifesto/flyer proclaiming a junk-free zone), some are very useful. Witness:
- Drink more water
- If you do want to partake in snacks, make an effort to be more active (go to the gym during lunch, take a walk around the office, etc)
- Bring your own healthier snack alternatives
- Make friends with a fellow health-conscious coworker
- Take more breaks–the more productive you are, the less tired you feel, and the less tired you feel the less likely you are to crave sugar
When I was an assistant, I lasted a whole year living off the office free food. The motherload was the snickers candy bar. Just enough peanuts to feel healthy and just enough chocolate to still be tasty.