Navigating the Office Minefield of Temptation

Going into this whole "get fit" thing, I knew one of my toughest challenges would be sticking to my guns at the office. Why? Let me paint the picture for you:

• Post-meeting bagels and double-chocolate muffins, just there for the taking
• Huge jars filled with "mini" candies like Snickers and Reese's on people's desks--free to hungry passersby
• Tins full of homemade cookies or fudge, baked by some well-meaning employee who just wants to do something nice for her coworkers
• Food ordered for breakfast or lunch meetings, ranging from Donato's pizza (34 grams of fat per serving) and 380-calorie chocolate chunk cookies to Bruegger's 600-calorie bagel sandwiches with chips and cookies.
  
• Goodies sent by vendors trying to get on our good side
• Cakes, cakes, cakes to celebrate every occasion
  

As you can see, it's not easy to see tempting treats at every turn and not gobble them up immediately. I used to, all the time, without a second thought.

Now, I stop... take a deep breath... and walk on by. I turn to my secret drawer of healthy snacks as an alternative, or for lunch meetings, eat my regular healthy lunch while everyone else happily scarfs the pizza or sandwiches.

At such times, I try not to feel sorry for myself or judge my coworkers. Rather, I remind myself that this is a conscious choice. I want to eat my healthy stuff and reject the temptations because of long-term, numerous benefits. But man, when it's 3 p.m. and my tummy starts growling and I'm inches away from a tin of Bailey's Irish Creme chocolate fudge ... I consider it a small miracle that I can turn away.