The Curse of the Community Snacks

We've all seen it - the temptation of the community bowl. Sometimes filled with snack mix, other times candy, a well-intentioned box of doughnuts on a Friday morning... Ugh! So what's a girl to do???? I know, I know - the simple answer is to just say no! Nancy Reagan made it sound so simple! Just Say No!! Honestly, I think it's easier to say no to drugs than it is to pass up a cupcake! Of course, I've always feared jail...

But I digress. I'm offering some solutions below, at the request of a reader. And by the way, Reader, I am praying for you!

• Fill the community bowl with veggies. This can get costly, especially if you're the only one buying the veggies. This also can be problematic if the bowl sits out all day - who wants warm, limp celery at 4:00pm? But perhaps a few veggies here and there, perhaps a fruit bowl? And maybe it would catch on!
• Start an office-wide Get Healthy program. We've done the pay 'n weigh, where each person pays a small amount of money every week (we've done anywhere from $1-$5). A weigh-in where one person weighs another to ensure honesty and the person who has lost the highest per cent (yes, it's two words) doesn't have to pay the money. At the end of the month the biggest loser takes home the pot of money. We have varied our contests from time to time. One time we did a point system, where every 30 minutes of exercise was one point, and every pound lost was one point. You started each week owing $10, and subtracted $1 for every point you earned. By the end of the week, the goal was to owe nothing. You could come up with your own contest if you wanted - some people find them highly motivating, others don't.
• Distract your mouth. I have a friend who has TMJ and cannot chew gum anymore, so she can't follow my gum chewing advice from the previous post. Maybe she could carry a water bottle and drink it every time she passes the community snacks? Or how about having some Jello to satisfy the sweet tooth? Have a sucker or some hard candy? Maybe Tic Tacs? What about brushing your teeth? Many people won't eat after brushing their teeth either because of the taste or because of not wanting to brush all over again.

What are some of your tips and tricks???? Post a comment below and share!! You can also click here to go to Low Cost, Low Carb, a great blog with some great advice. If you need a laugh, how about clicking here to visit my friend's weigh loss blog - it's hilarious! Let's all pitch in to help each other try new things to tackle our troubles and kick the community snacks to the curb!!