Co-worker Birthday = Cake = Heckled into taking a piece

Like many on this site, I have been working hard to slim down. Over the past three weeks, I have changed my eating habits (again ) and revived the gym rat in me. Unfortunately, today is my co-worker's birthday. Inevitably, cake will be served and people will basically expect me to take a piece.

In all honesty, I really don't want that cake. Seriously, I don't. It's making me feel sick to my stomach to think about eating it.

How do you deal with office treats and celebrations? I don't want to be rude by refusing a piece, but I really don't want it. I work in a small office, so if I don't take a piece of cake, there will be heckling. Should I just politely refuse the cake or take a piece and not eat it? 99% chance I won't eat the cake...

Why is this such a dilemma?

Just yesterday a coworker of mine had a birthday, and there was cake at work.  I said no thank you.  There's nothing impolite about saying no thank you, as Miss Manners would tell you, you don't even have to say why.  You can simply say that you really don't want any, but thanks anyway.  Me, I've got no problem saying flat out that I'm watching my calories if anyone questions me.  Anf if anyone pushes after that, it's they that are being rude, not you.

I had a good time at the shindig.  I sang "Happy Birthday", I socialized and participated, and said no thank you to cake.  None of my coworkers had any problem with this.  The most I got was "are you sure you don't want a piece?" to which I said no thank you with a smile, and that was that.

In other situations where a well meaning person has said something like "Oh, come on!  One little piece won't hurt you!"  I responded "I didn't lose ___ pounds by eating cake!

And you know, I have my treats.  But if I'm going to have a planned treat, it's not going to be flat, uninspiring, store-bought birthday cake!  I'm not wasting calories on that!

Original Post by yellagirljay:

screw that... i dont take it... if i get the cake, i will eat the cake... if your will power allows you to have a piece of soft, moist, sweet birthday (ummm cake )  cake in front of you and not eat it... more power 2 ya!!! but me... i dont care how loud they heckle... i'm not taking a piece!!!!

 Um yeah I ditto this... if I have a peice in front of me I will eat it. I envy those chubby chicks in my office who coyly say "Oh I'll just have a really small slice...like really small". I say F*** it! Go for the regular (or large) slice. Enjoy it, savor it. Then get you puh-tootee in the gym and hit a spin class.

You just solved your problem. :)

UGH!  The number one impediment to my weight loss:  OTHER PEOPLE!  Not that it's anyone's fault but mine, but everyone in my life seems to put my willpower to the test nearly daily. 

First, my office mates order in food every day.  And we're not talking deli sandwiches or crappy mushy italian food that can be easily resisted.  We're talking I work in NYC and they order alllll my favorites from really good restaurants: Latin, Mediterranean, Indian, Japanese, etc.  SOMEHOW I decline 99% of the time and just get/bring lunch on my own.

Then, the boyfriend with the bionic metabolism.  Perfect body, eats about 4,000 calories a day.  WTF?!  I'm not even going to get into how this tests my discipline at almost every meal.  I've taken to hardly seeing him during the work week because otherwise I really couldn't lose weight.

Finally, the friends.  We have the naturally skinny friends who eat whatever their little hearts' desire.  Then the chubbier friend who for some reason makes it feel ok for me to order fried ice cream after a healthy meal at the sushi restaurant.  That dessert set me back 850 calories the other night!  I'm still paying for it!! 

Losing weight would be a cinch if I could stay home all day, eat only my own groceries, and live like a recluse with no social interaction.  I'd be one hot lonely b*tch!