Pharmaceutical Rep Lunches - A New Kind of Torture

I have mentioned a couple of times how Devon and I joined Weight Watchers last weekend.

I have also mentioned that I work in a small doctors office.

Did you know that when you work in a doctors office, representatives from drug companies will give you stuff for free? It's technically a ploy to bribe the doctors into writing prescriptions for their medication, but they (and the doctors) like to pretend that this isn't true because that would be dishonest.

They used to bring us awesome pens, sticky note pads, staplers, tape dispensers, paperclip holders, candy dishes... all kinds of goodies, all splashed with their medications logo. This had to stop, unfortunately, effective January 1, 2009 because the FDA finally figured it out that it was bribery and deemed it illegal. I secretly agree with them, but I do miss the free pens.

Every Thursday and Friday, we have a drug rep come to our office and bring us lunch. And let me tell you, we get good lunches. Sandwich platters and salad from Panera Bread, eggplant parm and pizza from Mario Fazio's, amazing fresh baked cookies from Max and Erma's that are still warm when they get to our office...

Imagine, if you will, what a problem this is for me now that I am doing Weight Watchers. I can't just stuff my face with whatever delicious dishes (ha) they bring! That would sabotage my weight loss! I would lose all my points for the day, possibly even the entire week! No, it was safer to bring my own packed lunch today. (Luckily, yesterday, a Thursday, the rep who was scheduled to bring us lunch canceled on us. Whew!)

For lunch today I brought:
1 sandwich constructed of 3 slices of turkey, 1 slice of mozzarella cheese, 1 tsp honey mustard, and a big ass handful of sprouts!!!
16 Wheat Thins (Yes, 16. I counted them. Because that is 1 serving.)
1 low fat string cheese
1 small banana
1 giant bottle of black cherry flavored sparkling water

For lunch today the drug rep brought:
1 giant salad with assorted veggies (such as tomatoes, sprouts, green peppers, sliced carrots), walnuts, dried cranberries, avocado, etc.
1 giant sandwich platter consisting of assorted wrap sandwiches (that all looked really freaking delicious)
1 giant platter of giant assorted cookies (why?! WHY?!)

So I, being freshly joined on the Weight Watchers plan and still motivated, happily ate the lunch I brought, but I supplemented it with some salad. I picked around all the good stuff on the salad so all I had was veggies, and put a little dressing on it, and I think I did ok. It seems to satisfy my cravings for free food. I'm pretty proud of myself for not cracking, because let me tell you, when it hit noon and I was starving, I almost lost it and botched my diet!

No, I won't call it a diet, because it's NOT a diet. It's a lifestyle change. :)

However, those cookies need to go. I can't handle the cookies.