Hungry Girl (83 page)

If you show up in the conference room and announce that you aren't having any cake, you can be sure you will be hassled and berated until you're forced to eat a sugary slice, while everyone stares at you. Instead, take a piece, celebrate with everyone, and have a bite or two. Then fiddle with it, put it down, and slip out of the room. Reward yourself later with a small, sweet snack in your office—like a lollipop. Or squash the craving for cake altogether by popping a mint or chewing on some intensely flavored gum.

Convenience stores are all about fatty, starchy, calorie-packed foods. Steer clear of any "meal" that is prepackaged. Those pre-made sandwiches are typically slathered with mayo, cheese, and other fatty extras. And those cellophane-wrapped bagels that come slathered in huge amounts of butter or cream cheese can contain 500+ calories and enormous amounts of fat. Eeek!

Don't think for a second that a muffin is a better choice than a donut or even a greasy loaded breakfast sandwich. Muffins can contain 400 to 700 calories and as much as 30 grams of fat. With stats like those, you might as well have a hot fudge sundae for breakfast! (HG Note: That is NOT a recommendation to eat ice cream for breakfast.)

Beware of the condiment bar. Chili, nacho cheese, and mayo are the condiment bar's worst offenders. If you need a condiment fix, go for the ketchup, chopped onions, mustard, or relish. They'll add taste without the extra fat and calories.

If you must have soda, make sure it's diet. And, unless you're running a marathon, get a 12-ouncer. No normal human needs 52 ounces of artificially sweetened chemicals.

Can't imagine a summer without Slurpees? There are several low-cal options to choose from. Look for Crystal Light and diet soda Slurpees, and save the 240+ calories in the regular ones for things you can actually chew.

Stopping in for your morning coffee? Those cappuccino and hot cocoa machines are pumping out tons of calories. Go for flavored coffee (virtually calorie-free) instead. Then add some no-calorie sweetener and fat-free milk. Some stores even stock those yummy sugar-free (and calorie-free) flavored syrups. Yes!

I WANT CANDY!

Most convenience stores are a good place to find retro candy. These candies may not be healthy, but they're fat-free and fairly low in calories. And they're certainly better than a lot of the other foods around. Treat yourself to one of these classics every once in a while.

Jawbreakers
Pop Rocks
Blow Pops
Ring Pops

Red Hots
Lemonheads
Atomic Fireballs
Runts

Smarties
Pez
Pixy Sticks
Razzles
Fun Dip