Four pounds out from the target I circled

2026-10-11 14:31

I run a small breakfast place, so there's always a warm tray of muffins within reach. For a long time, my portion control was basically telling myself the broken cookie didn't count.

These days I pack my own lunch before the morning rush, keep a water bottle by the register, and eat at 10:30 instead of grazing until close. I'm 41 pounds down, and the target I circled on an old order pad is four pounds away.

Nothing dramatic, but my apron ties without the top loop digging in, and I got through a whole Saturday rush without a single pastry. I keep going back and forth on whether to mark the first big number when I hit it or just treat it like any other Tuesday.

For those who've crossed their first real milestone, did you celebrate or keep it quiet?

2026-10-14 03:18

Honestly, congrats on 41 down — that’s huge, especially with a warm muffin tray as your coworker. Sharp follow-up: do you actually track the “quality control” bites, or is your rule now just nothing until your 10:30 lunch?

I ask because I had to start logging every taste I ate standing up; my “tiny slivers” added up to about 150 cal/day and stalled me for a month. Now I pre-log any pastry before I even open the register, and if it doesn’t fit, I don’t eat it on my feet.

Four pounds out, what’s your maintenance plan once you hit the target? I’m weirdly more nervous about that part than the losing.

2026-10-16 10:03

The muffin tray isn't the problem. The "it doesn't count" is. I had the same thing with fryer scraps on nights.

What helped me: I log the muffin before I eat it. Whole one, sitting down, no grazing. If it fits, fine. If not, I cut it in half and walk the rest to the back. Sounds dumb, but the standing-and-picking version never got logged and never got stopped.

Question though — does your 10:30 meal actually hold you to close, or are you white-knuckling the last two hours? That's where mine fell apart. I added a second small thing around 2 and it fixed it.

2026-10-16 15:46

Night shift here. The 10:30 lunch is smart. What worked for me: muffin tray goes in the walk-in after the rush.

If it’s not on the counter, I forget it exists. Last 4 lbs took me 6 weeks. I only track weekly averages now, because night shifts make the daily scale lie.

You weighing daily or going by how your aprons fit?

2026-10-19 20:03

The broken cookie line got me — I used to log crusts I cut off as zero calories, like a liar with a spreadsheet. One thing that helped when I worked a counter job: I kept a mug of hot tea going all shift. Not magic, just something for my hands and mouth that wasn't a bite of anything.

Real question though — what happens to the day-old muffins at close? The morning rush I could probably handle. It's the last hour, alone with the trays, that would wreck me.