How to find the motivation for following a diet plan?

sangeet1978

Hello,

I am so very interested in following a healthy diet plan to achieve weight loss and stay healthy. However, since I cook differently for my husband and son, I don't find the motivation to prepare something different for me and end up eating what I make for them.

Please tell me how to find the motivation to follow my own goal and prepare my own meals.

Iam a stay at home mom, so I do have the time after they both leave the house around 8.45 and until my son comes back at 4.30 pm.

My mind is just not up there.

Thanks for your comments.

Cheers, SV.

kristen6350

Eat what you make them, just eat less. You don't need a diet plan to lose weight or to eat certain foods. You just need to log and keep under a calorie limit.

I cook dinner for my BF and I. I eat what he eats but the amount that fits into my day calorie wise. We eat pizza, spaghetti, etc. I just eat less than I would before. And fill up on salad. Or Veggies.

But honestly, cold hard truth. Your mind HAS to be in this to make it work. You are the only one that you can rely on when the going gets crappy.

middlehaitch

You don't have to eat a special diet, eat less, and log your calories.
If you want more veg than they like, just do extra for yourself.
Don't over think it; make it as simple as possible- that's how you will stay with it.
Cheers, h.

BodyByButter

Sometimes I think people ask this question because they think they have to eat "diet food". The key is to have a main dish that you both like and vary the sides. Last night I made BBQ pork chops - the same recipe we have always used. My daughter wanted mac and cheese so I made that but didn't eat any myself. My sides were vegetables - roasted potatoes, carrots, peas. Everyone was free to mix and match sides and we were all happy.

yoovie

you're actually supposed to make it yourself, however you know how.

Branstin

Unless you are under the care of a dietitian for health issues, you don't have to cook separately.

Ready2Rock206

Don't do some strict plan. Cook healthy for your whole family. Let them eat bigger portions if they'd like. Don't you want hubby & child to be healthy too? Make it a family thing. Try to lighten up your favorite recipes if they are high calorie.

EmmieBaby

kristen6350 wrote: »

Eat what you make them, just eat less. You don't need a diet plan to lose weight or to eat certain foods. You just need to log and keep under a calorie limit.

I cook dinner for my BF and I. I eat what he eats but the amount that fits into my day calorie wise. We eat pizza, spaghetti, etc. I just eat less than I would before. And fill up on salad. Or Veggies.

But honestly, cold hard truth. Your mind HAS to be in this to make it work. You are the only one that you can rely on when the going gets crappy.

^ding ding

Whittedo

Just a suggestion but maybe you need to examine your whole family's meal plan. If what you are cooking for your husband and son is causing you to gain weight then chances are that the family diet is affecting them as well. If they live an active lifestyle and your is a bit more sedentary add exercise during the hours when they are not home. Joining a fitness class at the local YMCA or Community Centre is a great way to make new friends who can help with the motivation.

hortensehildegarde

However it is you do it, it is important you get your mind there. In fact, in my opinion getting your mind on track is the one thing that dictates success in losing weight. It was for me, and from what I read many others as well.

It's really not hard to lose once you learn the tools and care to bother actually doing it (at least, it's not hard to lose when you have a chunk to lose. Those last 10 "vanity" lbs can be a bear and require some actual sweat).

Best advice I can offer is try to go as slowly as possible. Heck, even if you eat 2 less bites of whatever you prepare for your family that you also eat those bites add up. You can do it! Find small places to make changes.

sherbear702

Whittedo wrote: »

Just a suggestion but maybe you need to examine your whole family's meal plan. If what you are cooking for your husband and son is causing you to gain weight then chances are that the family diet is affecting them as well. If they live an active lifestyle and your is a bit more sedentary add exercise during the hours when they are not home. Joining a fitness class at the local YMCA or Community Centre is a great way to make new friends who can help with the motivation.

What he said. Also, what everyone else has said. You don't need to cook seperately for yourself. My family eats what I make. Period. If they don't like it, then can feed themselves. However, I'm a pretty good cook so there are never any complaints. I just cook using smarter food choices. For example, I'm making Taco's tonight, but instead of using ground beef, I'm using lean ground turkey. Instead of fully loaded cheese, I'm going to use reduced fat cheese. My family rarely notices when I make food substutitions and if they do, they don't comment about it.

You're healthy eating habits will affect them by osmosis.

markiend

Pick out a photo of me when I had a 38" belly , where I wheezed myself up the steps inside the Arc De Triomphe and say to myself... Oi fatboy !!!! is that what you want to feel and look like ?

It's usually enough to put me back on track.

You have to want to do it or you won't. Those are my reasons that spur me on. No more fatboy

kbmnurse

Just eat the portion size.

Capt_Apollo

sangeet1978 wrote: »

Hello,

I am so very interested in following a healthy diet plan to achieve weight loss and stay healthy. However, since I cook differently for my husband and son, I don't find the motivation to prepare something different for me and end up eating what I make for them.

Please tell me how to find the motivation to follow my own goal and prepare my own meals.

Iam a stay at home mom, so I do have the time after they both leave the house around 8.45 and until my son comes back at 4.30 pm.

My mind is just not up there.

Thanks for your comments.

Cheers, SV.

they are your own goals. they should be simple enough to get to. don't say "i want to run a marathon in under 4 hours next year" if you've never ran a single step!

eat what the rest of your family eats. i'd find it pretty hard to make two meals every night too. just eat less of what they eat.

silentKayak

I cook for my whole family, and I'm the only one with a weight problem. My husband watches his weight, and my kids are very active and eat "whatever".

I cook one main dish. I use "light" cooking methods (more veg, less meat, lighter meats, less oil, all fat trimmed). For example a hamburger USED to be all beef. Now it's 50% beef, 50% turkey with added onion, kale, mushrooms, and other veggies mixed right in. I eat a smaller portion of the meat dish. They can have more if they want.

I make a salad every day, and most days either a stirfry or other vegetable dish. I eat a larger portion of vegetables than the rest of my family.

I avoid the rice, bread, and potatoes, or just have a taste.

Sauces and butter are added at the table instead of during cooking.

If they want dessert, they get it themselves after I leave the table. I might eat a bite of chocolate or something later.

The whole family has benefitted from less oil in the cooking, fewer starch-based meals (e.g. risotto, pasta), and a wider variety of vegetable and fruits.

enterdanger

I'm the cook. People eat what I make or go hungry....Although I will substitute some items for my little guys (2 and 4 year olds) if it's just super kid unfriendly.

I get that they don't like shrimp and grits. They do like chicken nuggets and grits....gross.

kommodevaran

Make a good diet plan that motivates you.

Need2Exerc1se

OP, do you require a special diet due to a medical condition? If not, I'd recommend including healthy options in everyone's meals. There is nothing wrong with healthy balanced meals for everyone, right? Then you can just cut back on whatever you don't see as "worth it" to meet your calorie goals.

You don't have to eat "diet food" while losing weight. Just eat balanced meals that you enjoy, while keeping a deficit. Best of luck to you!

dopeysmelly

Use the recipe builder in MFP to figure out the nutritional value of a batch of whatever you are making and then give yourself a portion which fits your needs.

Kalikel

Looking at my body and wanting to be my healthiest keep me on track. I'm not making two different meals, though. I understand how tempting it is to just give up and eat what you're making for others. Been there!

At first, it's hard to eat the healthier stuff and watch people eating the stuff you've given up. It gets easier, though, if that helps any. Eventually, you're glad to be eating different things! It still sucks to have to do two different meals, though.

It's a "you and your family" issue and you'll make the right choice for you.

williams969

enterdanger wrote: »

I'm the cook. People eat what I make or go hungry....Although I will substitute some items for my little guys (2 and 4 year olds) if it's just super kid unfriendly.

I get that they don't like shrimp and grits. They do like chicken nuggets and grits....gross.

^^This. We have one "non beef eating" child. So he gets chicken on steak night (easy sub, I have chicken pieces I precook and freeze). Other than that, I eat what my family eats and vice versa.

I tried the "I'm going to eat steamed chicken breasts and broccoli, brown rice and sweet potato" diet (example of something unnecessarily difficult and strict), while I prepared completely different (and tastier, and still well balanced and nutritious) things for the rest of the family.

Yeah, that didn't last long (about 1 week). Then I started 'listening' to the reasonable advice by many of the same people sharing the same sentiment with you now. Unsustainable, unrealistic, and completely ridiculous to add that much more work and pressure on me. And very lonely and isolating. Just my experience.

jaz100_nz

The best way to stick with it is to slowly change the family to a healthy eating and lifestyle. Otherwise you achieve your goal, go back to your old ways, and put it all back on.

Adjust your cooking style of existing recipes to contain less fat, more veg, replace carbs with wholegrain versions (serve curries with brown rice, quinoa or cous cous instead of white rice etc), and choose leaner cuts of meat.

Serve yourself a smaller portion than normal.

Start a meal with a filling vegetable soup or salad to take the edge off your appetite.

Add sides of potatoes, rice etc for the rest of the family but don't eat them yourself.

sangeet1978

I personally thank each and every one of you who've taken the time to share their minds here.

Each one is so sensible in their own way.

After contemplating on the topic for the last 3 days, I have boiled down to the following -

1. Log into MFP every single day.
2. Maintain a 1200 to 1400 calories.
3. Follow the nutrition (to see where I need to find a balance in my diet)
4. Try and stay close to the nutrition goals.
5. Exercise atleast lightly for 5 days a week.
6. Dont count back Exercise calories.

Iam working on making this commitment. Just wrote down and stuck it to the refrigerator as a way of reminding myself.

Please feel free to add ur 2 cents to this.

Thanks much. SV

sangeet1978

Ready2Rock206 wrote: »

Don't do some strict plan. Cook healthy for your whole family. Let them eat bigger portions if they'd like. Don't you want hubby & child to be healthy too? Make it a family thing. Try to lighten up your favorite recipes if they are high calorie.

Sounds really like an idea! Trying to make this a family affair.

clambert1273

sangeet1978 wrote: »

I personally thank each and every one of you who've taken the time to share their minds here.

Each one is so sensible in their own way.

After contemplating on the topic for the last 3 days, I have boiled down to the following -

1. Log into MFP every single day.
2. Maintain a 1200 to 1400 calories.
3. Follow the nutrition (to see where I need to find a balance in my diet)
4. Try and stay close to the nutrition goals.
5. Exercise atleast lightly for 5 days a week.
6. Dont count back Exercise calories.

Iam working on making this commitment. Just wrote down and stuck it to the refrigerator as a way of reminding myself.

Please feel free to add ur 2 cents to this.

Thanks much. SV

I think its a good plan I don't know your weight, height, age factors so I can't give a determination on the calorie intake .. for me it would be too low I eat 1600 right now with 0 exercise lol That is MY prime level... and I don't restrict anything. I just ate a red velvet cupcake with my lunch

HeySwoleSister

Whittedo wrote: »

Just a suggestion but maybe you need to examine your whole family's meal plan. If what you are cooking for your husband and son is causing you to gain weight then chances are that the family diet is affecting them as well. If they live an active lifestyle and your is a bit more sedentary add exercise during the hours when they are not home. Joining a fitness class at the local YMCA or Community Centre is a great way to make new friends who can help with the motivation.

So much this. Eating preferences and habits are built in childhood. How many people on MFP struggle with their installed "buttons" that lead them to associate calorie-dense foods with satisfaction and comfort? Time to build a love of healthy meals in your son NOW. Portion control for the whole family means that everyone gets the calories and macro and micro nutrients they need to fuel their health. Everyone's a winner.

mymodernbabylon

I would eat back 1/2 of your exercise calories. And make sure you measure/weight EVERYTHING.

sangeet1978

Ok. Point noted!