No one in my house interested in healthy living
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pacificsaint
Posts: 7 Member
For those of you whose family/housemates don't care about making a lifestyle change, how do you do it? One of the things I have read about bad foods, I.E. Candies or other sugary food, is don't bring them in the house. My house is filled with that stuff! And not by my choice. I understand will power is huge part of all of this, I'm just looking for some tips to make it easier. Also if you have succeeded at motivating your family to jump on board and make a lifestyle change how did you do it?
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This isn't about making the others around you live the way you live, it's about exercising self-control. Foods aren't bad, they're just food. If they fit into your calorie goals, eat them. If you can't eat them without eating the whole bag and killing your deficit, ignore them.
I've found that willpower is a lot easier when I'm not looking at sweets and thinking "Oh, no, those are forbidden".20 -
Do you. If you experience others' foods so tempting that you just take it, and that makes it hard for you to eat what you had planned, ask them to put it away so you don't see it. If your family keep offering it to you, and you don't want it, just say no thanks. If you find it difficult to say no even though you don't want to eat it, ask them kindly to stop offering.
Oh, and there are no bad food unless toxic or spoilt, and those shouldn't be tempting to begin with.4 -
I think for starters stop labeling food as bad. I have been doing this for three years and I still eat candy, sugar, etc.. The moment I stopped labeling foods (any foods) as bad the world got less complicated.
Also the moment when I realized that the world around me is not always gonna be on a diet when I am I was able to put a lot of things into perspective.. In short, if my family wants pizza and I do not, I do not have to eat that.
Now dealing with your family on how to get everyone to eat this "healthy way" you are eating, is gonna take some sit down meetings with everyone and work towards where you want to go with your eating habits.
I got all mine on board, but I am the cook in the family, if they want what I cook that's great, if not what I cook they go their own ways..
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pacificsaint wrote: »Also if you have succeeded at motivating your family to jump on board and make a lifestyle change how did you do it?
if there's an answer to this I'd love to hear it!!0 -
This isn't about making the others around you live the way you live, it's about exercising self-control. Foods aren't bad, they're just food. If they fit into your calorie goals, eat them. If you can't eat them without eating the whole bag and killing your deficit, ignore them.
I've found that willpower is a lot easier when I'm not looking at sweets and thinking "Oh, no, those are forbidden".
This.
You can't make the other people in your house eat a certain way. Sure, lead by example, plan activities that are more active, don't let them try to "pressure" you into eating another helping, etc. But you only have control over yourself.
I second not looking at foods as bad. Right now in my house I have ice cream, beer, chips, homemade Reese cups, a jar of Nutella, and cookies. All of which I'd love to go stuff my face with while standing in the kitchen. But I don't. I plan out my day and fit those things into my calories when I'm able to. I can't eat them all every day, but I usually have enough calories to have one or two of those things each day.6 -
I didn't attempt to impose my weight loss goals on anyone else in my family. Nor did I attempt to make them feel bad in any way for not jumping on the bandwagon with me, or give them an eye-rolly when I saw them making a food choice that wouldn't work for me that day.
Eyes on your own plate. As suggested, if others keep things in the house you are currently unable to resist overeating, simply ask them to keep it out of sight for now. I usually try to incorporate a treat or two into my calorie budget for the day because - for me - that kept me motivated without feeling deprived and sorry for myself.
I continued to prepare the foods my family enjoys. I simply ate smaller portions of them. On my plate, I would substitute a salad for the rice or potatoes but only if I didn't have room for the rice or potatoes in my goal for that particular day.
What ended up happening is that since I didn't go all evangelical on my family members and simply and silently lead by example, once the weight loss I was experiencing became obvious, both my husband and my daughter decided for themselves to become more aware of what and how much they were consuming in a day.
Win/win.14 -
You can only change yourself. Trying to change anyone else will only lead to frustration and hurt feelings.4
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Welcome, @pacificsaint. What a darling little baby in your avatar!
I know the feeling. I tried for years to change family, friends, roommates, lovers by asking them not to bring any type of food into the house I could not eat, or to at least keep it out of my sight. I would tell them it was bad food and they shouldn't even be eating it.
I got told off and laughed at a lot.
About three years ago, when I came here and started reading, learning, and listening, I decided to get rid of the idea that certain foods are bad. The truth was that I felt I could not control myself around delicious cake, cookies, chips, etc. A real light bulb went off when I realized that by demonizing food I was giving it power over me, when the truth always is that I have power over food. After a lifetime of demonizing food and not being able to control myself around snack foods I love, I am proud to say I now keep all foods I love in my house and that I bake quite often.
Sure, sometimes I overdo it, but that's okay. I can bank calories for a special treat, or I can just choose to eat a little bit. I always have a choice as to what I eat and how much.
Keep in mind that this issue really is about you and has nothing to do with them. You may be able to teach your children better choices when it comes to food, but your wife, other family, and friends need the freedom to choose their own dietary plans.
As someone above said, do you. Take care of pacificsaint and be an example of someone who does not see any food as good or bad but simply makes choices as to what you want to put in your body.
There's an old saying that I love......
Good luck!12 -
I cook well balanced meals (typically 50% non-starchy vegetable) that taste good. My family hasn't complained. My daughter was raised eating that way, but my husband was happy to eat whatever I made and always raves about it. We host a lot of get-togethers for family and friends and our food is well-received.
I never say - "this is low calorie food." We just cook and it happens to be good for us.7 -
Queenmunchy wrote: »I cook well balanced meals (typically 50% non-starchy vegetable) that taste good.
I never say - "this is low calorie food." We just cook and it happens to be good for us.
Love this!!!1 -
I understand that it is difficult when the people in your house are not on the same page. Especially when you want to cook these healthy recipes and everyone looks at you like you are asking them to eat something poisonous. I finally just had to to say "screw it, I'm taking care of me- yall eat what you want!"
I still cook dinner for my family as I always have. Mac and cheese, pork chops, spaghetti and meatballs...I just either opt out of some of them or eat what I can with in my calorie requirements. For example, last night we had meat with white rice. I ate the meat but substituted the white rice with brown rice and quinoa for me. I stayed within my calories and the fam was happy eating their white rice. This is what I have found works for me.4 -
I tell them to hide them from me and if they don't I throw it away3
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It's very tough to work in a house where you're the only fitness and wellness freak. I've done it all my life. My husband can't/won't eat like me or work out and I was so excited 30 years ago when i had boys and thought about having company for my mountain biking etc... but alas they weren't able to either. I tried my younger brother and he yelled at me about not being able to keep up (I waited ;o(). In any event, what I did was made myself a priority all these years and have taken time to work out every day. I rode my bike to and from work 7 miles each way and did one trail ride on the weekends when my boys were young and the house took too much time with work to get my fitness in. My family would support my efforts to keep myself in shape if I didn't make them come along. My husband had no trouble watching the boys while I did my bike ride or hike if i didn't make him come along. As for food, I cooked what I wanted to eat and I did the groceries (grilled chicken, lean meats, salads, raw vegetables, low fat dips, vinegar based dressings) and didn't cook what they wanted other than an occasional treat of a pasta meal, burgers or yes, occasionally the dreaded kraft dinner. They ate what was cooked but it left me cooking. There was soups for lunch, i had whole grain breads for me and they had white wheat (at least it was extra fiber) for sandwiches of lean meats, tuna, grilled cheese with real cheddar (old) not processed slices, banana (my favorite sandwich) and lots of fruit in the house for snacks. I didn't buy desert stuff when I did groceries so at least when they wanted potato chips, ice cream and desserts they had to go out to the store and buy it, it wasn't sitting in the cupboard. I didn't object when they left to buy it but you need very strong resolve not to join in with the chips and dip. I never bought soda, so if anyone wanted that they had to go out and buy it but I kept water cold in the fridge and lemonade freshie/koolaid made with 1/4 cup of sugar in 64 ounces instead of the cup, so about a teaspon in a glass. Not as bad as most sweetened drinks. They all drank that if i kept it made since it was easy. My boys as teens were always spending their money on soda and chips but they remembered how to cook and eat healthy later when they started gaining weight in college. They would phone and say how did you make that low fat chille or chicken such and such lol.
I used dvd workouts and still do to workout at home rather than take time to go to a gym, this made it much easier with kids to get in a workout when i couldn't get in a bike ride. Fill your house with healthy food and don't worry about if they eat it, make sure you do. It is helpful when they indulge in something if you can grab a favorite fruit or raw veggies or make a fruit and cheese plate (kiwi, strawberry, black berries, orange slices with a thin slice or pepper jack and chedar). Often my husband would then have what I was having and at least healthy when he wasn't travelling. Bagged no sugar added frozen berries in a dish with a spoon is a great treat in the summer for dessert and healthy.
As far as getting the family to jump on board... My youngest son now 30 raises his kids and lives just like I did. He rides a bike every day, lives on a bike trail, walks to work, makes most food from scratch and went on a healthy low carb regime three years ago when I told him I had tried it out and found it quite healthy and beneficial. He had been working midnights in IT at a Casino with all you can eat free buffets for the staff and gained 20 lbs (he was always slim before that and even with that on was still pretty slim) but felt out of shape. He quit that job for another without the free buffet.. then went low carb and has been doing that for 3 years. He's slim, fit and trim. He skis with me in the winter also. My husband occasionally follows a low carb diet with me but not exactly my healthy version of it, but at least it helps him control his weight in a job that has him on the road and eating out most of the year. It is the only form of any diet he has ever been able to follow, where as I follow it but hate it lol. I just find it tough to stick to but worth the benefits I get. Not here to get in that discussion though. My older son, now 33, encourages out door time for his kids, walks a ton, often to and from work each day when weather allows, takes his kids out on hikes and things on the weekends, and eats out very little, cooks from scratch at home. So though no one liked it as they grew up, or followed it full time, they all live it to some extent now. I'm very happy I put in all the effort to cook and make myself keep going out and hiking and skiing and dragging them along when they would come, as now, I see they do the same.8 -
After having our son I really have lost confidence from the weight gain during pregnancy. My husband is partially on board lol. It's easy to not put tempting food in our home but since I go to bed first, he stays up late and I know that's when he snacks ALOT! Idk what else I can say to him, it's something he will have to come to terms with. But I try to maintain motivation and continue my routine so that I can be a positive example1
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airforceman1979 wrote: »I tell them to hide them from me and if they don't I throw it away
That's pretty messed up.5 -
Queenmunchy wrote: »I cook well balanced meals (typically 50% non-starchy vegetable) that taste good. My family hasn't complained. My daughter was raised eating that way, but my husband was happy to eat whatever I made and always raves about it. We host a lot of get-togethers for family and friends and our food is well-received.
I never say - "this is low calorie food." We just cook and it happens to be good for us.
This is what I do as well... I never thought of it like that. We just eat a regular meal that happens to be good and taste good. Too many people associate "healthy food" with bland and tasteless.3 -
Queenmunchy wrote: »I cook well balanced meals (typically 50% non-starchy vegetable) that taste good. My family hasn't complained. My daughter was raised eating that way, but my husband was happy to eat whatever I made and always raves about it. We host a lot of get-togethers for family and friends and our food is well-received.
I never say - "this is low calorie food." We just cook and it happens to be good for us.
I will admit that I did find ways to make the foods I cook for my family have somewhat less of a caloric impact. Just some simple changes like a little less butter or sugar than I would've normally used. A bit less cheese on the homemade lasagna. Not enough to negatively impact the flavour of the end result, but just a few unnoticeable changes here and there. No one ever said anything.3 -
airforceman1979 wrote: »I tell them to hide them from me and if they don't I throw it away
Wow.2 -
airforceman1979 wrote: »I tell them to hide them from me and if they don't I throw it away
I love this but can't imagine actually throwing someone else's food away.0 -
airforceman1979 wrote: »I tell them to hide them from me and if they don't I throw it away
Oh, how nice.2
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