No one in my house interested in healthy living

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Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    It's all down to my willpower. I lost the weight with junk food everywhere. The bottom line is that you have to want to lose weight more than you want the junk food.

    The only tip I can give you is to make sure the stuff is out of sight.. that might help. And yes, focus on making tasty meals... I'm much less likely to go for the cookies if I had a satisfying dinner. Skinnytaste is great.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    edited October 2016
    I had this problem. It helped a bit when I put all the snack foods that I wanted to limit in an opaque cloth bin from IKEA on the top shelf of the pantry. It at least helped me not see the snacks every time I went into the pantry to get something. It wasn't a 100% solution... but any little bit helps, right?

    I mean... I know the snacks are there when I want to indulge. But they're not staring me in the face right before I cook everyday (which is when I'm at my hungriest).
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    airforceman1979 wrote: »
    I tell them to hide them from me and if they don't I throw it away

    So, you make others responsible for you not wanting to eat certain food? That doesn't seem right at all.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    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..

    Perfect.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,993 Member
    As mentioned, this is your issue not theirs. One cannot impose a way of eating on someone if they refuse to eat that way. They can't force you to eat candy anymore than you can force them not to.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
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    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • maidengirl_
    maidengirl_ Posts: 283 Member
    No one is dieting in my household but me. There is food in the house that they buy that I choose not to eat because I want to be healthier and reach my goals. I have lost 46 pounds so far all within a year. Now that my family sees me eating healthier and the weight dropping off, they want to be apart of what I'm doing too. Sometimes you have to be the leader of the pack :)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    pacificsaint wrote: »
    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?

    I am of the opinion that if the only way you can successfully lose weight and maintain at a healthy weight is to lock yourself in a room with no candy in it then you haven't truly learned the habits that will allow you to stay at that healthy weight. At somepoint you have to desire a healthy weight more than you desire candy and have the will power to execute on that. When you crave candy make sure you remember why you are working towards being a healthier weight in the first place (assuming you are overweight). Also, as others have mentioned, i wouldn't demonize candy...that gives it more power than it deserves. Candy is just a thing, choose to leave it on the shelf and you'll be good.

    There's something Buddhist along these lines...like it's easy to be spiritual or have a great meditation practice if you live in a cave but the true test is when you are living in the world and practicing. @BecomingBane help me out here?

    I know it was easy for me to lose weight (without even trying) in Costa Rica when none of my high calorie trigger foods were around but I didn't feel deprived due to all the amazing fruits and satiating grains and legumes. And I was very active.
  • not_my_first_rodeo
    not_my_first_rodeo Posts: 311 Member
    I think if the other people in your home are respectful of your choices, then you can do this. You can change you. You can't change other people.

    Now if they're not respectful of your choices and are trying to get you to stray from your goals and plans, that's a different conversation.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    I don't think there's one correct answer for all.

    For me I realize I have to do more, even at my expense, to get my family on board. I keep yapping to my wife on giving our daughter good, healthy foods and for us also. No one likes walking exercise and I don't need to do more for myself but I still have to drag everyone out after I come home from work. Sometimes I'm tired but what can you do? Leaving them be unhealthy isn't an option for me.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    If you live in a household with people eating chips, candy, and sugar desserts.. I disagree with all the advice that you can eat that and fit it into your calories. Those kinds of food don't nourish your body or sustain you.. basically you'll be hungry all the time. Also.. if your family is sedentary, siting around and watching t.v. it makes it worse.

    My advice is to not publicize to your family your health goals. In many situations like this.. family members will sabotage your efforts subconsciously because they don't want you to change or to feel guilty for being lazy about their health.

    Get the eye of the tiger.. buy some of your own food and healthful snacks.. and go about your life and exercise but anticipate your family putting up road blocks.. work on getting mentally strong as you get physically fit. Maybe you can end up being a good example for members of your family who secretly long to make a change.

    Good luck.. you're off to a great start joining mfp.
  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,763 Member
    all my 4 kids are out & grown. My hubby lost 65lbs but still has sweet tooth & adds to what i make & eats things i choose not to. When he's eating his goodies & offers me some i say no thank you. I can have it if I want, but if i didn't plan for it that day, i say no so i can have a nice meal & not be hungry. I can choose to have some the next day & make provision if i want.Also i've been staying away from some things that i know if i take one bite i'll eat the whole thing, like for me it's sausages. I love potato chips & do eat them but weigh out enough to fit in with my day. What really motavates me is I've lost 22lbs so far & feel great & excited & no taste is worth me going back
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    elisa123gal wrote: »
    If you live in a household with people eating chips, candy, and sugar desserts.. I disagree with all the advice that you can eat that and fit it into your calories. Those kinds of food don't nourish your body or sustain you.. basically you'll be hungry all the time.
    Yeah, but no one us saying to eat those foods exclusively. One can easily work those foods into their way of eating and be nourished, satiated and be able to hit macros and micros. Setting aside 100-300 calories for treats is hardly going to hurt.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    jennifer_417 wrote: »
    Not everyone has the luxury of being in total control of what food does or doesn't come into their home. Sure, it's a nice thought, but it's just not possible for everyone.
    Yes, self-control is the answer, but self-control is like a muscle. If you're not used to using it, then it'll be weak. The more you use it, the stronger it gets.

    I agree with this analogy - but keep in mind, when trying to build muscle adequate rest and recovery time is essential ;). Same thing with will power. That's why I find it easier to just cut out certain things most of the time, which gives my willpower muscle adequate rest between workouts. Then when I do have to use it it's not totally caput. When I tried to moderate things I struggled all the time even with relatively "light weights", from over exertion. Now that I don't rely on pure willpower when I do need to use it, I can lift "heavy". Nothing wrong with asking members of your household to keep a few things that you find really hard to ignore out of sight, at least temporarily. I was lucky in that I am the primary shopper and cook in my house, so I just avoided buying or making certain things for a while until my willpower muscle was up to the challenge. Use it, yes, but rest is needed for growth.


  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    pacificsaint wrote: »
    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?

    How many people do you have in your house? We are four people doing four different things and getting the same result.

    I am on MFP and losing weight by monitoring Calorie Deficit. My wife supports me in this with the way she cooks, and what she puts on my plate.
    My wife doesn't eat much, but uses a lot of fruit and vegetables, and is losing weight
    My daughter is the health food freak, and buys completely different stuff to what we eat. She's lost weight.
    My son eats absolutely too much, but exercises like crazy. He's losing weight.

    Perhaps the solution for you is to eat the same as everyone else in the house, but in smaller portions.
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    edited October 2016
    Try to group the candy/chips/whatever food you don't want to look at all the time in one cupboard that you don't go into very often. Then it's still there for those who want it, but much less tempting for you.

    *Note that I don't mean some out-of-the-way cupboard in the basement. There's got to be a reasonable choice in the kitchen.
  • pacificsaint
    pacificsaint Posts: 7 Member
    Thank you everyone for all the helpful posts. I understand not villainizing food and I guess I kind of have been. My thing is I'm trying to make a complete lifestyle change and although weightloss is a huge part of it I also want to reap the cardiovascular and other benefits as well. That being said I don't want to force my family to eat any way they don't want to but I do want to see them healthy, so I guess lead from the front it is! Thank you again everyone

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