Family is no help!
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chelseahatch24 wrote: »You can stick with portioning the main dish, and just request a different side (i.e. asparagus vs rice). But don't make your family do everything. If you're not working, then you can go grocery shopping with them (or go on your own), and pick/cook what you want to eat. Better yet, make "healthier" versions of their favorite meals. Coming from a similar situation (not working due to health), take this time to really learn how to cook. It will suck at first if you're not a cook to begin with, but keep it simple, and it will be fun to experiment!
I do all the cooking in the house, but we are from the south where everything is either smothered or fried and they refuse to eat it any other way lol
I live in the south and not EVERYTHING is smothered or fried. This is a false statement.
It's not uncommon for families in the south to fry EVERYTHING. I know, I live in the south. I eat with these families.
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TavistockToad wrote: »Seeing as you're unemployed why don't you offer to help by shopping and cooking sometimes?
I actually do all the cooking right now because my grandparents are sick.
So then you can portion out the amount you can eat to fit your calories.
Again, given that you're not working, why not cook 2 meals if you don't want to eat the same as them?1 -
chelseahatch24 wrote: »You can stick with portioning the main dish, and just request a different side (i.e. asparagus vs rice). But don't make your family do everything. If you're not working, then you can go grocery shopping with them (or go on your own), and pick/cook what you want to eat. Better yet, make "healthier" versions of their favorite meals. Coming from a similar situation (not working due to health), take this time to really learn how to cook. It will suck at first if you're not a cook to begin with, but keep it simple, and it will be fun to experiment!
I do all the cooking in the house, but we are from the south where everything is either smothered or fried and they refuse to eat it any other way lol
I live in the south and not EVERYTHING is smothered or fried. This is a false statement.
It's not uncommon for families in the south to fry EVERYTHING. I know, I live in the south. I eat with these families.
You missed what I said I said NOT EVERYTHING is fried in the south. To place blame on that is ridiculous.0 -
chelseahatch24 wrote: »chelseahatch24 wrote: »You can stick with portioning the main dish, and just request a different side (i.e. asparagus vs rice). But don't make your family do everything. If you're not working, then you can go grocery shopping with them (or go on your own), and pick/cook what you want to eat. Better yet, make "healthier" versions of their favorite meals. Coming from a similar situation (not working due to health), take this time to really learn how to cook. It will suck at first if you're not a cook to begin with, but keep it simple, and it will be fun to experiment!
I do all the cooking in the house, but we are from the south where everything is either smothered or fried and they refuse to eat it any other way lol
I live in the south and not EVERYTHING is smothered or fried. This is a false statement.
It's not uncommon for families in the south to fry EVERYTHING. I know, I live in the south. I eat with these families.
You missed what I said I said NOT EVERYTHING is fried in the south. To place blame on that is ridiculous.
I don't think that's what OP was saying at all.2 -
chelseahatch24 wrote: »chelseahatch24 wrote: »You can stick with portioning the main dish, and just request a different side (i.e. asparagus vs rice). But don't make your family do everything. If you're not working, then you can go grocery shopping with them (or go on your own), and pick/cook what you want to eat. Better yet, make "healthier" versions of their favorite meals. Coming from a similar situation (not working due to health), take this time to really learn how to cook. It will suck at first if you're not a cook to begin with, but keep it simple, and it will be fun to experiment!
I do all the cooking in the house, but we are from the south where everything is either smothered or fried and they refuse to eat it any other way lol
I live in the south and not EVERYTHING is smothered or fried. This is a false statement.
It's not uncommon for families in the south to fry EVERYTHING. I know, I live in the south. I eat with these families.
You missed what I said I said NOT EVERYTHING is fried in the south. To place blame on that is ridiculous.
I purposefully capitalized "EVERYTHING" so you would know that I did not miss it.4 -
Chef_Barbell wrote: »chelseahatch24 wrote: »chelseahatch24 wrote: »You can stick with portioning the main dish, and just request a different side (i.e. asparagus vs rice). But don't make your family do everything. If you're not working, then you can go grocery shopping with them (or go on your own), and pick/cook what you want to eat. Better yet, make "healthier" versions of their favorite meals. Coming from a similar situation (not working due to health), take this time to really learn how to cook. It will suck at first if you're not a cook to begin with, but keep it simple, and it will be fun to experiment!
I do all the cooking in the house, but we are from the south where everything is either smothered or fried and they refuse to eat it any other way lol
I live in the south and not EVERYTHING is smothered or fried. This is a false statement.
It's not uncommon for families in the south to fry EVERYTHING. I know, I live in the south. I eat with these families.
You missed what I said I said NOT EVERYTHING is fried in the south. To place blame on that is ridiculous.
I don't think that's what OP was saying at all.
I wasn't speaking to the OP0 -
chelseahatch24 wrote: »Chef_Barbell wrote: »chelseahatch24 wrote: »chelseahatch24 wrote: »You can stick with portioning the main dish, and just request a different side (i.e. asparagus vs rice). But don't make your family do everything. If you're not working, then you can go grocery shopping with them (or go on your own), and pick/cook what you want to eat. Better yet, make "healthier" versions of their favorite meals. Coming from a similar situation (not working due to health), take this time to really learn how to cook. It will suck at first if you're not a cook to begin with, but keep it simple, and it will be fun to experiment!
I do all the cooking in the house, but we are from the south where everything is either smothered or fried and they refuse to eat it any other way lol
I live in the south and not EVERYTHING is smothered or fried. This is a false statement.
It's not uncommon for families in the south to fry EVERYTHING. I know, I live in the south. I eat with these families.
You missed what I said I said NOT EVERYTHING is fried in the south. To place blame on that is ridiculous.
I don't think that's what OP was saying at all.
I wasn't speaking to the OP
You originally were. *shrug*
What's the big deal? :huh:4 -
You can stick with portioning the main dish, and just request a different side (i.e. asparagus vs rice). But don't make your family do everything. If you're not working, then you can go grocery shopping with them (or go on your own), and pick/cook what you want to eat. Better yet, make "healthier" versions of their favorite meals. Coming from a similar situation (not working due to health), take this time to really learn how to cook. It will suck at first if you're not a cook to begin with, but keep it simple, and it will be fun to experiment!
I do all the cooking in the house, but we are from the south where everything is either smothered or fried and they refuse to eat it any other way lol
Smothered.......serve sauce on the side, or take your serving out before it get's smothered. Fried.....this is (somewhat) in your control too. They can have fried fish; but you could bake yours.
The other alternative is to have just a small portion of these higher calorie meals. Maintenance is going to work the same way. There will be recipes you don't want to mess with, and that's okay. Work in as many non-starchy veggies as they can stand. These will "bulk" up your servings with fewer calories.1 -
chelseahatch24 wrote: »chelseahatch24 wrote: »You can stick with portioning the main dish, and just request a different side (i.e. asparagus vs rice). But don't make your family do everything. If you're not working, then you can go grocery shopping with them (or go on your own), and pick/cook what you want to eat. Better yet, make "healthier" versions of their favorite meals. Coming from a similar situation (not working due to health), take this time to really learn how to cook. It will suck at first if you're not a cook to begin with, but keep it simple, and it will be fun to experiment!
I do all the cooking in the house, but we are from the south where everything is either smothered or fried and they refuse to eat it any other way lol
I live in the south and not EVERYTHING is smothered or fried. This is a false statement.
It's not uncommon for families in the south to fry EVERYTHING. I know, I live in the south. I eat with these families.
You missed what I said I said NOT EVERYTHING is fried in the south. To place blame on that is ridiculous.
I purposefully capitalized "EVERYTHING" so you would know that I did not miss it.
Right,.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Seeing as you're unemployed why don't you offer to help by shopping and cooking sometimes?
I actually do all the cooking right now because my grandparents are sick.
So then you can portion out the amount you can eat to fit your calories.
Again, given that you're not working, why not cook 2 meals if you don't want to eat the same as them?
I know what you mean but when you have a grandmother with dementia that is possessive about her kitchen and gets violent you will learn to minimize your time in the kitchen lol. Most days I do my best to cook separately but it's becoming more and more of a battle the sicker she gets.0 -
Chef_Barbell wrote: »chelseahatch24 wrote: »Chef_Barbell wrote: »chelseahatch24 wrote: »chelseahatch24 wrote: »You can stick with portioning the main dish, and just request a different side (i.e. asparagus vs rice). But don't make your family do everything. If you're not working, then you can go grocery shopping with them (or go on your own), and pick/cook what you want to eat. Better yet, make "healthier" versions of their favorite meals. Coming from a similar situation (not working due to health), take this time to really learn how to cook. It will suck at first if you're not a cook to begin with, but keep it simple, and it will be fun to experiment!
I do all the cooking in the house, but we are from the south where everything is either smothered or fried and they refuse to eat it any other way lol
I live in the south and not EVERYTHING is smothered or fried. This is a false statement.
It's not uncommon for families in the south to fry EVERYTHING. I know, I live in the south. I eat with these families.
You missed what I said I said NOT EVERYTHING is fried in the south. To place blame on that is ridiculous.
I don't think that's what OP was saying at all.
I wasn't speaking to the OP
You originally were. *shrug*
What's the big deal? :huh:
It was a statement. No big deal0 -
jennybearlv wrote: »Could you be a bit more precise: what is your family cooking and what is missing? You do not need diet food to loose weight, however vegetables and fresh fruit are definitely helpful. But as vnb_208 said, portion size and avoiding liquid calories are a big part of the equation. Whatever you do, do NOT look at it as "dieting", i.e. a punishment limited in time, but commit to changing your eating habits for good.
Well I am trying to take red meat and fried food out of my diet. I have already discontinued rice from my diet but I love bread and sweets so I am trying to wean myself off of them. However my family continues to request red meat, fried food, and sweets. They are on a fixed income so it is expensive to try and cook two different dinners daily.
It sounds like you are trying to cut out a lot of foods. That is not necessary. My husband is from the south, likes his current weight, and refuses to eat the healthy stuff I grew up on out west. So, I cook the greasy fatty food with rice or potatoes for dinner and honestly it's delicious! I just eat a lot lighter during the rest of the day and watch my dinner portions. Would your family object to buying a few healthier options for you to eat for breakfast and lunch?
No we basically do bacon, sausage, biscuits, pancakes, oatmeal, eggs, and grits. Lately I've been sticking to the oatmeal and grits with an apple on the side or a poached eggs with shredded cheese.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Seeing as you're unemployed why don't you offer to help by shopping and cooking sometimes?
I actually do all the cooking right now because my grandparents are sick.
So then you can portion out the amount you can eat to fit your calories.
Again, given that you're not working, why not cook 2 meals if you don't want to eat the same as them?
I know what you mean but when you have a grandmother with dementia that is possessive about her kitchen and gets violent you will learn to minimize your time in the kitchen lol. Most days I do my best to cook separately but it's becoming more and more of a battle the sicker she gets.
So she cooks too?
Grill it, if you have a grill. taste great and every one loves BBQ. Just do naked with like salt & pepper.0 -
Could you be a bit more precise: what is your family cooking and what is missing? You do not need diet food to loose weight, however vegetables and fresh fruit are definitely helpful. But as vnb_208 said, portion size and avoiding liquid calories are a big part of the equation. Whatever you do, do NOT look at it as "dieting", i.e. a punishment limited in time, but commit to changing your eating habits for good.
Well I am trying to take red meat and fried food out of my diet. I have already discontinued rice from my diet but I love bread and sweets so I am trying to wean myself off of them. However my family continues to request red meat, fried food, and sweets. They are on a fixed income so it is expensive to try and cook two different dinners daily.
May I ask why you are trying to remove red meat? I find steak is especially easy to incorporate into a lower calorie diet without making others in the family feel like you are putting them on one too.0 -
nopotofgold wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Seeing as you're unemployed why don't you offer to help by shopping and cooking sometimes?
I actually do all the cooking right now because my grandparents are sick.
So then you can portion out the amount you can eat to fit your calories.
Again, given that you're not working, why not cook 2 meals if you don't want to eat the same as them?
I know what you mean but when you have a grandmother with dementia that is possessive about her kitchen and gets violent you will learn to minimize your time in the kitchen lol. Most days I do my best to cook separately but it's becoming more and more of a battle the sicker she gets.
So she cooks too?
Grill it, if you have a grill. taste great and every one loves BBQ. Just do naked with like salt & pepper.
No, she "supervises" lol. We have to watch her because she will add things to the food and sometimes throws it away or burns it.1 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Seeing as you're unemployed why don't you offer to help by shopping and cooking sometimes?
I actually do all the cooking right now because my grandparents are sick.
So then you can portion out the amount you can eat to fit your calories.
Again, given that you're not working, why not cook 2 meals if you don't want to eat the same as them?
I know what you mean but when you have a grandmother with dementia that is possessive about her kitchen and gets violent you will learn to minimize your time in the kitchen lol. Most days I do my best to cook separately but it's becoming more and more of a battle the sicker she gets.
I know it's hard to eat small enough portions of high calorie food so when my mom cooks I often skip a meal that day. You will have to either cook differently for yourself or eat less of what you are cooking. I don't think there's really much else that can be done.
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4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »Could you be a bit more precise: what is your family cooking and what is missing? You do not need diet food to loose weight, however vegetables and fresh fruit are definitely helpful. But as vnb_208 said, portion size and avoiding liquid calories are a big part of the equation. Whatever you do, do NOT look at it as "dieting", i.e. a punishment limited in time, but commit to changing your eating habits for good.
Well I am trying to take red meat and fried food out of my diet. I have already discontinued rice from my diet but I love bread and sweets so I am trying to wean myself off of them. However my family continues to request red meat, fried food, and sweets. They are on a fixed income so it is expensive to try and cook two different dinners daily.
May I ask why you are trying to remove red meat? I find steak is especially easy to incorporate into a lower calorie diet without making others in the family feel like you are putting them on one too.
My family has a history of diverticulitis and red meat is one of the agitators so I am trying to prevent my chances of getting it.5 -
Best thing hands down for me was portion control dinnerware. It literally measures out every portion for me so I do not overeat.
I use this for when the meal is the traditional meat, starch, vegetables.
I use this when it's a broth based soup.
I use the mini bowls when it's something like beef stew, or chili.
If you feel like you just can not afford to buy those, go through your cupboards there at your house, and get out a 1 cup measure. Take the dishes there in the cabinet, and add 1 cup of water, and two cups of water till you find the right cup, mugs, or bowls that hold this amount. Find a 7"-8" luncheon plate, and use your visual skills to break up your plate into 1/4's, and 1/2's. Fill your plate without your food touching, not all the way to the edges of that plate, and no higher then the width of your hand. Instant portion control without special plates.
Don't let your lack of funds be a stumbling block, you don't need any money at all to get your portion sizes under control using the above method. Good Luck!!!5 -
in reference to purebredpolly's post above, I find coffee mugs make great "mini bowls" (that's my ice cream trick
) 2 -
chelseahatch24 wrote: »You can stick with portioning the main dish, and just request a different side (i.e. asparagus vs rice). But don't make your family do everything. If you're not working, then you can go grocery shopping with them (or go on your own), and pick/cook what you want to eat. Better yet, make "healthier" versions of their favorite meals. Coming from a similar situation (not working due to health), take this time to really learn how to cook. It will suck at first if you're not a cook to begin with, but keep it simple, and it will be fun to experiment!
I do all the cooking in the house, but we are from the south where everything is either smothered or fried and they refuse to eat it any other way lol
I live in the south and not EVERYTHING is smothered or fried. This is a false statement.
Are you southern or just live in the south? The south is KNOWN for its fatty fried food, no need for you to try and argue that.
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