Solo or with spouse/significant other/partner?
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Just me doing it here, but I do most of the cooking so dinner is mainly keto and if I prepare a carb, I just don't eat it. My husband and son are responsible for their own breakfasts and lunches--there's a lot of non keto-food in the house for them, which (luckily) has not tempted me yet. I think that if I was having difficulty with self-control, I would just toss all the goodies and drag the boys along with me for the ride 😊1
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I’m eating keto solo as my husband is about 1000 miles away for work. He will eat the same meals as me for the most part when he visits a couple weekends a month to be supportive. When he’s on his own, he’s reduced his carbs but is nowhere near even low carb levels. It will be interesting when he’s back permanently this summer. I’ll hopefully be done with my weight loss by then2
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Solo for over three years.
I make meals that can be keto but include filler carbs like potatoes, rice or noodles in every meal for my husband and teen boys. Meals are usually meat, veggie, starch/filler. If they want to eat lower carb, the food is there for them, though they tend to go with moderate to high carb depending on who it is.
I now eat mostly carnivore to help with health issues too. It got a bit trickier to do the cooking, but it's manageable. I tend to set aside my meats for dishes that with include carbs like chilli or a meat sauce.
I will bake for them, but it's low carb with no sugar and flours are coconut oil, flaxmeal and protein powder.
I encourage my hubby to lower his carbs but he won't give up potatoes. I think he thinks his weight is fine because he is within 10-15 lbs of his active 25-year old weight, but that looks quite different 25 years later when you are no longer active.
Plus they get headaches... I used to get migraines when I ate gluten (celiac) or when I had blood glucose swings (often). They all get headaches but won't change. Perhaps one day I'll rally myself and force them low carb, but TBH, my bank account can't afford to feed 3 teens and a man without a few fillers like potatoes and rice.2 -
Our house is a bit more challenging, since our DD is a vegetarian, and DH is on a low cholesterol, low sodium diet (he has rocket high blood pressure, and high cholesterol), and I am on keto.
So I make a meat, a starch, and two veggies for dinner most nights: DD skips the meat, I skip the starch (and add extra fat, or I'll make my cut of meat fattier), and DH eats a bit of everything. He travels a lot for work, so typically Monday-Thursday is just DD and I. She's almost 16, so she often cooks for herself. I also have a few workarounds for myself, such as keeping a keto pizza crust in the freezer when they want pizza for dinner, or keeping shirataki noodles on hand for spaghetti!
They both have non-keto snacks in the house, but they don't bother me. I don't mind sharing my keto-friendly foods with them either. They've both become fond of cheese crisps in their salads, lol.1 -
Solo but my husband knows I'm not eating carbs and sugar. I don't go into details because it would be boring for him. He'll ask if he's curious. Meals are pretty easy because we mostly eat meat and starches seperately (not a lot of casserole type dinners.) So he may have a side of rice but I just have meat and veg.1
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I'm doing it solo. My husband has dementia and very adamant about what he will and will not eat. He will eat some of what I cook for myself but I have to cook lits of carbs for him. So far it's working for me4
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I do keto for migraines, but also carb cycle for lifting...my husband is doing low carb...my teenagers are both active and the runner is very high carb, the ballerina is mostly carnivore with some fruit and pasta thrown in there. For breakfast and lunch everyone is on their own to make their own food, for dinner I do some kind of protein and a couple side dishes (1 carby, 1 less carby usually) and we pretty much always have salad fixings...then everyone can make their individual plates with whatever food strikes their fancy in whatever portions...a lot of times I'll just have the protein over salad.2
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tcunbeliever wrote: »I do keto for migraines
I do it for this, and also to help with autoimmune inflammation as I'm disabled and in a lot of pain. The inflammation is mostly gone in my hands and elsewhere but the body pain lives on.
On a plus side I'm down 62 pounds since the end of June. I'm doing it solo, but I wish I could talk some close family members into low carb/keto as well. My mother also lives with some autoimmune issues and back degeneration and I'm sure it would help her. However she won't give up her morning cereal, breads, and pastas.
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My wife and I started Keto together. She did it out of support for me. She had only a few pounds to lose and told me she was going back to carbs after she lost the weight. She felt so great on Keto that she's stayed on. Before Keto, she had a lot of digestive and bloating issues after eating...all gone.1
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shelbydodgeguy wrote: »tcunbeliever wrote: »I do keto for migraines
I do it for this, and also to help with autoimmune inflammation as I'm disabled and in a lot of pain. The inflammation is mostly gone in my hands and elsewhere but the body pain lives on.
On a plus side I'm down 62 pounds since the end of June. I'm doing it solo, but I wish I could talk some close family members into low carb/keto as well. My mother also lives with some autoimmune issues and back degeneration and I'm sure it would help her. However she won't give up her morning cereal, breads, and pastas.
I totally don't understand the mentality where eating a specific food is somehow more important than feeling healthy and well...but I encounter it all the time...people take harsh drugs and injections and all kinds of craziness to control migraines and when I talk to them about keto, they are not interested in giving up their pasta or even just paying any attention at all to what they eat.2 -
tcunbeliever wrote: »
I totally don't understand the mentality where eating a specific food is somehow more important than feeling healthy and well...but I encounter it all the time...people take harsh drugs and injections and all kinds of craziness to control migraines and when I talk to them about keto, they are not interested in giving up their pasta or even just paying any attention at all to what they eat.
On some level it is a cost-vs-benefit thing for them. The cost of a donut WRT my glucose readings is not worth the benefit for me. I can get the fact that it might be for someone else.0 -
My husband is sorta doing it with me. I would make him a carby side dish for dinner at first. Eventually he just stopped eating all pasta, potatoes and most of the time bread. He won’t add the higher fat, though, and doesn’t eat enough protein. He’s always been a really picky eater. He’s type 2 and I wish he would commit. He was really addicted to the sugar free candy. I got him off the malitol and buy Keto bark for him now.1
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My husband is sorta doing it with me. I would make him a carby side dish for dinner at first. Eventually he just stopped eating all pasta, potatoes and most of the time bread. He won’t add the higher fat, though, and doesn’t eat enough protein. He’s always been a really picky eater. He’s type 2 and I wish he would commit. He was really addicted to the sugar free candy. I got him off the malitol and buy Keto bark for him now.
That "diabetic" candy is not very diabetic friendly IMO. It may have less sugar but it generally does not have fewer carbs. It may use sugar alcohols but those can affect BG too.
I looked at them when I was going low carb and still looking for a way to NOT just eat low carb. They were disappointing.
I eventually started using cacao nibs with nuts as a treat.... I still often ate too much though. LOL 1 -
Sooooooo, question for you guys doing this with your spouse.
When I started in June, I was doing this solo. My husband cooked, he knew I was doing it and was supportive. In September, he decided to do it as well. Ever since, all I want to do is cheat. Like, I know it's mental, but I struggle now. Feel like I'm dieting, not just changing the way I am eating. I don't know why this is! I never struggled really with this before. But now, I feel like I'm deprived of things because I need to be strong enough to not "cheat" because I don't want HIM to fall off the wagon.
Thoughts? Anyone else struggle with this?1 -
@sykin I sometimes struggle with myself as well. Things can be going great but if I'm feeling down its like some bizarre psychological self sabotage. My brain just keeps telling me to f#@k it and give up. It's so strange because I don't even want carbs anymore really, it's not like I'm going hungry.
I think on days you are struggling mentally you could try eating close to maintenance. Just to make sure your body is getting enough. If this seems to help with the mental struggle let me know.
The other thing to consider is that you are not responsible for your husband. You have inspired him to start this journey but his success is totally dependant on his own dedication. He is on his own path and how well he does is not related to how perfect you are. Putting yourself on a pedistal is too much pressure, and one would be bound to fall. You do you. Let him take care of himself. ❤2 -
tcunbeliever wrote: »I totally don't understand the mentality where eating a specific food is somehow more important than feeling healthy and well...but I encounter it all the time...people take harsh drugs and injections and all kinds of craziness to control migraines and when I talk to them about keto, they are not interested in giving up their pasta or even just paying any attention at all to what they eat.
I think for my mother in particular a lot of it stems from her earlier life. She had a rough childhood and a lot of times there wasn't much food available. Then when she was married to my father he was always heavily into gardening and we always ate fresh veggies year 'round and she's always had an aversion to green stuff but ate it because that's what was around. Now that she's near retirement age and has the means to afford to splurge on stuff she'd rather gorge on pastas, breads, sweets, and other things than touch a salad, omelette, or anything remotely healthy.
I personally have always loved fresh green veggies and occasionally enjoyed some pasta or a bread or whatnot. But a few months ago we found out that the higher carb and more processed stuff are some of my inflammation triggers and since I've gone back to my childhood way of eating the weight has just dropped off and my inflammation for the most part is gone. I never really was a sweets or pasta eater any way so I don't miss it a bit. I think the only things I really miss are the occasional corn tortilla, fried rice, and Asian & Middle Eastern type foods. I'm sure I can figure out some way of making some of them keto friendly but I really haven't researched it yet.
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Thank you so much, @Re_Banana !! That really is helpful to hear. ❤️❤️❤️1
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shelbydodgeguy wrote: »I think the only things I really miss are the occasional corn tortilla, fried rice, and Asian & Middle Eastern type foods. I'm sure I can figure out some way of making some of them keto friendly but I really haven't researched it yet.
Cauliflower rice is actually a very passable keto friendly version of fried rice.
They do make low carb tortillas, but I haven't found any that I really like, so I usually just eat the toppings in lettuce, or if I have the carb room I'll just overload the tortilla so I can be full even while only eating one of the tortilla wraps.
A lot of asian and middle eastern is already keto as long as you avoid the rice and bread items.1 -
Sooooooo, question for you guys doing this with your spouse.
When I started in June, I was doing this solo. My husband cooked, he knew I was doing it and was supportive. In September, he decided to do it as well. Ever since, all I want to do is cheat. Like, I know it's mental, but I struggle now. Feel like I'm dieting, not just changing the way I am eating. I don't know why this is! I never struggled really with this before. But now, I feel like I'm deprived of things because I need to be strong enough to not "cheat" because I don't want HIM to fall off the wagon.
Thoughts? Anyone else struggle with this?
I did in the beginning...and PMS is still a b!tch -I just want to shovel cheetos and cookies in my mouth lol. I've started looking at my diary, and thinking about the foods I "miss"...what ISN'T there that I really want? Like I said, for me, it's Cheetos, and cookies. I can't keto-fy the Cheetos, but the crispy cheese squares are a fair alternate. As for the cookies, Keto-Connect has some pretty good ones; they're not perfect, but it satisfies my craving.
I've also decided that certain days are worth the carbs...Thanksgiving, for example, I am planning on mashed potatoes...I'll make good choices for everything else that day, but the mashed potatoes are happening! Those days, I am pretty much telling myself, IIFYM, then I can have it.
Is there something you are craving, and makes you want to cheat? Maybe we can help you find a workaround? Or is it more the "pressure" of keeping yourself on track so your hubby stays on track?
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