What do you do if you’re spouse likes junk food?

clartius

I’ve been trying to lose weight. I don’t buy junk food when I shop for groceries. My husband, on the other hand, when his cravings kick in, he will go and get some ice cream or donuts. Some of the leftovers just laying around and it’s very tempting. I told him to hide them, but his reason was that’s why he works out so that he can eat donuts. Ugghhh... sometimes I gave in and eat a bowl of ice cream, then I feel guilty later. :-(

mike_bold

eat the treats! Just factor them into your daily allowance.

Unknown

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L1zardQueen

My husband is the king of tasty food. I count my calories and make them fit into my day

Today, I ate a small breakfast and tonight we having fish and chips.

MeraiahB

My husband will not eat anything I can not eat lol even when I could not eat before my stomach surgery he was willing to do the same but I told him to eat , well fixed him food and gave it to him. But he supports me in what I need to do for my health and understands what temptation is and compromises with me on things.

I would suggest talking to him and asking him what if you could not eat donuts or they would make you sick and I ate them and left left overs laying out, Would that help you or would that torment you and cause you problems? Turn it around make him look from the other side. If he loves you and supports you he will compromise to make your journey easier because it is hard enough with out his added temptations.

there are also reduced calorie or sugar free options out there for things like Ice cream that you can look to as an once a week reward for doing a good job.

CarvedTones

If they are going to be around you, you have to get used to that. I lost my weight with teenagers in the house. There were and are always several kinds around. Where I work, candy and/or cookies and/or donuts are nearly always there for the taking. I had a little at times and just kept my count right.

nutmegoreo

If you have a bowl of ice cream at the end of the day (or for breakfast, if you like) and it fits in your calories without crowding out needed nutrition, I fail to see the problem. Now if you're eating nothing but ice cream all day every day for weeks on end, then there could be an issue.

L1zardQueen wrote: »

My husband is the king of tasty food. I count my calories and make them fit into my day

Today, I ate a small breakfast and tonight we having fish and chips.

I had leftover pizza for breakfast and lunch. Brought me pretty close to most of my goals for the day. Little higher on fat and lower on protein, but those can be fixed with supper.

Danp

Temporary changes yield temporary results so unless you can honestly say that you'll never ever ever again eat those foods you're better off finding ways to have them responsibly.

You said yourself that you "give in" and eat the ice cream anyway and then feel guilty. Why not just LET yourself eat the ice cream within limits and do it guilt free?

L1zardQueen

HagenDaz has been eaten for dinner. Lol

LaReinaDeCorazones

I had Chinese for dinner and chocolate cake afterwards. Made sure it fit my cals, my macros suck today, but it was for a birthday so I'm not stressing

NorthCascades

That's cause for divorce in California.

GaleHawkins

@clartius 4 years ago when I cut out calorie sources containing added sugar and or any form of grain the house was as it is today swimming in processed carbs. I mean the son and daughter were 16 so the swimming in carbs is an understatement.

The first two weeks of keeping total carbs just under 50 grams daily was hellish because I just said no to the carb craving. Thankfully after week two the cravings started to fade fast and I have maintained my 50 pound loss for over the past three years eating all I want when I get hungry.

Since I had giving up on dieting to lose weight four years ago I do not track what I eat but I do the math a few times a year. Recently I gained 3 pounds over my normal range. I had let my daily calories move up 1000 to a total of 4000 daily. Calories do matter so I am leaving off 1/2 pound of fresh ground beef most days now. My goal of eating this way is just to improve my health markers year by year.

Learning why I was carb binging was key. After the junk food stopped so did my controlling cravings.

The funny thing is both kids have lost some weight after seeing how my new Way Of Eating is reversing serious health limitations slowly. I believe in free will for others so there is no preaching on my part but at least now I am not setting an obese example for them to follow. However they scream at me if I reach for their processed carbs.

Sloth2016

L1zardQueen wrote: »

HagenDaz has been eaten for dinner. Lol

I love HagenDaz!

layladrew26

I was really craving something sweet yesterday so I had a large piece of cake with homemade cream cheese frosting. Mmmm so satisfying and I am happy now I have had my treat. I logged it as my dinner as it was a calorie bomb and it was very filling. Its no big issue to me as I was within my calorie goal. Why don't you allow yourself 'junk' as you call it, as long as it fits your calorie goal for the day/week. I couldn't have lost and maintained my current weight without allowing myself food I enjoy. Can you really imagine spending your whole life never ever eating chocolate or crisps etc (whatever you class as junk food). As long as you are getting enough nutrients and within your calorie goal you will lose weight and do it in a healthy way (mindset and body). Allow yourself the treats just be sensible and never ever feel guilty. Its just food.

Edited for spelling

AnvilHead

We have a cabinet high above the refrigerator (well out of my wife's reach and sight) where I stash my peanut butter, chocolate candies, and whatever other foods she has trouble controlling her impulses with. She knows there's "goodies" up there, but the fact that she would have to go out to the garage and get a stepladder to get to them is enough of a deterrent from impulsively eating them like she would if they were readily accessible in the pantry. Plus, she doesn't know exactly what is up there (sometimes it's just protein bars, which she despises), so it makes it even less worth all the trouble to only discover nothing she'd really want anyway.

Fortunately she's not at all a fan of the low-cal ice cream I eat on a pretty much nightly basis (Enlightened and/or Chilly Cow), so that's safe in the freezer - she won't touch it even at her bingiest of bingy times.

TavistockToad

clartius wrote: »

I’ve been trying to lose weight. I don’t buy junk food when I shop for groceries. My husband, on the other hand, when his cravings kick in, he will go and get some ice cream or donuts. Some of the leftovers just laying around and it’s very tempting. I told him to hide them, but his reason was that’s why he works out so that he can eat donuts. Ugghhh... sometimes I gave in and eat a bowl of ice cream, then I feel guilty later. :-(

its not your husbands fault that you don't want to eat them.

either fit a bit into your weekly cals, or don't eat it.

eating it and then feeling guilty is just a waste of emotions and an unhealthy behaviour to develop.

Spadhnik

clartius wrote: »

I’ve been trying to lose weight. I don’t buy junk food when I shop for groceries. My husband, on the other hand, when his cravings kick in, he will go and get some ice cream or donuts. Some of the leftovers just laying around and it’s very tempting. I told him to hide them, but his reason was that’s why he works out so that he can eat donuts. Ugghhh... sometimes I gave in and eat a bowl of ice cream, then I feel guilty later. :-(

It is stressful I know. I have similar happening in my house. I do try to explain not to buy at first place, but since my husband is the one shopping and we have kids, so there is not much control on what we shop.

How about you eat ice cream too but with lots of fruits, you eat small piece of chocolate, you eat half a donut with tea( I like my tea without sugar), hot skimmed milk, or some healthy drink

I normally reduce quantity of high calorie food and eat with some healthy side. So I don’t feel left out, I don’t need to stress why is it in front of me, I don’t overeat it.

But it would be nice if hubby keeps his junk food in his car or a special box near his telly sit!!

nballos77

Well, my wife every single night opens a bag of potato chips that smell wonderfull, I smell them, for a moment I want to grab the whole pack and eat it all, but the I remind to myself my mission for a better and healthier lifestyle and it all goes away. Focus on your goals and nothing will stop you from being a fit person

gcibsthom

My wife brings home donuts and things like that. When she does, I throw them out. Then she complains that my throwing them out is a waste of money, and my counter is that buying them is the waste, and she is endangering the health of everyone in the family by buying it. She now buys it, gives it to the kids directly and then complains about their weight...go figure...

smolmaus

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask him to put away his leftovers so they're not lying around. Less because they might tempt you, but that's just good manners?

Willpower is like a muscle, and I know losing weight is overall less about willpower and more about habits, but in the moment when there's a donut right there, that's 100% strength of will sometimes. Exercise your willpower like any other muscle group by having an appropriate amount of donuts on an appropriately regular basis, not all of them and not all the time. If you try and deny all donuts forever you'll wear out that willpower pretty fast and that's when you end up eating all the donuts and feeling guilty.

On top of that you're teaching your brain that it's not going to be denied donuts forever, which is part of why we seem to crave these things so much. Because it's bad and naughty and oh-no-I-shouldn't. Take that away. It's just a donut, it's nice but nothing special and nothing to stress over.

(I've typed donut so many times I don't know that it has any meaning anymore)

SabAteNine

My husband and I have totally different diets and preferences. If he wants to eat a Pizza Hut pizza AND a tray of pasta for dinner, he just... does. And I do me. Though we have a lot more common points now than when I was on very low carb, and I do indulge in his goodies copiously sometimes (ice-cream, chocolate, cookies, everything really), but they go straight to the diary.

That being said, I think it's hard restricting what you eat and I totally understand how him stashing away the leftovers would help. And it's just a tiny extra effort on his behalf. On the other hand, I tend to agree with the posters above about the power of will - I think in the long run, you will do yourself a lot more favors trying to live with donuts in sight without overindulging, than in a clean house.

shaf238

Ask him to support you or find a way to make it fit into your calories.

missysippy930

All foods in moderation. Maybe a couple bites. Work it into my calories. Log it. Move on. It’s unreasonable to expect others to give up foods because I can’t control myself. Just my opinion.

LivingtheLeanDream

I don't think of food in terms of junk food, but if you're meaning things like crisps/chocolate etc, I still eat them most days, but I fit them into my macros/calories.

Millicent3015

When you break ice cream and doughnuts down into their base components, you're talking about milk, cream, sugar, yeast, flour, and fat. Those are all foods that most of us eat, but because some of those foods are constituted into a form that's been labelled "junk", we stress about them and feel guilty for eating them. Guilt about food is a useless emotion that works for diet food companies, but not so much for humans. A scoop or two of ice cream or a doughnut once a week won't kill you, in fact it might be an idea to include them in your weekly meal plan so you don't feel like you're missing out. You don't have to restrict any food, but it's useful to learn to have some foods in moderation. If you go over your calories, eat fewer calories next time. Try and cultivate a more relaxed attitude to food if you can. If you want something, have some of it. Just don't have too much of it. No one is going to knock on your door and chastise you, so don't take on that role yourself. It's a pointless exercise.

ruqayyahsmum

I don't understand those who insist Thier partner/family stop having things because they can't

It's not my families burden that I ate too much and ended up at 387lb

I make room in my calorie allowance for a little of the high calorie treats, they can fit more in Thier allotment than I as they are healthy weights (1 is a little under ) and the kids especially are very active

That said there is a cupboard just for Thier high calorie/carb stuff. If it's not being eaten at the time it must be put back in there

If it's left on the counter I bin it. If it's abandoned in the living room I bin it. Didn't take long for them to catch on

SteamPug

gcibsthom wrote: »

My wife brings home donuts and things like that. When she does, I throw them out. Then she complains that my throwing them out is a waste of money, and my counter is that buying them is the waste, and she is endangering the health of everyone in the family by buying it. She now buys it, gives it to the kids directly and then complains about their weight...go figure...

There’s some serious concerning behaviour going on here.

Athijade

You don't eat it if it doesn't fit and, if you can make it fit, you enjoy it. Guilt should have nothing to do with it.

And it is sad that anyone would throw away food or deny others foods because of their own choices.

Lounmoun

Are you planning to give up on these foods forever?
You can fit it in your calorie goal and eat it if you want it. Eat a smaller portion. Exercise a bit more to have more calories. Choose a slower more comfortable rate of loss and eat more foods you enjoy.
If you don't want it but like something sweet then buy or make something you like that fits your goals better.

When you live or work around other people they are going to have their own food you will not control. You choose how you deal with it. Don't feel guilty for eating food. You didn't do anything bad eating ice cream instead of broccoli. It is just food with a different number of calories and nutrients. Guilt over eating is unproductive. You do not have to be a perfect dieter to lose weight. Log it and move on.

Sunshine_And_Sand

gcibsthom wrote: »

My wife brings home donuts and things like that. When she does, I throw them out. Then she complains that my throwing them out is a waste of money, and my counter is that buying them is the waste, and she is endangering the health of everyone in the family by buying it. She now buys it, gives it to the kids directly and then complains about their weight...go figure...

So, in my case it's the husband who sometimes buys junk, but I don't throw away the junk he buys, and I think we would have a serious problem if he started throwing away my treats.
That would only conceivably be ok if someone in the house (mostly the kids bc adults know the risks and can think for themselves) had a serious allergy or medical condition that warranted certain foods be avoided. Otherwise, having treats/junk in the house isn't endangering the whole family's health.

WinoGelato

gcibsthom wrote: »

My wife brings home donuts and things like that. When she does, I throw them out. Then she complains that my throwing them out is a waste of money, and my counter is that buying them is the waste, and she is endangering the health of everyone in the family by buying it. She now buys it, gives it to the kids directly and then complains about their weight...go figure...

Anyone who throws away food that I purchased, and intend to eat in moderation as part of an overall balanced diet, is endangering their own health because that will not end well for them....