Living with an unhealthy eater

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Replies

  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    I am shocked at how many people are having visceral reactions to my desire to eliminate junk foods from my home. This speaks to the disordered way we deal with health and food in our society.

    My husband is fully on board with clean eating. We occasionally indulge in sweets out of the house. Hell there are 4 (yes FOUR!) fast food places across the street from our apartments. There are dozens more within a 2 mile radius as we live in a dense urban area. Getting some sugary treats is not complicated or difficult or inconvenient. Burgerville isn't going to cut me off if I should want to spend my money there (or dairy queen or Baskin Robbins or Starbucks or Shair's Pies or...well you get the idea).

    I choose to make my home a sanctuary of health. Here I can relax and enjoy the plethora of foods that won't kill me. It is not necessary for me to load up on chemical, gmo, HFCS, transfat laden foods in my own home.

    Eh, I feel like people are really not giving your husband enough credit here. I assume he is a strong, confident adult male who could also "put his foot down" if necessary and this is KIND OF a joint choice. I could be wrong, but that's what I'd assume. I don't know too many men who would just say "oh I'm so sad wifey won't let me have my Oreos, I'm just gonna sit here and cry and never eat them even at work or when I'm away from her...or she will divorce me".

    Nah. I don't think he's probably thinking that.

    Valid point on a certain level, because if my husband threw my cake away, there would be hell to pay. Maybe he's not confrontational? Still, it doesn't take away from the fact that she threw her husband's cake away. Regardless of his reaction, that behavior is not normal.
  • BattleTaxi
    BattleTaxi Posts: 752 Member
    I live with my parents ATM, we eat different foods. I eat home cooked meals sometimes, and I plan them into my day. If I know I am going to go out to dinner, I plan my meal. In reality, I'm not eating a salad when I go out to a restaurant that is known for xyz800 calorie dish. I'm pile driving the 800cals into my face. And I'm not going to feel bad about it. Why not? Because I PLANNED IT.

    Plan, plan, plan, plan. This is YOUR body and only YOU can control what goes in it. Blaming everyone else and temptations around you is not going to bode well for you if you do not stop.

    Good luck!
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Why don't you eat one piece of pizza?
  • Good job with the images, they seriously hurt my feelings and ruined my day :cry: :laugh:

    For real, the majority of you are really taking your own take on what she said and assuming her tone...which is typically hard to do on a computer screen or cell phone screen. Her husband is being healthy and is happy with the arrangement, so then who freaking cares? If it's what works for their family, that's all that matters. If your significant other wanted to rid the house of junk food you'd be pissed -- so it wouldn't work for you. But with them it WORKS. They are healthier and making progress, so who are you to judge?
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    Last year we ended up with a lot of leftover cake after a graduation celebration. It was a full sheet cake, so it was huge and I couldn't resist it. I pleaded with my husband to throw it away while we were cleaning up after the party. He refused. I kept going back to that damn cake. By the next day I took it upon myself to toss it in the nearest dumpster.
    Only a real d!ck would light up in front of their friend despite their request not to.

    So what you're saying about your husband is...........

    bahahaha, glad I"m not the only one who thought this! Man, tell us how you really feel about your husband...
  • LiminalAscendance
    LiminalAscendance Posts: 489 Member
    I am shocked at how many people are having visceral reactions to my desire to eliminate junk foods from my home. This speaks to the disordered way we deal with health and food in our society.

    My husband is fully on board with clean eating. We occasionally indulge in sweets out of the house. Hell there are 4 (yes FOUR!) fast food places across the street from our apartments. There are dozens more within a 2 mile radius as we live in a dense urban area. Getting some sugary treats is not complicated or difficult or inconvenient. Burgerville isn't going to cut me off if I should want to spend my money there (or dairy queen or Baskin Robbins or Starbucks or Shair's Pies or...well you get the idea).

    I choose to make my home a sanctuary of health. Here I can relax and enjoy the plethora of foods that won't kill me. It is not necessary for me to load up on chemical, gmo, HFCS, transfat laden foods in my own home.

    I also don't let people use illicit drugs in my home (family included) or smoke cigarettes or other tobacco products. I also don't permit racial slurs be used within our walls.

    I say each to their own, but as someone who doesn't buy into the concept of clean eating (it's not for me, I'd prefer to be balanced between whats good for me, whats handy and what I like but as I say each to their own and I do see the appeal)

    I *am* a little offended that you liken that to drug use, smoking and racism. It's absolutely not the same. Not at all.I think that view is far too black and white, and there is a lot of grey here for most of us. I'm grey here - i'm not a druggie or a racist or a smoker, but I like the odd 'dirty' food.

    I don't think the categorisation helps your case - and it's one of the reason 'clean' eaters do get attacked on here - that superiority.

    I wonder where you come down on the whole "food addict" thing.

    Were you here when there were many individuals that stated that being "addicted" to food is the same thing as narcotics? (yes, absolutely!)

    food addiction and clean eating vs 'dirty' (hate that term, I'd prefer to call it 'normal' but it's not normal for everyone) are NOT the same argument and it's ridiculous to claim that they are.

    If food "addiction" is possible (hence my previous comment), someone throwing away a cake due to their addiction is not a "clean" vs. "dirty" eating scenario (regardless of whether that's how you try to spin it).

    Note: This is not to imply that is what the poster is claiming occurred in this instance.

    The posters claims about 'I choose to make my home a sanctuary of health' etc and citation that her hubby supports clean eating, then goes on to slate everyone who isn't clean eating as being likened to drug users and racists is what i'm reacting to.

    Food addiction doesn't enter into it there.

    Food addiction I've seen people have and that's different. But still, throwing away someone elses portion of your 'poison' isn't really what I'd call reasonable behaviour.

    Yes, I agree that food "addiction" isn't the case here. I was trying to make a more general point about your original claim.

    However, you say you agree that food addiction exists. You also say that if an "addict" throws away the substance of their addiction (in the confines of their own home, even if they didn't procure it themselves) that this is not "reasonable."

    Is that about right?
  • nytrifisoul
    nytrifisoul Posts: 499 Member
    Good job with the images, they seriously hurt my feelings and ruined my day :cry: :laugh:

    For real, the majority of you are really taking your own take on what she said and assuming her tone...which is typically hard to do on a computer screen or cell phone screen. Her husband is being healthy and is happy with the arrangement, so then who freaking cares? If it's what works for their family, that's all that matters. If your significant other wanted to rid the house of junk food you'd be pissed -- so it wouldn't work for you. But with them it WORKS. They are healthier and making progress, so who are you to judge?

    I would not call refusing to throw the cake away being happy with the arrangement.
  • RivenV
    RivenV Posts: 1,667 Member
    Good job with the images, they seriously hurt my feelings and ruined my day :cry: :laugh:

    For real, the majority of you are really taking your own take on what she said and assuming her tone...which is typically hard to do on a computer screen or cell phone screen. Her husband is being healthy and is happy with the arrangement, so then who freaking cares? If it's what works for their family, that's all that matters. If your significant other wanted to rid the house of junk food you'd be pissed -- so it wouldn't work for you. But with them it WORKS. They are healthier and making progress, so who are you to judge?

    I would not call refusing to throw the cake away being happy with the arrangement.

    No, no... that's obviously a mature and responsible arrangement.

    tumblr_mlzawaoWdX1rcy99do1_500.gif
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    Wow....so much crazy in this thread! I don't understand how people stay married while trying to run a dictatorship. I guess some men are into that kind of thing? fouet.gif My boyfriend eats what he wants, and I eat what I want. Our house has food in it that he likes, and food that I like. Why is this so difficult?
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
    Wow....so much crazy in this thread! I don't understand how people stay married while trying to run a dictatorship. I guess some men are into that kind of thing? fouet.gif My boyfriend eats what he wants, and I eat what I want. Our house has food in it that he likes, and food that I like. Why is this so difficult?
    Lol! Best smilies ever!
  • nytrifisoul
    nytrifisoul Posts: 499 Member
    Good job with the images, they seriously hurt my feelings and ruined my day :cry: :laugh:

    For real, the majority of you are really taking your own take on what she said and assuming her tone...which is typically hard to do on a computer screen or cell phone screen. Her husband is being healthy and is happy with the arrangement, so then who freaking cares? If it's what works for their family, that's all that matters. If your significant other wanted to rid the house of junk food you'd be pissed -- so it wouldn't work for you. But with them it WORKS. They are healthier and making progress, so who are you to judge?

    I would not call refusing to throw the cake away being happy with the arrangement.

    No, no... that's obviously a mature and responsible arrangement.

    tumblr_mlzawaoWdX1rcy99do1_500.gif
    bd5b0f7defd05a320444bf47e218639e9becd844234b06f45edd2ffab54f95f0.jpg
  • AmandaCherise
    AmandaCherise Posts: 31 Member
    All I Can try to do is motivate myself :] Maybe he will see what the changes have done for my life and he will want to change his! Thanks to those that are providing positive feedback, and to those that are criticizing and making assumptions... find something better to do with your time :] Thank you
  • tfleischer
    tfleischer Posts: 199 Member
    12 Steppers have an old saying: "If you sit in a barber's chair long enough, you're gonna get a haircut."

    I think the same is true of unhealthy foods, especially for me. If the place where I LIVE every day has bags and bags of chips and cookies, 2-inch thick fatty ribeye steaks, tubs of ice cream, giant baked potatoes loaded with sour cream, butter, bacon bits and dozens of pies, the truth is this: I am gonna F'ing eat them! If I were the picture of self control, I wouldn't weight 300+ lbs.

    Personally, I didn't get to the shape I am in where I need to lose 125 lbs. because I was able to resist that stuff before. What in the world makes me think that after decades of over-eating this stuff that I can flick a magical switch in my mind and henceforth and forevermore choose to eat celerty and carrots when everyone else is eating cake, cookies and goddam delicious cheese dip and Tostitos?

    Food is a connection. It carries social and family connections, sensory and memory connections. We remember the meals from our childhood with love and fondness. Things were "made with love" when the food itself was made to kill us! Think about the meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy mom made for us... Fill in the blanks on whatever dish it is that brings back those feelings and memories of being safe and loved and in the heart of a family. And if you didn't have that family, maybe you turned to food as a replacement for those feelings.

    Food is powerful stuff. It is more than nutrients and calories. Much more. Pretending otherwise is false.

    However, having said all of this, for people like me, food is also dangerous stuff. It is hard to resist because it is made to set off chemical and other reactions (that I have no real understanding of how it works, but it does) that make certain foods irresistible. Unfortunately, it is the deadly, fatty and sweet and salty foods that are most irresistible... Or am I the only one?

    So, when we have made the decision to try to eat healthier and live healthier, it is going against every bit of advertising and marketing out there, as well as the close personal feelings driven by food and memory.

    IT AIN'T EASY.....

    Yet, it can be done. With support.


    If we are honest with the people around us who SAY THAT THEY LOVE US, then the truth is that they are ****heads for not wanting us to succeed in being healthier people. I have been married 25 years to the same woman, more than half of my life. She's not going anywhere and I am not going anywhere. She knows me and knows that I have a problem with... let's face it..

    Gluttony. And Sloth.

    I want to be a couch potato. It is an old, in-grained habit that is hard for me to stop. But those two cardinal sins are killing me.

    So I am trying to change, but if I had to do it in environment filled with the stuff that is killing me, I could not do it.

    My family has made changes. That is not to say we are some kind of prison camp where you will eat your vegetables! But the junk food is gone. My 24 year old son keeps it in his bedroom, in his own fridge.

    It is not wrong for the original poster to seek support in her new lifestyle.
  • CTONDO
    CTONDO Posts: 43 Member
    I have seen this topic posted dozens of times, and honestly the best advice I've seen is

    1. Do NOT expect your partner to change their habits just because you're changing yours. Sure it is possible. But it is not likely to work unless it is their idea and they really want to change, too.

    2. Get used to the idea of buying and eating separate foods much of the time.

    You will probably get a lot of responses saying "It's up to YOU to resist the junk!" That's true. But I think it can get much easier when you get away from the thinking that your partner is somehow sabotaging you or that it's not FAIR for them to eat junk while you "have to" eat healthy. Look at it as your nutritional habits differing from theirs.

    Also, you can still enjoy the occasional treat or even fast food together. Just change the way you view it and the way you behave. You're in control of you, and your partner is in control of himself. The two do not have to be connected.

    This is the best advise and was going to give you something similar. You don't need two of saying the same thing. So I go with Ditto.
  • LiminalAscendance
    LiminalAscendance Posts: 489 Member
    12 Steppers have an old saying: "If you sit in a barber's chair long enough, you're gonna get a haircut."

    [snip good stuff]

    It is not wrong for the original poster to seek support in her new lifestyle.

    A well-presented viewpoint on the positive aspects of the so-called "deprivation" of avoiding foods high in fat and sugar? And without supporting your claim with a tasteful kitty gif?

    You must be new here.

    It's hard for some to understand that unreasonable food indulgence isn't the "healthy" relationship with food.
  • ghiagirl893
    ghiagirl893 Posts: 69 Member
    I am really sorry that your post got jacked by a bunch of people who want too argue. My suggestion is to talk to him not threateningly. Decide what you can avoid if it is in the house and what you cannot. Hopefully there are only a few items that are really difficult to avoid. Of it is the donuts, ask him to just buy however many he plans to eat in 24 hours. Maybe one for the rode home and one for breakfast? Then you will avoid eating it because then his breakfast will be gone. Practice your self control with something that is tempting but not irresistible until you improve. You can also make rules for yourself if that helps, such as burning off all done calories, or having to clean the house, or weed etc. A chore I really hate can help me practice willpower. Try eating something lower cal that you don't binge on. You may just be hungry. Also take charge and plan weekend meals, buy the food and cook them. Less temptation to go out to eat. You really can't change until you are ready. I almost banned all soda from the house but then I hit a point where I am ready and don't need to limit my loved ones. I don't even crave it anymore because it doesn't fit who I want to be.
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    \\

    Yes, I agree that food "addiction" isn't the case here. I was trying to make a more general point about your original claim.

    However, you say you agree that food addiction exists. You also say that if an "addict" throws away the substance of their addiction (in the confines of their own home, even if they didn't procure it themselves) that this is not "reasonable."

    Is that about right?

    For the last time, it's her statement that likens it to racism and drugs that I took offence to. I don't actually care what she does in her own home, though if I brought home cake for myself to eat and someone threw it out because they (essentially) couldn't have it, and couldn't handle that, I'd be pissed off.

    My 'original' claim - well I'm not claiming anything. I'm merely pointed out that I'm slightly offended that someone likens 'not clean' eating to drugs and racism in terms of severity, and think her tone is superior and condescending.

    What on earth is the point in trying to pick me apart for that?
  • ghiagirl893
    ghiagirl893 Posts: 69 Member
    Also another thing that helps me decide whether to eat it or not is by logging it before I eat, then I can decide if it is worth the calories
  • AmandaCherise
    AmandaCherise Posts: 31 Member
    Thanks for your help!
  • MaiLinna
    MaiLinna Posts: 580 Member
    I live with 3 unhealthy eaters who don't support vegetarianism OR my weight loss goals DESPITE calling me fat every day.

    I eat healthy just to spite them, though sometimes I AM forced to eat their food...or, you know, pass out because of the hypo. Either way, you have to find alternatives. At the pizza place down the street they have stuffed cheesy bread. The spinach and feta is only 250 cals for two pieces, which is a lot for me. Add a side salad and I'm stuffed for less than 300!

    Donuts? Hmm...I have a bakery down the street with the most AMAZING cream puffs...but they're fairly low in calories because they use chocolate ganache and low sugar, very airy pastry and cream for it...it can hit 200 calories but that's about it. Instead of a donut, have you tried eating ice cream instead? Every variety I seem to find is around 100-150 cals for 1/2 cup. Again, that's a lot for me. XD
  • tfleischer
    tfleischer Posts: 199 Member
    Also another thing that helps me decide whether to eat it or not is by logging it before I eat, then I can decide if it is worth the calories


    That is awesome advice! Much better than logging afterwards and then having the guilties about it.
  • laineybz
    laineybz Posts: 704 Member
    Willpower is needed. Plain and simple. None of my family (who I live with) watch what they eat. They eat a lot of rubbish. Don't get me wrong, I don't eat 100% healthy. I get the sighs and comments when I say I don't want a Chinese takeaway but I genuinely don't want one. If I want one, I work out to allow for one.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    Moar cake gifs!
    tumblr_meqa00EVck1rru9iao1_500.jpg
    tumblr_meqa00EVck1rru9iao2_500.jpg

    Sort of OT: My husband and I eat different amounts of the same foods. Yes, he should lose weight (as the doctor and his mother keep nagging him). I rarely mess with his food, unless he's chowing through a whole bag of something he'll want later. I had to hide his bag of Ruffles last night so he could have some to eat tonight with supper.

    As others have said: you can only control what goes into your mouth. I'm leery of people who control what other adults (not with standing any mental or physical problems) eat.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    12 Steppers have an old saying: "If you sit in a barber's chair long enough, you're gonna get a haircut."

    I think the same is true of unhealthy foods, especially for me. If the place where I LIVE every day has bags and bags of chips and cookies, 2-inch thick fatty ribeye steaks, tubs of ice cream, giant baked potatoes loaded with sour cream, butter, bacon bits and dozens of pies, the truth is this: I am gonna F'ing eat them! If I were the picture of self control, I wouldn't weight 300+ lbs.

    Personally, I didn't get to the shape I am in where I need to lose 125 lbs. because I was able to resist that stuff before. What in the world makes me think that after decades of over-eating this stuff that I can flick a magical switch in my mind and henceforth and forevermore choose to eat celerty and carrots when everyone else is eating cake, cookies and goddam delicious cheese dip and Tostitos?

    Food is a connection. It carries social and family connections, sensory and memory connections. We remember the meals from our childhood with love and fondness. Things were "made with love" when the food itself was made to kill us! Think about the meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy mom made for us... Fill in the blanks on whatever dish it is that brings back those feelings and memories of being safe and loved and in the heart of a family. And if you didn't have that family, maybe you turned to food as a replacement for those feelings.

    Food is powerful stuff. It is more than nutrients and calories. Much more. Pretending otherwise is false.

    However, having said all of this, for people like me, food is also dangerous stuff. It is hard to resist because it is made to set off chemical and other reactions (that I have no real understanding of how it works, but it does) that make certain foods irresistible. Unfortunately, it is the deadly, fatty and sweet and salty foods that are most irresistible... Or am I the only one?

    So, when we have made the decision to try to eat healthier and live healthier, it is going against every bit of advertising and marketing out there, as well as the close personal feelings driven by food and memory.

    IT AIN'T EASY.....

    Yet, it can be done. With support.


    If we are honest with the people around us who SAY THAT THEY LOVE US, then the truth is that they are ****heads for not wanting us to succeed in being healthier people. I have been married 25 years to the same woman, more than half of my life. She's not going anywhere and I am not going anywhere. She knows me and knows that I have a problem with... let's face it..

    Gluttony. And Sloth.

    I want to be a couch potato. It is an old, in-grained habit that is hard for me to stop. But those two cardinal sins are killing me.

    So I am trying to change, but if I had to do it in environment filled with the stuff that is killing me, I could not do it.

    My family has made changes. That is not to say we are some kind of prison camp where you will eat your vegetables! But the junk food is gone. My 24 year old son keeps it in his bedroom, in his own fridge.

    It is not wrong for the original poster to seek support in her new lifestyle.

    You know - I hear your struggle man. But the whole 12 step thing is a crock. At some point, we are all called to deal with our own bad habits (not throw them in the trash so we don't have to look at them). The 12 steppers and AA'ers are all like, 'we can't help it man, it's a DISEASE.' Which is a pile of stinking doo-doo. Bad habits are not diseases. Diseases are caused by bad habits.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Last year we ended up with a lot of leftover cake after a graduation celebration. It was a full sheet cake, so it was huge and I couldn't resist it. I pleaded with my husband to throw it away while we were cleaning up after the party. He refused. I kept going back to that damn cake. By the next day I took it upon myself to toss it in the nearest dumpster.
    Only a real d!ck would light up in front of their friend despite their request not to.

    So what you're saying about your husband is...........

    bahahaha, glad I"m not the only one who thought this! Man, tell us how you really feel about your husband...

    Pure gold, right? smh
  • LiminalAscendance
    LiminalAscendance Posts: 489 Member
    12 Steppers have an old saying: "If you sit in a barber's chair long enough, you're gonna get a haircut."

    I think the same is true of unhealthy foods, especially for me. If the place where I LIVE every day has bags and bags of chips and cookies, 2-inch thick fatty ribeye steaks, tubs of ice cream, giant baked potatoes loaded with sour cream, butter, bacon bits and dozens of pies, the truth is this: I am gonna F'ing eat them! If I were the picture of self control, I wouldn't weight 300+ lbs.

    Personally, I didn't get to the shape I am in where I need to lose 125 lbs. because I was able to resist that stuff before. What in the world makes me think that after decades of over-eating this stuff that I can flick a magical switch in my mind and henceforth and forevermore choose to eat celerty and carrots when everyone else is eating cake, cookies and goddam delicious cheese dip and Tostitos?

    Food is a connection. It carries social and family connections, sensory and memory connections. We remember the meals from our childhood with love and fondness. Things were "made with love" when the food itself was made to kill us! Think about the meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy mom made for us... Fill in the blanks on whatever dish it is that brings back those feelings and memories of being safe and loved and in the heart of a family. And if you didn't have that family, maybe you turned to food as a replacement for those feelings.

    Food is powerful stuff. It is more than nutrients and calories. Much more. Pretending otherwise is false.

    However, having said all of this, for people like me, food is also dangerous stuff. It is hard to resist because it is made to set off chemical and other reactions (that I have no real understanding of how it works, but it does) that make certain foods irresistible. Unfortunately, it is the deadly, fatty and sweet and salty foods that are most irresistible... Or am I the only one?

    So, when we have made the decision to try to eat healthier and live healthier, it is going against every bit of advertising and marketing out there, as well as the close personal feelings driven by food and memory.

    IT AIN'T EASY.....

    Yet, it can be done. With support.


    If we are honest with the people around us who SAY THAT THEY LOVE US, then the truth is that they are ****heads for not wanting us to succeed in being healthier people. I have been married 25 years to the same woman, more than half of my life. She's not going anywhere and I am not going anywhere. She knows me and knows that I have a problem with... let's face it..

    Gluttony. And Sloth.

    I want to be a couch potato. It is an old, in-grained habit that is hard for me to stop. But those two cardinal sins are killing me.

    So I am trying to change, but if I had to do it in environment filled with the stuff that is killing me, I could not do it.

    My family has made changes. That is not to say we are some kind of prison camp where you will eat your vegetables! But the junk food is gone. My 24 year old son keeps it in his bedroom, in his own fridge.

    It is not wrong for the original poster to seek support in her new lifestyle.

    You know - I hear your struggle man. But the whole 12 step thing is a crock. At some point, we are all called to deal with our own bad habits (not throw them in the trash so we don't have to look at them). The 12 steppers and AA'ers are all like, 'we can't help it man, it's a DISEASE.' Which is a pile of stinking doo-doo. Bad habits are not diseases. Diseases are caused by bad habits.

    And maybe some handle their "bad habits" by avoiding situations that precipitate them. Why does how someone else deals with their issues such a concern to so many here?
  • RivenV
    RivenV Posts: 1,667 Member
    12 Steppers have an old saying: "If you sit in a barber's chair long enough, you're gonna get a haircut."

    I think the same is true of unhealthy foods, especially for me. If the place where I LIVE every day has bags and bags of chips and cookies, 2-inch thick fatty ribeye steaks, tubs of ice cream, giant baked potatoes loaded with sour cream, butter, bacon bits and dozens of pies, the truth is this: I am gonna F'ing eat them! If I were the picture of self control, I wouldn't weight 300+ lbs.

    Personally, I didn't get to the shape I am in where I need to lose 125 lbs. because I was able to resist that stuff before. What in the world makes me think that after decades of over-eating this stuff that I can flick a magical switch in my mind and henceforth and forevermore choose to eat celerty and carrots when everyone else is eating cake, cookies and goddam delicious cheese dip and Tostitos?

    Food is a connection. It carries social and family connections, sensory and memory connections. We remember the meals from our childhood with love and fondness. Things were "made with love" when the food itself was made to kill us! Think about the meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy mom made for us... Fill in the blanks on whatever dish it is that brings back those feelings and memories of being safe and loved and in the heart of a family. And if you didn't have that family, maybe you turned to food as a replacement for those feelings.

    Food is powerful stuff. It is more than nutrients and calories. Much more. Pretending otherwise is false.

    However, having said all of this, for people like me, food is also dangerous stuff. It is hard to resist because it is made to set off chemical and other reactions (that I have no real understanding of how it works, but it does) that make certain foods irresistible. Unfortunately, it is the deadly, fatty and sweet and salty foods that are most irresistible... Or am I the only one?

    So, when we have made the decision to try to eat healthier and live healthier, it is going against every bit of advertising and marketing out there, as well as the close personal feelings driven by food and memory.

    IT AIN'T EASY.....

    Yet, it can be done. With support.


    If we are honest with the people around us who SAY THAT THEY LOVE US, then the truth is that they are ****heads for not wanting us to succeed in being healthier people. I have been married 25 years to the same woman, more than half of my life. She's not going anywhere and I am not going anywhere. She knows me and knows that I have a problem with... let's face it..

    Gluttony. And Sloth.

    I want to be a couch potato. It is an old, in-grained habit that is hard for me to stop. But those two cardinal sins are killing me.

    So I am trying to change, but if I had to do it in environment filled with the stuff that is killing me, I could not do it.

    My family has made changes. That is not to say we are some kind of prison camp where you will eat your vegetables! But the junk food is gone. My 24 year old son keeps it in his bedroom, in his own fridge.

    It is not wrong for the original poster to seek support in her new lifestyle.

    You know - I hear your struggle man. But the whole 12 step thing is a crock. At some point, we are all called to deal with our own bad habits (not throw them in the trash so we don't have to look at them). The 12 steppers and AA'ers are all like, 'we can't help it man, it's a DISEASE.' Which is a pile of stinking doo-doo. Bad habits are not diseases. Diseases are caused by bad habits.

    And maybe some handle their "bad habits" by avoiding situations that precipitate them. Why does how someone else deals with their issues such a concern to so many here?

    Avoiding the situation is not dealing with it. It is avoiding it. Literally.
  • thekyleo
    thekyleo Posts: 632 Member
    Bacon
  • 2_blackdogs
    2_blackdogs Posts: 19 Member
    My hubby is a crappy eater too...We are in the midst of a "no outside food" challenge for the month of November..maybe your boyfriend would be game for something like that too...that way you control EVERY calorie.
  • anorangie
    anorangie Posts: 975 Member
    So, I have been trying to change my lifestyle for the past 4 months now and it seems nearly impossible. I work in an office for 8 hours a day (which the only physical activity I get at work is walking to and from the printer... pathetic, I know) I bring healthy lunches, and eat a healthy breakfast every morning, but when I get home there's a box of Krispy Kreme donuts sitting on the counter that my boyfriend decided to pick up. Every weekend he's wanting to order pizza or stop by the burger joint that's next to our house, so we don't have to cook. It is the MOST difficult thing ever to try and resist the pizza and the treats when its in the house! I've been trying to motivate him so that we can do this together, (he could stand to lose a few pounds too) but it always seems to back fire! Are there any suggestions on what I should do, or what I can change?! I know the obvious choice is to resist the goodies, but it drives me insane trying to do this on my own without any support!

    P.S.- Ive gained 25 pounds in the past 6 months- at this rate, I'm rapidly moving towards obesity! HELP!

    Also, my profile picture is definitely not recent. Its my motivation picture. That was me at 120lbs


    Hi, OP. Here's what helps me not to overeat--

    1. I generally try to tell myself that it's not what I eat (whether pizza, or burgers, or chicken w/veggies) that matters as much as when I eat (when I'm hungry) and how I eat (mindfully and slowly, so I can tell when I'm full).

    (My personal exception to this is obvious added sugar, which I limit but do not eliminate.)

    2. I try to plan ahead and have foods on hand for those times when I know I will be rushed (in the am) or tired (in the pm), that is, those times when I will more likely make a food choice out of convenience, tiredness, or stress instead of consideration of my goals. It takes me some weekend time to prepare foods like soups (in the slow cooker), chicken or other proteins (again, in the slow cooker), hard boiled eggs, frozen breakfast smoothie fruit packs, breakfast quiches, mini meat & veggie loaves, or quinoa, but it doesn't take a lot of time. And it makes my week so much easier if I have at least some foods pre-made.

    3. I have the mindset that I can't expect others to eat like I eat. For example, my husband brings home treats he likes that I'm currently limiting but that he's not avoiding. He is supportive of my goal to lose weight, but he doesn't have to do what I'm doing to show that support. (I do ask that we not keep the foods that I have historically either overeaten or binged on in sight, like on the counter all the time, just so I don't have to constantly exercise my willpower muscle. Just like my physical muscles, my willpower muscle needs rest days!)

    4. And I try not to let myself get too hungry. By the time I'm past regular hunger and into famished territory, I'm more likely to overeat. So I always have a little something - like a Quest bar or some peanuts - with me to prevent getting too hungry.

    Sorry if something like this has already been shared...I haven't read through all the thread yet. (I stopped reading when some of the posts became so judgy. :angry:)

    Best wishes, OP. :smile: