Triggers

inupendi

Does anyone else have the problem of their roommate providing so many triggers when you're trying to eat healthy? My live-in boyfriend often comes home with beer, salty snacks, oreos, and any other processed yumminess you could possibly think of. What do you do in these tempting situations?

my_2_cents

I don't have problems really...I give in to most of my cravings, but for the most part I've found that the ones I miss are chips, and they are just too high in calories to be worth it most times. I think I've eaten one small bag since I started three months ago. I have pizza and pepsi almost every day though.

rileyleigh

Not much you can do unless you want to tell him not to bring that stuff to the house anymore....

My office coworker goes and gets fast food almost every day for lunch, then brings it back to his desk right by me and eats it. I just pull out my home-packed lunch and it eat it. You just have to choose what you really want. Admittedly i do get fast food occasionally, but i try to exercise it off, and limit my other calories so that i am at least still below maintenance for the day.

MeganAnne89

Have you spoken to him about it? If you haven't then how is he supposed to know that you don't want these foods? (especially if you end up eating them - it looks like you're happy with having them in the house).

If you haven't, sit down with him and politely tell him that you're on your own journey to eating healthy and you would appreciate it if he could at least sort of get on board with you. If he says that he doesn't want to, then maybe you can compromise and ask if he could keep those things in his own space? (that's assuming he has his own area).

Otherwise, you really need to work on your willpower. Make your own meals, just for you, and focus on yourself, not what his lifestyle is.

my_2_cents

Once you make the decision that you can eat all of that stuff as long as you log it, what you'll find is that logging it makes it far less appealing. When you are accountable to the calorie counter, you can choose to exercise more and then eat the cookies, or sit on the couch and not eat the cookies. The cookies themselves are not inherently bad, it is eating them and not burning off the calories that is bad. Just make yourself do the exercise to earn it first.

I know that if I want much for supper tonight, I'll have to go for a little run. Since I should be running tonight anyway, that's not an issue. I also know that if I want a really indulgent supper tonight, then I need to go for a long run tonight. Its really simple math for me, but I force myself to do the run first, then the food.

After a 12 hour shift, the food isn't appealing enough to justify a long run.

inupendi

I have spoken to him about it, however he has no interest in a healthy diet, since he can eat anything he wants without it affecting his body. I simply have to work on my willpower. For me, it's not just calories that I'm interested in. I want to get into a habit of putting only healthy things into my body. I have a total weakness for pizza, but I hate how I feel like crap after I eat it. Once I get past the initial cravings for these things, I'll be fine, it's just the first part. Sort of like trying to quit smoking while your friend sits next to you and lights one up..

my_2_cents

Not sure how to help you I guess. I try to hit my macros, but I don't really care if what I eat is processed etc.

I have never been a smoker, not really an addictive personality. Salty and greasy foods are my vice, and I don't feel miserable at all after I eat them lol. I don't even feel guilty as long as they're within my calorie goals.

mariluny

I have sort of a similar situation. My roommate doesn't always eat the same things as me and sometimes she'll buy cookies, chips, beer, white bread, frozen pizza, etc...
I talked to her and told her how I was trying to lose weight and be more healthy overall. The deal is now that she'll buy and eat whatever she wants to but she won't offer me to have any of it like she used to, and as much as possible she won't eat them in front of me. The good thing is i'm an early bird, I get ready for bed by 9 and I go to my room for the night around 9h30 where she'll go to bed only around midnight. She started snacking a bit later now?
I offered to cook for her more as well, so she eats whatever I make for supper and she even managed to lose weight since, which she is really happy about.

It sucks that your boyfriend have that kind of metabolism that let him eat whatever and suffer no visible consequences. I would say try to explain to him how it's a trigger for you. That you understand he can eat what he wants but that you would appreciate it if he could try to do it as much as possible when you aren't around? And if that doesn't work, just "walk away" when he does it. Don't be obvious about it either, just go do the dishes when he get the cookies out. Go get your lunch ready for tomorrow, go shave your legs... I'm sure you have a bunch of stuff to do and now is the perfect time to do it.

my_2_cents

The other option is to just dump the guy who doesn't support you in your healthy choices, and doesn't care enough about your wishes to compromise at all.

complikaited

Oh dear god yes!! My boyfriend does this too. He's not in great shape himself, so sometimes it's frustrating that I'm really trying to better myself and my health and he doesn't even want to try. I don't bug him about it or give him a hard time, but I wish he'd participate in this with me.

The temptation is really hard at times, but I'm trying to use it as a lesson and as self-motivation to continue on my course. I'm hoping that once he starts to see my results he'll be more open to joining me.

journalistjen

My husband and I are from different worlds when it comes to food. I used to be triggered to eat his junk--but when I began to understand why I have those triggers, why I want to eat that junk--such as getting a high feeling from dopamine produced in my brain from "comfort foods"--my relationship with food changed and thus the ability to say "no" to eating that junk. I usually want to eat bad stuff when I'm moody or feel bad, I tell myself food is fuel and not a main source of pleasure. Food can still be pleasurable, and I can eat junk occasionally, but I can't rely on it for pleasure.

Great_Mazinga

My wife is always baking brownies, cakes, cookies, and bring home pies, chips, kids cereals, etc. It's really a struggle to stay out of the stuff, or even limit it. I haven't really found a solution, other than prepare my own foods and have them ready BEFORE I get hungry. It'd be much easier with family support, but we can't always assume it will be there.