My husband and my children could care less!

karamille

You know... this has been a big problem for me in the past and a lot of the reason while I have failed in the past two years to lose or even stop the gain. It is not realistic that you can continue to make multiple meals long term and stay on track. You've got to find a way to make one meal and make it work on a calorie budget.

First - I think unrealistic to think you will be able to do 1200 gross calories eating what your family eats but no more unrealistic than thinking cooking 2 meals every meal can be a long term way to live. Plan on eating 1500 a day - this is totally do-able cooking one meal everybody eats. (200 for breakfast, 500 lunch, 500 dinner, 300 to snack or add extra cals to a meal where you need it) If 1200 net is your goal, then you've got 300 calories to burn during hte day.

I do lots of salads on the side. I buy the box of baby field greens at the grocery. That box stays fresh for usually over a week in the fridge because you can reseal it. I fill up on that first, then eat my entree, which is about half the size of my husbands. Makes no different to me if he eats the side salad or not. I also like do a lot of "loaded baked potatoes" with either a salad or soup. I heat up some canned low fat chili, precooked refrigerated bacon, pull some light sour cream (don't by fat free - they will think it tastes like crap), 2% cheese, scallons, etc... My potato will automatically be cut in half with the other half either given to one of the kids, or put in the fridge for tomorrow. The other half I will top with a measured serving of cheese (really important to measure cheese), a measured scoop of chili, and 1 tbsp of sour cream - hubs will be absolutely loaded down. And thats fine. He has a great metabolism and can do that. But we have all eaten and I have only cooked one meal.

I do the same thing with spagetti. I make it with meatballs, but I don't eat the meatballs or I save a little sauce back without ground meat and save back a little meat so I know exactly how many calories I'm getting. I'll pass on the garlic bread if I am close on calories but generally I get to have a slice of pepperidge farm garlic bread too.

Tacos are easy too. 2 hard shells only have around 100 calories, depending on brand. You could have 4 shells for 200 cals. . Put your lettuce on first and fill that baby up. Then put your measured cheese on next, then your measured meat serving. Top with tomatoes, onions, olives - whatever. I even divide up a serving of light sour cream among my tacos. A light swipe is all you really need. Its a really filling meal you should be able to keep aroun 500 calories

Whole roasted chicken. My family goes NUTs over it. (I use the barefoot contessa's recipe from food network). I still make mashed potatoes, but I use light butter, chicken broth, skim milk, light sour cream and I measure my serving. My family really likes rolls. Thats fine. I just started buying the precooked frozen ones. I ask them how many they want and make just that amount +1 for me. I make a salad or veggie to go with it, and if they chose not to eat it, then I have part of lunch taken care of tomorrow.

If you want to see my food journal for more ideas on how to make traditional family meals work in 1500 cals, shoot me a friend request

Thriceshy

I would not recommend demanding they adhere to your eating preferences. However, I also would stick to my own eating preferences and refuse to cook their food for them. That way you stick to your own eating and allow them to their own as well. Nobody is backed into a corner or made to look like the bad guy just because they don't want to join your eating plan.

Pretty much the point many of us were making, I believe. If they want different, they can prepare different on their own rather than forcing her to cook two separate meals each time.

Kris

kitinboots

I remember as a child not bring allowed to leave the table until we demolished whatever was on our plates. The number of times I sat there all evening because my mum cooked fish or ravioli or something I genuinely hated. For years I was adamant that I hated fish, thanks to those memories. I didn't have the courage to try White fish until I was 21, when I realised it wasn't the fish I disliked, it was the sauce my mum cooked it in.
Maybe I would have realised earlier if she'd given me the option to have extra veggies instead of staring at a fish for an hour.