Dad on a Diet

dnd858

My dad is 57, a bit overwieght and going on a diet!
I was hoping I could get some ideas of what to tell him to eat--help him out a little. He doesn't know and always asks me, but the truth is I really don't know what is good or bad on a diet, especially for an overwieght man. I just feel so bad because he really does think it's all about hating what you eat and not eating a lot--I'm trying to explain to him that it's more of a lifestyle change and not depriving himself of food.
Anyway...any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

dnd858

My dad is 57, a bit overwieght and going on a diet!
I was hoping I could get some ideas of what to tell him to eat--help him out a little. He doesn't know and always asks me, but the truth is I really don't know what is good or bad on a diet, especially for an overwieght man. I just feel so bad because he really does think it's all about hating what you eat and not eating a lot--I'm trying to explain to him that it's more of a lifestyle change and not depriving himself of food.
Anyway...any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

amycakes812

Can you try to get your dad to join MFP? Maybe it will help him to read the boards and see for himelf that diet doesn't have to be a bad word. Really, diet just means the foods you eat. All of the fads out there give that word a bad connotation. Help him to understand this is a lifestyle change and he can learn to make healthier choices.

mszSHOGAN

Without knowing his preference of foods it would be hard to suggest healthier choices. My husband also thinks eating healthy is about eating nasty food but I'm showing him that the same foods just prepared differently can still be good. Have him start cutting fried foods out, go with baked. Use less (or no) butter. Things of that nature. Also, he not only needs to diet but its very important that he exercises too!

tammietifanie

My dad is 57, a bit overwieght and going on a diet!
I was hoping I could get some ideas of what to tell him to eat--help him out a little. He doesn't know and always asks me, but the truth is I really don't know what is good or bad on a diet, especially for an overwieght man. I just feel so bad because he really does think it's all about hating what you eat and not eating a lot--I'm trying to explain to him that it's more of a lifestyle change and not depriving himself of food.
Anyway...any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

There's no many good things to eat!!!! grilled salmon with fresh basil... tons of fruits, veggies... Sweet potato fries with chilli powder for a spicier taste, turkey meat, turkey bacon, salads, yogurt.. the list goes on...

fjtcjt

Whole Wheat pasta instead of white
Whole Wheat bread instead of white
Brown rice
Sweet Potatoes instead of regular
Try to get rid of as much of the processed flour and sugar stuff without driving him mad. My dad use to eat a piece of bread for every meal and he cut that out and started to lose weight. Once he saw it was working, then he was willing to make some of the other changes.

CasperO

I'm a big ol' meat & taters guy myself, and this wasn't too hard an adjustment to make. We big guys can eat 1800 or 2000 cals a day and still reduce, so it's really pretty e-z for us.

Simply,,,
Don't eat the fat on the steak.
Grilled is just as tasty as fried.
A good salad rocks - and if it doesn't you're not making a good salad.
8 ounces of broccoli & 4 ounces of potato (not the other way 'round ).
Snack on veggies not Cheetos, a few animal crackers not a box of Oreos.
When bored or whatever and you're tempted to gnosh, do something else instead (I sometimes try to :flowerforyou: the ol' lady. And sometimes it works,,, Hehehe ).

Here, make him this:
nice big 6 oz. b'less skinless chix breast - pounded thin.
Thin slice of lean ham.
Thin slice o' swiss cheese.
Roll that up in a log, dust with garlic & parsley flakes and maybe a sprinkle of parmesan and bake 350 - 1/2 hour.

Park it next to a big salad (Lite ranch dressing on the side), some whole wheat pasta shells with a little butter & parm and a good helping of steamed asparagus or broccoli. That's a big filling meal that'll satisfy anybody, and it's 550 or 600 calories.

(Wow, I'm getting hungry :laugh: ).

sonjavon

Because of your dad's age - my suggestion would be for him to consult his physician. My dad is in his early 60's and has always been healthy and hadn't needed to go to the doctor for a very long time. A few years ago he attempted to change his diet and ended up with diverticulitis as well as some other adrenal issues.

He's 5'9, weighs 175 lbs, has never been what I would have called "overweight" and we've just learned that he's diabetic. He's having to learn from scratch everything that he thought he knew about diet... change can be hard for anyone at any change - but particularly hard as we get older - sometimes it's easier to have a doctor break that news and monitor results than it is to have our children tell us.

His doctor can monitor his blood pressure, pulse rate, triglycerides, etc...

Other than that - staying away from as much processed foods, learning what portion sizes are and knowing how many calories he should be eating should help. He may need help learning HOW to track calories.

Good Luck!

sonjavon

double post... sorry

dnd858

Thank you so much for all of your replies!