Easy for you eat healthy! You don't have kids!

heatherrose9

So today my friend was asking my advice on eating healthier. She said, "I've only had reduced fat this and no fat these and I'm still hungry! How did you make yourself LIKE healthy food!?" I said, "well, eventually you'll realize that it's worth it to spend your calories on healthy food, rather than processed. I didn't make myself like food-I tried a lot of things from searching online and through my grocery store. Eventually, processed and restaurant foods stopped tasting so good and I became full off of less calories and better for me foods. Now i CRAVE vegetables and fruits"

THEN SHE SAID,

"WELL ITS EASY FOR YOU. YOU DON'T HAVE KIDS. It's not realistic for me to eat like this, I have birthday parties to go to."

That hurt my feelings because, I want to eventually have kids...and, I feel like she was kinding throwing that in as a cop out!

BUT! I'm open to YOUR opinions-parents or not?!

ElementalEscapee

My spidey-senses detect a typical excuse here. Don't worry about it.

ChelseaM18

Ah yes, birthday parties every day of the year. Knowing/having 365 kids must be tough :P . I wouldn't worry about it

magerum

She should be setting an example for her kids. That's why I decided to get healthy...

Just my opinion.

Skeena4

Because I'm a snappish, no-verbal-filter kinda person at times... I would have said...

"Ummm how about teaching your kids to eat and love healthy foods from the get-go! And fight off the other mamas who are apparently shoving the cake down your throat!"

That's why I have no friends... BAHAHAHAH (I'm totally kidding) I'm just a big talker...

heatherrose9

Ah yes, birthday parties every day of the year. Knowing/having 365 kids must be tough :P . I wouldn't worry about it

hahahahahaha! she was dead serious though. "it's not realistic for me to have a lifestyle of healthy eating. i want to enjoy the parties."

i told her, "well, don't make yourself miserable for two weeks starving yourself, bc then you'll gain all the weight back."

this was a text convo, it ended with

'ok thanks for ur tips'

lol

ahadj

I'm sure having kids around to cook for/attend events with makes it harder... but hell, having a boyfriend/husband to cook for and eat with makes it harder, having a job where there's always free pizza at lunch and fancy after work events to attend makes it harder, etc. etc. etc. I think as soon as you have to worry about feeding anyone other than yourself it gets more complicated. BUUUT I still don't like that mama's response!! RUDE. It's hard for practically everyone, just in different ways.

lilorphann

I think your friend is doing a terrible injustice to her kids! Up until 456 days ago, I fed my youngest son all the wrong things; as a result, I created an unhealthy, obese child. As a family, we changed our eating habits and today, my once 300 pound son, is a healthy 165 pounds!
I look back and it breaks my heart to know the damage I was doing to him. Physically and mentally. I would never allow that to happen again. Thank God we were able to change our lives. Now I know my son has the right tools to eat healthy for his life, and one day pass that onto his children.

marycmeadows

My spidey-senses detect a typical excuse here. Don't worry about it.

this.

Jezebel9

I have a 5yr old. He loves pizza, pasta and ice cream. But he also loves watermelon, cucumbers, and mangoes. He will learn his eating habits from me, and I will not cave to GMO'S, processed junk or crap food in general.
I am on a mission and I am eating healthier every day, every day and I am dragging my family along behind me... not that they are too resistant- my husband is supportive.

She may have to fight the kids who have already formed less-than-healthy eating habits... and to her credit, it isn't easy. But it can be done, it is the right thing to do, it is the best parenting decision, imho.

For example, right now my husband is making beef rouladen aka fat-laden... and I made dumplings to go with it.
I'm not eating it- too much fat- I can't eat gluten.

I will find something else.
But I am determined and, like I said- I am on a mission.

Good luck.

FelicityArtifex

I've both lost and gained weight as a parent. It depends on what my focus and intent is...I can exercise with my kids, or I can make excuses. Your friend can go to, for instance, birthday parties and NOT eat cake and just not say anything about it. If she doesn't make a big deal of it, no one else will. If she points it out, etc., then folks are probably going to say, Oh, you don't need to diet, etc., and she'll get the excuse she's been looking for to go ahead and eat that cake...! Lots and lots of moms are able to incorporate healthy eating and exercise into their roles as mothers.

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

Excuse!

I am a single mom to my beautiful 8 year old daughter and we BOTH eat healthy AND we go to birthday parties lol

mes1119

UM does she go to birthday parties everyday? I doubt it. It is called will-power. Lazy, no good, mother... :grumble: :grumble: :grumble:

Children (AND ALL PEOPLE) learn to eat by habit. Teach them (through habit) to like healthy snacks and that is what they will go for. They also learn by example. Seeing you eat ice cream all day makes them want it and then you want it.... it is a neverending cycle. If they eat ice cream all day everyday, or course they aren't going to like fruit.

I'm no expert, I don't have kids or anything, I just learned a great deal of the psychology of food and eating in one of my psychology classes.

wackyfunster

Total BS. It's all about priorities... if something is important enough to you, you'll make time. If it's not, you'll make excuses. Two kids, ~11 hrs a day at work/commuting. Still find time to spend with my family and work out and eat healthy.

jasperann

I have four kids, so that really isn't a good excuse. I make dinner and they have the option of eating it or going to bed hungry. But you better believe that I am not going to eat something separate from my kids. That is silly. We do birthdays too... Even if you have a slice of cake you aren't going to gain weight, it is when you eat all of the cake, pizza and chips, ect.

moejo3

I have 4 kids and we eat pretty clean. They don't always like what is in the house but, that is okay. Little splurges are okay for anyone just not on a daily basis. Kids should be eating clean too and having Bday cake once in a while...don't worry it is better to have your good habits now so you can pass them on to your kids!

Shock_Wave

Like it said its your choice to decide to either be smaller or bigger or ill add in eat healthier or not.
Guess she doesnt share the same out look as you. Motivational fail for your friend but good try.

moejo3

I have a 5yr old. He loves pizza, pasta and ice cream. But he also loves watermelon, cucumbers, and mangoes. He will learn his eating habits from me, and I will not cave to GMO'S, processed junk or crap food in general.
I am on a mission and I am eating healthier every day, every day and I am dragging my family along behind me... not that they are too resistant- my husband is supportive.

She may have to fight the kids who have already formed less-than-healthy eating habits... and to her credit, it isn't easy. But it can be done, it is the right thing to do, it is the best parenting decision, imho.

For example, right now my husband is making beef rouladen aka fat-laden... and I made dumplings to go with it.
I'm not eating it- too much fat- I can't eat gluten.

I will find something else.
But I am determined and, like I said- I am on a mission.

Good luck.

Totally agree! love the dreads!

Awkward30

She should be setting an example for her kids. That's why I decided to get healthy...

Just my opinion.

Yeah, I used to work with a woman who's kids loved snacking on veggies and for whom a soda was a once a week treat. I wish I had grown up that way so that I knew what healthy eating was. Now that I've learned, I will teach my kids by example what a healthy lifestyle is and how awesome it feels.

knittnponder

Uh, I have four kids and I bake and decorate cakes as a hobby. Have I mentioned that I'm also gluten free so if I eat my own cake (the regular flour ones anyway) I will get sick? Not throwing up sick but just a general "I feel really crappy and achy" kind of sick that is easy to pretend has nothing to do with my diet (only I know better.)

So I usually choose not to eat those things that are bad for me and in many cases can get away with making a healthier version and nobody is any wiser. Most people have no idea they're eating a gluten free cake unless I tell them.

And as for my kids, they need to eat healthier now so they're not in my shoes later in life. My son's birthday cake last year was flour, grain and sugar free (chocolate cake with sliced strawberries and even the frosting was sugar free.)

She's just using that as an excuse and it has zero reflection on you other than to show you how awesome you are for not finding an excuse of your own. (And trust me, if you really wanted to you could find one!)

lindsy721

Ha! Ya know, I have friends with kids who have said things like, "It's easier to make healthy choices after you have kids, because you want to set the example for them."
So... I wouldn't worry about that comment too much. Anyways, people who eat healthier tend to have better energy levels, and therefore might even enjoy their kids more... I think the motivation to eat healthy/cleaner is *greater* once you have the kids.