How do you keep track when you live with people who don't

Thisisnotadiet

My husband does not track and eats chocolate in front of me every evening ... he thinks it is healthy (???!!!).

You cannot change other ppl, you can only change yourself. The others may follow, who knows....

My suggestion to you is, when he snacks, do smth else that you like (take a bath? try meditation?), or go out for a walk. And at your BD, reward yourself with something else, not food (New clothes/tickets for a sport event, whatever you enjoy!).

Erienneb

I live with my parents and younger brother and the three of them don't track or calorie count at all. My mom is only about 10lbs off her goal, my brother is three inches taller than me and at 6'2'' weighs about 150lbs, and my dad couldn't care less. I still log everything. If my mom cooks she saves labels or lets me know what she's put into the recipe so that I can track properly which is really helpful. It's not easy to keep up with but I find it completely necessary or else I get siderailed so easy. I have the app on my phone and I HAVE to pull it out and track when I'm eating. Those around me are used to it haha.

LowcarbNY

No one else in my household tracks.
After a while they will stop nagging you about how you weigh everything, or they won't and you'll just stop caring about their nags.

jennfranklin

Take a deep breath and ignore the people around you! I deal with the same thing on a daily basis! My husband will sit on the couch at night, and eat chips, candy, cakes, all in front of me. And the evening time for me is the worst for cravings, and he knows it! So I look to my MFP friends for encouragement and support! And reach down deep for that will power! You can do it.. I am with you, it is hard!

AlsDonkBoxSquat

I live with my husband and a 3 year old. MFP is my decision, not theirs, so it's my responsibility to track and stay on target and have a little will power, not theirs.

I do it by being responsible to myself and accountable to myself.

kristen6022

I live with my boyfriend. I told him that I'll cook what I can eat and if he doesn't want it he can make his own. He's pretty good about junk food, but he loves beer and sweets. I have an ok time avoiding the sweets, but the beer is a problem. I just ask myself what's more important, the taste of something, or maintaining all the hard work I put in over the past year...

robin820

I do the shopping and if you keep the junk out and bring in healthy foods, its not a big deal. As far as controling your roommate, its impossible and if you want this bad enough you will be able to look past what he does and relish in your success. Those are what will keep you going strong!

Alex_is_Hawks

basically the power to say no lies with you..and no one else....

sure I'm not saying it isn't HARD...or difficult....

but it's not like your roommate is going to reap the rewards of your hard work, only you are...and so only you can say no.

for every no you say, you've been victorious at something...not him.

jus sayin

poedunk65

My wife is just not into this health thing and i admit it is hard. But you have to do it for you and not worry about others. I have lernaed that you can;t change what is not your responsibility.

rml_16

I live with someone and I find it truly difficult to go on a steady tracking week. If you live with anyone, how do you keep track of everything and staying motivated. I haven't been tracking for 3 days due to my hunger pangs and my roomate not being that motivated to track. I think that he has just given up and don't care anymore. ugh...!!!

How in the world does the fact that your roommate isn't tracking have any effect on whether YOU track? Are you physically attached to him and sharing a brain?

haha You're spicy today;) I like it.

beckyinma

Also, a few months into this, I started taking one weekend day off per week to not log my food. I wouldn't necessarily binge or "cheat" those days, but if I wanted a couple of pretzels or chips or cookies, I'd have them without counting/measuring an exact serving. I'd have a drink or three. If I was invited to a birthday party, I'd have cake. I knew it was damn near impossible for me to really eat enough in one day to undo the work I did the rest of the week. Once I hit my initial goal weight, I expanded that to weekends, holidays and vacations. It helps me keep my sanity to take breaks from logging.

THIS!!!!

Plus, for those of you saying you live with parents or roommates and say you don't have control, YOU ARE A GROWN UP, or at least you're supposed to be one if you are on here, ACT LIKE ONE! Take control of YOUR LIFE. If you are 18, and living with your parents, you have your reasons, fine, but they do not need to control the portion you put on YOUR plate, or in your mouth. It is not expensive to put frozen veggies in the freezer. If they put fried chicken and tater tots on your plate, cut half of them off and throw on a couple cups of microwaved broccoli. Problem solved. YOU CONTROL YOUR PORTIONS, YOU CONTROL YOUR BODY! Maybe you could start to teach them a thing or two without even having to say a word. ACTIONS speak louder than words after all.

ConnieM20

im the only one whos eating right in my house, so i just usually make a a healthy rice or pasta dish (whole grain/wheat of course lol) and make enough so ill have meals to last throughout the week. that way when im tempted to have what they are eating i can just grab that instead. and i have the same breakfast everyday, so that for me isnt a challenge. you can do it though! maybe ask for a little support? ive had a talk with my family and it did help a little but, hope it works our for you!

Soozie1978

You can take accountability now and eat for yourself and your needs, or you can wait til you are going to die or lose your feet to amputation, like I did. I fed everyone else what they wanted for years and years, all the while watchng my husband go through quadruple heart bypass and my mother and mother in law develop diabetes. My mother in law ignored it and spent 10 years as an invalid in diapers and on a feeding tube before dying. In the meanwhile, I developed high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and high triglicerides. My feet have lost feeling in them due to the diabetes. I finally woke up and told myself I have to do this for me or I won't be around to still care for them. I can't make anyone else do this. I also have to feed a 257 pound 17 year old son who is in athletics and works out 4-6 hours a day. His nutritional needs are very different from mine. It is all a matter of mind over matter. What is more important to you? Sometimes I have to get downright nasty around here because I don't say anything about what they choose to eat, but I do say something when they continuously offer and try to get me to eat what they are eating.Good luck. You can do this. Do it for yourself and your future!

araromi2

It's hard but I try not to make it about anyone else. Im th only one that is overweight ,so its my issue,not anyone else's. Of course I get jealous that my man can eat anything and not gain a pound ...but such is life. In a perfect world everyone would be down for your cause. Focous on you

palmerig88

If you want to reach your goals and you want it enough, it doesn't matter who you live with or what they are doing. If someone is eating something in front of you that is hard to resist you could probably let them know but you are just going to have to suck it up. It's about willpower, dedication, and desire. It's only about you though. If the situation were reversed and whoever you lived with was bothered by the tracking, like if you measured your portion in front of them for example, that would be difficult too. There will always be roadblocks, challenges, and temptations. You just have to get past all of that.

SueGremlin

I do all the cooking and usually make separate meals for my husband and I. What he eats has no bearing on what I eat. I am responsible for me, not anyone else!

It sounds like you are blaming your roommate for your eating habits. The first step in this whole thing is to take personal responsibility for what goes into your stomach! If I can do it, so can you.

deksgrl

You choose every day what to eat / what to not eat. Some days you will choose to eat stuff that maybe you shouldn't if you were trying to be perfect. But who is perfect? Do the very best you can, make as many good choices as you can, and it becomes easier. Don't beat yourself up when you make bad choices, just make up your mind to choose better later that day (i.e. don't say I already blew today might as well eat whatever).

MsYanaBanana

Dear Friend!
I feel like you're giving too much power to other people over your journey . You have to own your journey and be the capitan of it.Otherwise you'll never get where you wanna be. Sure,it is easily to blame others but you have to want it for yourself .I've lived w numerous people over the years while dieting on and off.Never in my head Id think that I should stop tracking bc none else does .

hiker359

Don't eat what's on their plate. Portion out what you know will fit in your calories and don't eat any more than that. Plan on indulging on the cookies left on the kitchen tables every now and then and rejoice because of the sugary goodness. Mmmm...cookies!

kuntry_navy

only takes like 2 minutes tops on a smart phone, and you can scan the label. you get to the point where you'll do it with out even knowing

kenazfehu

You just do it. You are a separate individual, not a siamese twin.

My husband isn't the least bit interested in calorie restriction or exercise. I let him do his thing, and I do mine. Occasionally when we settle down together to watch a movie, he will bring a bowl of chips or something. If it's hard to keep my hand out of the bowl, I get up and do something else. When I'm weighing and measuring everything I put on my plate, and he rolls his eyes and makes some remark, I ignore him.

mnwalkingqueen

You have to want it for yourself it doesn't matter what other people do or don't do. I have the same issue my bf doesn't think I need to lose weight so he buys all kinds of unhealthy food for the house. I chose to go buy my own food and cook my own seperate meal that is different from his and the kids. It boils down to how bad do you want this.

cbeutler

On my phone. Seriously just do it.

EatClean_WashUrNuts

TraciStivers

It's all about willpower. I am the only person in my house that tracks. My husband and daughter are big snackers too. My daughter is eight so she contstantly tries to feed me. She's trying to be affectionate by insisting I share her snacks, and it's tempting when she is pushing the snacks right up against my lips and I can smell them, but you gotta say NO!

Just think of the bigger picture. Oreos are good, but when I put on a new pair of jeans and my husband says how good my *kitten* looks, thats better!

AndreaEllen

I keep healthy snacks on hand that I love, I make my own seperate little meals, and if I share junk food with the boyfriend *fro yo or pirate's booty* I measure out an actual serving size and log it

wrevhn

I totally understand. My hubby likes to spoil me, and opening up to do this was not easy for him. It is one of his love languages. One of these "spoils" is sweets/food. He does clothing, purses, etc as well, but he likes to use sweets/food sometimes. Its hard to say no when I know the love behind it. So sometimes I give in. I figure as long as its not too common, what can it hurt, it makes him happy. I just have to, after, find ways to make up for it.

It really is hard to share your life with a non healthy person and not be tempted. But you could try a few tricks to curb it. Among the ones ppl list, I find drinking a whole (16oz) bottle of water usually squashes my appetite pretty well. And having healthier options you like (example he eats chips, you grab sweet potato chips or veggies) around so your not eating the bad stuff. That helps me a lot.

a182pilot

I live with my wife and 2 college age kids and it can be really difficult. I do most of the cooking and meal prep so we all eat healty at meals. What is difficult is the candy and crap that they all feel they need in the house all the time. The distractions and temptations are constant. It takes so much will power and determination. The sad part is thought, they aren't willing to give an inch to help.

jchrisman717

I commend those people that have that sheer willpower too. I feel like I do pretty good even though my husband doesn't watch what he eats at all, snacks on chips and ice cream all the time, and wants those carb loaded dinners -- but I also find it hard to eat strict when I'm buying and cooking other stuff. I try to cook things that he will eat and that I can eat moderately and still stay within my calorie range. But yea - I think if I was single again and only had myself I would be finding it much easier to lose. Not that I want to be single again - I love my husband and what we have - but it is just harder on me.

cebreisch

I have a husband and two daughters and can relate. It's all about doing whatever you have to do to stay on track.

I started tracking back in April 2011, and my husband didn't start until December, 2011. One of the reasons he started was due to the success I had had. Either the roommate will come around or not, but whatever the roommate does or doesn't do is not up to you.

One of my doctors said that if there was any time to be selfish (in trying to get healthy), it's now. You can only control what you do and how you do it. I've even had to tell people - "Look, can you go eat that in another room, or at least not eat that right next to me?"

For what it's worth - and good luck!