Dieting Alone

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I live at home with my parents and two younger siblings, but I am the only one who is trying to watch what I eat. I am finding that I am very easily discouraged when I see my family eating all of these goodies. It is very hard to want to even try. Any advice?

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  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,082 Member
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    Your choice, your food going in your mouth.

    Really, it's always going to be this way. People are always going to eat around you. You still have to make your own choices.
  • Guamybear
    Guamybear Posts: 1,061 Member
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    I am at home with my mother and 2 young daughters...so I understand seeing all the food they are eating..

    I try to make most of my own food on the nights that I am not cooking. On the nights I am I usually cook something healthy and tasty. There are lots of cookbooks and recipes out there that are low-cal your family might not even know. As for snacks, I have them...just smaller portions. When I want Ice cream, I buy skinny cow and eat it guilt free.. candy is snack size..chips are measured (sometimes)

    eventually your family might follow your lead if they see how healthy you are getting..

    just takes time to get the routine down.
  • mghanie
    mghanie Posts: 105 Member
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    You just gotta do whats best for you and eat healthy food. You can have some junk occasionally as long as its not everyday. Do what makes you happy, if you really want to lose the weight you will stay away from larger portions and unhealthy foods. Try your best and if you slip up remember we are all human and it happens you just gotta pick yourself up and keep moving forward. Good luck!
  • lorimitchell9081
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    i had a similar experience today, when my daughter walked in with a burger from McDonald's, it was hard, so much that i started to cry because i felt like no one was supporting me. Then, i thought to myself, i can only tell and show them how hard it is to be my weight and trying to lose it, yeah its easy to down those burgers, but in the end, it leaves you only to find it harder and harder to lose weight. I just keep telling my family that i don't like how big i got by the choices i made, by eating junk food, now i don't think or want to eat any unhealthy foods that could make me get big again, it almost disgusts me, because of how hard it is to lose the excess weight.
  • bymyslf892
    bymyslf892 Posts: 114 Member
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    Offer to cook! Not that you should make dinner every night but making the effort to make everyone a healthy meal and then keeping the leftovers for your future meals is surprisingly helpful. Also, have low cal versions of your favorite snacks around all the time so when you get tempted and give in it's not as big of a deal.
  • kaylacyr123
    kaylacyr123 Posts: 74 Member
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    I can relate- I find it hard, my boyfriend literally eats nothing but junk and junk that I love at that ( pizza, cheeseburgers, wings) all used to be huge weaknesses for me. I don't have any friends that are watching what they eat, trying to lose weight or that are keeping a veggie diet like I am. It gets hard and feels lonely when you can't eat what everyone else is eating for dinner. I find what helps is replaying the reasons why you are making healthier choices in your head, reminding yourself of all the positive things that are happening inside your body and that are or will show on the outside as well. It's important to keep a positive spin on things. I hope things get better for you sooon :)
  • msbunnie68
    msbunnie68 Posts: 1,894 Member
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    * Offer to cook dinner one night a week - make it a tasty but healthy meal and just DON"T TELL THEM THAT IT IS HEALTHY. For example you can make your own pizza that tastes a gazillion times better than the shop bought ones with much much less calories. Homemade hamburgers are yummmmmy and healthy - try having baby baked potatoes as a side dish or homemade potato wedges as a side dish. (when I say homemade I mean cut those potatoes yourself!!)

    * Make your own goodies - just because something is home made or healthier it does not make it any less 'tasty' or any less of a 'goodie'. For example: oven baked pita bread crisps (with your own spices) are delicious and a heck of a lot less calories than potato crisps/chippies. Home made cookies/muffins can be delicious and lower calorie - you control what size you make these cookies etc. Muffins/cakes/pastries/muesli bars freeze quite well so you do not need to scoff every single one you bake within 2 days.

    * You can still have your favourites - you just need to make sure it fits your day/calories/macros. There is NO 'thou shalt not eat' list. Think of it more as 'Thou shalt eat xxx calories per day'.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Your choice, your food going in your mouth.

    Really, it's always going to be this way. People are always going to eat around you. You still have to make your own choices.

    ^ All of this.
  • jack1925
    jack1925 Posts: 186 Member
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    its just me and my husband at home, but im the only one thats on a diet. we work pretty much the same schedule but he doesnt eat breakfast so i eat once he goes to work, i pack my own healthy lunch and snacks and then for supper, i just watch my portions very carefully.
  • swashburn3
    swashburn3 Posts: 172 Member
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    Your choice, your food going in your mouth.

    Really, it's always going to be this way. People are always going to eat around you. You still have to make your own choices.

    ^
    Yup, this is it. Take control of your own life. :)
  • laceybrobie
    laceybrobie Posts: 495 Member
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    Always start your day off with Protein.. keeps you full and stops the cravings.. I am able to pass up on the junk if 'i want to' .. if not i have a little bit and walk away.

    moderation is the key.. dont eat the whole plate of cookies. take one or two and move on.

    You are your only person that can make you eat it or not.. nobody is holding you down and forcing you to eat it..

    when you see the junk out grab a celery stick if you dont feel you can only eat 1 or 2.. eat at thing makes me want to gag because of the chewing that I forget about the damn cookie anyway.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    You can measure everything out. And if your parents make a calorie heavy veggie casserole, ask your mom to leave some raw on the side for you instead. Ask your mom to get salads, fresh veggies to snack on, and fruits for you when she goes to the store shopping.
  • aeg176
    aeg176 Posts: 171 Member
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    We are all on here for a reason bad choices in the past. Just make better decisions than you did the day before and you are doing what you need to. good luck with the struggle we are all going through the same thing!
  • DebraYvonne
    DebraYvonne Posts: 632 Member
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    read the success stories! those always inspire me. Best of luck!
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    I live at home with my parents and two younger siblings, but I am the only one who is trying to watch what I eat. I am finding that I am very easily discouraged when I see my family eating all of these goodies. It is very hard to want to even try. Any advice?

    The majority of my family is obese. My bf is obese. I have a sedentary job surrounded by computer scientists and little time or money to cook. My advice is stop blaming everyone else. Not meaning that in an offensive manner, but there's plenty of normal weight people who are constantly surrounded by stress and coaxed on by Mr. and Ms. Temptation. Some are luckier then others, but that's still not a reason to try to blame someone else, it just makes for a better challenge. In the end you'll be all the stronger for it.

    My advice, is read up on nutrition and learn how to say no when you don't want to do something and stick to your guns.
  • charliesmommy89
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    It takes lots of self-motivation to successfully change your life, or else you'll just fall into the same old viscios cycle. I'm speaking from experience here!! My two children and husband eat pizza, ice cream, cake, you name it. But you have to ask yourself, Am I intersted or committed? Hang in there! I have lost a total of 55 lbs and I can tell you, if you stick with it you'll be so happy you did. We're talking a few months of getting healthy vs. the rest of your life. Hope this helps!! Good luck!