Do the people you live with support your healthy eating?

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  • kawasakininja13
    kawasakininja13 Posts: 20 Member
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    Hey just wanted to say well done for starting this thread. It was a pleasure to read everyone's experiences and situations!

    I personally have received absolutely no motivation or support from my family. If its encouragement it's sarcastically. I won't brag but progress speaks louder than criticism ladies and gentlemen! I wish you all the very best!

    Feel free to add me - I'm a regular on MFP and am always looking to help encourage and motivate others when I can!
  • lessismoreohio
    lessismoreohio Posts: 910 Member
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    Yes and no. It's all over the map.
  • NMTSPARKS
    NMTSPARKS Posts: 4 Member
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    Lol... NO.... I make really good tasting healthy dinners... they get mad its not deep fried and then go to store and buy 24 ct frozen boxes of corn dogs... then i have to listen to them whine about them weighing 300 lbs and that they dont understand why they are gaining weight... sigh....
  • arabianhorselover
    arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
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    Yes and no. My sons are supportive of me, but don't really understand why I even worry about my weight. I guess they don't think it's that bad. My husband also thinks I shouldn't worry about it so much. He has heard me talk about my eating problems too much over the years, and doesn't have any reason to believe I will actually lose the weight, so I can't really expect him to get excited about it. He has generally been really good about not complaining about my weight. He thinks I should just eat when I'm hungry, stop when I'm full, and not worry about it. He has always been able to do that. He's one of those people who doesn't even think about food all day, and then at 9:00 at night realizes he should probably eat something. I, on the other hand, have been a compulsive over eater since I was a teenager, so it's quite different for me. He loves to eat processed meats, huge dishes of ice cream, steak, and bakery stuff when he does eat. He can still get into his clothes from high school, and he's 47.
  • LisaUlrey
    LisaUlrey Posts: 136 Member
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    My husband cooks almost all of our meals and he always asks what he is making will work with my alloted calories that I have available. He doesn't diet with me (although he should) but he supports me completely. He measures out everything for me when making his own concotions so I can put the recipe in MFP. He sends me recipes ahead of time to get my approval. He is awesome!
  • ploppersdf1
    ploppersdf1 Posts: 89 Member
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    Nope my husband is a food junkie... He likes to have junk food and take out everyday. So I had to adapt. I have a little list of things I can eat at the different places we go to. It i possible to eat on a calorie budget eating out.. I'm trying to cut us back but he's slow on the progress but it helps knowing that I can eat with him an I don't have to eat just a salad everywhere we go.
  • natmckn
    natmckn Posts: 48 Member
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    My husband is very supportive, and I do all the shopping so if there's junk in the house, it's because I shopped while I was hungry. He also needs to really watch his cholesterol so that helps too. However if I make something that looks "too green" I usually get an earful of whining, but he's entitled to it since he hears me complain every time I lose my willpower and break out a bad snack. :)
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    I live alone Mon-Thurs, so it's not an issue. But my fiancé lives with me Fri-Sun and he is my #1 support. He lost over 100 lb more than a decade ago and has kept it off. He's pescetarian and loves to cook exotic and healthy recipes, we often cook together. It works out great!

    As for friends & family (none of them live with me but I see them weekly)...

    My mom is the least supportive although she thinks she IS supportive. She's very misguided on what is healthy and not healthy, at least in my opinion. At her house, there are many processed things I don't eat like margarine, heavily salted entrees, and baked-from-a-box treats. I usually indulge in a small amount of something if it appeals to me but sometimes turn it down. I've started keeping a box of veggie burgers and some frozen sweet potato fries at her place, they're not my ideal foods but they are generally better than what she's serving. She does try to get me to eat chili and things like that sometimes (I don't eat beef) but she isn't too pushy about it.

    My dad's super supportive. He was obese most of his life, although quite healthy due to a very active job. Now he has to watch his diet more carefully due to his advanced age and he is very aware of healthy foods. For years we've gone to lunch once a week and the lunches have gradually become smaller and healthier, which is good for both of us. If we go someplace less healthy, we'll split a plate of fried catfish and each have one veggie side. Works out great. My stepmom is the same way.

    Best friend started eating totally differently due to a diabetic diagnosis. She is/was not overweight but now she really needs to eat low carb, diabetic diet. She is obsessed with gluten being evil, and that makes it kind of hard for us to go out to eat together in some situations. In our town there are a lot of places promoting artisanal breads and such, and she won't even go into them. I eat very differently from her. Nevertheless, she is not the type to try and tempt me with "bad" food nor do I push those things onto her.

    Honestly for me one of the best things, even though they have no IDEA they're being "supportive" hahahaha....is my office. In the past I have often worked at offices full of dieting women who somehow wound up bringing in donuts, cakes, cookies, Halloween candy, in attempts to sabotage each other and "celebrate" every small victory or deal with stress. NOT good. In my office now, no one ever eats anything in the office, unless it's their lunch, and I love that! It makes it much easier for me. I sit and drink water all day while they smoke and drink Cokes. But at least they are not bringing in maple bars, because I KNOW I would indulge at least half of the time. It's also nice that they're not parading around with treats. At one former job, my boss had a delicious smelling Starbucks latte with her every morning and it would get that craving in my head.
  • emjaycazz
    emjaycazz Posts: 330 Member
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    Initially, my boys didn't "get" it when I started eating healthier, but then my husband did a circuit training DVD with me and my sis and realized that he needed to make an overall change at the beginning of July. I do the meal-planning and cooking for dinner, which is a great help. I try to be fairly flexible because my man DOES love his carbs but he is managing pretty well using portion control.

    The main issue doesn't have that much to do with emotional support but rather the practicality of having a preteen boy who plays competitive/travel soccer and as a consequence is in need of simple & complex carbs to fuel himself for practices and on tournament weekends days with multiple games. Yes, he does get vegetables, proteins,and calcium but we do need to account for his needs when planning dinner.
  • LouLoulost
    LouLoulost Posts: 181 Member
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    I have an awesome support, my family does support me and encourage me too, I feel blessed. My work mates are terrific super proud of me and I feel great- I'd be lost if I had people that didn't support me , change is tough and In my house it's just me and my husband , he has health issues and likes to make food about reward- He learned that I wasn't going to celebrate with food any longer. It's not a passing fad to make these changes but a overhaul of your life and when you put your foot down people will roll their eyes but then they say Wow what resolve you have! :), I over heard him talking about my change(I don't like to call it a diet) he was all bragging on me - so I think I have set an example and that feels amazing!
  • bushidowoman
    bushidowoman Posts: 1,599 Member
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    My kids will eat the healthy foods I fix, but they'd rather eat junk. And if they can talk me into it, they surely will.
    My husband is mostly supportive--he really tries to be--but he likes to spoil me with wine and chocolate and cheddar peppers. At least he will run and spar with me to work it off.
    Supportive family or not, though, I'm the one who is responsible for what I eat.
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
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    I live with my cat, and she often offers to eat some of my food for me, so that's supportive, right?

    Most of the people in my life don't comment on what I eat. There are a few who offer me unhealthy stuff to eat, but I don't think they mean it in a sabotaging way.
  • redladywitch
    redladywitch Posts: 799 Member
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    I honestly don't care if my husband is supportive or not. It's my decision to lose weight. and........ I'm going to lose weight regardless.

    In our house, food is not *bad* or *unhealthy*. If someone in our house wants to eat something....then they eat it. There is no shaming. No one is made to feel bad. No one is made fun of.(only if they fart) We respect each other. There is laughter and joy around food....no guilt, no impending doom, and no one is chastised. If you don't feel like eating vegetables that day, then don't. If you want a slice of Costco Strawberry Cheesecake, then go ahead. Everyone is accountable, responsible and respected.

    I realize this might sound a bit snarky. It's not meant to be. This is honestly how it is in my home. I wish you could come over for dinner sometime. It's a lot of fun.
  • Lemongrab1
    Lemongrab1 Posts: 158 Member
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    Mixed. I live with my mum, and she seems to switch between telling me I'm "WAYYYY TOO THIN!" to "Oh wow, you've totally changed your body, your butt sits up in the air!"
    So she's either telling me to stop because anorexia (not anorexic at all in any way, shape or form btw) or telling me I'm awesome.
    It varies :bigsmile:
  • Joehenny
    Joehenny Posts: 1,222 Member
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    No, and I don't expect them too. I'm a grown as man and some of my "healthy" eating habits are borderline OCD. I get really upset when I can't quantify the amount of food I'm eating via weight so it's difficult. I buy all my own food and try not to burden them with my weirdness.
  • SkinnyWannabeGal
    SkinnyWannabeGal Posts: 143 Member
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    Nope! I am all on my own when it comes to my healthy eating. Anyone I know IRL is not supportive at all, but no matter. I will eat healthy no matter what they say :happy:. I even have people buying me unhealthy things and trying to force me to eat it and getting mad at me for refusing to. It's my body and I choose what goes in it.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    Mixed. I live with my mum, and she seems to switch between telling me I'm "WAYYYY TOO THIN!" to "Oh wow, you've totally changed your body, your butt sits up in the air!"
    So she's either telling me to stop because anorexia (not anorexic at all in any way, shape or form btw) or telling me I'm awesome.
    It varies :bigsmile:

    My mom is kind of the same way!! No one's telling me I am too thin (that would be a hoot LOL) but she does go from "I am so proud of you, your legs look amazing, you have completely changed..." to "I think this is a bit much! A little bacon would not kill you! If you can't drink chocolate milk with your breakfast then is it really worth it???"

    and yes. Chocolate milk isn't that important to me, or I'd "budget" for it haha
  • Mainebikerchick
    Mainebikerchick Posts: 1,573 Member
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    My husband encourages me and eats healthy with me, but does not exercise. He has a very physical job and figures he doesn't need to. I don't bother him about it because it's his choice. But he does support me in EVERY way and told me he loves me the way I am and doesn't want me to do this for anyone but myself.

    Another reason why we're still madly in love after 13 years! :heart:
  • michybeans
    michybeans Posts: 106
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    My boyfriend is very supportive. He eats about 50% healthy and 50% junk, but he has a very physical job and plays sports so he is still in top shape and honestly needs probably 4000 calories a day just to maintain. So yeah, he's going to splurge on dessert more than me and eat huge steaks. :) I have steak and dessert too sometimes but rarely now since I am in losing mode, maybe work more in when I am maintaining.

    I have taught myself to cook through trying to be healthier too, and my boyfriend really likes it. He loves eating healthy too and is always asking me questions now and thinking of healthy meal ideas - of course he just eats abut a double portion of what I do. :)

    So yeah he is very supportive but I also want him to feel like he can still do his own thing, and I don't mind if he eats certain treats in front of me .We have different sweet tooths so it's ok. :) Mine is chocolate, and he's more of a candy/licorice person, which I hate that stuff, so I don't care if it's in my face. :)
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
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    Yes and no. My fiance has been making an effort to eat better, but he does have limitations. He can't process veggies, so those are out and he still loves his spaghetti. However, he eats more healthier sandwiches now, so that's something. He also encourages me to continue doing what I'm doing. We both live with his mother and although she does buy some healthy stuff, the majority of the groceries are carb-heavy and gross. Also, she and her other son like to binge often......so a double-edged sword.

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