Trouble eating well with family

Semmons
Semmons Posts: 15
edited September 20 in Motivation and Support
Is anyone else having trouble getting their family to support their healthy eating?

I'm 25 and live with my husband and as of the beginning of the school year we are also taking care of my 16 year old nephew.. I find it nearly impossible to stop eating when they are around. Its like whenever there is junk food around its a race to see who can get the most of it. I have tried bringing in healthy snacks but they usually just get left to go bad...

I'm not sure what to do about my husband and nephew, everytime I get on a roll of eating well they eventually get to me with talk of McDonalds or some other take-out venue.

How do I get them to help me without making them conform to my diet regime?

Any advice is welcome!

Replies

  • michellenadasi
    michellenadasi Posts: 3
    the best thing you can do is just keep going for yourself and when they start seeing it pay off for you they will probably join in. If you know you will be going to McDonald's or another restaraunt you can look on here for some healthier choices so you can plan ahead of time (ex: the fruit and granola parfait and a side salad). My husband makes fun of me sometimes and tries to get me to eat what he's eating but i just say no. In the end you will feel better about not giving in.
  • ltlhmom
    ltlhmom Posts: 1,202 Member
    I think you should have your on cupboard in the kitchen that is where you keep all your healthy options. If you have to eat out then figure out where you are going and pick the healthiest option or let them eat out and you eat at home. It is hard but it all comes down to will power. Tell them when you are struggling and can't trusted yourself.. I have asked my husband to put leftovers away because I didn't think I could put them away without picking at them. Or if you are going to eat it be willing to get some exercise in to off set the extra calories. You need to allow yourself treats in moderation. You can do it!!!
  • laurajg
    laurajg Posts: 8
    I have 4 kids. I have just have adjusted what I buy for them to eat. The sweets and special treats for them are things I know I won't like, but they will. They've actually started eating much better and I feel better about it. I make them sliced apples, grapes, carrots, yogurt or cubes of cheese as a snack. It's easier to adjust a child's diet then your own, especially when they haven't been exposed to so many sweet, fattening things. My husband knows that if he wants those "treaty" things, he needs to eat them at work. When we eat out, I try to enter my food on MFP ahead of time so that I'm held accountable for what I order, or I carefully order things that I know for sure will be on MFP.
  • FabulousFifty
    FabulousFifty Posts: 1,575 Member
    Yes, I agree with you having your own cabinet or shelf in the kitchen for healthy snacks. My hubby is not on board and eats fattening snacks. Those are in a separate cabinet so when I reach in for my fat-free pretzals or a low cal granola bar I am not tempted by his chips and white bread...Also on one shelf in the fridge I keep yogart and baby carrots. That is at eye level. It is harder with a teenage boy. I raised one so I know! They like McDonald's and pizza! Make wise choices and it will become habit. They may not hop onboard with you but they will know not to wave french fries in your face! Hang in there!:bigsmile:
  • Semmons
    Semmons Posts: 15
    Thanks for the tips! I definately like the idea of having a healthy food cabinet... I'm starting to wonder if I should make it a secret one though.... Never know when the boys are going to go on a feeding frenzie and eat everything in the house...
  • Crunchytxmama
    Crunchytxmama Posts: 169 Member
    My husband is very supportive now, but it took him a long time to get with the program. I think he needed to see me succeed "this time" to see that it was worth it for him to give up the luxury of having junk in the house. In fact, about one year into my weight loss journey, he decided to join me and he's lost 35 lbs. :)

    Do you do the cooking? In our house, I do 90% of the cooking. Since I do the cooking, I decide what to cook, which gives me a lot of control over what kind of food comes into the house in the first place. Having a meal plan mapped out a week in advance also helps everyone to know what to expect for the week, so there is no 6pm, standing in front of the fridge trying to figure out what to fix for dinner (aka, which fast food restaurant to go to). Dh now will buy his junk food when he's out of the house--he occasionally drinks cokes at work or has ice cream when he's out, but we just have a rule that we don't keep stuff like that in the house. He has decided that he REALLY prefers skinny wife to fat wife, and he finally gets that he's a big part of that!

    I would ask them to try to keep the junk food out of the kitchen, at the very least. If it's cookies, chips, etc.....ask them to keep them somewhere where they will be out of sight. Planning and communication is key.
  • Semmons
    Semmons Posts: 15
    :happy: Success!!! Today is take-out night here... and I managed to talk myself out of the burger and fries and get a grilled chicken burger on a whole wheat bun with a side salad... I think I did pretty good! kept me under my calories for the day!
  • CherokeeBabe
    CherokeeBabe Posts: 1,704 Member
    Great job, keep flexing that willpower like a muscle and it'll get stronger, and you'll feel more in control and empowered :)
  • sarina87
    sarina87 Posts: 400 Member
    My family stresses me out with food also. My grandmother has taught everyone that if you love someone, make them a yellow cake with chocolate frosting or brownies. She does this every weekend and everyone else brings deserts as well. I have complained so many time about why we do this and they tell me, Sarina, not everyone wants to diet like you. But everyone always talks about how they want to lose weight. So annoying. Honestly I can't really diet with all the sweets that i crave nonstop. The longest i went without sweets was 4 weeks and ever since then i've been working the cakes and sweets into my calorie allowance. If i go over, i have to suffer by getting my big butt on my elliptical. I have finally accepted the fact that cake and cookies are not going to go away, i have to make them fit into my life. If that causes me to not eat dinner some nights, so be it. So far i've still lost 50 pounds with cookies and cake in my diet. But with moderation of course. Everyone who goes on a diet, has to find a balance. If you can find it, you will have success. and thats all i have to say about that. Hee hee

    sarian
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