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

I've only just finished day four of my diet but so far so good, I have been able to avoid the pantry full of junk food that my husband keeps stocked. Its hard though, but like someone else said, you gotta want it bad enough. I even have to make myself separate meals than what I make the rest of the family (no mashed potatoes, gravy,etc.) because there's no way they would be content on just lean proteins and green stuff all the time. It's hard, but enough is enough, I think this time I want it bad enough to just grin and bear it. It's actually a great sense of accomplishment for me to know that despite all the junk food and stuff the rest of the family eats that surrounds me, to know that I didn't succumb to temptation makes me feel great and in control!

It's so difficult whenever he SNACKS! ugh. When he snacks and opens the cupboard, it just makes me give in to temptation!

My husband has been instructed to keep my "trigger foods" in his office. I don't care if that's what he chooses to eat when he's studying or working, but I don't want to see or smell it! ;-) I don't mind when he brings it to the couch when we sit down to watch a movie or something, because I usually have a late snack planned that is yummy, and just for me. ;-)


As far as every day eating goes, I'm on a completely different meal plan than the rest of the family. Most of of the time I can just omit the food type that I shouldn't eat that meal (usually cheese or wholegrain carbs depending on the day). My husband rolls his eyes every time I do it, but I don't care. It is working for me right now, and is teaching me how to eat sutable sized portions.

When we sit down to eat together, I usually make one meal for the whole family, and if you don't like it "tough." But at least once a week I treat my family to an "old stand by" and I just make myself something different. I don't mind being a "short order cook" if it is my tastebuds that I am pleasing with the extra meal. :drinker:

I live with my hubby, I cook for both of us and I cook healthy, he does not need to lose any weight as he is real slim, so he compensateds by snacking, he eats loads of carbs and that does not worry me at all. He needs extra to me and I need a lot less in order to succeed.

I'm 24 and am about to move back in with very controlling parents who think I am too thin. (I'm not I'm a perfectly healthy weight for my frame, have plenty of meat on my bones and I can run 10 miles, certainly couldn't do that malnourished) Excuse my digression...

I have bee lucky in my diet thus far as my roommates and I buy our food separately so their snacks are their own. Have you thought about doing that instead of buying things all together ? I know that common amongst men but that would allow you to use your money to buy what you really want and not spend your money on snacks that you'll be tempted to eat.

I've been craving a lot of chocolate lately, for reasons, I am also not allowed to exercise for unrelated health reasons so that's made it tough to even stay in maintenance. But I find with exercise I earn some extra calories so I can reward myself with some treats! Sometimes if I'm really craving something I'll fit it into my calories. I have a binging problem sometimes tho, so I do try and keep snacks limited

I've found taking myself away from the temptation helps. But the bet thing is just earn the calories somehow, at least for me personally.

I strongly prefer to cook for myself, I am pretty anal about counting and like to know exactly what's going in my food and how much. Sometimes I'll conveniently just hang around or offer my help when someone is cooking dinner and watch what they're putting in dishes then use the recipe feature on here. When I go out I try to stick to chain places where the counts are online.

I find pre logging so I know how many calories I'll consume is way better. I do this in the morning so I know how many calories I'll need to burn. It helps motivate me on runs too

You're the one doing this and you're doing this for yourself. While it helps when those you live with are supportive, you have to take their stance into consideration too. After all, this isn't a quick fix or a short term thing you're doing (not from the sound of it anyway). Eat smaller portions and be more active and you keep track of it here and your MFPs will support you! Just don't be too hard on yourself if you slip up!

I understand that it might be challenging at times, at the same time I never experienced that.
And I'm quite often surrounded by people who have completely different views on nutrition, exercise and life style.
And I always lived with someone who was not following me.
It did screw up things in the past and it isn't and it won't now. 'Cause now I know what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.

I don't let people tempt me because they have no idea about my calorie budget and if I can afford a cake or another sandwich.
So it's totally my responsibility to keep track of what I'm eating and stay away from food when my MFP tracker says I'm done

I feel that you can do it.
Good luck!

I just be an adult about it and take personal responsibility for myself and my actions.
I'll go on that long run, then wait up till my wife goes to bed and trow all the cheezits on the floor and stomp on them and blame the kids. Cake, sometimes mustard can fall over and squirt all over it. Diet coke and other fizzy drinks are easy. just punch a hole with a pin though the cap. really you can just make the foods go away.

I live with my aunt. My brother, his friend and my mother also live in the same house. Im the only one that logs my food and keeps track. They think im neurotic and sometimes get a bit upset if I wont eat what they are eating. But I want this so badly for myself that I dont care what they think.

Im dedicated to it and Ive seen the differences and definitely wont go back to my old ways.

As much as you want your roommate to follow suite, you need to keep on truckin for yourself. They may jump back in when they see your results and want to share in that with you.

Best of luck! :flowerforyou:

It is hard! My husband is ok with trying some new things but I don't force all of my healthy foods on him. After a while its easier to say no or only eat a couple of chips instead of the whole bag, two pieces of candy instead of a handful, etc.
It would be harder in a roommate situation. Since I do all the cooking and grocery shopping I can basically control what's in my house, but I can't stop him from bringing home McDonald's and wanting to share!

Here's what I do:


I log into MFP and I track my food. Whether or not my wife tracks her intake has nothing to do with me tracking my intake.

^Bingo.


Just change wife to husband for me.

Here's what I do:


I log into MFP and I track my food. Whether or not my wife tracks her intake has nothing to do with me tracking my intake.

^Bingo.


Just change wife to husband for me.

or exchange...heh.


turn on computer...log food.

Here's what I do:


I log into MFP and I track my food. Whether or not my wife tracks her intake has nothing to do with me tracking my intake.

Same. Except my husband, not his wife.

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.

I live with my hubby and 2 kids. I'm the only one of us that needs to lose weight, so I'm the only one who has to be more careful about portions.

HOWEVER

I'm the cook in this house - and I cook only 1 meal at a time. If they don't like it, they will have to get over it. I'm not a short order cook, and I won't be cooking 3 different meals. Hubby has been very supportive, and the kids are learning that I mean it - eat it, or don't, but I'm not making something else.

I haven't made drastic changes to how I cook. It's been small changes, increasing the variety, introducing more veggies, and the 'eat what I serve' rule is nothing new, so it's no shock to them. I'm not just doing this for me. It's so the whole family can be healthier. If I eat healthy and then turn around and serve them garbage from a box or a can - what am I saying to them?


Snacks - thankfully, hubby has different taste in snacks than me, so mostly what he likes isn't a temptation. The few things that are, I've asked him to store out of my line of sight. If I don't see it, I won't think about it. And I make sure I leave a little wiggle room for a healthy snack in the evening if I get the munchies.

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?

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