FOOD... Why Must You Be SOOOO Complicated?

momtraders
momtraders Posts: 64 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

I am gearing up for my next grocery run. I need to eliminate all the crap from my house and diet. BUT... how do I shop on a budget, and get everything I will need to eat healthy and maintain my goals of eventually heavy lifting?

Also, to make matters worse my hubs, who is like 150lbs soaking wet, and all muscle from 5 years of working out is constantly eating HORRIBLE fatty foods, and I do not have the will power to say no, spcecially as I feel more and more frumpy.

So, I have to be able to see his yummy food, and keep eating healthy.

How do you all do it? Do you have a strict meal plan and grocery list?
If so, please please share!

I need more of everything in my diet and the only food I dislike is peas :~)

Replies

  • UnoDrea3732
    UnoDrea3732 Posts: 342 Member
    I will be the first to admit that I now shop at Aldi's for a majority of my groceries. It helps me stay on budget and there only a few things that I have to go to our Super Walmart for. I'd just rather spend my money elsewhere. Brand names aren't as important as they used to be. :)

    We do have a list of groceries that we need for the week and tend to only find a few meals that we love having during the week. Tonight we are having a new favorite called "spaghetti tacos". You make spaghetti (ground turkey, spaghetti sauce, noodles) and put it in taco shells. Sounds weird but they are so flippin good!
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    Food is only as complicated as you make it. Don't buy "crap" and you won't have to avoid it or cut it, but looking at what your doing as a "diet" is going to make it even harder to deal with.
    I eat yummy and healthy.

    There doesn't have to be an either/or contingency.

    It just seems like it may very well be a perception issue over what your husband is eating.
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    Food is only as complicated as you make it. Don't buy "crap" and you won't have to avoid it or cut it, but looking at what your doing as a "diet" is going to make it even harder to deal with.
    I eat yummy and healthy.

    There doesn't have to be an either/or contingency.

    It just seems like it may very well be a perception issue over what your husband is eating.

    What he said.
  • kellijauch
    kellijauch Posts: 379 Member
    Go to thegraciouspantry.com - they have awesome healthy, low cal recipes, and shopping lists for certain stores.

    General rule of thumb - if it has a bunch of ingredients you can't pronounce, don't buy it.
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    Eat "well" 80% of the time... if you really want to reach your goals, you will begin to get better at saying no to the foods that do not fit in to your goals and nutritional needs.
  • Cisco99
    Cisco99 Posts: 3 Member
    We buy our groceries at Costco and Trader Joe's.

    I try to eat small meals throughout the day so I don't get ravenous. If I get ravenous I usually lose it.

    I increased my fat intake and that seemed to help a lot. It seems counterintuitive but when I eat more fat I consume fewer calories. My preferred sources of fat are coconut oil, olive oil, and butter.

    Ask your hubby to be sensitive to your schedule.

    Good luck.
  • ashlinmarie
    ashlinmarie Posts: 1,263 Member
    Hello!

    I tend to get lots of fruits and veggies to snack on. Something quick and easy in case I'm hungry. Also, make sure you're eating a lot of protein and stuff...I get the bags of frozen chicken breasts. They're a little pricey, but great to thaw or just throw in a skillet for lunch and you can put whatever veggies or carbs you need to go with them. I also make my own oatmeal pancakes. They are high in carbs and protein so I try to eat them after a workout or in the morning, but they are cheap, easy to make, and delicious.

    The thing is...and I know your husband might not agree, but if you are shopping on a budget, the first food that gets cut out should be the gross fatty non-nutritional foods. That is what I had to do with my husband. He still gets his soda and we occasionally eat out so he can get his fatty food cravings taken care of (and mine as well) but most of our groceries goes to good for you foods.

    I'm not strict...but I am lazy so if I don't buy it, I won't go get it. It is faster/easier to just make something with what I've got than it is to run to the store.

    I'm sure others have better advice, but that's what works for me. Best of luck!
  • jdhoward_101
    jdhoward_101 Posts: 234 Member
    It's the same for me and my boyfriend; very limited budget, and he likes to eat all manner of unhealthy stuff; he won't even let me buy anything fat-free, it's all got to be full of fat and nasty calories! It has been very difficult.

    When we go shopping, i tend to think of the sort of meals we eat, and i think about the calorie content; is it too much for an entire meal? If it is yet i still wanted to eat it, could i compensate by eating very little throughout the day and still function OK, and enjoy that big meal for dinner? Or, if it's something like pizza and garlic bread, or chicken nuggets and potatoes and thing, could i just stick to a small portion despite how much of it my other half is shoving in his face? If i think i would honestly blow it, if it would be too much to resist or too naughty, i don't buy it. He can buy it if he wants, but i won't eat it. But hey, that means more for him!

    Or, i think of a meal that we would regularly eat, and i wonder if i could have any sort of healthy alternative; for example, burger and chips. Whilst he has a double cheeseburger and a plate of chips, i could just have a burger, no cheese, a few chips and a healthy helping of salad. That way i won't be complicating things by trying to make two completely different meals, and the other half can't complain because he still has his unhealthy dinner. (This is by far the most diplomatic course of action. Also, if he insists on buying a bag of crisps, don't be afraid to treat yourself to a pack of rice crackers or whatever healthy snack you feel will be better for you).

    Or, there are times where i have a strop because he makes it so difficult for me to lose weight when he is constantly trying to get me to eat crap, and make my own healthy dinner and he can make his god damn own if he isn't going to respect my decision or try and support me in any way! Because i can bet you that he won't be complaining either once i lose a few pounds and become more toned! :p

    Anyways, good luck! As i said, i know it can be difficult.
  • KatrinaWilke
    KatrinaWilke Posts: 372 Member
    How do you all do it? Do you have a strict meal plan and grocery list?
    If so, please please share!

    I participate in Bountiful Baskets. Each Saturday I pick up a whole bunch of fruits and veggies for $15. I make my meals for the weeks using these ingredients as my base. It's so fun because you never know what you are going to get!!
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    Food is only as complicated as you make it. Don't buy "crap" and you won't have to avoid it or cut it, but looking at what your doing as a "diet" is going to make it even harder to deal with.
    I eat yummy and healthy.

    There doesn't have to be an either/or contingency.

    It just seems like it may very well be a perception issue over what your husband is eating.
    Agreed...just because your husband works out a lot and can eat loads of crap and not gain weight, doesn't mean he's particularly healthy....you'd be doing him a favor by improving his diet at the same time as your own (before it catches up with him), and at the same time, instill good lifetime eating habits in your children.

    If he feels like he 'needs" junk food, let him get it when he's out at work or with friends...(if he wants to be supportive, and I'm sure he does...he will understand that its too hard for you to have it around and resist).
  • AnneEngland1958
    AnneEngland1958 Posts: 10
    We do a seven-day menu and order online, so we only buy what we need and there's less opportunity for temptation! You soon get into the habit of doing the menu - we've done it for over 20 years!

    We do virtually all our recipes from the WeightWatchers magazine (which is available in supermarkets here in the UK; not sure about the U.S.). The recipes are so good that we feed them to the whole family, as well as guests, and the only comments we get are how good they taste! A few don't work so well but most are fantastic. Today, for example, I had pizza with roasted peppers and halloumi - 243 calories. And there was a lot of it!

    My husband and I have lost more than 30lb each using this method in the last year; and that's including lots of days and weeks off for holidays (vacations and Christmas), dinners out, etc.

    We do exercise a lot - running, swimming and walking - too.

    Good luck!!!
  • Paganrosemama
    Paganrosemama Posts: 86 Member
    I have the same issue with my husband and my son... My husband can eat 3/4 of a family size bag of chips in a sitting 3 or 4 times a week and not gain anything.

    My suggestion is to make the yummy foods your husband enjoys with some healthier versions- like substituting white carbs for whole grains, and leaner proteins. Also make smaller proportions, but extras. If they hubby wants more there are leftovers. It may be easier to say I can only have this amount instead of saying I can't touch it...

    Watch out for some of the low fat or fat free items because they may contain less calories, but do make you crave more foods. The full fat items can be more satisfying in small amounts.

    Meals here have always been spontaneous, but if we keep the junk out of the house, it is less likely to make stuff with the junk, plus it may take some time getting used to the healthier stuff. I have found that the healthier and more homemade items we eat, the junk tastes worse...

    Moderation and slowly incorporating the healthier items as you learn how to prepare them has been the key in this house.
  • Lisa_Rhodes
    Lisa_Rhodes Posts: 263 Member
    I usually make a list of things I need for the following week and just buy those items. If they are not on my list, I don't buy it. I'm pretty lucky bc my hubby likes eating healthy most of the time... There are some junk snacks that he eat and I generally don't go near them. As long as whatever I cook tastes good, he's good.

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