Help!! Skinny Husband wont change to healthy meals

My husband and I had these fights for quite awhile... and now, about two years later, he's really made some progress. Now my husband also can't eat whatever he wants, he's gained a lot of weight over the last few years and I think he's finally realized it. One other huge difference... I don't cook. My husband is the cook in the family (and man is he good!) So I had the extra hard duty of trying to convince him to make healthy foods for me. Actually one of our biggest fights was over the fact that I don't cook and I told him, I don't cook because a) what I want to cook you refuse to eat and b) I really don't care what I eat, I just care that its within my calorie limit and not high in fat. I could eat cereal for dinner every night. When I get home from work, I don't want to make some fancy dinner. I grew up eating Stouffers and chicken nuggets.

It takes a couple of months to acquire a taste. The problem is getting the stubborn husbands to try the new foods! I still can't get my husband to eat most veggies but he'll put them in the food now. We've switched completely from ground beef to ground turkey. I sneak in wheat bread as much as possible (although thats always a hard sell with him because it has more calories usually, he just doesn't believe me that it makes you fuller!) But he still tends to make us different foods (I get fish, he gets chicken... I get veggies, he gets fries...) Now for pizza... my husband actually makes it from scratch now! Dough and all! I feel so much better eating it because its all natural and I control the amount of sauce, cheese, and toppings.

We are trying to start planning our meals out on Sunday's for the week so that we can agree on what we will have, I'll know whether the dinner is going to be higher calorie so I can change my day as needed, and I can start cooking some without him refusing to eat it.

And finally... Have your husband read this article and tell him to grow up. :-) It'll take a little pushing to get him to make progress but he really does need to grow up a little. He can't eat like a high school kid forever.

http://summertomato.com/learning-to-love-foods-you-dont-like/

Marriage counseling. There are other issues here besides weight and diet and cooking. These are just the symptoms.

What is it that he eats that is so detrimental to your losing fat? If you stop eating the foods you like all together it is going to be hard if not impossible to keep the fat off once it is gone and you start to eat at maintenance again. I have never stopped eating any food just because I am in a cutting cycle, just smaller portions. It has to be sustainable to work or it won't work. If you are always craving that pizza or burger or shnizzle (what ever that is) that he is eating and constantly telling yourself you can't have food like that then one day you will and it won't be pretty. Don't make losing fat a chore you just have to change your way of seeing food. No you probably shouldn't eat a whole pizza but a couple of slices will fit in anyone's diet if they are conscious of how much they are eating.

Now the lack of support issue, can't help you there. That's something you and your spouse have to figure out.

You might be able to find some ways to cut off a few calories here and there without him even noticing it. For instance, you may go with a leaner meat for the burgers. You can use a lower calorie cheese for the pizza and the burgers. Just little changes like that can make a big difference over the course of a 7 day week.

My husband is EXACTLY the same. My husband wont even touch any sort of fruit or vegetable. It can be VERY frustrating. So, I try to make things he likes and make them healthier without telling him and just eat part of that along with something healthier. Or I will make something he likes one day and something I like the next day. If he doesn't want to eat it, tough luck :P

I agree with everyone who said you can cook one meal and he can eat it or not. However, if you need an intermediate step before you cut him off cold turkey, you could have a small cache of ready made dinners for him if he won't eat what you make. Frozen burritos and pizzas, TV dinners, cold cereal, and the like. Or, you could make a big batch of something for him on Sunday afternoon, and he can eat the leftovers the rest of the week (chili, lasagna, casseroles, etc.). Good luck!

Thanks guys... I think Im going to have to start eating really small portions of the meals that could counter effect my weight loss, and maybe try smoothies or something for dinner on the days I don't want to eat what he does at all...

I wont stop making him supper, because I do like to cook and provide meals for him after work, I just dont think ill be cooking two things anymore.. seems redundant and messy :S

Why not make one meal but your portion a healthier version? Earlier you mentioned "He is happy eating chicken schnitzel, pizza, burgers, and tacos" ~ can't you schnitzel his chicken and keep yours plain? When my family has burgers I often opt for a chicken one. Last night I made tacos and just portion controlled mine. Are you making your own pizzas? If so just make yours a lighter version with more veggies.

I still cook for my family and sometimes make my serving a bit different ~ such as I might bread & fry chicken cutlets and bake mine plain with peppers and onions on top. Aren't you serving salad and veggies anyway? So why not just have big helpings of that? I always make a family size salad and eat mine with light dressing. I always serve 2 veggies at dinner and I take generous helpings.

I'm curious ~ so what are the 2 meals you make? You mean you might cook chicken schnitzel for your hubby and make yourself a totally different meal, like not even using similar ingredients (such as chicken?). Why wouldn't you just have chicken too, just without frying yours and leave off the gravy. Easy enough in my experience.

Just make what he wants and make it healthier for you - tacos without the shells and only a small amount of meat/sauce with a big amount of salad - he can have shells and mostly meat with sh*tloads of cheese if he wants. Pizza with a side salad for you. Add sides for both of you that are more suited to your individual tastes.

My fiance and I started a different eating plan about 6 months ago - at my suggestion. I went to him and said 'I want to do this, you don't have to. So I can cook you whatever you want, or you can do this with me. I'm not fussed either way, but I'm giving you the choice.' He took a few weeks to work out what he wanted, but we've gradually moved to the new plan for the both of us. It's working out well.

He shouldn't have to change just because you want to.

What is this, the 1950's? He's a big boy, if he doesn't like what you're making, tell him to make his own damn meals.

yup. my husbands a stick too. eat whatever the hell he wants. but he knows the rule. you eat what I make or you don't eat at all. and if he doesn't like something, he's free to go out and get what he wants. just concentrate on you. you need to get healthy. he can either be by you, behind you, or the hell outta your way.

ETA for the age. im 24, he's 41. pretty sure pepsi is in his veins instead of blood.

He wouldn't, by chance, be posting in the deadlifting thread?