REALLY restarting...for real this time...

Good luck My man-child used to also have a severely limited palate (i.e. double cheeseburgers, fries, lbs of spaghetti with meat sauce, etc. etc. - NO FRUIT and definitely NO VEG!) and I slowly was integrated into his eating habits (and portion sizes, he's 6'5" and I'm 5'4", bad bad idea). When I decided to start getting healthy, it was all about separate meals... the kicker is, that mine were so much tastier that I converted HIM to a veggie lover and got back to being a vegetarian myself and he joined me Now we are both working on our health and it's much easier to eat together

Again, good luck with your journey! Nothing wrong with making separate meals and if he sees how much you're enjoying yours, maybe he'll be tempted to expand his horizons a little

My husband had a really limited list of foods he would eat when we first started dating. He learned pretty quick that if he wanted a home-cooked meal he was going to have to suck it up and learn to eat broccoli, Brussels sprouts, black-eyed peas, etc. I have kept experimenting with different ways to prepare things and now he actually LIKES Brussels sprouts that have been roasted in the oven, kale chips that have been baked, and broccoli served in an Asian "beef with broccoli" sauce. He eats curries and dals and all sorts of other unusual things I prepare, too. A big part of picky eating is unfamiliarity. Keep exposing a picky eater to those new foods, and they will find them less strange and probably grow to like many of them. We have easy foods on hand, too, so if he (or my son) HAS to have something else, he can make his own.

Dried beans can be your best friend for eating on a budget. Lots of protein and fiber for very little money, and there are so many different things that can be made with them!

Right now I'm reading a book I bought from a "3 for $10" bin of books at a grocery store. It's a study of people who have not gained their weight back for years. There is something they learned or achieved that we are still searching for, I guess. I look forward each night to a few chapters because I want to know how it ends! :-)

Could you share the name of the book and the author? Any lessons you've gleaned so far?

I agree with the person above who said to start considering maintenance plans now. If you think of the changes you make with MFP as temporary, they will be.

cooking on a budget means a lot of pasta and refined carbs.

Not necessarily. Sounds like one thing that might help is broadening both of your palates. There are great (and terrible and mediocre) recipes on this site -- see the Recipes board -- and on the Internet in general. Do you like fruit? spaghetti squash? yogurt or yogurt based creamy sauces? how about roasted vegetables? spiced cous cous? Even if you stick with pasta, how about the healthier, fiber and vegetable rich forms? Farm stands have lots of inexpensive choices -- stop by one and pick up some things you like and some things you've never tried before. This is a great time of year for that -- especially given your region of the country. And the people running the stand may even have some good recommendations for preparation -- if you pick a time when they aren't too busy.

Good luck!

P.S. Why are you doing all the food prep? A 28 year old should be able to prepare a meal -- at least sometimes. And if you make something he doesn't like, he should be able to make his own alternative. Your choice of course -- how you divy up the chores -- but I wouldn't let a man or child dictate all the meals in my home, especially not when I'm cooking. Some adjustments for taste, allergies and health needs are acceptable, but sounds like you're either letting him have too much limiting control or using him as an excuse?

I can so relate!! I'm 4'11 and my DH is 6' Eating the same portions of heavy carbs and not enough fruits/veggies is what got me 50 pounds overweight. Would like to work on realistically losing it in a manner that I can keep it off. I lost 30 pounds and got down to goal weight after my kids were born, but life and other excuses got in the way and I've slowly put it all back on (plus more! :sad: )
I'm working with a tight budget right now, so what I've been doing is price matching on all the produce items from other stores at Wal-Mart. I'm eating a lot better, and the money saved is really helpful.

Feel free to add. I'm looking for support and encouragement. I can be a big cheerleader:drinker: as well.

Hi- I'm starting again too and am having the similar challenge of cooking for just my husband and I now that the kids are never home. I am determined to get hime to eat what I eat- healthier. Have lots of weight to lose and looking for freinds if you're interested - add me.:happy:

Hello, I too can relate to the feelings of re-gaining lost weight and trying to stick with my own habits instead of keeping up with a DH who has a much higher metabolism. I think you've gotten some good advice here. You and anyone else on this thread are welcome to friend me. Sharing support has been very helpful since I've joined here. Good luck!

Could I make a suggestion? You clearly know how to lose weight. I'm sure you'll be sucessful again. But this time, at the beginning, start thinking about and developing your maintenance strategy. How are you going to maintain your weight loss? What daily practices or strategies will you use? Are you willing to make lifestyle changes permanent? Your maintenance strategy is every bit as important (maybe more so) than your weight loss strategy. In my opinion, most people regain the weight they lost because they didn't plan for maintenance and once they reach their goal weight they don't test and refine their maintenance strategies.

I'm in my second year of maintaining a 50 pound weight loss. It can be done! I wish you every success!

Thank you for the suggestion, and I actually did plan a maintence strategy...but putting it into practice, I got lazy and told my self a slice a pizza, a beer or 2, birthday cake "just this once" added up. I do know how to do it, what my body responds to (LOW LOW LOW carbs...carbs are awful for me...especially every single day.) But yes, long term and sticking to it is part of my plan.

I don't know, that sounds pretty unmaintainable to me. Can you pick a weight loss and maintenance plan that make sense for the long haul?

Check out allrecipes.com there and tons of great recipes you can use for your veggie hating pasta lover. A tasty alternative for pasta is quinoa and it's the only grain that also contains a full serving of protein. Since you're on a budget buy things that can go into more than one meal that will help to stretch your dollar. Im always around if you're looking for someone to compare notes with my family is always on a tight budget for food I know your pain.

I live in Delaware. I recently started using MFP again and have lost 20 lbs so far. I completed p90x, Insanity and am now 1/2 way through T25. It's been a tough struggle. I found out I am hypothyroid and the meds made me extremely tired. I stopped taking them because I would rather be able to function. MFP helps a lot by really keeping my food intake accountable!

If your thyroid meds are making you tired you are on the wrong dose. You should feel a dose of energy. But it also takes a few months to get things regulated. Or more. I am on year 3 with waves of energy and symptoms.

PLease get checked out. You should be feeling better when starting your meds.

Starting over too. Best of luck!