Cooking for the whole family

deathbycanon · October 2010

Anyone else out there have both people in the house who need to gain weight and people that need to loose? How do you handle cooking for everyone?

I cook very healthy meals and have been trying to add carbs as a side. Any other suggestions?

toniz63 · October 2010

I do it through portions. I am trying to lose weight so I count calories and eat less then my daughter who is very underweight and needs to be eating more calories. I also make my kids a "special" dessert after dinner that I usually don't eat because they need to the calories and I do not.

deathbycanon · October 2010

Thanks Toni,

We're getting better at portion control. The day before we joined MFP was the first time we tracked calories. DH was shocked to find that he had eaten two days worth of food, and most of it after 4pm.

Now I'm having a hard time getting him to eat all his calories + his exercise calories. I set him up here and set it to loose one pound a week. He says he wants to loose two pounds a week. I told him I thought it would be better if he started slow, a little at a time so he doesn't burn out. He always goes all or nothing when he diets and works out and after reading all the information here I can see how that sets him up for failure.

I finally copy and pasted the newbie info about eating all your cals + your exercise cals and emailed it to him. I hope he reads it. When I told him I really wanted him to eat all his cals tonight he told me he binged on sugar last night before bed. I told him if he ate all his cals tonight he wouldn't feel the need to binge tonight. I think he heard me this time.

cardbucfan · October 2010

I do it through portions. I am trying to lose weight so I count calories and eat less then my daughter who is very underweight and needs to be eating more calories. I also make my kids a "special" dessert after dinner that I usually don't eat because they need to the calories and I do not.

I do pretty much the same thing except no special dessert. I watch my portions but eat the same stuff as them (sometimes more healthy than others). I'm a big menu planner so I know what I'm going to have each night for dinner and can plan my lunches, and snacks with that in mind. I can also get in a bigger workout that day if I know we are having something a little higher on the calorie tree (like pasta or steak).

Plus, my kids are old enough, if they are still hungry after eating a full dinner (and they are teenage boys-they are ALWAYS hungry!) they just hop in the kitchen and make more food.

jbootman · October 2010

any people who have to cook for others have my sympathy :flowerforyou:

I had 7 children and a husband who when I did not cook they would go into the kitchen alright and make something to eat,

omg! it was a disaster zone:explode:

husband only knows 2 cooking temps, off and incinerate, :grumble:

with 80 fingers to point at who's mess it all was the kitchen was never really cleaned, oh did I mention that the kids always had a friend or 2 over, food food food, everyone on a different diet,

husband swearing he was only going to eat tuna salad then char frying a frozen hamburger patty at 10 at night:explode: ,

got to love them right?

others of you out there are super housewives and could deal with all of this,

I gave up and made massive meals of pastas, chilis, breads, trays and trays of the stuff,

now it is my turn, kids now grown, and can concentrate on myself,

but I highly encourage you all to work on your problems, do not wait until you are old like me,

reach out to those kids and partners for a solution that will work for your whole family, healthy eating and exercise is as important as accident and disease prevention,

my mother made it look so easy, dinner, several courses, on the table 7 days a week, kitchen spotless, no moldy unkns in frig,

she did not do some of the things I did, but I also did not learn how to run a home, wish I had paid more attention

deathbycanon · October 2010

I'm a big menu planner too. That's why I'm asking here. Trying to figure out how I'm going to cook next week. We don't do a special desert often either but I try to keep healthy snacks around for the kids. Cheese sticks, yogurt, fruit, cottage cheese, 2% milk. My youngest just asked me to pick up peanuts in the shell and apple sauce for snacks this week.

I have dropped 4 pounds in about as many days. I have chronic Crohn's and am I'm a bad flare right now. The pain is so bad I can only get between 400 and 800 calories in, and half the time they don't stay down. With both my children having tourette's that make them burn the cals us girls really need the high cal foods around.

It makes it really hard on DH who is trying to loose. I'm trying my best to help by putting all the higher cal foods out of sight. Keeping track of the cals in meals I serve. Offering very "man orientated" rewards for weight goals to help him stay motivated. He's doing great at tracking and exercise. Now he just needs to learn the right way to do it so he doesn't get burned out or binging on our high cal foods.

He's doing so great but the scales not moving after two weeks of doing it his way. Basically going into starvation mode. Like I said I think he heard me tonight and will eat all his calories. I think he'll be happier and more filled, loose easier and still fill like he's getting all the food he wants.

toniz63 · October 2010

Point of clarity. I don't feed my kids sugary desserts. I'm in my weight "situation" from poor food choices and I am trying to help my children avoid those mistakes. I usually make them fruit smoothies. Strictly unprocessed foods. Whole foods only. That's what makes them "special." The kids love the taste and think they are getting dessert and they are getting their full 5 servings a day of fruits and veggies.

Cooking for the whole family

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