Diet for my boyfriend and I?

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misskayrae
misskayrae Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm trying to find a diet that balances between what I want and what my boyfriend wants. I want to flatten my tummy and lose a little excess weight while my boyfriend wants to put on weight. He's one of those tall skinny guys who has a hard time building muscle. He's trying to take in a lot of protein and carbs and works out 3-4 times a week. I wanted to do low carb/calories but i can't seem to find a balance between our diets. My main issue is grocery shopping for the both of us. Eating healthy is expensive and I would love to find a happy medium where we both aren't spending so much money eating separate foods. He isn't really a veggie or fish eater, which makes things difficult. Is there a diet out there that suites both of our needs or at least can make us come to a compromise? Can I eat noodles, bread, and tortillas as long as their whole grain and high in fiber?

Replies

  • Amitysk
    Amitysk Posts: 705 Member
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    My boyfriend and I are in a similar situation. He's a big meat eater and pretty much likes all veggies and starches. So what I usually do is make some sort of protein with a veggie side and then some sort of starch (potatoes, rice, pasta etc) just for him as a side. It seems to work pretty well for us.

    Also as far as a seperate diet, it's not really neccessary (unless a medical condition). If you have a calorie deficit there's no reason you have to restrict what you eat (like carbs). I am sure you will get a lot of comments regarding this. :tongue:

    Good luck!
  • anniskurja
    anniskurja Posts: 4
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    You are attempting to do two different things, so you are going to be eating differently. I would recommend cooking for him, but eating it in moderation. However, you can't cook the same food for him and for you if you are going to try to cook both something with high carbs and low carbs. Its contradicting. My only guess would be portion control for losing.
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,926 Member
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    My BF doesn't need to lose weight (or at least doesn't WANT to), so what I typically do is make a protein, a veggie and a starch and I don't eat the starch. If I make Chicken Fajitas, I don't eat the tortilla. If I make burgers, I'll just eat the meat and condiments, while he has a bun.

    Doing this, you have to have self-control. It's very easy to just eat what you made if your head isn't in the game.
  • misskayrae
    misskayrae Posts: 3
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    Would it be suitable to do the whole eat less portions but more often thing? Like healthy snacks in between meals? I bought plenty of health snacks.
  • MelRC117
    MelRC117 Posts: 911 Member
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    I try to eat low carb and I have a family with a 12 year old and a 15 month old. You're going to have to get different food...if you want to eat differently I don't see how else to do it. You'll both need protein but instead of a baked potato, have a side salad or steamed veggies. Or for when I make chili I set some of the cooked beef aside or before I dump in beans or noodles I take my portion out.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Plenty of veggies for you both. More meat for him. Starchy side for him.

    You fix a pasta dinner for him and have your sauce over spaghetti squash.

    You both have grilled salmon and roasted veggies, he gets a bigger piece of salmon and side of brown rice.

    You both have salad, he gets more cheese or nuts on his. You have a small steak and he gets a large. He also gets a baked potato.

    Etc.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,412 MFP Moderator
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    I agree with cooking in portions. There is no real benefit going low carb unless you have a medical condition or they cause you to binge. I would just make smaller portions for yourself. High protein and fat diets are great for satiety, so diets high in meats, beans and legumes can be beneficial for satiety and then high veggies will also keep you full. If he wants to build muscle, he needs a surplus and you need a deficit to cut fat. So he can eat 2x the food than you. Both of you should weight training; while in a surplus you can gain muscle, but in a deficit it will preserve muscle) and add in some cardio for heart health.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    Just eat less than he does. When you go out, maybe you don't eat the whole dish, and he does. When you cook, give him a much larger serving. It's not rocket science. Eat to your target, while he eats to his. If he has to supplement with desserts or smoothies, that's fine.
  • misskayrae
    misskayrae Posts: 3
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    We both have work out plans and supplements that work toward our separate goals. Its just the food that we are having problems with. But this all really helps. Thank you!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,412 MFP Moderator
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    We both have work out plans and supplements that work toward our separate goals. Its just the food that we are having problems with. But this all really helps. Thank you!

    To be perfectly honest, fat loss and muscle growth really have the same workout plans. But ideally, the only thing you need to hone on is the number of calories. Yours is probably 1700-2100 depending on your height, weight age and workout routine, while his is probably 3000 + calories based on height weight age and workout routine. Supplements wont provide much greater results to fat loss or muscle gain, calories and training programs do that.

    I say this because if you want to have a flat stomach, you want to preserve your muscle mass so you can get definition. This is why lifting/resistance training is important.

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