Family Not Dieting

pgp_protector
pgp_protector Posts: 207
edited September 22 in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, starting this week I'm trying to drop about 100 Lbs.
I commute about 3-4 Hours a day so Time is harder to find (be easer if I stop making excuses though :) )

But the problem is the rest of the family isn't really on a Diet, and the wife LOVES to cook (and is good at it)
So Breakfast / Lunch is easer to control (right now slim fast for the first few week to break some older habits)

But Dinner will either be heavy in Gravy / Fat / Cals / Yummy (What the wife loves to cook) or forage for my own food.

How do you all deal when the rest of the family isn't trying to drop the weight?

Replies

  • EdgeChic
    EdgeChic Posts: 75
    Maybe ask your wife if she'd be interested in learning how to cook healthier things? And if she's open to it, go out together and buy some new cookbooks.

    If that isn't an option, maybe just start with portion control of what she does cook.

    Good luck, I used to be "that wife". :)
  • ericnshyt
    ericnshyt Posts: 3 Member
    Damn man, I have this same problem. We eat tons of Italian food, sauces and pastas, gravy etc... My commute is not as long as yours though. I would recommend pre planning for the drive... fruits, nuts, maybe a pre made sandwich.

    My family hinders my progress too.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    My hubby loves sweets and eats 2x the food I eat now (I used to be the one cooking the bad food) right in front of me. It's hard, but you just have to say no and do something else.

    You might also want to consider asking your wife to learn to cook leaner foods so you can all enjoy dinner together while you're going through this process.
  • simplexserenity
    simplexserenity Posts: 116 Member
    I dealt with a similar problem when I lived with my family before I went away for school. My mom is practically a chef, and an amazing one at that. I'm also from an Italian/Spanish background..which means LOTS of carbs & calories. Part of me blames my childhood obesity on her cooking lol. I really feel like the best way to go is to encourage your wife to make the same kind of changes. Even if she doesn't need to lose weight..it's better for her in the long run to cook healthy in general. If she won't budge, Plan B is to learn to cook for yourself. Yes, it takes more time and might cost more money if you're using completely different ingredients than what your wife normally buys..but you'll be happy when you see the results.
  • BrentGetsFit
    BrentGetsFit Posts: 878 Member
    One of the things I've done is try to find healthier substitutes for ingredients in my favorite recipes to bring the numbers down. I also try to plan my other meals to be a little lean if I know dinner is gonna be a rough one. If all else fails, portion control is the key. Good luck :)
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    How about having a big healthy salad with lots of raw veggies before eating, so you won't fill yourself up on the yummy but not so healthy foods?
  • craek
    craek Posts: 201 Member
    If you must ear her foods...eat in moderation! That is how I enjoy the foods that are hard for me to give up. Portion control is everything!
  • pgp_protector
    pgp_protector Posts: 207
    Some good tips, going to try to get more salads for the meals, I can handle them, and mostly I like the vinaigrette salad dressings vs the heaver salad dressings.

    Portion control will be hard for a while tell I get this appetite down, working on breaking a few habits right now.
    Going to have to stock up on mints now, helps when I'm craving something sweet. (time to buy Tic Tac Stock :) )
  • puddles76
    puddles76 Posts: 36 Member
    I would skip the slim fast shakes and get use to eating more regularly and samller portions. The problem I would have is I would eat hardly anything all day then when dinner hit the table I was so hunger I would eat until I was sick. Eating throughout the day will help curb the dinner hunger and make it easier to control that portion size.
  • Inpjs66
    Inpjs66 Posts: 109 Member
    You can eat anything you want as long as you track your intake and eat what you want in small portions!

    You can enjoy life and food and still lose weight.
  • GorillaNJ
    GorillaNJ Posts: 4,024 Member
    You seem to be in the same boat as me... my commute is just about as long.. 3 hours round trip. Except I am the cook, and I love to cook things that are not always the best for me. And portion control? fogetaboutit...

    Here are the small things I have been doing... I hit the gym right after getting off the train. no excuses, pickup the kids from school and go directly to the gym.

    Dinner... I make a protein (Chicken for the most part) a grain (Brown Rice) and a VEggie. Lots of different sauces or spices keep it from getting boring. I make plates and put them on the table... NO MORE FAMILY STYLE! if that food is infront of me I am programed to eat every last bite, so i make my plate and that is it.

    My wife loves to bake... and eat chips and fast food. I just do not let myself do it, she busts out some chips I pour a big glass of water. I also get her to buy chips or snacks I am not crazy about.. if she bought a bag of smartfood popcorn I would not be able to stop myself from inhaling the whole bag :bigsmile: But kettle cooked Chips I can pass.
  • pgp_protector
    pgp_protector Posts: 207
    The Gym isn't really going to work for me, but I did get & did one session so far (got it 2 days ago so that's not too bad :) ) on the XBox total Fitness program. (30 min workout)
    I'm looking at using it every other day for now to help get back in shape, then when the weather gets warmer, back on the bike.
  • cardbucfan
    cardbucfan Posts: 10,571 Member
    Several years ago, my husband had a major health scare brought on by his weight and lack of exercise (and really horrendous eating habits!). I'm the cook and have always tried to cook somewhat healthy but not as much as I do now. For him, it truly was a "come to Jesus" moment and he and I sat down and had a talk about what he should be eating and how WE needed to change our habits for him. Maybe if you sit down with her and approach her like that and ask for her help to eat better so that you can be around for her and to see your kids grow up she would be open to changing her cooking style. I starting making healthier things but still had foods that my kids would eat, he just used portion control or didn't eat those items. Good luck, it's a real challenge when not everybody at home is supportive.
  • barton2
    barton2 Posts: 10
    I was given the suggestion of chugging a large glass of water before meals so you "think" you are full, even before you eat, so you end up eating less. Haven't tried it yet but the theory makes sense
  • ericjfk
    ericjfk Posts: 2 Member
    If your still having a problem with hunger....i would suggest a big glass of green tea, either iced or hot, you can even sweeten it with Truvia which is a no calorie natural substitue. Green tea has fat burning properties as well as appetite surpressing properties. It is a common household concept in Japan that the women their drink green tea before they eat the dinner they have prepared for thier husbands so they dont eat as much and maintain their figures.
    I personally didnt like it when i started drinking it but 60lbs later its part of my regime!

    Good luck!~
  • crystallayne
    crystallayne Posts: 109 Member
    If I know Im going to have a meal crazy with calories I drink a huge glass of water before hand. I think that takes up some of the room. I have also tried the slim fast thing, and I have to be honest I am not a big fan. I have found that for me the only way to keep the hunger at bay is to bulk up on the fiber. So a small apple or whole grain cereal or the whole grain waffles from eggo help me out. I also commute about an hour, so I grocery shop for work and just keep a stock pile there. I eat breakfast and lunch there, and then try to keep some extra calories for dinner. I have a Ben and Jerry's fetish, I still have it I just measure it now.
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