Only one in family wanting to make the change! HELP.

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2

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  • ChelseyDAdams
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    WOW! Thank you all soooo much! I cannot believe the support on here. With all this I may actually succeed this time! Minus the magic protein shakes and pills!! hahaha.

    Portion size seems like something I can really try! My family too, NEEDS (think they need) to have the junk food in the house. The temptations are always going to be there, I just need to keep focused!

    I finally got my garden in, I'm hoping to get my boyfriends 11yr old son interested in getting to pick his own veggies. Then maybe I can sneak in more healthy options!

    The garden is a great idea. Don't just have him involved in the picking - I would suggest involving him in the whole process so he takes some ownership in it and really sees the whole thing! You could even try giving him his own section that he is in charge of. I think having them help in the planting and maintenance really adds a HUGE sense of pride, especially when you actually get to eat it! Gardens are AWESOME!!! Way to go!

    And I agree with the aforementioned - change your portion allotments. Make sure you always have a salad or veggies at every meal and eat that mostly, with a smaller amount of the main course.

    A successful diet shouldn't be about cutting out the foods you enjoy, just learning how to control the amount and get in enough of the truly good stuff. If you cut out the foods you enjoy completely, you will fail. Find a healthy balance and get in exercise regularly.

    Best of luck!!!
  • nesto610
    nesto610 Posts: 107
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    That's great Herbaliz!!

    And I have a magic pill that will make you skinny while eating burgers and fries! Limited time offer, must pay in cash.............. :bigsmile:

    HAHA!!! Chelsey, I would love some of those pills! Where should I send my hard earned money to so I can acquire these magic pills? Please respond quickly so I can get them before your limited offer expires.........:laugh: :laugh:

    Hey Herbaliz, who wants to have shakes when all it would take are some pills...?... freaking troll..

    I'm glad you see the light!! Miracle weight-loss is the only way to go. Hey, after you buy these pills from me, I have a Persian prince who wants to sign you over his entire estate if you'll only send him $2,000!!

    :drinker: :bigsmile:

    I would be more interested in a Persian princess, but a Middle Eastern estate sounds nice too! Private message me the address I should send the cash too! WOO HOO!, guaranteed weight loss and a Persian estate is almost too much for me to handle in one night! I am so lucky!
  • KWKY
    KWKY Posts: 110 Member
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    I am the cook of the family with two girls, 3 and 6. Basically the night before I prepare two containers of stuff
    - a massive box of salad
    - a smaller box of cut up veggies

    First is for snacking and main meals, second is to make smoothies, both stave off the hunger and brings about automatic portion control on eating what the rest of the family is eating (I make healthy stuff for them but I am trying to go lo carb and it's not healthy for kids to go lo carb, or lo anything for that matter).
  • ChelseyDAdams
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    That's great Herbaliz!!

    And I have a magic pill that will make you skinny while eating burgers and fries! Limited time offer, must pay in cash.............. :bigsmile:

    HAHA!!! Chelsey, I would love some of those pills! Where should I send my hard earned money to so I can acquire these magic pills? Please respond quickly so I can get them before your limited offer expires.........:laugh: :laugh:

    Hey Herbaliz, who wants to have shakes when all it would take are some pills...?... freaking troll..

    I'm glad you see the light!! Miracle weight-loss is the only way to go. Hey, after you buy these pills from me, I have a Persian prince who wants to sign you over his entire estate if you'll only send him $2,000!!

    :drinker: :bigsmile:

    I would be more interested in a Persian princess, but a Middle Eastern estate sounds nice too! Private message me the address I should send the cash too! WOO HOO!, guaranteed weight loss and a Persian estate is almost too much for me to handle in one night! I am so lucky!

    Hahaha, yes, yes luck is on your side! Go buy some lotto tickets STAT!
  • Savannah1204
    Savannah1204 Posts: 7 Member
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    The garden is a great idea. Don't just have him involved in the picking - I would suggest involving him in the whole process so he takes some ownership in it and really sees the whole thing! You could even try giving him his own section that he is in charge of. I think having them help in the planting and maintenance really adds a HUGE sense of pride, especially when you actually get to eat it! Gardens are AWESOME!!! Way to go!

    And I agree with the aforementioned - change your portion allotments. Make sure you always have a salad or veggies at every meal and eat that mostly, with a smaller amount of the main course.

    A successful diet shouldn't be about cutting out the foods you enjoy, just learning how to control the amount and get in enough of the truly good stuff. If you cut out the foods you enjoy completely, you will fail. Find a healthy balance and get in exercise regularly.

    Best of luck!!!
    [/quote]


    Thank You Chelsey,

    Giving him his own section is a Great idea!! Thank You.

    I'm very happy to get the validation, I do not need to cut out foods and go on a "diet". The more I tell myself I can't have something, I just want it more!
  • Findingmyathlete
    Findingmyathlete Posts: 57 Member
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    Hiya :)
    I just wanted to encourage you to stay strong. If you would like to add me I would love to be a cheerleader for you on here.

    In response to your post, I do the same as other posters have said. Since I am the main one to do the shopping and cooking, I buy healthier items and try to serve more fresh fruits and vegetables with my meals. While buying fresh can be more expensive, I just buy a few veggies and fruits to try for one week and then change the type of veggies the following week and so forth. I still buy and cook the things I know my kids and husband like. But I encourage my kids to eat some healthier items along with the things they like. I take smaller portions of the higher calorie food and try to fill up with veggies or lower calorie foods.

    Also as for keeping junk food in the home. I may buy some for everyone else but I buy smaller amounts of it. Then I encourage my kids to snack on fruit or carrots. I don't try to control what my husband eats. But I can definitely encourage my children to make better choices. And hopefully by having healthier options around my husband can make healthier choices too. While generally he's a meat and potatoes kind of guy, he has said to me that even though it's not his choice he likes it when I make salad or vegetables for dinner because he realizes its healthier and he's more likely to have a little if it's in front of him.
    Anyway. Sorry for rambling.
    Feel free to add me if you'd like :)
  • 2BeHappy2
    2BeHappy2 Posts: 811 Member
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    I have found that I really enjoy the flavor and look of steamed veggies (theyre brighter in color & not mushy from being in water).
    I can eat them w/out anything added...salt, butter etc but my husband likes to have "something" on his so he will sprinkle a little parmesan cheese.
    When we get the munchies, we will make air popped pop corn (put some kernels in a brown lunch bag, fold it down a few times & like store bought, pop it in your microwave).
    2 Cups Air Popped popcorn w/ nothing added is only 30 cal!
    I can eat mine plain and any kernels that didn't pop can be used again because nothing was put on it, so don't toss them out!
    My husband will add some butter or seasoning to his own.
    Today we had shredded chicken w/ salsa using corn tortillas.
    I had 2 (each tortilla was 60cal) and when I was still hungry I used the shredded lettuce (no cheese) and added a small amount of that salsa shredded chicken!
    When my husband wants chocolate cookies, most of the time I am ok w/ him eating them around me but when I get the craving for something sweet similar to his cookies, I get a Belgian Almond Cookie which satisfies the sweet & crunchy desire.
    8 Cookies are 140 Calories whereas 1 Toll House chocolate cookie is 90cal!
    18 Cal (1 sugar) is in 1 Private Selection Cookie!
  • LoseLiftLoveurself
    LoseLiftLoveurself Posts: 4 Member
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    I am so glad I found this post, because I have the same problem!! I read through all of the comments, and all are great ideas!! I have three kiddos, and one big kid that just won't commit! He needs to lose to, but I can't make him. I have tried over and over again as well, and it does get difficult on being the only one who seems to be trying. Feel free to add me and we can motivate each other! I have also added a lot of motivational sites and people on my facebook and instagram to help me get the right mindset! Good luck and just remember if he notices it will be inspiring and may change his mind as well :wink:
  • Fit_Fox88
    Fit_Fox88 Posts: 410 Member
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    I just change what I fill my plate up with. I have a smallish portion of the main entrée when we are having things like spaghetti, casseroles,etc. I also stick to smaller portions of the carb-y sides (not that I cut carbs a lot, it just tends to be higher calorie). Then I fill up my plate with a lot of veggies. I also try to have things like grilled chicken or fish a little more often.

    Same.

    This. I eat A LOT of fish and chicken. When I have pasta I usually splurge a little bit or make room for it throughout the day. If we are having pizza or fried chicken I won't deny myself any of it, but I also won't sit there and eat the whole pizza (usually) or the whole bucket of chicken. Smaller portions, make it fit.
  • cjaneplay79
    cjaneplay79 Posts: 20 Member
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    Hi Everyone,

    I have started my journey over and over. My biggest problem is no one else in my household is willing to do the same. I don't think its fair they need to change just because I am over weight. I also don't have the budget to buy 2 separate meals for every meal of the day.

    Does anyone else have this issue? How do I get past this, inexpensively.

    I am in need of motivation/support and friends!! :)


    Same issue. My mom lives with us and she is the MOST resistant and the only one in the house who (because of several health issues) REALLY needs to make a change.....so I've been slowly changing everybody's diet...for example, I don't use beef in family dishes like Spaghetti, I use Italian Ground Turkey....NO ONE could tell the difference...and EVERYBODY loves it. I also don't buy her as many sodas as I used to. I just buy a small pack and once they run out I conveniently "forget" to buy more and then only have 100% juices and water available so, she has no choice alot of times. I can tell a difference. She is also losing weight slowly but surely and she looks great. I compliment her all of the time and I am seeing changes. I just don't pressure her or anyone else to move at MY pace....I'm gently helping her find her own....GOOD LUCK TO YOU.....YOU CAN and YOU WILL DO IT!!!!
  • cjaneplay79
    cjaneplay79 Posts: 20 Member
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    [/quote]

    "This. I eat A LOT of fish and chicken. When I have pasta I usually splurge a little bit or make room for it throughout the day. If we are having pizza or fried chicken I won't deny myself any of it, but I also won't sit there and eat the whole pizza (usually) or the whole bucket of chicken. Smaller portions, make it fit."
    [/quote]

    This works for us too!!! I buy WAYYYY more fish, chicken and turkey than ever before. I want to try tofu in one of my Mexican dishes to see if they can tell the difference....if anybody has any recipes inbox me :smile:
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I am in the same boat and have been the entire time...18months...I have a 20 yo son who lives here and my husband.

    Imagine the food they eat...

    I just do portion control...on occassion I do buy specific foods for me and warn them...and they stay away from it.

    But that being said because I do most of the shopping and cooking and well...I am the mom/wife..(happy wife happy life) I got my way with the skim milk always in the house ( I do compromise with the chocolate milk and 1% milk sometimes), whole wheat bread always, more chicken breasts, very few starches unless they want to cook them, lots of veggies cooked in olive oil...

    But it really is about portion control...I have bought 4 bags of chips in a week...one for me 3 for them...I still have mine (cheese popcorn), I eat fruit loops, bacon, ice cream (mine is off limits as it's expensive) etc.
  • TimJChampagne
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    You saw several responses about smaller portions, that's good. But you can also modify the diet some so that you don't need two separate meals - instead you put on an item that is healthier that you take more of - so you can limit the less healthy.
    There are two main aspects of weight loss; food intake and exercise. You can increase your exercise without affecting the others also. If you need hints on this you can go on-line, but you can also ask.
    MyFitnessPal is a great way to track you intake and exercise to help keep you more aware of where you're at each day. The concept is old - but this makes it very easy.
    Finally, something that works well for many is to find someone(s) that you can share success as well as failure stories with. It helps to have someone working with you.
    Good Luck
    Tim
  • happymomma454
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  • happymomma454
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    I am so glad I found this post, because I have the same problem!! I read through all of the comments, and all are great ideas!! I have three kiddos, and one big kid that just won't commit! He needs to lose to, but I can't make him. I have tried over and over again as well, and it does get difficult on being the only one who seems to be trying. Feel free to add me and we can motivate each other! I have also added a lot of motivational sites and people on my facebook and instagram to help me get the right mindset! Good luck and just remember if he notices it will be inspiring and may change his mind as well :wink:

    My husband and teenage son also need to lose weight and they make random attempts to do so, but they like sweets and snacks and fast food too much to really commit to doing without them for long periods of time. Also, exercise is not high on their to-do list. So, I am hoping that by making these changes (limiting sweets, portion control, reasonable exercise) I can lose enough that it will motivate them to do the same. But if not, we are still eating somewhat healthier overall and that may have a good effect too. Only time will tell.:happy:
  • Tedebearduff
    Tedebearduff Posts: 1,155 Member
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    Hi Everyone,

    I have started my journey over and over. My biggest problem is no one else in my household is willing to do the same. I don't think its fair they need to change just because I am over weight. I also don't have the budget to buy 2 separate meals for every meal of the day.

    Does anyone else have this issue? How do I get past this, inexpensively.

    I am in need of motivation/support and friends!! :)

    You answered your own question really, I do this for my gf and I all the time and we do just make 2 separate meals. Find the money, if you don't spend it now you will spend it down the road on medical bills anyways ... spend now to save later.

    It's not always 2 completely separate things, you can incorporate different things into both meals, I think you really need to study cooking more and invest more time into learning more about meal prep
  • Serenitynow29
    Serenitynow29 Posts: 119 Member
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    Do you like to cook ? Then focus on making delicious food for yourself, including dessert. Soon, they will want what you are having . Works even with my healthy-as-a-horse/thin-as-a-rail MIL.
  • cookmtn
    cookmtn Posts: 156 Member
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    I have found that I really enjoy the flavor and look of steamed veggies (theyre brighter in color & not mushy from being in water).
    I can eat them w/out anything added...salt, butter etc but my husband likes to have "something" on his so he will sprinkle a little parmesan cheese.
    When we get the munchies, we will make air popped pop corn (put some kernels in a brown lunch bag, fold it down a few times & like store bought, pop it in your microwave).
    2 Cups Air Popped popcorn w/ nothing added is only 30 cal!
    I can eat mine plain and any kernels that didn't pop can be used again because nothing was put on it, so don't toss them out!
    My husband will add some butter or seasoning to his own.
    Today we had shredded chicken w/ salsa using corn tortillas.
    I had 2 (each tortilla was 60cal) and when I was still hungry I used the shredded lettuce (no cheese) and added a small amount of that salsa shredded chicken!
    When my husband wants chocolate cookies, most of the time I am ok w/ him eating them around me but when I get the craving for something sweet similar to his cookies, I get a Belgian Almond Cookie which satisfies the sweet & crunchy desire.
    8 Cookies are 140 Calories whereas 1 Toll House chocolate cookie is 90cal!
    18 Cal (1 sugar) is in 1 Private Selection Cookie!

    I never knew you could do that with the popcorn! I don't want to buy an air poppper as I have enough kitchen gadgets, but the brown bag thing sounds great. Thanks:drinker:
  • srslybritt
    srslybritt Posts: 1,618 Member
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    Do it for you, not them.
    Start finding what works for you, do it.
    When they see your results, they may have a change of heart.
    If they don't, keep doing you.

    ETA: Re-evaluate your portion sizes. It's still possible to lose weight eating the same things they do, just watch your portion sizes and suggest supplementing fresh fruits and veggies into family meals.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,952 Member
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    I have had the same problem in the past too! When I first started managing my weight, my boyfriend was also trying to lose about 10 pounds so I would have him over for dinner and send him home with leftover lunches. I found cooking for 2 WAY more enjoyable than cooking for just me. But he soon lost his 10 pounds and I was on my own. Then I fell off track (since I stopped cooking as much) and 4 months later had gained back half of what I lost. I'm now forced to cook more even if it's just for me. I still make dinner for him sometimes.

    What I find useful is buying in bulk and trying to lump ingredients together for different dishes. So for example, if I make a slow cooker lasagne one night (Company's Coming has a great "5 Ingredient Slow Cooker book which has a Chicken Florentine Lasagne recipe in it. They have it online too but my browser isn't agreeing with me for giving you the link. It's very family friendly and the chicken could be switched for extra lean ground beef. I also find I only need 5 noodle halves per noodle layer which cuts the calories). I would buy a big bag of spinach so I could have a salad the next day! Maybe a taco salad using some of the ground beef too. Or if I make a coconut milk curry stir fry one night, I could use the remaining milk to make a coconut cilantro spread for sweet potato tacos or make a Thai coconut soup. Think of it like mixing and matching... kind of like your wardrobe. You probably don't buy a pair of pants that only look good with one shirt unless you're planning on finding other shirts too.

    Slow cookers are great too if you're not big on cooking. They make big batches and can be very simple recipes. Individual portions can be easily frozen. I never used to cook at all before.

    I also buy 5 kg boxes of frozen chicken breast or huge packages of extra lean ground beef that I separate into smaller packages in the freezer so I can easily make single portions of meat that might be leaner than others. You can also watch for sales by doing this.

    Keep in mind that if you're doing the cooking, you have control! You can substitute low fat sour cream in recipes that call for sour cream, use extra lean cuts of meat, use whole wheat pasta and brown rice, use low fat shredded cheese as a garnish rather than a major ingredient, mix in mushrooms, onions and garlic into burger patties to bulk them up without raising the calories so much, etc. If the dishes are tasty, they won't mind the change at all - in fact they might not even notice! And if they're still hungry, they can take second helpings, but you don't have to.

    Also, when you have pasta, perhaps make it with lots of steamed veggies on the side and shrimp. You can toss your pasta and veggies together with a light vinaigrette separately and heat up a pasta sauce for the rest of the family. You can buy frozen veggies and fill your plate with those pretty easily and they won't go bad.

    It's also easy to keep fruit in the house for snacks. You can buy just the amount you need for yourself.

    Alas, I've probably gone on too long. But I hope I helped provide some ideas. Good luck!