Adults with parents in their mid 60s....

dwh77tx
dwh77tx Posts: 513 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Ok, I had a lovely visit with my parents this weekend as I flew home for the weekend, and left my family behind. However, I felt like the only person who "eats" when around my parents. Both my parents are thin, healthy, but don't snack between meals and eat much less than I do. My mother had a 1/2 cup of raspberries for "lunch" yesterday. I eat probably 1800-2000 cals a day- workout 6 days a week so I need the fuel. They seemed puzzled that I was so hungry between meals and that I can't wait from lunch time til 9pm to eat dinner, when they do. I hate eating late! I'm probably making more out of it than necessary, but I feel like this big "ogre" who needs to keep eating all the time. I'm maintaining around 135 right now. Anyone else?

Replies

  • LexiMelo
    LexiMelo Posts: 203 Member
    My parents are the same way...drives my husband nuts. When we go home for a visit it is for a couple of days since they live 7 hours away. There is no breakfast, lunch might be cheese and crackers, and they will eat a normal sized dinner. They are more grazers, I guess, and I fall back into it when I go home. My poor husband is in agony and I have to make sure to keep finding food for him, which usually involves a drive into town, etc.
  • zichab
    zichab Posts: 1,494 Member
    Oh my gosh! I am 60 + and so is my husband and my kids say just the opposite to us because I have ALL of my sons' and daughters-in-law favorite foods in abundance when they comes home. Did your Mom always cook so scantily? Maybe you just need to ask ahead for some of your childhood favorites, especially the ones that create left overs for lunch the next day? I do not always "prepare" breakfast or lunch either, but I have all the eggs, bacon, pancakes, cereals, bagels etc and cold cuts, cheese and salads that my children loved when they were young (and their spouses love) available and we order pizza at least once. Maybe just ask Mom to get some some of your favorite things ahead for you and let her know you will make some meals yourself? Feeding my children is still one of the great joys of my life, and even though I eat far less than they do for sure, I love cooking for them! LOL They usually complain about gaining weight when they come home! LOL I am going to tell them how lucky they really are. :bigsmile:
  • ChronicOptimist
    ChronicOptimist Posts: 558 Member
    YES! Same with me!! I always bring home a tin of almonds or something to supplement the rabbit food that gets served at my parents house. Add to that my obesity, I always feel so shamed when I want to eat. Talk about awkward.
  • Alissakae
    Alissakae Posts: 317 Member
    My mother-in-law is 83. A couple of weeks ago we were at her house for "dinner" on Sunday. We had tuna sandwiches on cinnamon drop bread, a cheese stick, and yoplait yogurt. Would have been ok I guess except that fish and cinnamon really don't play well together in my opinion.
  • SarahxApple
    SarahxApple Posts: 166 Member
    Not at my parents I always stay with my sister when I go home, my brother-in-law works 2-10pm shift and goes to the gym in the morning so they (inc. niece) eat breakfast together then my sister hardly eats at all during the day. My niece is disabled and has always had feeding/eating issues (she's picky with small appetite) so whenever I am there I take every advantage to get extra food. My sister is 5 and a half months pregnant at the moment so I am hoping she is eating more (for my nephew to be's sake), she has such a tiny appetite though that she is probably on a normal person's diet. Worse thing is I eat worse there as I don't have healthy snacks so end up buying crap.

    Hardly the biggest problem in the world admittedly but a pain all the same lol.
  • spinnerdell
    spinnerdell Posts: 233 Member
    I'm a parent in my mid 60s. Both my husband and I eat much less than we used to, partly due to decreased appetite and partly for health reasons. My husband follows a strict diet to control his diabetes, and I follow a somewhat looser diet through mfp to control my weight.

    Although we try to accommodate our visiting children's more robust appetites, we don't maintain the abundantly stocked pantry of our younger years. Limited income is also a factor. I frankly welcome our kids to bring food for themselves.
  • VBnotbitter
    VBnotbitter Posts: 820 Member
    Decreased appetite is normal as you get older, I see it all the time in health care.
  • tbonethemighty
    tbonethemighty Posts: 100 Member
    My parents' house tends to be the opposite...neither of my parents is morbidly obese, but they are both overweight (as am I, surprise surprise) and 80% of the issue is portion control. There is ALWAYS food around, and lots of it (when we don't go out to eat, which my dad LOVES doing when the kids are there to visit), and my mom is an awesome cook -- she just cooks tons of stuff that I would never make at home cause I tend to eat a little healthier. (Not a lot, mind you, but somewhat.) I try to offer to cook when I'm there (I usually stay 3-4 weeks when I go, since it's on the other side of the world), but I always end up putting on a few kilos in that month.

    I guess make the offer to cook/shop while you're visiting? That's been my most effective way to work against the problem of differing eating habits...(although then my mom freaks out and feels guilty that I'm spending money on "their" food and cooking during my "vacation"...can't win em all, I guess.)
  • jtm4210
    jtm4210 Posts: 108 Member
    Gosh, my parents are the exact opposite! They are both mid-60s, very trim and healthy, they go to the gym and go for long walks, and are very passionate about food and drink. When we go and stay with them it's a bit of a running joke that it's like an all-inclusive holiday! My dad is a wine buff as well and he's always keen to dig interesting stuff out of the cellar when they have visitors...
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    I'm a parent in my mid 60s. Both my husband and I eat much less than we used to, partly due to decreased appetite and partly for health reasons. My husband follows a strict diet to control his diabetes, and I follow a somewhat looser diet through mfp to control my weight.

    Although we try to accommodate our visiting children's more robust appetites, we don't maintain the abundantly stocked pantry of our younger years. Limited income is also a factor. I frankly welcome our kids to bring food for themselves.

    Sounds like a solution to me, and a good way of contributing when you visit. If I have something I want to eat in addition to what is provided, I bring it with me and offer to share. :flowerforyou:
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I've noticed this too with my mom. I was always snacking and starving if I only had what my mom had for meals (and she's overweight too!). Her boyfriend eats a ton though (and he's obese).
  • carlaunderconstruction
    carlaunderconstruction Posts: 158 Member
    My parents call it the "senior portion diet". My mom in particular has struggled over the years with her weight, and now feels comfortable with her current weight. My dad had cholesterol issues in his 50's, and he dropped 15 pounds and he was able to go off the cholesterol meds. My parents understand me wanting to eat more for breakfast and lunch, but they always encourage me to eat a similar dinner to them while I am visiting, and the no food after 7 pm rule. Note: both of my parents are physically active. My mom walks, lifts weights and hikes regularly. My dad swims, bikes, hikes, walks, and gardens regularly.
    While I don't agree with all of my parents food choices, I'm glad that they know what foods, and what portions of food they can eat as they age and maintain a healthy body weight.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    My stepmom is 66 and never seems to eat. When I was growing up I lived with her and my dad for most of my teens and she was always on a low fat or low carb diet but her food seemed to consist of things like skim milk and a slice of Iron Kids bread all week, and then a big Southern (collard greens cooked in fat and fried chicken) Sunday dinner. Her weight has fluctuated over the years but she's always been roughly a size six.

    I dunno.

    My dad's 68 and he's always eaten pretty normally IMO. He spent almost his entire life overweight or obese, then lost a bunch of weight and got much fitter in his early 60's. He currently walks 3-6 miles every day and watches his intake of red meat and bread, but eats a lot overall. He'll polish off two breakfast platters in a diner. Then again, he is a big man, was over 6'4" when he was younger and is still probably 6'2" and wears XLT and XXL shirts even at a healthy weight.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    Oh my goodness yes. Not my parents, but my in-laws. When I was about 3.5 months pregnant with my second, we went to stay with them for a few days. Even having the "excuse" of being pregnant to need to eat (even though, come on, you don't NEED that much more that early) I still felt like a huge pig when I wanted, like, a 3pm snack or something (after having a breakfast of just fruit and then lunch was, like, soup or something), just something small, and it was super awkward because we were at THEIR house eating THEIR food, and I wasn't/am not quite comfortable enough with them to just rummage through their cabinets. Especially since I'm heavier (even more so back then) and they're both slim. At one point I made my husband drive with me to the grocery store to "pick up a few things" and let me stuff my face with a bagel in the parking lot, lol.

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