family not helping so much...

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NickyJones
NickyJones Posts: 60 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hiyas, I'm 22 and living at home until I leave for my new job, and my family is making eating healthy incredibly difficult. My brothers are both over 6ft 4in. and eats about 6 FULL meals per day (and alot of junk foods besides...I am incredibly jealous and frusturated) but stay so skinny their ribs look almost unhealthy (but also play sports to keep it off). My mother says she wants to lose weight but doesn't do much about it, which is why I go to the store with her so she picks up 2 bags of chips instead of 3 or 4, gets wheat bread instead of white, etc. But we also have to get aLOT of junk food to keep my brothers and dad happy. As such, the kitchen is full of stuff I can't eat, with a bit of healthy here and there.
The big meal in the house is dinner, when much extra food is made, and we are encouraged to eat more. If we don't eat "normal" amounts I get the "she's on a diet!!' from my family, esp. my one brother who I can barely look at without getting angry at him. Don't need that. Meanwhile the junk food is right there to help get my mind off things....
Losing weight is easier in college, dropped 15 pounds straight up freshman year. Now they're all back.
Sorry, a bit much of a rant, but something I had to get out :embarassed: What do you guys do if there's endless junk food in sight and you don't want your family to know? :sad:

Replies

  • NickyJones
    NickyJones Posts: 60 Member
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    Hiyas, I'm 22 and living at home until I leave for my new job, and my family is making eating healthy incredibly difficult. My brothers are both over 6ft 4in. and eats about 6 FULL meals per day (and alot of junk foods besides...I am incredibly jealous and frusturated) but stay so skinny their ribs look almost unhealthy (but also play sports to keep it off). My mother says she wants to lose weight but doesn't do much about it, which is why I go to the store with her so she picks up 2 bags of chips instead of 3 or 4, gets wheat bread instead of white, etc. But we also have to get aLOT of junk food to keep my brothers and dad happy. As such, the kitchen is full of stuff I can't eat, with a bit of healthy here and there.
    The big meal in the house is dinner, when much extra food is made, and we are encouraged to eat more. If we don't eat "normal" amounts I get the "she's on a diet!!' from my family, esp. my one brother who I can barely look at without getting angry at him. Don't need that. Meanwhile the junk food is right there to help get my mind off things....
    Losing weight is easier in college, dropped 15 pounds straight up freshman year. Now they're all back.
    Sorry, a bit much of a rant, but something I had to get out :embarassed: What do you guys do if there's endless junk food in sight and you don't want your family to know? :sad:
  • mel_istheshit
    mel_istheshit Posts: 102
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    I'm not sure how old your brothers are (and their maturity level will be a part of whether or not this works), but I would suggest you just explain to them how important it is for you to live a healthier lifestyle. I would refrain from saying diet. If they know how important it is to you, perhaps they'll be more likely to support your lifestyle changes. As for the snacks, the only suggestion I have is to make sure you have healthy alternatives available. I have two giants for brothers so I know how impossible it is to take away their junk food! :smile:
  • Cerabell18
    Cerabell18 Posts: 124
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    Start buying your own food and keep it separate from everyone elses so you know you will always have a healthy alternative. Also, have a serious conversation with your family, all together or each person separate, and let them know that you are serious about your goals and that you need their support. I had to sit down with my husband so he would stop making all my favorite junk foods and help me look/try healthy alternatives. He didn't realize that he was being unsupportive by joking around the way he did. Once your family really understands, hopefully they will make more of an effort to help you. If not, remember you have us :happy:
  • jennib06
    jennib06 Posts: 101 Member
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    Hello,

    This I totally understand. I moved back home for a semester to spend some time with my family...and already I have gotten the "She's on a diet" and "why can't you just eat the same things as us?" Last night I almost posted something very similiar. We had eaten supper (which was huge in my opinion) and within an hour everyone was back in the kitchen getting a boal of cereal, making a sandwich, etc. I had to convince myself that I was not hungry, and that I did not need to join them in the kitchen. It's tough, but I realized it's just the ultimate test of will power. I have to make my own choices, and not allow them to influence that. And I have realized that the sibling harrasment is not enough to keep my from making good choices. So instead of being ashamed of the fact that I am dieting, I try and say that I am simply eating healthier and it is something we could all strive to do. I hope that your journey gets better and hopefully we can help eachother out!

    :)
  • HustleRose
    HustleRose Posts: 88
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    Oh. My. God. Lol. Tell me about it. My fiance, who can eat any damn thing he pleases, insists on buying like, two loaves of French bread and a box of donuts and some hot chocolate and mozzarella sticks. And then leaves them all in plain sight, and goes, "Oh, can you bring me a donut?" :explode: It's horrible.

    The only thing I can recommend is to work out to burn off that frustration, even if you just go in your room and do push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, whatever, instead of turning to the food. This is something I suck at myself, but at least you have the privacy of your own room... I assume. :tongue:

    And just think about how proud you'll feel in a month or two when the weight is coming off and you're so much healthier and energetic and you did it all despite them. You can rub it in their faces. :wink:
  • NickyJones
    NickyJones Posts: 60 Member
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    Thanks for all your understanding and support, I really needed that:heart:
    Here's to being healthy!

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