How long before your family accepted/tolerated your new eating habits and lifestyle change?

Lounmoun wrote: »

neldabg wrote: »

How long was it before your family accepted/tolerated your new eating habits and lifestyle change?


My entire family eats junk food and fast food regularly, and though my mom generally makes healthy dishes, they are extremely calorie dense. I can totally see them accepting the fact that I don't eat any fast food and most junk food anymore, and that I am disciplined with an exercise schedule, but I just *know* that there'll be conflict over not eating whatever my mom cooks.

I am the cook, meal planner, grocery list maker in my household. Zero conflict with my family over food or exercise. I haven't changed the type of food we are eating much. If something is higher calorie I eat smaller portions and put more salad/vegetables on my plate.

I would say just talk to your mom honestly and calmly about what your calorie/health goal is and how you meet that goal. Appreciate her work and skill. Show her the calorie count of some recipes... she may have no idea that they are that high calorie and be happy to work with you to make some changes. Offer to cook for the family several days each week instead of demanding that she change how she cooks for the family. If she really doesn't want to change what she cooks or share cooking duty and you can't just reduce your portion size then let her know you will cheerfully make your own meals most days. It isn't a rejection of her- just what you need to do for you.

Does your family always eat the same exact same food?
My dd often has things she doesn't want to eat that I make and I have just always told her to make a sandwich or eat some cereal. That was the policy in my family when I was growing up.
If dd told me she wanted to be a vegetarian I wouldn't make her eat meat but the rest of us would still be eating it. If she came to me and discussed concerns over her diet politely I would listen. I want her to be healthy and happy. It doesn't have to be a big emotional conflict.

I'm also the cook, meal planner, and grocery shopper in my household. I cook for a husband and four children. I made changes that weren't very noticeable on the dinner table, but were very noticeable on the calories. I stopped cooking with oil and switched to cooking sprays, I stopped using butter and cheese in everything and learned how to use new spices. I added lots of veggies to meals so I'd have something to fill up on while everyone else ate the high-calorie dishes. I stopped drinking soda completely myself, and switched to diet for the rest of the family. There have been no complaints, and we've actually started making kind of a game of seeing how healthy we can make a recipe and still have it taste good. The kids think it's fun. The only issue I had was for the first month or so, with my husband. I get home from work at around 1 AM and my husband would always have a snack (or more) waiting for me. When I first started making this change, I got home several times and he had food waiting. I know it's his way of showing he cared for me, plus he didn't think I was serious. It only took a few times of me pretty much biting his head off before he stopped. He hasn't done that in quite a long time. Now, my whole family is healthier thanks to my decision to make a change, even though that decision was originally only meant for myself. Just show your family that you're serious, be respectful of their life choices, and do what you need to do for yourself. You may be surprised what happens.

Awesome work. As a mom, I would be 100% supportive.

Kalikel wrote: »

Every family is different. You know best how to handle yours.

My family was (for the most part) exceptionally supportive of my new habits. There was some teasing about rabbit food, turning up of noses and saying that meals I cooked smelled "like possum", but that's my family, lol. They still ate their stuff, but didn't make a fuss about me eating something else. They'd tease me, I'd tease back, but nothing serious. They knew why I switched my habits and even if they hadn't...they're just not the kind of people who get bent out of shape about what someone else eats. So not, lol.

Two members of the extended family took to being nasty about the weighing and the healthy food, so I finally resorted to enlisting the help of the rest of the family. As a group, we put a stop to the nastiness. I swear, those two only show up so that they can borrow money from people, anyway.

LOL. My family would have eaten that possum. Okay, it was squirrel. My 10-year-old went hunting for the first time but no deer came in, so she got 4 squirrels instead. Yup, we ate 'em. The rule is, if you shoot it, you eat it.

I haven't gotten any teasing, but my husband did laugh at me the first time he saw me weighing my food. Now, it's so normal nobody even notices anymore.

Day 1. With my wife, she didn't say anything really, and I already owned and used a food scale for cooking and some other things here and there. I don't overestimate food, I estimate it as closely as possible. If it is calorie dense I just eat less. I don't need to fill my plate with food to be full. With my parents, I don't think they have a clue what I do, but they know I've lost a lot of weight (38lb to date).

When I'm with family I just eat less if I'm trying to lose weight. If I'm on vacation/travel, then I eat at maintenance. No food is off limits for me, so it works seamlessly with whatever food is around me. I may not eat everything, but that may be due to a personal choice of which calories I want to consume. When dinner is served it is put on the table and you fill your own plate. My family doesn't judge me for not taking an item. I often pass on dishes I don't like and will pick out specific ingredients I don't like and give them to those that do like them (sweet peppers for example, which I hate, but my mom loves).

If you don't want to have conflict, then don't force your ways on others and don't judge them for how they eat (e.g. telling them their food is unhealthy). There are many ways to do that. From cooking your own meals and providing your own ingredients, to just eating less of whatever is served. Find what works for you.

nordlead2005 wrote: »

When I'm with family I just eat less if I'm trying to lose weight. If I'm on vacation/travel, then I eat at maintenance. No food is off limits for me, so it works seamlessly with whatever food is around me. I may not eat everything, but that may be due to a personal choice of which calories I want to consume. When dinner is served it is put on the table and you fill your own plate. My family doesn't judge me for not taking an item. I often pass on dishes I don't like and will pick out specific ingredients I don't like and give them to those that do like them (sweet peppers for example, which I hate, but my mom loves).

If you don't want to have conflict, then don't force your ways on others and don't judge them for how they eat (e.g. telling them their food is unhealthy). There are many ways to do that. From cooking your own meals and providing your own ingredients, to just eating less of whatever is served. Find what works for you.

I've never had any issue with my family wrt my eating habits or lifestyle change. I've gone about it pretty much the same as nordlead2005.