I just cant do it anymore

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  • sakotaw
    sakotaw Posts: 1
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    I cook myself a 4-6oz portion of meat for myself with a veggie and large salad in the evening and then add a potato or other starch to that for the rest of my family. It works pretty well.
  • Setof2Keys
    Setof2Keys Posts: 681 Member
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    A crockpot can be your very best friend.

    Just what I was going to say. Food is much better too!!
  • mthorne313
    mthorne313 Posts: 15 Member
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    I don't have children so... this may be a little far fetched, but I am a school teacher if that may help my creditability at all. :) Plus, I was the mother of a very finicky dog for 15 years.

    First and foremost .. you are the parent. I promise they will eat what you give them. The children have no clue whether you are cooking white or wheat pasta. Nor at that age do they know the difference between white and wheat bread. Have you considered making your own marinara instead of purchasing it? It is very simple to do. Squash up some tomatoes and some fresh herbs. Bread is DEFINITELY a huge down fall for me. I can sit and eat it at every meal. Finally, I just had to tell myself... Michelle, you have the will power NOT to bring it in the house. Once it makes its appearance in the house... it is all over. While I am in the store, I can make those decisions for a healthier life style. Plus, by having a healthier life style you are so helping your kids. :)

    My nephews are now 4 & 6 and for snack would much rather have hummus and carrot sticks than crap stuff, and it is all because my sister has raised them that way. As for myself... they would have been eating Golden Flake dip style chips with cheddar cheese dip. I have come to learn over the past few months... if I don't make a change for myself... no one is going to do it for me. Plus, every change I make actually benefits not only me, but everyone around me who eats what I cook.

    Good luck with it!!
  • Tipp_8477
    Tipp_8477 Posts: 4
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    I found it very hard at first as well. Especially with my daughter and the rest of my family refusing to heat healthy. Unfortunately I had to think of myself for a change. So what I do is budget for my own personal foods; healthier ones. You may have to just go to coooking seperate meals for your family. i cant tell you the nights they ate "good food" and I was eating egg whites and turkey sandwiches. Also, remember, on a day that you have a little too much of a good ting, offset it by excersising. Put that sweet boy in a stroller and find the hilliest section of the neighborhood you can walk and do it a few laps. Not only will your son enjoy the time with you, but by the end of the walk he will be exhausted and you will have at least an hour to plan your meals for the week. Also a point that my sister who is a personal trainer taught me, "Clean eating will not always taste well. Especially if rushed. However your not living to eat your eating to live. So suck it up and have 3 boiled egg whites and a bowl of oatmeal and be satisfied. Your body got what it needed."...lol...big sisters a so nice huh....but it works. Before joining here I lost 25 pounds in 5 weeks.
  • blurtsoffolly
    blurtsoffolly Posts: 1
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    don't give up! You can do this! Your little boy is only 18 months old. You are training him to eat for the rest of his life, so be firm. He won't starve, so if you have to put beans in front of him for 5 days he'll eventually eat them.
    You are probably craving carbs because they are a go-to stress food. Your frustration at your situation right now is setting you up for wanting those things. Maybe you can allow yourself at lunch, but not at dinner? Make your leftover meal the lunch meal. Your husband won't care whether you had it for lunch or dinner. Your little guy probably still naps, so maybe you can have a few minutes to do a bit of exercise to boost you through your mid afternoon slump (you didn't say that but I remember when mine were that young, I had a huge lag around 3:30). You'll be refreshed and ready to keep up the toddler/food fight. :0)
    Oh, and maybe only one or two new foods a week, but offer it at every meal (except breakfast unless it fits).

    GOOD LUCK!! :0)
  • crazywheaten
    crazywheaten Posts: 73
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    All great advice. I'd like to add that first and foremost, you need to put yourself somewhere on your priority list. Maybe up there in the top ONE?! :wink: If you're not happy, ultimately no one in your family will be happy. That was something I majorly struggled with before I started this. Everything I did was for my son... my husband... my house... my job... I was no where my priorty list. Now I am #1 and though sometimes the losses are low and even non-existent some weeks, I know I gave it my all and that makes me feel good. If my family needs to wait 5 extra (ok, maybe 10) minutes before dinner is ready because I need to log into MFP--so be it.

    Good luck---you can do this!
  • paulaheitman2
    paulaheitman2 Posts: 1 Member
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    Of course it depends on you - but I have found that if I read the pasta boxes I can find healthier pasta with less calories and less carbs (which do me in!). I use Dreamfields (I think that is the one). It has lower carbs. But the whole wheat is of course good for you and not so many empty calories. You can read the nutritional information on the computer while your son is sitting on your lap :) so you are prepared when you enter the store.
    AND what about making your own pasta sauce - the bottles of pasta sauce at the store have lots of wasted calories. You could make up a big pot of sauce. Alfredo - though rich in calories is butter, Parmesan cheese and heavy cream - basically no carbs and no preservatives when you make it yourself. (Once again works for me) You may want to make a red sauce. I know Rao's is a great sauce with fewer calories but once again if you do it yourself - it just simmers all day on the back burner.
    Don't give up. You must be burning some calories racing after your son!
  • Jade_Butterfly
    Jade_Butterfly Posts: 2,963 Member
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    So am I right in surmising that you are a stay at home mom??? How old is your little one???? Not knowing here are some suggestions. .. When my daughter was young. I got my exercise while she was in daycare. .. I was going to college, but when I was home. . .she too liked to be with me a lot so I incorporated it. .. . invested in a jogger stroller, and would strap on my blades and take her with me. .. other than that when I was doing crunches and leg lifts at home she liked to sit on my belly, or I would do leg lifts with her on my legs. .. Just a though.

    As far as the food. I agree with the lot here. Make small changes not a major over haul and stay within your calorie allowance. . Biggest thing make sure that you keep your sodium down and drink plenty of water. . . Good luck. .. feel free to add me if you like. Good luck in the remainder of your journey. . .
  • GameOn2011
    GameOn2011 Posts: 73 Member
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    I am a wroking mother of 3, ages 6, 9, and 11. I make a spreadsheet outlining dinner for two weeks at a time. This way I do not have to think about what to make for dinner. I make things from oven fried pork chops to fish tacos to whole wheat spaghetti and grilled chicken with jasmine rice paired with veggies at every meal.

    Whatever I can make ahead, I do, after I put the kids to bed. All this to AVOID processed food/take out and to be a good role model for healthy eating!

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