Spousal support question
coloradoartstudio
Posts: 104 Member
So...my husband has been along for the ride with the LCHF change of eating since the beginning of October and hasn't complained until today.
Tonight, he told me to lay off the cream and fat. I had to remind him that it's not a low fat diet and it's not a high protein diet (he remembers the old Atkins). He's not one to read about the science behind diets, so I'm doing my best to explain this and all about macros and trying to hit those goals daily. He doesn't record any of his food, but I have been recording all of mine, so I know I come close to my goals mostly. Interestingly, I had a Dr.s appointment yesterday with my endocrinologist and she is totally behind my diet choices right now.
I'm not going to cook differently for him - he does cook on occasion to his credit. Mostly grilling on weekends when weather permits.
How do you help your spouse/s.o. understand? It's still too new to show significant weight loss - or lab results to back up this WOE.
Tonight, he told me to lay off the cream and fat. I had to remind him that it's not a low fat diet and it's not a high protein diet (he remembers the old Atkins). He's not one to read about the science behind diets, so I'm doing my best to explain this and all about macros and trying to hit those goals daily. He doesn't record any of his food, but I have been recording all of mine, so I know I come close to my goals mostly. Interestingly, I had a Dr.s appointment yesterday with my endocrinologist and she is totally behind my diet choices right now.
I'm not going to cook differently for him - he does cook on occasion to his credit. Mostly grilling on weekends when weather permits.
How do you help your spouse/s.o. understand? It's still too new to show significant weight loss - or lab results to back up this WOE.
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@coloradoartstudio is his statement because he thinks it's unhealthy, or is he just tired of fat? (I know I am, I can only take so much before I feel like gagging. I am ok with lots of fat at my brunch (2 pm ish) but after that it starts to go downhill until I can't hardly think about it at dinner).1
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I think it's both - thinking it's unhealthy and the initial enjoyment of eating higher fat foods is wearing off.
He was surprised my new doctor said to keep going. I wonder if I should switch lunch and dinner around - have a heavier meal at lunch and a lighter one in the evening.
Tonight I tried explaining what a fat bomb is - though I've never actually made one yet. He said it sounded gross.1 -
I tried fatbombs once, and they made me feel ill and I gained 6 lbs overnight. Never did it again.
Maybe see if you guys can do higher fat for the first meal of the day after you fast. I think I can handle it better when I really am hungry from going without for 16 hrs or so. After that the texture in my mouth starts to get to me. I don't like slick grease. I've always been attracted to dry crunchy textures instead. And maybe you can find a way to hide the fat in the dinner meal. I could always handle parmesan crusted chicken pieces for dinner (smear thickly with full fat mayo and sprinkle on parmesan cheese (not the real good kind, just the Kraft Green round shakertop container) to cover thickly then bake til done. It makes a really yummy sort of crust that isn't slick.3 -
Nobody doesn't like mayonnaise. (Well, okay, I have a family member who fortunately lives far away who hates mayo.) Mayonnaise hidden inside things like tuna and chicken salad is almost always welcome. Like Canadjineh, I cook with mayo; slathered on chicken breasts or thin pork chops topped with thinly sliced red onions then baked -- yum.
Like your husband I rapidly tired of in your face fat and heavy cream does a number of my digestion. I have to make a actual effort to include fatty items other than full fat yogurt.1 -
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Sorry posted too soon!! Was going to say, maybe an infograph like the one above might help as it's easier then reading lots of sciencey stuff?0
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I do wonder if it's a sensory experience for him. Finding ways to add fat that don't end up being pools or bits of fat can be tough. Creamy sauces can work, if you can avoid having them separate. Sometimes mine separate, and luckily it's usually just me eating it so I can ignore the pools of oil...
I also wonder if some of the great videos on Youtube could help? If he's a geeky type, there's a couple called Keto Couch Potatoes that have been doing keto for weight loss for over a year. If he's a muscle type, there's Jason Whittrock, a keto bodybuilder. And of course there's all the keto science videos, and some TedTalks. Not to mention the great keto food porn out there, like Caveman Keto or Headbanger's Kitchen's keto series...1 -
It's possible to overdo it with the fat. I know it's a high fat diet but if the goal is to burn body fat, you don't have to and it isn't a great idea to eat fat bombs and add huge amounts to meals. That's more for maintenance to prevent burning body fat.
You do of course need fat in each meal. Maybe it's just a touch too much. If he's feeling disgusted by it, it could simply be he's not hungry enough for it and that's suggesting it's being over eaten. If cutting back a little bit, by reducing amounts, not eliminating it in the meal, still satisfies the appetite until the next meal time, that's an opportunity to use more body fat.
If it's just the brainwashing getting to him, then he will learn in time and there's not a whole lot to do about that until he can't deny it anymore.
My husband has only cut back on breads and pasta. He really hasn't committed to actually counting carbs or trying to stay at any certain level. I mean, he's eaten an entire pineapple in the last 3 days by himself! He will NEVER believe a person shouldn't eat all the fruit they can stomach. And he has protested my use of cream and butter on our veggies. It took me months to get him to stop buying margarine! We eat a lot of lean meats still because it's generally cheap, and my hubs does all the shopping and he thinks fatty meat is gross. He trims all of the fat off his steak and thinks ribeyes are gross. Poor soul!
Anyway, I almost always make a cheese or cream sauce to add to my chicken or other lean meats but he skips it. He will put it on some veggies. I just let him use the amount of added fats he's comfortable with. Later that night when he's making a cheese and pepperoni plate (or loading up on fruit) because he's hungry, I explain that's because he didn't have enough fat at dinner and in his case, his body doesn't automatically, and easily access bodyfat when calories are low so he feels hungry often. After over 18 months of my constant and committed low carbing, he has no doubts about the effectiveness or health value but he still doesn't want to make the bigger changes to fully benefit from it himself.
I think all we can do is be an example and hope for the best.4 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »It's possible to overdo it with the fat. I know it's a high fat diet but if the goal is to burn body fat, you don't have to and it isn't a great idea to eat fat bombs and add huge amounts to meals. That's more for maintenance to prevent burning body fat.
I agree with this. I am totally on board with this WOE, but fat can get too much for me too. I can't bring myself to eat a big piece of fat on my meat, for example.
My husband is the cook, so fortunately he is on board. Last night, with zoodles and baked chicken breast my husband made alfredo sauce with heavy cream and Parmesan. And olive oil was used to keep the chicken breasts moist and to sautee the zoodles...so I had a decent amount of fat without having to eat fat just for fat's sake. I ended up a bit lower on my calories than I'd like, but was right at my carb and protein numbers, so that 400 calorie deficit can come from fat stores.3 -
Most of my fats come from heavy cream in my coffees and cheese. I use a lot of cheese. I get fattier cuts of meat like ribeye when I go out but at home I usually have a leaner meat with cheese or sauce.4
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coloradoartstudio wrote: »Tonight I tried explaining what a fat bomb is - though I've never actually made one yet. He said it sounded gross.
Someone I met who follows this WOE calls fat bombs "Power Poppers". She tells people who ask that it is a healthy "energy pick me up". That sounds a lot better to me than trying to explain what a fat bomb is.
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Mine is understanding, BUT he has coronary artery disease and follows different dietary guidelines than I do. I cook kind of middle-ground. Since he's not low-carb, I know the high fat is bad for him. I do most of the cooking but I'll often find ways to customize. Or I'll get more of my fat in other meals or he'll get less fat in other meals since dinner is really the only one we eat together.1
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Same as a couple others above. Dinner is (usually) the only meal we eat together. I get my fat during the day, not during dinner. I still make mashed potatoes and gravy. He likes them. So do I but I don't eat them.
Nothing has changed in the household except having HWC, coconut oil, mascarpone cheese and a supply of cream cheese in the refrigerator.0 -
My husband has made many changes since meeting me. No longer are the days of processed, packaged foods.
He went dairy free when he realized he couldn't have it, and so did the rest of us.
With this one, he's so resistant. I think that sometimes, it's just been so engrained in our heads that low fat and low calorie is the only way.
At this time, I'm making dinner the way I always have: mostly paleo, with some rice or potatoes or other grains here and there. If I'm making something special, like tonight, it's pizza, I picked him and my daughter up a pre-made thin crust.
I won't cook separately for them, but I may do something a little extra so that they still feel like they're satisfied and I don't have to hear about it.
I also purchase them their cereal and bread and candy and chips for all the other times. I'm just hoping that MY own results and healing starts to speak for itself.
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My dinner's aren't usually super fatty anyway so it works out for me and my SO. We've always done dinners that are meat + veggies + carby side like potatoes or rice. I'll eat the meat and veggies. I'll add butter to my veggies if I'm low of fat for the day otherwise I use that meal to get my proteins in with leaner cuts. If your husband wants to lay off some of the fats at dinner you could just keep dinners on the lower fat side or just add butter to your side dish and not his, there are always ways to make it work for either party. If he's trying to get you to cut the creams and butters you can just kindly tell him that doing it like that helps with your adherence and that you appreciate his concerns and hope that he can support your choice. Good luck!0
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My vegetarian (more like pasta-, bread- and cereal-etarian) wife is supportive of me eating this way as she has seen how much it improved my BG and changed my appearance to the point where in the last couple weeks 2 separate people asked if I was a triathlete.
She has been struggling with weight since her hysterectomy a couple years ago. That hormone imbalance can do a number on you! It has also taken her fibromyalgia to the next level. I have started talking to her about the way her diet is not helping and showing her vegetarian options for going LC. She has had some significant stressors lately, so I have backed off.
She really loves when I make spaghetti squash or twice baked cauliflower casserole (without the bacon on her part) and some of the other side dishes. If I had the time to cook a proper meal every night, I think I could get her low enough just by cooking these types of things that she would begin to see an improvement and want to move further this way.
For a guy who never really cooked more than the basics (eggs, bacon, burgers), I have learned how to cook a ton of stuff in the last year plus since the diabetes diagnosis. It really isn't that hard nowadays given I could find a youtube video showing me how to make just about anything.
I didn't have to work too hard to convince her of the medical part because I have always eaten a ton of meat and cheese and been lower carb and my cholesterol has always been great and she has had issues with high to borderline high cholesterol. Convincing her it was the bread, pasta, cereal, sugar, etc. doing that to her, was fairly easy.
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My SO eats the standard diet and I eat keto. I usually just add a carb side dish to his meal, and for his lunches, he gets leftovers and then a couple of yogurts, fruits, etc thrown in. He eats cereal and milk for breakfast.
He is supportive and he has seen the results. He knows I'm happy this way and I don't try to change him. If your husband really doesn't want that high fat, perhaps get your fats in at lunch or a time where you aren't sharing a meal or get him to do some cooking that is low carb (like vegetables with a protein) and he can make his own rice/potatoes as @Kimo159 suggested.1 -
My wife was freaking out about it, so I started cooking for myself. I started losing a lot of weight, she counted calories and lost none. My doctor okayed the diet, my cholesterol dropped 30 points. She is perfectly fine with it now. It's not something she wants to do, but her tune might change when I hit my goal weight..3
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Thanks for all the input everyone! We eat both lunch and dinner together since we both work from home for the time being.
We normally do a protein and a big salad for lunch which he likes. For dinner, I've been exploring all these crazy high fat recipes loaded with cream and butter since it feels like I'm cheating. It's one thing that has helped me stay compliant in the beginning stages when I was pretty hungry and suffering though major headaches (they're gone thankfully), though I do confess that I'm tired of bacon. Yep, I said it. We o'd on the stuff in the beginning.
At lunch, I told him that I would make more of an effort to make something without sauces, etc. - but I think making them on the side is a great idea!
He eats what I put in front of him, but still drinks beer (loves his craft beer) and today I caught him downing a couple of leftover Halloween candy bars. I'm getting rid of it tomorrow (bringing it to an event I have to go to). So, he's not totally compliant.
He did step on the scale in the beginning, but hasn't since, though he does think his clothing feel looser.
I guess all I can do is keep on plan and hopefully continue to show weight loss. It's the first thing that's working for me in a long time.
Thanks again for all the advice!
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I am not sure if I am lucky or not, but my SO is a total convert, when I stray I am told off, and badly. We do the one treat-night a week, and that is our lot. As annoying as it can be, I absolutely love and appreciate the help and support he gives me. Because he sees how much it has helped me, and now sees the results on himself too, he has totally embraced this, and I am eternally grateful for it, as it makes it easier to stick with for myself too. This is becoming a lifestyle for us both.3