When you live with people who never gain weight and eat all the stuff you cannot touch.
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My husband runs marathons and when he is a couple of weeks away from one (like now) will just inhale food and still lose weight. We have the same meals I just adapt mine (and have a fraction of the portion size!) but it's the constant snacking in the evening which I find trickiest. No real tips but I sympathise.3
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My husband is much taller and heavier than me, and maintains in WAY more than I do! Things which help:
- He eats a large meal at lunch, so that we can have a light evening meal together
- I buy his favourite high calorie snacks instead of mine, so that I'm less tempted
- If he's eating something that I really want, but don't have enough calories for, I just have some of his! e.g. A third of his beer, a slice of his pizza, a piece of his chocolate. By doing it this way, I bank enough weekly calories to indulge along with him from time to time too.7 -
amymoreorless wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »What many people don't realize about people who are "naturally lean and fit" is they are either eating less at other times or their activity level is higher than most people's.
While this seems to make sense -- I live with someone who defies this logic. My husband can't keep weight on. He is rail thin and looses weight at the drop of a hat. He has seen many doctors and has had numerous tests. He drinks ensure plus between meals just to maintain his weight. He will even wake up at night just to down an ensure and go back to bed!
The doctors have concluded that he just has a naturally crazy high metabolism. Part of me is bitter - I have to fight for every pound i take off. However, i watch him struggle too. It sucks at both ends of the spectrum.
I have a friend like that. She eats and eats and eat (usually garbage too) and never gains a pound. She actually had to get a Rx to slow down her metabolism so she could gain weight. I used to joke with her about trading metabolisms so she could gain and I could lose.
My hunger fix is Veggies! You can eat a boatload of veggies and if you get hungry again, eat another boatload.
Veggies are very versatile too. you can make soup, casseroles, salads, sandwiches.......just about anything with veggies - except hot dogs. Veggie dogs are nasty IMHO
good luck losing weight3 -
DustinAllgood wrote: »Just because he is slim doesn't mean he is healthy. It can be really hard but try cutting sugar from your diet. Its in everything and it can cause you to have cravings through out the day.
Nope.
Unless you have a medical issue (a GENUINE medical issue) with sugar, there's no need to cut it out.9 -
My take on your situation, after years of observation and analysis of similar situations, is that your boyfriend eats as much as he pleases of any food he likes, while you try to adhere to a restrictive regimen that makes you physically and emotionally wanting. You are hungry, hangry, envious, resentful. This triggers you to overeat, in an attempt to fill your needs.
My suggestion is - allow yourself to eat what you want. Pay attention to how that makes you feel. Aim to eat in a way that makes you feel good.
You may experience that what and how you like to eat, changes a bit, or a lot, when you do that.
Truly eating what and how you want will most likely lead to normal weight, just like is does for your boyfriend.4 -
DustinAllgood wrote: »Just because he is slim doesn't mean he is healthy. It can be really hard but try cutting sugar from your diet. Its in everything and it can cause you to have cravings through out the day.
A diet of protein and fat is pretty poor.4 -
I live with my dad. He's also overweight, but refuses to eat anything overtly 'healthy' for him and loves sweets. He also likes to cook. It's taken a lot of communication, but we've finally found compromises to help us become healthier.
Find out his favorite foods that he makes. For my dad, this is spaghetti. Spaghetti the way he used to make it would put me over my goals quick and having a salad on the side didn't help. Every spaghetti night, I felt miserable and would usually eat over my calorie allotment. After a lot of back and forth, we finally settled on adding bell peppers, diced tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms to the sauce. He also keeps the sauce and noodles separate and allows me to transfer the sauce to a bowl (so I can weigh it out)before serving. This hasn't hampered him making spaghetti in any way (and he likes the way it tastes), plus it's made spaghetti night enjoyable for me again.
I've had to compromise too. I love trying vegetarian and vegan recipes. I also like trying healthy re-mixes of family favorites. My dad doesn't like these at all So now I try to find recipes that are more like his version of normal but can fit into my calories. I've also included some high-calorie items that we have every other week, which I work around my allotment. While I still make my veggie recipes and re-mixes, those are general 'me' food that I can take to lunch each day and have made up for days when he wants something I can't fit into my calories.
This isn't your boyfriends' journey, but he is a part of your life and he loves you. Talk to him and figure out a way that you guys can make this food thing work, whether that's making homemade pizza, adding more veggies to his favorite dishes, or having some 'you' food set aside for when the going gets tough.
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Yes, I adjusted my goal so that it's a bit higher. Still, it's hard for me to just moderate and have a thin slice of pizza or a small helping of pancakes.. especially when I can make myself a more diet-friendly alternative.
I lost a bit of weight and I used to eat fast food all the time. The less and less I ate it though the easier it was to avoid. I think you're better off as you said to eat diet-friendly alternatives instead. Once i focused on my diet and really ate well I lost weight pretty quickly.1 -
Wow this was a wonderful thread of support to wake up to!
Thanks everyone.
I'm just gonna stick to my diet and deal with it. He certainly means well. I guess in the long run, I'd feel bad if he stopped enjoying foods and all the stuff he craves for me.
I did try to eat what I wanted and have foods like his -- this resulted in 10lbs of weight gain over 3 months. That's back when I though maybe I could eat whatever I like, too! Ha. Now I have 30lbs to lose instead of 20lbs.
So I just have to get used to this. Diets suck, that's the truth for me. But I have to do it if I want to make a change.
Thanks for all your support! This was really helpful.3 -
DustinAllgood wrote: »Just because he is slim doesn't mean he is healthy. It can be really hard but try cutting sugar from your diet. Its in everything and it can cause you to have cravings through out the day.
Nope. Wrong.1 -
OP others have already addressed your comments about being envious of your partner and the foods he is able to eat in quantities that are appropriate for his stats and activity level, to presumably maintain his weight.
You also mentioned not being able to lose. Maybe instead of focusing on your boyfriends dietary habits, you should take a look at your situation more closely, to address why you may not be losing.
What are your stats: height, weight, goal weight and chosen activity level.
What rate of loss did you select? What calorie goal did MFP provide?
Are you logging all the foods you eat, as accurately as possible, ideally using a food scale?
Do you exercise? What sort? Do you log and eat back exercise calories?
How long have you been doing this? What results have you seen?
Get your own plan in order, get on track to lose at an appropriate rate of loss for your goals, and then perhaps you'll find that you are able to work the same foods in as your boyfriend, in appropriate portions for your size and goals.
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@WinoGelato yes I hear ya.
I am aware that my problem has been sticking to a diet. I try to do it for a while and then fall off track. So I lose rather slowly.
Fitting his foods into my day, through, would be tough. He consumes meals and foods that are pretty heavy in fat and carbs, which works fine for him! But a bite of his Mac n' cheese would be worth 50 calories.
When you are trying to make every calorie count, I say make your own Mac n cheese that you can have a proper serving of.
I just have to deal with my plan.
Stats:
5'3.5"
170lbs
33 (almost)
Female.
MFP puts me at 1200-1500 cal/day for loss of 2lbs-0.5lbs/week.
Knowing me, my lifestyle, my job, etc... even when I try to fit in activities they aren't enough to offset the day.
I'm a short-ish girl with medium body frame... but my appetite is that of a giant bear!
This definitely takes some adapting. Seems harder every time I gain the weight back.
But I am trying to make it somehow a lifestyle.
Honestly, I wish I never learned about diets! When I was young I became overly concerned with my weight (especially being teased by family and strangers on all that). Then the diet roller coaster took off. Can't wait for that ride to end!0 -
@WinoGelato I think I missed a few questions..
Goal Weight Range: 135-145lbs
Yes I use a food scale.
I log as accurately as I can but I know there are bound to be errors! That's why I try to goal myself lower than my actual recommendation. (i.e., if I wanna only eat 1500, I aim for 1300 for the day etc).
I've lose and gained 20-30lbs since I was a teen, so I've been doing this for about half my life?
I think I answered all the questions?
Anyways, moving right along.
Just gotta deal with the craving/hunger challenges ahead.
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That's why we're trying to tell you to stop with deprivation, over restriction, dieting and (yes) martyrdom. You paint a picture of sitting in a corner with your sad salad moping while you eat it. I'm assuming you don't spend all day together, so right away you have responsibility for your own breakfast & lunch - that's 2/3 of your day to weigh and log. Ask him what goes into his dinners, weigh out the ingredients and determine your portion that fits into your calories for the day. If the amount isn't satiating enough, add your salad or veggies.
At your weight, you should, at the most, be set to lose 1 lb per week and you probably would have greater success with 1/2 lb. Re-read the replies you received and try to get a different mind-set that will help you succeed!3 -
That's why we're trying to tell you to stop with deprivation, over restriction, dieting and (yes) martyrdom. You paint a picture of sitting in a corner with your sad salad moping while you eat it. I'm assuming you don't spend all day together, so right away you have responsibility for your own breakfast & lunch - that's 2/3 of your day to weigh and log. Ask him what goes into his dinners, weigh out the ingredients and determine your portion that fits into your calories for the day. If the amount isn't satiating enough, add your salad or veggies.
At your weight, you should, at the most, be set to lose 1 lb per week and you probably would have greater success with 1/2 lb. Re-read the replies you received and try to get a different mind-set that will help you succeed!
Ha! Nope. No salad in that corner... just quiet contemplation and water. Sometimes tea.
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Anyways, thanks everyone for your insight.
I honestly just needed to vent. I know what I gotta do, but last night was one of those tough ones. I read here that you can reach out to the community when feeling stressed or struggling so that's what I did.
It's not every day, but some days are harder than others! Thanks to those of you who authentically related to me.
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An important point that Dr. Yoni Freedhoff makes in his book The Diet Fix is that people can't take weight off and keep it off if they're feeling deprived all the time. Successful long-term weight loss requires making a sustainable change in how you eat. That includes learning to eat smaller portions of foods that you enjoy and don't want to completely cut out. One question he suggests that you ask yourself: "How much of this do I need to eat to feel satisfied?" I find that really helps me with things like ice cream, cheese, and other calorie-dense foods.6
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@WinoGelato yes I hear ya.
I am aware that my problem has been sticking to a diet. I try to do it for a while and then fall off track. So I lose rather slowly.
Fitting his foods into my day, through, would be tough. He consumes meals and foods that are pretty heavy in fat and carbs, which works fine for him! But a bite of his Mac n' cheese would be worth 50 calories.
When you are trying to make every calorie count, I say make your own Mac n cheese that you can have a proper serving of.
I just have to deal with my plan.
Stats:
5'3.5"
170lbs
33 (almost)
Female.
MFP puts me at 1200-1500 cal/day for loss of 2lbs-0.5lbs/week.
Knowing me, my lifestyle, my job, etc... even when I try to fit in activities they aren't enough to offset the day.
I'm a short-ish girl with medium body frame... but my appetite is that of a giant bear!
This definitely takes some adapting. Seems harder every time I gain the weight back.
But I am trying to make it somehow a lifestyle.
Honestly, I wish I never learned about diets! When I was young I became overly concerned with my weight (especially being teased by family and strangers on all that). Then the diet roller coaster took off. Can't wait for that ride to end!
You are still framing this in a negative way, comparing what your boyfriend gets to eat, to what you have to deprive yourself from. Also looking at things as a diet, talking about sitting in a corner contemplative with water while your boyfriend eats "his foods".
You don't have much to lose, and should be aiming for about 1 lb/week for the next 15 or so pounds then change to 0.5 lb/week.
Plan your meals out ahead of time. Do you live with your boyfriend? Take all your meals together? Focus on foods that provide nutrition, satiety, and enjoyment. You mentioned modifying foods to fit in your plan, why not talk with him about compromising and trying some new recipes for his favorites that are modified five more calorie friendly (skinny taste has a lot of great ones). Then Pick a meal a week to really enjoy with your boyfriend, if you bank 100 -200 or so calories during the week you can enjoy an extra 500-1000 cals for an actual meal with him where you do eat what he eats, or you go for ice cream after dinner or out for a couple of beers.
Most of us who have found sustainable success on here got over the feeling of deprivation and sacrifice and figured out how to make this lifestyle change fit with our current lifestyle as much as possible. For me that still means drinking wine, having pizza with my family, going out with girlfriends for drinks and appetizers, taking my kids for ice cream... giving up those things wasn't going to work, so I figured out how to make them work, in the context of an overall balanced and healthy diet and active lifestyle.
When you're really ready, you'll figure it out too.13 -
Yup. Thanks for all that.
Cheers!0 -
Hello.
I'm just stressed a tad here. I live with my boyfriend who cooks amazing food, orders fatty deep rich pizza from restaurants, devours as much as he pleases and can never seem to synchronize meal time with me.
It's so exhausting watching him inhale all the delicious bottomless meals all day, while I am 35lbs overweight and cannot lose for the life of me.
He never gains anything. Naturally lean and fit.
Life ain't fair, that's for d@!$ sure.
What do you do when you are trying to stay at your calorie limit every day while the person/people you live with eat everything you can't in front of you?
If nothing else, vent with me! Gah!
I know what you mean! I have pity parties for myself every so often because of that, but I find that overall having an attitude of gratitude keeps me on a more even keel.3
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