Unhealthy diet?

thury · February 2009

My girlfriend is taking this journey with me. I personally have no problems eating about anything and found it quite easy to change making healthy decisions.
However my girlfriend is not. She is sticking to her calorie intake but is usually eating PB toast for breakfast which is fine, but then a lean cuisine for lunch, sometimes also supper, or for supper will have pasta and sauce and usually has 2 100 calorie packs for her snacks during the day.
She started off really well having yogurt and apples for her snacks but gre tired of them.
She does not like many fruits (besides apples and grapes) and has over done them.
She don't like many vegetables raw or cooked pretty much does not like vegetables at all.

But she is stayin within her calorie range and has added walking on treadmill. She is looking to lose only about 20 more pounds so is not really that overweight. I am just concerned that her diet is low in calories but still unhealthy for her.

Any thoughts on this, suggestions??

thury · February 2009

My girlfriend is taking this journey with me. I personally have no problems eating about anything and found it quite easy to change making healthy decisions.
However my girlfriend is not. She is sticking to her calorie intake but is usually eating PB toast for breakfast which is fine, but then a lean cuisine for lunch, sometimes also supper, or for supper will have pasta and sauce and usually has 2 100 calorie packs for her snacks during the day.
She started off really well having yogurt and apples for her snacks but gre tired of them.
She does not like many fruits (besides apples and grapes) and has over done them.
She don't like many vegetables raw or cooked pretty much does not like vegetables at all.

But she is stayin within her calorie range and has added walking on treadmill. She is looking to lose only about 20 more pounds so is not really that overweight. I am just concerned that her diet is low in calories but still unhealthy for her.

Any thoughts on this, suggestions??

merch · February 2009

Well, my first thought is you can't make someone like fruits & veg. If we could, my kids would have rock start diets

But if SHE is concerned about how to balance nutrition and calories, she may want to look at the make-up of her cals - is she hitting the carb-fat-protein mix fairly well? What about fiber? You need fruits & veg to fill you up without taking away too much in the cal/carb column.

Of course there are always vitamin supplements to hit nutrient levels & fiber supplements to hit that mark without adding cals. But it's always better to try to get most of nutrients through food.

I don't really know what to say to help her want to eat differently. Maybe she can set mini goals for herslef - one fresh fruit per day. Try that for a week, then one fruit & one veg. Baby steps so she doesn't feel it has to be all or nothing.

SHBoss1673 · February 2009

without vegtables and fruit, she's going to have a hard time of it. BUT, if she is aware that her vitamin levels and insoluble fiber levels aren't being fulfilled (and vitamin pills won't usually fill this out completely) then I'm not sure it's anyones place but her own (or people she asks about it) to tell her.

age1389 · February 2009

When I first started this I was the same way. My fruits are limited cause I have a hard time digesting most of them. I had no problem losing my weight. So eating healthy doesn't necessary mean weight loss.
To help me get some more fruit in my diet I drank smoothies (I made them myself) they are good for low cal snacks and/or for breakfast. Maybe she can try that.

-Adrienne

Lo153 · February 2009

I think that yummy low-fat salads and smoothies are great ways to get fruits and veggies into your diet.

I like to make my smoothies with some low fat yogurt, a little fat-free soy milk (just a little, cause of the questions regarding soy milk being okay for women), and frozen strawberries and raspberries. MMMMM :drinker:

LuckyLeprechaun · February 2009

well that diet sounds like it would also be pretty high in sodium, which will cause water retention. You can't really force her to change, but you can comment on how delicious your (fill in the blank with high-quality food) is, and offer her a taste. Use lots of herbs and spices so it doesn't taste like bland vegetables. If she isn't eating well, she won't feel well, either. Encourage her to drink lots of water to overcome the high sodium in the frozen lunches. Lead by example, but understand that until she wants to do something differnt, she won't.

Good luck!

thury · February 2009

Yeah its definately something I have tried to bring up unfortunately its not taken well. So I just let her do whats she's doing. She is losing so thats good I was just a little concerned its not healthy. She does drink plenty of water so there is no worries there. Thanks for listening and helping I appreciate all.
She is also pretty unwilling to try anything new and knows she will not like it before having ever tried it before. Anyone help me get around that one too.

keiko · February 2009

I have been eating better since about last October. Really watching my portion sizes, eating more vegetables.
Just in the last month my husband has started to eat better to. I knew there was nothing I could say that would make him want to change. The change had to come from him.

I would encourage you to keep eating healthy. Ask if she wants some of what your eating. But if she says no then eat without her. Hopefully when she sees the success you are having she might want to join you. It's hard to watch them eat badly but it's not our choice to make. We can only make our own choices and take responsibility for ourselves.

I hope she comes around soon. It does make it easier and even more fun to be doing it together.

thury · February 2009

I have been eating better since about last October. Really watching my portion sizes, eating more vegetables.
Just in the last month my husband has started to eat better to. I knew there was nothing I could say that would make him want to change. The change had to come from him.

I would encourage you to keep eating healthy. Ask if she wants some of what your eating. But if she says no then eat without her. Hopefully when she sees the success you are having she might want to join you. It's hard to watch them eat badly but it's not our choice to make. We can only make our own choices and take responsibility for ourselves.

I hope she comes around soon. It does make it easier and even more fun to be doing it together.

Thank you,

I know all this but its nice to hear someone else is or has been in this situation. Its hard for me not to say something but have a hard time keeping my mouth shut when I should.

ChubbyBunny · February 2009

I agree, you can't force her to eat the way YOU choose to eat.
She CAN loose weight but she won't be getting tons of nutrition, you can still be eating enough and be malnourished... which could be a possibility in the long run for her.

I too don't LOVE fruits and veggies, but I try to wedge some in where I can.
Ultimately, it's her choice and she's got to make it on her own.

keiko · February 2009

I have been eating better since about last October. Really watching my portion sizes, eating more vegetables.
Just in the last month my husband has started to eat better to. I knew there was nothing I could say that would make him want to change. The change had to come from him.

I would encourage you to keep eating healthy. Ask if she wants some of what your eating. But if she says no then eat without her. Hopefully when she sees the success you are having she might want to join you. It's hard to watch them eat badly but it's not our choice to make. We can only make our own choices and take responsibility for ourselves.

I hope she comes around soon. It does make it easier and even more fun to be doing it together.

Thank you,

I know all this but its nice to hear someone else is or has been in this situation. Its hard for me not to say something but have a hard time keeping my mouth shut when I should.

I know what you mean about keeping quiet. I have been concerned for my husbands health. Both of his parents have diabetes and his dad has had heart problems. We have talked about his health risks before so he knew my concerns.
The decision is easier for them to stick with if they make it on their own. It was harder at first when he was snacking on chips and things I loved. Now neither of us are eating them and it's great. Keep setting the example. I think she'll follow.

Unhealthy diet?

Replies

Categories