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JessicaDawnStevens
JessicaDawnStevens Posts: 2 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Changing my eating habits is really hard living with 5 other people. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

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  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,944 Member
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    uhhhh....

    Just do it. (?)
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,944 Member
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    I mean, what exactly are your specific problem(s)?

    Do you do the shopping and cooking?

    Is it your inability to not snack?

    What exactly is the issue?
  • maja124moxie
    maja124moxie Posts: 14 Member
    edited April 2021
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    It is a struggle for me as well. What is working for me so far:
    1. Eat healthy 80% of the time
    2. When I want that burger/beer/ice cream/pizza, etc. I have it, but in moderation. Still count your calories. You can enjoy the "sinful" food as long as it fits your calories budget.
    3. Earn exercise calories to spend on the weekend.

    I've lost 12 lbs since January doing the above. It's a slow loss, but it is sustainable for me.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    I have success when I identify the "little problems" and tackle those.

    "It's hard to change my eating habits when I live with five other people" isn't specific enough of a problem statement. What are the actual problems?

    Are you in a situation where you aren't currently preparing your own food? Are you thrown off track by watching other people eat things you're trying to limit or eliminate? Are other people eating the foods you're planning on eating later? Those are all little problems that you can identify and tackle one by one.

  • Whatsthemotive
    Whatsthemotive Posts: 145 Member
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    I felt this way when I started in January. I’ve lost 23 pounds since. I was feeling pressured to prepare food everyone else wanted. I figured out that (1) I can eat meals others eat but adjust portions and skip foods that don’t fit my plan (I can have one or two slices of pizza and a big salad, but I can’t have 4 or 5 slices of meat lovers pizza) (2) I don’t have to eat everything I cook (3) my family is supportive of my health journey so long as I don’t act judgmental about what they eat or try to impose my dietary choices on them, (4) if people really want something indulgent, they can find a way to get it for themselves (5) a taste can be as good as a plateful.

    I know that I’m lucky and that not everyone is surrounded by supporters. I think part of it is self discipline ( I see you eating those cookies but I have control over whether I eat cookies) and part of it is feeling that I am worth the effort (I could join you in eating that but I respect myself and the efforts I have made enough to resist).
  • Jennliftsandspins
    Jennliftsandspins Posts: 150 Member
    edited April 2021
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    I have a family of 5. My husband also likes to eat healthy. We have three boys (2 are teens) who we encourage to make healthy choices.

    Every Sunday night at dinner everyone suggests a dinner for the week. Rules are we only have red meat once a week; not the same vegetable twice in a row but there has to be vegetables at every dinner; pasta only once or twice; take out once a week or less.

    I make a menu and then a grocery list in accordance with the menu.

    I make tweaks to it for me and my husband. For example if the kids want spaghetti and meatballs, I’ll make them pasta and we have spiral squash; If I’m making steak and potatoes I’ll do sweet potatoes; If having fajitas I’ll skip the wrap and use lettuce. And with everything I use portion control and a kitchen scale for serving sizes.

    There are all kinds of little tricks to make a regular meal healthier while still giving kids and teens what they need and like.

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