Living with parents

I live at home but my family lead such different lives we rarely eat together apart from weekend. My Mum died a few years ago but my Dad is supportive and gets outnumbered if he suggests something daft as my sister is trying to lose weight too. Helps me and my Sis tend to do most of the food shopping.

When I go visit my Gran though she doesn't get it and thinks nothing of piling my plate overly high or giving me a huge portion (aka 2 people's portions!) of chips complete with 3 or 4 sausages. She's not quite grasped the fact I can't really eat all that. I've taken to just planning the day I visit her to go out of the window calorie/healthy eating wise and be my 'bad' day as such and make sure I eat better the rest of the week.

You've got my sympathy having it all week though.

I also have the same problem. I don't live at home, but I try to go visit my parents about once a month for a weekend or so. But they eat quite poorly. Im going to their house for easter and I am so nervous about what we will be eating (lots of fatty foods, with appetizers and desserts and alcohol with each meal). If I turn things down it hurts my mom's feelings. My parents are over weight, and I think they worry since my weight is in control. I love them so much, but dread visiting....

Bump

I live with my parents, they are pretty good most times especially my mum as she needs to lose a bit of weight too, dad on the other hand when he is home, he likes "decent" meals or takeaways so I just make my own separate.

...Or they'll bring home Mc****s for dinner...

HAHA didnt even realize i did that...... dont know about u guys but everyone here called mcdonalds "mcd icks"

We do that here too... that and Rotten Ronnies. xD

I'm going through the same thing right now. I moved back in after graduating while I do the job search. I'm fine for breakfast and lunch (where I prepare food myself) but dinner is a whole other game. My mom, dad, and I all work. I'm the last one home (usually 8:30) and so they always want to eat before I get home - but often don't - so the solution becomes going out to eat. Or, if they do make stuff at home I have no control over what is made, or how. So all those nifty healthy sneak-ins I figure out when I was living at college are no longer used. :grumble:

I get it. I don't live with my dad anymore-- got lucky that my boyfriend was fortunate enough to find a job before graduating school. I on the other hand haven't been so lucky to find a job after graduating. Anyway, my boyfriend and I live together and luckily he doesn't mind the healthy foods, he too is semi-health conscious. My dad and his mom on the other hand, aren't. I cringe when we go visit them every once and a while because I know it means going out to eat for lunch and dinner (the only two meals they both eat). Neither one of them keep their fridges stocked with food and if there is any food it's nothing to make a meal of or isn't a healthy snack.

I'm sorry you're in the situation you're in, maybe suggest to them you could go out and grocery shop for them. That's one way you can gain control of the food situation in the house. Offer to cook meals, it'll force them to eat your healthier food option, maybe even convert them to eating more healthy food all together.

Im in the same boat! It sucks! i try to buy as much of my own food as possible.. but then my mom gets mad when im filling her fridge up with my food... can never win.

If I turn things down it hurts my mom's feelings. My parents are over weight, and I think they worry since my weight is in control. I love them so much, but dread visiting....

Oh, honey. I wouldn't worry too much about hurting her feelings. Just tell her "thanks, but I'm alright"... & don't eat it. I do that all the time when my BF's family tries to feed me something disgusting. It's not so bad... it's just hard the first time, that's all.

When my son has friends over we have to go out to shop for snacks...the only reason I do it is because as a kid my parents never had the cool foods or drinks at home.. no chips soda or cookies... I appreciate that now but back then it just made me more nerdy than everyone else.

Today, I am a wannabe nutritionist and my parents will not believe anything I suggest regarding healthy food. I guess it's hard for them as parents to accept advice. I eat low carb and it's hard to skip mom's famous spaghetti. So I say nothing, and take steps to stick to my eating style when visiting or vacationing with them.

I used to never eat steak because I thought it was awful.. after growing up eating beef hockey pucks...

I was cooking dinner the other night and logging everything as I went along. I left the room for a minute and I come back and my mom is putting a huge scoop of butter in the rice! ARGH!!! I rarely even eat butter. So then I have to guess at what ungodly amount of butter was added and go over my calories for the day.

Also unless I'm cooking it is very unlikely that it will be a healthy lower calorie meal. And I hate cooking. Nothing is ever where I think it should be and it drives me insane - I made dinner tonight and I am a huge ball of stress right now!

I buy and prepare my own food, so I don't have a problem despite living with my parents. They have 'their' side of the fridge, I have mine, and it all goes smoothly.

I understand completely. I've lost 14 pounds since I started my journey, and I want to continue. I live at home, and hoping to move out soon. I think I snapped one day when my mom called me and asked to pick up a pizza on the way home, and I know I had made some meatloaf and sweet potatoes which I could eat and be so much better for me. So I picked up the pizza for them, and warmed up my food to have. They looked at me like I had two heads. Since then, it's been a constant struggle with them. I'm torn between hurting my mom's feelings, and eating healthier. I explained to them that I got diagnosed with sleep apnea at 27, I weigh 320 lbs, I'm at risk for dozens of conditions and diseases, etc. It's my health and I only get one life. It's very hard, but eventually you have to draw a line and stick to your guns. It's taking a while, but eventually I'll get there.

It is hard - my parents serving sizes were way off when I was living at home, but luckily it was always healthy food and as I was active (and a teenager with unlimited metabolism) it didn't affect me. It's been since I moved out of home that I have had issues! But I know I couldn't eat those serving sizes now.

When I go home I do a lot of the cooking, because I like to help Mum and Dad out - a way of saying thanks for having me, but that is cos when I visit I usually stay for around a week, sometimes more - it would be hard to go visit for a day and cook as well! Haha.

For those of you living at home or staying on vacation, perhaps offer to cook dinner a few times a week? Then not only will your parents think you are an angel for helping out but you will be able to get the whole house healthy

If you are just going for dinner for a visit - who cares about the calories? Just eat til you're full, and enjoy their company. They won't be around forever, and they are just trying to make you happy - be happy they care

Haha I remember one time when I went home to visit - when I was at my skinniest (now goal) weight, Mum made a trifle (my favourite dessert, that we only ever have at christmas time) to fatten me up! I ate it anyway, it is my favourite and I thought it was sweet that Mum had made a strictly-xmas-only dessert because she was worried about me hahaha.