I am very fortunate to have a great Roomate..He'll eat anything I make.
Some of the changes I've made is substituded Ground beef with Ground Turkey and he can't tell the difference. I still make my favorite receipes, but just healthier and in smaller portions.
We'll still have desserts,sugarfree of course or we'll have some fresh fruit.
You should never call it a diet..It's eating smarter and healthier for the new you..
My roomate is now using new belt holes since we switched over to this new heathier eating habits and my clothes are alot looser now too..
Heather Goodbye excuses!! Lets achieve those weight-loss goals!!
1. Exercise2-3 times a week
Posts: 871 | Location: Atlanta | Registered: April 13, 2004
"Here I was today, so inspired, reading my new Cooking Thin cookbook..."
STAY WITH IT! You are on the right track. You CAN DO THIS!
"THEN, I am all excited to make all these yummy new salad dressings with fish sauce and Vietnamese chili paste ( ingredients bought last night after attending the cooking class where we ate YUMMY YUMMY recipes from the cookbook!)"
Don't let anything de-rail you next time. Continue on the path you've started down. There is nothing more important than your health. I'm betting your husband will love at least some of the food, if not most of it.
"I was so inspired and ready to cook, was thawing some chicken from the freezer.."
Excellent! Thawing out chicken is a jump start on dinner and it's setting yourself up to succeed. Keep it up!
"He is always very supportive of whatever I want to do with my diet..."
Sit him down at when he is able to hear you and explain to him that you're trying something new and that you need his support. If he wants to order carry out, let that be okay for now. I really think he'll love the food you start cooking. You're doing this for yourself. You're also doing it to set a good example for your children.
"I was staying strong, and going to continue cooking for myself and not order anything from the restaurant..."
Where did the past tense come from Re-write this as:
I am staying strong and am going to continue cooking for myself. I will treat myself to restaurant meals once in awhile.
My husband can be picky. It was very frustrating to spend x number of minutes fixing food and to have him and my son say, "That looks discusting". I was conserned because my son is really not very picky but would emulate his dad.
I told them that it really hurts my feelings and that they could say, "I really don't care for this" after trying it.
Posts: 8678 | Location: Silicon Valley, CA | Registered: March 17, 2004
My husband is very skinny as well as a very picky eater. I find that my attitude toward dinner makes a huge difference in the things he will try. I try to keep in mind that I am not making diet food! I am making dinner for my family. We are eating (hopefully) a healthy well-rounded meal. The options will be there. If you want to try the new veggie side dish fine, if not fine. If I don't stress over it, no one else will either. Most of the time he will gladly try a spoonful of whatever I make, no matter how foreign it may seem to him or both of us. And fortunately, most of the time he will eat it. He and I are both learning to eat new foods. He will say, "its not my favorite", but that's ok! It was still edible to him and he ate some! Huge victory!!!
I think food is a habitual thing. Your favorite foods are the ones you grew up eating on a regular basis. Across the world that may mean roaches, plain steamed rice, porridge, etc...(Glad I live in America) If we get into the habit of making a wide variety of foods our taste buds will grow accustomed to them. Its about building new eating habits. Habits that will help facilitate better health.
Here's a tip I learned from my science teacher in 7th grade. She would either cook with salt or put it on the table...never both. Salt & Pepper is merely a habit for most people. People do it before even tasting their food, its a bad habit that can stop by simply removing it from the table.
stephanie
"Succeed! Because you have the opportunity to do so." - KD
Posts: 708 | Location: nashville | Registered: March 11, 2004
quote:Originally posted by Dukeofllano: Then, I got busy with the kids, and ended up having him pick me up a taco salad. I started out healthy, and then was tempted by queso. Help!! Any answers for my dilemma with "Mr.Take-out" ??
My solution is a good thing and a bad thing. Here it is. Begin to learn and perfect your favorite recipes from your favorite take-out places. There are some great seasoning packets in the grocery...but be sure to never add any salt because they have so much already. You can make killer homemade fajitas! Worry about making your own spice mixes later. For now just focus on bringing your meals back home first. Check out the international food aisle in your grocery store. There are all kinds of spice blends and ready to go sauces that are really great! Make your own General Tso's chicken, taco salads, pizzas, etc... In fact, make double and freeze half for the next time your in a crunch to get dinner ready. Now.......here's the bad part. You'll begin to get so good at this and really begin to enjoy that because you're making it in a much less greasy, salty way, it will taste better than take out.......therefore messing up any take out in your near future. You won't want certain things from take out any more because you know that yours is so much better. Make a menu for the week and put at least 1 take-out favorite on your menu and go for it! Make a deal with your husband, if yours doesn't turn out, he can go pick something up, no big deal. But...if its really good, then you've learned a new recipe and new family favorite! If it doesn't turn out, big deal its just food. But if it does, then awesome! Have fun experimenting. One more thing...get out of your comfort zone a little. Why not go for Mediterranean, Jamaican, or Indian food? Have fun!
stephanie
"Succeed! Because you have the opportunity to do so." - KD
Posts: 708 | Location: nashville | Registered: March 11, 2004
I am pretty lucky, my husband will eat ALMOST anything I cook with one exception. Fish. I have tried to get him to try salmon, halibut, etc. But he won't even think about it. He will eat most shellfish.. just no fin fish.
At least he eats veggies, pasta and other good foods. So... tonight I had 4 oz. salmon and he had a big bowl of pasta. (Of course there were veggies!)
quote:Originally posted by Dukeofllano: Help!! Any answers for my dilemma with "Mr.Take-out" ??
Welcome! I was going to suggest that you might try doing menu planning for a period (I do a week at a time) and post it for him to see. I know if I don't know what's for dinner, I start to think about what I might pick up. If you haven't regularly been cooking, he might just figure he better figure out what to bring home. I know a lot of families sit down and compose a list of favorites that the cook tries to rotate through and then try to add new things.
I think this could also be a good babystep opportunity. You might have to back off all the take-out gradually. Maybe agree that you will cook at home x number of nights a week and then gradually increase that number. Then it is a matter of making good, better, best choices when you do get takeout. Skip the fries, get a salad (either main dish or the side), serve some carrots or other veggies with the take-out, etc. Every little bit helps and you can gradually make all the changes you are so motivated to make today!
I like D's suggestions about figuring out how to make your take-out favorites at home in a healthier fashion. Great idea!
-Crazy food habits: Quite honestly, if it's someone I care about, I figure their quirky food habits are like any of their other habits, and it either doesn't bother me or I let them know as soon as it does start to bother. ("When you pop your knuckles so frequently, it kinda gets on my nerves." "When you keep bringing home pizza, it makes me think you don't like my cooking.")
-I do the cooking and the grocery shopping, but my philosophy has always been that if what I purchase or make is not what's desired, then others are free to do their own shopping & cooking. I respectfully request that certain foods be kept out of the house (full-fat ice cream, cookies), but make sure to buy "treats" that won't tempt me for the non-dieter. I also try to keep the food interesting and different, so that we don't end up in a food slump.
-I enjoy most fruits & vegetables, but he doesn't, so like a lot of others, I depend on frozen ones. I'll buy a large bag of the frozen vegetables I like and fix just enough for me & him. . .lots for me, not so much for him. I keep the extras in ziploc bags (the original bag inside the ziploc so I have the picture & the cooking directions) and don't worry about things spoiling.
-I feel guilty chiming in on eating together, since I work from home, and eating together isn't hard for us. . .though, come to think of it, I know several other couples in similar situations, and they don't eat together very often. Hm. I try to have a basic idea of what I'll be cooking each week, and at some point during the day (before I begin any defrosting), will say something like, "I'd planned on a stir-fry tonight. How's that with you?" We both know what's for dinner, and if it's not okay with him, there's time to find something else.
Something else we try to do is have a "date" every couple of weeks. Dinner, movie, dessert, drinks, trip to the mall, whatever, it's non-negotiable for the most part.
-Luckily for me, my "comfort" food, since I grew up in Texas, tends toward barbecue, TexMex, salsa (and there's always ice cream, but that's it's whole own issue). . .things that guys tend to like, too. So a "comfort food" day usually involves lots of prep (make sauce, rub meat, smoke meat, make side dishes, invite people over, hang out with friends. . .) and gives me a lot to look forward to. When I can feel myself craving brisket & ribs, I go ahead and plan out a day to do everything involved. . write down recipes, who to invite, what I need to buy, etc. It's not the same as actually eating the stuff, but it keeps me busy and puts me in a "yay, we're having a barbecue!" mood instead of a "I miss Texas and there's no good barbecue and I sure do want some queso!" mood.
Llano, we had some trouble with the take-out for a while, too. I started trying to cook what we liked to bring home, if not exactly, then at least in spirit. He LOVES hamburgers. So I make a low-fat sloppy joe that fills in. I LOVE TexMex, so I have a chicken enchilada recipe we're perfecting. We sat down and made a list of all the things we liked to eat out, then I went online and through my cookbooks, trying to figure out how to make stuff.
Now, granted, if I had to compete with the stuff you can get in Austin, I might be in a different situation, but we've gotten good enough at various things that our list of restaurants & take out places has narrowed considerably--all because of this phrase: "This isn't as good as we make at home." What a joyous moment the first time I heard my dear boyfriend say that!
D
Challenge Goals: *10 minutes of unplanned exercise five times a week *Gym time twice a week *Socialize at least once every two weeks.
Hello! I am new here after going to a fabulous Cooking Thin cooking class last night.....
Anyway, my dilemma is that my husband wants to get take-out food. like ALL THE TIME. Here I was today, so inspired, reading my new Cooking Thin cookbook, and my husband brings home hamburgers & onion rings for lunch. THEN, I am all excited to make all these yummy new salad dressings with fish sauce and Vietnamese chili paste ( ingredients bought last night after attending the cooking class where we ate YUMMY YUMMY recipes from the cookbook!) I was so inspired and ready to cook, was thawing some chicken from the freezer, when my husband called and said he was picking up Mexican food on the way home. He is always very supportive of whatever I want to do with my diet, but he is finicky and loves to eat out. I was staying strong, and going to continue cooking for myself and not order anything from the restaurant. Then, I got busy with the kids, and ended up having him pick me up a taco salad. I started out healthy, and then was tempted by queso. Help!! Any answers for my dilemma with "Mr.Take-out" ??
Oh here is a good one for me... how to find time to eat together in a busy world!!
My schedule right now is 3 days a week and 2 evenings a week, also physical therapy 3 mornings a week. DH's is 6 evenings a week for one job, 3 mornings a week for another and 2 mornings a week for the other
My biggest downfall right now is when dh gets home, he's always hungry, and I find myself snacking with him.
One good thing is that I am getting really good at fixing a quick lunch if we happen to show up at the apartment at the same time. About twice a month our schedules allow us to actually have dinner together. We try to make it very special, and usually eat in. I keep turkey and pork tenderloins in the freezer. They are nice and cook relatively quickly. I've found frozen veggies to work well for me, since I can always have them on hand and not worry about wasting them. I also keep the makings for quick lunches on hand, like black beans for chili, soup and tacos salads.
When I get back from the grocery store I package my ground meats in individual patties. Not only do I have another quick meal (frozen burgers) ready to go. I can easily pick out the right portion of meat for how ever many people I am cooking for.
Laurie
There is no luckexcept where there is dicipline.
Posts: 1512 | Location: Adams, MA | Registered: March 10, 2004
I am the Lone Ranger in my house. My husband eats so few foods other than meat and potatoes - I let him do most of the cooking. My son is a strange combination of the two of us, leaning more towards my husband - "what's a veggie??" (I'm always telling him that when he was a baby the only thing he wouldn't eat was beets!) Since I started my renewed attempts on 6/1, we usually confer on the main meal, but I let him and Trey have what they want for side dish(es). I make myself two vegetables. So far working.
Just before I was official, I had stopped buying cookies and stuff for my before bed snack. I expected comments. More than a month has gone by, and not a word.
Coincidently, on Tuesday I was very hungry and very grumpy when I went to a book signing with a friend. She listened to my "diet grumps". When we got to the store, she said that she had wanted to have supper, but she didn't want to spoil my diet.
Although I knew from the time she had picked me up that a meal was in the works, I was able to tell her that she would not ruin my diet. It was my choice and I was willing to deal with the consequences of my choices. That felt good.
OH my gosh, KD, have you been listening in on my husband and I.....I am so embarrassed! Here's the deal....to make a long story short, men stick together on this eating thing. His doc was supposed to tell him "get the weight off, bud"...but instead didn't say anything to him. I am a WW/KD person and have to live with this 275+ person. His idea of breakfast is a couple of egg mc's .... I can't eat that everyday, nor even once a week. So I opt for the plain muffin and OJ...but he just doesn't get it...he was NOT told he has to be eating more healthy, so he doesn't. He is a chef and brings home the goodies that he makes for the patrons for dessert....GRRRRR. I have had to tell him, they stay in your vehicle not in my frig. We have an appt. with the dietician for my diabetes next week...he'll go, but he won't get it...how do I deal with it...we all eat, what I eat, or the entire male population of my house eats out, or eats PB & J sandwiches for dinner. End of story. I post the week's menus on the board....ask everyone to sign in where they will be here to eat, and then we go from there for shopping and for eating. If there is a meal they would like to fix, they can tell me what day, and what's in it, if I don't want to spend the points, then I fix my own...just like everyone else. But yes, the key is communication with each other. But that doc, GRRRR is going to hear my line next time I see him.
It's never too late to get it right.
Posts: 3473 | Location: Central USA | Registered: March 11, 2004
For my family and me, it is all about communication. I am the cook, the shopper. We agree of things we all like and go from there. Happily we are all on the same general path toward good health.
My problem comes when sisters, neices, nephews visit and expect Oreos, Fritos, Kraft mac and cheese... We have loads of snacks in our house for my (almost) 7 year old. They are healhty choices without trans fat, loads of sugar or salt. My neices and nephews are such fussy eaters and want (desperately) to eat Oreos. My own chocoalte chip oatmeal cookies don't look or taste "right" to them. I have no solution. I have been trying new recipes for them and not buying the Oreos, but I feel the pressure to please them, to feed them what they want.
Well, my mom has this eating thing (and to a lesser degree my aunt)where things have to be labeled a meal. I'd come into the kitchen, to get something to eat, and she'd automatically assume "lunch" then announce to everyone I'd had lunch, when I'd have had a snack. It really felt as if she was watching each bite in some ways.
Also, I'd had these choc-dipped apricots which had turned out to be horrible, and I had them out to return. She saw them, and went into one of those "oh my gosh, look at this" routines.
Through all this, I just kept repeating to myself that it was *her* problem! Although I'd had my stash of real chocolate hidden in my room before she showed up!!! I didn't want to deal with the snarky comments.
I suppose another piece of advice is that if you are going to be dealing with someone who has their own food issues, and you know what pushes their buttons, avoid the issue subtly.
In the case of the apricots, I explained that the chocolate was nasty, tho the apricots were good, I didn't want to peel chocolate off of the apricot, it was too much fuss.
It did bug me though.
I also try to steer people towards this message board, if I see people in Costco skimming the diet books. I really should carry a pic of me at my higher weight, though! There are some folks up here who have been doing Atkins, and when they ask what I've done, I just say "well I try to eat relatively healthy, and get in a walk every day". Folks here have noticed the difference in me... I try not to preach, or get obsessive, just let results speak for themselves...
I know some of you have posted on these topics and I TRULY appreciate your input. 
What a joyous moment the first time I heard my dear boyfriend say that!
