Family diet changes or separate diet worlds?

[shootingstar]

For long-term diet changes for yourself, does your SO or any other family members sorta make the same changes /have a modifed diet to be reasonably healthy too?

Or maybe it's even more clear-cut because you maybe vegetarian but others are not in the family?

Though we each have some different food preferences & avoidances, he and I are generally capatible in how we figure out meals so it's reasonably (but not always) healthy. It simplifies meal preparation and grocery shopping, especially if he or I sometimes shop individually on our own within our personal schedules.

If one of us falls into a pattern of bad habits, we just let the other person be. ie. One person might end up watching the other person eat ..a chocolate cake slice. But support each other if one overtly requests to eat/wishes to prepare healthier or refuses a calorie-rich dish, etc.

Just askin' since several TE folks are making diet changes where possible.

[DebbieDowner]

interesting topic. my SO can eat whatever he wants (2 pepsi a day, cookies, ice cream, etc...)as I can look at something and gain a pound. So I do not cook crap or buy crap for the house. If he wants something bad we go out to get it or he has it at work so I am not tempted... only good foods in the house...

[Maxxxie]

I've lost around 28Kg in 18 months through diet change and exercise. While I've been watching what I eat, and making healthy choices, MaxBabe's diet remains largely unchanged. She eats whatever she likes. That said, MaxBabe is the chef of the house, and will prepare meals especially for me that are low-cal/calorie-controlled, then prepare herself whatever she wants to eat.

So, despite the fact that she's eating differently, she's very supportive of my diet changes.

Max

[Crankin]

My DH changed his eating habits about 6-7 years ago, after finding out he had high cholesterol, and had to have two stents put in. He already was very fit and he didn't eat horribly, but he adjusted his diet to be closer to mine. He still doesn't eat the amount of fruit or veggies I do, but compared to other men, his diet is good. We keep no crap in the house and never did have chips, soda, etc., even when the kids were at home. If he eats something "bad," it's when we go out.
I think most people would think our dinners were spartan, compared to the typical American diet.

[limewave]

Two years ago I tried to make a change in our diet, both DH and I have a long history of diabetes in our families. The meals I prepared were vegetarian although I often made some kind of chicken to accompany the dish for DH (he doesn't eat red meat). To do this, it took a lot more time on my part. Planing, shopping, preparing.

Then DH would come home, look at the curried squash and lentils, sigh heavily and order a pizza. It was very disheartening. Although, I can't really blame him. He drills wells and is outside doing hard physical labor for 10-12 hours a day. Often he gets home after 8 PM--he wants comfort food.

For awhile I tried making seperate meals. But having a little one in the house, I found I was making 3 different dinners. It was too much.

Now I do a combination. I make a lot of "meat and potato" meals. But the meat is lean 90% of the time. And then there's always a very healthy portion of veggies. DH usually eats all the mashed potatoes and DD and I eat the veggies. Even when I make spaghetti, I have mine on a large bed of spinach.

[shootingstar]

He's fallen off the wagon abit in past few years and has regained some weight due to eating dessert, etc. ..which is eating abit more like how I eat...or beyond for certain foods. Proof that each person requires a slightly different healthy diet for weight loss /maintenance.

I require more food, etc. vs. him to cycle particularily, same long distances. I am 5'1", he is 5' 10".

[nscrbug]

My hubby can eat whatever he wants (and often does). Lately, he's been on a "Snickers bar a day" plan. I've seen him put away an entire box of Hostess Zingers in one sitting. Despite his sometimes unhealthy choices, he struggles to maintain 165lbs on his 6'3" frame. Yeah, wish I had that problem! But he supports my efforts in wanting to eat a healthier diet, and usually doesn't complain about it. Infact, several years ago...I decided that I wanted to curb my night-time eating...so I set forth a "cut-off" time. I do not eat anything after 7pm. My DH adapted to my "cut-off" plan rather quickly and now he and I both prefer to eat dinner early. If either one of us eat something at a later time in the evening, we don't sleep well at all.

[colby]

I am a vegetarian while the guys in my house aren't (husband, dad, brother/16), so I do tend to eat differently, and that actually leads to portion controlled food. I select the portion of protein and sometimes side dishes that I want ahead of time. Some things we eat together. I always choose more vegetables (the rule in my house is, whatever veggies you cook, expect me to eat half, and you guys split the rest).

They are getting better on their diet in general - and I have been more abrupt with the portion control on self-service items like noodles and salad dressing (getting out the measuring spoon or cup and saying "this is a serving"). Instead of making 6 servings of something, make 3 and make it stretch; make exactly the portion you need to eat and measure it out, etc. My brother and I can afford to eat more because we're more active, but I still measure all of my calories and read every package (or look it up online) and provide statistics that may or may not be welcome to everyone else (stuff like "each tortilla is 200 calories and you just ate 3" ).

It does help when everyone eats the same food and the same portions. I try to add to the middle of my day in snacks and inbetween meals so that shared meals are perceived equal in size to other members of the house (it's easier than doing the math for everyone, I have enough trouble doing it for myself and offering general "advice" to everyone else).

[shootingstar]

But he supports my efforts in wanting to eat a healthier diet, and usually doesn't complain about it. Infact, several years ago...I decided that I wanted to curb my night-time eating...so I set forth a "cut-off" time. I do not eat anything after 7pm. My DH adapted to my "cut-off" plan rather quickly and now he and I both prefer to eat dinner early. If either one of us eat something at a later time in the evening, we don't sleep well at all.

It's helpful in a family to find common small baby step changes like that, which can become cumulatively very helpful healthwise for longer term dietary changes. Sometimes just easier not to stock junk/alot of processed food at home...

In TE, there has been considerable and useful discussion on improving/maintaing our own diets..but obviously for some of us who aren't living alone, it might be more complicated when there are other people in family who might eat differently calorie-wise, etc.

[drdwin]

I totally agree that keeping the "junk" out of the house completely is the way to go. If it's there for the kids I'll be at is also. Furthermore my children usually grab carrots, grapes, a banana or an apple for their "go to snack". Don't ge me wrong...there are some "goodies" in our house but I choose carefully - dark chocolate nuggets (with the almond inside), all natural ice cream, frozen juice pops...ie things that are not overly processed. I am a firm believer that if it isn't food you shouldn't eat it.

[PamNY]

Oh, separate diet worlds is the only way to go. While I enjoy a healthful diet, I dislike moralistic attitudes toward food and think they do more harm than good.

I don't eat meat and will probably be totally vegetarian eventually. I don't want to control what other people eat, but the smell of meat makes me physically ill and gets into my clothes so that is a problem.

Pam