Travel Health and Fitness - I need a reality check, please...

Since Mr. Kipper has been home, I've been falling more and more into the, "But what he's eating looks so good," and temptation. So, I'm asking everyone here for a reality check, please. :)

My diet has been pretty lousy for the past week, and I need to get back on track!

So, everyone apply lots of peer pressure please.

I need to hit the grocery store and pick up more fresh fruit, which is one of the problems, but that's not an excuse.

Well, what IS your husband eating, generally?

I agree that a partner who is not on board with the same kind of diet makes it more difficult for you to sustain momentum.

What about taking a single bite of whatever it is he's having?

For whatever reason, this past weekend I was really good - breakfast for me yesterday was a banana and dinner was fish, refried beans and corn, and yogurt for desert. Walked the city from downtown to midtown and back again, took all afternoon, and it was very relaxing.

Reality check - do you want to eat the same food as hubby & remain out of shape/possible health problems, or do you want to eat healthier/feel better about yourself/better health? Your choice. Either is fine, but consequences with both.

Cheers.

Well, what IS your husband eating, generally?

I agree that a partner who is not on board with the same kind of diet makes it more difficult for you to sustain momentum.

What about taking a single bite of whatever it is he's having?

For whatever reason, this past weekend I was really good - breakfast for me yesterday was a banana and dinner was fish, refried beans and corn, and yogurt for desert. Walked the city from downtown to midtown and back again, took all afternoon, and it was very relaxing.
He's generally eating burgers, fries (even chili cheese fries), pizza, really, whatever he wants, and unless I cook, it's basically not health.

I didn't think about that, but yes, I think taking a bite of whatever he's having should help. It will still allow me to indulge a bit, without just eating the entire thing. :)
Reality check - do you want to eat the same food as hubby & remain out of shape/possible health problems, or do you want to eat healthier/feel better about yourself/better health? Your choice. Either is fine, but consequences with both.

Cheers.
This is true. I don't want to remain out of shape and deal with possible health problems.

This is why I posted that I needed a reality check--I needed the kick in the behind. :)

Thanks!

The magic of WW is that you can have what he is having. You just have to budget for it. Eat "good" food for breakfast and lunch, then at dinner (where I'm assuming the temptation is) have a correctly portioned version of what he is having and supplement it with the "pointless" fruits and veggies.

What helps me is that I make a menu for the week and stick to it. I know what I am going to eat each meal for the next 5 days (since I shopped on Friday). I only shop once per week and pick out what I'll need for the week. If we run out of milk or bananas I make a list and buy only what's on my list. In time you get better at estimating the quantities of each perishable that you need.

But keep strong. I know that you can do this! The weight will come off one pound at a time. This time next year you'll have loads of energy and you won't believe what your old body used to be. Think about what tastes better. Is it Mr. K's double cheeseurger or is it feeling great about your body and future health. For me, nothing tastes as good as thin.

If possible, you might want to keep handy photos of you at your fattest, so you can remember why it is you're changing your life around.

I have never been obese, but I have been overweight, and I think at my heaviest (many years ago, like 1993 or 4) I had gained so much that I took to wearing sweats, rationalizing I wanted to wear them for comfort, not because I was fat. :D Now, as my weight has declined, I DO have more energy, I look better and younger, and I feel younger.

Don't you feel better since you lost weight? Don't you look better? You can't stop time, but you CAN grow old gracefully rather than go all Kirstie Alley. ;)

Have the bite, and then ask yourself if you're actually hungry.

Remember how uncomfortable it feels to overeat, the heaviness in your stomach, the sluggishness you feel.

Drink some water, and ask yourself again if you're actually hungry.

Like It'sHip suggests, plan what you're going to eat. If you and Mr. K are going out somewhere, decide ahead of time that you're going to have the baked potato without sour cream or cheese and the salad with chicken (grilled not fried) so that you're not influenced by his choices. Order first.

Come up with rewards for yourself that don't involve food - half the time when I eat something I shouldn't it's because I've somehow convinced myself that I "deserve" it for some reason - deserve something else, something non-edible but still rewarding.

NO BITE

the only way to a 2nd, 3rd, 4th bite is through a 1st bite

don't do it

once he is done you will be glad that you didn't

I'm getting back on the wagon... We stopped at the grocery store after dinner last night, and I picked up 2 pounds of strawberries and 2 pounds of grapes.

Breakfast was egg whites on flatbread (7 WW points), and lunch is Lean Cuisine (4 WW points). Dinner will be challenging--Mr. Kipper wants to go to the local Chinese buffet, but I'll muddle through, even if I have to eat tons of fruits and veggies. :)

I'm getting back on the wagon... We stopped at the grocery store after dinner last night, and I picked up 2 pounds of strawberries and 2 pounds of grapes.

Excellent! ^

Dinner will be challenging--Mr. Kipper wants to go to the local Chinese buffet, but I'll muddle through, even if I have to eat tons of fruits and veggies. :)

What I like about Chinese is that there's typically always something healthy to eat - I get the chicken with mixed vegetables from my local Chinese, and just skip the rice. It's healthy, delicious and light but satisfying. :)

You mention that this is a buffet - can you ask someone to make you something special, i.e., diet-consistent?

Strict diets are hard. I suppose that's why I've never gone on one. Permanent weightloss can never be achieved by dieting. What needs to happen is a permanent lifestyle change. You make a conscious decision to change your eating habits for the rest of your life.

What that also means is that strict deprivation will also fail. I've never restricted myself from food. Even when I lost 40-50 lbs 5 years ago, I didn't have a list of forbidden foods that I didn't eat. I ate the same foods I always had eaten before, just in different quanties. The regain of weight over the past year is because I stopped exercising and stopped my better eating habits.

Since the beginning of this year I have lost 12lbs, 2% of my body fat and I feel better. But I haven't dieted or restricted myself from eating foods. I just eat them in different proportions. I still will have the occaisional burger, just only once a month rather than once a week. I will still eat chocolate, just only one small piece a day rather than a whole bar in one sitting. It's a different way of approaching food, rather than a diet. It also means that if I do indulge one day, I don't sweat it because I know that the normal good eating habits will balance it out by the end of the week.

So I say, have a bite to satisfy the craving if need be, but don't feel like you are limited to what you can and cannot eat. You can eat whatever you want, just in the correct proportion. At the buffet, fill your plate with veggies and a few other treat items. Eat the veggies first, then have a few treats if you are still hungry. Over time, treats become part of your normal diet, just in smaller amounts than you might have eaten in the past.

I also think it's important to point out that different things work for different people. For you, Jenny, you have that little stash of chocolate from which you partake every day, in a very small portion. You have posted that you find that it helps you control your cravings. What helps me is looking at people my age who haven't aged well - gotten fat and have just really let themselves go. Also, I tend to get rid of foods that are bad for me - like dates or chips. Just throw them away, or give them to friends.

I handled dinner pretty well last night, I think. I allowed myself a few small pieces of General Tso's chicken, and then had a bunch of pretty lousy chicken and broccoli and some fruit. :) Although, it probably helped that I was so busy at work I didn't eat lunch.

I also passed up on the free popcorn at the movie theatre, which for me to pass up on something that's free is rare. :D

I think the idea to have one bite of things will work for me--I can have one bite, and if I tell Mr. Kipper not to allow me to have more, he won't give me more.

I would advise you not to get too "meta" about things. This is a lifetime journey and you didn't put the weight on in one meal so you aren't going to take it off in one meal either. You also can't expect your husband to change his habits because you have decided to make a drastic lifestyle change.

If you obsess over every meal you eat, every walk you take to your mailbox, and everything your DH puts in his mouth, you are setting yourself up for failure, in my opinion.

Make small changes that you can live with. Make the best choices you can... but focus on the long term.

I would advise you not to get too "meta" about things. This is a lifetime journey and you didn't put the weight on in one meal so you aren't going to take it off in one meal either. You also can't expect your husband to change his habits because you have decided to make a drastic lifestyle change.

If you obsess over every meal you eat, every walk you take to your mailbox, and everything your DH puts in his mouth, you are setting yourself up for failure, in my opinion.

Make small changes that you can live with. Make the best choices you can... but focus on the long term.

Words of wisdom.

Cheers.

I would advise you not to get too "meta" about things. This is a lifetime journey and you didn't put the weight on in one meal so you aren't going to take it off in one meal either.

While this may be true, it is very easy to rationalize "well... this meal is different" for every meal. You must be vilgelant at each meal. That doesn't mean you can't pre-plan a splurge ahead of time but in the moment you are much better off thinking critically about the ingredients in each choice.

While this may be true, it is very easy to rationalize "well... this meal is different" for every meal. You must be vilgelant at each meal. That doesn't mean you can't pre-plan a splurge ahead of time but in the moment you are much better off thinking critically about the ingredients in each choice.
Exactly--that's been part of my problem. I've been able to say, "well, this meal is different," for a lot of meals lately. "This meal is different because we're celebrating his birthday," or "This meal is different because we're celebrating Easter," or "This meal is different because I'm in a huge hurry." Right now, I think I need to be very careful at each meal, and worry about each meal, otherwise I will slip up for most meals.

Exactly--that's been part of my problem. I've been able to say, "well, this meal is different," for a lot of meals lately. "This meal is different because we're celebrating his birthday," or "This meal is different because we're celebrating Easter," or "This meal is different because I'm in a huge hurry." Right now, I think I need to be very careful at each meal, and worry about each meal, otherwise I will slip up for most meals.

One thing that I did when I started WW is pop one of those green giant WW endorsed frozen veg boxes into the microwave the minute I got home and before I'd go out anywhere I could buy food. This helped me control the hunger devil. If I wasn't really hungry I could wait a few minutes to make the right food choice. You might try that before you head out with the hubby.

One thing that I did when I started WW is pop one of those green giant WW endorsed frozen veg boxes into the microwave the minute I got home and before I'd go out anywhere I could buy food. This helped me control the hunger devil. If I wasn't really hungry I could wait a few minutes to make the right food choice. You might try that before you head out with the hubby.
I like that idea! I may try those. :)

I also think it's important to point out that different things work for different people. For you, Jenny, you have that little stash of chocolate from which you partake every day, in a very small portion. You have posted that you find that it helps you control your cravings. What helps me is looking at people my age who haven't aged well - gotten fat and have just really let themselves go. Also, I tend to get rid of foods that are bad for me - like dates or chips. Just throw them away, or give them to friends.

Very true, to each their own. I will definitely admit that I'm a bit of an odd duck when it comes to food. My motivations in eating seem much more about worry about being deprived than treating food as a treat.

I would advise you not to get too "meta" about things. This is a lifetime journey and you didn't put the weight on in one meal so you aren't going to take it off in one meal either. You also can't expect your husband to change his habits because you have decided to make a drastic lifestyle change.

If you obsess over every meal you eat, every walk you take to your mailbox, and everything your DH puts in his mouth, you are setting yourself up for failure, in my opinion.

Make small changes that you can live with. Make the best choices you can... but focus on the long term.

This is pretty much how I feel. Obsessing over it makes it harder for me to "eat right". I go with a general concept of do the best I can but accept that little slides will happen here and there and try to go for the long term effect.

I did a happy dance this morning... I'm now down 9 pounds, which considering my eating habits last week, is great!

I did a happy dance this morning... I'm now down 9 pounds, which considering my eating habits last week, is great!

That's terrific! :) Way to go.

I have stabilized at 15 pounds loss. 10 more to go and I'll consider myself done. :)

That's terrific! :) Way to go.

I have stabilized at 15 pounds loss. 10 more to go and I'll consider myself done. :)

your never done

if you think you are you will be +10 in the blink of an eye

your never done

if you think you are you will be +10 in the blink of an eye

Very true. Weight loss and then maintainance is a lifetime commitment. (Hence my post before about how diets are too hard.)

Im sitting here at home eating a salad, I did my run this morning, next up is taking my kids to the Little League fund raiser where I'll pitch probably 300 balls to my team for this fund raiser. but first I'm taking them out to the pizzeria (which is another fund raiser) and buying them lunch. this is where the post comes back on topic. I've eaten already and I will not eat there. I'll have a diet coke while they eat pizza & wings. while I'll want to eat with them, I know that just by saying no, how many miles of running I can miss and not gain a pound.

it's hard but after doing it for a while, it becomes second nature.

Here's a weight loss/fitness reality check:

Liz Hurley has been dating an Australian cricketeer (Shayne Warne), and while initially, I was like, "huh, what does she see in him??", he looks terrific now. I still wouldn't date him, not my type, but it's undeniable that he looks at least 10 years younger, having lost 22 lb. (before and after photos):

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1388808/Elizabeth-Hurley-gives-Shane-Warne-metrosexual-makeover-loses-22lbs.html

Here's a weight loss/fitness reality check:

Liz Hurley has been dating an Australian cricketeer (Shayne Warne), and while initially, I was like, "huh, what does she see in him??", he looks terrific now. I still wouldn't date him, not my type, but it's undeniable that he looks at least 10 years younger, having lost 22 lb. (before and after photos):

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1388808/Elizabeth-Hurley-gives-Shane-Warne-metrosexual-makeover-loses-22lbs.html

No kidding. He really does look younger. And he says in the article:

'I am also eating very healthily and am flattered that people think I look younger - I have worked hard over the last 5 months on fitness and lifestyle - it's far from a quick fix - fitness and being healthy is now a daily habit - I feel great and never been happier in my life.'

Cheers.

OP, when/if you do take a bite of hubby's food, make a point to put it on a separate plate. Then cut it into fourths. Then eat each 'mini-bite'.

Then go out and run around the block 12 times.

OK, just kidding about the last part. But definitely try what I suggested.

This also works better than you might think with chocolates. Put a very nice chocolate on a dessert plate and then cut it into fourths. Eat one lingering bite at a time. It helps.

In general, I like the idea of easy access to delicious food that is good for you (e.g., the fresh produce you mentioned) and no access or limited access to the junk food. My wife and I are both athletic and have not have weight problems, but that would change quickly if we kept certain foods in the house -- chocolates and other desserts for her; salty, fatty snacks for me. Whenever that stuff comes into our house, we make sure it's in small quantities. Otherwise, we'd blow up.