How do you feed other family members when you are trying to lose weight?

[lavenderdiva]

I am struggling with feeling the need to fix Mr. Lavenderdiva a 'nice' dinner. Now, he has never asked me to do this, and has said he would prefer that I lose weight however I need to, rather than prepare him anything; he would much prefer to 'do his own thing'. However, for him, he would eat popcorn and cheezwhiz, followed by canned icing! Absolutely no nutritional value at all!!

Do you guys fix the family the same thing you are eating? How do you handle this? I want to be successful, but am having a hard time with this issue. Obviously, I don't prepare the same type of meal for him that I would prepare for myself, in order for me to lose weight. And therein may lie the problem. I love salads for dinner, he can't stand them. I'd be happy with a Lean Cuisine or something like that, with a salad, he just can't stomach that.

What do you do?

[loudestchick]

1. I'm on South Beach (veggies and protien w/ no starch)

My husband is a vegetarian. I've been making a 3 part dinner for the last week and 1/2. Lean meat for me and the kids, 2 veggies for all of us, starch (rice, potatoes, pasta) for them, and a non-meat entree for hubby (he likes boca). It's a nuisance, but I feel too guilty otherwise.

[Radio_Lady]

2. My husband started food shopping for the two of us at Costco.

We're retired and it's something he RARELY did when we were raising five children (God, I'm glad that's over.)

Meals are pretty simple. We do eat out a lot because cooking is not my strong suit. We make a lot of salads. Sometimes I just have cereal for dinner. It's really flexible. Salmon is great in the Northwest and that's our favorite fish. Tonight he heated up some leftover Mexican chimichanga from a dinner out and I had a vegetable salad.

My guilt is that I don't really want to make big meals any more -- for anyone, including my daughter and her family who live in the same town. When I cook, I eat. One of my best friends is a fabulous cook -- but she has put on so much weight. I wish she had been able to keep up with her exercising (that was when she was looking for work). Now she has a full-time job and the weight has slipped back.

[all.of.me]

3. this is my problem, but just with kids

i need to REALLY get in the habit of cooking for me, then putting in something extra for them. i do it the other way around! i cook for them, then i just eat that and never get around to making a salad, which is a full meal for me. i just have no willpower when there is other food around besides what i need to eat. i also find that when the kids are home, i buy groceries for them and bypass the foods i want/need to eat. it's a vicious cycle.

but i did read once to cook for yourself, then add to that for other family members.

[lavenderdiva]

4. I do it the other way around too!

except I never get around to preparing food for just me! I am the same way, I have no willpower when other food is around either.

I once heard it said that you must focus on yourself first, so you will be around to take care of your loved ones. Hmmm... I guess I need to meditate on this, and then do it. Easier said than done.