My boyfriend is fat.

brokeinwales · 23 December 2008 at 4:42PM

Actually he's not that fat, and he's gorgeous, I just wanted to get your attention. But he's just decided his new years resolution is to lose weight (he's around 17 1/2 stone now, wants to get down to 15 initially.). Obviously I support this.

His plan is to do a low carb plan (like Atkins) as he's done this before and found it semi-succesful. Unfortunately I've read a bit of the books he's got and I can see this being a money saving disaster. Apart from a lot of the foods being pretty expensive in themselves - it looks like we're going to have to start having seperate meals. I'm vegetarian - which doesn't fit too well with the scheme to begin with. And even the low carb plans that do accomodate for veggies a bit, are just full of food I think sounds revolting (cauliflour cheese just smells and looks like vomit to me!).

Does anyone have any suggestions for any of the following:
- How to feed two people who live together completely seperate meals without spending a fortune?
- Cheap low carb veggy meals that someone might actually eat voluntarily? (i.e. not cheese slop or piles of lettuce in vinegar)
- Ways to persuade him that if he just drank less, stopped eating cake, and exercised more he'd probably lose weight without having to do this?! (He does say he'd like to join a gym, but is very fussy about which ones he'll go to as he feels self-concious, so the cheaper, council run ones are out. If anyone has anything I could suggest in terms of "free / cheap exercise for the currently unfit and unconfident" that would be excellent too.)

I do ten plus hours exercise a week, so I need plenty of energy foods - so that's another consideration...

Any help or just ideas to try, would be great.

skintchick · 23 December 2008 at 4:50PM

I can;t help, but I think you'd get more response on the Old Style board - ask a board guide to move this thread for you.

brokeinwales · 23 December 2008 at 4:57PM

Oh OK - sorry. I just saw another diety post on here and thought this might be the place! How do I contact a board guide?

ryandj · 23 December 2008 at 4:57PM

Free/ cheap exercise - running!! Cost you the price of a pair of trainers, and I found it to be the best way to burn calories. Cycling is good as well. Either one, if you are self conscious, you can choose a route without many people on!

A low-carb diet is really unsustainable long term, and will mean that you put the weight back on again once you reintroduce carbs. Better to have a balanced meal - with some carbs (wholemeal), some protein (lean - chicken, tuna, grilled, beans, pulses, quorn, tofu, soya stuff), and veg. Have about half a plate of veg (bright colourful stuff, and a quarter each of carbs and protein.

If he doesn't want to cut out beer and cakes it is going to be difficult - you can't lost weight and eat unhealthily and avoid exercise!!!

brokeinwales · 23 December 2008 at 4:59PM

If he doesn't want to cut out beer and cakes it is going to be difficult - you can't lost weight and eat unhealthily and avoid exercise!!!

LOL! Try telling him that....

skintchick · 23 December 2008 at 5:01PM

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/member.html?u=6784

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/member.html?u=8117

These two are the board guides for this board. Choose one and send a private message (there's a link on the page these links link to!) and ask them to do it for you.

Old Style is best for menu planning and recipes so it's probably more useful to you for this type of question.

HTH

Skint_Catt · 23 December 2008 at 5:04PM

If he does Atkins it will go straight back on again. He needs to learn to eat healthily (as you suggest) so maybe something like Slimming World (ok I'm biased) but if he sticks to mainly green days you can have majority of the same foods.

If he's 'heavy' and unfit then running will seriously damage his knees - long walks ona regular basis would be better or cycling. I've never done anything so high impact (just basketball, hockey and field athletics) and I have pain climbing the stairs now

brokeinwales · 23 December 2008 at 5:12PM

Skint_Catt wrote: »

If he does Atkins it will go straight back on again. He needs to learn to eat healthily (as you suggest) so maybe something like Slimming World (ok I'm biased) but if he sticks to mainly green days you can have majority of the same foods.

If he's 'heavy' and unfit then running will seriously damage his knees - long walks ona regular basis would be better or cycling. I've never done anything so high impact (just basketball, hockey and field athletics) and I have pain climbing the stairs now

Yes, I was thinking he's not really built for running (he's quite "well built" anyway, even without the extra weight.) I could suggest Slimming World to him - he likes things with a bit of a system (appeals to his geeky side I think!), so the coloured-days thing might appeal to him. Do they have a decent website?

Skint_Catt · 23 December 2008 at 5:14PM

yeah its not bad but most of the bits you need are members only. We have a thread going so you can come and ask questions there - or he could join his local group - there are often quite a few men at each group or if there aren't they get preferential treatment from all the ladies there. Men always tend to do better at SW than women

Stephb1986_2 · 23 December 2008 at 5:22PM

I joined SW 5 weeks ago and lost just over half a stone already

i had slipped off the wagon a few times and had normal food, its about changing the way your eating and also cooking!

Perhaps just tell him to cut down on the cakes and ale its easier said than done if your into your exercise!

Steph xx

angie_loves_veg · 23 December 2008 at 5:23PM

Just to also note that alcohol and cake do not fit well on a low carb diet!!

Another vote here for Slimming world..... you can eat plenty, but you learn to eat the right stuff (and the naughty stuff - alcohol and cake for example - is allowed too, just in more controlled portions!) green days are great for vegetarians, but a meat eater can do well on both red and green plans. Also - just to motivate him further, the guys seem to do really well at SW!!

As for excercise, just walking is good and healthy, a quick pace that makes your heart race a bit is fantastic for your general health - a short (20mins), regular (3 times a week) walk will make all the difference!

My boyfriend is fat.

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