A cooking conundrum!

Pollycat

dandy-candy wrote: »

Pollycat: DH went to the GP a couple of years ago about losing weight but hasn't been about it since then. He joined a gym and is still paying monthly for it, he last went in Nov 2015!

He knows what he needs to do diet/exercise wise but he just won't stick with it. He's the same age now as his mum was when she died - 53. She was overweight, had high cholesterol and died from an embolism. He is overweight and also has high cholesterol (he's on statins). He was actually the one who found her lying dead on the lounge floor in the house we now live in! But if that isn't enough to make him take his health seriously then I really don't know what is

To start going to the gym when you're a lot overweight without talking to your GP when you have existing health problems is asking for trouble.
It really is.

I assume you'll both be having some sort of assessment when you visit the gym for the first time.
I'd expect the trainer to suggest a visit to your GP.

trailingspouse

For the fussy eaters, changing the habits of a life time won't be easy. However - that doesn't mean it's not worth doing.

You could start by making healthy versions of the foods they're used to -
- home-made burgers with a salad
- meaty sausages with lots of veg
- what about lasagne or spag bol instead of pizza? Lots of opportunity to fill the sauce full of veggie goodness with a relatively small amount of meat and not too much pasta. And trust me, no-one will notice if you don't put cheese in the bechamel sauce...

Do you have proper mealtimes, with everyone sat at the table together? It's the best way to get kids to try new things (if they see everyone else enjoying them), and makes it easier for you as a parent to monitor what they're eating or not eating.

And stop delivering food to their room!! You're not a servant.

littlegreenparrot

Given the children are older I would try and get them more involved in the prep and cooking. Although they might be prepared to go hungry themselves if your responsible for feeding siblings they won't let you forget!

It puts them in good stead for when they leave, and means its not all on you. You would probably need to have some guidelines - must be mostly home-made, include at least 2 portions of veg, be ready at 7 - whatever. But they are responsible for the planning and making. Then they can't complain, or start to appreciate how irritating it is when they complain to you!

dandy-candy

Healthy versions of what they're used to sounds a great idea tbh. I'm making a roast chicken tonight so there will be only boiled/steamed veg. I will make a gravy but as I do it from scratch I can skim all the fat off. I might actually suggest DD and DS2 make use of their skills and cook dinner for us one night this week!

I've got DD to pick 1 pack of crisps for today and I've moved the rest into the study which has a lock on the door. I'm not mad on crisps, more of a sweet tooth, so I'll hide the key. I've chucked away the biscuits that I like and will see how that goes. If the kids still gorge on their ones too much then I might have to hide them away too.

I've been to mr T and bought some yogurts, crackers and cheese, wholemeal pitta, houmous and fruit for them to snack on. It did feel weird doing a shop and missing out the crisp aisle, chocolate aisle, biscuit aisle, ready meal aisle..... :rotfl:

Pollycat

As we now know that your kids aren't really kids anymore , can you have a question word with them about your need to lose weight for health reasons (especially your OH) and get them on board with the changes in diet that way.

"What do I want most?"
"Pizza & chicken nuggets for tea or a healthy Mum & Dad?"

Good luck with the weight loss.
I'm sure you'll both feel better when you're on your way.
I'm not overweight (maybe half a stone or so) but I feel much better when I exercise regularly.

zcrat41

iv

I've had a lot of success with the Hairy Dieters recipe books. Almost
Everything I've made from them has been delicious and full of flavour.

thriftylass

As your kids are grown ups they should respect your decision on what to cook especially as it is meant to improve your health and you pay for it. Have a family meeting and even meet in the middle. Homemade chicken goujons baked in the oven don't have to be unhealthy, have veg etc on the side. I would apply tough love. It's not too late to change for them either. And I agree, involve them. As they are adults living in your house they should definitely contribute to the running of it, not necessarily financially but by helping out. Good luck with it all

jackyann

Good for you for trying so hard - any many thanks to those who have posted some great ideas. Here are mine:

Pizza is not necessarily unhealthy (hate to disagree with the great JackieO, but it should be a bread rather than pastry base). Look at doing a home-made version - that is how I fed my family once a week, made a huge tray, and piled different fillings in different corners to account for taste.

I always had available at meal times a huge salad and HM bread. Hungries can fill up, people needing to be careful take more salad, and small portions. Winter salad is essentially HM coleslaw, dressed with lemon and a little oil.
I was also willing to bung jacket potatoes in the oven as extra filling - if left over they can be cut into wedges, baked with a brush of oil & seasoning and are then great fillers-up / snacks as well.

Although I support the principle of not catering to whims, I had no problem about cooking sausages for the kids to eat with jackets & salad, whilst I just grated cheese over mine.

Cut left-over bread (even buy 'last day' bread) cut into croutons and bake with different seasonings and a brush or spray of oil. Can be served with home-made dips if wanted.

Not sure about your budget, but I found that making a chunky fruit salad every evening was much more pleasant than a plain piece of fruit, and I would put the remainder in my lunch box. Those who don't need to lose weight can eat with a dollop of creme fraiche and biscuit.

Cut out / cut down all sweetened drinks,including fruit juice. for a treat, use fruit juice with fizzy water.

Buy / loan Hairy Dieters books, ask all to look through and see what they would be happy to try. They have great ideas on 'real food' adaptations of favourites.

I would also consider asking the GP for a referral to the dietician, or look at your local health authority website to see if you can self-refer. Needing to lose so much weight (depending on the authority) often means you can get a referral.

Good luck - and please let us know how you get on! We can all use tips!

Mojisola

dandy-candy wrote: »

my kid are actually big - the youngest is 18.

I have tried the like it or lump it approach before and by day 5 of them not eating other that a bite I gave in. I think they probably ate junk when they were out of the house but I bear the brunt of the "attitude" and strop that comes with it.

She isn't as bad on the food front as DS2, her fussy brother, and if I take her up chopped fruit or a yogurt she will eat it. I know I shouldn't have to wait on her but she won't bother doing it herself.

DS2 is very difficult at times and has had me in tears a couple of times this month by having a go at me because there hasn't been anything he likes to eat in.

I think you've got much bigger problems in the family than who weighs what!

[Deleted User]

jackyann the reason I am not keen on pizza's is I have never ever eaten one that I thought was worth eating I don't eat bread now, and grew up in the days before Pizza ,pasta and stir-frys were ever on the menu :):)

Never eaten a stir fry either I think its definitely got to be a case for dandycandy to her children of like it or lump it.

No one will starve to death with out a biscuit or a bag of crisps and looks like she is getting the hang of saying NO quite firmly, basically a case of eat up whats in front of you or go without and believe me there is not a teenager in this world that will go hungry to bed if they can help it .

I have five grandsons four of whom I look after at various times the eldest of the four is at home at the moment from Uni and looks like a tall skinny lampost bless him and probably by BMI standards he is underweight but he probably eats like a horse most of the time and doesn't put an ounce on (sickening isn't it ) his metabolism is such that he burns it all off.

You could play a tune on his ribcage yet he is a very healthy 21 year old, another of them Henry only has to look at a cake and it sits on his tummy ,luckily he prefers savoury stuff to sweet things ,but at 16 and 6'1" and still growing he seems to be able to eat well, and he plays rugby so burns it off that way.

I think often too many diagrams and charts make you forget that people come in all shapes and sizes and if you are healthy and fit no matter what odd bits you have attached to your body than its OK .

But if you are 6-7 stone overweight then thats not a healthy way to live .I have dropped a couple of stone over the past three years which I am pleased to do but I will never be the bag of bones I was when I was 15 ,but there again I don't think I would like to be .How you feel about yourself and your health is the important thing I am comfortable in my skin and I know that I could probably lose a bit more but as long as I an fir and healthy ,apart from the odd ache and pain (well I do have a few miles on the clock then I am happy.