My Family Eats Junk Food Around Me
When You’re on a Diet and Your Family Isn’t
Ah, family; the ties that bond and gag. This topic could be an entire book in and of itself.
When I first started losing weight, I followed my meal plan but kept the kids eating their own foods, because 1) I didn’t know if this whole ‘clean eating’ thing would stick, 2) It was tough enough for me to eat clean, I didn’t want to battle my children over vegetables too, and 3) It was just easier to keep up their routine while I was figuring out my own.
This meant I cooked one set of food for me and made different foods for my kids. Or, just let them eat M(My husband was on his own at mealtimes, but since he could eat anything without gaining weight I didn’t remotely feel bad about asking him to fend for himself.)
My family still eats ice cream and chips in front of me on a fairly regular basis, and since I’m the bikini competitor, not them, I’ll let them eat their occasional treats.
But.
When I’m in the final weeks before a bikini competition, I absolutely do not want to be tempted, so we have negotiated some household junk food rules for my sanity:
5 Tips for Sticking to Your Diet When Your Family Doesn’t
- Hide the junk food from yourself. Chips and the occasional box of cookies are stored in the “Man Cave” where the TV is, and not in my kitchen pantry. If I’m not looking at it constantly I don’t miss it.
- Eat healthier alternatives. My husband loves chip and dip. When I’m watching football, I want it too. So I make guacamole, which is pretty healthy if you make it yourself and use proper serving sizes, and dip cucumber slices into it. It sounds really weird, but it tastes really good and gives that crunch without the calories and I’m still enjoying the game and time with my man.
- Ask for help. We have an old fashioned popcorn machine that makes the very BEST popcorn ever. We use coconut oil to heat it and I like lots of salt and butter on it and I will eat three bowls the size of Kentucky in one sitting as I binge watch Beachfront Bargain Hunt on HGTV. Obviously, this is not good for my figure. So for the month before my competition, my family agrees to not make popcorn, since the smell is just too much for me to handle. When you explain to them that it’s really tough for you to have will power in certain situations and can they please help you out (as you would help them out of love) they will probably be more willing to not tempt you.
- Buy junk foods that you don’t like. My husband and kids love ice cream. I’m lactose intolerant, so watching them eat an ice cream sandwich doesn’t bother me at all. But if there’s a cupcake in the house? Ah, hell no! You better not bring that near me. So when I’m grocery shopping and they want their occasional treat I’ll just buy stuff that I don’t care about.
A family favorite, but not mine - They can eat clean too, you know! Things have improved since in the clean eating front since my first competition. My son in particular will eat anything that I’m eating out of my Tupperware (fish, asparagus, you name it). My daughter is pickier but she now allows me to add pasteurized egg whites to her milk for extra protein, eats spinach with lunch and dinner and has fallen in love with bison burgers. And at least once or twice a week my husband and I manage to make a healthy dinner that everyone can eat. I’ve found that the kids have a more vested interest when they help me cook the dinner and everyone functions better when they eat whole unprocessed foods.
My son helping to cut up vegetables
While your family may choose to eat different foods than you do, they can still be supportive of your efforts. Hope this helps!
Lisa 🙂
P.S. – If you’re serious about getting healthy, but need help getting started, try my S.L.I. Method on my website ShesLosingIt.com. Only YOU can do the work, but I can give you the tools that I’ve learned over the past four years about nutrition, exercise and overcoming excuses.
Lisa Traugott is a Mom’s Choice Award winning writer, fitness blogger, wife and mom of two….and Original Cast Member of AMERICAN GRIT, starring John Cena, on FOX!!!
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