MaryPoppinsIAin't
07-13-2012, 08:50 PM
(If there's a better spot for this, please do move it.)
I have got to convince folks that we have to start eating healthier in this house. Forget self control, I have none for food when I'm tired or stressed, and those are pretty much constant states of being these days. Once the junk is in the house, I WILL eat it, and far too much of it, simply because it's easier than actual food and all I want to do is curl up with a book for the 45 minutes of silence I *might* get. And there are so. many. options. Popcorn, salt roasted pistachios, snack packs of mini oreos & other such, potato chips (which my MIL uses to top her weekly tuna casserole), ice cream, a bag of mini candy bars in the fridge, and of course the ever-present Pepsi to which all three adults in the house are firmly addicted.
Every time I bring this up with DH, I get the very sincere nodding and agreement... and then come grocery time, I turn my back and there's all the junk in the cart again. Or if we manage to get out of the store without it, he brings home a case of Pepsi and his snacks of choice when I'm not with him to say no. He also won't keep it out of sight, so I'm trying to control my food choices with all this tasty, easy, and horrible crap staring me in the face. Or trying to be content with my baby carrots while he's munching tostitos and spinach dip (my favorite, the traitor).
He's not seeing the problem, because his job has him walking patrol for 8 hours a day, so he's getting plenty of exercise and LOSING weight while eating meat plus whatever junk appeals to him that day.
I, on the other hand, am half a BMI point from "morbidly obese", and despite gaining a grand total of four pounds during my pregnancy (and dropping another 15 after the birth), I have since gained back every ounce and then some. I have a joint disorder that makes impact activities excruciatingly painful, so getting enough exercise is really difficult. I do my best, I have a stationary recumbent bike in the basement and use it as often as possible. I don't even LIKE pepsi (dark sodas make my stomach hurt), but more often than not it's the only thing to drink that's cold, and when the house is 80º+ because the AC is old & cranky, it's really hard to turn down that icy cold pepsi for coolish tap water. I drink water or ice tea as often as I can remember to fill a jug and put it in the refrigerator. I'll default to either of those over soda if it's available, but it's got to be COLD.
It's not his fault, or MILs, really. I've had a weight problem pretty much all my life, if you take into account that I don't remember ever NOT feeling fat, even when the pictures say otherwise. I hate it. I hate looking like this. I hate knowing that I'm putting myself at risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, and a host of other health problems, never mind the weight that exacerbates the inherent joint problem. I hate knowing that the only places I can buy clothes that actually fit right don't stock sizes under 16. I hate knowing the example I'm setting for my son. I'm disgusted that my self-control is this terrible.
The only times I ever really stick to any kind of reasonable eating habits are when the junk DOES NOT COME INTO THE HOUSE. And I can't seem to convince him that this really is important.
Help???
I have got to convince folks that we have to start eating healthier in this house. Forget self control, I have none for food when I'm tired or stressed, and those are pretty much constant states of being these days. Once the junk is in the house, I WILL eat it, and far too much of it, simply because it's easier than actual food and all I want to do is curl up with a book for the 45 minutes of silence I *might* get. And there are so. many. options. Popcorn, salt roasted pistachios, snack packs of mini oreos & other such, potato chips (which my MIL uses to top her weekly tuna casserole), ice cream, a bag of mini candy bars in the fridge, and of course the ever-present Pepsi to which all three adults in the house are firmly addicted.
Every time I bring this up with DH, I get the very sincere nodding and agreement... and then come grocery time, I turn my back and there's all the junk in the cart again. Or if we manage to get out of the store without it, he brings home a case of Pepsi and his snacks of choice when I'm not with him to say no. He also won't keep it out of sight, so I'm trying to control my food choices with all this tasty, easy, and horrible crap staring me in the face. Or trying to be content with my baby carrots while he's munching tostitos and spinach dip (my favorite, the traitor).
He's not seeing the problem, because his job has him walking patrol for 8 hours a day, so he's getting plenty of exercise and LOSING weight while eating meat plus whatever junk appeals to him that day.
I, on the other hand, am half a BMI point from "morbidly obese", and despite gaining a grand total of four pounds during my pregnancy (and dropping another 15 after the birth), I have since gained back every ounce and then some. I have a joint disorder that makes impact activities excruciatingly painful, so getting enough exercise is really difficult. I do my best, I have a stationary recumbent bike in the basement and use it as often as possible. I don't even LIKE pepsi (dark sodas make my stomach hurt), but more often than not it's the only thing to drink that's cold, and when the house is 80º+ because the AC is old & cranky, it's really hard to turn down that icy cold pepsi for coolish tap water. I drink water or ice tea as often as I can remember to fill a jug and put it in the refrigerator. I'll default to either of those over soda if it's available, but it's got to be COLD.
It's not his fault, or MILs, really. I've had a weight problem pretty much all my life, if you take into account that I don't remember ever NOT feeling fat, even when the pictures say otherwise. I hate it. I hate looking like this. I hate knowing that I'm putting myself at risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, and a host of other health problems, never mind the weight that exacerbates the inherent joint problem. I hate knowing that the only places I can buy clothes that actually fit right don't stock sizes under 16. I hate knowing the example I'm setting for my son. I'm disgusted that my self-control is this terrible.
The only times I ever really stick to any kind of reasonable eating habits are when the junk DOES NOT COME INTO THE HOUSE. And I can't seem to convince him that this really is important.
Help???