Barb-in-VA's Diary

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Barb-in-VA

New member
Hello. This is the first day of my new diet program, and I thought a diary might help. I've tried everything you can imagine from Weight Watchers to hypnosis, and everything was just a temporary fix. I am a stay at home mom of three, and I find it nearly impossible to stick with a diet. I have a very hard time sticking with it since I'm the one who prepares food for everyone else in the house. My children each take one piece of fruit and one bag of chips each day in their lunches, or sometimes a yogurt with their sandwiches and juice. I would really like to know how other women out there are handling this problem. My husband doesn't drink or smoke and he's very healthy. His one vice is Pepsi. I can't make him give up that one thing that he loves, but it means I have Pepsi in the house all the time. With Weight Watchers, I can do very good for about five weeks. I've started and stopped several times. My downfall each and everytime has been when making food of drink for other people. As the mom, you don't have the luxury of clearing out everything from the house that is bad for you.

I have tried and tried to do this on my own for years, but I reallly need your help. This is like my weakness....my own stumbling block....What are you all doing to keep yourself from munching when the kids and hubby are munching? :confused:
 
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Welcome to the forum you will recieve great support here and lots of help reaching your goals.

you could try taking the chips out of your kids lunches, that way they are not a temptation for you and your kid will eat healthier, they might not like it to start with but they and you will be better of in the long run. as mom you DO have the option to take the junk out of the house, my kids no longer ask for coke and chips etc. when we go out, they ask for water and fruit, they get upset if i don't pack a healthy lunch for them, my eldest was a bit annoyed for a while but they get over it.

a typical packed school lunch for my kids consists of

Tuna or fresh salad or eggs
Bottle of water
Fresh Fruit
Yoghurt
unsalted nuts or dried fruit or cheese


Cheers
 
Forgot to put in my stats....

I am 5'8" and weigh 249 pounds. I would like to get down to 160 again, but my initial goal is 239. I am starting immediately, and I'm going to cheer for myself with each ten pounds!
 
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Wow, Barb, have you been inside my head? Just yesterday I was complaining to myself that if I didn't have to prepare food for other people I could have this weight loss thing licked! I also have three children (all boys, 5, 4, and 2) and they basically eat what I fix since they don't know any better. Now, having said that, they do ask for all the stuff they ought not eat. (Somehow, My 2 year old's voice is much sweeter saying, "chips" rather than "celery.") Portion control is big here. I'll buy chips, but we each get a small container of them to eat at the table at snack time or with lunch. If I send chips in the lunch bag it is a small portion in a ziploc.
As for DH, all of his (AWFUL, BAD-FOR-YOU) snacks are on the tippy-top shelf and I'd really have to go through some effort to get them. (Notice I didn't say that it would be impossible, but putting them up there makes them off limits to me.) When I first started watching what I ate he offered to get his own naughty snacks from the grocery store.
As for your hubby's Pepsi obsession, will you drink Diet Pepsi? Or maybe he would be willing to stash his Pepsi some where out of your reach.
As far as avoiding the munchers, I get up and do the cleaning. (Like anyone else was going to do it anyway!) Sometimes I will serve a dessert and then get up and load the dishwasher or start a load of laundry. I don't have to worry about encountering munchers in the living room (like when watching tv) because we don't allow eating anywhere but the kitchen.
How old are your children? Are they old enough to really be considerate of your "dieting wishes?"
One of the great things about this forum is that if you have to write it here you might not eat it (even if all of the rest of the family is munching it). Regular posts here may give you the encouragement you need.
Now, if only, I could figure out how to keep from "sampling" off the kids' plates while cooking, serving and cleaning up!
Good luck!
Totallyscrappy
 
Barb, Is your husband supporting you in your weight loss? If you husband supports you you can work out things. Like pepsi he can keep it somewhere, that you don't know about. Or if he is up to it, only have his pepsi away from the house. It will help alot if he is in support. If not it will be harder. The kids can do without & will only complain for a little while. I gave up a 12 pack a day diet coke habit, that would be on the low end. So anything is possible. My position was the soda will always be around in the world, so get use to it.

Chip
 
Ha-Ha! I guess many of us really do have similar stories, don't we? I have 3 boys, too. I'll take your advice, I like that moving things out of reach idea. I love Pepsi too, but can't stand the diet Pepsi. I usually try to stick with Crystal light, which I love (strawberry Kiwi), but I have always fallen off the wagon with it when my hubby has Pepsi. Taking chips out of the lunch boxes couldn't hurt, either (until my kids start throwing their healthy apples back at me). I'll try this first week and keep you posted. THANKS!
 
Reply to troutman -

Thanks for the advice....My hubby would love to see me lose the weight, but still says he thinks I'm beautiful weight or no weight...However, he doesn't want to change one thing about his own lifestyle to help in my weightloss, since he isn't overweight. I'm sure alot of people deal with this, it just makes an uphill battle more uphill....

He means well, but here's an example: not long ago, he picked me up from a Weight Watchers meeting with a Burger King chicken sandwich combo with fries. He really thought he was being helpful, since he knew I hadn't eaten. I told him I couldn't believe he did that and his reply was...."But Honey, I got you a diet drink with it." I have talked with him over and over about how important this is.....but no, he doesn't get how hard it is...
 
Barb, I can't relate, since my wife is over weight like me. But I was into my diet 2-4 weeks & my wife had not changed her habits one bit. I guess something changed in me because it did not affect me one bit. But we did have a fight about her not trying after I had been losing weight so long. She starting her diet the next day & is doing great & looking good. It is easier with her dieting also.


Chip
 
Hey Barb, welcome to the group!

Welll I can't relate to packing lunches for children, as I don't have any, but I do pack my own and my FH's. And I have to agree with Trusylver that you DO have the option to pack healthier items for the kids, in order to help yourself too! :) I would try other yummy healthier options, such as nuts, dried fruits, etc. They'll still get a little sweetness from this and they'll be much better items to have sitting around your house versus cookies or chips etc.

My FH is also not really attempting to diet, even though he could stand to lose a few lbs. But he is VERY support of mt dieting efforts. He doesn't request we have beer in the house (which reg ardless I wouldn't drink) nor any regular sodas. He's eats whatever I pack or make for us for dinner without complaint. So I cook low-fat low calorie meals for the both of us, which are so much healthier. He's trimming down a bit here and there and even hitting the gym with me. I told him I really needed his support in my effort to lose weight so I could feel comfortable in my own skin again, and he's been great about it. He even slaps my hand if I am tempted by goodies, or when I hit the fridge late at night, he'll ask me "What are you doing? Are you really hungry? DO you REALLY want that?"

I'd also perhaps think about informing your husband of the calories & f at grams in things such as Burker King chicken sandwiches, and then inform him of lighter options for you. So if he wants to be a big helper again and treat you to dinner when you get picked up, perhaps he'll remember to bring you a salad or other lighter option from BK the next time! :) At least he had some really good intentions!!

Best of luck to you.. and just remember it may be best if you sit the whole family down and tell them that the whole family is starting a healthier life style altogether, not just mom! :)
 
How often do you weigh???

Thanks SO MUCH for all of the advice. You're all right, of course, and tonight I will sit my hubby down and talk to him about it. It's hard work, and I know no magic wand is going to appear and make me thin again.

I was wondering....how often do you guys weigh yourselves???
 
Hi barb
I weigh in once a week.(well..OFFICIALLY..sometimes i cheat and take a peak)

I have lots of kids myself. I simply get good snacks that we can all eat. We eat bananas, applesauce, popsicles, jello, pretzels, popcorn, beef jerky, pickels, stuff like that. I drink lots and lots of water too. Dont forget your water!

I AM the one who shops for it, and believe me, it used to be twinkies, cookies, chips, sodas, candy...you know the fare...

My oldest son is really the only other one out of all seven of us( and me) that needs and wants to lose weight too. Im so proud of him! Hes 21,six feet and 255. He carries almost all of it in his chest and shoulders, hes built like a V. But I dont want to see him suffer the hereditary problems that are sure to hit him as he grows older. HE keeps me going more than anything!

My H loves me fat or thin and even jokes that If I really get down to my goal(OH yeah, I will) he's gonna leave me. I say BULL ****! He wont be able to keep his hands off me! If I had to be honest, he DOES seem to want me a little more when Im thin, but I think its because of my confidence. Definitely.

Well, I realize I went on a tangent there, but glad to meet you!
 
Barb,
Good luck with the hubby talk. I'm sure he wants what is best for you, but he just needs a little "educating." :)
As far as weighing myself...
I try to "take notice" or record my weight once a week. (Usually Mondays) But, I must admit that I am fascinated with my weight so I am on the scale everyday. (I just want to know why if I eat a pound of food I don't instantly weigh one pound more.) And just as a tidbit... when I was really losing last spring I tracked my weight on the chart section of this website and I noticed that my body really has a pattern to weight loss. I would lose like 4 pounds and then I'd go two or three weeks with the same weight. Every body is different, I guess. :)
Totallyscrappy
 
i am the same scrappy i weigh all the time lol i sometimes get on the scales get off and get on again a few times - ok i know i sound obsessive im really not that crazy - honest - at least the leprachauns tell me im not

bars coca cola zero is great i dont like the diets this is the best thing ever!
altho i tend to drink water mostly i have it as a treat...

Welcome to the board hope to chat soon:)
 
Hey Barb!
How did the chat wth your hubby go? :) I hope it went smoothly!!

As for weighing in, well officially I should do it once a week, each Tuesday (like this morning) but I do sneak here and there. I am TRYING not to weigh myself again until next Tuesday because its just pure torture otherwise!
 
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