Moving back in with parents, unhealthy foods galore!

[philana]

Hi All,

I know this is a common issue for a lot of us on here, living in a house with unhealthy foods around. But I feel sorry for myself so I am gonna claim my own post to get a reread of all your wonderful advise!

I moved back in with my mom and her husband 2 months ago so I don't have to worry about financiel stuff in my last semester of Uni. I hope to graduate within a few months. The moving back home has been great in so many ways, because for the first time in about 7 years I don't have to do my laundry, groceries and all that other adult stuff. But the hardest part is getting back on track with healthy foods. Here's why:

My mom can't imagine cooking without meat. And I'm a vegetarian. At first I just started eating meat again because I didn't want to burden her but I rather just skip it at all and eat less. She also can't cook without loads of carbs it seems. She has a very active job, and if she doesn't eat atleast 2500 calories a day she is gonna lose weight. So it matters none to her.

It would be easy if I just cook a bit more, but her husband is a real problem in that. He likes nothing thats 'weird'. And basically my mom doesn't like anything without meat. So I could cook for just myself.. but I get lazy. It's not an excuse.. but when I smell the hearthy meals my mom prepares that I know are no good for me.. how do I muster up the energy to instead cook something a bit better for myself?

And then there's the candy issue. The cabins are full of junkfood here. And when junk food is around, I HAVE to have it. When I lived on my own, I just wouldnt buy it and mostly I'd be fine. But now.... whaaa! It's everywhere.

Any tips you have will be appreciated. I started with my 'living up to my own promises' again today. So hopefully just the willpower and knowing that I am on the right track will help, but anything else can help also!

[lucindaarrowspark]

your honesty about the situation at hand is an asset. Use honesty as your vehicle. Home cooked foods with real ingrdients can be an advantage. prepare healthy colourful raw salads and eat that as the base w/ a scoop of your mom's home cooking as the topping. you are lucky to have supportive family members, although they might not be watching their weight they are there for you.

[sontaikle]

I still live at home and I have sort of the same issue. My house is FILLED with tempting food! Luckily my mom does cook pretty healthy so I don't have to worry about dinner, but I make sure to avoid the the food I don't want and make my own breakfast and lunch.

After a while it becomes pretty easy to resist all of the food around you, especially when you start seeing results. I also find that I just can't stomach a lot of it any more so when it's shoved in my face and I'm told I should have some I don't even have to think about refusing.

Still, sometimes I do have strong cravings and the stuff is RIGHT THERE. What I've learned to do is savor the taste of food because what I used to do is just shovel it into my mouth for the sake of eating. When you savor the taste you learn that you don't need 30 chips to satisfy a craving—one or two will do. So that's what I do; I'll have one chip if I NEED that taste right away. I'll make sure to savor it and realize that I've gotten the taste and I don't need it any more.

First though, try chugging a giant glass of water when you feel the need to eat something. That usually does the trick for me

[knoxie]

Your mom knows you're a vegetarian and trying to lose weight though right? I think cooking for yourself is going to be the real key here or buying pre-made meals from the store that are reasonably healthy and suit your dietary needs. Is there anything you can make a big batch of at a weekend and then store to eat throughout the week? I'm not a vegetarian but when I'm home my mom makes giant dinners every day - luckily she knows now that I can't stomach them (carbs and calories!) and so just makes me the vegetables they have so I can add my own stuff in. She's not offended by it or anything, we just have different taste!

As for the candy, I struggle the same way! I can't have it in the house because if it's there I simply must have it. Again at home they have a lot of candy and cakes and such. I read somewhere else a saying that's really helped me with the candy and that's 'the second bite tastes the same as the first'. It's helped me to hold back because I don't need to eat tons and tons of candy - one or two pieces will do.

[Gabbah]

One simple trick that can make things easier is to just swith the carbs in as many meals as you want with veggies. Might be hard to do on a bigger scale when you are a vegetarian tho.

[torito]

I'm back living at home for this semester too, and my mom is overweight and has the junkiest junk food in the house.
The junk in the cupboards I try to think as my "roommates", and it's not mine so I'm not allowed to eat it.
She's ok with cooking dinner.. tries to have a veggie, a meat and a ton of carbs which she knows I wont eat so my plate is usually pretty bare at dinner. But it's not always like that, like tonight I got home from school and there was cheese filled tortillini, so I just made myself a quick spinach salad so I didn't even have time to want the pasta.
It's hard, and the times that I have fallen off the wagon was because I saw something in the cupboard I couldn't resist.. and she doesn't understand that I don't want it in the house (because she wants it)

[RHay]

It's hard! Put the food in a different cabinet and use another drawer for healthy items such as carrots, yogurt, fruits, fiber bars, celery, etc.

[philana]

thank you all for the wonderfull advise - making a salad of sorts and eating that with a little bit of what my mom is cooking sounds like a plan. I can also see how it would work better to have my own cupboard like when I lived with roommates. I'll think about it.

I already feel that now that I am really committed again, living in a house with carbjunkies is not an excuse to be one myself. The mindset helps a lot, but on weak moments it's still gonna be hard for sure.

[jennyplain]

I lived with my parents for five years after college, before finally moving out on my own. These are the things that worked for me:

1) Made ALL my own meals except for Sunday 'family' meal. Made me feel in control of my own choices
2) Contributed to the grocery budget so I felt comfortable asking for foods that I needed to be brought into the house
3) Asked my parents to keep the crap in their bedroom so it wouldn't tempt me

[shellofself]

Ahh! The story of my life (these last few months, at least). But at least you seem like you're handing it better. I moved back in with my mother in September and gained 15 lbs back. Just last week I decided it had to stop.

Now, I do my own grocery shopping and make food for myself at the beginning of the week (that needs to be cooked longer than 15 minutes) that I can just heat up throughout the week as desired.

Although I can't change what they eat or what they make or chose to have stocked at the home they own, I've made it a point to change what I choose to eat.

My mom's husband still cooks out; she still makes homemade greasy food; they still buy craploads of loaded sweets; I just don't touch it. Best of luck!

[talisha]

I have noticed this too, my mum loves eating out and hates cooking- which doesn't help me at all.

I agree 100% with shellofself with buying your own food (if you can afford it) or substituting certain parts of the meal for healthier options. I would highly recommend 'Cook Yourself Thin' (the pink book not the blue one!) which offers you traditional meals but with clever subsitutions.

[tomato sunshine]

Does your mom cook all of the meals? If it's only dinner, you can eat fruits and veggies for all the other meals. Also make sure you get some exercise in there!