Last weekend my son went shopping with his girlfriend . He called me from the mall saying not to get his favorite foods when I went grocery shopping the next day because he wanted to go on my diet. Apparently he gained considerable weight.I agreed and arrainged a menu for him.I've increased his portions accordingly . We weighed him 2 days ago and I've been helping him keep a journal.You have never heard such complaining!He says he has great respect for me and what I've been able to accomplish. He said he didn't know how I did it,cooking his food and watching him eat the burgers and pizzas and not take a stick to him. UMMM. I think he's got something there. Maybe we should require our loved ones to sample our diets so they will have greater appreciation and sensitivity to our challenges?

Amen, sister. I know my experience would be very different indeed if this were to occur. And I'm not talking just a "sample" here, but a week's walk in these shoes. (Of course, I want it just as much for her as for myself, but that's another story.)

I'm glad you had that acknowledgement from your son -- it must have felt great.

WTG Son. and I agree with you. When I first started this back in March my hubby threw a big fit and told me point blank he wasn't going to eat "that crap." We still have a lot of the same foods we did back then but I just eat less portions of it. Now I add new recipes to our menus and he doesn't grumble too bad and even tries to help me find new ideas.

I know some people here have said that other family members shouldn't have to change their eating habits to follow our healthy change in diet, but I still maintain we can make everyone's favourites, but adjust the recipe to decrease fat and calories and increase nutrients. Nothing wrong with preparing healthier meals and in many cases they don't even realise the difference, or think it tastes better!

As many of you know, my household has recently increased by four (one large man and three young children). I'll admit to being worried about "feeding" time. I don't expect any of them to convert to whey protein powder or be satisfied with a mound of steamed broccoli with melted fat-free cheese slices as an entree, but I've made culinary changes they have no objection to, such as introducing whole wheat pastas and breads. I made chili the other night with extra-lean ground beef, more beans, lots of green, red and yellow peppers and carrots and used V8 juice rather than sugary tomato sauce. They LOVED it. The kids have even decided they prefer rainbow sorbet to any ice cream.

Of course I don't insist that everyone change to my way of eating and neither do I expect them to give up their garlic cheese bread on "Italian" night or the Saturday night Doritos (even although I'm tempted to leave the room - my 3 cups of fat-free popcorn just doesn't cut it).

I was worried it might be more difficult to deal with food when the household increased, but it hasn't posed a problem so far, and I even appreciate the increased accountability - if I even reach for a handful of Doritos I hear "Is that on your diet??" in unison.

Jill I think you're probably right in most cases. Lorraine is just a very tough nut to crack. I've tried just about everything, and really it all boils down to her own mindset. She simply has to be willing to change her habits somewhat, and she definitely is doing a lot of kicking and screaming so it's just not happening right now. As I was reading your list of examples, I was just shaking my head. She's a tough one. I'll just leave it at that. As for trying to influence her, I'll never give up on that. I've just had to accept that it will have to come from her own resolve, because the sneaky "she won't miss it" changes and "oh maybe she won't notice this" additions and substitutions just aren't going over.

I worry about it SO much, but what am I going to do? I just have to concentrate on moving forward myself and trying to influence her with my success and happiness. And I'll continue to pray that she has an epiphany or that she hears the big "click" that I did.

I hear ya Sarah, I guess you can't tell Lorraine to eat what's on her plate or she'll have to go to bed hungry - or threaten to spank her

Like you say, perhaps one day she'll see the light - WE all did, and I'm sure there were quite a few "tough nuts to crack" among us (I know I was)