Today is my first post and I am looking forward to meeting so many new folks. I am one of those who have been up and down with my weight my whole life. Bottom line is right now I am married with two boys (6 and 10), work full time and also pursueing my bachelors online. I am also 100 lbs overweight. Today is the day that I break the news to my husband and kids that there will be no more junk in the house!! I think my husband can feel it in the air and already knows. The question is, should I be wasteful and mean and try to find a home for all of the junk in this house? I was actually thinking that I will MAKE my husband either take it all to work or keep it in his truck outside utnil its gone. And then, NO MORE. If not, I will throw a hissy! (Yes, I will) By the way, both kids are skinny and my husband would blow away if he lost 5 pounds. The support here is going to be difficult.
See Ya.
Hello, and WELCOME! I'm in VA, too (although Northern VA, which I know is like a whole different world to most other Virginians ). I don't have any kids, but I do live with my boyfriend, and who would typically eat more junk food than a young 20s male? While his diet used to consist of Hot Pockets, chips, pizza (delivery, of course, since he can't be bothered to do so much work as place a frozen pizza in the oven ), sandwiches with tons of regular mayo, Pop Tarts, etc...he now only eats whatever I buy. I do the shopping and the cooking, so his diet (at home, anyway--he can do whatever while at work so long as I can't see/smell/taste it!) now consists of meals made with veggies, whole grains, lean chicken breast, ground turkey, and reduced-fat dairy products. He even takes his lunch to work now and includes a piece of (drumroll please) FRUIT!
Personally, I did do just as you mentioned--I tossed out all the junk food and brought in healthier foods, no questions asked. In your position, though, I might worry that the kids see it as a sort of punishment that they can't have their favorite treats. However, even though they don't need to lose weight now, eating healthier will only help to improve their health both now and in the future, so they really shouldn't be eating much junk in the first place! Are there any treats they like that you don't? My boyfriend eats those cups of flavored noodles (like Ramen) for lunch, and I don't ever touch them because I just don't care for them. If he wanted something like Twinkies for lunch, I wouldn't buy them because I know I would be the one to end up eating them all
I think you can go ahead and toss most of the junk, maybe just saving everyone's favorites for an occasional treat and keep those stashed in one place together that you know is off limits to you. Then make sure to have lots of healthy snack alternatives around (fruit, veggies and light dip, maybe fat-free sugar-free pudding, light microwave popcorn...I buy Fudgesicles that have no sugar added and only 40 calories per pop), and I bet they'll reach for the "healthy" stuff more often than they think. Once their "treat" stash dwindles, don't replenish it! Tell hubby he can eat crap at work, but not on your watch! As for the kids, this will be a great time to teach them healthy eating that they should practice their whole lives so that they don't face weight or other diet-related health issues as they grow older.
Of course, this is all just my opinion, and I'm a young childless girl, so maybe some others will have some more helpful advice/suggestions
Thanks for the encouragement. Everything you said makes sense. I think it just as important for the kids as myself, because I truly believe that how I was allowed to eat as a child has lead to this. I noticed the "Fit Day" link by your info so I checked it out. That site is sweet.
Hello From VA
). I don't have any kids, but I do live with my boyfriend, and who would typically eat more junk food than a young 20s male? 
While his diet used to consist of Hot Pockets, chips, pizza (delivery, of course, since he can't be bothered to do so much work as place a frozen pizza in the oven 
), sandwiches with tons of regular mayo, Pop Tarts, etc...he now only eats whatever I buy. I do the shopping and the cooking, so his diet (at home, anyway--he can do whatever while at work so long as I can't see/smell/taste it!) now consists of meals made with veggies, whole grains, lean chicken breast, ground turkey, and reduced-fat dairy products. He even takes his lunch to work now and includes a piece of (drumroll please) FRUIT!
