Packaged Meals and Clinics - Nutrisystem, Medifast, Jenny Craig, EtcFor support and questions about diet meal delivery programs, or weight loss clinics that offer prepackaged meals and products.
I'm married and have two kids. Feeding the kids won't be an issue - they follow their own menu and schedule (picky toddlers). But the hubby is his own story. If I don't feed him, he starves (well, he eats PB&J's all day).
But the point of meal delivery for me, in large part, is not having to cook or worry about food and meal planning. To use that time for exercise and to rest my food obsession, learn about portions, and hopefully come out healthier at the other end. Part of why I have failed in the past is that when I diet, I become obsessesed with food (planning it, counting calories, reading recipes, watching cooking shows). One would think it's a good thing, but it really becomes unhealthy for me and I become EXHAUSTED of all the planning, all the thinking about food and what to eat and what not to eat, etc. Then I crash and burn and up even fatter.
Anyway, I need a mental break. But what do I do about the hubby? He doesn't need to lose weight and we don't have the money to get meals for him too and I will HATE him if I have to cook him meals even though I just have to throw mine in the oven/microwave and voila.
He's not the chauvenistic-type and even said he'll feed himself ... but I know him, he will starve, I'll feel guilty, he'll slowly start to make me feel guilty, it'll all be very passive-aggressive and then the negative emotions will begin to sabotage me and my plan.
Please share your experiences being on meal delivery diet and handling the feeding and caring of other members in your house?
Is it selfish of me to want to take a vacation from being responsible for hubby's food (BTW, he works from home with a pretty mellow schedule, so we're not talking a man coming home from office at 6pm)?
Last edited by Itstime; 09-21-2008 at 09:00 AM.
Reason: clarify
Do you work outside the home?
It's one thing if your arrangement is that your job is to take care of the home, kids and meals while he makes the money to keep things going. I have always had an issue with both people working and yet it is the wife's responsability to keep the home fires burning so to speak.
If you both work...he is just as grown up as you are and can feed himself if you let him. (ok...enough of the soapbox) If you are the cook...this is the callenge that you will be facing for the rest of your life and will need to find ways of coping with it.
Maybe meal delivery is not the right thing for you. Maybe learning to cook healthy meals for the whole family is what you need to be concentrating on. Just because hubby doesn't need to lose weight doesn't mean he doesn't need to eat healthy. If you are the cook...they have to eat what you cook right?
Djay, you make a good point. We actually both work from home (me part-time, him full-time). The kids go to preschool three days per week and the other two days I'm a stay home mom.
I guess the truth is that I don't expect to not cook at all during this time. I know I'll be happy to make him a healthy meal a few times per week (and salads along with mine). But I don't want to be fully responsible for his nutrition and feeding (my husband's weird like that - he'll literally go anorexic unless I'm making sure he's eating well and it ends up stressing me out sometimes).
I know it sounds selfish, but I am feeling the need to be selfish on this front if I'm going to get healthy. I'm on the verge of diabetes and it's stressing me so much. I'm not sure why I think I can't do the meals and also take the time to make meals for him ... but in large part, it's the psychological break that I most need (along with the structure of pre-portioned meals). But, yes, it's selfish I suppose.
You know, the part that bothers you most about the cooking is the calorie counting, research and such. Hubby's food doesn't need all that. He can have the old standbys. You can also make a lasagna and soups and chili and such and freeze individual portions. Maybe on a few of those things a week and PBJs a couple days, he will manage not to starve .
Julie, that's not a bad idea. You're right that it's the calorie counting and that stuff ... and you're also right that I can just whip whatever for him (healthy, of course). I might just make him eat what the kids are eating LOL. They eat healthy but it's definitely "kid food" (mac n cheese, etc).
I think you're taking on far too much of the responsibility for hubby's eating. I mean, I hope you're exagerating a bit about the tendency for him to "starve" or "go anorexic," if you don't make food for him (what on earth did he do when he was a bachelor?) Most men can fend for themselves in the kitchen when the NEED to, and if he's willing to, why not let him? If you would like to make something like a roast or even picking up a rotisserie chicken once a week that he can have several days of meals on, that would be nice, but there are alot options besides you cooking a full meal for him, a different full meal for the kids, and your food seperately.
I did NS this winter and I am a stay at home mom. Our agreement is that I take care of all the home stuff including cooking. My husband will feed himself if he needs to but at that time he was working a lot of hours at a physically demanding job so I made sure to feed him.
I cooked a meal similar to what I was having for my family. I did not worry about their calories ect I just served them a normal balanced meal. In the end for me a meal plan is about making it error proof and easy for me to eat the right amount of food. It's a vacation from thinking more than a vacation from cooking
spend a saturday or sunday in the kitchen.... make 7-8 meals and divide into smaller containers.. Freeze. then DH can simply grab something out of the freezer, heat and eat. And you only have to concentrate on the kids and you.
Do you have a meal delivery type place in your town? Like supper solutions, the dinner fork etc. Maybe he can get non-diet foods from them? Most have portions for 4-6 for 2 people. Plus they come with cooking instructions and some places have meal assembly options.
I would be the same as you, by the way not wanting to cook for someone else while dieting!
spend a saturday or sunday in the kitchen.... make 7-8 meals and divide into smaller containers.. Freeze. then DH can simply grab something out of the freezer, heat and eat. And you only have to concentrate on the kids and you.
ive used this method to great success.....
highly recommended.
Oh, wow!
I know exactly what you are talking about. I could have written your post.
I also get obsessed with the planning aspects of dieting.
My husband also starves with PBJs if i don't feed him.(But he is picky)
My kid also will be fine because she is happy with any food.
I'm the cook usually, he may cook once a week.
I am considering NS since I am going to be obsessed with my last semester of college.
Here is what I am thinking of doing if and when i go on NS:
Hubby eats a lot of fruit and salad, so that will be available.
They both eat cereal for breakfast, so that will be no problem.
I am going to buy frozen prepared meals a lot, things like those tyson beef tips, ect.
They can eat frozen hot wings once a week or so with a salad.
Ham slices are quick and easy to prepare with a can of peas or something.
He can cook up some ribs or smoke a pork loin on the weekend and eat those through the week.
And don't forget the quick standbys: burgers, hamburger helper, manwich, and tacos.
As long as i do the shopping (and get them plenty of snack foods) i think they can deal with that for my last semester of college.
Last edited by Billies Pottery; 11-02-2008 at 08:00 PM.
You can teach him how to make one new meal each week.Chicken salads,chilli's,pasta dishes,and fajita's are all simple to make...You could even buy him a simple cook book...hey he might even like cooking.
I so agree about the counting and obsessing about food part; I got the same way, and it's counterproductive.
I've been doing the home delivery route for 9 months now. We both work outside the home. Hubby is responsible for his own food. I occasionally make up grocery lists; that's it. Sometimes he eats right, and sometimes he eats crap, but ultimately it's up to him. Fortunately, he's very supportive and enjoys the way neither of us obsesses about food anymore.
You could try getting a bunch of frozen dinners for him (or give him a grocery list so he can get them himself), which would make a change from the PB&J. Skipping a meal sometimes isn't the end of the world. I'm guessing he won't become anorexic; there are a lot of emotional issues involved with that one. If he does, then he needs help beyond what you can give.
What to do about hubby during meal delivery?
.
