We love them dearly, but did you know that our friends and family can sometimes have a negative effect on our weight loss efforts?
When you consider just how much time you spend with them, it’s no wonder.
Today we look at some of the common offenders, and offer some advice on how to deal with them.
‘My partner always keeps biscuits and chocolate in the pantry’
If you live with a chocaholic biscuit lover, chances are there are going to be plenty of tempting foods in your pantry cupboard.
This can be really difficult for you, as it’s much easier to resist a treat when it’s not staring you in the face.
Some people find that setting up a blanket rule of ‘I don’t eat those, no matter what’ can help.
The reason for this is that if you start saying to yourself that sometimes you can have the chocolate biscuit, those sometimes can quickly turn into all the times.
Another idea that was suggested on our Facebook page was to encourage your partner to choose treats that you don’t particularly like, so that you are less tempted.
The third option is to keep them waaaay back in the cupboard so that you don’t have to look at them.
Yet another option is to stock the house with healthy options that you can enjoy instead, so that you don’t feel like you are missing out. Check out our website for some of our healthy sweet treats.
‘My girlfriend always wants to go out for coffee and cake’
This can just be a simple habit that needs to be broken.
Explain to your girlfriend that you love catching up with her, but you find the cake on the table too hard to resist.
Suggest instead meeting for a coffee and a walk, so that you aren’t faced with temptation every time you meet up.
‘My family complain about the healthy meals I cook’
This can be really tough, especially if you are making a drastic change from old cooking habits.
It can be really disheartening to prepare a meal only to be greeted with sullen faces, or worse still – someone refusing to even try it.
A great way to win the kids over is to get them involved in the meal planning and preparation.
Sit down together at the beginning of the week and discuss the sorts of things you might want to cook for the next few days.
Then get them helping you in the kitchen if possible. If the kids feel some sense of control over the process they may be more willing to give the finished product a try.
When it comes to partners who are stuck in their old food ways, again it’s about involving them.
Check out our husband friendly recipes for starters, or perhaps suggest 5 recipes you like the sound of and let them pick out 3. Again it’s about giving back a little bit of control, in order to get their support for the long term.
‘My in-laws serve me huge portions’
So often people think they are showing how much they love us by offering us huge portions. But if you are trying to lose weight, portion size is one thing that needs to be managed.
This one will require a quiet word with the offender. Let them know that while you love their food, you are trying to lose weight and for that to happen you need to keep your portion sizes in check.
Failing that, just remember that you don’t need to finish everything on your plate.
‘My kids never finish their meals…so I do’
Children are notorious food wasters. It can feel like a crime to throw out an almost untouched bowl of food.
The first thing to remember is that you are not a rubbish bin – so don’t act like one by polishing off stray bits of toast or leftover cold mashed potato.
A great option (for leftover meals) is to keep the food aside and turn it into a fried pattie for their lunch the next day. Add some mashed potato, or some egg and flour, and fry up the Bolognese/tuna casserole/omelette in a frying pan for a crispy treat that they may not even recognise as last night’s dinner.
‘We have a family take away every weekend’
Once again it can be about changing ingrained habits that have built up over the years.
It’s nice to enjoy a take away every now and then, but if it’s becoming a once or twice a week habit, it might be time to make a change.
We have loads of healthy ways to make your own favourite take away at home.
Or why not start a new tradition such as taco night; everyone making their own individual pizzas night; or a healthy burger feast.
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