Where do I start?

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-22-2003
Where do I start?
5
Thu, 12-29-2005 - 12:07am

O.K. I confess I have tried and failed, tried and failed-- what I'm doing is not working. HELP!

We have a large family of 7. I don't have the budget to buy tons of fruits and veggies or to completely restock my cupboards in one spree. I have found it very hard to cook for a large family on a budget and "diet".

As far as exercise, I have a beautiful treadmill to work out on. I just need to do it.

I feel like I need a major life make-over. How do I really make this work? Help!

~Kathy

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-01-2003
Thu, 12-29-2005 - 5:18am

Take it slowly, make one change at a time. For example, do you drink regular soda? Switch to diet soda, or if you can switch to water (it's free too LOL). If you eat potato chips/ french fries, replace that with baked potatoes or 94% popcorn. When you feel ready, make another change. Replace one deep fried dish in the week with a stir fry or grilled option. Decrease the amount of butter you use when you cook. Switch to lover fat version of dairy, etc.

Don't try to be a hero and change everything at once. Make gradual changes.

Hope that helped
Mary
247/216/165

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-16-2005
Thu, 12-29-2005 - 11:25am

Hi Kathy,

Mary's advice about gradual changes is really the best way to go. Not only is eating/cooking healthy expensive, but if you change it all at once, you're sure to get burnt out.

The exercising thing - since you have a large family, would it be possible to schedule "sports" dates/times as an activity? With it being winter, it might be more difficult right now (depending on where you live), but you could set one day a week aside for the family to play touch football & another day to play soccer, etc. Make it fun & something the whole family will enjoy. It's so much easier to be active with a buddy, or buddies, than to do it alone! I hope this helped some!

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-13-2004
Thu, 12-29-2005 - 6:21pm
Hi I am with the same problem but a little different . I am not the one who buys food for the home I have a mother who cooks me alot and I do not want to hurt her feelings by not eating. I am 28. Maryanne
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-26-2005
Thu, 12-29-2005 - 7:20pm

Hey, it's totally possible to lose weight while eating unhealthy foods. Some of the toothpick girls walking around live on coffee and cigs. At least you don't have to eat a Lot of the unhealthy stuff aye?

I'm living with my gran right now as my grandfather just passed away, and she's notorious for fattening people up with her southern homestyle cooking. Ya just take a tiny lil portion at each meal and drink lots of water, and take a daily all-in-one vitamin if you can. That's basically what I'm having to do.

One day I hope I'll be in a position to have my own place and be able to buy whatever foods I deem nutritionally superior. Until then, at least I can be a little healthier by being a good weight.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-01-2003
Mon, 01-02-2006 - 3:25am

I leave my son & his sitter at my mom's and when I return from work, I usually eat something there. I was very worried that I will hurt her feelings and kept doing all kind of stupid stuff, like starving myself all day to be able to eat the food she offers. At the end I was tired of it. I told her I was trying to lose weight and she was very supportive. I give her a copy of my weekly plan and she works around it. Well, not always, but at least when I tell her I can't eat this, she's not upset.

Why don't you try telling her?

Mary
247/216/165