Who has this problem.....

[wellkept32]

Hi Ya'll,
Okay I am basically having a melt down. I am doing atkins induction and my family is not. Family I mean hubby and my 2 children ages 9 and 5. Well my hubby is a sugar fiend so I always need the things he likes in the house for example: DING DONG, HO HO'S, POP TARTS, ICE CREAM ETC...so when i open a cupboard there they are. It is so aggrevating. I know he isnt the one with the binge problem but how do i over come this temptation.. I need help... any suggestions. I really want him to lock them up, but , then i think .WOW i don't have any willpower and i do need that in the world i cant go to party's and say" can u have only water". HELP.

[msanjelpie]

Re: Who has this problem.....

Since I do the grocery shopping I just don't buy that stuff... it's amazing how quickly the family got used to not having junk around all the time. They would come out to the cupboard, open it up, see that there was nothing there, and amazing find something else to eat.

Hubby has a serious chocolate habit, so he eats all of his chocolate at work.

The family does without because they support me in my endeavor... they all want me to be healthy as much as I do...

[JulieB]

Re: Who has this problem.....

Can I suggest that you keep all of the "junk" that would tempt you in one cupboard...and just don't open that door? I know you'll see bread, rice, pasta & stuff...but if you are anything like me...it is the sugar that is really tempting I am lucky enough to be able to keep most of that stuff out of my house, but I'm sure that your family would be supportive enough to store the really tempting stuff in one cupboard...

[liv]

Re: Who has this problem.....

I am a bit of a snacker (serial eater) I really found it hard to break the habits of just sticking my hands in a box and stuff my face. In the first few weeks I covered everything up. I just had to. Another thing I did was to stuff bottles of water all over. In cupboards, on counters, in the fridge, in all rooms. So when I got the impulse and opened something up - there would a be a waterbottle there staring at me and I would catch myself and have a drink of water instead and move on.
I hope you can figure out something that helps you. And if it is a trick in the beginning do not worry about - willpower you can work on gradually.

[Aways2Go]

Re: Who has this problem.....

I find it helpful (or did, don't have any cravings anymore) to just immediately go eat something like a string cheese or a piece of leftover meat or veggies, anything filling and QUICK, and chug some water with it, whether I was hungry or not. Not being hungry didn't have anything to do with those starchy cravings, so adding even MORE food (allowable, filling foods) would pretty immediately kill off any cravings because I would not only NOT be hungry, at that point I would feel overfull already and none of that starchy stuff would look as good as it did just a few minutes before.

[DarlingBri]

Re: Who has this problem.....

I really want him to lock them up, but , then i think .WOW i don't have any willpower.

There's a difference between having the willpower to get through Induction and having the willpower to get through Induction with a closet full of PopTarts sitting in front of you. One is completely possible and the other is like a Herculean challenge. This is not the Atkins Olympics, and the only prize you get is a smaller dress size!

If what you need is for him to lock the cupboard, then lock it. Problem solved.

Alternatively, have a discussion with your husband about taking this opportunity to create healthy eating habits for your whole family. I mean, when you sit down, leave the mother guilt behind, and really think about it, do your kids or your husband need 424 calories, 14 grams of fat and 413 grams of salt from a PopTart?

I'm not saying "put your kids on Atkins" at all - by all means, give them an apple or teach them to bake pumpkin mini-cheese cakes with you or whatever. But Atkins isn't just about losing weight; it's about eating healthy, whole, fresh foods because they're good for you. And if you're taking care of you like that, why wouldn't you take care of them the same way?

Or at least that's what I'd tell my husband while shoving the DingDongs, HoHos and ice cream down the garbage disposal

[soon2bslim]

Re: Who has this problem.....

I really want him to lock them up, but , then i think .WOW i don't have any willpower and i do need that in the world

It isn't true that u have no willpower, you've commited yourself to this way of eating and are starting out on the right track. I'm sure you're motivated and can do this BUT... temptations get in the way and it sounds like one man''s sugar addiction is becoming this woman's serious challenge...it's not about your willpower (you have that) it's about an unnecessary challenge in your face, all day.

It seems to me that your health is more important than your husband's junk food habit > but you live with him and u want a happy home > compromising on a new way of eating and sticking wth it is enough of a challenge for you, perhaps he can compromise and modify the junk food stash in the house. Enlist his participation in supporting your commitment to lose weight!

Do you ever tell your kids not to do something because it may upset another kid that doesn't have this or can't do this? Well, we try to train our kids to be sensitive to others, some of us find ourselves training our husbands to be sensitive to our needs and FIND A WORKAROUND - for the sake of a loving home - don't put the blame on a lack of willpower - this is a kind of sabotage that u just don't need right now!

SOOO, please consider some of the suggestions already made - putting the junk in a locked cabinet or any separate cabinet, or can u put it in the basement or is there an 'office room' or den in the house that DH can store his stash? (Leaving the stuff at work sounds great too). Don't beat yourself up about the willpower thing - DO SOmething (with love, sensitivity and kindness - to yourself and of course to DH) about removing or limiting the obstacles that can sidetrack you.

GOOD LUCK!

[wellkept32]

Re: Who has this problem.....

Thank you for all the words of wisdom. I talked to him and the sweets will be in the garage cupboard. Whoo hooo. Wow i feel like a bundle of bricks were just lifted of my shoulders. thanks everyone.