Other family members losing weight..help

[happymomto4]

Okay, so my husband who doesn't have any weight to spare has lost nearly 15 pounds since I began Atkins on May 25th. I try to offer whole grains with meals but honestly haven't put a lot of thought into those carby choices out of self-preservation and trying to be successful myself. Any suggestions? What do others do when cooking for an entire family? I also have 2 teenage boys, and two pre-teen boys. I don't want anyone else losing weight--they are all thin. I guess I should look into what foods are offered in maintenance and try to cook those types of things as well as the low-carb choices I'm allowed in extended induction? Please help.

[niko772]

Re: Other family members losing weight..help

I just cook for myself and my son (only ones doing Atkins) and then make a different meal for the other 3 in my family.

[IrishIrish]

Re: Other family members losing weight..help

I'd usually add a starch dish or breads, etc., for those who couldn't afford to lose weight. My DH lost a lot of weight on Atkins (a good thing!) but then he needed to stabilize his weight loss. My kiddo had to bulk up a bit for sports so he did the same. They would often cook pasta and I'd add veggies to it to make a pasta salad for them.

[Nick]

Re: Other family members losing weight..help

I live with my parents and younger brother and cook most of our meals because I have the most time. When I make burgers, small steaks or chicken breasts I give them the option of having a whole wheat bun or bread. If I make a stir-fry or something else that doesn't go on a bun I try to have out some kind of fresh fruit. This summer I have cooked a vegetable or made a salad for myself, and boiled corn on the cob for the rest of the family which is very easy. I would just stay away from making anything for the rest of the family that you really like. I made a pasta dinner with garlic bread for my family one night, and I had to leave the dining room to stop myself from eating any.

[not2late]

Re: Other family members losing weight..help

Whenever my relatives stay over, I cook meals like this:

Breakfast:
Something we all can eat, like scrambled eggs. And then something they can eat, like toast or English muffins.

Lunch:
Something we all can eat, like tuna salad or roast beef slices and some kind of veggie, like a mixed salad. And then something they can eat like bread (for them to make sandwiches)

Dinner:
Something we all can eat, like roast chicken or grilled fish and some kind of veggie. And then something they can eat like rice or pasta or bread. For dessert, I offer fruit and cheese.

If I don't do this, I would be cooking several "different" meals rather than adding a side dish or two. At least for me, it's easier to just add a side dish than it is to play short-order cook.

[Zarabelle]

Re: Other family members losing weight..help

I do the same as not2late. I choose an option all can eat and then add rice, bread or potatoes for non-Atkins eaters. Having said that, my husband often eats the same as me in the evening these days and just has toast etc. at other meals.

[sham]

Re: Other family members losing weight..help

I cook a meal for my husband and 3 boys and cook my atkins meal seperately its hard this way but theres no way around it their too fussy to eat what I eat.

[cafe_et_creme]

Re: Other family members losing weight..help

I do the same as you Happymomto4, I cook an atkins main meal and i just add some potatoes, rice, pasta or cous cous for the kids. Last night i made spicy cauliflower rice, with cheese tacos filled with spicy beef & Salad, and they loved it! I put too much on my plate and couldnt finish it off, and they were arguing about who was gonna finish off my leftovers! lol

[Emre Yigit]

Re: Other family members losing weight..help

Bread, tasty bread. Not the white variety, but plenty of other choices.

Figs. Apples... cherries... oh - potatoes.

Not too difficult to add these to your family's diet.

Or, you could just add a few highly nutritious things like more (unprocessed) nuts, milk, yoghurt, etc - basically, bumping up their calories.

[msanjelpie]

Re: Other family members losing weight..help

I actually think if he lost 15 lbs, there must have been 15 lbs there to lose... at some point he should stop losing... rather than uping his carb intake beyond maintenance numbers, try to have him start working with weights. Then he won't look so skinny, but he will be super healthy. JMHO

[cindy30]

Re: Other family members losing weight..help

I cook the same but just dont eat the starch as well, for example tomorrow for dinner we are having grilled lemon salmon with rice and zucchini, so I will add butter to the zucchini and skip on the rice. Or I will add bread to their dinners and skip it myself. If you cook balanced meals for your family you should be fine just not eating the carbs.

[imagood1]

Re: Other family members losing weight..help

We all eat the same meat (only mine is never breaded) and normally the same veggies but I add rice or potatoes for my mom & the hubs.

Tonight we had fried chicken (no flour on mine), green beans, I had fried radishes they had creamed turnips and corn on the cob.

I made up my mind I didn't need the carbs they eat when I first started Atkins. Normally I cook the meals or my mother helps so I have to watch what she does since she just cooks the way she's use to. I have a small skillet to cook my meat in just to make sure nothing else is on the meat.

I made meatloaf the other night, used pork rinds in place of crackers as the filler to keep it all together - we all eat that. I also make stuffed green peppers (Linda's recipe), another meal we all eat. Most nights it's my meal & their meal on the table though.

Ask him what he wants differently than what you are eating -- good luck.