How has your family's diet changed, if at all?

[Shrew2u]

Some of us are making this change by ourselves while our immediate families continue with prior habits. Others have a spouse or partner joining them (in whole or in part), either with a common goal of weight loss or as a demonstration of support. I see glimpses of other familial habits in various posts, but I thought it would be interesting to see the range of responses to the following questions:

1. Is anyone else in your household adopting this WoE? If so, are they joining you step by step or in part?
2. Has anyone else's eating habits changed since you began this WoE? What do you think were the deciding factors for the change?

In my own household, there is Me, Mr. Shrew and the kids. Mr. Shrew and I began Induction the same day (since he'd matched me pound for pound in pregnancy weight gain ). He's still in Extended Induction - in theory. In practice, he's doing it "his way" and I'm going to shut up now. When I cook, I make him Induction-friendly meals; otherwise, I provide information when asked and leave him be.

Teen has been out-of-state for school this semester, but her diet has been improving - more veg, less fast/junk food. Coming home for Christmas then for good next semester should be less of a culture shock, but I'm sure she will miss the well-stocked CarbFest that used to be our kitchen. She'll still get her rice and pasta and potatoes, but she'll have fresh fruit, cheese and veggies to snack on instead of the cr@p we all used to eat.

Toddler benefited from my experience feeding Teen; she has been raised on a diet of lean meat/poultry/fish, a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and dairy/grain products as minimally-processed as possible. She enjoys chips and French fries maybe once a month...which has become once a never since I began this WoE. She rejects all candy and sweets beyond plain animal crackers, and I hope she never develops the taste for them. Infant hasn't started grown-up food yet, but he'll be raised with the same food habits as Toddler.

[Skeptika23]

Re: How has your family's diet changed, if at all?

Well, Mr. Skep & I are both low carbers, but I'm strict with Atkins, and he's more generic "low carb" guy, not following any specific program. Just doing generic "low carb" he loses tons of weight, while I have to be stricter. Dinner usually conforms to me (he was sad to hear I can't eat edamame until the bean rung in OWL, because he loves the stuff and if he wants it he'll have to make a small side for himself).

My 9 year old girl eats like us much of the time, but on occasion she'll get a slice of bread or some mac & cheese or some noodles or fruit. Luckily, she just loves veggies, especially broccoli.

My 3 month old will be brought up in a much healthier home than the 9 year old was at the same age, that's for sure!

[sham]

Re: How has your family's diet changed, if at all?

Im the only one in my family on this diet and eating this way.My husband is slim and hates my diet says he will never give up on his gorgeous carbs eating ways.I cook normal healthy meals for him and my 3 boys aged 9,7 and 1.They eat a take away once a week of their choice like pizza or fries and chicken.

[JulieB]

Re: How has your family's diet changed, if at all?

My husband started with me, but had a lot less to lose. He follows the WOE very strictly - I have a hard time getting carbs into him now! At first I thought it was because he was trying to be really supportive of me by not eating things that I can't eat yet, but I've heard him say things that make me think he just doesn't want to gain the weight back. Either way, he is still a fairly strict low-carber. I am on Rung 4, and he mostly eats rung 4 foods - I'll occasionally cook a potato or brown rice for him, and he'll have the occasional low-carb tortilla or piece of birthday cake.

No children, but my Lab puppy is intolerant to grains, so he is sort-of a low-carber and my cats went low-carb before I did

[liv]

Re: How has your family's diet changed, if at all?

I am eating healthier and by extension so is my DH and DD. I was not a very good cook. I was so lazy. I loved fast foods, store bought pizzas, lasagnas and stuff. We must have eaten a lot of chemicals and transfat over the years. Thankfully my DH did a lot of cooking and he has always been more into real food so it was not all bad. So what has really changed is that we eat real food/whole food most of the time. Neither my DH or DD are low carbers but they eat healthier and both have lost a bit of weight because I am a better cook now. I feel bad that I did not care more about this years ago.

My DH has become a better shopper. He does most of the shopping and used to only look at the price tag - no he studies nutrition too. So no more cookies with transfat. A lot less sugary stuff.

My daughter was not allowed to eat a lot of sugar as a kid so she has pretty healthy habits. She prefer fruit and drink water rather than soft drinks. So she does well.

[msanjelpie]

Re: How has your family's diet changed, if at all?

I am the only one here that eats this way. I'm the only one here that is fat. Everyone else eats whatever they want and they all stay the same weight. My 10 year old son has mentioned that he likes what I eat... and he has been mooching off of my food, but he eats normal foods too. I have quit buying cookies, cupcakes, crackers and such, so in a round about way everyone is eating healthier, they just don't know it...

[Shrew2u]

Re: How has your family's diet changed, if at all?

My 10 year old son has mentioned that he likes what I eat... and he has been mooching off of my food, but he eats normal foods too.

Check your mindset for a sec. If you were on a diet that provided prepared (inedible, scary) food for you a la NutriSystem, then I'd see why you'd identify your son's other food choices as "normal". But the if the food you make for yourself is good enough and wholesome enough to feed your son...hey, that sounds pretty normal to me!

[imagood1]

Re: How has your family's diet changed, if at all?

There are 3 Type 2 Diabetics in our household...I am the only one following Atkins. Occasionally we all have an Atkins meal (like the stuffed green peppers) but my mother's endocrinologist says "at her age it would be cruel to make her follow a strict diet".....in her mind that means "I can eat anything I want and I'm fine".....

The hubs is a picky eater (he won't eat anything white among other colors) but his sugar numbers are good (as well as his cholesterol numbers), so he doesn't "feel the need" to follow any type of "diet" and God forbid if he had to give up starches.

I sit between both of them at the table and pass their food back and forth to them - it doesn't bother me because I'm the one who needs to get healthy to be able to take care of them! Even being on cholesterol meds my body still produces too much cholesterol so I've come to the realization that I'll probably always be on those medications and have come to terms with it.

[Rayley]

Re: How has your family's diet changed, if at all?

My whole entire family does NOT agree with atkins what so ever, they think its horribly bad for you, but i wish they would try it with me!!

[farmwife]

Re: How has your family's diet changed, if at all?

I know my family eats a LOT more veggies now. Today it was so funny, my 1 1/2 yr old dd was eating broccoli like it was going out of style. My dh eats some of my food but he still needs SUGAR! He eats a PB &J every afternoon, funny I know.

I would love for the whole family to low-carb with me but I don't think it will happen anytime soon.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: How has your family's diet changed, if at all?

>>Is anyone else in your household adopting this WoE? If so, are they joining you step by step or in part?>>

Yes ... my husband. I actually started "doing Atkins" because he wanted to.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: How has your family's diet changed, if at all?

>>My dh eats some of my food but he still needs SUGAR>>

He WANTS ... not NEEDS.

<smile>

[d33na]

Re: How has your family's diet changed, if at all?

My daughter comes over to visit for lunch every 2nd tuesday....I always make an Atkin lunch and desert...she is hmmm how to put it....gob-smacked at how inventive my cooking has become...Im a faiurly good cook anyway but she was amazed that the restrictions made me excited about making new dishes...I hope this convinces her slowly that it is a better life style choice for her...the power of taste buds is looking like its winning lol

[Alexa]

Re: How has your family's diet changed, if at all?

Interesting to see what people have worked out with their families.

Am I the only one who feel bad about the affect of their meals on their spouse? I worry that the amount of fat in meals I make is too high for him as he is not a low-carber. I try to make slightly lower fat versions of my meals with a carb on the side (generally pasta or cous cous or potato) for him but sometimes this doesn't work out. He cooks too, but in the same way. He is not fussy but is trying to lose some weight. I don't think low carb would suit him in the way it goes me - he doesn't seem to have that kind of make up. Also, I don't think he'd be committed enough and has very little to lose.

[barrnone]

Re: How has your family's diet changed, if at all?

it's only me and the hub at home now [two kids off at college] - we started atkins together, since I normally cook. We've become closer! We had gotten so lazy in our eating/cooking/etc...it affected all aspects of our life. Now we shop and cook together. He slips more than me, but we're both losing and happy - so all is good.

The kids have to bring 'carbs' with them if they want them in my house - I don't stock anything for them! The funniest day was when I told my daughter to stop for dinner, I was making hamburgers - she showed up with one bun in a baggie gotta chuckle at that! I think they are both proud of us and our efforts; they are very supportive.

The cats don't care.