So when I said that the only things I have been buying from the middle of the supermarket are cleaning stuff and cat litter, I was only talking about what I have been buying for myself. What I neglected to mention was that Jordan and his sister who also lives with us, both have raging pop habits. So almost every time I go to the supermarket, into the cart goes a 12-pack of Coke, at least one, like clockwork. I bring it home and put it on top of the fridge and in a few days the carton is empty.
Every time I unload the pop and my healthy stuff from the car, every time I go out and pick up fast food for Jordan when he's hungry and doesn't want to/won't cook and there's nothing in the fridge that will fill him up, I feel bad/guilty. Sort of. I feel some responsibility to keep my partner healthy and feed him good food, but on the other hand he's an adult and he is free to eat what he wants regardless of the nutritional value. I've tried packing him lunches and making breakfast for him to eat on the way to work, and making big batches of stuff he can warm up for dinner since we are rarely eating at the same time and not really eating the same things if we are eating together, but somewhere along the way I always fall behind and he's back on the fast food track. A part of it is the sheer volume of food he eats - he's 6'5", weighs 190lbs and works at least 50 hours a week at a pretty physical job, plus works out/does fire class a few times a week. Another part, probably the bigger part is that he eats so much restaurant food that what I make just doesn't usually taste as good. I don't know how to make a lunch that packs enough calories to keep him going that can be eaten quickly in the van on the way to the next job.
I don't really know where I'm going with this, but in trying to lay the foundations for keeping this healthy business up once pcp is done, I'm thinking about how feasible it is to do when one member of your family eats whatever you've made for dinner and then needs to supplement with three yogurts or a double cheeseburger.
Jordan has to understand his palate is WHACK and the stuff you're making will taste good if he can get off the salt/sugar train for a few weeks.
ReplyDeleteThe amount of work you do, even in a physical job, will never require much more than 2500 calories a day. Any more and you'll be adding to the fat layers and reducing the quality of life!
oooooof good luck. tough love baby!
ReplyDeletedoes it inspire him to see the changes you've made and how much better you are feeling? its probably the most leverage you will have to try change his habits.....
even if he still needs quantity.....can you try and swap it for healthy stuff?!?! so instead of a cheeseburger he has some wholemeal pasta and tonnes of veg? or wholemeal toasted sandwich type thing?
did i say god luck? yeah well, GOOD LUCK x 2!!!!
it's a struggle - how to feed the others in your household. i really hoped that my kids would start to eat some more varied foods during this project. they are both super picky eaters, limited to their few faves and not willing to try much else. that hasn't changed much - stella will now eat sweet potatoes, but that's about it. but at least they see their mom feeding herself healthy and whole foods at every meal. dan will eat what i make, as long as i make enough of it! i can't believe how fast i'm going thru the protein and veggies these days.
ReplyDeletethe whole thing about taste/palate and what people are used to eating...it's very hard to change that about a person if they're not already motivated to change their eating habits. i just have to believe that over time....like, longer than 90 days....our loved ones will start to come around.
Oooh, that's a bit of a pickle for your household. Be influential where you can and keep the fridge stocked with the good stuff so he goes for those three yogurts instead of the double cheeseburger. People eat what's available in the fridge and if he's not doing his own shopping/cooking, then tough. :P
ReplyDeleteIt's sooo good that you're thinking bout post-pcp life already.