How have you adjusted to cooking for your family while on this journey of weight loss?

Does anyone else in your family have weight issues that you are hoping to help change?

hi guys I have he band right now big mistake and I am curredntly waiting for approval to get sleeved and all I can say is it is very hard cooking for a fam when you have had weight loss surgery because A they dont want the food your eating and B you really shouldnt be eating their food unless you have made a change in the type of food you cook for your family. I suggest not only make this a joourney for yourself but a new way of eating for them as wel try and make them healthier meals so if you do eat their food it will be okay and you wont be spoiling what youre workng for.

Yes cooking for family and weight loss is no easy task. For our family, we most eat healthy and the cooking is not the problem for me...its the portions. I luv food and doesnt matter what it is...home cook meals I have to really watch my portions always!!! its tiring really...plus the boys have their lil snacks which for the most part do not temp me, it is just difficult to lose weight! I do work out as much as I can get as a full time working mother, walkin at lunch work outs at home on weekends is my strategy, but the more I do too my appetite increases! it is just tough...I would be curious to see what life would be like after a sleeve...would help with my overeating for sure but im sure meals would be drastically different? they eat as usual and me totally something else? we shall see...

I'm having the same issues at the moment- I've lost all interest in food so cooking for my family of 5 is a real chore. My 8 year old son has issues with weight & I'm trying to encourage him to eat healthy foods but some days it's a real battle. I find myself asking "are you really hungry or just bored?" He usually replies "YES I AM HUNGRY" & eats even more!! Ahhh

Naes,
You just took the words right out of my mouth.. My soon to be 8yr son who is a little over weight is the same way.. I do believe he eats more out of Boredom and I often ask him the same question. I tell him to wait 5 minutes and if he is still hungry after that to let me know.. Often times he has forgotten about the food. He just wants to eat when others are eating as well, and the hubby is a very slow eater.. Cooking for my family after being sleeved is a chore also..

I'm having my sleeve done on 8/5/13. I've been trying to get the children on the same eating schedule. My 7yr daughter will say that she is stuffed, then 5 minutes later be complaining that she is starving. My 9yr daughter eats small portions and is content, but my 8yr son wants to eat huge portions. With the eating schedule, they are only allowed to eat during the allotted times. Breakfast is from 8-830a, AM snack is 1030-11a, lunch is 1-130p, Midday snack is 330-4p, dinner is 6-630p, and final snack is 830-9p during the summer. This fall changes will have to be made to accommodate our school schedules. If they want seconds for lunch or dinner, I try to have a veggie tray on hand at all times and they have to eat additional veggies first and drink no less than 8oz of water. I sometimes feel like a dictator when it comes to their food intake, but I do not want them to grow up having the same issues that I have.

I have 5 amazing children.. from 19 years old to 1 yr old . My problem is that when I cook healthy my 19 yr old runs out and buys fast food for the rest of the gang and then I have to go upstairs so I don't pick at all their food.

I will be having surgery next month and cooking for my husband and two boys afterwards is a huge concern right now. My kids are 10 & 15 and they both are a little heavy. My husband could also stand to drop about 25 lbs. I'm a southern girl. We can throw together a meal in no time. In fact, in the south that's how we socialize. We host dinners for all occasions... even to watch KY basketball! Meal time is a HUGE part of our culture and I love to cook. I've found some healthy recipes but I'm thinking holding the meal traditions will be a slippery slope. Anyway, back to cooking for families.... I'd love to hear recipes or methods you have used to get your families on the right track.

Hi everyone,
At first it was hard for me to cook for my Family, it was like I had an Adversion to the Kitchen for the first few months. I felt like I couldn't cook anymore for fear of cooking like I used to. Or that I was going to have to shop for & cook two totally different ways. LOL! Now things are better, My Family and I eat pretty much the same foods, I just tweek mine a little. In fact sometimes my family will taste my food and say make all of it that way Which is great, I didn't have all the Support I wanted or needed from my Family Pre Surgery and in the First few months but I have to say that everyone is coming around.

I am hoping to have my surgery in August/Sept this year. I don't think I'll have this issue - my husband is the chef in my family. He will definitely have to change up some of the things he cooks, but probably not much. His standard dinner is meat, potato, vegetable, and he HATES pasta/Italian food so that's a blessing for me! I will definitely be eating smaller portions afterward, but a few bites of meat and some veggies will work no matter what. My daughter (7) is already a picky eater who eats tiny portions, so she actually may not even notice that I'm not eating as much. Food has never been a big deal to her because of her being so picky, she doesn't like most of the things that kids normally like. Her favorite food is salisbury steak, lol!! She also loves roast beef with carrots, plain baked chicken, and fish. I think I'll be okay My husband is super supportive so I know if he has to make me something separate sometimes he'll do it with no problem.