Do you eat...

When you fix dinner for your family do you eat what they eat or fix yourself something different? I've been eating what I feed the hubby and kids most of the time; and whlle I try really hard now to make sure I fix a healthy well balanced meal last night dh cooked dinner while I was a****er aerobics. Which was super sweet of him~ he made spaghetti with meat sauce and while he used my low carb pasta and rinsed the ground beef off it was still one of those meals where I would have normally made myself something different to eat. Instead I ate what he cooked because he was so proud of himself for actually cooking dinner~in the past his idea of cooking dinner was to call Domino's. It just made me wonder how everyone else does it. I KNOW my cooking style has changed since I had surgery, my oldest son who works out with me about twice a week has lost 17 pounds since I had surgery. Since he was pretty active on his own before, I know most of that weight loss has been because of the change in my cooking and grocery shopping. Instead of mashed potatos full of butter and smothered in gravy at least twice a week they now get steamed veggies and a salad (much to dh's dismay, he's a HUGE meat and potatos kind of man), grilled chicken instead of fried and my freezer hasn't seen a bag of french fries in a LONG time. Most main di****ems I used to cook I've since learned to make much healthier, but spaghetti isn't one of them. The only switch I've made is to the low-carb pasta and even then I feel almost guilty for eating it. I need to come up with some new stuff to feed them, stuff I can eat guilt free and they'll eat without asking if it's one of "moms weird diet meals" ~Tanja -142

Tanja, Since I progressed to regular food--after 8 weeks of progressive diet per my surgeon's orders--I have almost always eaten whatever my family eats. My loss has not been as dramatic as yours, but 115 lbs. is nothing to sneeze at. When we have a pasta meal, I use whole grain pasta. It is not only a better carbohydrated for our bodies to use, but it does not have such a big effect on my blood sugar. Plus it is higher in protein. I figure I can't eat that much of it so it doesn't hurt. I always eat the meatballs first. I even have chips with my sandwiches because I know I can eat only 5 or 6 chips, and I have only 1/2 sandwich. I am so so happy to have had this surgery. Congratulations on your great weight loss. Monna -115 lbs.

I eat what my family eats. I do eat spaghetti, but have to use only angel hair pasta. Anything else is too heavy and/or swells in my pouch and I can't eat it. I use very lean ground beef, venison or turkey so it's not really that bad of a meal. I'm only eating maybe 1/2 cup. Now I don't always eat everything I make for my family, but I make sure that I can at least eat the protein part. I still can't do bread at all, and only a couple bites of even a low carb wrap.

I tend to eat what my family eats, because I have no intention of cooking two dinners every night. Most of our meals consist of a source of protein and then mixed/matched with "vegetables" that are starchy (potatoes, corn, carrots, peas). Sometimes I will throw in some applesauce or cottage cheese instead of the starchy stuff. Every once in a while (maybe twice a month), I make a pasta dish. Other times, I seek out high protein recipes off of the internet, and if I happen to be watching carbs (very rarely), I'll pull something off of the Atkins website. So in a nutshell, I pretty much eat like my family does...about the same portions as my six-year-old. Of course, there are some things that I avoid cooking altogether because there is no nutritional value in them at all, like french fries, macaroni and cheese, and most boxed side dishes (sometimes I will make scalloped potatoes). And on nights that I make my daughter chicken nuggets, I find something else altogether. I also go out to eat regularly, but tend to choose the grilled chicken menu items. Now, breakfast and lunch are a different matter altogether. Mostly, I eat those meals alone, and I can make healthy food choices without worrying about making something no one else will eat. And for the record, I usually don't feel guilty about what I've eaten because I'm still eating below 1000 calories on most days. As long as I get my protein, I'm okay with carbs because the carbs are what fills my pouch (the starchy stuff swells and keeps me fuller longer). Right now, though, I'm doing low carb, and it is NOT easy! Pamela 352/274/263 by V-Day

It depends on the meal. But, for the most part, I will eat off of the regular menu. We always have a protein main dish (grilled steak, pork loin or chicken) along with the usual sides. I don't know how I could cook my own meal since my meal sizes are still only 2 oz. Some nights, I will take a bite or two and then watch them eat. Steak is a new thing for me and takes me forever to eat. So, I can start before them and still finish after them. But, it is sooo worth it. The other night they had something that I absolutely couldn't eat. So, I did cook up a steak and ate it in front of them. Then I slept with one eye open that night. Tonight we are having the slow cooked thing that contains rice, chicken, salsa, sour cream and cheese. I'll have my two ounces but most of that will be chicken that I have picked out. I changed my cooking a long time ago. We have fried chicken only once a year. In fact, I don't think we had it at all last year. The only things I fry now are chicken gizzards (every 6 months), hot wing (every 3 months) and fried catfi**** is always a treat. I wish my family was losing weight. I thought they would. But, I am still cooking for 6 even though there are only 5 people that are really eating. So, they are actually eating more because they are eating my share. Hat