My DH and DD were discussing eating as we have at church this morning and then on the way to lunch my DD ask DH about the diet. She said we had been on it for 2 1/2 months and ask if that wasn't long enough. I was rying totell her without getting too technical that if I wanted another baby I had to lose more weight and stay on this WOE for the rest of my life and hers too! DH was telling her that this wasn't a diet but we would be eating this way and cooking this way for ever. She was puzzled but agreed that it was healthier since we didn't eat potato chips anymore and we did let her have candy occasionally. DH started this as a way to lose enough weight to avoid being taped (measured instead of weighing for those who weigh too much) for the ARMY. He was going to do it for a few weeks, lose the weight and stop--he has adopted it completely! He only has about 6 more pounds to goal weight! I have a partner in health for life. . .he likes the way he feels and since he quit the constant milk drinking he feels better too--he used to drink more than a gallon a week and is down to 0 since he started a month ago. DD still drinks her share but as a kid she does need the extra calcium and I don't think it hurts her to have a few more carbs than DH and I take in! She has almost quit eating snacks except yogurt and cheese sticks--she prefers those to the pringles singles and cookies she has in the cabinet. Probably going to give them away or throw them out in the next couple of weeks. Any takers????? LOL

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Lori

232/190/130
My other journal http://www.lowcarbeating.com/bb/showthread.php?t=1130

I worried about my 6 yr. old daughter getting enough calcium until I realized she eats alot of cheese and yogurt, drinks her milk at school (refuses to at home), and has a multivitamin every day. It is great that your hubby is on board with you. And you are teaching your DD good eating habits, too. My DH thinks losing weight is "all in your mind". Right, so why does he look like he's in his eight month!? LOL

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On the same subject, does anyone have any advice on how I can painlessly "convert" my 13-year-old DS to this WOE? He is not interested AT ALL in the health benefits.

My soon to be 15-year-old DD is "thinking" about "trying" this WOE to help her track/field performance. I told her it's not something to "try", but to commit to. There's hope for her yet!

My DS is a Little Debbie fan and although I don't buy them, DH DOES! He's not interested in this WOE, but is totally supportive of me doing this.

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Suzanne (Atkins - 1/9/04)
195/168/145

My DD is severely allergic to milk. I used to worry about the calcium too.
Did you know that most of the dark green veggies, like broccoli are very high in calcium?

1C of milk has 285 mg of calcium. 1/2 C of cooked broccoli with 1 oz of cheddar cheese has 235 mg.

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Always eat your veggies first!
LCE member since March 2002

My family doesn't have a choice at dinnertime, I cook it, they eat it. End of discussion, LOL!

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Remember I Cor. 13 - charity never faileth.

Amen, Izus....the same thing here! But I even got my kids to eat brussells sprouts !

The only one that seems to have a problem with some of the stuff that I cook is my son. But, his belly is going down (he looked like he had a party ball for a belly), and we have to go out and buy him a new belt. That does his self esteem good, seeing how he was the new kid and having a learning disablility on top of that...makes for an easy target.

But, the kids get told, you eat what I make, there are no special concessions! Now they are breathing a sigh of relief, knowing that mom is preggers and can't be in ketosis...ie: higher carb counts in the foods that we eat, and more veggies.

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"It's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick!"

Same thing in my house - you eat what we give you, if you don't there is nothing else. There have beent imes when my oldest has decided not to eat his dinner, but that's far in the past, and he certainly didn't starve - his choice. Last night, both boys horsed down enormous servings of sauteed spinach! (they are 7 and 4) One thing I have found is that my boys LOVE salad bars. We no longer let them order from the kid's menu when we go out but will get them some grilled chicken, steak or fish and then take them up to the salad bar. They love being able to pick their own stuff. At home, I have them help me make a salad, which they then love to eat.

I have also made it a practice to tell them from the very beginning (not of me starting this WOE but of them eating table food) that chips and cookies and candy, etc. are NOT good for them, and that they can only have them on occasion. I always offer them fruit or veggies for at least one snack a day, and more often than not, they ask for a healthy snack first.

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Jen



179/179/120

That is wonderful that so many of you have always known what is good for your kids. Unfortunately for me, my kids have learned from what they have grown up with. Icky stuff that I now know is awful for us. My problem is my DH who continues to buy this crap and my DS who eats it. I am talking highly processed, white flour junk, full-sugar pop, etc. My DH works for a food vending company so there is always an abundence of "over stock" he brings home -- chips, candy, pop, etc. This crap is his livlihood. He completely understands my WOE choice and knows its good for him, but continues to eat the junk. He also smokes and knows it will kill him, but keeps doing that, too.

I just want some suggestions or ideas that others have found successful for the families. I always make our dinners low-carb and usually offer an addtional item that is higher carb, like a potato or rice or roll.

I've converted the kis and hubby to eating 100% stone ground wheat bread instead of white/crap bread and no longer buy non-dairy creamer for coffee, only REAL cream.

I AM making changes, but it is hard to reverse 13 years of a bad example from an uninformed, unenlightened mom!

Sorry for the rant, just feeling a little "insuperior" to those parents who seem to have always set such a good nutritional example for their kids.

I am new to this WOE!

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Suzanne (Atkins - 1/9/04)
195/168/145

Suzanne, I seriously doubt that there's a one of us who's always know the right way to feed our kids. We all had to start somewhere and we all had to figure out what we thought was best for our kids. I don't know about everyone else, but in our case eating "clean" (no sugar, avoiding processed foods, no junk food or sodas, etc.) became important because of health issues before my kids were even born. Because DH is a juvenile diabetic, it was always important to eat right.

It is a lot harder when your kids are older, but you're still way ahead of the game. At 13 your DS is still eating most of her meals (other than school days) at home. Imagine how much more dificult this would be is she were say 16.

Start making changes where you can, like with the bread. But the most important thing is to set the example for her. Kids are smart, she'll see on her own how much better you look and feel when you eat right. Make sure you have plenty of healthy choices available for her. Have a talk with your hubby about this too. Talk to him about how important eating right is at her age. It can impact her health later as an adult as many here can tell you. Maybe agree to limit the amount of junk food he buys.

HTH

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Always eat your veggies first!
LCE member since March 2002

Suzanne,

Ditto what bright said. Until 18 mths ago, we ALL ate extremely unhealthy foods - ie: bagels, pizzas, popcorn, icecream, sodas, chips. etc ad nauseam .

But now I do have someone on my side (DH) even tho he does not fully eat LC yet (soon!). He realizes the junk we used to consistently feed our kids was not good for them, we have a DD who literally bounces off walls if given sugar after 5:00 pm (DH learned this from past experiences ). So, gradually, we have cut back on processed junk foods in our cabinets. Not to say they NEVER get it, just very rarely (DH and DD2 still eat whole wheat bread, while DD1 and I only occasionally eat the LC breads and tortillas).

Believe me, if DH was not in my corner, it would have been much more difficult since my DD's are 10 and 14 now. I suggest you talk with your DH and ask him to limit the snacks he brings home, or if he thinks that is a waste, have him hide them somewhere that only he can get to. Tell DH the health of your DS is the most important thing to consider - does he want him to have health/weight issues later on? I know it will be difficult, but limiting junk food now is the best for all concerned. You are doing great offering a LC dinner with a good variety of vegies and one starch - this is such a good start. Keep it up and gradually you will see a change!

Keep us posted!

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Remember I Cor. 13 - charity never faileth.

Thank you for your advice! Much appreciated. Again, sorry for "ranting" but I feel like I HAVE been "enlightened" and want to share it with everyone. I find that not everyone WANTS it!

I will continue to make changes gradually and with any luck, by the time my two young teens go off to college, they will have a love for this WOE!

Thanks again.

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Suzanne (Atkins - 1/9/04)
195/168/145

Excellent!

Keep up the great work - I know how tough it can be!!!

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Remember I Cor. 13 - charity never faileth.

speaking of teens, my son LOVES this WOE, sure he has his pizzas and curly fries a few times a week but he eats whatever I eat and loves it.

He is my food police too, if I even think of eating something bad, or walk towards his french fries, or even eat a second helping of LC ice cream, he's all over me. I was lucky as my mom is a hippychick She always fed my son lots of veggies and salad so now he has to have it with every meal, I even offer to make him potatoes or rice and he doesn't want them, he eats enough carbs at school I guess (sandwiches, pizzas etc). and he LOVES brussel sprouts we have to have them a few times a week. Maybe since I'm wierd I have a wierd kid

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2001 = 230 lbs
1/2003 - 218 lbs
1/2004 - 187 lbs
current 195/goal 150

Thank you all for the responses--I am just surprised by DH's all the sudden turn around on the WOE and how quickly he went from knocking it to defending it and explaining to DD about how healthy it is and how we are "going" to do this forever. She has watched me put the weight on and has not gotten to watch me "fianlly" succeed at taking some of it off. It also surprises me how healthy she chooses to eat when given the opportunities to choose for herself, though she still often orders macaroni and cheese or grilled cheese at a restaurant she usually also asks for a veggie and she never would have before this WOE at home. I am sld on how I feel and the success I have had--he is sold because I am having success and he feels better too!

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Lori

232/190/130
My other journal http://www.lowcarbeating.com/bb/showthread.php?t=1130

Ditto all of the above.

I have 2 stepsons who I have helped raise for the last 12 years and let me tell you, we used to eat the WORST JUNK ALL THE TIME!

When we first started this woe, I used to make extra food for them (i.e. extra carbs) but now that they're older (23 & 24) and they've seen us do well and get healthier on this woe, they have started changing their habits too. And, I no longer make ANY carbs for dinner. I mean white carbs. Dinner is meat and veggie and possibly a salad or 2 different veggies, that's it.

They get plenty of carbs from other sources during the day (fast food, etc.) that they really NEED a low carb meal at dinner to balance everything out. These are VERY fit young men. They both workout and do karate, etc. so they do need some carbs.

As others have said, my rule is "you eat what I make and if you don't want it, you can drive down to del taco and buy something else!"

Generally, they like what I make so that isn't a problem.

Just hang in there Suzanne, as you said, perhaps by the time they go off to college, they'll be eating 100% low carb and low glycemic and won't gain that "freshman 10" that so many people do and they'll be healthy.

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It is always necessary to leave some part
of cooking to improvisation. - Paul Bocuse
Member since 2001