Hubby has finally decided to ditch the carbs! Yay! (HELP!) page

[Juliemama]

Hey all! First of all, You have no idea how much the Primal Community means to me...thank you!
After being Paleo/Primal for several years myself, and seeing numerous "ailments" vanish..my stubborn ass carb addict 300 lb husband has decided to ditch sugar, pasta and bread products.
He is so dependent on these foods, that I want this to be as painless as possible for him. He tried Atkins years ago, but couldn't stick with it. He quit soda, only to replace it with candy. I cook vast amounts of meat and veggies...which he eats up gladly...but he only likes a few things...How do I make this easier for him, so he sticks with it? I was never the carb addict he is (I am 5' 1" and 115 lbs...I just put on shorts from 12 yrs ago!)
Any help from someone in his shoes would be most appreciated! He is only 5' 11" but very broad..56" chest I believe..but has a huge belly now..not the tight, hard, beer or wheat belly...its all fat. And he has never been a normal weight.
Thanks for any input, guys and girls!

[RitaRose]

Another idea would be to go grocery shopping together and cruise through the veggie aisle. Just see if anything looks interesting to him, then add a few that look scary but you think he'll like.

And be patient with him. I think we forget how much the first week sucks.

[Paleobird]

Yes, if you google coconut flour and almond flour your can find all kinds of great recipes. I am currently transitioning my father toward primal by sneaking in all kinds of muffins, coocnut zucchini bread etc. He's not missing his morning bagels at all.

The wisdom around here seems to be against doing what Mark calls Primalizing your old bad habits. You should make a clean break with the past etc. Well, that is good for the one who is motivated to do this first. For the semi-reluctant other who comes along after, I don't see anything wrong with easing the transition with some Primal treats,

There is a recipe somewhere on this site if you do a search on Son of Grok and pizza that is really good. That is the one primal pizza crust I have made that has really stood up to being picked up and eaten by the slice not knife and fork.

[loafingcactus]

If he's never been a normal weight, it may be almost impossible for him to envision weigh loss success or invension maintaining his personhood through weight loss. Being immersed amongst people who had successfully lost weight is what really got me rolling and gave me faith that I could survive a new body. I never believed it was possible until then. It happened to be with Weight Watchers, but that group of people meant more than anything. I guess my point is just that the issues may be very variefd and difficult. It would be great if he were about to find a support group of some sort.

[Juliemama]

Thanks guys! Part of the problem is I basically gave up baked goods...I do not make "Primal" cookies, crackers, muffins or bread. I am perfectly OK with that...My big issue at first was wheat, so if I really craved pasta, I made it with noodles made from rice. That is not his problem (yet)..for now it is the carbs in general. He only likes peanuts (?!) out of all the damned nuts I bring into the house. (I don't eat peanuts)..but I suppose it is better than candy.
I have a vast amount of veggies growing right now...but he only likes broccoli and green beans...(which is more then my kids will eat right now, argh!)
Soo..we are doing lots of meats and salads..it's hot as balls here right now and sticky humid...so that will work for awhile....I need to know what crisis signals to look for and how to avoid disaster...

[Juliemama]

Exactly, he has always considered himself as a "big guy" (read "real man") because, good Lord if you were a small, intellectual male..then of course , you weren't. So he doesn't want to be small, exactly..but he IS 40 now and you cant "carry that weight well" very much longer. He would never jump into a group at this point.
OOps this was supposed to go to Loafingcactus!

[DFH]

Hey all! First of all, You have no idea how much the Primal Community means to me...thank you!
After being Paleo/Primal for several years myself, and seeing numerous "ailments" vanish..my stubborn ass carb addict 300 lb husband has decided to ditch sugar, pasta and bread products.
He is so dependent on these foods, that I want this to be as painless as possible for him. He tried Atkins years ago, but couldn't stick with it. He quit soda, only to replace it with candy. I cook vast amounts of meat and veggies...which he eats up gladly...but he only likes a few things...How do I make this easier for him, so he sticks with it? I was never the carb addict he is (I am 5' 1" and 115 lbs...I just put on shorts from 12 yrs ago!)
Any help from someone in his shoes would be most appreciated! He is only 5' 11" but very broad..56" chest I believe..but has a huge belly now..not the tight, hard, beer or wheat belly...its all fat. And he has never been a normal weight.
Thanks for any input, guys and girls!

Good for you (both of you). That's awesome.

I don't know how to suggest stuff without knowing what they like.

I would start with a "clearing of the crap" at home. Go through the fridge and cupboard together and start tossing stuff, and make a note of why you are doing it.. This clears the mind as well as the shelves. "BBQ sauce..sugar...trash, etc.." Plus when you are both at the store, you remember that you just tossed something, so why buy it again? "We need that BBQ sauce, wait, didn't we just toss that?"

Then go to the grocery store and just start going through like it was your first visit. Look closer at things that are "in" and think about what you can make with it. Sometimes I go to the store and try and find something that is OK that I never had before and how I would cook it. Yesterday it was coconut milk with shrimp, curry and cilantro. It was awesome too.

[Juliemama]

"Yes, if you google coconut flour and almond flour your can find all kinds of great recipes. I am currently transitioning my father toward primal by sneaking in all kinds of muffins, coocnut zucchini bread etc. He's not missing his morning bagels at all.

The wisdom around here seems to be against doing what Mark calls Primalizing your old bad habits. You should make a clean break with the past etc. Well, that is good for the one who is motivated to do this first. For the semi-reluctant other who comes along after, I don't see anything wrong with easing the transition with some Primal treats,

There is a recipe somewhere on this site if you do a search on Son of Grok and pizza that is really good. That is the one primal pizza crust I have made that has really stood up to being picked up and eaten by the slice not knife and fork. "

Paleobird, we are both longtime career restaurant veterans....and he his a snob when it comes to ethnic (we are Portuguese, raised on double starch at every meal..i.e. rice AND fried potatoes) or pizza. We worked in lots of places where we made our own dough, sauce, etc...I am not sure the substitutions will cut it, I certainly have never needed a sub, if I wanted it that bad, I ate it...and blew up like a tick later and looked 6 months preggers. Plenty of reinforcement for me! Ha Ha

On the other hand, the "Primal" treats might sneak some nutrition into the kids...although I know the nuts/flours will cost a bundle!
OOps..missed the "quote" button...I am so not technologically advanced!

[Juliemama]

DFH..I need to be clear...he is not going Paleo or Primal. His doctor told him years ago at a physical (what's that? I have never had one!) that he could easily drop some weight if he simply dropped bread, pasta and sugar. He knows how I eat but doesn't give a whit why (other issues!) or how many things I have cleared up. He has not asked for my help or input. He has only asked that when I shop, I include "healthy" snacks for him. Crunchy celery, (make dip please) deli meat, lots of salad goods. He still puts his shitty dressing on it, (I make my own dressing for myself and the kids) but hey, baby steps right?
He is as stubborn as a mule...which is why I have never made an issue of it....My results certainly speak for themselves, to everyone, as long as we aren't married....LOL

[DFH]

.. baby steps right?

Yep. At least he has a dr smart enough to say drop the bread, pasta and sugar!