How do you do it?! page

[Traveller]

Hi all,

my question is for all those who live with a non-primal family:

How do you do it?!

Every night I'm forced to watch them scarf down plates of spaghetti, and then eat ice cream for dessert.

Every time I'm offered something like chocolate, ice cream, or cake, it's such a wrench to say no.

Is this just a stage that'll eventually disappear? Will it get easier?

I just don't think I'm disciplined enough.

Traveller.

[Annieh]

Saying no will become easier. Watching them scarf it down won't - not because you want it for yourself, but because you wish they wouldn't for their own sake.

Persevere for now, you will find after a while that you don't need discipline because you really don't want that stuff anyway.

[CavemanJoe]

I've given up caring now. I have tried to convince my wife for year now and not even gotten her to try it for ac few weeks even. If she wants to eat sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner then fine I'm not bothering any longer. I am hoping, though, that all the fat I lose will peak her interest whilst she's on the same BF % eating sarnies, fish fingers and packet mashed potatoes.....

[Sandman]

Family dynamics play a big role in whether or not your family members will start to embrace a healthier diet. However, after a while, you shouldn't find it hard to say no to those foods. They simply stop being appealing. After all, this way of eating/living is one of freedom and comfort, not one of discipline and abstinence. In the beginning, though, there is a certain recovery from sugar addiction (including glucose from grains) that can be hard to overcome.

[Badkty22]

After a while, you will find that your taste buds have changed, and the stuff your family is scarfing down (particularly the sweets) just won't taste good to you. And I come from a long history of a severe sweet tooth, so I can promise you this will happen. I've tried a few old favorites recently, and just tossed them mostly uneaten. You will realize how processed they are, and how unlike actual food they taste. In the meantime, get yourself a bar of high quality dark chocolate and have a square when the urge strikes.

Since you are living with people who are clinging to the SAD, take this opportunity to do some comparisons. See how often they complain of hunger versus how often you find yourself really hungry. Watch their mood swings, notice how their energy levels lag while you are happily humming along. Try to use this to help you get through the times where you really want some junk food.

It will get easier, but at the same time don't beat yourself up if you slip. I started primal last year, then had a period of about 3-4 months where I really let it go, and now I've found that I have naturally gravitated back to this way of eating without much effort- it is just what sounds good and feels right for me. But it was a process, so be prepared that it may go that way for you too. Read MDA and the forums as often as you can, even if you fall off the wagon, it will help you get back on.

Best of luck to you!

[CiKi90]

I live with my absolutely NON-Primal boyfriend. He loves his coca-cola, Peter Pan peanut butter, Velveeta, pasta, baguettes, muffins, cereal, canned soup, dinner rolls, instant mashed potatoes, and even McDonald's from time to time. I've always known there's no way I could get him from eating grains, breads, and sugar, and I've accepted it. I even prepare every meal for him, so I handle all these non Primal foods on a daily basis. It was SO difficult at first. I'd try so hard not to just take one bite of his cereal, or nibble at the baguette as I was slicing it up, or "just taste" the mac n' cheese to make sure it was ok. I'll admit, I still lick the spoon when I make pb&j for him, but that's about it. As time went on, and I associated breads with stomach pain, "peasant food," and empty calories, it began to get less appealing. Now, as I slice bread, it seems lifeless and tasteless, like styrofoam. Toast is equated to cardboard, pasta is just so bland without sauce! I realized I never really liked the bread itself, but what was on/in the bread that made it so delicious.
What helped me in the very beginning was to make things that were just like what he was eating, without the non-Primal foods added in. If he was having pb&j, I'd have apple slices and almond butter drizzled with honey. If he was having spaghetti, I'd have spaghetti squash with homemade meaty pasta sauce. If he was having ice cream, I'd have a frozen banana with dark chocolate melted on. It felt amazing to know that I was being satisfied with every meal AND getting the nutrition that I needed along with it.
As for making him realize that this is the way to go, I've given up. He doesn't bother me about my food habits, and I don't bother him about them, either.

[valmason01]

Hmmm...you could have a pb&j or apple slices w/ almond butter drizzled in honey. I can't imagine there even being a contest there...

[CiKi90]

Hmmm...you could have a pb&j or apple slices w/ almond butter drizzled in honey. I can't imagine there even being a contest there...

It is no contest for either of us... He'd choose the sandwich every time, id choose the apple slices every time... Sometimes with almond butter, but these days I've been favoring coconut manna! Yummmm.

[Traveller]

Thanks guys!
Encouragement is something that I really need, and my family only gets annoyed at me.

By the way, today I turned down pizza! A piece was shoved in front of my face, and I accepted it, just through force of habit. I really just stared at it for a good 3-4 minutes, thinking about what I should do.
I took a tiny bite, while my brain was literally screaming at me to stop. I chewed, swallowed and thought about it for another 2 minutes, then I just plunked it down in front of my brother and walked off. I figured that I'd rather have a good day than just a good 5 minutes, because usually after eating something non-primal I get so depressed that I go and comfort myself with chocolate, muffins, or something equally as bad, and it ruins my entire day.
Right now I feel so darn happy!!!!!

[Annieh]

Woo hoo! Well done. A primal victory over bad non-primal habit.

Yay for a good day rather than a not-actually-very-good 5 minutes.

Truly, this will soon be even easier.