Losing Weight While Maintaining Normal Family Meals

One of the questions I am most frequently asked is, "Do you eat different foods than the rest of your family?"  The short answer is, "Yes and no."

When I changed my lifestyle, I didn't tell people.  I didn't want scrutiny and pressure, and I didn't want people to feel awkward around me.  I wanted the freedom to eat what I wanted, when I wanted, and without judgment.  It was important to me that my kids not see me as being obsessed with calorie counting.  Children and adolescents are extremely impressionable, and it pains me greatly to hear moms obsess about weight in front of their kids, especially their daughters.  They are setting an example that will be permanent in the minds of their children.

Meals that I cook at home are typically a meat, a veggie or two, and a starch.  My plate will usually have a serving of meat, a double or triple serving of veggies, and a tiny (if at all) serving of the starchy food, depending on my caloric intake that particular day.  If I do a one-dish meal that is more fattening, I may fix myself something different.  It is still important to sit down together and focus on the fellowship, not on the difference in what is on our plate.  My kids know that they are growing and it is important for them to eat many more calories than I.  I stress the fact that I would like them to eat mostly healthy foods, but that I will in no way restrict the amount of food they take in.

It is possible to lose weight while raising a family.  It is beneficial to the family to see healthier options available to them.  Several times, my kids have seen me prepare something fresh and healthy for myself and they have been enticed by the beauty or the scent of the food.  They have tried and sometimes enjoyed foods that would not have even been in the house had I not changed my habits.