Family Eating Habits

[Davein]

I am slowly changing my diet as I understand low carbs are the key to low BGs.But I'm starting to realise how my condition affects the rest of my family. They have stopped buying treats. No cakes, rice. chocolates. Making meals is now a two choice menu for them meaning if they want high carb 'ingredients' it means more preparation, more pots and pans. I do find 'secret' small stashes of sweets and chocolates in cupboards I usually don't go to,
Whilst in general it may be helping them not to overload with sugar I don't think it's fair on them.
I understand how diabetes is a game changer for myself it shouldn't be for the rest of the family.
I wonder how others cope.

 

[SadhbhFiadh]

I hide things from my husband, 6 feet tall, by just using a low shelf. If he were to bend over to look, I would have no hiding places at all!

But if he doesn't like what's on his plate, his fall back is Quorn sausages and potatoes. He doesn't feel it's a meal without potatoes.

 

[Mark T]

Are they avoiding the high carb stuff because they feel guilty that you can’t have any? Or because if it is there, you will be tempted?

As a general rule, as long as it all cooks together (rather than having to prepare separate meals for everyone) we don’t really change the foods. If we are having potatoes, I’ll have a much smaller portion of potatoes but I’ll still be having it. If they have breaded chicken, I’ll have a non-breaded chicken breast that can cook in the oven for the same time and temperature.

It’s only pudding where we often change a bit, they might have cake or ice cream, I’ll have sugar free jelly or perhaps a square of dark chocolate. I don’t mind them having carby things. I don’t get tempted, I know what it will do to my BG levels.

I'm the one that generally does the cooking btw. My wife does the prep.

 

[Stitch147]

Its just me and my other half at home. He still has his sweets and chocolate in the house and it doesn't bother me. Why should he be denied things that I wont/cant have. I don't do really low carb, as I find it very difficult to stick to, but I have reduced the amount that I have. So we still eat pasta, rice and potatoes, I just have a lot less than before. I cook the meals anyway and he will just eat whatever I put in front of him. I have my snacks in the cupboard that he generally leaves alone, but if he fancies it he has it but then gets me more so that I have something in that I can snack on.

 

[Beck S]

My housemate and I have always shared meals, I cook, and by default she's generally adopted my new diet - I do cook potatoes for her sometimes as it's not fair for her to miss out on them, but she's happy not to have them. She still eats cake and sweets, but just not as much I think as before. I make sure my friends know that I don't really care of they carry on eating the good stuff around me, I genuinely don't.

 

[Drummer]

I have been low carbing for longer than I have been married. The children grew up with a small amount of extra carbs, mostly added to the same meals I ate, and are now tall slender adults. I can always pick out my offspring in the school photos. It isn't genetic - I am about a foot shorter than my son. My husband is of average height, our daughter is taller than him.
It will do people no harm at all for their carb consumption to go down a bit.

 

[Mark Parrott]

Me & my wife tend to eat exactly the same things. She enjoys the food I prepare & doesn't miss the carbs (so she says). Though when I'm out on Thursday evenings she will usually have a jacket spud or a ready meal. She has her treats too & although it reminds me of what I can't eat, I don't have a problem with it. I have my own treats.

 

[Davein]

Are they avoiding the high carb stuff because they feel guilty that you can’t have any? Or because if it is there, you will be tempted?

As a general rule, as long as it all cooks together (rather than having to prepare separate meals for everyone) we don’t really change the foods. If we are having potatoes, I’ll have a much smaller portion of potatoes but I’ll still be having it. If they have breaded chicken, I’ll have a non-breaded chicken breast that can cook in the oven for the same time and temperature.

It’s only pudding where we often change a bit, they might have cake or ice cream, I’ll have sugar free jelly or perhaps a square of dark chocolate. I don’t mind them having carby things. I don’t get tempted, I know what it will do to my BG levels.

I'm the one that generally does the cooking btw. My wife does the prep.

Thanks Mark.
I think it's partly because they feel guilty, I am no longer tempted to eat food I consider to be bad for myself. I look at fancy cakes or tins of sweets and regard them as pure poison to me. I certainly feel no loss for not eating sugar loaded foods. I'm generally having smaller portions and any food that I consider unsuitable doesn't get put on my plate. I don't like being awkward when having meals at friend's houses so generally just ask for smaller portions and decline any sweet course. I'm slowly finding out which foods/meals can keep my BG levels low, it's just a matter of experimenting. Dave.

 

[Davein]

Its just me and my other half at home. He still has his sweets and chocolate in the house and it doesn't bother me. Why should he be denied things that I wont/cant have. I don't do really low carb, as I find it very difficult to stick to, but I have reduced the amount that I have. So we still eat pasta, rice and potatoes, I just have a lot less than before. I cook the meals anyway and he will just eat whatever I put in front of him. I have my snacks in the cupboard that he generally leaves alone, but if he fancies it he has it but then gets me more so that I have something in that I can snack on.

Hi Stitch,
Thanks for your reply. I really love your line 'he will eat whatever I put in front of him' as that's exactly what I used to do in pre diabetes days. Dave

 

[JMyrtle]

Turn this on its head!
My husband's uncle was diagnosed three or four years ago.
His aunt refuses point blank to change their diet because "they know people who are on diabetes drugs and can eat exactly as they did before so that is what we do".
At his last review his levels were so high he now has to see the nurse once a week for an insulin injection but he is still eating the same crisps, sweets and biscuits as he was before and she does nothing to stop him or hide these things away..
Apparently because I am determined to beat my diabetes with diet and changed dramatically what I eat "I am playing at being a martyr".
Luckily my husband is supportive and I have an extra portion of veg or a much small portion of rice, pasta or potatoes.

 

[Davein]

Turn this on its head!
My husband's uncle was diagnosed three or four years ago.
His aunt refuses point blank to change their diet because "they know people who are on diabetes drugs and can eat exactly as they did before so that is what we do".
At his last review his levels were so high he now has to see the nurse once a week for an insulin injection but he is still eating the same crisps, sweets and biscuits as he was before and she does nothing to stop him or hide these things away..
Apparently because I am determined to beat my diabetes with diet and changed dramatically what I eat "I am playing at being a martyr".
Luckily my husband is supportive and I have an extra portion of veg or a much small portion of rice, pasta or potatoes.

None so blind as those who cannot see. My partner's mother died of complications with diabetes. She did very little to control her diet.She went totally blind and her organs failed and she died of a heart attack. I don't understand why some people are so complacent with their health.

 

[Bloden]

Hubby usually does the cooking. He’s adjusted his recipes to accommodate my needs and he cooks 3 times the carb option - I have a third, he has 2 thirds - which works fine.

What does get on my nerves tho is his constant snacking. Straight after a meal it’s out with the crisps, biscuits, chocolate and he grazes, grazes, grazes...I don’t say anything cos, as @Stitch147 so rightly says, why should he be denied? It IS hard though...I’d like to indulge in a little grazing now and then! My solution? Every now and then I have a meal that resembles a snacking session...it seems to do the trick.🙂

 

[MikeTurin]

Living by myself during the weekdays the problem arises for me too when on the weekends I visit my parents.
I've tried and stated explicitly that the only special thing I like is some lettuce and vegetables to make a salad, then I'll simply don't eat some food and eat some others. I have to stop to propose dishes because she makes them especially for me and not for she and my dad.

 

[mikeyB]

Mrs B eats the same as me, cos I do all the cooking. The only time I prepare different meals is when I fancy haggis or liver, nether of which she likes.

 

[Davein]

Hubby usually does the cooking. He’s adjusted his recipes to accommodate my needs and he cooks 3 times the carb option - I have a third, he has 2 thirds - which works fine.

What does get on my nerves tho is his constant snacking. Straight after a meal it’s out with the crisps, biscuits, chocolate and he grazes, grazes, grazes...I don’t say anything cos, as @Stitch147 so rightly says, why should he be denied? It IS hard though...I’d like to indulge in a little grazing now and then! My solution? Every now and then I have a meal that resembles a snacking session...it seems to do the trick.🙂

And I guess there is always our heaven and hell sugary sweet moments during our hypos to look forward to- or not

 

[Bloden]

And I guess there is always our heaven and hell sugary sweet moments during our hypos to look forward to- or not

Savour that Jelly Baby, Davein...mmm.

 

[Davein]

Savour that Jelly Baby, Davein...mmm.

Too right Bloden....one of the few upsides of this condition🙂

 

[scousebird]

I do the shopping & I do the cooking so OH & DD get what's put in front of them

Joking aside, OH is also diabetic & DD has PCOS so is at risk so we are all low carbing to a certain degree, me more than them. I can't control what they eat outside of the house though so that's up to them but DD has stopped eating crisps.

 

[Davein]

I do the shopping & I do the cooking so OH & DD get what's put in front of them

Joking aside, OH is also diabetic & DD has PCOS so is at risk so we are all low carbing to a certain degree, me more than them. I can't control what they eat outside of the house though so that's up to them but DD has stopped eating crisps.

I understand that there is an increased risk of T2 with PCOS and in a 'fortunate' way with both you and OH having diabetes you all have a mutual interest in eating wisely and can encourage each other.

 

[scousebird]

I understand that there is an increased risk of T2 with PCOS and in a 'fortunate' way with both you and OH having diabetes you all have a mutual interest in eating wisely and can encourage each other.

Exactly 🙂