“I Live With A Feeder”
I hear this a lot from clients – particularly those trying to lose fat, or just generally be a bit healthier.
If your other half or housemate wants to bake all day and order takeaway, it can feel like a constant mental battle, and like a lot of the control is taken away from you.
Your willpower will only get you so far, and by the end of the day it’s quite possibly disappeared.
So what can you do?
1) Talk to them
I appreciate this might be easier said than done, but it’s the best option in the long run. Realistically if you want to make longterm changes and stick with them, you’re going to need the support of the people you’re around the most.
Explain how you feel.
Ask for their support.
Make sure they know WHY you’re doing it, and HOW they can help you along the way.
2) Fast in the morning
Wake up, have a black coffee (appetite suppressant) and keep busy til lunch.
Eat those calories you’ve saved later in the day, when your willpower is depleting, without the guilt of over-eating.
You might not be eating any healthier if you spend those calories on carrot cake, but you’ll have a better chance of being in a calorie deficit. If weight loss is the goal (particularly if your current weight is putting your health at risk) then it’s one way to get there.
Not necessarily a long term option, but maybe enough to help your live-in Feeder see the results of your efforts and realise it’s important to you.
3) Set A ‘Junk’ Budget
For example, 3 snacks a day or 400kcal – find your number.
You only get them once you’ve had at least 5 fruit and veg or have your daily protein planned in.
Most of us are more likely to snack later in the day, when willpower is running low.
If you’ve set a few realistic rules in place, you can reduce the guilt that’s bound to creep in if you have those snacks later in the day, and you’ve allowed yourself to eat them.
4) Eat from a smaller plate
Let them fill it, but no second helpings.
If portion control is tricky in your house, this is a quick easy win.
5) Get them a high protein recipe book
It’ll make you fuller quicker, and if you know to stop when you’re full, you’re laughing (and probably not snacking!).
Protein is the most satiating macronutrient – that means it makes you feel full.
It also supports your immune system, and muscle repair after exercise.
Filling up on lean protein (plus bonus points for filling the rest of your stomach with super-healthy but low-calorie veg) should see you less likely to reach for unhealthy snacks, AND help you stick to a calorie budget if weight loss is a goal.
What About Making It Work For You?
That’s just 5 ideas that might work, but there are loads more options. Whatever you do, it needs to work for you and your individual circumstances. That’s where I come in 😉
If you’d like a hand, book in for a Free Coaching Call, with no obligation to sign up to anything. We can bounce some ideas around and I can give you advice that’s based on whatever you’re happy to tell me about your life:
Book a Free Coaching Call: http://www.calendly.com/sallyecclesfitness/coaching-call
For Personal Training info: https://sallyecclesfitness.co.uk/in-person-personal-training/
For Online Training info: https://sallyecclesfitness.co.uk/online-pt/