Help me support my husband

[Felicitas]

My husband and I are doing induction together. I started March 30th; he started this past Monday, so this is his fourth day. I have about 60 pounds to lose and he has 125 - 150 to lose at minimum (he's 6'3" and weighs around 380). He is doing well on the actual diet so far. He's eating the right stuff and he isn't getting hungry. But psychologically, he is having a terrible time. He is a sugar-as-comfort food kind of person, and he is extremely depressed and a little resentful that Easter Sunday is coming up - and it's his sister's birthday as well - and he is going to have to refrain from his beloved Easter cake and candy. Also, his weight according to the scale hasn't budged, and he is depressed about that. His face is smaller and his shirts are noticeably looser but he thinks I am just trying to make him feel better when I tell him that.

How can I help him through this?

[imagood1]

You need to get his measurements as soon as possible so you can prove to him that there are changes going on in his body. I'm sure within a few days he'll show a good loss - but if not, you'll be able to show him the change with the measurements.

When I first started the pounds just weren't dropping like some people I read about, but by the end of the first two month I had lost 27 inches -- that's nothing to shake a stick at! I was amazed that a few pounds were gone but more inches than I dreamed possible were gone.

Also, make sure there are things for both of you to eat when you go to the Easter Birthday party. You might want to microwave some cream cheese (watch your total for the day of cheese) add some vanilla and a Splenda packet - it tastes like pudding and might make his demeanor a little "sweeter"....there are other things you can make that area sweet - try the recipe sites for some.

He needs to understand that after a few days his sweet tooth will go away and like so many of the others of us you will be able to sit in the middle of the candy aisle at the grocery store and it won't bother him. He just has to get the carb demons out of his system first. He needs to want to do this WOE for it to completely work for him. Have him get on the site and talk to some of the guys who are here...I'm sure they would welcome another fellow since there are more women than men who post here.

Good luck to you both -- just stick to the plan, it works and he will feel so much better in a few days.

[sallyseachange]

Carole is right... he needs to measure. The tape measure is way more reliable as a guage of weight loss than the scales. They can often take a while to catch up, but the tape measure doesn't lie.

[Felicitas]

Ladies ... thank you!
I was poking around the site and quickly found two "fun" things he can eat which perked him up ... pork rinds and the "egg nog shake" mentioned on the extended induction forum. He LOVES egg nog and the mere suggestion that he could have an egg nog-like concoction for breakfast put a light in his eye.
Now to get him through Sunday ... if his mother and sister don't try to sabotage him it should be OK, but we can't trust them to keep their mouths shut!

[Georgiana]

Originally Posted by Felicitas

Now to get him through Sunday ... if his mother and sister don't try to sabotage him it should be OK, but we can't trust them to keep their mouths shut!

You could prepare some desserts and snacks to bring at the party, so that none of you will feel left out. Do you know what food will be served? Will there be veggies, cheese or meat?

Maybe you can find some inspiration on these websites:
Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes - Home
Low Carb Luxury: A Complete Resource for the Low Carb Dieter.

[barbecuer]

Hi Felicitas.

I am a big guy and a sucker for sweets too. Family get togethers can really be one of the most difficult things to overcome. Walking into a family get together on Atkins is like a drug adict walking into an all you can use crack house. Rolls, breaded chicken, sweet dressings, ice cream cake, etc. One thing I do is make sure I contribute an atkins friendly main dish. That way, I know I at least have veggies and meat. The other thing I do is once we sing happy b-day and the cake is being served, I get away. I go outside for a stroll or to another part of the house. I do not in any way want to be anti-social, but the 1/2 hour away from the family while they eat dessert is a much better option that me not participating in the parties at all.

[BigSmooth]

Originally Posted by barbecuer

Hi Felicitas.

I am a big guy and a sucker for sweets too. Family get togethers can really be one of the most difficult things to overcome. Walking into a family get together on Atkins is like a drug adict walking into an all you can use crack house. Rolls, breaded chicken, sweet dressings, ice cream cake, etc. One thing I do is make sure I contribute an atkins friendly main dish. That way, I know I at least have veggies and meat. The other thing I do is once we sing happy b-day and the cake is being served, I get away. I go outside for a stroll or to another part of the house. I do not in any way want to be anti-social, but the 1/2 hour away from the family while they eat dessert is a much better option that me not participating in the parties at all.

I agree, I rather walk away or bring my own food so I wont be "anti social"

PS Barbecuer

Yesterday I made myself some low carb southern succor rub. I got a couple butts and a picnic shoulder i'm smoking tomorrow

[barbecuer]

Originally Posted by BigSmooth

I agree, I rather walk away or bring my own food so I wont be "anti social"

PS Barbecuer

Yesterday I made myself some low carb southern succor rub. I got a couple butts and a picnic shoulder i'm smoking tomorrow

Post some pics for sure!

[IrishIrish]

I used to bring my own food to family gatherings so I would know what was "safe" for me to eat when I began Atkins. Soon after, my family would request the faux-tatoes or the crustless quiche or my mix of veggie sautes.

My approach on the sweet cravings is just to step away from all things with sugar ... even the fake stuff made with Splenda. If you have been an emotional eater and reward your cravings, the problem isn't so much what you eat, but how you respond to the craving. It is a behavior that you are going to repeat over and over again and you will lose weight and regain it and will lose so much time being healthy and conquering the cravings.

We will always pass by a fast food place, or see food in the workplace or go out with friends and be tempted by just one little bite ... best thing is to learn your triggers and come up with a solution for dealing with it ... no responding to it.

[Felicitas]

Well, we got through it fine! I took some ingredients to make a flaxmeal muffin for my husband to have while the birthday cake was being served. (I know the flaxmeal muffin probably isn't great for induction, but I figured it was a whole heck of a lot better than having him have to watch everyone eating cake and possibly giving in to the temptation.) His sister started in on the diet as soon as we got there and threw every misconception about Atkins at us that she could, then argued when we corrected her.
"So you're not eating any carbs at all for how long? You know if you do that long enough you'll die!" "I think it's just really unhealthy to not eat bread." And my personal favorite, "You know, Dr. Atkins died from a heart attack." That was one she really didn't want to stop arguing about.
But, my husband was able to shrug it off and make it through the day!