Help me find a diet for the most picky male ever

[Cherry]

My husband wants to eat clean, but he hates pretty much everything I eat. It's really important for me to help him, but I'm not coming up with much.

He pretty much eats only high fat proteins and carbs.
He hates pretty much every vegetable except for canned french cut green beans, corn, and Boston baked beans.
He loves sandwiches, but won't touch low cal mayo or mustard.
Will eat eggs, as long as it's the WHOLE egg.
Will eat a few chicken breasts, but won't stick with chicken unless it's got skin and dark meat.
Loves steak (of course) but that's out of my budget more than an occasional pan fried steak.
Fish he'll eat on occasion, but not as a regular part of his diet.
Won't touch ANPB or cottage cheese.
Tuna from a can is ok in a tuna salad, and I can sometimes hide low cal mayo in it.

He's 260 lbs, 6'2". BF probably dangerously high. Our schedule didn't allow for gym time for either of us this past semester, but he wants to get back in. He'll only do cardio, no weights without a workout partner - says he needs a spotter <picture me rolling my eyes>.

Any suggestions? Tips? Ways to bash sense into him?

Oh! I forgot to add, my most recent victory is getting him to switch from drinking 6L of diet coke a day to 2L of diet coke and 4L of water!

[daddarioc]

Keto is probably the easiest cutting diet I've ever followed (coming onto that from carb-cycling, which also was very easy to follow), and I enjoy the foods. If he can get past dropping the breads/pastas, he may find new love with bacon and cheese smothered burgers, I know I have

[clovely]

Originally Posted by Cherry

My husband wants to eat clean, but he hates pretty much everything I eat. It's really important for me to help him, but I'm not coming up with much.

He pretty much eats only high fat proteins and carbs.
He hates pretty much every vegetable except for canned french cut green beans, corn, and Boston baked beans.
He loves sandwiches, but won't touch low cal mayo or mustard.
Will eat eggs, as long as it's the WHOLE egg.
Will eat a few chicken breasts, but won't stick with chicken unless it's got skin and dark meat.
Loves steak (of course) but that's out of my budget more than an occasional pan fried steak.
Fish he'll eat on occasion, but not as a regular part of his diet.
Won't touch ANPB or cottage cheese.
Tuna from a can is ok in a tuna salad, and I can sometimes hide low cal mayo in it.

Oh, girl, that's not picky! My dh will only eat the canned green beans, wont do any condiments - plain all the way (which I guess is healthier but it's insanely picky for a grown man), NO eggs unless it's in a cake!, no fish at all, no peanut butter, cottage cheese . . . yea right, and would run from tuna salad!!

I know limited. But I guess I'm lucky that he's so picky that variety isn't an issue for him either. My dh does well to just balance protein and carbs (basically Body for Life or 40/40/20 although he's definitely not one to track specifics). He eats basically turkey sandwiches and an apple for lunch and chicken and green beans for dinner. His friend (who is a trainer and owns a supplement/vitamin shop) got him to start eating brown rice, hallelujah!

He does still think of Twizzlers as a carb and he has Captain Crunch every morning for breakfast. But he has gotten a lot better! In baby steps, he's actually come around to eating spinach salads which include spinach, croutons, bacon, and cheese - but, hey, it's spinach! If he'd eat it with chocolate sauce I'd be happy! The brown rice is a big step. I wish I had advice on the veggies. I saw a lady on a news program who has a book called "The Sneaky Chef" I'd like to get her book and try some of her things out - she sneaks pureed veggies into everything! It doesn't give recipes online so you have to buy the book but I haven't yet - I'd have to hide it!!

I feel your pain.

[thundergut]

Well, coming from a guy who used to be picky like your hubby...first question is...how does he respond to trickery?

Take your mayo, pour it out. Fill it with low fat or no fat mayo. See if he notices. If he asks about it, tell him you're trying new spices.

If he's big on steak and not on chicken or fish, I think the main thing is to find something he actually likes. Make him a deal. He tries 1 new fish a week (at least) and is 100% honest on whether he likes it or not. His reward? He gets something he wants. Be it a day to play video games, or whatever...he may want something else, but that's between ya'll :P A buddy of mine is strictly a red meat guy, but his wife got him to try different fishes and chicken prepared different ways. He's coming around, but it's taking time.

Whole egg is better than no egg, and depending on who you talk to, whole egg is better than just whites.

As for veggies, again, I'd say go with the new veggies and new preparations. I'll reference a buddy of mine again. He loves broccoli now (steamed) because his wife introduced him to it in a cheez-it casserole that was part of her weight-watchers diet. I was almost as amazed as she was.


Won't do weights w/o a spotter? Hmm, that might be a toughie, but if he sticks with machines and/or dumbbells, that shouldn't be a problem.

Remember that women have incredible mental powers. If you tell him that you want to see him trim rather than bulky, tell him you read in a magazine somewhere that higher reps and lower weight can achieve that look and his need for a spotter dissipates. Once he gets trim, you tell him you'd love it if he were a bit thicker in the chest and arms, and by then he's already hooked into the working out...so finding a partner or just going solo shouldn't be a problem.

Great call on the soda to water swap. Diet soda is better than regular soda, but water is #1. If he's anything like most guys I know, just make sure he has a water handy at all times (buy a case of bottled water for his office) and eventually even the diet soda will be "icky sweet" to him.

If all else fails, set him up for a dr. appt with a physical, with full body fat analysis, cholesterol, etc... I'm sure if he's as bad off as you think he is, the doctor will put some fear into him.

Good luck!

[DarinK]

I'm going to be real honest with you right now. Picky people are rarely successful at losing weight. When someone goes on a weight loss diet, the first thing that must change is the persons attitude toward food. Sacrifices must be made. For prolonged periods of time. That persons whole lifestyle must change. This is VERY difficult for some to accept. I have two close family members who need to lose weight, but they clearly aren't ready because their main complaints are they "don't like this", "don't like that". They have to have certain condiments with their food, they can't give up this or, "life is boring eating those things", etc. It gets old with them, and I don't even listen to them anymore, or offer any fitness advice because it clearly isn't that important to them. Your husband has to make a choice. How bad does he want this?

[Kanji4488]

well, like someone said, id try trickery....my dad is the same way.
switch some fat free cheese out for whole fat and see if he notices
if you do the cooking, contoll how much sauce he eats and how much bad ingrediats you put in
try whole grain white bread, not great, but better then nothing
try making him an omlet with eggs and some egg whites and see if he notices
he may only think he likes these things and with time will be able to come around
show him fitness books or articles or get someone knowladgable like a doctor or a trainer to explain working out to him

[TDetroit]

egg beater (get the store brand, name brand is too expensive). Give him an omelet every morning, he'll never know the dif.

He must like shrimp, everyone like shrimp. It's a fish, finding the right price requires you to be a grocery store savant.

Penut butter, read the labels to find the best one.

Grilled chicken breast, cut it in slices, and mix it with something flavorful.

Just get rid of the mayo, it's disgusting anyway. I've never understood why people will put that in their mouth, but they won't put _______ in their mouth!

Last but not least, the best cooks in the world are Italian, not French (spit). In Italy, the kitchen is no place for a man. If he doesn't like what you cook, hit him with the spatula. If he still gives you lip, hit him again, again, again... Eventually he will come around and eat what you tell him to eat (at least whenver you are around).

[TDetroit]

He (she) who does the shopping, decides what the family eats. If he wants to get excercise at the grocery store, more power to him. I doubt he'll take you up on the offer.

[Saturnal]

Originally Posted by dkf10425

I'm going to be real honest with you right now. Picky people are rarely successful at losing weight. When someone goes on a weight loss diet, the first thing that must change is the persons attitude toward food. Sacrifices must be made. For prolonged periods of time. That persons whole lifestyle must change. This is VERY difficult for some to accept. I have two close family members who need to lose weight, but they clearly aren't ready because their main complaints are they "don't like this", "don't like that". They have to have certain condiments with their food, they can't give up this or, "life is boring eating those things", etc. It gets old with them, and I don't even listen to them anymore, or offer any fitness advice because it clearly isn't that important to them. Your husband has to make a choice. How bad does he want this?

I agree with this. Before I started my cut back in November, I had always been extremely picky about food. I wouldn't eat any veggies except for corn, seriously. And basically, I just got over it. That's what he'll have to do if he wants to lose weight. It's his choice, and you can't make it for him. You can try to convince him to make the healthy choice, but ultimately he has to make it.

I also think tricking him might backfire on you if he found out. That could cause a lot of fights, and he might start eating worse than he does now. If I were you, I'd just buy the foods you think you and he should eat. Then if he wants other stuff, make him go out and get it on his own. I think being honest with him would be better than putting low-cal mayo in the regular mayo jar and stuff like that.

[SeanDon]

Originally Posted by Cherry

lots of stuff

i can't concentrate when that avatar is there. You did that on purpose right? ..

edit: i went back to try to answer your thread, but a lot of the answers you got are spot on. I was going to suggest you just making him a meal with all of these things he supposedly hates (the low fat mayo, etc) and see if he notices anything.

i don't think he would to be honest.

I can also think of other ways to get him to start eating what you make. She who has the gold, makes the rules....if you uh, know what i mean


edit #2: Tell him he can do anything for 6 days. Including a strict diet. Day 7 he can eat what he wants.

[Cherry]

Originally Posted by SeanDon

i can't concentrate when that avatar is there. You did that on purpose right? ..

edit: i went back to try to answer your thread, but a lot of the answers you got are spot on. I was going to suggest you just making him a meal with all of these things he supposedly hates (the low fat mayo, etc) and see if he notices anything.

i don't think he would to be honest.

I can also think of other ways to get him to start eating what you make. She who has the gold, makes the rules....if you uh, know what i mean


edit #2: Tell him he can do anything for 6 days. Including a strict diet. Day 7 he can eat what he wants.

Actually I did it as a facetious answer to someone who told me I would never put pics of myself up on BB.com because I had a poor self-image. I left it up because I'm a mom and therefore always behind the camera so I don't have any others.

Thanks for the help. I am working on changing his attitude towards food - it's hard to get others to see it as 'fuel' and not entertainment or emotional support.

[SeanDon]

Originally Posted by Cherry

Actually I did it as a facetious answer to someone who told me I would never put pics of myself up on BB.com because I had a poor self-image. I left it up because I'm a mom and therefore always behind the camera so I don't have any others.

Thanks for the help. I am working on changing his attitude towards food - it's hard to get others to see it as 'fuel' and not entertainment or emotional support.

I totally understand that. I've been in the same boat...i'd want to eat while watching movies, or eat when i'm upset...or heck just eat because i'm bored and i need something to do. I remember back in HS i'd come home and i'd rent some movies and then buy 3 or 4 burgers and just sit there and be a pig. It really disgusts me thinking back on it.

I think the only way someone can truly want to change, is if it starts to effect them in a real serious way. I was being shunned by my gf's family (they actually told me they didn't want me to go on holiday to visit their extended family, because i'd be laughed at), walking was becoming a bit of a pain....i'd never want to do anything.

I'm not exactly "there" yet, but after changing everything and working out and eating right (and still having that 1 day to myself) the reactions have been really good. My gf's family likes me now Anyways my point in all this is that it had a real effect on me personally.

Maybe if you try to relate it to something that would really bother him...could be anything really...he would *want* to change. If i were you i'd probably talk to him about the children and how they want daddy around for a long long time That'd work on me in that position.

[anandagirl]

Girl - I feel ya! My FI is not as resistant, BUT definitely COMPLAINS!!!! He is the typical let me eat 2-3 times a day and that's all I need. Always skips breakfast, High body fat, high cholesterol. I have to help him pack his food for the day, and he is always complaining I give him too much food. I bet the man was surviving on 1200 calories a day before i started working on his diet! DEF not eating "clean" yet, but trickery has worked to a certain extent, mostly with And asking him to (or shaming him into) just try new things, i.e. "just one bite and if you don't like it, you don't have to eat it." So we are slowly starting to add more variety of things he likes, and crossing the things he doesn't like off the list. Now if I could just get him to stop drinking... Good luck!