Is this enough food?

[Babysafari]

This is what me and dh had for dinner. A whole baked potato each with butter, grated cheese, 1/2 a tin of beans each and 1/2 a tub of coleslaw plus 1/2 a bag of scampi each.

Dh is still starving but is very overweight and wants to cut back. He'd usually have a whole bag of scampi to himself.

Before anyone tells me off I know it's not the healthiest meal but it has to be something quick and easy on Mondays and it was what I fancied.

[LadyAntonella]

Oh yes and I agree with above. Though it's not a healthy choice of meal and probably is too big especially if you're trying to lose weight, it's not exactly shucking amounts of food. I'm sure your average person puts away double the calories at Xmas dinner or if they go on a big night out on the lash followed by takeaway. I think it's as babyganoush said a few pages back.

[LadyAntonella]

*shocking amounts not shucking

[Frazzled2207]

Wow I think you have the right ideas OP but your dh is now used to eating until he's stuffed which is IMO the problem.
I had to train myself to eat until nicely satisfied- I used to eat till full and was overweight. It's hard work but as pp said the motivation has to come from him.
What about a health check at the gp and some gentle "threats" about what might happen if he doesn't do something?

[user1465023742]

A whole bag of scampi to himself? Disgusting gluttony!

[Babysafari]

Ill try to add more protein and veggies/salad to all of our meals.

Btw I had some tiny plates from Asda for this very reason and dh binned them!

[LadyAntonella]

he binned them? That's so silly! Why would he self sabotage like that? He sounds like he doesn't care about his health at the minute for some reason it is that a bit harsh?

[LadyAntonella]

*or is that a bit harsh (new phone auto"correcting" me).

[gamerchick]

That's what I do frazzled eat until satisfied. You're not supposed to eat until full or stuffed.

My husbands similar to yours OP feeling deprived if not given a big portion, its took years to train him down to smaller plates and we're still not there yet,

[BarbaraofSeville]

I'm really surprised by the people say thats loads? And they'd be stuffed after half of it? Do people really get stuffed after one potato? I've a bmi of 21 (size 8-10) and tbh that dinner sounds fine for me

It's not just one potato though is it? Going by the rest of the portions described, it's reasonable to assume that the potato is not tiny, maybe it is one of those baking potatoes sold in bags of 4?

Then there is all the toppings and other things. Normally you would just have one of these, so butter and cheese OR beans OR coleslaw, or maybe scampi and chips that are equivalent to the potato.

And half a tin of beans is really a lot to put on a potato or have as a portion when there are other things in the meal too. Half a tin of beans would be the right amount if they were the main part of the meal, eg beans on toast, not as a side dish, where you would share between 3 or 4. Same for coleslaw.

[Degustibusnonestdisputandem]

It's a lot of food if you're trying to lose weight, but I'd happily eat it for a meal (5'9" size 12, greedy!)

[fourquenelles]

I have lost 5 and a half stone so far on Slimming World. I know you said you can't persuade him to go to meetings but you can use the basic principals. Use fry lite instead of oil for cooking. Limitless pasta, rice, potatoes, cous cous etc but cut out the butter, cream etc. Limitless vegetables and fruit. Limitless lean meat and fish (not smoked mackerel though). Look for less than 5% fat mince and all meat sausages/burgers. Drink at least 4 pints of water (you can flavour it) a day. I eat huge portions. I am very rarely "hungry" and then it may be that I just need to drink some more. I still have treats but I am mindful of what I eat these days (no more boxes of Magnums in one sitting!).

[bumbleymummy]

"Normally you would just have one of these, so butter and cheese OR beans OR coleslaw"

Really? I think two toppings is fairly standard.

[DataColour]

My DH would eat that much food and eat again near bedtime (but he would not eat things like baked beans or scampi). But he cycles 20miles a day and is on his feet all day long too. He is skinny.

I would eat the baked potato, 1/2 tin beans, cheese, small portion of coleslaw and that would be just right for me, preferbaly with a green salad too. I wouldn't eat the scampi as it's mostly breadcrumbs. I'm a size 6/8.

[Spottyladybird]

I make slaw instead of coleslaw.
Grated carrot, cabbage, spring onion. Mix with soy sauce and white wine vinegar and season. Leave for 10 minutes. Eat! Filling without the calories.

[KatieHopkinsAteMyHamster99]

Your DH needs to take responsibility for his weight OP, not you. I mean it in the nicest possible way, obviously it's good that you want to help him but long term he has to find his own "diet" that suits him to lose weight, not rely on you or what will happen as soon as he is out without you? He needs to take control of his own eating. Can you encourage him to do his own reading on the subject. There are some good suggestions on this thread . The Blood Sugar Diet website is really good I think for a straightforward explanation of why low carbing works.

[BuggersMuddle]

I like a baked potato with beans & cheese, but would probably just have it with a side salad. It's not a topping I would personally choose when actively trying to lose weight. I'm not sure what size half a bag of scampi is, so can't really comment on whether that's loads or not.

We do really big crunchy salads as they take ages to eat (my 'full' switch is a bit faulty at times so I do tend to ). Also make things like our own celeriac coleslaw (pretty quick if you have a food processor) which gives more control over the amount of added fat.

The other thing I've found helpful is eating more pulse based veggie dishes like bean bakes, chick pea stews, veggie chilli. I find the pulses mean I feel full, but because a lot of the food is not calorie dense, a portion is a fairly big plateful of food. Dried are cheaper, but a lot of dishes can be flung together using tinned beans / chick peas fairly quickly.

YMMV if he likes his meat, but I know other people 'cut' traditional meat based dishes with lentils / more veg to reduce fat / calories.