AIBU to do this (food related) in 2019?

[autumnnightsaredrawingin]

I have always struggled with my weight. It’s come to a real crunch point now and I need to sort it. Determined that 2019 will be the year I do this.

I know what I need to do. Eat less, move more, and address my binge eating cycle. Also cut right down on sugar as it is addictive for me and just not very good for anyone.

I have two school age DC. DS I can tell already has a very different build to me. He is very slim but not skinny and eats really well, although loves sweet stuff.

DD is a healthy, normal weight but is at the age where I started to gain weight massively, and I can already tell she is starting to put weight on. Not drastically, and part of it is the Christmas holidays and eating more rubbish over the holidays. She is a good eater though. She does a huge amount of sport at competitive level.

Anyway, my AIBU is, AIBU to not have any ‘crap’ at all in the house as a matter of course in the new year? So basically not to order in my shopping any crisps, biscuits, desserts, chocolates, dried fruit etc?

DC will have the normal healthy meals they already have and snacks will be healthy things. They both have a small box of Christmas chocolates left which they can have a couple of after their dinner?

It will also save lots of money, which we need to do. My thinking is that maybe the DC can go to the shop and buy one chocolate bar or pack of crisps if they really want it, but the idea is it’s not readily available and they won’t be eating it out of boredom...

I am lucky in that neither drink fizzy drinks or juice anyway. Is this reasonable do you think? Someone I mentioned it to said I was depriving my DC of things that can be part of a balanced diet because of my own issues...

Healthier for all of you I’d have said....

Not unreasonable at all. Is my plan for next year too!

Make those things a Saturday treat?

That's our plan too. My dd is very good with sweets etc but my ds would eat rubbish all day, every day. Not having it in will do us all good.

Sounds like a good plan and the way you’ve described them, your kids won’t miss the junk if it isn’t there ‘on tap’.

Go for it.

I think this is one of the reasons I am ‘naturally slim’. Not tiny but a solid size 8 (size six until I hit my 30’s). I grew up with cake/biscuits/crisps/etc being an occasional thing. I rarely buy that sort of stuff now - it simply doesn’t occur to DH or me to go down that aisle when we shop. I don’t miss it or feel deprived and I do have treats (usually wine).

Obviously there are other reasons too but I think just never having snacking or junk food as a normal thing plays a big part

I am also a solid size 8 (have been since I was a teen) and didn’t have any junk readily available at home growing up. My mum wouldn’t buy crisps or chocolates ever when doing a shop, biscuits occasionally but we would only have a few.

Once I got older and had my own money I would buy junk occasionally but not often as I wasn’t in the habit of eating it and now that I have my own place, I don’t shop for it unless DH wants some. Unlike me, he grew up with loads of chocolate and crisps and will eat a whole packet of biscuits in one sitting despite being very healthy otherwise.

I have never felt deprived, what a ridiculous idea! In fact, as a children’s nurse, I would say that’s a very smart move, you’re teaching them to self regulate from a young age and not rely on junk food to always be readily available to eat out of boredom/convenience.

Good plan OP. I have a cadburys selection box and a couple of odd chocolate bars that if not eaten before New Years will be put into the snack cupboard in the kitchen for my mum. When I go back to uni I'll take my lindt chocolates as I'm far less likely to binge on them as they're so sweet and indulgent I only want one, whereas with cadburys I finish one and then look to see what's next.

We have been doing that since September. Kids don’t complain.

I did this, if my dc want a treat, its a run to the shops and one thing bought no multipacks in my home as it’s just asking for trouble

Go for it... sounds sensible. I don't believe in self control (well, I do to a point...) but I believe the key to self control isn't steel clad will power, it's changing your environment. If you don't have it in the house in the first place, you've won 95% of the battle against the snack demons . Live by the dictum that "party food is for parties". Don't forget that most processed food, ready meals, yoghurt and cereals etc are high in sugar, even if they're not obviously desserty/treat food. And things like maple syrup/honey/fruit juice have exactly the same metabolic effect on the body as standard sugar, even though they're natural.

www.toddleabout.co.uk/blog/sugar-the-silent-killer-how-to-wean-your-child-off-their-addiction-to-the-sweet-stuff/

Your idea is spot on, good luck 🤞

Sounds brilliant! I would say ensure there are sometimes treats allowed but let the DC know what you're doing.

I think it’s a great idea! You’re not depriving the kids—no one needs that stuff anyway. I only allow myself to have treats outside the house so if I want a piece of cake or whatever I will actually go to a cafe and eat it there. It means no temptation in the house, makes the treat more special and less frequent because it’s a bigger effort to get it and yet still allows me to have the treats I like on occasion so I’m not actually depriving myself, just changing the rules. Honestly it’s really changed my eating habits and since I quit sugar I don’t even crave the sweet things I used to eat daily.

In our house, sweets, ice cream etc are for puddings only and bought with their pocket money. The reason for this is finances. I couldn't afford to buy these things and give them pocket money. Of course, at Christmas, this has gone out the window. Sweets etc were bought with Nectar points. On top of this, DD won a huge hamper in the school raffle and a relative gave us loads of foodie treats for Christmas. There are only 4 of us, and 2 are children!

Of course it’s fine!

A bag of crisps or a biscuit are nice but shouldn’t be an everyday thing so I don’t see the problem with not buying them for the house. Going forward Presumably you could buy them a biscuit etc if out in a cafe or whatever? That way it still wouldn’t be in the home

I think with dc saying NO sweets/cakes/pop ever isn’t a healthy attitude but your not doing that, they will still have Christmas sweets etc just you won’t be buying any extra in the shop

Even when I was a child I was only allowed sweets on a Saturday and birthday/Christmas. Crisps only in my lunch on a Friday, They were not an everyday thing like they are for many now hence the child obesity rate

It will also save lots of money, which we need to do.
I fully admire your new year plan but I’m not sure it would save me money. Regrettably I usually buy and let my DCs eat too many crisps/cakes/biscuits. Half the problem is they are so cheap I buy them! What healthy alternatives are you planning that will work out less expensive? Also, not all puddings are unhealthy for children surely? A small portion of rice pudding/jelly/ice cream/custard would be ok I would have thought. Good luck with it all.

Def not U. We do that. We do have a treat day once a week when we have dessert so don't feel deprived. Watch a few documentaries on sugar amd you will feel U to be buying junk food.

This is esssntially how I was brought up, and what I do as an adult/parent.

I don't buy crisps, sweets, chocolate, juice etc as part of my weekly shop. The children (3 and 5) know Friday is 'treat day' and will suggest in advance what they'd like; ice cream, lolly, little chocolate, occasionally McDonalds.

Like my mother did, I do bake regularly and we have ice creams, tea&scone etc if we're out on a weekend. And I don't police party food.

It's just how it is, and they don't seem to think they're deprived. I've got age on my side though!

Someone I mentioned it to said I was depriving my DC of things that can be part of a balanced diet because of my own issues I bet they wouldn't be saying that about anchovies, for example, or olives, or Brussels sprouts.

A small portion of rice pudding/jelly/ice cream/custard would be ok I would have thought They all of them come into the category of "nice to have but not necessary" and they're all quite high in sugar.The best thing you can do for your children is not to allow them to develop a craving for high sugar levels.

This is how I was brought up too. I still find it odd when DH puts crisps/biscuits in the online shop just for snacks...to me they are food you buy when expecting visitors or for a party! I was also allowed to buy a treat in town on Saturday mornings (usually plumped for a small bag of Woolworths pic'n'mix - those were the days!).

Are there any biscuits or chocolates you don’t like, but your children do? My mother used to buy Jaffa Cakes when we were little as she didn’t like them and wouldn’t be tempted, but we could still have a treat now and again.

Not unreasonable at all. I keep the amount of crap I buy to a minimum, it stops me eating so much rubbish and my DD’s attitude to it is very take it or leave it. I also keep it out of sight and reach (she’s only 6). If she’s given sweets when we’re out (Christmas - every shop seemed to have a box of chocs by the till!) she doesn’t even eat them, she asks to put them in her sweetie jar where they often languish for a long time!

Another thing I do is buy a certain amount of something treatsome in the weekly shop, and tell her when it’s gone it’s gone. Her favourite is melt in the middle chocolate puddings - luckily I don’t like them! I buy a pack of two per week and she can choose when she has them, but she knows that’s it. She usually saves them until the weekend and often forgets to have one or both. Because there’s stuff left over from Christmas, I’ve told her I’m not going to buy any until all that’s gone - will probably take until Easter! Same with juice, I’ll buy one carton a week and when it’s gone it’s gone (we share that). There’s always fruit, veg, crackers, oatcakes, she likes those fruit purée pots - I top those things up through the week as needed and she can/does have them for snacks.

TBH I’ve noticed that she hardly ever asks for a snack these days, so I don’t push them on her - she can help herself to fruit/veg/crackers if she’s peckish but doesn’t often. She eats three square meals a day.

She is allowed treats when we’re out, so if we’re in a cafe she can choose whatever revolting cake she wants, or a sticky dessert if we eat out. We hardly eat out though.

Sounds good but I'd echo what a pp said that I don't think it'll save money as it'll be replaced with something else. E.g. I try to keep DD's snacks healthy so I get loads of different types of fruit, oat bars, fruit bars, natural yoghurt, etc. The fresh fruit and the bars can be pretty expensive. Worth it, though. When I have time, I batch cook some fruity oat things which work out quite cheap but I often buy things for convenience.