To refuse to cook low carb meals for DH

[AhBiscuits]

I do the cooking. We're both happy with this arrangement, DH does more than his share of other household chores.

From time to time DH will decide he needs to go on a health kick. He's not overweight but still wants to lose a few lbs. He'll ask me to give him smaller portions and ask me to give him no carbs. Often this is fine and I can just give him more meat and vegetables, but once or twice a week I might make a pasta dish and there really isn't a low carb option. I'd have to make him something else. I would do this except that every evening, without fail, he will snack on bread and butter, crackers or sweets. I bought a giant bag of fizzy gummy worms last week and he has eaten all of them over the course of a week. I'm not putting myself out making a special meal, even though cooking is my chore, for him to just eat loads of carbs anyway. He says at least he would be having fewer if he wasn't having them at dinner too. I just think it's a waste of time, eat proper dinners and stop eating loads of shit in the evening.

Nope. That is crazy town. If he wants something else he can make it.

I was going to say YABU until I saw the snacking on sweets thing. If you're genuine happy with the division of labour otherwise, and he was making genuine efforts on his health then it's not really that difficult to chuck a bit of salmon or chicken in the oven and he can gave that with whatever veg or salad you're having with pasta. But as he's not really trying it's pointless anyway. I'd tell him basically that but, as I said, I would accommodate it if he was doing it properly.

I don’t think Mumsnet approves of people searching up other people’s past posts and bringing them into current threads.

What a ridiculous argument that if you put in the effort to make something special he could eat a load of crackers and sweets!
I wouldnt be doing it either. He's not doing low carb at all.

I don't think taking Wegovy suddenly means you don't have to cook dinner for the rest of the family! If it does, I'm getting some.

YANBU @AhBiscuits . That would annoy me so much!

Yes.
And?

Next time he talks about wanting low carb option I would ask him how him eating all giant bag of fizzy gummy worms last week supports this.

Sounds like he’s taking for granting that you’re cooking every night and sees as you his bloody chef.

I do low carb but I do it properly and it’s relentless. No sneaky bites of anything unless a special occasion.

Like fuck would I be making special
meals for a twat stuffing his gob with bread and sweets every night.

I think it’s time he cooked 2 x a week to understand what’s involved in making meals.

He can cook himself an omelette.

Why would that mean no carbs? Do you understand a calorie deficit?

Wow what did you say just then? That was a super quick deletion by MN!

Does he give you plenty of notice or on the day he wants it?

I sympathise slightly with him as a serial keto-er I fail as much as succeed, especially in the first few days. If he skips carbs in one meal he may be getting big cravings immediately afterwards and struggles to control himself. But you keep doing it in the hope you can resist next time.

None of this means you are obligated to cook specifically for him.

I would ensure there were plenty of options available. Tinned tuna and mayo is a really good non perishable option. Then just point him at the kitchen.

Annoying your own weight loss journey has been brought up its kind of irrelevant. Well done for that though!

I agree with you that as he's not actually low carbing I wouldn't go out of my way and cook him something else.

You could suggest he buy some low carb pasta though, like a pea protein pasta, then he could have that and it resolved the issue.

I think he needs to come up with an easy and quick low carb staple meal that he can make for himself when the rest of you are having pasta or similar.

I'd go for something like an omelette but he could also keep some fish in the freezer ready to go

There are better options than high carb pasta for you both. Buy wholemeal spaghetti and brown rice. Add a boiled egg in with the pasta for him then fish it out, peel it and cut it to add to pasta.
Double the vegies for DH for every meal.

I would never have bags of lollies in the house after DH calls the meal too high carb. (Hide those snacks.) You could also serve up a huge slice of bread and butter with each of DH low carb meals!

i wouldn’t be doing it either, just cook what you normally do and let him know he will need to sort his own dinner that day

Brown bread/wholewheat pasta are (I guess?) healthier options - but as a prediabetic here the carbs involved would put up my blood sugars just the same.

Not as much as a pack of fizzy gummy worms though!

I'm very lucky, as when my DH cooks, he always does low carb for me and doesn't moan, as he's kind. If I cook I do carbs for him, and something else for me.

I low carb- pasta sauces work well with spiralised courgettes ( you can get them ready done in lots of supermarkets) or shredded, fried white cabbage or with slices

Posted too soon - slices of roasted aubergine instead of pasta in a lasagne

I agree, I wouldn't be cooking a special meal for him when he's scoffing crap afterwards. If he doesn't want pasta, he can make something different.

I also wouldn't be buying giant bags of fizzy worms when you're both trying to eat healthily. If it's not there, nobody will be tempted.

I only got the gummy worms because they were free through the Lidl app 😄
I thought they'd live in the cupboard until we took the kids to the cinema or something. Obviously the temptation was too much!