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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Husband’s gym diet driving me crazy

102 replies

Nomorepenguins · 08/06/2026 18:24

I earn £500 a month more than my husband. We split the bills, childcare and mortgage 50/50 but I cover the weekly food shops with my own money to make it fair. We each pay for our own fuel and phones. Because of how expensive everything is nowadays, we don’t have much money left over once everything has been paid. We have around £300 - £400 left. We put half in savings then use the rest for days out and things our toddler might need. Child benefit is put into savings for our toddler, with some of it used occasionally when he needs new shoes, clothes, etc.

My husband goes to the gym. I don’t care that he goes but it’s got him into calorie and protein tracking and it’s driving me up the wall. I did the big shop on Sunday. I came home from work today to find he’d eaten the entire pack of penguin biscuits and KitKats that I’d bought (I never even got one), most of the crisps I’d bought, all the yogurts and fruit I’d bought, and used up most of the milk for his protein shakes. He’s now started adding things to our weekly food shop list, including £20 worth of Greek yogurt a week. I’m refusing to pay for this.
He’s just eating everything to meet his calories! When we have dinner he takes most of the meat for himself for protein, gives himself huge portions, etc. Then eats anything else he can find to hit his goals. I’ve even caught him eating our toddlers rusks.

He’s very fit and healthy and in great shape but he’s costing so much money to feed and has gone so selfish, taking all the food for himself. I’m sick to death of it. I’ve started making him pay for everything he over consumes but it hasn’t changed anything. Our fridge is always empty and top up shops are costing him a fortune. It’s started eating into our very limited budget for days out.

AIBU to be irritated? I think he’s so selfish. He says I don’t understand the gym or appreciate the diet needed to build muscle

OP posts:
Therealjudgejudy · 08/06/2026 18:27

Yuck, what a selfish twat. Literally stealing his child's food!

Twiglets1 · 08/06/2026 18:28

Wow he really thinks the world revolves him and his “needs”.

icouldholditwithacobweb · 08/06/2026 18:28

He sounds ridiculously selfish and is taking it to extremes. Tell him to figure out cheaper, more budget-friendly meals and he can buy his own food.

Lammveg · 08/06/2026 18:29

He needs to figure out cheaper ways to reach his 'goals'.

Locks on cupboards 🤣

Iwanttobeafraser · 08/06/2026 18:30

I've never seen a gym/fitness based diet that requires endless packets of penguin biscuits or kitkats.

Hss just selfish.

Dh has a tendency to food fads. But he gets the need to do it in budget
Eg ge will up his mince eating as a cheaper source of animal.protein, or eat his own body weight in beans...

Thelondonone · 08/06/2026 18:31

My husband has 18% body fat and doesn’t eat like that. Your husband needs to grow up. You can’t afford that diet so he needs to stop and eat normally.

Nomorepenguins · 08/06/2026 18:33

Thelondonone · 08/06/2026 18:31

My husband has 18% body fat and doesn’t eat like that. Your husband needs to grow up. You can’t afford that diet so he needs to stop and eat normally.

I’ve said this but he always comes back and says I don’t understand. He enjoys watching a YouTuber called Will Tennyson who is into calorie tracking and has quite a lucrative diet. I think that’s where he’s gotten it from and as a “gym non-goer” I simply don’t get it so can’t comment. It’s infuriating

OP posts:
plsbekinddelicate · 08/06/2026 18:33

He needs to figure out better ways to meet his calorie and protein needs, and do it quickly. Eggs, milk, cottage cheese, beans, nuts can all be picked up cheap but if he’s wanting to do this he needs to figure out the meal plan and how he’s going to meet this without breaking your family budget. What an arse.

Kellyb2 · 08/06/2026 18:34

I think there must be other issue at play to have so little left over each month. Big Mortgage for example?

Kellyb2 · 08/06/2026 18:35

Nomorepenguins · 08/06/2026 18:33

I’ve said this but he always comes back and says I don’t understand. He enjoys watching a YouTuber called Will Tennyson who is into calorie tracking and has quite a lucrative diet. I think that’s where he’s gotten it from and as a “gym non-goer” I simply don’t get it so can’t comment. It’s infuriating

It’s a difficult balance, presumably you reap the rewards from him being in shape?

macaroon8 · 08/06/2026 18:35

Think you meant lucrative YouTube channel, not diet.

He's going to end up skint, divorced and with type 2 diabetes.

Pinkflamingo10 · 08/06/2026 18:36

I’ve never heard of a gym diet that involves kitkats and penguins !!

Nomorepenguins · 08/06/2026 18:36

Kellyb2 · 08/06/2026 18:34

I think there must be other issue at play to have so little left over each month. Big Mortgage for example?

Huge mortgage as we were hit hard by the massive rates when we renewed, and we had to take out a car loan for a family car, and we had a huge financial emergency a few years ago that we had to put on a credit card. Thankfully we can renew our mortgage in two years and the car loan and credit card will be cleared within the next 12 months. Things will get better but they’re very tough right now

OP posts:
Twoweeksinaugust · 08/06/2026 18:37

What an absolute fucking melt, kit kats and penguins 😂 Is he not very bright?

Kellyb2 · 08/06/2026 18:37

Nomorepenguins · 08/06/2026 18:36

Huge mortgage as we were hit hard by the massive rates when we renewed, and we had to take out a car loan for a family car, and we had a huge financial emergency a few years ago that we had to put on a credit card. Thankfully we can renew our mortgage in two years and the car loan and credit card will be cleared within the next 12 months. Things will get better but they’re very tough right now

That’s tough, but useful context. It isn’t solely due to your DH’s diet that things are tough.

Nomorepenguins · 08/06/2026 18:37

Kellyb2 · 08/06/2026 18:35

It’s a difficult balance, presumably you reap the rewards from him being in shape?

I mean he looks incredible so I benefit visually and in the bedroom. Just wish he wasn’t so costly to feed!!

OP posts:
brunettenorthern91 · 08/06/2026 18:38

As an avid gym goer and 175-200g protein tracker myself - you need to 100% encourage him to eat more high return, less costly protein sources.

depending on his calorie intake target he can focus more on -

  1. frozen fish - Aldi do multipacks of frozen fish for cheap and it’s very high protein but low calorie
  2. tinned tuna - 2 tins are 50g protein but 220cals
  3. Greek yogurt - Aldi is cheaper or Costco/Makro may do a bulk tub that works out cheaper. No he does NOT need branded and he can get a grip if he notices a quality difference.
  4. lean mince - so high protein, very low fat. Great for bulk cooking and can add cheap things like kidney beans (chilli), tinned tomatoes (bolognese) to make it versatile. Goes with cheap “sides” like rice and pasta or in a wrap.
  5. chicken - bit more expensive, but bulk buying is cheaper. Get the 1KG or 1.5KG chicken breast boxes. Maybe even get him on chicken thighs instead - higher calorie and protein for his buck.

if he’s wolfing down expensive branded biscuits meant for the family, tell him plainly he’s being selfish. Get a tube of chocolate digestives for “him” and when it’s gone, it’s gone. When cooking the family meal, leave his “chicken” intact if you can - 3-4 chicken thighs or 1 huge breast is by itself and clearly “his” and he can help himself without your own plate looking so sad.

When it comes to milk, perhaps do the same if you have space. Long life milk also won’t kill him and is much cheaper! Can keep in the garage. Tell him “this is YOUR milk” and when it’s gone, he replaces it. For protein shakes, if it’s a 1KG or two tub of Greek yogurt he’s getting through (is it £8 a tub?) he’s better off buying protein shakes and making it with milk, eating red meat and chicken thighs and making up calories that way. For carbs, potatoes, rice, pasta is all cheap and great.

Bimblebombles · 08/06/2026 18:38

I don’t think it’s fair you paying solely for the food shops just for earning £500 a month more. Food is really expensive. Why should he get essentially free food.

Kellyb2 · 08/06/2026 18:39

Nomorepenguins · 08/06/2026 18:37

I mean he looks incredible so I benefit visually and in the bedroom. Just wish he wasn’t so costly to feed!!

That’s something at least - you don’t have to look far on this site for countless tales of sexless marriages!

Summerhillsquare · 08/06/2026 18:39

Pinkflamingo10 · 08/06/2026 18:36

I’ve never heard of a gym diet that involves kitkats and penguins !!

Me neither but I think I could follow it 😅

Nomorepenguins · 08/06/2026 18:39

Kellyb2 · 08/06/2026 18:37

That’s tough, but useful context. It isn’t solely due to your DH’s diet that things are tough.

No, but his diet isn’t helping. I’ve worked out he’s costing an additional £100-£150 on the food shop budget. When money is tight every penny matters

OP posts:
Lastofthesummerwines · 08/06/2026 18:40

He needs to buy his own food. It's not healthy for your dc to be seeing these eating habits either. You're gonna end up with your kids having food issues if this continues because this is what he is teaching them..
He's probably so obsessed with this behaviour he won't listen to you.

Nearly50omg · 08/06/2026 18:40

Divorce is a lot cheaper and gets rid of the stress!!

brunettenorthern91 · 08/06/2026 18:40

I will point out I have a 6”2 husband that needs a lot of protein. 300g chicken, or a 200g steak for dinner (with rice, pasta etc) is more than enough protein and anymore he’d stop processing it correctly anyway. He needs to front load his day with cheaper protein like eggs etc. If he doesn’t have time for that, hence the protein shakes, he can pre-boil a bunch of eggs and take them in a Tupperware!

Nomorepenguins · 08/06/2026 18:41

macaroon8 · 08/06/2026 18:35

Think you meant lucrative YouTube channel, not diet.

He's going to end up skint, divorced and with type 2 diabetes.

My error. It’s been a long day!

OP posts:
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