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TwitThisLearning Lessons the Hard Way
"I never expected it would happen to me -- at least not at 42," GW says. He also had high blood pressure and cholesterol. He was put on medication for all three conditions, told to lose weight, and given a list of approved foods. None of his favorites, such as potato chips or spaghetti, were listed along with the fruits and veggies. "I'm a pretty macho guy," says GW. "But the thought of having to change my eating habits so completely brought tears to my eyes."Linda came to his aid, however, and starting that day began to cook food they can both still enjoy. "Gone are the goulash, meat loaf and other high-calorie dinners we used to eat," she says. In their place are chicken, fish and salads that Linda takes care to season well: "Just because a dish is healthy doesn't mean it has to be bland."
When Linda opens the refrigerator door these days, mustard, hot sauce and other low-calorie, flavor-packed condiments stand where the mayonnaise and cream sauces once did. Poultry and lean pork sausage have replaced most of the ground beef, which Linda used to buy 20 pounds at a time. "Now, if I use ground beef at all, it's in much smaller quantities," she says, "and I rinse it off after browning it to get rid of most of the fat."
Dessert is still on the menu -- but not the pies, crisps and cookies that Linda used to bake. Now, she dresses up angel food cake, which is low in sugar and contains no fat, with a variety of sugar-free toppings. "Even people who aren't on diets love it." She's also found a way to deal with the problem of eating out. After discovering that some of her local eateries post nutritional information for menu items on their websites, she began planning what to order ahead of time.
And the couple has stopped eating the fast-food suppers they once had on average three times a week. "We used to supersize everything," Linda admits. Now fast food is a rare lunchtime indulgence.
Not having to give up any particular food is one of the strategies that's helped her stay on her diet this time around. "But I've learned that a proper serving is really a Happy Meal," she says. Isn't she embarrassed ordering the kiddie size? "Nope. I love collecting all the toys!"
To Linda's sons from a previous marriage, Seth, 18, and Ben, 20, however, fast food is still a staple. Ben, who lives at home, generally loves his mom's cooking. "But if dinner's too healthy tasting, I'll run down the street to McDonald's," he says. Linda has also agreed to keep his favorite foods -- mini bagel pizzas, cookies and candy -- on hand for him, which can be tempting for both Linda and GW.
Weight-loss experts agree it's all too easy to be undermined by nondieters in the house -- unless you have a plan. Linda keeps all of Ben's fattening foods in the fridge's fruit bin or in a closed jar hidden behind some utensils on the counter.
"It helps to have them out of sight," she says. Certain super-tempters, such as chips, are banned completely. Linda also makes sure she's always well stocked with treats that she and GW can eat, such as low-fat, low-carb frozen fudge bars and ice cream sandwiches, which they love. "That way, we know there's always something satisfying for us to eat too."
For now, an extremely physical job with UPS keeps Ben slim, and he's not worried about future weight gain -- or any health problems that might come with it. "I think I'm still very young for that," he says. "I've got my biological dad's slim build and plenty of years of being active ahead of me." His brother, he says, has the same attitude.
Has Linda tried to teach her boys healthier eating habits? "Of course," she says. "But they don't listen. Ben smokes too. He just doesn't think anything can hurt his health at this point. I hope he doesn't have to learn his lesson the way we did."
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