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Living with a carnivore
Started
by Steph
on December 4, 2009
I am having a hard time with this! I've been loving how I feel on The Kind Diet. I have lost weight, feel energy, it's been wonderful! The only bad thing that has happened is I feel like I have put a huge barrier between my husband and I. He is a picky eater and this diet is inconceivable to him. In some ways, I feel like it isn't fair that I have made such a huge change. We never really shared many meals but we were at least able to go to restaurants together.
The things that are bothering me are as follows:
1. Knowing how good I feel, it makes me feel bad to see him poisoning his body with these terrible, processed foods. In the few years that we have been married, I have very slowly converted him to some organic or natural products, but the majority of the food that he puts in his body are NOT healthy.
2. I feel like going vegetarian (and dabbling with veganism and macrobiotics), is putting a barrier in our relationship. We do not live in a great city with tons of vegan restaurants and even if we did, he would not be thrilled with his options. So, if we go out to dinner, I am often stuck eating an iceberg salad. No thanks. I'd rather prepare something healthy and wholesome at home... It is sad to me to not share meals or dates with him!
3. I worry about slipping. I came home from work tonight and made a very delicious and healthy meal of quinoa with shallots and gomashio, and roasted butternut squash. I felt satisfied and healthy. My husband came home late tonight and made a pizza. I know in my heart that I do not want this, but honestly? It smells amazing. I am salivating as he sits near me. I have terrible, terrible willpower, but I am trying so hard to stay focused on my health. I am trying to keep the poor dairy cows in my mind and think about how sick I felt the last time I fell off the wagon.
I want to succeed, but I don't want to sabotage my marriage either. :(
Steph,
Marriage is all about compromise right? I think once you get into a pattern on how you both are going to eat then you can accomodate each other's needs. Hopefully at some point your husband will be willing to supplement his meals with some vegan dish you prepared and he may come around to a degree. Just don't expect him to give up his favorite foods. My boyfriend continues to be a carnivore and this is what we do and it is working out fine. He loves the food I prepare. As far as date night...maybe date night doesn't have to center around going out to a restaurant all the time. Maybe eat at home and then date night can be spend doing something you both equally enjoy. Or compromise on the restaurants you eat at...one time it is a steak house where you know you will be eating salad and the next will be a place where you choose. If you can slowly get him comfortable with the food you eat at home, he may be more willing to experiment at a restaurant. Don't compromise your health because someone else's poor eating habits. Give it the time it deserves.
I'm going through the same thing but I am vegan as of 2 months ago. My husband is happy that I have found something that I like and that works for me..but honestly, I can't even get him to try ANYTHING..like a veggie BLT i just offered him a few mins ago.
But...tonight..I made chinese food. I made brown rice and sauted veggies in a sauce and I cooked a little chicken for him on the side. WOrked for us both. As for eating out..that had proved a challenge. Before we go out...I check menus online and call the resturant in advance to ask any question before we get there. Some options that have become popular is a few mexican places and P.F. Changs. I also found this site http://www.veganeatingout.com/restaurants.html You click on the resturants and it lists what you can get there that is vegan. Some of the options suck but others I was surprised. You can always get more than just a salad..bread is an option..some soups...rice...steamed veggies. Not fun but still gives you some variety. You can make it work with some preparation. Start a day or so in advance selecting where you wanna take hubby to eat.
Stick with it!
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