oh that this too too solid flesh should melt

Good for you Ellan I admire slender older ladies as I think it helps healthwise for various reasons. I'm not tremendously over weight but still carrying some surplus.
Well done Kassi and DH!

DH and I were both several stones overweight. My excuse was my thyroid medication, he didn’t have an excuse . Just before lockdown I was told I needed both knees replaced. I was advised to try and lose a bit of weight.
I decided to give it my best shot, and he decided to join me. We are taking it very seriously.
We eat mainly fish, chicken, fruit and veg. all in many different forms. I have one slice of bread each day, he has two.
Breakfast I alternate between 45gm muesli and an individual portion of porridge with fruit.
Results? During lockdown I have lost 2 stone, OH has lost nearly 3 stone. We still have a long way to go but hope to be nearing our targets by Christmas.
We have been self isolating throughout lockdown, but for the past 2 weeks we have walked for an hour every morning. My knees feel much better.
It’s really helped that we’re doing it together, discussing meals etc.
OH is responsible for lunch, I’m responsible for dinner.
It’s worked really well for us.

BlueSky, yes just 2 meals a day as I don't really need more. I eat to live now as opposed to living to eat.
At nigh on 80 I no longer need the quantity as not being as active as I once was, any surplus leads to fat settling which I don't want/need.

DL was told by doc his risk of diabetes/heart attack was high if he didn't lose weight. So he agreed to lose weight, but being a man (in his 70's) still doing physical work, liked/needed to eat heartily and snack frequently. So we tried Rick Gallop's the GI 'diet', on the advice of a friend whose DL had the same problem. Snacking now a thing of the past. It's not a diet where you feel a bit deprived; you can eat loads - just the right stuff. It works on a traffic light system; red=foods to avoid, orange=foods to eat occasionally; green=foods to eat as much as you want, all clearly explained and why in his book. I know you're not asking for diet help, as you've worked out a plan, but how to stop your OH snacking. This works and it's so easy. We still eat lots and don't want to snack. Good luck with whatever you decide to do to help him.

I’ve got half a stone of Lock Down Lard to loose before I start to make another attempt at loosing the rest. I’m very short of clothes which fit so I have to do something. I certainly slipped into very bad snacking habits last winter and it continued.

What works for me in the past is cutting down on things containing fat, especially animal fat, which cuts out biscuits, crisps and all nice things like that. I snack on nuts - to which I am addicted so I put my ration (about eight walnut halves) in a dish each morning and mints, plain popcorn, a daily square of plain chocolate in the evening and the very occasional jelly bean. I think its a case of finding what works for your personal metabolism and will power.

DDiL gave me a tip last week. If you cut up pitta bread into triangles and bake it in the oven (it turns really quickly so you need to stand and watch it), you get low calorie Doritos.

Reduce down a tin of chopped tomatoes and add Lea & Perkins, herbs and black pepper to spice it up and you have a very low calorie dip.

I sympathise /empathise with your situation.
I have put on weight under lockdown and especially as we are shielding so haven't got into a routine of regular exercise.
We encourage each other too to have a snack or a drink.
DH has already been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes but it doesn't seem to be a problem since he lost 4 stones, by taking strong chemo drugs, which I do not recommend as slimming tablets. his blood was much like syrup before that
I keep telling myself as soon as things get back to normal and I can see my friends at the sports hall for badminton, pilates etc the fat will drop off. won't it?

I think the only thing is to not have snacks in the house and learn to love water and apples.
I lost 2 stone with weightwatchers about 10 years ago but it all went back on.

I am a type 2 diabetic and trying (not succeeding) to keep things in control. Anything sweet is my downfall. I am unable to snack on nuts or anything with much fat in as I have another health condition. I really struggle trying to find a snack that isnt loaded with sugar and/or fat.
I love fruit but there again can become too much sugar.
I have been to see a dietician but she didnt come up with any ideas/suggestions so that was a waste of time.

I wonder petunia whether your DH is on any medication that could have a side effect of making him hungry?

I have spent long periods on steroids and eventually realised they made me hungry, constantly. I gained quite a lot of weight. I also couldn’t leave snacks alone, if they were in the cupboards.

I don’t buy snacks now and have significantly increased our fruit intake. Yoghurt has replaced ice cream. We do very occasionally have a cake or pastry and it feels like a real treat. I stay right away from crisps (my particular weakness).

Could you have some conversations about it with your DH? He may be defensive at first, but do persevere. Presumably he realises he is engaging in self sabotaging behaviours. Could some snacks be built into your meal planning as rewards for small successes? If you count calories, you could work out the calorific value of some of his favourites and occasionally include them.

I think all eating plans work best with occasional treats built in. ? Best wishes.

If you both want to lose weight, and he wants to avoid Diabetes, The very best thing to do is go low-carb. All carbs convert to glucose in the blood, leading to insulin resistance, so cutting out high carb foods help to keep blood glucose in a steady range.

It does mean no bread, potatoes, rice and pasta, and definitely no cakes and biscuits! It also has the effect of losing your sweet tooth, no bad thing!

Good healthy fats are also essential, and filling, meaning no cravings for those oh-so-hard to resist snacks.

Fruit should be eaten in moderation as they too, are high in natural sugars.

I’ve been eating this way for 4 years now - lost two stone, and am much healthier than I was before (almost pre-diabetic).

It sounds hard to do, and may take a few weeks to adjust, but believe me, the benefits are enormous.

I too have piled on the pounds, know what I should do, but know I am a comfort eater and being on your own in the pandemic made me worse. I so admire all of you who have the discipline and lost weight.

Diabetics need to go easy on fruit,especially dried fruit,which is high sugar.Berries ie strawberries,raspberries are best.
Since my diagnosis I've become much more aware of what I'm eating and it's no longer a vanity issue but a health issue. Carbs cause high Glucose spikes which is a problem.
So many in the UK are overweight and Type 2 Diabetic which is a very serious condition and can lead to Strokes, Heart Disease,Blindness and 80% of Alzheimer sufferers are also Diabetic. I want to do as much to avoid them as I can.I'm actually enjoying my food more since changing what I'm eating,feel fuller and don't feel the need to snack.In my case I think snacking was because of boredom rather than hunger.
So sorry if this sounds like I'm preaching but I feel like a Born again Foodie!

We try not to but when we do snack we eat fruit. DH has a sweet tooth so finds grapes, melon and satsumas a good substitute. I don't have a sweet tooth so apples, celery and small cubes of cheese do for me.

I adore nuts but they're high in calories and once I start I find it hard to stop!

Our main meals are based on vegetables. We're not vegetarians but meat and fish play a lesser part. Tonight we're having marrow (overgrown courgette) stuffed with minced lamb, aubergine and tomatoes.

DH has piled on weight since his last two illnesses as he tires easily and doesn't get enough exercise. All I can do is ensure he eats healthily. Lockdown hasn't helped.

Just reading this thread makes me want a bowl of Kellogs Crunchy Nut Cornflakes.
It’s hard Petunia and in the end, although you can help by suggesting or buying more healthy snacks for your DH, he has to want to help himself as well.
The suggestions of nuts/ fruit is good to act as a filler.

Furret

Why snack at all?

Oh Furret......so easy to say.!

Why snack at all?

There's some great ideas here-thank you all.
Ive re-jigged the shopping list and will suggest that we try some different snacks. it will help us both

Ellan do you eat just twice a day, breakfast and lunch/dinner?

I’m sure the OP is grateful for your detailed post EV and telling her all about how easy you have found it. Perhaps she could print it out and give it to her hubby.

petunia could it be boredom that drives him to a snack attack? Could you perhaps give him a project in the garden or the house, something big enough to keep him busy for several days at least? Or if not then perhaps drag him out of the house?

Does he have a blood glucose monitor? That might keep him on track if he sees his blood sugar creeping up?

Just a few ideas. Good luck.

The more I've eaten in my life, the slimmer I've kept. I had an appetite like a navvy's, but no takeaways or snacks as there was never any room for anything else after my man sized meals.
Right now I don't have any treats and the only pkt of biscs, HobNobs will last me over a week.

I've eaten lots of fruit this summer and found it refreshing to have slices of melon during the day.
Tomorrow I've got a couple of Welsh lamb chops which I'll have with many new potatoes and cabbage and a peach afterwards. This does me until my crumpets next morning.

While I've been sitting more I started to practice getting out of the armchair without holding on so now I've got it off to a fine art. It strengthens the abdominal muscles because they slacken in time and cause problems internally.

It's possible that I've actually lost weight over these months because of not being as active so it'll be muscle loss more than anything. I waver between 9 and a half to 10 stone.5' 7"

Would your DH eat fruit as snacks? If he has a sweet tooth, dried fruit is sweet though high in calorie, it is healthier than other snacks. 70% dark chocolate is quite satisfying in small amounts. It's hard to eat a lot of that.

Having said that I definitely don't snack, yet the weight stays at a certain level, OK maybe because I would just need a stone or so it could be more difficult, but we do walk every day, averaging 8000 steps. I concluded that in my case at least, it's my metabolism, it must be set on minimum!

I’m pre-diabetic too, annoyingly (but great for him) DH is not.
He enjoys snacks in the evenings, tortilla chips and dips, salted peanuts, kettle chips, poppadom crisps with mango chutney.

I have to go in another room and do something else so I can avoid watching him. The temptation is really great but I am determined I don’t want type 2 diabetes if I can possible avoid it.

I’m avoiding potatoes, processed foods and sauces and I reduce sugar and salt in all recipes I make.

petunia

Are we married to the same man bluesky? Ha ha
and i completely agree-its frenzied snacking.

Have we married a bigamist Petunia?

I like bread too much....

You need to watch Carbohydrate intake as well as sugar .
I was recently told I'm Pre Diabetic which really shocked me into doing something about what I am eating.
I would suggest looking on Diabetes Uk which will give you more information about it.
I haven't had rice,potatoes,pasta,pastry for about 8 weeks now.And very little bread ie approx. 3 slices per week.I've lost 6lbs since starting this new way of eating.I don't feel hungry and it has been surprisingly easy to do.I don't calorie count and have increased my protein intake and eating walnuts, brazil nuts and almonds every day.