la petite moi

I've been talking to my boyfriend lately about his eating habits. Now, I'm not trying to get in his face and order him around- but I'm concerned. He eats those TV dinners that are packed with sodium and fat. He drinks sodas with tons of sugar. He doesn't skimp when it comes to eating a meal.

He is not overweight yet (5'7, 152 pounds), but I'm worried that with the way he eats, he will eventually deteriorate his body. Yesterday, I told him his BMI is 24 (a point away from 'overweight'). This is mostly because he has muscles. He went to his mother (a dietitian), and asked her if he was getting fat, and she said no. The problem with this is that she does not really encourage healthy eating, even though she is a dietitian and SHOULD!

Should I just let this whole eating thing drop, or should I continue to encourage healthy eating myself?

Edit: I'm 18, he's 19. We don't live together. He wanted me to point out that he used to do judo two times a week for two hours at a time. He hasn't done it since January though, because he works/wants to spend time with me. Is four hours of judo a week still enough to 'counteract' TV dinners and soda though?!

johnyto

Honestly, i'd just cut out the food even before he reaches the store to get them. If you can't do that, please encourage some walking or running from time to time. Maybe 2 miles per day or perhaps a good run around the neighborhood twice a week.

Get him into practicing sports as much as possible.

Can you cook for him? If you can do so.

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G5_Todd

cook for him lol....


the reason he is doing it is because he either cant cook or is to lazy.....


healthy meals are easy to prepare and even if he just cut out the tv dinner 3 outta 4 nights it would be a nice goal...


nothing is easier to cook then rice and a grill chicken breast on a george forman grill......


fish is expensive so i dont eat it as often as chicken but its also easy to do....

if he likes eggs a good choice to cook some egg whites put them in a wheat wrap with some green peppers, tomato, mushrooms...what ever you like.....

i do tuna when im really hungry and am too tired to cook.....

either tuna with light mayo or none straight from can.....

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powerclown

He's fine.....

If he was a boxer, he'd be in the Super Welterweight/Junior Middleweight division...

G5_Todd

i think she is more concerned that he might be getting to much cholestrol.....sodium and such


when i used to eat like crap i was skinny but my blood pressure was really high and....my cholestrol was high....


but its his desicion


if he is 19 he has about 3-4 years where he can eat junk and not blow up like a tubby...

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"....and when you men get home and face an anti-war protester, look him in the eyes and shake his hand. Then, wink at his girlfriend, because she knows she's dating a pussy."

-General Franks

wonderwench

A diet high in processed food and sugary soft drinks puts him at risk of developing Type II Diabetes.

maleficent

I'd let it drop, for now....

When's the last time someone else had any effect at all on your eating habits? He's not going to change unless he wants to change, and nagging him is only going make him even more reluctant to change.

His mom doesn't think there's a problem, and she's a professional, talk to her, express your concerns to her, and let her explain why she doesn't think there's a problem, or maybe she's not aware of his habits.

Take care of your own eating habits and lead by example. If you eat healthily, then he might just follow suit.

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la petite moi

I'm not worrying about his weight- it's his future health I'm worried about.

About the diabetes, that's one thing his mother and I both express concern about.

maleficent, you're right. Last night we went out to dinner, and it was so much better to just let him eat what he wanted and not eye him. (I pigged out myself too! Heheheh...yummy tortellini and bread!) No one likes being nagged; you're right.
Plus, we had some super sex a few hours later. Herherher.

Rodney

Don't nag him too much yet. I ate similar crap when I was his age, back in the dark ages. If he gets even moderate exercise, he'll be all right for now. And by moderate, I mean walking around a lot, even lots of low-intensity movement as long as he doesn't just sit on his ass in front of the computer for eight hours a day.

That's for now. Inside of five-six years, things will start to change even if he keeps moderately active. Past a certain point, exercise can't make up for crappy eating habits. But I will say that at this point, he doesn't have to eat super-healthy -- just healthier than he is now.
For starters, get him off processed carbs and onto unprocessed carbs: baked potatoes, brown rice, etc. These are things that he can put meat, veggies, cheese on, etc. to make a quick meal. I'd try to get him interested in a rice cooker. I kick myself for not knowing about them when I was a bachelor, because you can make a big pot of healthy rice (without even having to watch the pot) and then use it as a base for meals for days -- throw beans and meat on top, chicken and veggies on top, onions and cheese, whatever. Not necessarily "health" food, but "healthier" food. And it'll get him in the habit of assembling his own meals, which is almost always healthier than eating the prepackaged stuff unless you do an Elvis and smother everything in bacon or whatever.

la petite moi

Yep, he already has a rice cooker.

jmad

Being a 19 year old guy, I am an expert when it comes to the eating habits of 19 year old males . Anyhow, I say you should cook something simple for him, like chicken or spaghetti, then teach him to do it himself. I'm a guy, and lived on ramen noodles and pringles until my mom took me shopping and suggested stuff to eat like turkey sandwiches and chicken and veggies. Now I cook for myself and my roommates, the food is way healthier, and way better. Just encourage him, he should follow

la petite moi

Hahaha, the problem is- I don't cook. Also, he is picky, and is not fond of the food I think is good.

Anyway, I have decided to forget all this. If he wants to change his eating habits, that is definitely his own decision.

kurty[B]

I went from 155 out of high school to 185 two years later. Cause I worked a cushy desk job, was overpayed, and ate out EVERY meal (nice restaraunts, fast food, everything, and never skimped). I started working out, and turned a decent amount of that fat into muscle, but was still 180, and still had a pudgy gut. I didn't lose the weight until I started going to college, had a job that barely payed the bills, and left me little left over to squeeze in a meal, maybe two a day (some days none), and I rode my bike to class every day, and everywhere I possibly could to save on gas money.

In a month I went from 180 to 160. Since then, I've been making a conscious effort to eat healthier, and not let myself get into a lazy rutt.

I'd just try and keep him active. That seems to work the best (changing eating habits can be quite a challenge).

jizzmasterp

I'd save the nagging till marriage, give him a break for now. He is 19. Most 19 yr old guys eat like shit (I would know), I would worry more if he was 39. The BMI is a very flawed measurement. Look at him naked, does he have a beer gut or man boobs? If he doesn't then his weight is fine. I would drop the issue aside from maybe some passive encouragement to play sports and get excersize (e.x. tell him you are going biking and want someone to ride with).

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SparklingDot

Why not try healthier versions of what he is eating? Figure out what it is, why he eats it, and if he'd be willing to make slight variations. It takes minutes to make a microwave baked potato. It takes a little longer to cook up a pot of brown rice, but it lasts all week, and you can dress it up with frozen veggies and meat. Why not try to turn him on to seasonings other than salt? You can't change it all at once, and if you try to, then he could blow a gasket. Have you mentioned diet soda? Sure, it might taste a bit off at first. But it cuts tons of calories and sugar.

Its amazing what guys our age will get used to with a little bit of help. I say lead by example, share meals when you go out to introduce him to new things.

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la petite moi

Augh, mods close this thread.

I already said that I've quit nagging him about his eating. He knows what's right to eat (and SparklingDot, I already eat pretty well...well, lately I've been stress eating...but I do the diet soda stuff) and what's not. He wants to start judo again, but it's hard with work/me/school. I can understand.

And thus, thank you all for suggestions...but I don't need advice anymore.

Cowman

Diet soda still isn't good for you. The caffeine will dehydrate you, which causes problems. As well, artificial sweeteners are still questionable..

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la petite moi

Yep, already know that too. However, for me, it's better than getting fat because I need the taste of soda.

Cowman

Drink water.




ps. Dehydrated means your metabolism will slow down, which means weight gain.

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la petite moi

I knew that. But I like the taste of soda. I drink water.