I'm losing, but...

Hey everyone. I've been trying to lose some weight for a while now. And succeeding for the most part. I've had a few slip ups here and there.

My uncle just died last week. He was 62 years old. His heart was in terrible shape. He had a heart attack last year, terrible cholesterol, the works.

I've gone on an "Uncle Christopher Memorial Diet". Basically I'm eating the same healthy way I have been for a while, but with an incentive not to cheat. But I'm worried about my mother. She is not in good shape. She's more overweight than I am. She's been "trying" to lose weight for about 15 years and only ever dropped a pound or two before gaining it back. I'm trying to help her have the willpower. I try to intervene when she's about to partake of a cake or ice cream. But she won't listen.

I want to help her. I want to save her life. I want her to be around when I have kids. And she's just not trying. :/

You've had a shock and it's resulted in a new determination with your diet. Your mother is also likely to be going through some serious grieving, and the last thing she needs is another emotional problem bungled on top (the guilt of making the wrong food choices). My best advice would be to leave it for a bit, let the grieving lessen, and then sit down with your mother and explain how you feel, your fears about her health and how you're willing to help her. Even show her this thread, and show her how she can use caloriecount as a tool for keeping on track, and how she can use you for extra will power.

What made you decide to lose weight?  Not someone nagging you, I'd guess.    And equally, I expect any success you're having is not due to 'intervention'.  Your mother isn't dying so don't panic.  She has to make her own decisions and follow her own path same as you decided to lose weight and develop your Uncle Christopher diet.  You can't be anyone else's willpower.

What you can do is be encouraging whenever she puts a foot right.  Positive reinforcement.  If she cooks a nice healthy meal,  say how tasty it was.  Or offer to cook the healthy meal - lead by example rather than evangelising.   Find a nice activity you can do together... a swim-aerobics class can be fun, for example... on the basis not that it's to help her lose weight but because you like spending time with her.