Suggestions for living with a junk food addict?

I live with my boyfriend of about 2 years (we've only been living together for about 2-3 months). He has what I like to call the 12-year-old diet. He's a severe Adult Picky Eater. I'm finding it really hard to eat right when I'm home because of this. It's hard to choose healthy when there's so much yummy junk in the house (which I cannot eliminate or he'll starve). Pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, chips; if it's in that category, chances are we have it. It's been a big struggle for me because I myself am I junk-food lover. I would seriously welcome any suggestions to overcome this major temptation. Thanks!

I guess I am hard-nosed, but I would simply refuse to buy any food-like items to accommodate his junk food diet.  Anything he buys can go in a special cupboard or part of the fridge so it isn't constantly in your face.

I would prepare tasty, nutritious foods for both of you (you would be doing him a favor if he improved his diet in the long run).  If he is still hungry, he can prepare his own second meal once you are gone from the room.  If he doesn't eat the food you prepare, you can portion it out for lunch or freeze it for another meal.

Remember, eating well is something you do for yourself, and it doesn't matter what he eats.  Just repeat the mantra "What he eats doesn't impact what I eat" until you start to believe it.  Good luck!

I'd be as hardnosed as dkenworthy.. LOL!..  It's like any other bad habit.... dismantling motorbikes, smoking, etc.,.... he's free to indulge outside the home.

He's got major problems on the horizon if he doesn't eat vegetables etc., but they shouldn't become yours.   Healthy foods at home as standard otherwise you stand no chance.

Thanks guys. I do agree, it's just hard to act on it. We're getting into the realm of making our own dinners (which I'm ok with and yet not). I really do fear for his health but HE has to choose to change it, I can't make him.

I need to keep reminding myself that I'm doing this for ME. Hiding the really bad stuff is a good idea though!

Also... in addition to what the other 2 said, there are a lot of really good healthy recipes out there (here and on-line etc.) just make up big meals, and make out single portions to keep handy, that way it will be convenient when you are temped by the other stuff, plus it should take less time to heat up, unlike making a pizza.

That's my brother's diet. I don't know, I don't really feel the urge to eat the foods he eats though. o_O I did like having him around because I'll take 'bites' of his food and taste things I haven't tasted in awhile. Just use it as an excuse to take one or two bites, no more.

My husband's this way too.  His weakness is junkfood, mine is sweets.

The big thing I can mention is to make one small change a week.  Instead of ordering a pizza, or heating up a frozen one, make your own.  Generally this comes out healthier (and tastier!).  Be creative with your foods.

Be sure to discuss your concern about his health and how you want him to be around for a long time, and how his habits affect you.  Pick a time when things are calm, not when you are already upset.  Maybe you can offer to do the grocery shopping?

FOr me, I've learned some tricks.  Eliminate the bun on your hotdogs, or splurge for the whole wheat buns.  Eat fresh vegetables with dip instead of chips.  An English muffin half, with some spaghetti sauce, a few slices of pepperoni, and a sprinkle of cheese, toasted in the oven, make a delicious and low cal pizza.  Even high cal foods are ok in moderation - have a large salad with one serving of the high cal food.

Good luck!

Read that sentence you wrote again....

It's hard to choose healthy when there's so much yummy junk in the house (which I cannot eliminate or he'll starve).

So you really, honestly believe that he'll die if you don't buy him junk food?  Of course not.  You're enabling him...and yourself.  It's classic co-dependent behavior...."I must do what I know to be wrong or something even worse will happen."

He's spoiled and you're the spoiler.  Buy the food you know to be healthy for you. He'll eat it when he gets hungry.  If he complains, tell him, "You're a big boy...buy what you want to eat for yourself."

^ Yeah I reckon he'll go out and buy himself food anyhoo. I guess at least you wouldn't have brought it into the house. My brother goes out and gets junk food all the time, like at 1-2 in the morning (Hey you hungry? I'm gonna get some sausages, bread, milk, etc)

naruelle,

Yeah, he's a grownup, it's his money, and it's not illegal to buy junk food.  But there's a difference between you buying it for him and him buying it for himself.  Your next step is to avoid eating his food, at least the part of it that's bad for you.

I am also a junk food junkie, especially chocolate.  I actually had to take the temptation out of house.   When not available, the temptations subsided. If in the house, make it difficult to reach.  This will control some impulse eating of the junk food.

I am also a junk food junkie, especially chocolate.  I actually had to take the temptation out of house.   When not available, the temptations subsided. If in the house, make it difficult to reach.  This will control some impulse eating of the junk food.

Junk food is concocted to be preferred -- from the fat, sugar and salt that is so hard for us to find in the wild so we are built to crave it, to the packaging that is conveniently highlights some big-stretch of a nutritional "value", to the location of the package on the end of the aisle so that women (who will often avoid the junk food aisles) still see it and pick it up.

You could try separating out the food budget -- what's yours is yours and what's his is his. If it's junk, he buys it and he prepares it. This is of course beyond any discussions that you have together to try to create compromises -- obviously his diet is setting him on a path of a whole pile of early-onset diseases so it's not really in his best interest to stay locked in a childish approach to food but you can't make him change his ways, only he can.

These are very difficult things to work out. Imagine you quit smoking but your partner still smoked. Would you still buy cigarettes for him? Would you nag him to stop or respect that he's an adult but that you don't want to be tempted so he must smoke outside and out of sight? Couples deal with these differences in different ways.

I hope you find a path that works for your health and hopefully his eventually too.

i feel like if you are determined, you won't touch his food or just take nibbles of it. Like I said, my brother bought so much junk food throughout summer but I rarely ate much of it. I was glad that he bought it because I could taste it without worrying about chucking the entire thing away!

Actually things are going well. I buy the healthy food I want, work out, etc. He hasn't been but I've noticed I'm rubbing off on him. He's impressed that I've already lost 5lbs in a week just by changing my habits (I have mentioned to him that I'm concerned about his health by the way). Usually, I go shopping by myself. Yesterday he wanted to come with and I caught him checking labels (I've never seen him do this) and saying "this is healthier" and tossing it in the cart. I was so proud. He's also been making statements around the apartment suggesting that he wants to start making changes.

I understand what rbohan is saying, I'm not trying to enable him. I'm actually quiet concerned for him. He's a sever Adult Picky Eater and kind of flies off the handle when other things are suggested. I always offer him what I'm eating. I can't change him, he'll do it when he's ready. After a week of eating healthy, I don't even want the junk! =)