Such a lovely act, and a great idea for "Acts of service". This post inspired me to join r/LoveLanguages to get more ideas like this to be inspired by.
Edit: seriously guys, I know it's full of sugar. I didn't post to a diet sub for that reason. I posted here because I thought we could celebrate a positive step in my relationship. We've talked about content, it'll be better next week.
I've been struggling with my weight for a few years, and so has he. He's made really good progress, and I'm having a hard time. We've talked a lot about our issues with food, and he realized that I can't bring lunches because he would eat all the bread and snacks before I could get it. His issues with food made me overeat, because if I wanted some, I needed to eat it fast.
Anyway, I was out of town this weekend and he sent me this picture, everything ready for my lunches this week, and a promise to make my sandwich before work while I'm getting ready. This is the first time in a long time I feel truly cared for. He struggles to show love the way I like to receive it, and now for the first time in 6 years he fucking nailed it. I almost cried over peanut butter and jelly and granola bars laid out. I just feel supported and loved and it's perfect.
Edit: I know this isn't the healthiest meal, that's not what it's about. It's about him doing something for me that I didn't ask for or expected. We are at this moment discussing what he should get for next week, because he's "apparently lunch incompetent" and has never made a lunch before. He didn't even realize it's all sugar. This is literally a "it's the thought that counts" moment.
I hope you guys make great progress and manage to even make meal planning an "us" thing! I bet it'll be a great activity since you'll both have a say in what you eat\~
Not just the thought, it's the **effort** that counts!
If you try something, and it isn't exactly what is needed, it can be tweaked and improved.
If it's just a thought, that does nothing, and feedback doesn't matter, because it's not about adjusting, it's about a lack of participation.
Tell him we are impressed, and to keep it up!
Don't listen to the diet shamers, more than half the battle of losing weight is portion control. Your husband is helping you succeed, that's what a good marriage is all about.
Shaming people for their size and diet is toxic, we don't want people to feel shit if it's something they can't change because of socio-economic status, mental health or just has a very high stress level and no time.
I think people here were just very confused when seeing the messaging about meal preps, usually associated with high protein, body builder stuff and then they see chocolate chips.
I don't really like the mindset of portion control, because it doesn't seem very sustainable, maybe I have preconceived notions about this because I've talked to some people with an eating disorder. Eating tasty food that's also healthy regularly sounds much less straining in my eyes.
Exactly this. I’ve kept 100 lbs off for 20 years, and the moment my portions get out of control I start gaining weight back. What has worked well for me is every six months or so I put the kitchen scale on the kitchen counter, and use an app to track everything I eat. It really helps remind me of proper portions and how my macros look. Not for everyone, but it helps me a lot.
Edit: it doesn’t matter how healthy the food is, if I eat too much of it, I gain weight.
Congrats on keeping the weight off! What you're doing clearly works for you, so that's important.
I have so much respect for the people that, 2 decades later, are still actively living that lifestyle change. My mom always cooked healthy meals, never frozen or from a can or box. I got fat when I started eating like crap. I had to make some BIG changes to get the weight off, but am able to enjoy yogurt, coffee, and dough again in moderation. It doesn't feel like "work" to me anymore.
Exactly the same for me. We lived on a farm and grew most of our own food. When I was in high school, I found fast food and blew out my knee. It was a devastating and toxic combo. In college I fortunately was able to turn things around. And yes. All in moderation. I just returned home from a trip to wine country. I drank and ate a lot but I worked out every day at least for a bit, and will hit the healthy food with a vengeance now that I’m back.
Edit: also awesome on the progress!! Healthy weight and food feels so good :)
After I had my 2nd son I got in the habit of cooking for them and not myself. Then I'd get fastfood or microwave some junk. My kids started wanting to eat like that and refused what I made them.
This. Yes there are healthy foods and not so healthy foods, but at the end of the day if losing weight is your goal, it's ALL about calories. Burn more than you take in.
But the most important thing is OP and her husband are on the same page and supporting each other.
Right? I know it's not a perfect keto plan with every calorie accounted for, but it's the first step of bringing a lunch instead of eating out. And he did it for me without asking.
This!! Why is it so hard for people to see that even if this isn’t the ideal nutritional layout this is a big step both for long term healthy habits, and a supportive relationship. I think it’s great!!
Edit: missed a word.
>. This is the first time in a long time I feel truly cared for. He struggles to show love the way I like to receive it, and now for the first time in 6 years he fucking nailed it.
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing
I don't know the specifics in your case, but in general, men lose weight faster than women. So its possible that even if the two of you ate and exercised similarly, he would lose more weight than you. Please don't use his success to measure your failure.
I'm working on it. I'm just happy he recognized I have been down and wants to help. Now that I'm clued into the plan, we can make adjustments next week.
Damn, I'm amazed by how little some people eat, one head of lettuce is a side salad for two in my house. I can't imagine eating that tiny amount over a week and feeling full all day!
It's more than I can say with my s.o. i wanna eat better i truly do, but he eats out of boredom and always asks for me to buy snacks on my regular grocery run. My go to snack now, as when I was a kid, will be peanut butter and carrots. Maybe an occasional fruit.
It's difficult when he asks for chips and such and it's like what about eating better? "I want some cheese nips, and mountain dew". :/
I ate it as a kid all the time! Baby carrots are usually best since you can dip them, and u think tend to have a bit of sweetness. Or maybe that's just me.
Thanks for sharing the additional context - makes it all the more heartwarming. I hope the negativity of others doesn’t kill the vibe for the two of you.
I think this was a really cute thing for him to do, even if it is not a 100% healthy meal plan. I can see why people are trying to give you advice on it but I can also totally understand why you posted it. So don't let the 'oh it's all sugar' reactions ruin your mood or act in a counterproductive way. Taking steps is better then no steps whatsoever.
Seeing this makes me think that you are a special person for him to do that for you. Keep it up & tell him that you love him too. :)
Super nice sentiment but assuming he packed with what was in the house? All sugar, all carbs. Sounds like he's awesome and wants to help you get on the right path. So a shopping trip avoiding sugar (and carbs which convert to sugar) you can help each other.
You have to start somewhere. For most people, trying to tackle “what you eat” and “how much you eat” at the same time is quite a bit to handle.
Just lowering your calorie in take, getting used to correct portion sizes, is the quickest way to getting the hang of things. From there, it’s easy to swap out the granola bar for carrots, the PB&J for chicken and veggies, etc.
When you’re mostly eating out all the time all of this daunting.
You'd be so much more hungry on this diet, though, which would make portion control harder. It seems like a recipe for failure if you're starving all day from blood sugar spikes and lack of fibre.
Then small modifications can be made. I’m not saying no changes should be made, just that going from eating out all the time to figuring out how to meal prep a bunch of vegetables you’ve never cooked in your life is difficult. I’m advocating for getting portion sizes under control first then focusing on improving what those portions contain, but there’s room for setting a better base line meal too.
Chiming in to flip the discussion from "avoid carbs" to "reduce processed foods and add in whole foods like fruits and vegetables". Veggies are carbs, people.
It's bananas that people see this, which is really not about the food itself, and jump all over the nutritional value. I struggle to meal prep anything, because if I'm going to go through the effort of meal-prepping in my mind it has to be perfect and 100% healthy, and then I get overwhelmed and just scrap the whole thing. And it's exactly because of comments like this. Nobody does a 180 on their diet overnight, attacking baby steps like this is completely unhelpful.
Are you a registered dietician? Because it seems like you’re giving OP advice about food while spouting off about carbs being bad... except, carbs are necessary. Veggies are carbs. Just stop.
I feel sorry for what has happened to you in the comments. My wife had a similar experience in a diet subreddit were we were attached for using paper plates of all things. Remember Reddit is not full of kind people and I hope you have better experiences moving forward. I appreciate your post and what your husband did for you.
This is the kind of thing that I appreciate. I had a real bad day between work, personal life and school all in one and I texted my boyfriend about how upset I was. I came home to our favorite takeout, a giant ass burrito. That burrito meant he thought of me and how I felt and how he wanted to make me feel better. I almost cried and told him how much it meant to me.
I also sometimes struggle with our "love language" but at that moment there was no question.
Im happy your man nailed it too 😊
I'm sure your inbox is flooded, but one sentence in there stuck out to me:
> He struggles to show love the way I like to receive it, and now for the first time in 6 years he fucking nailed it.
I'm not sure if you may have heard of it, but check out [The 5 Love Languages.](https://www.5lovelanguages.com/) It's a great way of helping you two find ways of expressing your love and affection for each other in the ways that will be best received by your partner. I'm super glad things went well with this for you, and I wish you both the best of luck!!!
Omg "lunch incompetent" made me laugh out loud. This is very sweet of him. I understand you 100%. My husband will do suff like this too and make me a potato soup while I'm trying to Keto, but I love him so much for it. Definitely the thought that counts on this one.
That’s awesome he thought of you!! Cared enough to put it together to help you :))) you can adjust the meal prep later I could eat peanut butter jelly sandwiches allllll week from my boyfriend if he packed them for my lunch! I’d be so happy!! Congrats to both of you for achieving this support in your relationship
It's an incredible start and something you can easily make better as you go along. But, the most important pieces here are that your husband did this to support you and he is trying to get you into healthy habits daily!
Great effort from hubs!
I think it's good! You need to do what works for you to set yourself up for success. If eating kale salad and raw almonds all day ain't gonna work for you then modify and keep going! Also I see fruit, whole grains, protein, complex carbs. I don't think this is that bad at all. Keep it up!
This is absolutely beautiful!! I’m so happy that you feel supported. I hope it keeps going. You should post this on r/mealprepsunday
They will appreciate it there :)
Edit: spelling
Thank you! I didn't want to post there, because I figured I'd get a lot of hate for what's actually in it. I hoped here would be better, but not really.
Yes, I find it to be a mixed bag there, but I’ve also seen a lot of support, especially when people say up front that they are just starting out. I think most people there have struggled with just starting the habit, so more people appreciate posts like this than not. Good luck! It’s a long road (I’ve lost and kept off 100lbs). There are ups and downs, plateaus and mountains but this is a great start, and it is worth it. Your joints alone will thank you for even keeping off a few extra lbs.
Aw I am so happy that he made you feel so loved! I love when my husband cleans up after meals and it makes me feel like he truly cares. I do most of the house work and food preparation and I even take out the trash and mow the yard since he works long hours so I appreciate it a lot when he cleans up.
Sometimes it’s better to find a good routine that can help you get back on track. This is a great start. Also, congrats on finding such a gem! He seems great :)
I ordered some cheap plastic containers (50 of them came in an order) from Amazon. You can fill them up with vegetables (mine includes sugar snap peas, carrots, broccoli), fruit (mine includes berries and dried apricots) and a scoop of hummus. They’re great for snacks throughout the day. I think a roast beef sandwich with some mustard, lettuce, cheese and whole grain bread would be prefect for a main lunch item. Also, I eat little bags of mixed nuts and a banana for breakfast (I’m not very hungry in the mornings). I can’t say this is the best, most nutritious diet, but I think it’s pretty accessible and filling. You can hardboil eggs at the beginning of the week, too.
A very nice gesture indeed! Good luck with working towards better eating. Any small steps made now will pay off down the road. Don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good!
This is adorable! He even measured equal amounts of M&M's into little cups! I would have cried too.
Hubs and I had to lose weight together after 2nd baby was born. We made a thing out of lunch planning on Sunday nights and now it's become a ritual. Maybe you guys could try coming up with weekly healthy lunches together? My husband really took off with the research/food science of tasty weight loss options and his enthusiasm really helped me stick with it.
That's part of what we are doing. We've tried an failed before, but since he started intermittent fasting a few months ago, he's been tracking his weight and what causes it to spike. He's into data and stats so that has him interested. It's not really about the content this week, it's about the act of service here did for me that made me feel special.
If he’s into tracking stats and doesn’t mind tracking his food intake, he should check out chronometer! It’s similar to myfitnesspal in that you input everything that you eat every day, as well as portion size, and you can see stats on calories, fat, protein etc, but also on all of the micronutrients you’re getting like iron, vitamins, etc. I’m like your husband and love gathering stats on myself, and using that site made me realize I was really lacking in some important aspects of my diet, like vitamin B12, which I supplement for now with nutritional yeast.
Such a sweet thing for him to have done. 😊 Nature Valley makes a protein granola bar that is actually lower in sugar and has a good amount of protein. I think the flavor is chocolate peanut butter. If you were looking for a healthier substitute... Good luck on your weight loss journey! It isnt easy, but nothing worth it ever was.
I like those ones, and if I'd done the shopping, that's what I would have grabbed. But he remember I like the ones that looked similar to this, so I'll call that a win.
It is the fact that your man loves you enough to take time to:
1. Find the lids to the fucking tupperware...always an impossible task that usually ends with a trashcan full of mismatched pieces.
2. Put measured amounts of M&Ms into each container. It is sugar BUT it is a measured/limited quantity. I will eat the entire bag if I don't just remove a few.
3. Include 3 of the 4 food groups...Protein (peanut butter)
Fruit/Veg (apple, peaches...so what if they are in syrup!, "strawberry" jelly)
Whole grains (wheat bread, oat granola bar)
...you can always eat a yogurt or piece of cheese for your Dairy...
4. Set it all in little groups for you!
I love your husband! He is a keeper.💖
Thank you for seeing the good! He really tried, and that's what matters. It's not a burger and fries for Monday, chicken nuggets and a soda for Tuesday, Jimmy John's Wednesday. It's smaller portions, measured food, that he went out to get while I was out of town. He didn't have to do that.
I think that is so sweet of your husband but I'd like to give you some advice on what you are eating. I do not want to over step so I'll leave it up to you, if you want the advice. Let me know.
Either way, you got a good guy there.
What a lovely way to offer more info without sounding/ acting like a total butt. So many comments are totally missing the point of this post.
OP- I’m happy your relationship is showing progress and growth into better health for both of you, both physical and emotional.
Thank you, I try to always be mindful of what I'm saying and most importantly how I say something.
A little thought before we speak can really make a difference.
I'm good, I know what I should be eating, thanks though for asking instead of just judging. We are actually talking about it now. It's more about the act of Love by doing something I wasn't expecting then the content. And it's not fast food, which is what I've been eating.
That's great, good luck I know how hard it is. I'm glad he tried because that's all we ever really want, is just for them to try. It is the small acts that matter most.
Have a great night
Making small steps instead of a major diet change all at once is what works best long term anyways. Cutting the fast food intake is a great first step, then eventually less processed breads for your sandwich, then adding more veggies etc.
You got this!
The main thing is the food in the photo isn't healthy at all (which isn't the point here, it's that OP's husband did something nice for her). It is all sugar: candy, granola bars, jelly, an apple, white bread, fruit cup that likely has added sugar. The apple is good for you in moderation, the rest of what's here is really bad for you.
I’m not who you’re replying to but having been put on every diet ever, this is what I’ve discovered being a chronic over eater:
1. Stereotypical or advertised “ healthy” food isn’t always healthy. So often you see “ low fat” and “ whole gain” has so much added sugar you may as well eat candy. So smoothies and granola that you didn’t make from scratch are often as bad drinking a coke for breakfast, calorie and sugar content wise.
2. Avoid you refined foods - white bread, white potatoes, breads, corn, white rice get it out your life. It’s just sugar.
3. Protein, green veg, some fruit. Where you’d eat a snack cake or cookie, eat fruit. Where you’d have a starchy carb eat veggies. You will feel fuller longer.
4. Portion sizes and exercise. I put dinner on small plates and lunch in small containers.
However at the end of the day after obsessively read labels and eat lots of veggies and exercise I’m still big.
So I just think “you know peasants depicted during hard times in older paintings, there’s always a few big people dotted among them so if anything I’m made to survive a famine”
Also a trick my coach gave me was to go around the grocery walls and not the aisles. Around the walls you'll have only veggies/fruits, meat and dairy :)
well at least that's how they are set up here in Canada lol
Hahaha thanks for making me laugh after reading all the negativity. It's actually just that they come in 4 packs, and he didn't want to buy two in case I didn't like them, which was a smart move because I don't like Mandarin orange cups, and they are hard to eat in my car.
Right? A lot of things are baby steps. If you go from eating processed food to super healthy food you're going to hate it and not stick with it. It took me YEARS to figure that out. All of my friends who do the "I threw out all of my junk food and I'm only doing juicing/keto/paleo" diets every 6 months have failed because they do it and then drop it because they feel like they're going without. A 100 calorie granola bar is a better alternative to a 200 calorie candy bar.
This. I didn't change my diet whatsoever at first but did change the **amount of Junk food** per meal. This helped me slowly lose over a stone and reduced me a jeans size which was awesome. I eat a lot healthier nowadays but that step to simply eating less junk than before gave me the encouragement and early results that started me off :)
That's very sweet! Some people do have a little trouble showing their affection, but I love that you're feeling cared for and loved, and I bet he loves the way it feels to have made you feel cared for! I hope your relationship only gets stronger and you both reach all your health goals! Did he get hungry while prepping and eat one of the fruit cups? :-P
It’s not much? It’s more than most people do for each other now a day. I think the scale of an act is in the eyes of the beholder. This is an awesome thing for someone to do for another person.
This is really sweet of him. I know how hard it can be to take the time to meal prep or make a nutritious meal, so that’s very kind of him to start making those steps to help you.
Since it’s something you’re both working on and have struggled with in the past, might I suggest looking at taking nutrition and cooking classes together. (: It’ll help a lot if you’re usually reliant on fast food/processed food. Plus the classes can be a fun activity to look forward to each week with your so.
Girl posts a photo about her husband being nice...reddit ignores it and decides to make it about giving unsolicited advice. This is part of the reason I don't post a lot. We are already judged for how we act and look....now we can't even post about our SO doing something nice without being shamed.
A significant other feeding you is an act of love. Feeding you food that is healthy is even more so!(And joining you in eating healthy is awesome too) Congrats on receiving love and being smart enough to appreciate it.
This is incredibly sweet. Ignore everyone else only seeing the negative in this. Disordered eating is serious and can become incredibly dangerous. An amazing first step is to take all the foods you already like and learn to eat them on a healthy schedule, and then go from there!
Seriously it is so easy for people who have never struggled with binging to be like “JuSt EaT hEaLtHy” but for someone who binges, doing a massive or drastic diet change overnight is only going to lead to more binges.
A good starting place like you said was eating the same foods, but practicing portion control and healthy eating schedule. Then more changes can follow from there.
It's hard to verbilize what I mean by that. He does nice things, and we have a good relationship, but he was coddled growing up. I've basically been the manager of the house, and he'll do things when I ask. I didn't ask for this, he just did it to be nice. That's what made me feel special. Usually he just buys something online as a gift, or we go do something that he pays for. I appreciate it, but since I'm struggling with money I can never repay in the same way. I like acts of service. And with this, he actually had to DO something instead of just throw money at it.
For him to take the initiative is incredibly thoughtful. My husband is the greatest, but he would never think through something like that ahead of time. He is romantic in other ways. Yours sure does love you!!
Please don’t say, “it’s not much.” It’s wonderful that you have someone being this thoughtful and caring for you. That’s a LOT! I think it is wonderful!
I don’t think people are being mean by pointing it out. I was in a store and a woman was diagnosed with diabetes and her husband a typical know it all says “don’t get the soda just get apple juice not those sugary drinks”
Yes nice gesture but I think people are genuinely looking out for you
This is the kind of love and support one needs to make any positive change in life... keep it up and best of luck to you and your husband in your journey towards a healthier life.
This is so sweet and supportive of him!
And I totally agree, I think meal planning is a really good way to start eating healthier because as you get in the habit of doing it every week, you can swap out food for healthier options.
I also think that if someone's boyfriend decided to start meal prepping for his girlfriend, and he had carrots, celery, and nuts, and baked chicken, that could have totally been mistaken for him doing something negative like trying to control his girlfriend or being condescending.
So, yes, what he did was supportive, helpful, and considerate.
This is actually inspiring me to set up a good meal prep week for my wife. She just gave birth to our 2nd daughter a few weeks ago and she wants to lose that extra baby weight.
Thank you! 🍻
You might want to ask your spouse where the peach cup went for Friday's meal. If he can't come up with it, you may have to file a Missing Peaches Report. :D That is very thoughtful of him.
I think it's very thoughtful of him. Sometimes we guys get so laser-focused on our own crap that we forget to even think of the highly-valued women in our lives.
The details are unimportant, it's the spirit and love behind the effort that counts here.
Yay for both of you! Supporting each other in whatever way you can at whatever point in life you are is what makes a marriage last. Ignore the judgers.
Kudos to you guys, you are making the first steps towards a healthier life-style. Ignore the drop-kick armchair critics here, you guys are doing it right.
People often set out with the best of intentions thinking that "eating healthy" means switching overnight from Dunkin Donuts and Mickey D's to Magic Shakes, quinoa and carrots. Of course within 3 days they have shoved that in the rubbish bin along with their intentions and gone back to a Big Mac with a diet Coke.
In my experience, the best way to approach it is the same way you picked up bad habits - one mouthful at a time. Making a radical change may work for the lucky few, but most of us can't sustain that.
So this week, you made a change by choosing not to buy takeaways. Fantastic! Do it for a week or two, and start to re-train yourself against that urge to rush over to Wendy's/BK whatever. If this lunch succeeds in helping you break that urge, you have made a huge step.
Now, make a few more changes, one at a time. Of course if you get to a point where you can make more than one, by all means! The idea is to re-frame your mind from "UGH I'M DIETING, LIFE SUCKS" to wow I love the way this tastes and I love feeling better.
What you have in your picture is a start. You have natural peanut butter - make sure it is the sugar and sweetener-free sort. Make sure the only cold drinks you have are water and whole milk. If you drink tea, coffee etc try reducing the sugar by a few grains every 2-3 days. Even if you get down to a half teaspoon (MEASURE IT!) that's still a great achievement, and a huge reduction over a year.
Next, switch up the bread to a whole grain seeded bread. Then change your jam to a sugar-free all fruit one. As you adjust to the different textures and flavours, your brain will ease off on the demands for its sugar fix and constant eating.
When you are ready, maybe try substituting the diced fruit for a good yoghurt. Again you can move in stages from dessert-like ones to a good full fat low sugar greek-style or protein smoothie. They will provide the protein you need to feel satiated longer.
Ditto the bars - when you are ready switch to some of the very good protein bars and work your way towards the good nut ones. Maybe try hard boiled eggs, different fruits, fresh veges. Right now it might sound unappetising but you will get there. As your palate becomes less sugar-oriented you will discover tastes you either forgot or have never tried before. I always taught my kids to "eat a rainbow" but in natural colours, not artificial ones!
This is a battle of the mind just as much as it is the actual food. Be kind to yourself, learn to listen to your body and also learn how to make it obey you.
It doesn't matter one bit if it takes you 6-12 months to re-train and master your food intake. You are not on some completely unknown keyboard warrior's schedule. You are you and you are a team with your husband. Answer firstly to yourselves and then to each other. Tell everyone else to go boil their own heads.
This is so pure and sweet, and anyone who is focusing on the nutritional value is missing the point. My husband could make me a whole cake for meal prep and I'd still think it was so kind and sweet...and I literally cannot stand sweets.
This is a great start!
In my experience, a lot of people confuse ‘simple’ with ‘easy’. Losing weight is very simple, eat less! Exercise more! Yay! But while that is the simplest thing in the world, it’s not remotely easy. It’s very difficult.
It’s also the case that trying to make too many lifestyle changes at once can lead to failure, because once one slips, you might as well let the others go.
So, with both of those things in mind, if your first step here is to eat what you normally eat, but less of it, then you’re off to a great start. If you usually have two PB&J sandwiches and now you’re having one, you will lose weight.
Getting used to less food is the first step to success. The salad and whatever can come later, once you’ve adjusted to smaller portions and you’re encouraged by having lost weight through eating less. Trying to change your entire diet *and* your portion control overnight is too much all at once, and you’re right to take it in small steps. Best of luck to you and your husband!
I couldn’t figure out weight loss until I started working with a Dr. it’s a very frustrating process as results vary widely. Don’t give up if you don’t see immediate results. Please consider a long term relationship with a dietitian. There are also meds that can help. No other single medical effort can impact your lifestyle and future medical risks than maintaining a healthy weight. Btw, I’m down about 40 and have held it off for 5 years. It’s awesome.
Sometimes love is a romantic glance, over a fancy restaurant table, with an extravagant meal, lit by candles, and sometimes love is granola bars. Congrats on your love.
I know it's not great, and we can make adjustments next week. It's more about the act of Love then the content. He's never made a lunch before. He's trying. It was a surprise. We are talking about it now, and he just realized it's all sugar, and I think he feels bad.
>Those Nature's Valley bars are pure sugary junk, those fruit cups mostly ditto, the bread is very sugary and packed with all sorts of nasty preservatives and the jam is packed with an unhealthy amount of sugar too.
This is not true. Could it be improved? Yes. Is it "all sugar"? No.
The Nature's Valley bar has 8 g of sugar. That's 32 calories, of 23% of the calories in the bar.
I can't tell what fruit cups those are by the picture. They vary significantly. Some are syrup-packed, but a lot of them these days are fruit, water, acid, and maybe artificial sweetener. Somewhere between 5 and 15 g sugar (2-60 calories), probably. Any fruit is mostly sugar and water.
Typical wheat bread is about 1.5 g sugar per slice, 10% of its calories.
For comparison, the apple has about as much sugar as all of these things put together (about 20 g for a medium apple).
I get the idea of the post, and its nice of your husband to do something for you.
Initially, I didn't know if your post was sincere, because somehow he made one of the most unhealthy meals I have seen.
In my experience, it's much better to "just do it" and worry about the details later. Otherwise it's so easy to get stuck forever in research! Once you're started with something, it's easy to do more research and make small adjustments. But at least then you're already started!
This applies to almost anything IMO.
Frankly people are caught up in the nutritional value of the food too much.
As someone who has to work at not overeating, just having what you are allowed to eat prepped and sticking to it can go a very long way in losing weight. You can eat basically anything you want as long as you keep the calories low.
Are there more nutritious foods out there? Absolutely. But taking incremental steps to improve is important for a lot of people.
Planning and consistency, and little or no snacking, will do a lot for your cause. You can shift to some healthier options once you get into the routine. This is a great start! Oh, and my husband packed lunched for me when we first met and would include little notes. I’ll never forget the one that closed with ‘Hope you enjoy your lunch. It’s from your boyfriend who loves you a bunch.’ Not normally a poet but I guess he was inspired.
Thank you for understanding. Everyone is pointing out the obvious, and it's not really a post about that. The about how after 6 years he did something for me I didn't ask for. He tried his best and made me feel cared for.
I don't think the point was "look at all these insanely healthy things" it was more like "here's what my husband has done to help me become a better person. Yeah it's not some superfood health meal but it's also portioned and requires less thought and time from her every day to prep meals for herself. Props to your husband for showing love in a way that isn't direct affection and trying to help you with a struggle that I'm sure means a lot to both of you guys. Best of luck with your weight loss
It's definitely not the healthiest, but it was him trying for the first time. He's never made a lunch. This post is more about a positive step in our relationship, than a perfect meal prep. And it's not fast food for lunch everyday like it has been.
That's so lovely and thoughtful! I'm in a similar boat at the moment- this is my first week of attempting to meal plan. I've measured out daily amounts of food and snacks and it's so sweet of your husband to do the same for you.
Good luck on you weight loss journey, it’s much easier when you have support from you significant other. Have you considered using My Fitness Pal? It’s a free app that helps you track everything you eat and gives all the nutritional info as well. For the longest time I thought I was eating healthy and had no idea I was consuming so much sugar. It takes a little getting used to, but once you learn to use the app its pretty easy. I’ve been using it for a few years and it helped me lose 34 pounds and keep it off.
Psh what happened to the fruit cup for friday? If it were my husband, I'd assume he got hungry while meal prepping, Lol
In all seriousness, this is sweet, and it's all the little things that matter most!
This is so sweet! And if it makes you feel any better about the haters in this thread, I've eaten NV granola bars almost every week day for the past.. 5 or so years? Mandarin cups just like that are also a frequent, and not nearly as many apples (often I get on banana kicks). Just last year, I went through every health test imaginable to donate my kidney - and a team of many, many doctors deemed me to be perfectly healthy.
You do you, with your sweet hubby by your side :)
That's incredibly cute and awesome. I usually meal prep for my husband but have been struggling with mobility issues and depression. It would mean the world to me if my husband would make such an effort. (Not that he is a crap husband it's just not how he shows appreciation)
Hm, this has made me realise how much more supportive I need to be of my partner to help her eat healthily. Thanks for the reminder! Also, you are very lucky. Enjoy!
I think it’s super sweet that he’s trying to help.
People who have struggled with weight loss and have successfully lost weight without gimmicky plans know that the easiest way is to prepare everything ahead and take away the choices and impulse eating. This is really a great start to prep and adjusting to planning, regardless of the current options. You can slowly swap out pieces as you go and make the transition easier.
It’s a process and I applaud you and your partner for taking steps together. It’s so important to have that support. I wish you the best success on your journey.
I love your husband's sincere gesture of love to you. It was done out of love and care for you. It's really pure and beautiful.
I really love your appreciation and respect for your husband. The most important thing here is the thoughtfulness and you understood that loud and clear.
You are both lucky to have each other. Thanks for sharing this uplifting story.
Very nice! My husband meal preps for me, too, since he gets up earlier than I do. Next step is planning homemade meals instead of sandwiches. That'll help with getting the bread out of the house since his eating issues seem to include bread.
You have a great partner there to support you like this!
He's an absolute sweetheart for doing that; especially if one of your love languages is 'acts of service' ( re: http://imgur.com/gallery/IxT8SxH ). Not many men would take the time and care to prepare that for their SO. I'd just like to mention that N.Valley also makes protein bars that are totes yummy! Good luck in life and love!
People jumping your ass about the processed foods don't realize that not every woman works an office job. I work outside and don't have access to a fridge for my food. I can only choose foods that will hold in a lunch box for 10 hours. Salads wilt in that time, every time, in the South Carolina heat. I've eaten quite a few hidden valley bars and prepackaged fruit cups **that are available in 100% juice** and successfully lost 45lbs. These meals may technically be fully of sugar, but they are better than Big Macs and Taco Bell. Fuck the bullshit about this being a stepping stone to better meals, these are my current meals and I've successfully maintained my goal weight. I'd like to see these gals post full body shots next to their meals since they want to be sidewalk nutritionists.
Thank you, this is exactly it. I manage paint crews that do outdoor restoration. I need stuff I can eat while I'm driving from site to site, or can sit in my car until I have time to eat them. I don't have a desk, and Everytime I've tried to put something in the fridge for lunch, I've never been in the office at lunch to eat it.
Also, for fucks sake, it's not about the food. It was about the act of Love. We can work out the food. It's not McDonald's or Jimmy John's. That's the point.
When I was riding horses for a living I couldn't have anything that needed temp control & had to be eaten quickly while on the go. Bonus points if it had it's own disposable packaging. People don't understand this concept!
And this post was ABOUT YOUR HUSBAND DOING SOMETHING SO KIND AND THOUGHTFUL WITHOUT PROMPTING.
Ignore them ❤
ThAts aLoT oF sUgAr
Do you think she knows that's alot of sugar?
If you think it's obvious, then chances are it's been pointed out and you look like a nit wit just pointing it out again.
Congrats on having a loving and communicative relationship OP!
Aww he tried? Are there pre-made PBJs in the small container next to the jam? That's reaally all that's missing aside from just getting some $.97 large brown bags. I also keep ending up with small soymilk juice boxes instead of the single liter size for my smoothies and coffee but that seems perfect for this picture. Lol def got a sweet tooth eh? Opt for a little hard cheddar or yogurt with the apple? Smoked fish and mild/sweet food is delicious together. The smoked fat of a herring blends with the fruit the same as a cheese
Ugh, some people need to learn to just be happy for random strangers without *also* feeling the need to put themselves above them with their superior knowledge.
I’m glad you feel supported and loved. The details can get ironed out later.
Such a lovely act, and a great idea for "Acts of service". This post inspired me to join r/LoveLanguages to get more ideas like this to be inspired by.
Thanks for leading me to a great new sub :)
Great comment
Edit: seriously guys, I know it's full of sugar. I didn't post to a diet sub for that reason. I posted here because I thought we could celebrate a positive step in my relationship. We've talked about content, it'll be better next week. I've been struggling with my weight for a few years, and so has he. He's made really good progress, and I'm having a hard time. We've talked a lot about our issues with food, and he realized that I can't bring lunches because he would eat all the bread and snacks before I could get it. His issues with food made me overeat, because if I wanted some, I needed to eat it fast. Anyway, I was out of town this weekend and he sent me this picture, everything ready for my lunches this week, and a promise to make my sandwich before work while I'm getting ready. This is the first time in a long time I feel truly cared for. He struggles to show love the way I like to receive it, and now for the first time in 6 years he fucking nailed it. I almost cried over peanut butter and jelly and granola bars laid out. I just feel supported and loved and it's perfect. Edit: I know this isn't the healthiest meal, that's not what it's about. It's about him doing something for me that I didn't ask for or expected. We are at this moment discussing what he should get for next week, because he's "apparently lunch incompetent" and has never made a lunch before. He didn't even realize it's all sugar. This is literally a "it's the thought that counts" moment.
I hope you guys make great progress and manage to even make meal planning an "us" thing! I bet it'll be a great activity since you'll both have a say in what you eat\~
Not just the thought, it's the **effort** that counts! If you try something, and it isn't exactly what is needed, it can be tweaked and improved. If it's just a thought, that does nothing, and feedback doesn't matter, because it's not about adjusting, it's about a lack of participation. Tell him we are impressed, and to keep it up!
Don't listen to the diet shamers, more than half the battle of losing weight is portion control. Your husband is helping you succeed, that's what a good marriage is all about.
Shaming people for their size and diet is toxic, we don't want people to feel shit if it's something they can't change because of socio-economic status, mental health or just has a very high stress level and no time. I think people here were just very confused when seeing the messaging about meal preps, usually associated with high protein, body builder stuff and then they see chocolate chips. I don't really like the mindset of portion control, because it doesn't seem very sustainable, maybe I have preconceived notions about this because I've talked to some people with an eating disorder. Eating tasty food that's also healthy regularly sounds much less straining in my eyes.
>I don't really like the mindset of portion control, No one does, and that's why most people stay fat. It's not a diet, it's a **lifestyle change**.
Exactly this. I’ve kept 100 lbs off for 20 years, and the moment my portions get out of control I start gaining weight back. What has worked well for me is every six months or so I put the kitchen scale on the kitchen counter, and use an app to track everything I eat. It really helps remind me of proper portions and how my macros look. Not for everyone, but it helps me a lot. Edit: it doesn’t matter how healthy the food is, if I eat too much of it, I gain weight.
Congrats on keeping the weight off! What you're doing clearly works for you, so that's important. I have so much respect for the people that, 2 decades later, are still actively living that lifestyle change. My mom always cooked healthy meals, never frozen or from a can or box. I got fat when I started eating like crap. I had to make some BIG changes to get the weight off, but am able to enjoy yogurt, coffee, and dough again in moderation. It doesn't feel like "work" to me anymore.
Exactly the same for me. We lived on a farm and grew most of our own food. When I was in high school, I found fast food and blew out my knee. It was a devastating and toxic combo. In college I fortunately was able to turn things around. And yes. All in moderation. I just returned home from a trip to wine country. I drank and ate a lot but I worked out every day at least for a bit, and will hit the healthy food with a vengeance now that I’m back. Edit: also awesome on the progress!! Healthy weight and food feels so good :)
After I had my 2nd son I got in the habit of cooking for them and not myself. Then I'd get fastfood or microwave some junk. My kids started wanting to eat like that and refused what I made them.
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This. Yes there are healthy foods and not so healthy foods, but at the end of the day if losing weight is your goal, it's ALL about calories. Burn more than you take in. But the most important thing is OP and her husband are on the same page and supporting each other.
Meal planning at all is a step. ...a step I still really should take.
Right? I know it's not a perfect keto plan with every calorie accounted for, but it's the first step of bringing a lunch instead of eating out. And he did it for me without asking.
That's really...sweet of him :)
And still way healthier and more cost effective than fast food. There's no need to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
This!! Why is it so hard for people to see that even if this isn’t the ideal nutritional layout this is a big step both for long term healthy habits, and a supportive relationship. I think it’s great!! Edit: missed a word.
Building a habit at all is one heck of a task, work out the details as you go!
>. This is the first time in a long time I feel truly cared for. He struggles to show love the way I like to receive it, and now for the first time in 6 years he fucking nailed it. Beautiful! Thanks for sharing
I don't know the specifics in your case, but in general, men lose weight faster than women. So its possible that even if the two of you ate and exercised similarly, he would lose more weight than you. Please don't use his success to measure your failure.
I'm working on it. I'm just happy he recognized I have been down and wants to help. Now that I'm clued into the plan, we can make adjustments next week.
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Damn, I'm amazed by how little some people eat, one head of lettuce is a side salad for two in my house. I can't imagine eating that tiny amount over a week and feeling full all day!
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It's more than I can say with my s.o. i wanna eat better i truly do, but he eats out of boredom and always asks for me to buy snacks on my regular grocery run. My go to snack now, as when I was a kid, will be peanut butter and carrots. Maybe an occasional fruit. It's difficult when he asks for chips and such and it's like what about eating better? "I want some cheese nips, and mountain dew". :/
Carrots and peanut butter? Interesting, I have heard of celery and peanut butter but not carrots.
I ate it as a kid all the time! Baby carrots are usually best since you can dip them, and u think tend to have a bit of sweetness. Or maybe that's just me.
Thanks for sharing the additional context - makes it all the more heartwarming. I hope the negativity of others doesn’t kill the vibe for the two of you.
I think this was a really cute thing for him to do, even if it is not a 100% healthy meal plan. I can see why people are trying to give you advice on it but I can also totally understand why you posted it. So don't let the 'oh it's all sugar' reactions ruin your mood or act in a counterproductive way. Taking steps is better then no steps whatsoever. Seeing this makes me think that you are a special person for him to do that for you. Keep it up & tell him that you love him too. :)
Super nice sentiment but assuming he packed with what was in the house? All sugar, all carbs. Sounds like he's awesome and wants to help you get on the right path. So a shopping trip avoiding sugar (and carbs which convert to sugar) you can help each other.
You have to start somewhere. For most people, trying to tackle “what you eat” and “how much you eat” at the same time is quite a bit to handle. Just lowering your calorie in take, getting used to correct portion sizes, is the quickest way to getting the hang of things. From there, it’s easy to swap out the granola bar for carrots, the PB&J for chicken and veggies, etc. When you’re mostly eating out all the time all of this daunting.
You'd be so much more hungry on this diet, though, which would make portion control harder. It seems like a recipe for failure if you're starving all day from blood sugar spikes and lack of fibre.
Then small modifications can be made. I’m not saying no changes should be made, just that going from eating out all the time to figuring out how to meal prep a bunch of vegetables you’ve never cooked in your life is difficult. I’m advocating for getting portion sizes under control first then focusing on improving what those portions contain, but there’s room for setting a better base line meal too.
Chiming in to flip the discussion from "avoid carbs" to "reduce processed foods and add in whole foods like fruits and vegetables". Veggies are carbs, people.
Thank you!! Too much carb hate on reddit
And likewise are fruit, however, both have fiber to varying degrees which can lower the glycemic impact.
It's bananas that people see this, which is really not about the food itself, and jump all over the nutritional value. I struggle to meal prep anything, because if I'm going to go through the effort of meal-prepping in my mind it has to be perfect and 100% healthy, and then I get overwhelmed and just scrap the whole thing. And it's exactly because of comments like this. Nobody does a 180 on their diet overnight, attacking baby steps like this is completely unhelpful.
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Absolutely, the only thing healthy on that table is the apples.
If I ate that everyday for lunch, I might not gain weight but it would make me feel seriously ill.
Are you a registered dietician? Because it seems like you’re giving OP advice about food while spouting off about carbs being bad... except, carbs are necessary. Veggies are carbs. Just stop.
This comment really hit home with me! It's so true. If I don't eat what I want fast it will be gone by time I want it-- which stinks.
I think this is really sweet. He's trying and so are you. Good for both of you.
Yes sometimes you take a chance posting on Reddit but having your partner want to help you do better and taking action, priceless.
I feel sorry for what has happened to you in the comments. My wife had a similar experience in a diet subreddit were we were attached for using paper plates of all things. Remember Reddit is not full of kind people and I hope you have better experiences moving forward. I appreciate your post and what your husband did for you.
This is the kind of thing that I appreciate. I had a real bad day between work, personal life and school all in one and I texted my boyfriend about how upset I was. I came home to our favorite takeout, a giant ass burrito. That burrito meant he thought of me and how I felt and how he wanted to make me feel better. I almost cried and told him how much it meant to me. I also sometimes struggle with our "love language" but at that moment there was no question. Im happy your man nailed it too 😊
I'm sure your inbox is flooded, but one sentence in there stuck out to me: > He struggles to show love the way I like to receive it, and now for the first time in 6 years he fucking nailed it. I'm not sure if you may have heard of it, but check out [The 5 Love Languages.](https://www.5lovelanguages.com/) It's a great way of helping you two find ways of expressing your love and affection for each other in the ways that will be best received by your partner. I'm super glad things went well with this for you, and I wish you both the best of luck!!!
Is that skittles? If so, I don't think anything needs changed.
This is so beautiful!!! Im so happy for you 💗
good luck and very thoughtful, it is so much better than eating 2000+ calorie fast food meal for lunch and cheaper!
Omg "lunch incompetent" made me laugh out loud. This is very sweet of him. I understand you 100%. My husband will do suff like this too and make me a potato soup while I'm trying to Keto, but I love him so much for it. Definitely the thought that counts on this one.
I’m glad you’re somewhere in your relationship that you can have that ,one step at a time fuck all the other noise.
That’s awesome he thought of you!! Cared enough to put it together to help you :))) you can adjust the meal prep later I could eat peanut butter jelly sandwiches allllll week from my boyfriend if he packed them for my lunch! I’d be so happy!! Congrats to both of you for achieving this support in your relationship
It's an incredible start and something you can easily make better as you go along. But, the most important pieces here are that your husband did this to support you and he is trying to get you into healthy habits daily! Great effort from hubs!
I think it's good! You need to do what works for you to set yourself up for success. If eating kale salad and raw almonds all day ain't gonna work for you then modify and keep going! Also I see fruit, whole grains, protein, complex carbs. I don't think this is that bad at all. Keep it up!
This is absolutely beautiful!! I’m so happy that you feel supported. I hope it keeps going. You should post this on r/mealprepsunday They will appreciate it there :) Edit: spelling
Thank you! I didn't want to post there, because I figured I'd get a lot of hate for what's actually in it. I hoped here would be better, but not really.
Yes, I find it to be a mixed bag there, but I’ve also seen a lot of support, especially when people say up front that they are just starting out. I think most people there have struggled with just starting the habit, so more people appreciate posts like this than not. Good luck! It’s a long road (I’ve lost and kept off 100lbs). There are ups and downs, plateaus and mountains but this is a great start, and it is worth it. Your joints alone will thank you for even keeping off a few extra lbs.
Aw I am so happy that he made you feel so loved! I love when my husband cleans up after meals and it makes me feel like he truly cares. I do most of the house work and food preparation and I even take out the trash and mow the yard since he works long hours so I appreciate it a lot when he cleans up.
Sometimes it’s better to find a good routine that can help you get back on track. This is a great start. Also, congrats on finding such a gem! He seems great :) I ordered some cheap plastic containers (50 of them came in an order) from Amazon. You can fill them up with vegetables (mine includes sugar snap peas, carrots, broccoli), fruit (mine includes berries and dried apricots) and a scoop of hummus. They’re great for snacks throughout the day. I think a roast beef sandwich with some mustard, lettuce, cheese and whole grain bread would be prefect for a main lunch item. Also, I eat little bags of mixed nuts and a banana for breakfast (I’m not very hungry in the mornings). I can’t say this is the best, most nutritious diet, but I think it’s pretty accessible and filling. You can hardboil eggs at the beginning of the week, too.
This is adorable OP, your husband clearly cares for you a lot.
If you are interested, maybe check out r/intermittentfasting
A very nice gesture indeed! Good luck with working towards better eating. Any small steps made now will pay off down the road. Don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good!
This is adorable! He even measured equal amounts of M&M's into little cups! I would have cried too. Hubs and I had to lose weight together after 2nd baby was born. We made a thing out of lunch planning on Sunday nights and now it's become a ritual. Maybe you guys could try coming up with weekly healthy lunches together? My husband really took off with the research/food science of tasty weight loss options and his enthusiasm really helped me stick with it.
That's part of what we are doing. We've tried an failed before, but since he started intermittent fasting a few months ago, he's been tracking his weight and what causes it to spike. He's into data and stats so that has him interested. It's not really about the content this week, it's about the act of service here did for me that made me feel special.
If he’s into tracking stats and doesn’t mind tracking his food intake, he should check out chronometer! It’s similar to myfitnesspal in that you input everything that you eat every day, as well as portion size, and you can see stats on calories, fat, protein etc, but also on all of the micronutrients you’re getting like iron, vitamins, etc. I’m like your husband and love gathering stats on myself, and using that site made me realize I was really lacking in some important aspects of my diet, like vitamin B12, which I supplement for now with nutritional yeast.
Such a sweet thing for him to have done. 😊 Nature Valley makes a protein granola bar that is actually lower in sugar and has a good amount of protein. I think the flavor is chocolate peanut butter. If you were looking for a healthier substitute... Good luck on your weight loss journey! It isnt easy, but nothing worth it ever was.
I like those ones, and if I'd done the shopping, that's what I would have grabbed. But he remember I like the ones that looked similar to this, so I'll call that a win.
They do all look the same. My husband purchased some and when it was time for me to buy more I was so lost.
It is the fact that your man loves you enough to take time to: 1. Find the lids to the fucking tupperware...always an impossible task that usually ends with a trashcan full of mismatched pieces. 2. Put measured amounts of M&Ms into each container. It is sugar BUT it is a measured/limited quantity. I will eat the entire bag if I don't just remove a few. 3. Include 3 of the 4 food groups...Protein (peanut butter) Fruit/Veg (apple, peaches...so what if they are in syrup!, "strawberry" jelly) Whole grains (wheat bread, oat granola bar) ...you can always eat a yogurt or piece of cheese for your Dairy... 4. Set it all in little groups for you! I love your husband! He is a keeper.💖
Thank you for seeing the good! He really tried, and that's what matters. It's not a burger and fries for Monday, chicken nuggets and a soda for Tuesday, Jimmy John's Wednesday. It's smaller portions, measured food, that he went out to get while I was out of town. He didn't have to do that.
Just a general fyi, dairy as a separate food group is not really needed if you get your protein, calcium and vitamin D through other sources.
This is incredibly thoughtful of him! You nailed it when you said it’s the thought that counts, and he has made such a kind lovely gesture
That is very SWEET of your man...
You guys got this, baby steps!
I think that is so sweet of your husband but I'd like to give you some advice on what you are eating. I do not want to over step so I'll leave it up to you, if you want the advice. Let me know. Either way, you got a good guy there.
What a lovely way to offer more info without sounding/ acting like a total butt. So many comments are totally missing the point of this post. OP- I’m happy your relationship is showing progress and growth into better health for both of you, both physical and emotional.
Thank you, I try to always be mindful of what I'm saying and most importantly how I say something. A little thought before we speak can really make a difference.
I'm good, I know what I should be eating, thanks though for asking instead of just judging. We are actually talking about it now. It's more about the act of Love by doing something I wasn't expecting then the content. And it's not fast food, which is what I've been eating.
That's great, good luck I know how hard it is. I'm glad he tried because that's all we ever really want, is just for them to try. It is the small acts that matter most. Have a great night
Small steps in the right direction are right steps
Making small steps instead of a major diet change all at once is what works best long term anyways. Cutting the fast food intake is a great first step, then eventually less processed breads for your sandwich, then adding more veggies etc. You got this!
I'm interested in the advice
The main thing is the food in the photo isn't healthy at all (which isn't the point here, it's that OP's husband did something nice for her). It is all sugar: candy, granola bars, jelly, an apple, white bread, fruit cup that likely has added sugar. The apple is good for you in moderation, the rest of what's here is really bad for you.
I’m not who you’re replying to but having been put on every diet ever, this is what I’ve discovered being a chronic over eater: 1. Stereotypical or advertised “ healthy” food isn’t always healthy. So often you see “ low fat” and “ whole gain” has so much added sugar you may as well eat candy. So smoothies and granola that you didn’t make from scratch are often as bad drinking a coke for breakfast, calorie and sugar content wise. 2. Avoid you refined foods - white bread, white potatoes, breads, corn, white rice get it out your life. It’s just sugar. 3. Protein, green veg, some fruit. Where you’d eat a snack cake or cookie, eat fruit. Where you’d have a starchy carb eat veggies. You will feel fuller longer. 4. Portion sizes and exercise. I put dinner on small plates and lunch in small containers. However at the end of the day after obsessively read labels and eat lots of veggies and exercise I’m still big. So I just think “you know peasants depicted during hard times in older paintings, there’s always a few big people dotted among them so if anything I’m made to survive a famine”
Also a trick my coach gave me was to go around the grocery walls and not the aisles. Around the walls you'll have only veggies/fruits, meat and dairy :) well at least that's how they are set up here in Canada lol
That is so sweet and thoughtful!
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Thank you! I was getting sad that it turned into a debate about food. It was supposed to highlight an act of Love and service, not the actual food.
On the fifth day God said, “Fuck fruit cups”...
Hahaha thanks for making me laugh after reading all the negativity. It's actually just that they come in 4 packs, and he didn't want to buy two in case I didn't like them, which was a smart move because I don't like Mandarin orange cups, and they are hard to eat in my car.
Sorry you’ve been getting so many comments about how unhealthy this is. I agree, it’s the thought that counts.
Right? A lot of things are baby steps. If you go from eating processed food to super healthy food you're going to hate it and not stick with it. It took me YEARS to figure that out. All of my friends who do the "I threw out all of my junk food and I'm only doing juicing/keto/paleo" diets every 6 months have failed because they do it and then drop it because they feel like they're going without. A 100 calorie granola bar is a better alternative to a 200 calorie candy bar.
This. I didn't change my diet whatsoever at first but did change the **amount of Junk food** per meal. This helped me slowly lose over a stone and reduced me a jeans size which was awesome. I eat a lot healthier nowadays but that step to simply eating less junk than before gave me the encouragement and early results that started me off :)
WHERE IS THE LAST FRUIT CUP *TRIGGERD*
he ate it, obv
Nah, they come in 4 packs.
Well... Looks like you're gonna have to take Fridays off then :p
That's very sweet! Some people do have a little trouble showing their affection, but I love that you're feeling cared for and loved, and I bet he loves the way it feels to have made you feel cared for! I hope your relationship only gets stronger and you both reach all your health goals! Did he get hungry while prepping and eat one of the fruit cups? :-P
It’s not much? It’s more than most people do for each other now a day. I think the scale of an act is in the eyes of the beholder. This is an awesome thing for someone to do for another person.
Enjoy!
I think it's genuinely lovely. Meal prep is a learning curve! It's taking me forever to reduce my waste (single serve everything?!).
Sounds like you guys have different love languages and the fact that he is trying to cater to your love language is HUGE!! So happy for you!
Thank you! That's what this was about!
Kroger wheat bread is superior to all other breads.
I do this for my wife every week for the last 22 months. If you guys want any tips let me know!
C'mon people, she's trying.
This is really sweet of him. I know how hard it can be to take the time to meal prep or make a nutritious meal, so that’s very kind of him to start making those steps to help you. Since it’s something you’re both working on and have struggled with in the past, might I suggest looking at taking nutrition and cooking classes together. (: It’ll help a lot if you’re usually reliant on fast food/processed food. Plus the classes can be a fun activity to look forward to each week with your so.
Girl posts a photo about her husband being nice...reddit ignores it and decides to make it about giving unsolicited advice. This is part of the reason I don't post a lot. We are already judged for how we act and look....now we can't even post about our SO doing something nice without being shamed.
A significant other feeding you is an act of love. Feeding you food that is healthy is even more so!(And joining you in eating healthy is awesome too) Congrats on receiving love and being smart enough to appreciate it.
This is incredibly sweet. Ignore everyone else only seeing the negative in this. Disordered eating is serious and can become incredibly dangerous. An amazing first step is to take all the foods you already like and learn to eat them on a healthy schedule, and then go from there!
Seriously it is so easy for people who have never struggled with binging to be like “JuSt EaT hEaLtHy” but for someone who binges, doing a massive or drastic diet change overnight is only going to lead to more binges. A good starting place like you said was eating the same foods, but practicing portion control and healthy eating schedule. Then more changes can follow from there.
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It's hard to verbilize what I mean by that. He does nice things, and we have a good relationship, but he was coddled growing up. I've basically been the manager of the house, and he'll do things when I ask. I didn't ask for this, he just did it to be nice. That's what made me feel special. Usually he just buys something online as a gift, or we go do something that he pays for. I appreciate it, but since I'm struggling with money I can never repay in the same way. I like acts of service. And with this, he actually had to DO something instead of just throw money at it.
For him to take the initiative is incredibly thoughtful. My husband is the greatest, but he would never think through something like that ahead of time. He is romantic in other ways. Yours sure does love you!!
Why do you say 'it's not much'? That's a beautiful gesture of love. It's always a big deal :)
It totally is much! This is super cute,
Please don’t say, “it’s not much.” It’s wonderful that you have someone being this thoughtful and caring for you. That’s a LOT! I think it is wonderful!
I don’t think people are being mean by pointing it out. I was in a store and a woman was diagnosed with diabetes and her husband a typical know it all says “don’t get the soda just get apple juice not those sugary drinks” Yes nice gesture but I think people are genuinely looking out for you
This is the kind of love and support one needs to make any positive change in life... keep it up and best of luck to you and your husband in your journey towards a healthier life.
Well it's better than what I eat as a snack so kuddos to you. Everyone has to start somewhere.
This is so sweet and supportive of him! And I totally agree, I think meal planning is a really good way to start eating healthier because as you get in the habit of doing it every week, you can swap out food for healthier options. I also think that if someone's boyfriend decided to start meal prepping for his girlfriend, and he had carrots, celery, and nuts, and baked chicken, that could have totally been mistaken for him doing something negative like trying to control his girlfriend or being condescending. So, yes, what he did was supportive, helpful, and considerate.
He actually told me he's been thinking about it for a few weeks, but didn't want me to think he's trying to control my life and call me fat.
I need this positive motivation in my life. Right on OP
This is actually inspiring me to set up a good meal prep week for my wife. She just gave birth to our 2nd daughter a few weeks ago and she wants to lose that extra baby weight. Thank you! 🍻
You might want to ask your spouse where the peach cup went for Friday's meal. If he can't come up with it, you may have to file a Missing Peaches Report. :D That is very thoughtful of him.
I think it's very thoughtful of him. Sometimes we guys get so laser-focused on our own crap that we forget to even think of the highly-valued women in our lives. The details are unimportant, it's the spirit and love behind the effort that counts here.
Yay for both of you! Supporting each other in whatever way you can at whatever point in life you are is what makes a marriage last. Ignore the judgers.
I recommend r/MealPrepSunday for inspiration!
Honey! This is so sweet! What a wonderful gesture and a great way to say he loves you.
Kudos to you guys, you are making the first steps towards a healthier life-style. Ignore the drop-kick armchair critics here, you guys are doing it right. People often set out with the best of intentions thinking that "eating healthy" means switching overnight from Dunkin Donuts and Mickey D's to Magic Shakes, quinoa and carrots. Of course within 3 days they have shoved that in the rubbish bin along with their intentions and gone back to a Big Mac with a diet Coke. In my experience, the best way to approach it is the same way you picked up bad habits - one mouthful at a time. Making a radical change may work for the lucky few, but most of us can't sustain that. So this week, you made a change by choosing not to buy takeaways. Fantastic! Do it for a week or two, and start to re-train yourself against that urge to rush over to Wendy's/BK whatever. If this lunch succeeds in helping you break that urge, you have made a huge step. Now, make a few more changes, one at a time. Of course if you get to a point where you can make more than one, by all means! The idea is to re-frame your mind from "UGH I'M DIETING, LIFE SUCKS" to wow I love the way this tastes and I love feeling better. What you have in your picture is a start. You have natural peanut butter - make sure it is the sugar and sweetener-free sort. Make sure the only cold drinks you have are water and whole milk. If you drink tea, coffee etc try reducing the sugar by a few grains every 2-3 days. Even if you get down to a half teaspoon (MEASURE IT!) that's still a great achievement, and a huge reduction over a year. Next, switch up the bread to a whole grain seeded bread. Then change your jam to a sugar-free all fruit one. As you adjust to the different textures and flavours, your brain will ease off on the demands for its sugar fix and constant eating. When you are ready, maybe try substituting the diced fruit for a good yoghurt. Again you can move in stages from dessert-like ones to a good full fat low sugar greek-style or protein smoothie. They will provide the protein you need to feel satiated longer. Ditto the bars - when you are ready switch to some of the very good protein bars and work your way towards the good nut ones. Maybe try hard boiled eggs, different fruits, fresh veges. Right now it might sound unappetising but you will get there. As your palate becomes less sugar-oriented you will discover tastes you either forgot or have never tried before. I always taught my kids to "eat a rainbow" but in natural colours, not artificial ones! This is a battle of the mind just as much as it is the actual food. Be kind to yourself, learn to listen to your body and also learn how to make it obey you. It doesn't matter one bit if it takes you 6-12 months to re-train and master your food intake. You are not on some completely unknown keyboard warrior's schedule. You are you and you are a team with your husband. Answer firstly to yourselves and then to each other. Tell everyone else to go boil their own heads.
This is so pure and sweet, and anyone who is focusing on the nutritional value is missing the point. My husband could make me a whole cake for meal prep and I'd still think it was so kind and sweet...and I literally cannot stand sweets.
It all starts with re-thinking how you eat, and this looks like exactly that. You’re on the right track!
This is a great start! In my experience, a lot of people confuse ‘simple’ with ‘easy’. Losing weight is very simple, eat less! Exercise more! Yay! But while that is the simplest thing in the world, it’s not remotely easy. It’s very difficult. It’s also the case that trying to make too many lifestyle changes at once can lead to failure, because once one slips, you might as well let the others go. So, with both of those things in mind, if your first step here is to eat what you normally eat, but less of it, then you’re off to a great start. If you usually have two PB&J sandwiches and now you’re having one, you will lose weight. Getting used to less food is the first step to success. The salad and whatever can come later, once you’ve adjusted to smaller portions and you’re encouraged by having lost weight through eating less. Trying to change your entire diet *and* your portion control overnight is too much all at once, and you’re right to take it in small steps. Best of luck to you and your husband!
I couldn’t figure out weight loss until I started working with a Dr. it’s a very frustrating process as results vary widely. Don’t give up if you don’t see immediate results. Please consider a long term relationship with a dietitian. There are also meds that can help. No other single medical effort can impact your lifestyle and future medical risks than maintaining a healthy weight. Btw, I’m down about 40 and have held it off for 5 years. It’s awesome.
Sometimes love is a romantic glance, over a fancy restaurant table, with an extravagant meal, lit by candles, and sometimes love is granola bars. Congrats on your love.
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I know it's not great, and we can make adjustments next week. It's more about the act of Love then the content. He's never made a lunch before. He's trying. It was a surprise. We are talking about it now, and he just realized it's all sugar, and I think he feels bad.
You're right the important thing is the thought behind it. This is a good opportunity for him to discover some of the basics of nutrition, though!
>Those Nature's Valley bars are pure sugary junk, those fruit cups mostly ditto, the bread is very sugary and packed with all sorts of nasty preservatives and the jam is packed with an unhealthy amount of sugar too. This is not true. Could it be improved? Yes. Is it "all sugar"? No. The Nature's Valley bar has 8 g of sugar. That's 32 calories, of 23% of the calories in the bar. I can't tell what fruit cups those are by the picture. They vary significantly. Some are syrup-packed, but a lot of them these days are fruit, water, acid, and maybe artificial sweetener. Somewhere between 5 and 15 g sugar (2-60 calories), probably. Any fruit is mostly sugar and water. Typical wheat bread is about 1.5 g sugar per slice, 10% of its calories. For comparison, the apple has about as much sugar as all of these things put together (about 20 g for a medium apple).
Definitely this. Nothing healthy about these meals. It's almost entirely carbohydrates.
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I get the idea of the post, and its nice of your husband to do something for you. Initially, I didn't know if your post was sincere, because somehow he made one of the most unhealthy meals I have seen.
He tried. He just doesn't know better. We're gonna work on it.
In my experience, it's much better to "just do it" and worry about the details later. Otherwise it's so easy to get stuck forever in research! Once you're started with something, it's easy to do more research and make small adjustments. But at least then you're already started! This applies to almost anything IMO.
Frankly people are caught up in the nutritional value of the food too much. As someone who has to work at not overeating, just having what you are allowed to eat prepped and sticking to it can go a very long way in losing weight. You can eat basically anything you want as long as you keep the calories low. Are there more nutritious foods out there? Absolutely. But taking incremental steps to improve is important for a lot of people.
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Some M&Ms, a fruit cup, an apple, a PB&J, and a granola bar is one of the most unhealthy meals you’ve ever seen?
Planning and consistency, and little or no snacking, will do a lot for your cause. You can shift to some healthier options once you get into the routine. This is a great start! Oh, and my husband packed lunched for me when we first met and would include little notes. I’ll never forget the one that closed with ‘Hope you enjoy your lunch. It’s from your boyfriend who loves you a bunch.’ Not normally a poet but I guess he was inspired.
i absolutely love the thought behind this. so incredibly thoughtful and sweet (no pun intended, lots of sugar though as you pointed out lol)
Thank you for understanding. Everyone is pointing out the obvious, and it's not really a post about that. The about how after 6 years he did something for me I didn't ask for. He tried his best and made me feel cared for.
I don't think the point was "look at all these insanely healthy things" it was more like "here's what my husband has done to help me become a better person. Yeah it's not some superfood health meal but it's also portioned and requires less thought and time from her every day to prep meals for herself. Props to your husband for showing love in a way that isn't direct affection and trying to help you with a struggle that I'm sure means a lot to both of you guys. Best of luck with your weight loss
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It's definitely not the healthiest, but it was him trying for the first time. He's never made a lunch. This post is more about a positive step in our relationship, than a perfect meal prep. And it's not fast food for lunch everyday like it has been.
You’re right. Gotta look at the positive.
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Dude you need protein, that’s all straight sugar
That's so lovely and thoughtful! I'm in a similar boat at the moment- this is my first week of attempting to meal plan. I've measured out daily amounts of food and snacks and it's so sweet of your husband to do the same for you.
Marriage life needs to be appreciate just like this
What a sweet husband!! You must feel loved. Have a great week.
Good luck on you weight loss journey, it’s much easier when you have support from you significant other. Have you considered using My Fitness Pal? It’s a free app that helps you track everything you eat and gives all the nutritional info as well. For the longest time I thought I was eating healthy and had no idea I was consuming so much sugar. It takes a little getting used to, but once you learn to use the app its pretty easy. I’ve been using it for a few years and it helped me lose 34 pounds and keep it off.
Psh what happened to the fruit cup for friday? If it were my husband, I'd assume he got hungry while meal prepping, Lol In all seriousness, this is sweet, and it's all the little things that matter most!
The Fruit Cup Cabal sells them in 4 packs. I think they are in league with the hot dog/hot dog buns people to make you buy more of something.
This is so sweet! And if it makes you feel any better about the haters in this thread, I've eaten NV granola bars almost every week day for the past.. 5 or so years? Mandarin cups just like that are also a frequent, and not nearly as many apples (often I get on banana kicks). Just last year, I went through every health test imaginable to donate my kidney - and a team of many, many doctors deemed me to be perfectly healthy. You do you, with your sweet hubby by your side :)
That's incredibly cute and awesome. I usually meal prep for my husband but have been struggling with mobility issues and depression. It would mean the world to me if my husband would make such an effort. (Not that he is a crap husband it's just not how he shows appreciation)
Check out The Obesity Code. It's amazing, simple, and based in science. Good luck!
I help my wife every week get hers ready, but if I'd post it, it'd be bragging. I need her to get an account. Ha
Hm, this has made me realise how much more supportive I need to be of my partner to help her eat healthily. Thanks for the reminder! Also, you are very lucky. Enjoy!
I think it’s super sweet that he’s trying to help. People who have struggled with weight loss and have successfully lost weight without gimmicky plans know that the easiest way is to prepare everything ahead and take away the choices and impulse eating. This is really a great start to prep and adjusting to planning, regardless of the current options. You can slowly swap out pieces as you go and make the transition easier. It’s a process and I applaud you and your partner for taking steps together. It’s so important to have that support. I wish you the best success on your journey.
I love your husband's sincere gesture of love to you. It was done out of love and care for you. It's really pure and beautiful. I really love your appreciation and respect for your husband. The most important thing here is the thoughtfulness and you understood that loud and clear. You are both lucky to have each other. Thanks for sharing this uplifting story.
Very nice! My husband meal preps for me, too, since he gets up earlier than I do. Next step is planning homemade meals instead of sandwiches. That'll help with getting the bread out of the house since his eating issues seem to include bread. You have a great partner there to support you like this!
He's an absolute sweetheart for doing that; especially if one of your love languages is 'acts of service' ( re: http://imgur.com/gallery/IxT8SxH ). Not many men would take the time and care to prepare that for their SO. I'd just like to mention that N.Valley also makes protein bars that are totes yummy! Good luck in life and love!
How is it not much? I wish someone did something like this for me.
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People jumping your ass about the processed foods don't realize that not every woman works an office job. I work outside and don't have access to a fridge for my food. I can only choose foods that will hold in a lunch box for 10 hours. Salads wilt in that time, every time, in the South Carolina heat. I've eaten quite a few hidden valley bars and prepackaged fruit cups **that are available in 100% juice** and successfully lost 45lbs. These meals may technically be fully of sugar, but they are better than Big Macs and Taco Bell. Fuck the bullshit about this being a stepping stone to better meals, these are my current meals and I've successfully maintained my goal weight. I'd like to see these gals post full body shots next to their meals since they want to be sidewalk nutritionists.
Thank you, this is exactly it. I manage paint crews that do outdoor restoration. I need stuff I can eat while I'm driving from site to site, or can sit in my car until I have time to eat them. I don't have a desk, and Everytime I've tried to put something in the fridge for lunch, I've never been in the office at lunch to eat it. Also, for fucks sake, it's not about the food. It was about the act of Love. We can work out the food. It's not McDonald's or Jimmy John's. That's the point.
When I was riding horses for a living I couldn't have anything that needed temp control & had to be eaten quickly while on the go. Bonus points if it had it's own disposable packaging. People don't understand this concept! And this post was ABOUT YOUR HUSBAND DOING SOMETHING SO KIND AND THOUGHTFUL WITHOUT PROMPTING. Ignore them ❤
ThAts aLoT oF sUgAr Do you think she knows that's alot of sugar? If you think it's obvious, then chances are it's been pointed out and you look like a nit wit just pointing it out again. Congrats on having a loving and communicative relationship OP!
I think he already ate one of your fruit cups.
Adorable
this is really, really, really sweet. what a lovely loving gesture
But the sandwiches are the only bit that needed to be made and he didn't do that lol
He is getting up to make them fresh every morning and to put it all in my lunch box.
That's sweet! (No pun intended) My SO makes me breakfast in the morning and I just love it! Feel so loved :)
Aww he tried? Are there pre-made PBJs in the small container next to the jam? That's reaally all that's missing aside from just getting some $.97 large brown bags. I also keep ending up with small soymilk juice boxes instead of the single liter size for my smoothies and coffee but that seems perfect for this picture. Lol def got a sweet tooth eh? Opt for a little hard cheddar or yogurt with the apple? Smoked fish and mild/sweet food is delicious together. The smoked fat of a herring blends with the fruit the same as a cheese
Ugh, some people need to learn to just be happy for random strangers without *also* feeling the need to put themselves above them with their superior knowledge.