Burgers/fries VS mixed salad/fish… What happens when you decide to follow a diet and your other half doesn’t follow you? Alexandra Retion, dietician-nutritionist, enlightens us.
A disagreement that causes tension
At the start of autumn, you have decided to take the bull by the horns. No more extra pounds, make way for sport and balanced recipes! But despite your good will, an obstacle persists: your dear one – who continues to devour pizzas and cakes in front of your eyes. Enough to deeply annoy you and give rise to some tension. How can he not help you become the best version of yourself?
There is no shortage of challenges: he tempts you, doesn’t support you, and meals together quickly become a headache. Worse still, menu differences make shopping and everyday life more complex.
In this tense context, what posture should we adopt? Should you impose your beliefs on others… or let them influence you Alexandra Retion, dietitian-nutritionist, gives us some advice.
Your partner does not support you: what position should you adopt?
Against all expectations, the expert points out that it is normal for each member of the household to have their own eating habits.
“I think it is possible to have a common base of balanced meals, while giving everyone the freedom to adjust their plate according to their needs, without imposing restrictions on others,” she recalls. “Indeed, if it is difficult for a person to see their partner eating fatty or salty foods, it is because they feel frustrated. From there, this lifestyle cannot work in the long term, because they will end up breaking down.”
The expert therefore affirms that we must integrate these fatty and salty foods, sources of pleasure, into an overall diet. “For example, when a dish is already rich or salty, I simply avoid adding salt, and I balance it out by adding vegetables to provide fiber and lighten the whole thing,” she specifies, before continuing: “The idea is to have a common basis and, from there, to improve your own plate without imposing your choices on others. This allows you to maintain a more serene atmosphere at the table, even if everyone eats differently.”
“Finally, I would like to remind you that fatty and salty foods are in no way prohibited: balance depends on time, not on a single meal. If you completely forbid yourself from seeing your companion taste these products, it will be difficult to live with. Being attentive to your sensations therefore remains essential, it is part of the overall balance”, she concludes.
Something to reconcile, as a couple, over a good chocolate bar!