HELP! I need some advice.

Hi! I'm new here. I want some advice. Last year, I broke up with my boyfriend because he cheated on me. I decided that it was time to lose weight. I wanted to focus on bettering myself than feeling sorry for myself. At that time, I was about 220 lbs. I continued to eat right and exercise about 5-6 times daily. I started to notice my jeans getting looser. When I finally decided to jump on the scale, I have lost 50 lbs. As of right now, I have gain 40 lbs back and I'm in a new relationship. Being in this new relationship, my current boyfriend doesn't eat healthy and he doesn't like to exercise. I have asked him many times to support me on eating more healthier and I have asked him to exercise with me. He refused to help me and his bad habits are rubbing on me as well. I really want to lose weight because I am 5'3" and currently weighing 210 lbs. I am 24 years old and I feel unhealthy. Can someone please give me some advice on how to lose weight and still maintain a healthy diet even though my current boyfriend refuses to stop his habit? Also, what should I cook so that my current boyfriend and I can both enjoy the meal? I would really appreciate it. Thank you.

Hello there!

I've been in the same boat where my partner influences a lot of my lifestyle. My suggestion is to take more time apart to yourself. Think of times that you two generally don't spend together in a day and fit in your workouts then. If you like to cook, take charge of the meals for some time and maybe by setting that example your beau will follow it. It certainly depends on your taste and what you feel like, but for some nice dinners I would focus on lightening up certain things that you do eat, like pasta, for instance- you have the choice to cook something with a creamy sauce or a yummy tomato sauce with lots and lots of veggies instead, which is definitely a good, fun, easy meal to share with someone, but a lot healthier. Focus on whole grains also.. I'm personally a fan of curry with brown rices and lots of vegetables and tofu (I'm a vegetarian, but a chicken breast is welcome in either option). Or go out for sushi! There are also tons of recipes available online, even on this website or other fitness/health oriented sites that make sure that you have healthier versions of typical meals, or new options that will keep things interesting..

Just be sure to stay true to who you are. Think of how wonderful it felt to see those jeans loosen up! You probably don't want to get stuck in a way that your relationship dictates how you treat your body because as a result you'll probably end up less confident and frustrated, which is also not good for your relationship. Remember to give yourself time to do your own thing when your boyfriend isn't around.. and even things as simple as talking on a walk, or walking to the movies, or beach, or wherever you're going to go with him. Hope this helps! Feel free to add me as a buddy if you'd like.. we can keep each other in check! : )

being in a relationship has made it harder for me to eat healthier also. i do most of the cooking now, so often i make substitutions to make our regular meals lighter. things like pasta dishes, i'll eat less pasta and cheese, but more sauce and veggies than my sweetie. or make my salads bigger than his and take a smaller portion of the main dish.since i've gotten my husband to work out with me, he's more interested in eating better too, which is a big support. now i like trying different dishes to make the yummeist, healthiest food i can. if you can give us an idea of the types of foods your boyfriend likes, we can help give you ideas as to how to make those dishes better :)

My boyfriend likes to eat a lot of pork. I don't know any dishes that would be healthy to make with pork. Any ideas?

grilled pork and pepper skewers:
Ingredients12 ounces boneless pork top loin roast 2 medium red sweet peppers, cut into 1-inch squares 1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 8-ounce carton plain low-fat yogurt 3 green onions, thinly sliced 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped 2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper Hot cooked brown rice (optional) DirectionsTrim fat from meat. Cut meat into 1-inch pieces. Place meat, sweet peppers, and red onion in a medium bowl. For marinade, in a small bowl stir together yogurt, green onions, chipotle peppers, parsley, ginger, garlic, sugar, coriander, salt, and black pepper. Pour over meat mixture, stirring to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours, stirring occasionally. When assembling the kabobs, wear plastic or rubber gloves to protect your hands from the oils in the chipotle peppers. On eight 6- to 8-inch metal skewers alternately thread meat, sweet peppers, and red onion, leaving 1/4 inch between pieces. Grill kabobs on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 12 to 14 minutes or until meat is slightly pink in the center, turning once halfway through grilling.

Thanks for the recipes.