My daughter returned to her engineering office in Sept (but they are back to WFH now) and one of the big changes was no shared food allowed. No more cookies, birthday cakes, appetizers left over from weekend parties.
May be helpful to everyone’s waistlines when people go back to the office.
Learned that I really, really, really am an extrovert. And my spouse is really, really, really an introvert. I have struggled so much since March and he has been in “hog heaven.”
@VeryHappy yeah, I just didn’t realize how much I miss people. I really liked my art class. I tend to get overwhelmed at parties after an hour or two.
Thanks for asking!
Pants went up two sizes, and shirt went up from 16 neck to 17 ½ neck.
Veggies take up most of the fridge. (CURRENTLY HAVE: spinach, baby broccoli, parsnips, Italian squash, yellow squash, carrots, red and green leaf lettuce, banana squash, grape tomatoes, sweet potatoes red potatoes, celery, eggplant and 8 ripe Haas avocados. Fruit: gala and fuji apples, navel oranges, seedless mini watermelon, bananas, kiwis, blueberries and raspberries.)
We’re in California and have some great organic farms. I receive weekly Farm to Table deliveries, which are great! Organic, fresh from local farms, varieties and recipes included!
Love it, but husband wont eat it as first choice!
SUGGESTIONS???
Thankfully he has RETURNED to work for most of the week!
Love it, but husband wont eat it as first choice!
Then he needs to not have a second choice available.
For me, eating is just part of weight gain, and a smaller part than getting less exercise. I put on 20 lbs being with my mom at the end and getting out far, far less than I do here at home. The same weight gain happens when we’re with FIL. At my mom’s I would eat quite a bit less since she wanted less. At FIL’s I eat more because he’s a 3 meal per day person with a bit at most meals. Same or very similar gain of 3/4th lb per day.
I’ve had to make efforts to figure out how to get at least some exercise there.
Can you plot a daily “date” walk? H and I try to go out at least once per day for half an hour to an hour (1-3 miles). It definitely helps and we enjoy the conversation time.
@“aunt bea” it’s really hard to grow up with a person who has disordered eating habits (and I very strongly suspect that is what your mil had) but to strong arm those habits to your children is horrible for them.
I can’t imagine a growing child who has a locked refrigerator and is also underfed by a parent with a skewed sense of body image.
Your poor husband, no wonder he has eating issues when stressed.
@“aunt bea” I have found if I make it easier to eat healthy, we will. So cut up a bunch of grapes like you would on a charcuterie tray so that you can quickly get bunches of 3-5 at a time. Leave sliced apples on a cutting board on the island. Sliced cucumbers and baby carrots readily available in the fridge.
Good luck. That’s a lot of weight in such a short time. I’d be worried.
Weighing in again on the introvert/extrovert discussion. I think there are two different versions here. There are people who don’t particularly like a social life being called an introvert, and there are people who need alone time who are called an introvert. These are not the same thing.
For me-- I like friends and social events, even though I am shy (which is NOT the same as introverted). But I really thrive on being alone part of the time. I need to not be interacting, to be doing whatever I want to be doing with no one around for a while.
So in opposition to those that saying their introvert is thriving because of lockdown, I am struggling with it. I adore my H, but I just really, really miss alone time. I’m writing less, for instance. I’m exercising at home less. I just have a harder time keeping my thoughts together. I really like to do things on my own time, un-interacted. I know that is my issue, not his. But it’s real.
Asking someone to abstain from all non-healthy foods (making all foods available nearly 100% healthy) only creates an even stronger desire to seek and find unhealthy choices. Yes, you need to have healthy food at home but the real factor is what the hand grabs and what goes in the mouth.
I knew this but know if even more since spending more time at home with my H. His two food choices seem to be: 1. Food that he can grab and eat immediately (no preparation) or 2. Food that he can drive through and eat (again, no prep on his part).
It annoys me to no end. The refrigerator is full! If I get a bag of clementines he won’t take the time to peel a single one. If I peel a bowl full of them he will eat the whole thing. It’s the immediate satisfaction.
But I’m not going to make it my “job” to peel those clementines because that only helps him at the moment. For lasting benefits HE has to make the choices and effort.
Anywho, back to the discussion. 
Absolutely describes me to a tee as well. I couldn’t stand college because I had roommates around All. The. Time. Couldn’t wait to graduate and get my own no-roommate living situation.
H has always worked from home, even when he had a real office and a full staff, he worked from home. In before times I was able to carve many hours, or entire days, by doing things I enjoyed, now I’m stuck at home and I hate it. Everywhere I turn, he’s there - even if he’s physically in another room, he leaves evidence of his presence
ie a notepad, a computer, a prototype etc.
Oh, and many days he doesn’t get dressed until it’s almost dinner time. That, is something I find really offputting. I hate it!!!
Agreed . I, for example, might take the blueberries and make them into something he’d find more palatable ie a blueberry crisp, fresh uncooked blueberries without sugar, topped with homemade granola mix ((sub olive oil for butter, maple syrup for sugar) and bake. Put it in the fridge and its ready to eat at will. It feels sinful but is less so because of the content.
Make your own hummus and bean dips, a less than five minute effort and put it in the fridge with chopped veggies at the side. Grab n Go!
One of my favorite things is a banana pudding. Take 2 cups of milk and warm it on the stovetop, before it’s is hot, add a tablespoon of cornflour to thicken and cook it through; add a teaspoon or two of sugar or maple syrup, a few drops of vanilla and stir to dissolve the sugar. Cut up a banana or two, mix it through and serve (hot or cold!) It nutritious and feeds the sweet tooth!
I think some of the above curbs the bad food cravings, yet is healthier, or less junky, without the victim’s knowledge!
As Yul Brynner said in The King of Siam - etcetera, etcetera, etcetera!
I’m an extrovert…but I do like my time alone too.
@VeryHappy your college thing was totally the opposite of mine. My happiest years in college were living in an apartment with two others but the icing on the cake was that three of our best friends lived in the apartment right above ours. We just had so much fun…lots of communal meals and outings. And friends I still keep in touch with.
I was an RA for a year with a single room. I loved everything about the job except the single room. I kept my door open all the time.
I have the kind of job that I am in meetings from 8-4 or 5. It is not so bad when they are one hour meetings, but I’ve had days when I have all 30 min meetings for 8+ hours, and they are all on different topics. By the time I am done for the day I am usually mentally exhausted. So I am very content to not talk to anyone after work.
Made protein smoothies for hubby (spinach and fruits). This is what I had made for our son. Son wants them, so we’re hoping Dad wants them too.
I “organized” son’s junk food in kitchen. Now have Babybel cheese and laughing cow wedges, on top, in deli meats drawer.
I peeled and chopped apples and dunked them in lemon juice, labeled in ziploc container.
Celery with peanut butter is next and carrots and ranch dressing in small containers.
I chopped some spicy chicken for nibbling. He hates plain chicken so I always dress it up. I plan on making tomatillo sauce for chicken or pork for dinner later.
It’s a lot of work!
I feel like I’m setting up a rat trap. Healthy though!
Thanks all!
Back to discussion!
Although H is still working full time, like normal, in the workplace, and I’m working part-time, I’ve been reminded during this time that he is good when the SHTF.
He may worry, but he doesn’t freak out & panic. He is content with the idea of “just doing our best to get thru this”. He knows we have been lucky even when misfortune hits us. He manages to work his butt off day after day with few complaints about it.
He has probably been reminded that I am a champion worrier, to no one’s benefit. And, possibly, an insufferable crank.
When covid stay-at-home started, my introvert daughter joked “I’ve been training for this my whole life”.
I read something once that made sense to me. Ask yourself how you feel at the end of a party or other extended social interaction. If you’re tired and need to recharge you’re an introvert. If you feel like you have even more energy than when it started you’re an extrovert.