I'm so frustrated! Thoughts/Suggestions

Hi all! I've been on my transition to becoming a vegetarian for the past 4 months or so now. I never planned for my transition to last this long. My issue is this: [b]MY BABY BROTHER[/b]

He moved in with me almost 2 months ago. He's very overweight. Before he got here, I was in the gym and working out. Since he's been here - him being stagnant is rubbing off on me. Not to mention it's hard to cook for him. He claims to not like beans, doesn't like most vegetables..barely likes fruits.

I buy him some meats (chicken breasts/fish) to go along with his meals but this is keeping me from my progress. I dont eat the C. Breast at all, but sometimes I will have fish. I dont even like it anymore *sigh*

How can I get him on board with a healthier lifestyle of eating? I hate him smart a$$ comments on my way of eating, my 'green drinks' and my spirulina/chlorella.

Thoughts/Suggestions? He told me the other day (he just got his first job) that he'd rather buy his own food with his money. I just dont see that as a healthy thing to do.

How old is he?

He's 18

Sometimes you've got to just let go of things. Hard as it is, the young man is obviously at an age where he has to make his own choices. You know it's healthier to eat as you do...but it has to be his choice to follow you along that path. By the sounds of it, he has gone from living with the family, to living with you (maybe some college in a dorm inbetween?). This is probably his first chance at making choices for himself. He has to learn for his own mistakes I think. When he decides to make a dietary & lifestyle change you can be there to support him, but you can't impose change on him. Let him buy & cook his own food & you do the same. Focus on getting your diet & training right. It sounds like you are actually the one suffering as well as him.
He is being a smart A$$ because he realises you are doing the right thing & he's not. But because it takes some effort & commitment that he's not ready to make he is attempting to change your lifestyle to fit his. Your job right now has to be to look after yourself so that when he is ready to change you can be there & in a condition to actually do something positive for him.
I think the best you can do is to be an example, get as fit & healthy as possible & maybe let him know you are always there for advice & help if he ever feels a need to improve himself. Just don't let yourself slip into his habits. Sort out your diet & eating right now. Get to the gym this week, commit to it, set the time aside. Go buy the food you need to fuel your recovery as soon as you can as well. Much as you call him your "Baby brother", he's actually a young man & so it probably time he bought & cooked his own food. Let's hope as he gets older he'll discover that he needs to make a lifestyle change, but cooking things for him (especially unhealthy things) & changing your lifestyle in an unhealthy way because of his influence is bad for both you & him in the long term, so set some goals, hit that gym & get back on that healthy eating program. Consider that the more in shape you get, the more of a motivation it will be for him to follow suit & start along the path towards health as well.

Sorry I couldn't offer anything more solid than that

Thanks Pete! Believe me, you offered me TONS! I knew what I should've done along time ago, I guess actually reading from someone else gave me the kick I needed.

You're right, he is a man now and I need to treat him as such. He was going to the university but wasn't doing so well. So now, he's living with me, and will go to the community (2yr) college here and then transfer back. His senior year in highschool he joined a workout place (they did majority cardio + light weights) and he lost about 60lbs. My mom had him eating pretty clean diet.

Well, when he went away to college, he gained ALL of it back, and then more! It took him 1.5yrs to lose 60lbs and then gained it all back in 9months!! He's told me he wants to get down to the size he was before..but for some reason he wants to eat how he wants to eat.

But, you're right. I have to make moves and take care of me. I plan on scouring this forum for more recipes to help me through this - and do this the right way! Cooking/combining meals has always been a hard thing for me (when it comes to workingout)

Pete wrote:

I think the best you can do is to be an example, get as fit & healthy as possible & maybe let him know you are always there for advice & help if he ever feels a need to improve himself.

Good info Pete, I was just going to reply that as well. There's always going to be critics or someone in your life that doesn't get it, or just doesn't want to see others succeed in what they're trying to do. Prove them wrong by doing the work, letting them know along the way if they want to come along you can help.