A: Losing weight is all about taking control of your life and ultimately accepting personal responsibility for your own actions when it comes to food intake and exercise. However, there are no prizes for doing it the hard way, so let’s figure out how you might improve your home food environment in the face of this challenge.
While it is reasonable for us to hope that others will decide to help us out by keeping foods out of the house, we live in a world where we are surrounded by food triggers. The better we become at managing our own behavior in the face of these challenges, the less vulnerable to weight regain we become. Ideally, you could take control by having a serious conversation with your mom and by negotiating some compromises since you are sharing the same space. It’s certainly okay to ask her to not have these foods in the house — but keep in mind that other people may not always want to eliminate the things they enjoy just because we struggle with them. They have a right to do as they wish. The people who love us often want to help but may have their own issues or barriers that are stopping them from meeting our requests.
Talk with her and try to reach a compromise — for example, keeping those foods in one specific cupboard that you do not go into, or storing them in containers that aren't transparent and don’t show their contents. Perhaps ask her to warn you when she is going to eat these foods so you can choose to remain in the room or leave. Finally, think of other ways that you may be able to limit your exposure to these foods when they are in the house. In my experience, when people take control of their own behavior in spite of the challenges that surround them, the rewards are many — and sometimes include others getting on board too. The power of example can be potent.
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