hmb63 wrote: I appreciate the well-intentioned replies, but am still struggling; ... My husband thinks I should give up.
@hmb63
With only 4 posts it's way too early to give up! Particularly since there are so many things you have yet to try. Someone once said that problems aren't stop signs, they are guidelines. So consider including each 'guideline' below one-at-a-time as an opportunity to see if a change in direction benefits you. Give each idea a full week:
Go
NO carb. That means no sugar, snacks, processed foods, flour, potatoes, fruit juices, crisps, candy, sweeten drinks, beer, wine. Hey, it's only for one week! See what happens.
Skip breakfast. For only one week. It'll keep you in the fat-burning zone for longer every day. (I actually manage to eat breakfast everyday. Sometimes I eat if for lunch, sometimes for dinner. In every case I break-fast.)
Stressed? Breathe! Aim for four times a minute when things get tense. We parents can't fix everything. Mothers fret over their kids from birth if not sooner. It's completely natural and expected. Your kids are out on their own. Trust that they learned the right things from you and will use that solid foundation to make reasoned decisions. They'll come to you if they need to. Ohmmmmm. Breathe slowly... for only a week! (Hopefully you'll continue for much longer.)
On fast days, eat nothing until dinner and then only to the 500 calorie limit. Sip teas, coffee, stock drinks throughout the day; make additional restroom trips. Just one week...
If doing 5:2, add a day to make it 4:3. That'll be three fasts instead of only two in the next 7 days.
Try new recipes. Find something Paleo or Mediterranean and surprise the family with it instead of fixing a typical family meal. "Adventure meals" for a week. "Uh Oh, mom's, got the cookbook out again!".
Blame me as your mantra. (I'm a guy after all.) "This is his #$% fault! This is his ...".
Want more ideas? Like Easter egg hunts, you'll have to stick around for that.