How to Eat Right When Your Roommate Eats Like Shit All the Time
If you’re trying to eat healthy in college, there are many forces at work against you: limited budget, limited dining choices, and of course, your friends and neighbors. We’ve helped you eat and navigate the college cafeteria . We will now help you eat well next to your Pac-Man roommate.
Perhaps your first thought will be to simply ignore them and live your life. Well, you should, but the eating habits and choices of the people around you can have a huge impact on their own, or at least create situations where you face many, many temptations. You can not control (or to drive) my roommate, but you, however, control themselves and their living space. So skip the passive-aggressive notes and comments “this is really bad for you” and start by designing your environment.
Transform your living space into a temptation-free zone
Every time you walk past your roommate’s junk food stash, it’s natural to feel like this packet of chips is calling for you. It’s not just you. The mere presence of something delicious outdoors can make you yearn for the meal , even if you’re not hungry. The solution is simple: try yourself in the best food environment . Start by stealthily approaching your roommate’s junk food cache. By freeing yourself from temptations, you are less likely to want to mindlessly chew or even buy yourself snacks to grab a bite to eat.
These are all environmental manipulations that encourage you to avoid overeating or unhealthy eating habits. Using smaller plates and bowls, placing healthy foods (such as bowls of fresh fruit) in the front and center, and drinking from tall, thin glasses all allow you to make healthier choices or eat or drink less by default. They are based on research in nutritional psychology and work without the added expense of willpower or energy . If you’re interested in learning more about how the environment can help or sabotage our health efforts, check out Slim By Design , written by Brian Wansink, a consumer behavior and dietetics researcher at Cornell University.
In this case, we obviously don’t recommend that you do an epic clearing of your roommate’s stash. This is not your food to throw away. Instead, come to a compromise by explaining that, of course, he can eat whatever he wants, but it will be easier for both of you if unhealthy food is kept out of sight and hidden in drawers or trash cans. So you won’t see it, and he will still get his snacks.
This idea works the other way too. Keep healthy snacks, such as fruits and vegetables, or even chewing gum, in plain sight and within reach. If your roommate eats while you’re in the room and you’re hungry, you have better alternatives.
Remember, “eating healthy” doesn’t have to be so tough
It is also worth noting that the term “healthy” should not be so specific, and demonizing food is a recipe for ditching the diet anyway. Consider a flexible diet or eating approach instead if that fits your macros (IIFYM) . It’s an idea to make anything, including ice cream, burgers, and cheesecake, suitable for your healthy eating plan, as long as it fits with your personal calorie limits and your overall health goals. I personally follow this and achieve excellent results. The biggest benefit is actually psychological.
IIFYM freed me from the no food idea. In most diets, especially trendy diets, certain foods are completely excluded or “prohibited.” You can not have carbohydrates; you cannot eat dairy products. This limitation leads to feelings of deprivation, the desire to “cheat” and, finally, to episodes of complete overeating of the very food that you “cannot eat”, followed by a downward spiral of guilt. Being flexible and mindful of their purposes, rather than an arbitrary list of haves and have nots, I have something, but it does not mean that I have to have it. I can truly enjoy the ideas of moderation and balance with IIFYM without feeling guilty.
This flexibility also gives you space for mental respite with your roommate, who may be chewing chips or chocolate every day, or even – bless her soul – offer Granny’s famous chocolate chip cookie from time to time. This flexibility means you can enjoy your cookies without worry.
Of course, for this method to work, you must track your food very carefully and make sure your treats are just that – treats. Give it a try and see if it works for you.
Set clear boundaries for yourself
Sometimes you just need to draw a hard line between what you will do and what you won’t. You cannot (and should not) touch your roommate’s food because it would be stealing. On the other hand, if your roommate is actually offering junk food, you might say, “Damn it!” Rule.
Here’s how it works: whenever you feel like eating something, take a step back and ask yourself, “Is this what you really want and won’t regret it in 15 minutes?” If that piece of cake doesn’t make your heart (or stomach) scream, “Damn it, yes!” Then you should get through.
This rule is similar to why you should plan your cheat meals in terms of risk versus reward . Both ideas teach you to be aware of how much you really like the food you eat, instead of eating because you have it. You will also learn to predict how you will feel about your choices later. At the same time, both ideas take practice, so don’t worry if you can’t curb those cravings right away.
It’s not easy living with someone who seems to be inadvertently trying to thwart your health efforts, but it gets easier with time and practice. When your determination and willpower are tested, remind yourself why you started doing this, and remember that it’s okay to make mistakes too.