How do I get my wife to lose weight without offending her?

Question

She desperately wants to, but has a tough time motivating herself. She has asked for my help, but I've been down that road and it wasn't successful. Need help.

Answer 1

What do you mean you went down that road????

If she wants to lose weight she will. You could motivate her by saying lets go for a walk......I would like to spend some alone time with you.

Let's go bicycle riding. Go to the gym together.....make your time that you bond with your wife.

Answer 2

If she asked, you could give her suggestions.... Weight Watchers is a wonderful group, but they do weigh you publicly, which i don't agree with.. however, it's not the end of the world, at all...

There are other diet programs, and if you do a Yahoo search, i'm sure you will come up with a lot of different ones. Plus, book stores carry a lot of information, as well.

One thing which will burn calories and get our bodies into shape is brisk walking -- your wife could start a walking regimen 4-5 times a week. While this sort of exercise builds muscle tone in the leg and buttox, it also helps to flatten the stomach. I used to walk a lot (can't now because of physical problems). I miss it, and i was in good shape when i was able to walk several times a week.

Walking (or any exercise) also releases endorphins in our brains, which are 'happy hormones'. Walking or any type of exercise can lift a person's spirits. And once we have tried it, and get into a routine, it's something to look forward to.

Perhaps you and your wife could walk together? Or join a gym and use treadmill equipment?

Your wife will lose weight when she is ready, i think. I'm sure she is uncomfortable.

Depression or other life problems can also cause our eating habits to change. Do you think she's depressed or bored? Perhaps she eats to soothe her emotions? It takes motivation and will power to stop ourselves.

She can also talk with her doctor for further help.

Lots of resources, we just have to do the work to find good help.....

Men don't really understand a woman's weight issues -- because i think most of us are "emotional eaters" when we are overweight. It's not because the woman wants to be fat, or doesn't care, but emotional problems can lead to eating disorders.

Take care and i hope things work out.

Answer 3

My guess is that you both need to eat healthier. If you take that approach as a lifestyle change and not a diet you will both have more success. Learn what is good nutrition and do a menu plan together. Ask your doctor for help, maybe talk to a nutritionist. If nothing else start reading Rachel Rays magazine, there are monthly menus and instructions and have fun with experimenting with healthy foods. Every single day do some sort of exercise. Just taking a walk every evening will give you great exercise and a time to talk and rekindle your friendship.

You sound like a great husband.

Answer 4

Get involved in the process with her. Read information with her about how the body works to burn calories. Loosing weight is best done with both the diet and exercise. I recommend starting with exersice. Often times the diet change comes because you start to think well I'm putting in all this effort I might as well change the way I eat too. Cardio is the important thing for loosing weight. Do that 3 or 4 days a week. For the first 2 weeks have her start at 15 minutes just to get used to doing it. Then increase by 5 minutes each workout until she's doing at least 30 minutes although 45 minutes to 1 hour is best.

When it comes to eating it is best to start out by having her look online to find out what her BMR is. That is the number of calories she'll burn every day just because she is alive. All activity she does in a day increases the calories she'll burn that day. That will give her a good idea how much she need to alter her eating habits. 1200 calories a day is the lowest amount she should ever eat but it's a bad idea to start out eating that little because your body adjusts to everything within a few weeks. When she hits that level off point she won't have anything to cut if she starts off at 1200 calories.

Taking measurements of her body is the best method of tracking results. It isn't a bad idea to have her weigh herself when she starts but tell her to avoid the scale completely until she is seeing results with the clothes she is wearing. I started my workouts about 4 months back. I've lost about 6 inches from my waist now. About 3 weeks ago people started to comment a lot about how good I'm looking. Trust me, when she hits that point she'll have the motivation she needs.

Since you are going to be part of her starting motivation then you'll have to decide how active you want to be in this process. Get involved in your own program. Talk about how good you feel after workouts. Make sure you do your thing even if she says I don't feel like it today. We are each our own worst critic. She'll feel guilty if you go and she doesn't. Eat right yourself and she will most likely follow. The girl I started dating a short time ago joined a gym recently because I kept talking about my workouts. She also started to see changes in my body and that was a huge motivating factor for her.

Answer 5

You two can join an aerobics class or a martial arts class. If it is a scheduled event that you both attend on a regular basis she is more likely to go then just a random Gym membership. Also during nice weather you two can buy bikes (Or even a tandum bike) and go on rides togather. It doesn't need to be extreme mountain biking just liitle rides around the neighborhood and to the store. Plan hikes with picnic lunches. The key is to get her active and conform her eating habits to healthy alternatives. Don't do Drastic changes just slowly introduce activities and low carb meals soon she will feel so much better she will wonder why she didn't do this sooner.
Good luck

Answer 6

Weight Watchers is a great diet plan, it motivates and gives you ideas of how to eat right and also the more you work out the more points you are allowed which in some way gives you a little incentive. Plus when you go to the meetings you are there with poeple who are struggling with their weight as well so you don't feel so different and you can share ideas and triumphs.

Answer 7

How about if you take an after-dinner walk with her every day. Or, depending on your schedules, how about a morning walk every day. Just walk 20 minutes, but do it regularly. It will become habit, and will help more then you can imagine.
It will become longer walks at faster paces eventually.

She has asked for your help because you are her partner.
She needs the motivation. I do not know how you motivated her before, but pointing out calories is not a good idea. Being there and doing it too is what she is craving.

Answer 8

keep the house stocked with healthy things to snack on, avoid buying things with sugar in them, or very fatty things....get rid of all the things in the house that will tempt her (mayo, soft drinks, basically anything that you don't feel is exactly healthy.

join a gym together, go on walks every morning or whenever you have the time, you could even buy her an mp3 player if she doesn't already have one.

from what i've heard weight watchers is a very good program to be in. i also know for a fact, that the suzanne sommers way of eating works great!

Make sure that she knows that you love her no matter what!

Answer 9

Start by cooking the meals or shopping for healthy foods and snacks. Perhaps suggest going for walks in the evening together. I know not keeping chips, cookies, and sodas in the house can be difficult, so think of some ways to distact from the need to snack.. perhaps some more romantic interludes......burns calories :) and makes you forget about that bag of potato chips. First and foremost always let her know how beautiful you think she is and that you just want her to be healthy so you can be together for a long time.

Answer 10

Buy her a copy of "Ultra Metabolism" by Dr. Mark Hyman.

Read it TOGETHER.

Then start eating healthy foods together, coming up with new and creative recipes and taking walks in the evening.

Don't ask her to lose weight or send her to a club.....find out how to eat the RIGHT foods and do it with her.

Trust me, Ultra Metabolism WORKS.