How do you encourage someone to lose weight or atleast eat healthier? (veggies, Weight Watchers)
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I am concerned for my husband. He's only 27 and already has high blood pressure, he is really overweight. I love him just the way he is and when we met he was big so it's not like I'm not attracked to him anymore, just worried. I try to encourage him to eat healthier but it's hard since he's been eating this way since he was a child. His mother is obese and on tons of meds all problems that would be resolved if she lost the pounds. Unfortunately he has her eating habits, HUGE portions of food, especially fried or greasy foods and a major sweet tooth. He allso frequently travels for work and therefore eats alot of fast food/take-out. Any suggestions on what to do here? I'm currently taking care of my father who has heart disease and suffered from 4 heart attacks, diabetes, stroke, etc, etc, and I see firsthand what being overweight for so long can do to ones health, I am so worried he will have the same fate as my father
There is not a good deal you can do, I've been in the situation myself with family members. You can calmly talk about how you are worried but it's unlikely to do a good deal. Saying more can be seen as something negative (lecturing, complaining, etc) and ruin your relationship. People need to come to that realization themselves through personal experience, and their motivation needs to come from themselves to change their habits. I wish I could give more solace.
Unfortunately, you can't force your husband to do anything about his weight. However, what you can do is make the food you provide at home a healthy alternative to the junk food he is likely eating when he travels. This may require a major effort on your part but if you learn to cook delicious healthy meals to serve him at home and don't buy "junk" snacks for him to eat, he may begin to appreciate your efforts. Don't try to enforce a starvation diet on day one - begin to back off slowly. If he usually eats lunch out at fast food places, pack him tasty brown bags lunches which will have the addes benefit of saving money (that can be your "hook"). This won't be easy but if you can feed him at home and not make him feel deprived, he may actually begin to like the alternatives you provide. I am a big advocate of the Mediterranean eating plan because it includes very satisfying foods, including pasta, bread, rice and potatoes (whole wheat, whole grains only for these) and feeling satisfied is the key to staying with the program long term. Good luck.
You can't. When I was younger my family used to tell me how fat I was and how disgusting it was. It wasn't until "I" wanted to lose weight for me that I did (80 lbs).
Do you cook for him? Can you fill him up on low fat foods? veggies/salad. Also why not go out and do exercise together - lots of walking.
I am concerned for my husband. He's only 27 and already has high blood pressure, he is really overweight. I love him just the way he is and when we met he was big so it's not like I'm not attracked to him anymore, just worried. I try to encourage him to eat healthier but it's hard since he's been eating this way since he was a child. His mother is obese and on tons of meds all problems that would be resolved if she lost the pounds. Unfortunately he has her eating habits, HUGE portions of food, especially fried or greasy foods and a major sweet tooth. He allso frequently travels for work and therefore eats alot of fast food/take-out. Any suggestions on what to do here? I'm currently taking care of my father who has heart disease and suffered from 4 heart attacks, diabetes, stroke, etc, etc, and I see firsthand what being overweight for so long can do to ones health, I am so worried he will have the same fate as my father
1. You can't force someone to change. They have to want it for themselves. The more pressure you put on them, the more they may resist you so you have to be careful how you phrase things.
2. You can lead by example and hope that influences him. The important point though is to not make it look like you're doing a lot of work or suffering. Too often, we see people eating healthy and looking miserable cause they're eating a salad instead a burger.
3. Show him how much his unhealthy habits will cost him later on. A big reason why I take good care of myself is because I know how expensive it is to get sick. We all complain about insurance companies but we also take them for granted. Imagine if you had to pay your health care costs entirely out of your pocket. Not everyone values their health, but everyone loves money.
4. Tell him the sex will be better and promise him more of it if he gets in shape.
5. Speaking of sex, if you have or plan to have kids, tell him that he'll need to be healthier in order to take care of them and not be a burden to them later on.
Do you have kids??? I think I would put it in the terms of ... "if you don't change this I'm going to have to explain to my kids why their dad is gone" ... I actually had this conversation with my son's father but he apparently loves food more than his son
i do have a son, that is another reason for my concern. obesity runs RAMPID in my family and i have to work really hard to keep off the extra pounds, same with his family. i dont want my son to strugle with this. i try to encourage healthy foods, but unfortunately i am a horrible cook! (any good recipes welcome!) i don't like to hurt his feelings, but i allso don't want him to end up like my dad!
DennyCrane-i like #4 that's a good one, hehe!
you probably aren't a horrible cook but perhaps are just like me in that I don't enjoy cooking so what I make needs to be simple and easy. I am sure you can follow directions!
I agree with everyone else. you can tell him you are very concerned with both the health of both of you but other than that do not hound him. Perhaps start off with just trying to get him to exercise with you even if it is just a 30 minute walk everyday. That would be wonderful for you son too.
Then gradually start to make changes at home. Don't do everything all at once. Tell him you want to save money and not eat out nearly as much (that is the killer for me). Perhaps ask him if you can start packing his lunch several days a week but make it good. Even if it isn't necessarily somethign healthy it will probably be better than what he is eating out. Keep the house stocked with only whole foods. No boxed items or processed foods or junk food. Try to encourage everyone to eat a fruit or a vegatable before snacking because it will help you to eat less but won't deny you anything. Don't let him take a bag of chips to the couch. Get him to put it on a plate.
I am trying to utilize my crockpot more. I made some really good chicken bbq last week and you can use low sugar bbq sauce or make your own from scratch.
I think if you start with exercise though, don't even diet yet, it will cause you both to feel better and then might give you the motivation to start eating better. Again, small changes. We aren't talking about joining a class yet or running five miles a day. Just start with a decently brisk walk as many days as possible. Ask him to make a pact with you to park at the end of the parking lot and to take the stairs.
Weight Watchers...if one sticks to the plan, as it is written...it works...and one naturally ends up eating healthier by following it.
But being put on WW by someone else will not work. I also dont agree with the guilt (you're going to die and i'm going to have to explain it to your son).
The only way to do it is encouragement, once he starts losing weight he'll probably see the benefits and keep ot going.
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