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A 'WEIGHTY' MATTER

By Russell A. Irving

"My spouse has gotten way too fat! - While I still love him (her), they're no longer a turn-on. - And, I worry about their health."

With experts and the media warning us weekly about the obesity epidemic, the above quote is becoming increasingly common. And, everyone is ultimately responsible for taking care of their own health and weight.

That said, I have become increasingly less surprised by the number of spouses who complain about their partner's weight, while describing the following in regards to home eating habits.
* "They put away a pound of pasta at a sitting, along with 3 slices of Italian bread."
* "They put gobs of sour cream on their baked potato."
* "They eat a whole bag of chips and other snacks during a single basketball game, while downing 6 beers to wash it all down."
* "They polish half a cake or a pint of ice cream at a time."
Well, you get the idea...

  But, if the food was not in the house. Or, huge portions were made unavailable by making sensible plates up ahead of time, without leaving extra food on the table. Or, less fattening sauces and leaner cuts of meat, baked (not fried) were prepared...
If these and other actions were taken by the one who does the shopping and food prep, then the odds are that the weight issue would either stabilize or lessen.

  Of course, your hubby or wife could still pig out when not at home. But, you really can't control that. You can control what is served and available at home! In most households, only one spouse does the bulk of marketing and cooking. So take charge of those tasks!
A great side benefit would be showing your children proper food habits.

  By the way, if you don't pack them a lunch, start doing so. You will save money as well as calories. And, if you are accustomed to frequently dining out of the home, don't make it fast food, if you can help it. And, at a restaurant, avoid the temptation of buffets. (A personal weakness, of mine.)

  If they really balk at these changes, you can not only tell them that you want them around for a good long time, but that the more they lose weight, the more energy there will be for lovemaking and other affection! (Say that as opposed to' 'You turn me off, fatso'.) And, you will probably get a great response!

  Like it or not, folks who overeat and are overweight often have multiple issues to come to grips with. But, bottom-line, you have a moral as well as a 'self-loving' motivation to see them improve their health. And, you do have some power to help. Because, the bottom-line key to weight loss for most of us is that simple equation that we would love to disregard: The less calories that you take in and the more that you move, the less that you will likely weigh.