fitcouple

My husband and I have been together for five years, and married for three. Very early on in our relationship we exercised together, juiced, and cooked our own meals. We made plans to lose weight and lead healthier lifestyles. Fast forward through long distance dating, engagement, wedding, two homes and two jobs later, our plans were still just plans. Busyness aside, we have completely different approaches to weight loss. He is a, “let’s hit the gym hard at 5:00am, seven days a week,” kind of guy. I am a, “let’s take a stroll together outside while we chat about life and goals,” kind of gal. Even though we had dreams of using the hashtag #fitcouple on the ‘Gram, something was not clicking. I quickly learned that I may have been the barrier to our success. I’ll share 3 tips I initiated as a wife that shifted us from day-dreams to action:

  1. Stop telling him you’re going to do it, and just do it.

I told my husband every other month about my plans to get serious about weight loss. Being the collaborative wife that I am, I invited him to join me on the journey. I waited for him to get as excited about it as I was. I envisioned us adding workout days to our family calendar together; flirting in the kitchen as we meal prepped; and posting couples’ exercise videos on YouTube for all to see. When he didn’t demonstrate the same level of excitement, I’d quit or not even begin. Finally, I decided that I would do this with or without him. I settled in my heart that changing my habits was for me and not for him. I know he’ll love me regardless. Once he saw the grocery bags full of protein shakes, veggies, and boneless chicken on the counter he quickly got onboard because he knew I was serious!

2.  Give him space.

If you’re anything like me, you follow certain instructions to the letter. My health coach gave me a list of what I should and should not eat on my plan. I made sure I followed her directions exactly. Him . . . not so much! My husband told me one hundred times, “LeeAnn, this is not a diet for me. This is a lifestyle.” My strict regimen was such a turnoff for him and ultimately sucked all the fun out of us doing it together. Once I decided to fall back, I realized we could celebrate one another without the pressures of strict rules. I’m doing what works for me, and he is doing the same. Together we are still winning.

3. Love up on him.

I asked my health coach what I could do to get hubby onboard. Her advice made my mouth drop, “Give him lots and lots of sex.” Boy, did I blush! The reality is that my man is a meat and potatoes guy. If he can freely give up Lawry’s seasoning salt, steak and mashed potatoes, then I can freely give up some things too (LOL)! And the happier he is, the more likely he’ll be to try the healthy swaps I make in the kitchen. I also love up on him by preparing his meals. Most days of the week, I make sure he has something home-cooked for lunch and dinner. Doing so makes it much easier for both of us to make great choices.

I hope these three tips help you and your husband build a healthier lifestyle together. Watch out, the Sims’ will be posting fit couple hashtags very, very soon!