I just wish she had the same passion for healthy eating...

Honestly, I had to make the decision for myself. I'm not sure there's really anything you can do to get her to change (though leading by example might help).

What percentage of the time is DW in charge of preparing meals? If she's the main cook, remember that you aren't only asking her to eat better, but you are asking her to learn a whole new set of cooking skills and recipes, which is a pain for someone who isn't really into cooking in the first place, as I gather she is from what you're describing. In that case, your best bet is to take over the majority of the cooking duties.

I wonder if her meal prep habits stem from:

-Not knowing how to cook
-Not having the time to cook
-Or simply being too tired to cook

I never really learned to cook so I ate much like your wife (minus the cream sauce). I'm still not much of a cook, but I'm trying out new things each week. I also just bought a slow cooker because it seems pretty idiot-proof. Even I can layer things in a big crockpot and turn it on without a problem! :laugh:

It was a picture that I saw of myself... with a group of my friends. I thought that I looked great and we were all having a great time while someone snapped some candid shots of us. The next day one of my friends printed off THE PIC that did it for me and posted it on the bulletin board at work... can't wait for the next event and the next picture ... because that catapulted my desire to regain control and everyday I get closer to my goal. The truth is that I never really understood how much I had put on until I saw the dreaded picture :S

When I first decided I need to start eating healthier and working out regularly, it was for a multitude of reasons converging at once, about 4 years ago.. I had just finished law school and really didnt have a reason not to be healthy - I wasnt even working for a few months so I had a lot of free time. A year prior I had a cancer scare, and then six months after that I got bronchitis which turned into pneumonia because my body couldnt fight it off. On top of that, I was going into the Air Force and clearly needed to be in better shape. I just made the decision I was going to get in better shape and eat healthy. I hired a personal trainer, and then asked my brother (who is a chef) for advice on eating. It helped.

Last year I fell off the wagon after suffering a knee injury that took 9 months to recover (The first 5 months I had a terrible doctor who couldnt figure out what was wrong or how to fix it - then I got a new doctor and got better). But during those 9 months pretty much most exercise was off limits except upper body workouts. I felt miserable and started eating like crap. I have since gained 15lbs. I am really serious now about losing it (I think an impending deployment has driven that) but my boyfriend isnt so much determined. Of course he says he wants to lose weight and we need to take weight loss more seriously, but then he brews beer at his house, and he eats whatever you put in front of him (granted, he works out a ton, and I dont even think he needs to lose weight!) But basically, I just make sure that we cook more foods instead of eating out all of the time. If we eat out, I will choose something healthy which generally makes him choose something healthy too. When I decided I was going to stop eating cereal and replace it with different types of eggs for breakfast, that has forced him to do the same when we eat breakfast together...

Point is - your wife isnt going to start getting healthy, until she really feels like she is ready. She has to really be in that zone. But what you can do to help out is try to get her to engage in healthy activities with you. If you are concerned about the foods she prepares, then offer to cook sometimes. Dont push her out of the kitchen and put up a "do not enter" sign or anything like that because that would clearly be insulting! But, offer like once or twice a week to cook something for her, or tell her you found a new recipe and you want to try to make it together! Healthy cooking can be really fun! And if she doesnt have the cooking skills as it seems like she might not, this can also help her to develop them.

DW idea of preparing meals is the following:
1) Roasted chicken from grocery store
2) Frozen meals
3) Semi-prepared foods
4) Pasta loaded with heavy cream sauce
5) Take out or dine in....
She is about 35 pounds overweight with multiple health issues due to poor eating habits and lack of physical activity I know she would be so much better if she would eat healthier... but nothing goes through her... she is in deep denial
Ladies what changed your mind? How did you turn your life around?

Does she know how to cook? Or does she just don't want to cook?

Why don't you try to cook her a nice simple healthy but TASTY dish? She might change her mind. Help her make small changes so she doesn't freak out and be overwhelmed. Small steps over time can do wonder.

As for me, I'm not a good example. I've always been at a healthy weight and fairly active. (Tomboy right here.) But desk job, depression, non weight related health issues made me sedentary n coupled with eating as if I still run around on my feet 5hrs a day made me gain weight

So, as soon as I was allow to move around again, I joined a gym. I hated lying around all day.

Seeing pitctures of myself!!!

Your list sounds like she's too tired to cook and want quick fixes.
Are you able to cook for her?

Seriously though.. you could encourage her to do more exercise with you.. walk more, run, challenging computer games (New generation consoles with moving games).. those sorts of things. Then maybe she might want to lose it.
Otherwise it's just a waiting game.

I've known all my life I needed to do something, but never really bothered until I had children. Then I knew I needed to do it for them.

the movie, "fathead" really changed my whole outlook on eating.

but the real propellant: the day after my fiance proposed to me, we were going to his cousin's wedding and i put on a dress that used to be so loose on me once upon a time and he couldn't zip it up...

i don't want to be a fat bride :sad:

I made new friends with three women who are all older than I, with children, are absolutely beautiful inside and out. I'm average size, (er, was..) and I was the biggest girl in the room for the first time in my life. I watched them throw back cocktails and talk about the half marathons they were running, all while wearing short and sexy dresses. They threw their arms around me and told me I could do it, too! It wasn't that hard! Just start running! So I did.

So for me it was inspirational women in my life who believed in me. Perhaps she has a healthy friend that can inspire her? You are an inspiration to her, too! Tell her you love her and she's beautiful no matter what, but you want to support her to be the very best she can be. Offer to do it together with her! I know I couldn't have done it without my Army husband showing me how to begin.

Best of luck!

i know when my husban would pressure me about me being over weight i would not listen to him he would say lets eat better and exercise i was rebelling against him but once he backed off i was good i had to think about my goals and say i cant accoplish what i want out of life if i dont lose weight and get healthy i have to lose weight if i want to have kids and be healthy to do those things and life long so i can watch my kids grow up!!!!! so just back off alittle and maybe she will come around good luck!!