Anyone have a spouse who has NEVER had weight issues?

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My darling husband is blessed with genetics....he has never had a weight issue, and has always been at a perfect weight. He can eat anything he wants and not gain. In fact...he sometimes has to "remind" himself to eat. Seriously?? He is supportive of my continued efforts to lose weight and get in shape, but I know he does not fully realize how difficult that is for some people. His attitude is: "Well, just eat less and work out more...simple". Um, yeah great idea. No ****, right? It would help motiviate me so much if he complimented me more, or said "way to go!" when I get back from bootcamp. He does some times, but I know he's forcing it...he just cannot understand how it could be so hard. He also likes to go out for dinner, as do I, but will suggest appetizers to "share" that I would never eat, such as calamari. This makes it much more difficult for me to stick to my diet plan. He doesn't mean to undermine me at all...I think he honestly just forgets. Anyone else have this issue?
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  • Earthgirl51
    Earthgirl51 Posts: 73 Member
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    my hubster has gained 20 pounds in 25 years. He just filled out. He is a natural athlete. (grrr) I have gained 100. Problem......He likes me "cushy". I get more food pushed at me than you would believe. He has no clue. I feel your dilemma.. I am not sure how to address the issue. If you come up with anything let me know.
  • boricua3177
    boricua3177 Posts: 192 Member
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    My hubby doesn't have any weight problems at all. He sounds just like your hubby, OP. I just keep doing what I do & encourage myself. I don't rely on him for that, he just doesn't know how.
  • justlistening
    justlistening Posts: 249 Member
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    I have one of those. And when he does gain a few pounds he just has to *think* about losing it and poof it is gone a couple of days later. He has no concept of how difficult it is. I don't get any kudos for working out or eating healthy from him, but that is okay because I was the only one who wanted to change how I look.

    He loves all junk food, eating out, beer etc. When we go out to eat I always ask for box for leftovers and eat half of the entree. If we order appetizers I have a few bites and he has the rest. If we get beer I will drink half and give the rest to him. I think you get the gist...
  • vmclach
    vmclach Posts: 670 Member
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    Yes. I'm married to one.

    Guys are very literal him am beings. He can't read your mind. He doesn't know that it eats away at you that he isn't your mini-cheerleader every single time you get home from the gym. He Probably also doesn't know that it really bothers you that he wants to "share" apps when you go out to eat.

    Why don't you just tell him that you like when he compliments you for going to the gym or tell him "we can go out to eat if you promise not to order apps!".

    He doesn't know what you're not sharing with him. Men are TERRIBLE mind readers.
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
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    My darling husband is blessed with genetics....he has never had a weight issue, and has always been at a perfect weight. He can eat anything he wants and not gain. In fact...he sometimes has to "remind" himself to eat. Seriously?? He is supportive of my continued efforts to lose weight and get in shape, but I know he does not fully realize how difficult that is for some people. His attitude is: "Well, just eat less and work out more...simple". Um, yeah great idea. No ****, right? It would help motiviate me so much if he complimented me more, or said "way to go!" when I get back from bootcamp. He does some times, but I know he's forcing it...he just cannot understand how it could be so hard. He also likes to go out for dinner, as do I, but will suggest appetizers to "share" that I would never eat, such as calamari. This makes it much more difficult for me to stick to my diet plan. He doesn't mean to undermine me at all...I think he honestly just forgets. Anyone else have this issue?

    He is blessed, but at the core his comment is correct.

    We can quibble the details, but we all lose weight when we burn more energy than we consume.

    As for eating out, be firm. Tell him "If you want an appetizer, that's fine, but do not order it with the ideal that it will be shared."

    Or go ahead and share, but then order a grilled chicken salad. Most places have some very tasty versions that are quite good foryou. Or lastly just ask for a protein of some type with a side of veggies. There is no restaurant in creation that can't accommodate that.

    I am not blessed genetically and completely understand, but at the end of the day we control what we consume and we control what we burn. The rest is excuses.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    I think you're just annoyed because "Well, just eat less and work out more...simple" is the truth
  • willrun4bagels
    willrun4bagels Posts: 838 Member
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    My soon to be husband has been thin/'average sized the whole time we've been together. He apparently was ~50lbs heavier way before I ever met him, but I've seen pictures and at his height, I don't think he really looked overweight at all, just bigger (he's a taller guy). Like your husband OP - I have to remind him to eat sometimes. He eats/drinks whatever he wants.

    I don't think your husband's lack of weight issues has to do with him not supporting you all the time - I think if you had a serious talk with him about "I am/was/struggle with XYZ and it makes me feel like XYZ" and "It would mean a lot to me if I could talk to you about that and just know that you're with me and support me and understand how difficult this is for me" - he might get it. My man has seen me look at pictures of myself and cry, cry after a nasty comment from someone, say awful things about myself after trying clothes on, and he sees how much it impacts me negatively, and how losing weight has made me a much happier person. He may have never counted a calorie, and not have any idea what macros are, but he sees that it is something that I struggle(d) with, and though he may not understand what I mean when I say "BRO I JUST DEADLIFTED 165LBS THIS MORNING!!!!", he doesn't complain if I wake him up when my alarm for the gym does off at 4:40am.

    My suggestion is to get a really bada$$ group of MFP friends, share your successes and wins with them. Have a conversation with your husband about support in general, but don't expect him to always be super interested/understanding of the day-to-day things that come with losing weight - that's what MFP friends are for! :drinker:
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    I think you're just annoyed because "Well, just eat less and work out more...simple" is the truth

    Also calamari.

    My husband has never had weight issues. He provides me all kinds of unhelpful advice (you look fine, why don't you try eating nothing but watermelon, aren't you planning on losing at least another 5 pounds?) Luckily, we've been married since 1999 so I don't really consciously hear him anymore.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
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    I think you're just annoyed because "Well, just eat less and work out more...simple" is the truth

    Also calamari.

    My husband has never had weight issues. He provides me all kinds of unhelpful advice (you look fine, why don't you try eating nothing but watermelon, aren't you planning on losing at least another 5 pounds?) Luckily, we've been married since 1999 so I don't really consciously hear him anymore.

    :laugh:

    My husband is 50 and he's never had a weight problem (over-weight, that is). Not because he's genetically gifted (well, he is "gifted" - IYKWIM - but that's a different subject) but because he doesn't over-eat.
  • aethre
    aethre Posts: 150 Member
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    My boyfriend of four years is straight out tiny. He's about 5'6, and weighs in the region of 55kg. I mean, he is *skinny*. I can pick him up in a fireman's lift and carry him down the street (and do so on a fairly regular basis. It's funny).

    He eats all kinds of junk - lunch is a sandwich, two chocolate bars and a bag of crisps, and often a sausage roll to go with it if he's still hungry. When I cook dinner, he tends to eat massive portions, which is part of what I blamed my gain on... it's taken him a good couple of years of spooning stuff from my plate onto his to actually grasp that I neither want nor need as much food as him.

    BUT.

    He doesn't eat for the hell of it. He hates creamy sauces, doesn't eat red meat, isn't the biggest fan of cheese, especially the macaroni variety. If he's not hungry, he doesn't accept what is offered to him. He doesn't add mayonnaise to *anything*.

    It still doesn't make sense to me that he can possibly eat/burn more calories than I do, especially to that extent... but... at the same time, there are certain trends.
  • ekat120
    ekat120 Posts: 407 Member
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    My husband has never had a weight problem, but luckily he tries to exercise and eat healthily (one of the reasons he's never had a weight problem!). He's seen me struggle long enough to be supportive, although I don't think he'll ever truly "get it." I've learned to be my own cheerleader, which is great because I'm doing this for myself anyway, not for anyone else's approval. One of my new strategies is to "share" food with him, meaning I have a few bites and he ends up eating the rest :devil:

    Also, just because it's simple doesn't mean it's easy.
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
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    My SO is Asian, and he seems to have a crazy metabolism. He eats CONSTANTLY (sometimes healthy, sometimes 1/2 a pizza at a time), rarely works out (except for playing basketball once a week when his league is going on), and rarely gains a lb. He is VERY supportive of me, especially when I was dealing with an eating disorder. My only complaint is that he will complain about how is getting fat, and I can still see his ribs. I'm like, And what do you think about me??
  • alazio
    alazio Posts: 44 Member
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    Yes!! We're like Jack Sprat and his fatty wife, lol! He never says it in so many words, but I can tell he REALLY wants me to get a handle on the weight gain, and so do I! But yeah, he's no help at all, though he tries...like many of you have said, he just doesn't get why it would be hard. I just have to look for that elsewhere - like here :-)
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
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    Also, just because it's simple doesn't mean it's easy.

    Good quote. :drinker:
  • ForeverCharlie
    ForeverCharlie Posts: 183 Member
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    My husband has never had any weight problems. He devours sweets, fried goodies, carbs and everything he wants in huge amounts, and his weight usually fluctuates within 2 pounds. Now, I look at what he eats and gain 5 pounds lol However, he always supports me no matter what I'm doing in order to lose weight, no matter what exercise I want to try.. He is very understanding that it isn't black and white for me. In order to help me stay on track, he never brings any junk home. Good luck :)
  • Muscles_and_lipstick
    Muscles_and_lipstick Posts: 589 Member
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    Hey....are we married to the same man?? LOL!! Sounds just like my hubby!!
  • km2790
    km2790 Posts: 15 Member
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    I've had exes that can eat all day long; pizza, burgers, ice cream, pasta, loaves of bread- and not gain an ounce. I definitely gained weight when we were dating :P

    My husband does have to somewhat watch what he eats. I don't think he is capable of ever becoming obese without trying really hard but he certainly can't shove down food. It makes it much easier for me that he enjoys healthy eating and strives to pick good things most of the time. I also love that he enjoys similar things as I do, like hiking and being outdoors. It would be hard for me to go back to dating someone that can eat whatever they want and as much as they want.
  • oystercatcher3944
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    I live with my boyfriend of five years, and he has the most insane metabolism I have ever encountered. He is 6'4" and weighs about 175 lb - which is after a concerted effort to gain from his college weight of 150. He loves beer, pizza, Mexican food, fried things, burgers, the whole shebang. Sometimes he will just eat a half a jar of peanut butter with a spoon as a midnight snack. I have such a hard time reconciling the whole calories in/calories out thing with what he eats and how much he weighs. Though he hates to drive and rides his bike everywhere (and also has a very physical job, which I am sure makes a big difference), he has also never set foot in a gym as long as I have known him.

    I have had to learn to completely disconnect from keeping up with him food-wise. When I see him eating, it's such a strong cue to me that it's time to eat, even if I'm not actually hungry, and it's been hard to readjust that feeling. I just continuously remind myself that no, it's not fair, but that's the way it is, and I should be happy that he is a fit and healthy person.

    We went on a 10-day trip to Europe together a few years ago, and spent the whole time eating delicious food and walking or biking everywhere. When I got home, I had gained two pounds - a very modest amount, in my opinion, and a small victory I felt pretty good about - until I learned that he had lost seven. Sigh.
  • ChristenSchwiegerath
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    I've known my husband since high school and he has always had this ridiculous beautiful Adonis body. I on the other hand have struggled and still do....and always will at just trying to maintain below 150!
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
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    i feel very fortunate. my husband has never had a weight problem, and it probably helps that he's 6' 7" and loves to bike, run and stuff like that. he's very supportive, even joining MFP a couple days after i did and logging his meals and activity. that being said, i'm not bothered but what he eats, and since on workout days he can eat 3000 calories or more, that's fortunate. we've rarely eaten the same meals and very rarely have shared appetizers because we have different food preferences.