Losing weight can be a real challenge on its own. Helping your wife lose weight can be even more difficult--and stressful, too. The key to being supportive is to remember that you can't control your wife's actions. You can be a cheerleader as she changes her eating habits and engages in an exercise regimen, but you can't make her do anything she refuses to do. While she's trying to lose weight, practice kindness and compassion and personally participate in her program as much as you can.
Step 1
Express your support. Stay positive and refrain from nagging or criticizing your wife. "You can't nag someone into permanent change," says Charles Goodstein, clinical professor of psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine. Praise her efforts, whether or not they yield noticeable results.
Step 2
Commit to eating nutritious foods with her. Plan meals with your wife and go grocery shopping with her. "You can't break habits without forming new ones," says self-help expert Phil McGraw. "You need to replace the bad habit with new, incompatible behavior that will crowd the bad behavior out." Throw out junk food and replace it with fresh fruit and vegetables and healthy snacks you'll both enjoy.
Step 3
Ask her to list her triggers. Many times people overeat when they feel stressed, sad, disappointed, bored, angry or even jubilant. If your wife snacks when she's bored, find activities you can do together to keep her mind off food. If she eats when she's stressed, work to create a calm home environment for her.
Step 4
Cook for her. People who lead busy lives often skip breakfast, which can contribute to weight gain and retention, says Mayo Clinic nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky. Before your wife leaves the house, prepare her a healthy breakfast, even if it's as simple as a bowl of cereal with skim milk and fresh fruit. You can also cook healthy, nutritious dinners for her so she's not tempted to pick up fast food at the drive-through after work.
Step 5
Exercise with your wife. Go on a bike ride with her, join a gym together or take nightly walks. "Even 20 to 30 minutes per day of walking provides most of the health benefits of more intensive exercise while minimizing the risks," says Dr. Dean Ornish, author of "Eat More, Weigh Less." Take small steps with your wife at first. When shopping with her, park the car a little farther from the store entrance or take the stairs with her instead of the elevator.
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