Couples Diet Better Together
Ever wonder why men and women are so different when it comes to dieting and weight loss?
A new book by Karen Miller-Kovach, She Loses, He Loses: The Truth About Men, Women, and Weight Loss explores these differences.
Couples who approach weight loss together tend to benefit, given that there is a constant source of support. When going it alone, it's often harder to stay motivated (ever failed to drag your guy off the couch so you could go exercise together?).
Kovach says women view the world through a “weight lens” - they read more about dieting and weight loss and generally know more about the subject.
Women are always aware of weight gain while, according to Kovach “Men have to be obese to think they are a little overweight."
Rather than telling your husband you think he needs to lose weight to look better, give him a problem to solve – i.e., if he loses weight, maybe he'll have less back pain.
This definitely sounds like a must-read for any couple wanting to get in shape – or learn more about each other.
Kovach's book will be available in April of this year.
15 Comments
Add Your Comment
ADVERTISING
New
- FROM DIET BLOG
- On-Off Fasting: Does It Work?
- 400 Calorie Fix
- 5 Factor World Diet
- Quick Giveaway: Powerhouse Weight Loss Game
- FORUM
- Low Carb Atkins Diet- Tips to Cut the Carbs.
- How Can I Gain a Healthy Weight and Keep it?
- How Do I Eat Healthy at University?
- Starving Myself and Exercising, But Not Losing an Ounce?
Categories
| Body Image Celebrities Diet Pills Diets Exercise |
Fast Food Funny Stuff Success Stories Teens and Kids Tips and Tools |
RSS Feed
Follow @DietBlog on Twitter
This is pretty much the opposite of what goes on at my house. I have to work to get my fiancee to the gym. I watch out for both of our eating habits. I'm always reading about nutrition; she gets her information by me discussing it with her. I weigh myself everyday; she weighs herself 2 times a week at most. She wants to get to some average body fat percentage, I want to get to 6%. It is discouraging, but the will is greater than the challenge.
ReplyThat's interesting Ryan! Mrs J and I cover a lot of the same issues as you and your fiancee but divide them up a little differently! Sort of like dividing up the chores, together we cover all the bases!
ReplyHow Odd. this theory might be applicable to some, yet as most research studies results tend to be too broad. For me im a 21 year old female with a body fat of about 14.something% maybe even lower since the last time i got it checked i was less muscular. I am the one whose organized about macronutrient comsumption and TDEE being similar on a daily basis to maintain and benefit performance.. while my bf eat's "healthy" but doesn't train regularly where I train very consistently and find it difficult when he tries to deviate me from training.
ReplyThe methodology possibly has roots in the concept that it is easier to train with a partner. That could be anyone, as long as you work out together and keep each other motivated. My husband and I not only work out together but live healthy together. Such an agreement makes it easier for us both to reach our goals because one of us isn't bringing cheesy poofs into the house while the other one is trying to quit cheesy poofs. It's great if you can pull it off and makes getting fit a lot more enjoyable - and successful. But you both certainly have to be of the same mindset for it to work.
ReplyMy husband started going to the gym after I started showing good results from working out.
ReplyWomen are always aware of weight gain while, according to Kovach “Men have to be obese to think they are a little overweight."
I definitely agree with that statement in our house. My husband has gained about 30 lbs since we met and while I've noticed it for a while, he is just realizing now that he has "put on a couple of pounds". He thinks that the way to lose weight is to just be more active in general, which is fine, but he doesn't know a thing about nutrition unless I explain it to him.
With my parents, it's just the opposite. My dad's the health food nut and the main cook. He taught my mother everything she knows about nutrition. My mother needs to lose about 70-80 lbs to get in a healthy weight range and my dad decided to lose a few pounds that he'd put on as he got older and more sedentary. They did WW together and my dad reached his goal weight first, obviously (he only had 20 lbs to lose), which made my mom so mad that she quit, even though my dad was trying to help her out by being her buddy.
I think it's great when couples lose weight together, but it just seems like a lot of times, men lose the weight faster and it discourages their wives/girlfriends.
ReplyI have to say this is the smartest purpose for a weight loss and diet book in a long time. Men and women are different so it is nice to know someone is writing about it.
ReplyMy wife is a die-hard WW member and has been very successful (and she looks great). I decided that I was sick and tired of being sick and tired and started using the points program at the beginning of the year. When I dropped weight really fast, she was a little mad at me, but when you have 100 pounds to lose, it's easy to lose fast at the beginning. It's great to see that someone is writing about couples.
ReplyI really appreciate what Anushka said about the cheesy poofs! I am really trying to eat healthy and work out, and there's always an excuse why that is difficult, but my main difficulty at the moment is that my husband loves sweets and therefore there are always cakes/ice cream/chocolate in the house!! I don't think its fair to deprive him of what he likes just because I want to lose weight, but it is such a challenge to have those things as an option! Perhaps I should buy this book and leave it on his pillow. (He needs to lose about 60-75 lbs to be healthy).
ReplyI guess it depends from which perspective you look at weight loss but I am inclined to agree with Spectra that to men they only recognise weight gain when they become obese or their wife or doctor tell them.
I speak to women and men about weight loss every day and the comments from women are
" I have put on an extra 10 pounds I need your help to look good again "
Where as many men come to me and say "my wife says I have a beer belly and doesn't find me sexy any more I can't see the problem but she says enough is enough.
You see it is all a matter of perspective
This is something that Dr John Gray (of Venus and Mars fame)deals with this subject also in his book which sort of contradicts this dieting together theory and why eating the same food won't work.
It explains why women and men need to diet differently. If you read the article about the Diet and Exercise Solution you will understand what I mean (link)
Reply"When a woman is depressed, she thinks she's FAT!"..."When a man is depressed, he thinks his girlfriend/wife is FAT!" :-)
ReplyThat's really good Jen! I like the way you two have worked it out for the best for each other. A quick story. I was buying some 'healthy' food the other day and the woman at the cash register said to me,"I'd really like to cook that but my husband doesn't like it." I replied,"Wow, I wish I had a husband to blame things on!" :-)
ReplyShe could cook it and tell him to cook his own darn food, or if she is feeling particularly nice, when she cooks stuff he does like, she could cook a little extra, freeze that, and tell him to get a "ready meal" out of the freezer. My husband doesn't eat a lot of vegetables I eat, refuses to eat fish, fava beans, and a whole lot of other things. Over the years he has learned to eat a lot that he didn't use to eat just cause I'd make it for myself and he'd go "that looks/smells good, can I try it?". Nowadays his favorite food is pumpkin soup, and he thought pumpkin was "gross" before.
Reply...and I disagree with this quote. I think that men are the same as women: some fat men know they're fat, just like some fat women know they're fat. Same thing for fat men and women who are in denial. I'm overweight and have been in denial as to HOW obese I was/am (I've lost 35 lbs. so far) yet my husband (who has been EXTREMELY supportive) is able to gauge when his weight is creeping up and he can nip it in the bud. The man is on the ball.
Reply