As some of you may know, I’ve been doing what I can to lose weight. I’ve been hitting the gym, going walking with Frankie, and trying to watch what I eat. I’ve lost 14 pounds so far, and I love it; 20 more to go! Hubby has been supportive on and off. When it comes to food, he doesn’t necessarily stop me from eating junk. He’s a burger man, so we eat burgers a lot, whether they’re from fast food joints or homemade. Lately, we’ve been doing home made so we can cook them a little healthier. This morning he took being supportive to another level: he went running with me.
Now off the bat, I will admit I am not a runner. Not long distance at least. Growing up, I ran track, but the 200 was my specialty. We would run miles in middle school, but even that was dreaded. Plus, I have asthma. I had a dream last night that I ran (read jogged) non-stop, so I told him I wanted to go jogging today. He said “let’s go now”. This took me by complete surprise, as he rarely wants to exercise with me. So we got dressed and hit the pavement.
I got to four tenths of a mile before I had to start walking because my chest was hurting. He understood and walked with me. We hit the half way point, turned around and started running again. My chest hurt again. He rubbed my back, told me to put my hands over my head, and asked if I wanted him to run home, go get the car and pick me up. I appreciated it but I couldn’t exactly express while I was heaving, so I shook my head and said “I’m good”. I power walked for a distance and told him where I wanted to start back running. First he wouldn’t let me but I told him I wanted to finish.
So we hit a certain point and started actually running. I was pushing myself with encouraging words. “Come on, let’s go, almost there!” He was pushing me too. “You’ve got it. Don’t think about it. You’re doing good!” We finally made it home. Now by this time I’m huffing, puffing, and had no energy to blow the house down. He poured me some water and had me stand up to get air in my lungs. He said “we’ve got to get you back in shape”. I didn’t see it as a put down. I was so focused on the we part.
When you support your spouse in what they’re doing, they will appreciate it like you can’t even imagine. Thursday evening, I had to pick my sister up from school. I asked him to go with me so I could hop in the carpool lane. I retracted that request because football was on. I didn’t want him to miss the game. I know he likes football, and I support that. Even if it’s something you don’t like to do, sometimes you should just sacrifice and do it so your spouse will be happy.
How do you support your spouse? Do you go out of your way to do things they like? Do you end up liking it yourself?
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I used tyo walk with my wife after dinner as an activity and to have time alone. I try to encourage whenever I can.
I’m trying to get my husband to make it a regular activity.
How about just walking briskly on a regular basis (take Frankie along) and not worry about jogging/running? I don’t like the sound of it taking such a toll on you.
Good idea. Hubby was scared of my breathing so I should just keep it moderate instead of extreme.
Weight is something that we women dred over day after day. Working out worked for me while I was single. However, after accepting the responsibilities of having a partner and caring for our household, my nutritionist suggested that I learn to eat healthier…to avoid the guilt that I would feel when I didn’t have the time to work out. So after days of debating, I became a pescetarian. Within 4 months my metabolism picked up, and the weight slowly melted away. I was able to cut my work outs down to a few times per month (or long walks after dinner with my mister). He still eats all meats, but he’s very supportive in making sure that when we go out, he’ll scan the menus beforehand to ensure that I’ll be satisfied. As a Black Woman, my cultural traits were contributing to my weight gain to an extent. At 27, I’ve realized that Mr and I can Not process the same foods and stay healthy. To answer your question, He eventually developed a deeper love for seafood since Im forced to prepare more of it nowadays..lol Life is definitely easier when you have a good partner.
I thought about becoming a pescetarian. My mentor is but I just think it’s going to be hard to give up beef 🙁 But I know it would be for my own good. Hubby loves catfish and I love salmon so it could work. I’d just have to do some extensive research. Thanks for the tips!
I feel your pain on the lung problem…I have always had exercise-induced asthma, even when I was VERY thin. I can walk, no problem, or ride a bike for miles and miles as long as the terrain is flat. Give me any little hill to deal with, and I’m gasping for air…. Obviously, the next move will be to a totally flat area:)
It is great that your husband is supporting you in your weight loss journey–that often means the difference between success and failure… Congrats on the 14 pounds:)
It’s awful isn’t it? I thought it was just me being out of shape but it truly hurts to breathe. Thank you 🙂