Reviewed by: Erica An, APD, BNutr&Diet
Are you prone to delving into any snack or meal that your partner has laid out on the table – regardless of whether it’s nutritionally sound or not?! We totally get it!! It’s sooo hard to stick to your healthy eating routine when your other half is constantly offering you less healthy options (some would say sabotaging). So what do you do to overcome this daily issue?
Follow these 5 simple steps to prevent your partner’s eating habits from sabotaging your weight loss goals:
Share your why
Whether your goal is to lose weight or boosting your energy and confidence, or you have a health issue that needs addressing by taking better care of your body. Explaining your why to your partner is always a great place to start. If they can understand what it means to you to lose weight and start living a healthier lifestyle. They’ll be 100% more inclined in supporting you every step of the way. It may also encourage them to jump on the healthy bandwagon too – bonus!
Don’t be scared to ask for help
We all have long, busy days that make us want to eat the entire pantry when we get home! You know the ones? Well, explain your ‘red flags’ to your partner. Those times when you’re most likely to binge (some hugely common situations are tiredness, stress, anxiety and extreme emotions). If your partner knows you’re exhausted when you come home from work in the afternoons, they can help you make healthier choices. Ask them to stop you when you go to devour a whole block of cheese and crackers. Make them promise they’ll suggest better options instead (like carrot sticks with hummus or fruit with nut butter).
Plan your weekly meals together
A great way to help you both be on the same page is to sit down on a Sunday and plan your weekly meals together. You’ll both probably have different preferences of what you’d like to eat. However, you can always come to a mid ground. If they want lasagne, you could suggest a healthy version instead (like eggplant and ricotta lasagne), so you’re able to stick to your nutrition plan whilst their preferences are also heard. It’s a win, win!
Date nights with a twist
If you can, lock in regular date nights that allow you to reconnect away from the day-to-day chaos of life. Each night you get to go out, choose an option that fits into your healthy eating routine, whilst still being fun for you both. Why not go to teppanyaki and enjoy them cooking right in front of you (you can enjoy lean beef and salad!), or head to the local beach or park and cook up a steak and salad on the BBQ. A walk in your local neighbourhood is also a nice way to end the night – and will also help your body to digest your meal, whilst burning a few more extra calories.
Partner up
With weight loss as your goal, exercise is a primary component of that. So get your partner (and kids!) involved and suggest that you do some of it together. If they’re not the biggest fan of the workouts you do but they looove going for bike rides or runs, why not try to incorporate their exercise preferences twice a week into your weekly plan. There’s nothing wrong with switching up your training, in fact, it’s actually the BEST thing for your body to enhance variety whilst improving all areas of fitness. Best of all, it’s an activity you’ll get to enjoy together and will increase your accountability for getting it done. Who knows, the competitive nature in you may end up pushing you in brand new ways too!
