When it comes to helping men lose weight, women fact a terrible dilemma. If they make suggestions for men to slim down, women are told to stop nagging. If women say nothing, they blame themselves when men suffer a heart attack because of high cholesterol or high blood pressure that could have been controlled by diet.
When you talk about weight loss to men, here are 10 weight loss “turn-off” and “turn-on” buttons to use, according to Morton Shaevitz, Ph.D., author of Lean & Mean: The No Hassle Life-Extending Weight Loss Program for Men.
Turn-off buttons:
• Telling anyone — even your sister, mother, or best friend — that your man is trying to lose weight.
• Teasing him about “love handles.”
• Serving diet or tiny portions. (Modify food he likes and make gradual changes. Two-thirds of the fat in most recipes can be eliminated without sacrificing taste. Serve ample portions of starches, vegetables, and fruit.)
• Trying to get him to count calories or think about food exchanges.
• Commenting on his eating in public. “Are you sure that’s on your diet?” is an embarrassing question for anyone. Instead, heap on the praise in private for any eating changes he makes — like having one glass of wine when others had two or three.
Turn-on buttons:
• Using sensitive, unemotional messages that show concern for his health, fitness, and energy level, as opposed to mentioning weight or diet.
• Talking about what food is good for him and why — and what food is bad and why.
• Asking him if he wants you to signal him or divert his attention if he starts overeating.
• Suggesting that you both avoid fattening cocktail hors d’oeuvres and making dinner reservations for after the party.
• Making after-dinner walks a routine as a couple, as well as supporting him if he goes to the gym or plays tennis after work.
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