When I first met my wife, she was a fairly thin, waif of a woman. She grew up on a farm, and was very active. When we first got together, she assumed it wouldn’t be hard to get me motivated to do the things she enjoyed like rollerblading, skating, running, biking, hiking and other physical activities that were part of her every day life.
Instead of motivating me, and helping me get in shape, it seems my weight has worked like the gravity of a black hole, and brought her closer to my lifestyle. She rarely does any of the physical activities she once did; instead, she spends time with me at home watching movies, and working on the other computer. I have become her excuse for why she doesn’t do the things she used to enjoy so much.
It was shocking to me how fast this transition happened, and it is something that I have seen happen with other couples. If one is overweight, it seems to be rare that they both become healthy and fit, and more likely that the fit one will slowly gain weight.
I am not sure why this happens. Are we all intrinsically lazy? Does being around an obese person for an extended period of time change our view of the world and the “proper” size we should be?
I am hoping that when my wife gets back from her vacation that we will conquer our weight issues together, continuing to inspire each other and support each other, rather than me just expecting her to make me thinner, healthier and more active.
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David, I think it’s safe to say that I’ve had a similar effect on my girlfriend. I think that if I’m ever going to lose my extra weight, my girlfriend will need to join me in living healthier. Good luck with everything - I’ll be following along!