How to help your husband loose the gut without him knowing

Husbands are important in the family dynamic – they do what they can keep their wives and children happy where it is in the workforce or at home. Generally this can lead to some shifting of priorities, in which health and appearance slowly wither into an afterthought. Here are some tips to help your dearest husband keep fit and trim without him really thinking that you are doing anything.

Decrease portion sizes of meals – probably the easiest thing to do. Large portion sizes, especially at dinner where lounging and relaxing are the accepted after-meal activities, make a big difference in overall calorie intake. Make portions smaller, and hide this by including more vegetables and salads to the meal.

Decrease the quantity of oil in cooking – remember, even though there is such a thing as good fats in food, they are still fats and can add to the belly. Consider more heat resistant oils which don’t turn to trans fatty acids during cooking and non-stick utensils that take away the need to use excessive amounts of oil.

Pack a healthy lunch – the best way to control the diet when you are not around. A well balanced lunch and snacks can stop the trip to the local burger joint. Just ask his workmates when they come around if your husband actually eats the food you so carefully made for him.

Suggest he undertake some ‘projects’ – husbands always think they are handy around the house, so take advantage of it. Get him to build that cubby house that the kids always wanted, or to dig the holes that are needed for the posts that the new deck will be supported on. These are quite physically demanding, and you can disguise them as ‘child bonding’ sessions or ‘money saving’ actions.

Watch your alcohol consumption – alcohol can turn a normally trim and fit person into a lumbering creature filled with memories of past glory. Everyone enjoys a drink, just take it easy. With this one, you may have to lead by example.

Encourage sports – this can be done many ways. Either suggest that your husband join his workmates in some friendly sports (golf is usually popular), or both of you can do something together. Tennis or dancing lessons, or long adventure hikes\walks are sure to get the bodies moving and blood pumping. A couple that plays together stays together.

Check your ingredients – meals can be drastically better for your body only if you have a look at what you are making it out of. Look for leaner cuts of meat, low fat versions of rich ingredients such as dairy, and less processed foods. Meat is also very energy dense, so look out for substitutes; mushrooms, nuts and soy products all have good levels of protein that will help fill your husband up and stop his appetite from returning in an hour.

If you want to amuse yourself while helping your husband, if you ever have to drive him to work just drop him off a distance away so he’ll have to walk the rest of the way. Just blame it on the traffic and that you won’t be able to find a parking spot in front of the building. You can also conveniently run out of milk during the night, in which he will have to walk\run to the nearest corner store to please his loving wife. Feel free to use your imagination to induce some incidental exercise in his daily living.

Use all or a combination of these suggestions and you will be sure to have success. Just try not to be too obvious.