How Diet & Weight Loss Affect Your Relationship?

In a society that’s so driven by appearances, how does weight really affect our relationships? When one partner experiences a significant weight change, the couple will face some challenges. Here are some tips to overcome them.

1. Realize it will be an adjustment for both of you:
Couples will always have challenges. The issue of “weight” is one of the challenges which couples usually face. The partner who has gained a clear amount of weight will most likely be the one who will have more problems. And this is because he might not feel attractive, be unhappy or might be reluctant to be intimate. On the other hand, healthy weight loss will make the latter partner feel more attractive and better about himself. It will moreover promote more energy to invest in living well together, thus producing a positive impact on a relationship.

2. Be understanding & deal maturely with the problem:
It is important to know what is really distressing each person. A problem will arise  when one partner expresses that he is no longer attracted to the other because of his weight change. In addition, the one who experiences the body transformation will be affected if  the other partner takes it negatively. As a couple, make sure you take the time to discuss the impact of weight changes on your relationship.

3. Make sure your communication stays strong:
The last thing anyone wants for their partner is feelings of shame. And since the issue of weight has so much shame in our society, therefore, communication is essential in finding ways to address these concerns. Having a strong communication base is important in any relationship, but bringing up touchier subjects, such as weight, requires even more patience and understanding. One good way to ease the blow of the weight conversation might be approaching the topic as a “health concern”. Make sure that you are showing your partner how much you care about and love him. There is already too much difficulty to be a certain size, and your partner wouldn’t need to feel it from your side as well, so never put a negative emphasis on the subject of weight.

4. Set out a challenge as a couple:
Setting a “get healthy together” goal is the best way to ensure that weight gain or loss does not affect your relationship harmfully and VALENTINE’s might be the time of year to start this!
Couples who lose weight together, create an opportunity to learn something new together & thus create a way to get bonded. One method to go a long way in your relationship is taking short walks together, as little as once a week. This will not only help you lose weight, but will also produce a great support system, as when one person is having a rough time, the other person will motivate him, and vice-versa.”

Everyone deserves to be both healthy and happy in his relationship. Don’t ever forget that your partner fell in love with “you”, not “your pant size”

Christelle Bedrossian
Dietitian-Nutritionist
Beirut, Lebanon