Fat Jiggles During Exercise

In response to a question posed by a fellow diet-blogger last week...

I can't exercise in front of Hubby, unless I exercycle while he's on the total gym. That seems different, somehow. I finally confided to him the reason: I once worked out in front of a live-in-boyfriend who made fun of me (all the jiggling and red face and sweating and huffing and puffing), and I haven't been able to do it since. Even tho I told my Hubby, I still don't feel like I can exercise to my "Sweating to the Oldies" video in front of anyone.

My 12 year old knows I'm fat but tells me he loves me and that I'm beautiful. Most children who grow up with a fat parent are ok with it. Put on the weight after they get to an age of understanding, and that's when they start to get embarrassed. I once had a friend who was over 400 pounds, but had always been that way, and her teen kids didn't care.

If a spouse isn't supporting your exercise program and diet, and actually sabotages it by leaving sweets and snacks around the house, turns a simple bike ride into a race, mocks your attempts to exercise, or even hides the equipment... sneak it like you used to sneak food.

  • Do butt clinches while you're watching TV (he won't notice).
  • Do yoga at 5 a.m. before Spouse gets up.
  • Enlist your kids to bike or walk with you - telling them that you just want company, not competition.
  • Send Spouse on a long errand and exercise the entire time while they are gone (clean up before they come home or else the jig is up and you won't be able to do it a second time).

Look at it this way: when I binged, I could ALWAYS find a way to sneak the food in the house, eat it by myself, and clean up any signs of the binge. So if I could hide all of that, wouldn't it be safe to assume that I could hide exercising?

But honestly... try to have a good solid frank discussion with the family. Explain you want to get healthy (not lose weight) so that you can better enjoy being alive and being with your family. Explain that you want their help.. that holding a pleasant conversation during a walk is much better than walking alone. Explain that you want to cut down on the tempting treats at home and would appreciate support from family members. But also be sure to mention, with conviction, that you will do this with or without their help, and any attempts (conscious or subconscious) to sabotage your effort will NOT be tolerated. This is a good way to show how much they love you.

And they DO love you. Show them how to show you.

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