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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Dh appearance

111 replies

Misshoney88 · 03/01/2022 14:14

Hi

Its so vain and shallow to be bothered so much by someone's appearance when there is more to a person. However, as a human being its hard not to be.

My dh has massively let himself go over the years.

He doesn't take care of himself at all. He has piled on weight but he for some reason doesn't see it. Whenever the topic comes up he tells me how he is still slim and can't believe in all these years he has maintained his sae weight. The thing is he has put on a few stone. He is wearing clothes that are far to small and its embarrassing. His tops come up to show his middle and he looks 8 months pregnant because of it. His trousers hang low as he can't pull them up. I'm not awful I get he can't help it in some ways but he goes on about how easy it is to stay slim and how people are lazy etc. I'm baffled. If he acknowledged this and was working on it fair enough but to be completely blind to such an increase is worrying as his health is also affected. He eats alot but is oblivious to this too. He does eat junk but its the huge portions of seemingly healthy food. He tells me he eats better than me (which is probably true in terms of protein etc) but thinks nothing of eating 3 people's meals in one sitting. He always finishes the childrens dinner left overs and it makes me feel awful to see it. My children are fussy eaters so more often than not leave a large portion of their dinner so its not the odd bit its a whole extra meal. He will then finish off the pan of dinner while tidying up. Again if there was acknowledgement then fine but he goes on about healthy eating like he knows it all and then does this.

Its not just his weight. He never shaves and cuts his hair himself. Its not even styled.

His clothes as not in fashion. He used to be quite fashionable but now he wears old tatty clothes.

He has less showers than is ideal.

I hate to write this down but him on top (sex) is awful as i have a tiny frame.

I gained weight with having the children so im not immune and unsympathetic. However, I acknowledged it, worked on losing it, which was hard, and I still do my hair, be clean and take pride in how I look.

He sits there in his tatty clothes unshaven, eating, farting, burping and picking his nose and wonders why I don't want sex. I told him these things turn me off but he gets defensive and says I'm horrible to say such.

I do care for him but my patience is wearing thin. I'm falling out of love with him. Not because of the weight gain as im not that shallow but because of all the rest combined.

Hes not depressed so its not that.

He can't see it.

What can I do. I want to try to salvage my marriage but I can't live with someone who takes so little effort and care. If that makes me awful then so be it.

OP posts:
SailingNotSurfing · 03/01/2022 18:03

Assuming you want to rescue your marriage and get back the man you fell in love with, then there are 3 things you can do today.

Go online and buy him some new clothes in a size that will fit.

Start cooking smaller portions for your children and scrape leftovers into the compost bin.

Talk to him, find out if there is an underlying cause for his self-neglect.

CatsArePeople · 03/01/2022 18:09

Maybe buy him some new clothes?

whistleryukon · 03/01/2022 18:09

@CheshireKitten123

As a start OP maybe you could cook less food.

If it's not there he can't eat it.

Remove most salty, sugary snacks from the house and provide more fruit.

The fact that he's farting & burping shows that his digestive system has a problem - tell him that, and that he needs to alter his diet.

I'm not sure what other suggestions to put forward....

Why should she do any of this? He's not a child! She's not his free PT and nutritionist!
SleepingStandingUp · 03/01/2022 18:12

Brutal honesty?

Man, I'm so sexy, I can't believe I'm the same size I was when I was 18
You're not though, you're clothes are just tighter
No I'm totally slim like a sex god.
Try pulling them up around your waist

Or could you suggest some new year sale shopping and only pass him XL clothes?

Freddiefox · 03/01/2022 18:24

@CheshireKitten123

As a start OP maybe you could cook less food.

If it's not there he can't eat it.

Remove most salty, sugary snacks from the house and provide more fruit.

The fact that he's farting & burping shows that his digestive system has a problem - tell him that, and that he needs to alter his diet.

I'm not sure what other suggestions to put forward....

She’s his partner not his mum.

Not very attractive.

OnwardsAndSideways1 · 03/01/2022 18:25

I think people differ to the extent they will seek out food. I eat it if it's there but don't if it's not, or at least, what I can eat is limited to lots of toast. I do think having less processed/high calorie food can make a difference.

This is not really about weight though, it's about personal neglect. Lots of this stuff is way beyond weight gain, which most people do when older.

PixieLaLa · 03/01/2022 18:29

Didn’t you post about him before? This sounds very familiar and lots of people said he sounded like he had depression but you insisted there was no way he could….Hmm

Misshoney88 · 03/01/2022 19:01

No never posted this before so that must have been someone else.

I have suggest new clothes and did get him some a while ago but he used them a pj's! They were joggers so not ideal but I wouldn't know what waist size he is now for jeans or other trousers.

We share cooking so when I do its smaller portions etc but when he does its larger. I have on more than one occasion spoken to him about portion sizes for us all especially expectations on children's portions. The thing is he just laughs or tells me its not bad and I'm worrying over nothing. I can't stop him going to the shops or adding extra to his plate. He adds extra butter and sauces etc. Everything he cooks is in oil or added fatty ingredients. When i completely took over the shopping and cooking he said I didn't buy enough food and went himself the next day.

I have told him I want us both to be healthy so we should stop the added extras but he pulls faces and disagrees saying he doesn't need to.

As people have said its not the weight on its own its all of the other things.

It boils down to that I'm unhappy in this life but im struggling to see how I'd leave on the basis that my husband does nothing for me ayttractive wise when he's not abusive, does loads of nice things for me,is a good father and works hard. How bad would that make me.

He works alone so works not an issue in this way. His work uniform smells and I threw some of it away because I refused to have it in my washer with my clothes in that state.

He tells me he's not depressed. He could be but you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. I have suggested it a few times before but he acts shocked and hurt like its an accusation on his personality.

This is my last ditch attempt to find the man I fell in love with and build the life I imagined.

OP posts:
me4real · 03/01/2022 19:15

@Anordinarymum Sorry!

@Misshoney88 I think stick to your guns. Maybe go on 'sex strike' from him explicitly- spell it out. Say you're not going to shag him until he practices routine daily personal hygiene, isn't gross in his habits, and loses weight.

im struggling to see how I'd leave on the basis that my husband does nothing for me ayttractive wise

Shagging someone you're not attracted to is awful though, and so is having a bloke that's going on about how he doesn't get enough.

And he is abusive to your eyes, sense of manners, and nasal passages.

Foolsrule · 03/01/2022 19:16

The absolute worst of this to me is the fact that he is actively killing himself in front of your very eyes and 1) you and your children are not enough to make him take stock and stop and 2) he’s gaslighting you about the situation to boot!

me4real · 03/01/2022 19:26

@Foolsrule It sounds like he's gaslighting himself, and has an inflated opinion of himself. He lives in a cloud of self-satisfied complacency and doesn't even think he can get B.O that resembles that of other humans. He probably thinks his just smells of Lynx and should have the 'Lynx effect.'

SailingNotSurfing · 03/01/2022 19:39

@Misshoney88

No never posted this before so that must have been someone else.

I have suggest new clothes and did get him some a while ago but he used them a pj's! They were joggers so not ideal but I wouldn't know what waist size he is now for jeans or other trousers.

We share cooking so when I do its smaller portions etc but when he does its larger. I have on more than one occasion spoken to him about portion sizes for us all especially expectations on children's portions. The thing is he just laughs or tells me its not bad and I'm worrying over nothing. I can't stop him going to the shops or adding extra to his plate. He adds extra butter and sauces etc. Everything he cooks is in oil or added fatty ingredients. When i completely took over the shopping and cooking he said I didn't buy enough food and went himself the next day.

I have told him I want us both to be healthy so we should stop the added extras but he pulls faces and disagrees saying he doesn't need to.

As people have said its not the weight on its own its all of the other things.

It boils down to that I'm unhappy in this life but im struggling to see how I'd leave on the basis that my husband does nothing for me ayttractive wise when he's not abusive, does loads of nice things for me,is a good father and works hard. How bad would that make me.

He works alone so works not an issue in this way. His work uniform smells and I threw some of it away because I refused to have it in my washer with my clothes in that state.

He tells me he's not depressed. He could be but you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. I have suggested it a few times before but he acts shocked and hurt like its an accusation on his personality.

This is my last ditch attempt to find the man I fell in love with and build the life I imagined.

JACAMO for clothes - have a look online together at what he might like to wear. Steer clear of joggers and t-shirts, suggest he gets some nice, well-fitting jeans and shirts. Maybe when he has the 44" waist jeans on, he will stop deluding himself that he is slim.

As for the rest of it, talk to him. You're a partnership, no-one is forcing you to spend time in this man's company. If you want to mend your marriage, communication is key.

Or has someone else caught your eye?

MrsBaublesDylan · 03/01/2022 20:38

Also sounds familiar to me - him fat and smelly and you, petite and perfect.

You need to talk to him. If you want to save your relationship you need to tell him that his personal hygiene and attitude to food is making it hard to feel attracted to him.

That he either looses weight and takes a pride in his appearance or the relationship is over.

GiltEdges · 03/01/2022 20:47

I have suggest new clothes and did get him some a while ago but he used them a pj's! They were joggers so not ideal but I wouldn't know what waist size he is now for jeans or other trousers.

Buy him jeans in the size he thinks he is. When they obviously don't fit him, point made. Sorry OP, I have no genuinely useful suggestions; to me he sounds repulsive and I couldn't stay with him.

GrandmasCat · 03/01/2022 20:50

I think you need to stop going round the bushes and tell him what you think as the longer than he leaves it, the more likely your relationship is to end.

It is obviously not that it will end due to appearances only but, romantic love is based on attraction, admiration and trust, if any of those are missing you can be coparents, best friends, flatmates or brothers but not exactly a couple so the wish to do things that bind you together (like sex or wanting to go out on dates) simply disappear.

TheCreamCaker · 03/01/2022 21:02

Make an appointment for him to see/talk to a GP. He may well have clinical depression.

Throw away the kids' left dinners before he can scoff them.
Buy his clothes - in a size that will fit.
Get him to go for a walk with you and the kids.
tell him he needs to have a shave. If absolutely necessary, run him a bath, put some bath bombs in there. Shave him. Cut his hair. Put a face mask on him.

Flatly refuse to have sex with him until he's at least clean and tidy.

My friend's husband (64) is the same - actually, worse. My friend is trying all the things I've suggested.

GrandmasCat · 03/01/2022 21:03

@TheCreamCaker

Make an appointment for him to see/talk to a GP. He may well have clinical depression.

Throw away the kids' left dinners before he can scoff them.
Buy his clothes - in a size that will fit.
Get him to go for a walk with you and the kids.
tell him he needs to have a shave. If absolutely necessary, run him a bath, put some bath bombs in there. Shave him. Cut his hair. Put a face mask on him.

Flatly refuse to have sex with him until he's at least clean and tidy.

My friend's husband (64) is the same - actually, worse. My friend is trying all the things I've suggested.

But… do you realise that if you do all that, the husband becomes another child and then the attraction dies?
Winniemarysarah · 03/01/2022 21:18

@TheCreamCaker

Make an appointment for him to see/talk to a GP. He may well have clinical depression.

Throw away the kids' left dinners before he can scoff them.
Buy his clothes - in a size that will fit.
Get him to go for a walk with you and the kids.
tell him he needs to have a shave. If absolutely necessary, run him a bath, put some bath bombs in there. Shave him. Cut his hair. Put a face mask on him.

Flatly refuse to have sex with him until he's at least clean and tidy.

My friend's husband (64) is the same - actually, worse. My friend is trying all the things I've suggested.

Are you fucking serious?? You want the op to bathe, dress, shave, cut his hair, throw away perfectly good food and walk her husband like he’s a dog because he’s fat and disgusting and refuses to admit it? And the sex bribery is just sick. Actually imagine trying to get your grimy husband to get a wash with the promise of a shag at the end of it 🤢
Twilight7777 · 03/01/2022 21:32

I know you said he’s not depressed, but honestly the description you gave sounds like someone who is very deeply depressed. He may not recognise it as depression

nettie434 · 03/01/2022 22:41

Maybe the OP's husband is depressed. Some things fit - eg lack of motivation and attention to grooming - but I have never heard of farting, burping and nose picking in front of a partner as symptoms of depression. The disagreements about healthy eating suggest a lack of respect too.

I think it's not just about OP being supportive to a partner who needs help. It comes across that he takes OP for granted.

TerraNovaTwo · 03/01/2022 23:14

Winniemarysarah

TheCreamCaker

Make an appointment for him to see/talk to a GP. He may well have clinical depression.

Throw away the kids' left dinners before he can scoff them.
Buy his clothes - in a size that will fit.
Get him to go for a walk with you and the kids.
tell himhe needs to have a shave. If absolutely necessary, run him a bath, put some bath bombs in there. Shave him. Cut his hair. Put a face mask on him.

Flatly refuse to have sex with him until he's at least clean and tidy.

My friend's husband (64) is the same - actually, worse. My friend is trying all the things I've suggested.

Are you fucking serious?? You want the op to bathe, dress, shave, cut his hair, throw away perfectly good food and walk her husband like he’s a dog because he’s fat and disgusting and refuses to admit it? And the sex bribery is just sick. Actually imagine trying to get your grimy husband to get a wash with the promise of a shag at the end of it 🤢

What @Winniemarysarah said

NdujaWannaDance · 04/01/2022 05:43

Haven't you been posting about this bloke and his weight and eating habits for years?

I thought you'd have left by now as he clearly revolts you. He must be very rich.

Monty27 · 04/01/2022 05:59

There's nothing worse than greed.
He might have underlying boredom issues or just couldn't give a flying toss what he looks like.
I think the photograph idea is a bit creepy and condescending.
Just put his ill fitting tatty clothes in the bin. Sorted.
Other than that tell him you don't find him attractive any more.

EightWheelGirl · 04/01/2022 06:16

@2022HowDoYouDo

Loads of women stop being attracted to their partners for this reason, and the men can never understand it - lack of sex can't possibly be anything they're doing wrong, like poor hygiene, excessive weight gain, revolting habits - why would that be a turnoff?!
It happens to both sexes. There are loads of threads with posters complaining that the husband admitted he was no longer attracted to them because they'd put on weight. Usually, people tell OP that the husband is a complete arsehole and she should leave him if he's that shallow that he can't see past the extra four stone.
user1471462428 · 04/01/2022 07:19

@EightWheelGirl it’s a massive Mumsnet double standard isn’t it. I worked extremely hard to keep fit while my ex piled on the pounds. I wouldn’t have expected him to find attractive if I’d got larger.