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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

DH has gotten fat

179 replies

fancyaflatwhite · 21/07/2021 21:09

I feel terrible but it's now really making it hard for me to be attracted to him and have the respect I want to have for him.

I've tried gently encouraging exercise and suggesting walks together for many, many years now. But he doesn't stick with it and is a comfort eater. This isn't just about remaining attracted to each other, it's about health too. His father died young from a heart attack

What would you do?

OP posts:
Deux · 22/07/2021 12:57

@Porcupineintherough

If someone's appearance changes drastically then it's not surprising at all that their partner may not find them so attractive and may even feel repelled

Oh honey, you are going to be so upset when you discover the effects of aging.

I made the original comment and fail to see what’s wrong with it. Gaining 3 stones of fat through overconsumption of food is not a normal part of the aging process. Confused
Noterook · 22/07/2021 13:00

If he is comfort eating then ideally he would seek to get support for whatever is causing him to do that. Eating to the point its damaging your health is usually indicative of something else going on, even if it's just struggling with what's going on and it's a coping mechanism. I don't know really what you can do, he is an adult and can eat what he wants, saying you don't fancy him anymore will likely push him further into the comfort eating spiral, but maybe just say you're there for him if he wants to talk about it?

Porcupineintherough · 22/07/2021 13:07

@Deux the point you are so badly missing is that, if you are a long term relationship, the appearance of both parties is going to change hugely over the years and weight is ine tiny part of that. Hair will be lost and turn grey, muscle will be lost, teeth will be lost, boobs and butts will sag, age spots will appear - you are literally going to disintegrate before each other's eyes.

That person who disgusts you when you look at them is going to be you one day.

IsItJustMeOrYou · 22/07/2021 13:07

My 84 year old father has never looked after what he eats and has type 2 diabetes. He is seriously overweight and continues, despite everyone's efforts, to eat the wrong foodstuffs. Some of this is 'You can't tell me what to do' (and he is right) but also a lack of understanding of his situation as he feels a pill will mean he can eat what he wants.

My point is that it is not about dying early which some have suggested is an issue but rather about the quality of life while you are alive. My father says 'I got to 84 and I am still alive' but the quality of his life is 'shit'. You can of course say that is his choice but the reality is that myself and my Dh and of course my Mum get sucked into his world as he is not capable of doing even the basic things at times. That is without the sheer amount of time the NHS has to put in on his behalf.

So I would say to the OP you are right to have a vested interest in his weight because it will, or maybe already has, affect the quality of his life and by default yours and your childrens. I have seen first hand what this means if it is left unchecked and my poor Dh has had to take on many tasks that he should not have to do.

Deux · 22/07/2021 13:16

[quote Porcupineintherough]@Deux the point you are so badly missing is that, if you are a long term relationship, the appearance of both parties is going to change hugely over the years and weight is ine tiny part of that. Hair will be lost and turn grey, muscle will be lost, teeth will be lost, boobs and butts will sag, age spots will appear - you are literally going to disintegrate before each other's eyes.

That person who disgusts you when you look at them is going to be you one day.[/quote]
Well obviously ppl change in appearance. Confused A 3 stone weight gain is something that’s avoidable unlike other aspects of aging. And going from 14 stone to 17 stone is a massive change with resultant health issues and reduced life expectancy.

And honey I’m well into the ageing process. Me having grey hair and wrinkles isn’t going to lead to high blood pressure, diabetes and early death.

SunSunSunshine · 22/07/2021 13:17

I wouldn't care if my partner put on weight - he has been heavy, skinny all sorts and I still love him the same.
However I have put on a few stone and I can see how he treats me differently.
Just little digs about eating right, why don't I do some exercise etc.
I just think leave me alone. I haven't changed as a person inside. I know I'm overweight but I'm not in that zone yet to lose it.
I now feel like their are 'conditions' in our relationship I.e he only loves me when I'm slimmer.
It's a horrible feeling especially when I don't care what size he is.

Inthesameboat2 · 22/07/2021 13:29

I could've written this post myself, so I really sympathise with you.

No answers, unfortunately apart from resigning yourself to living a dissatisfied life as I'm doing, and living with the constant worry that he'll drop down dead. Although, it is starting to make me very resentful towards him, which means I'm snappy where I wouldn't normally be.

I love my dh and don't want to leave; I just want him to love himself and his family/me enough to actually take the time to look after himself: to lose weight and tone up and get healthy before it's too late and he has a heart attack or something.

My dh is around 5'10" and has always been solidly built at around 13½st, but as I've lost weight (11 years ago and kept it off) he has gained it and he's now almost 21st, and it's pretty much all carried around his stomach.

I find it a turn off, and (tmi, sorry!) it physically stops me from being able to orgasm as his stomach gets in the way and means we don't 'rub' together in the way I need to achieve that. I also don't find it attractive in the slightest.

I think due to how much I hated being overweight myself, that it means I struggle with how he looks even more as it reminds me too much of painful memories. I repulsed myself when I was fat and I struggle to see it in my dh without these feelings resurfacing.

I get the respect thing too. I feel disrespected and I'm struggling to give him the same respect I had previously....it's because it feels like he can't be arsed to put himself first, like he doesn't respect himself or his family enough to look after himself.

I want him to want to look good for himself and for me and our family. I want to enjoy retirement and for us to be fit and healthy so we can make the most of it.
He's had several health scares and been told he's prediabetic, has very high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Each time I thought it would be the kick he needed, but it's never lasted more than a few months.

He's been unable to get life insurance due to his weight, etc, in that the premiums are so high we can't afford them.

I've told him our sex life is suffering and that I'm scared he'll die/have a stroke, etc, but he just isn't bothered enough to do anything about it, which makes me feel he just doesn't love us enough, even though I know it isn't that easy/simple.

I feel like every day, he chooses food over our relationship and family. He comfort eats from work stress and says he'll start a diet ,etc when he's less stressed/ got more time, etc, but we both know that's never going to happen.

A few times over the last 10 years he's managed to lose a stone or 2, but he always puts it back on (& more) within 6 months. In the last 6 years he's put on about 4 stone and he's now pretty much the heaviest he's ever been.

I feel awful saying it, but I'm embarrassed when we go out and when we have people over because he'll often not wear a shirt and it looks awful, or the shirt he wears is too short so that his belly sticks out. It looks awful and makes me want to cry.

PPs are right though, in that he has to want to do it for himself and no amount of nagging will make him lose weight until he wants to.

I realised this about 6 months ago and haven't mentioned it since and despite him promising to lose weight at that time (after another frank talk), he's done nothing...he doesn't weigh himself at all, which is how I know he isn't doing anything (as he uses lbs and I use kgs), so I know if he's used the scales. He's also not lost any weight (if anything he's got bigger).

It's not what I cook as I cook healthy foods and if I'm making the dinner and dishing it out, it isn't his portion size then, but when doing food for himself he piles it on and is never full...he seems to be able to ignore it and carry on until it's all gone.

I know he eats badly/secretly outside of the house and if dinner isn't ready as soon as he gets in, even if there's only 5 mins left, he'll make himself something in the meantime and will still eat all the dinner.

He eats a lot of fruit and yogurt and salads, etc, but doesn't seem to get that you can still overeat on that (especially when adding oil/dressing, etc).

My heart is sore from worrying about it and it's really affecting my mood, etc, in general, but there's no point in speaking to him about it as he just doesn't care enough to do something about it, regardless of what it's doing to us. 😔

I even agreed to really expensive luxury (mid life crisis..think speed boat, etc) purchases in the hope it would give him the incentive to look after himself ( at the time he said it would give him focus/incentive to get fit). Needless to say, it did not work. Hmm

We also now have a fully equipped gym at home that he never uses (all professional grade equipment too, so not cheap!).

I didn't want to buy the gym stuff and tried to put my foot down, as I said "you'll use it once or twice then get bored, same as you always have in the past" (eg, with dog, and treadmill, etc).
He promised this wouldn't be the case and he was really serious abt losing weight this time, but that it needed to be top grade stuff so it lasted. I said get a cheap one and then if you use it a lot we can always upgrade, but no it was this really expensive kit or nothing. At the end of the day, I guess I want so badly to believe him that I agreed and so we spent 1000s on gym equipment plus even more on converting shed to house them and in a year he's used it 4 times. I could cry; it's wearing me down emotionally.

We even got a dog I didn't want years ago when this 1st started to be an issue as he promised it would encourage him to get out and about, etc...that never happened and I rehomed the dog with family as I just didn't have time to walk her myself and it wasn't fair on her as she was an active dog.

I hope you have more luck 🌷🌹💐

Inthesameboat2 · 22/07/2021 13:31

OMG!! @fancyaflatwhite, I'm so sorry, didn't realise my post was so long.
I don't have anyone to talk about this in rl, so I guess it all just came out!!

IsItJustMeOrYou · 22/07/2021 13:36

@Inthesameboat2 as my previous post I honestly don't think the focus should be on him dying (sorry and I hope that is not the case) but rather the quality of life whilst he is alive and how it affect the quality of your life, which it clearly does.

Inthesameboat2 · 22/07/2021 13:48

@IsItJustMeOrYou, oh, I agree and tbh, that worries me just as much as him dying.

He's already too unfit to join in a lot of things and that will just get worse.

He sweats so badly that it makes being intimate unpleasant (never used to and has got worse as his weight has gone up) and his snoring drives me crazy.

His feet hurt when he walks and he gets out of breath easily and I've noticed that he's started to avoid bending over, eg, to pick things up, because it's so uncomfortable for him and squishes his lungs/makes him out of breath.
The size of his tummy means he can't bend like he used to anyway as it simply gets in the way.

MaMelon · 22/07/2021 13:56

DH is like this too. His weight has gone up and down over the years and at his worse he developed T2 diabetes and high blood pressure. He got rid of the diabetes by taking part in a clinical trial which restricted his calorie intake and he lost loads of weight - he looked absolutely brilliant. Then the weight crept back on, the T2 diabetes returned, he's snoring, sweats in the slightest temperature, has a belly on him, wears XL or XXL clothes, falls asleep at the drop of a hat and his high blood pressure is back. We did Slimming World together (I had a stone to lose, he had 4 or 5), I cook SW recipes for us both and try and follow the maintenance plan which means my weight is where it should be - and he's back to eating spoonfuls of peanut butter and bread - the thing he shouldn't have. If I say anything I'm nagging and he's hungry Hmm

He's nearly 60 and I get really resentful of the fact he just won't keep himself healthy. Plus I find him more attractive when he's thinner. I love him dearly obviously, but it's an issue for me.

I

TheFoundations · 22/07/2021 14:47

@Porcupineintherough

The point you are so badly missing is that aging is part of the healthy progression of life. Gaining 3 stone by over eating is not. You seem to think there's a problem with pp understanding the concept of 'aging'. I think we all get what aging is.

fancyaflatwhite · 22/07/2021 14:58

We don't have scales in the house, so I don't know the exact weight gain - but this isn't a shallow dig about a bit of paunch.To give a rough idea, it's a big belly (think 5/6 months pregnant) with fat around the back and sides. The danger zone for men. He is aware of the problem and wants to change, but isn't motivated to keep up a regular exercise plan.

I love him very much and respect so many things about him (his many splendid character traits, his talents, his loyalty etc).

This is not about equating respect to body weight. However - I do not respect the chronic inactivity and the choices that he makes (eg. spoonfuls of peanut butter, always coming back from shops with cakes/biscuits/ice creams, fizzy drinks, loads of mayo with everything) - and how that impacts his health and size.

The inactivity at weekends is probably the biggest problem for me, in terms of our family life. For instance, he never suggests taking our boys out to ride bikes/scooter/to the park/swimming ....anything physical basically.

As PPs have said, it also makes intimacy difficult and if I'm honest, less appealing.

And there are other effects that impact me/the family - a big one being snoring which affects our sleeping arrangements.

My body has changed since having children, not denying that! but I try and make the best choices, shop and cook carefully, and do what I can do stay healthy and in shape - for him as well as for me and for the DC.

Thanks for all the positive suggestions and for insights from those struggling with their own/DP's weight on here. I wish you all well

OP posts:
MarkRuffaloCrumble · 22/07/2021 15:18

Weight is too complicated by an issue to say fat = lazy. In fact, many people are overweight because they are too busy working to prioritise themselves.
Being stressed and tired also has a huge impact on people's eating patterns

Absolutely this.

I follow a guy on Facebook called RebelFit and he’s always talking about stress as a major factor in obesity. Overeating is often a symptom of stress, trauma etc and the stigma of being overweight can also cause stress and in turn weight gain. It’s a fucker.

FWIW DP and I have both put on weight since we met - several stone each - and both find each other just as attractive as we did before. I’d be gutted if he made me feel shit about my weight gain. As someone with a thyroid problem and peri menopause I’m fighting an uphill battle. For him to reject me sexually while I’m struggling with my health would be a real kick in the teeth. And similarly, when he puts on weight, he’s really hard on himself and the last thing he needs is me piling on making him feel worse.

All the references on here to people being lazy, greedy and “stuffing their faces with chocolate and crisps” are just so nasty.

If someone is anorexic would you take the piss out of them, calling them scrawny and skeletal and joke about them licking the flavour off a crisp? Have some fucking empathy for people who are struggling with weight gain for so many reasons.

Crazycrazylady · 22/07/2021 15:18

I do feel for you. My dh has always had a greyhound breed and I honestly don't think I could fancy him if he became obese .
Think posts like this are close to the bone for lots of people including myself who are heavier than they would like to be and know their partners would prefer them slimmer as well but would never say it. It's almost easier to call people out for being shallow for caring than addressing the deeper issue .

Cattitudes · 22/07/2021 15:29

I would get some body analyser scales, then even if weight doesn't go down one week muscle might increase etc. Also increasing awareness of how many calories are in each portion. Dh was stunned to see what one portion of his favourite cereal was and suddenly it was apparent why eating a bowl of cereal a couple of times a day was problematic despite walking and going for some runs a couple of times a week.

PersonaNonGarter · 22/07/2021 16:11

It's almost easier to call people out for being shallow for caring than addressing the deeper issue

This is so true. It is not a failing of the OP to want her DH slimmer and healthier for his family. It’s completely valid.

updownroundandround · 22/07/2021 16:21

To all the posters who have gone on and on about overweight people being fat/lazy/greedy/stuffing their faces etc etc etc..........

Really ????

You honestly think that 1. Fat shaming is OK ? 2. The ONLY reason someone is overweight is GREED ??

What about eating disorders ?
What about weight gain due to side effects of medication ?
What about weight gain due to illness ?
What about weight gain due to disability ?
What about weight gain due to menopause ?

Geez, the reasons people can gain weight are multiple and varied (and that list was very small) !

So, some of you would be OK with grey hair and liver spots, but not with weight gain ? Hmm

Or you'd be OK with wrinkles, but not if your partner gained weight because of medication ? Hmm

Or you'd be fine with a bald partner, but not one who gained weight due to reduced exercise due to disability ? Hmm

Whatever happened to ''until death do us part'' ?

Oh, I know, you can change it to ''until you get fat or death do us part, whichever happens first'' Confused

joystir59 · 22/07/2021 16:41

Most people gain weight because they eat too much. I have to weigh myself and regulate my intake constantly to maintain a healthy weight. If I don't actively manage it I get fat because I'm addicted to comfort eating. I've deliberately taken action to avoid being obese and unfit and unwell.

joystir59 · 22/07/2021 16:53

Cheap unhealthy food is everywhere, easy to grab and eat. If we can't talk honestly about the elephants in the room (pun intended) then how do we address our issues? Fat parents rearing fat kids is one of the saddest sights ever. Children who are growing up without the joy of freely moving limbs on a light fit frame. Instead they waddle along just as their parents do, not walking too far or too fast because everything hurts and they are sweating at the least exertion. That's child abuse.

TheFoundations · 22/07/2021 16:53

There's a lot of issues being rolled into one here and it's not appropriate. OP has said her husband is comfort eating. It's not medication, it's not disability, it's not menopause. It's a change in his behaviour, which, like all notable changes in behaviour, has had an effect on her respect for him.

He is allowed to comfort eat just as much as OP is allowed to find his body attractive or not. The question is how do they reach the middle.

MaMelon · 22/07/2021 17:02

Most people gain weight because they eat too much

Exactly this. I didn’t put on a stone because of the peri menopause - I put on a stone because I was eating more calories than I needed during the peri menopause, because my body was changing and I’ve had to rethink what I eat for the first time in my life. I had to make a choice. DH freely admits that he eats too many calories and doesn’t eat the right food too - which is why he’s overweight.

Yes, of course there are people with eating disorders, disabilities and illnesses which makes them put on weight - but the majority of people who are overweight consume too many calories for one reason or another. It’s not, in the main, outwith your control to lose weight - although it’s bloody hard.

2389Champ · 22/07/2021 17:10

@joystir59

Most people gain weight because they eat too much. I have to weigh myself and regulate my intake constantly to maintain a healthy weight. If I don't actively manage it I get fat because I'm addicted to comfort eating. I've deliberately taken action to avoid being obese and unfit and unwell.
Exactly this.

My DH has never had any self control with food. Even when I met him, if there was food out, he had to help himself to it. He could get away with it when he was younger, fitter and could burn it off but if we go anywhere and there are snacks on a table, he’ll help himself until everything is gone. We’ve even been around at friends for a meal and he’ll help himself to seconds before it’s even offered - which does earn him a poke in the ribs from me! He just can’t say no at all.

Now we’re retired, I don’t see the need to eat by the clock either. Prepare in advance, but eat when you’re hungry. DH thinks because it’s 1 o’clock it must be time to eat whether he’s peckish or not.

Unfortunately, it’s again a family thing and learnt behaviour. His mother was the same with junk food and ended up with severe diabetes, she was told she could control it with diet alone but she preferred a tablet if Metformin which she felt gave her a get out of jail card to eat anything. She was also always anxious about what time we were eating and what arrangements had been made for food.

I’m so scared that DH will also suddenly die. He snores badly and falls asleep in seconds whenever he sits down so very unhealthy.

SarahDarah · 22/07/2021 17:26

@HamsterHelp

*There seems to be a lot of equating being fat with being lazy on this thread.

When I was young and had few responsibilities I was the thinnest I have ever been. Funnily enough, now I am older, a parent of teens, I am probably the busiest I gave ever been, and I am also the heaviest*

This! I’m not lazy. I don’t have time to go to the gym or for a ten mile walk every single day.

There is a girl on my Facebook who posts incessantly about her weight loss journey. She’s done incredibly well.

She has kids the same age as mine and she walked literally miles and miles every single evening through lockdowns. I thought, how is she managing that with two small kids though?? Transpires she was furloughed and her mum moved in with her and her husband. Well yeah - I mean we could all lose weight if we had that sort of time.

@HamsterHelp who says you need to go the gym or go for a 10 mile walk every day Confused

Being overweight/obese (unless caused by a genuine medical issue) is a choice and is due to lack of self control. Your comment above is an excuse and frankly, overweight people tend to be full of excuses for why they're the weight they are and don't want to address their lack of self control. Just overhauling your diet will cause significant weight loss. Pussyfooting around doesn't help anyone. There are real consequences, including for relationships, for allowing oneself to become overweight.

misspurple90 · 22/07/2021 17:33

I think you’ve done your best to try and provide suggestions that will help your DH however he has to want to lose weight himself.

My DH has a horrible way of telling me to lose weight and now that I’m doing something about it I really resented him for those comments.

I’m not doing my exercises/eating healthy/watching my portion sizes for him I’m doing it for myself and my DD.

Same with giving up smoking. I did it for him first then I started again because it was all for the wrong reasons.

I wish he could really be more supportive but he’s not. I feel like he will reap the benefit when I do lose all this weight and I just feel like a bloody trophy wife, like some nice object to look at. Now he’s put on some weight that I don’t particularly find attractive (and the amount of cola he consumes I find rather disgusting) but I’m not going to point that out to him as I’m sure he is perfectly aware of it.