Someone presented this question, how do I motivate my wife to stay in shape? Here are five things to consider to successfully get the job done:

1. Make the mission about us and not her. Take the lead and never tell her what you are trying to do. Just show up after work one day and say let’s go walking and don’t take no for an answer. Find some way to make it appealing or start doing things together that is not necessarily exercise but does burn calories and keeps you in shape. In nutrition we call that body work. You might google body work and see what you come up with. It can be anything like washing a car, yard work,dancing to enhancing your sex life. Anything that is fun, has lots of movement and causes you to improve healthwise is considered body work.

2. Praise, praise and more praise. Tell her how much she means to you. Tell her you appreciate her being your wife and the mother of your children. Start taking her different places. The more important you make her feel the more she will be willing to do what you ask. You might start off taking her to the movies when your eventual goal is to get her to do indoor rock climbing to get in shape. Dance more. Marie Osmond said she lost 40 pounds during her stint with Dancing with the Stars and she looks great.

3. Take the stress out her life as much as possible. Stress will cause you to gain weight even if you don’t eat a lot. Do things for her and find out what is important to her.

4. Drink lots of water. Keeping adequately hydrated will curve your appetite. The average is 8 glasses of water a day. 

5. If buying junk foods is her weakness then take an active part in shopping and planning meals. Don’t take things away that she likes just substitute. Introduce her to new healthy foods and have a night out that you cook together. Introducing healthier foods in a fun ways goes a LONG way in changing traditions. Indian foods are excellent they are mostly vegetable based and have lots of flavor. Ethiopian meals have a twist that you will probably love. So do Korean and Greek. Get beyond the ordinary bring in new ideas and slowly change you diet to something healthy.