DEAR CAROLYN: My husband and I have both gained significant weight since we've been married, but I'm trying to mitigate that with diet and exercise. He isn't, and every time I try to talk about it, he makes me feel like the bad guy for bringing it up.
Look, we're both approaching 40, and I know we'll never be the "twinks" we were when we met, but I'd like to be better than I am, and I am finding it very difficult to get healthy without his support.
He's pre-diabetic. He has sleep apnea. His sex drive is nowhere near what it was when we met. And it's frustrating because all of this is correctable and he's refusing to even try. It's like he doesn't care.
I love my husband. I will never "fat-shame" him, and I know my weight struggles aren't his problem. But I would find it a lot easier to tackle this if he were more supportive, and if he would try to be healthier, too. I don't know what to do, short of giving him an ultimatum: It's me or the sugar, dude. Take your pick.
-- Anonymous
DEAR READER: I wouldn't do that -- not unless you're ready to lose.
Not because he likes sugar better or because you're not somehow worth it to him, but because food is a formidable opponent that fights dirty.
For one, you two can't just banish food from your lives and start over; you can't move away from it or spend time only with friends who abstain from it. You're in its presence at least two or three times a day as you fight it, and the rest of the time it's calling to you from the kitchen.
And, a lot of it is engineered to tempt or outright addict you.
And, our bodies are wired to hold onto fat harder whenever we try to get rid of it. And poor nutrition and inactivity can lead toward depression, which can lead to poor nutrition and inactivity.
And so on, as you've no doubt discovered as you go through this yourself. So consider that even you feel over-matched without his support, yet you're so much farther along emotionally than he is: You've made the decision to tackle this, and started making difficult changes.
He's just not there yet and won't get there on borrowed motivation; he needs his own. A lot of it. Anything he does in response to an ultimatum won't really be his.
It's not hopeless, necessarily. It's just that, if he does change, it's going to be on his schedule, for his reasons.
This also doesn't mean you can't speak up. He deserves to know what his life partner sees in and feels about him, and what his inertia may ultimately cost him -- none of which counts as fat-shaming. It's life-alerting. If you haven't yet been honest with him, then tell him kindly: You mourn the loss of his sex drive, and struggle deeply with watching a pillar of your life self-destruct.
You can also ask him how he wants you to handle your concern hereafter. This is an underrated step. You've interpreted his preference from his defensiveness, but that's not the same as knowing what he wants you to say or not say. Plus, asking him forces him to think about what he wants -- not just from you, but from himself.
From now on, too, you can ask him to join you on walks, whenever you go. Take yes or no for an answer without reacting.
Most importantly, once you've made these points and asked your questions, stop talking about it -- and quietly keep doing everything you can "to be better than I am." A sustained effort is tougher without his support, yes, but it's your best argument to win that support. Making changes against the pull of temptation and metabolism says these changes are possible, and that message, delivered steadily, wordlessly, lovingly, without judgment, over time, is more persuasive than ultimatums can ever be.
DEAR CAROLYN: I live in a cul-de-sac. It is a great place for kids to play. When my son was young, I taught him to be respectful of cars, to move to the sidewalk and wait for them to pass.
Today the kids refuse to move. The other day a guest told me a young boy of about 12 would not move and, as my guest sat waiting, flipped him off.
Do you say something to the child or parent, or do you hope there is karma?
-- L.
DEAR READER: If my child ever flips you off, then please tell me. I also encourage you to address my child directly, though I'll understand if you don't feel comfortable or just have better things to do than play village.
I'll give your neighbors the benefit of the doubt and assume they want the same help with civilizing their children.
If you don't know the parents and/or don't feel comfortable speaking up, then, yes, that's what karma is for.
Chat online with Carolyn at 11 a.m. each Friday at washingtonpost.com. Write to Tell Me About It in care of The Washington Post, Style Plus, 1150 15th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20071; or email
Style on 07/21/2019