The couples weight-loss approach works by creating a support system.
It takes two to tango, especially if you’re doing the weight-loss pas de deux, say researchers at the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. They did a survey of almost 400 individuals and uncovered the reasons couples find weight loss challenging — and what partners can do to support each other’s efforts.
First, the researchers identified some obstacles that you may face when you tell your sweetie that you are going to try to change your lifestyle:
• When just one person is battling to lose weight, he or she needs to have the support of the partner. That can be tough to get if your partner also needs to lose weight (very common in couples) but isn’t ready to confront the reality of his or her health crisis. All kinds of unintentional but sabotaging actions can arise, from bringing home a bucket of fried chicken to refusing to take an after-dinner walk with you.
• Lack of demonstrated support for your solo efforts also can make your partner’s suggestions on how to upgrade diet, get more physical activity and improve overall behavior sting like criticism, and both be hurtful and derail weight-loss efforts.
The Texas researchers went further: They concluded that couples need to talk with one another to clear the air. Tell your partner that you need support and that you are not asking him or her to join you (although you’d welcome it!).
One secret benefit: A study in the journal Obesity found that when one spouse joins a weightloss program, the other spouse often loses weight, too. Among 130 people and their spouses that they followed, 32 percent of “nonparticipating” partners lost at least 3 percent of their body weight within six months.
There are also unique challenges that couples targeting weight loss together face:
• If you want to exercise together but have different fitness levels or abilities, you will need to set individual goals and/or establish equal durations (10 minutes using the stretchy bands) but not equal number of reps or equal amount of resistance. Try to find some activities, like interval walking, to do together at the same pace.
• You may need to consume different amounts of calories if one of you has a physically demanding occupation and the other is a desk jockey, for example. But you don’t need different foods. One person may aim for seven servings of fresh fruits and veggies a day, another for nine. Or you may take in two 3-ounce servings of lean protein (salmon or skinless poultry) while your partner needs three 6-ounce servings. You are still cooking the same foods for both of you — lean proteins, no highly processed foods and no foods with added sugars or trans fats and minimal sat fats.
One incentive that helps some couples stay on track: Competition that bestows points earned and points lost. On the plus side: You get 5 points for working out for 30 minutes; 1 point for every 8 ounces of water you drink; 10 points every time you consciously skip something with added sugar; 20 points for after-dinner physical activity. On the minus side: You lose 5 points for every sweetened beverage you drink; 10 points for energy drinks and bars; and 20 points for eating red or processed meats. Add it up and make a weekly reckoning.
A recent study in the journal Circulation found that if you can work together as a couple to support your weight-loss efforts, you will be rewarded mightily. You can add 14 years to your lifespan if you’re a woman and 12 if you’re a man by having these five lifestyle habits: at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity daily; moderate alcohol intake; a high-quality diet; having a body mass index of 18.5 to 24.9; and never smoking. That’ll get the two of you into a romantic tango for sure!
A good reason (besides taste) to avoid canned foods
In the late 18th century, Napoleon Bonaparte offered a reward to whomever could figure out how to safely preserve food for his traveling army. Nicholas Appert found the solution (although 15 years later), sealing heat-processed food in glass jars with wax. In 1810, Englishman Peter Durand was the first to preserve food in a sealed tin can.
Canning is an important way to keep foods safe and allows us to enjoy their nutrients even when they’re out of season. But new evidence indicates that with so many fresh options available year-round, it’s smart to avoid canned foods when possible. A recent study in Food and Function examined the transfer of zinc oxide (ZnO), a substance found in the lining of some canned foods, to the foods themselves and explored whether that has an impact on your ability to absorb nutrients.
Examining canned corn, tuna, asparagus and chicken, they found those foods contained 100 times the daily dietary allowance of zinc! They then found that exposing cells in the gut to even low levels of ZnO did interfere with their ability to absorb nutrients.
Past studies have linked eating highly processed food, which often comes in cans (think SpaghettiOs), to higher risks of cancer and weight gain. Now it seems these canned foods also may keep you from getting the nutrients you need, even when you eat nutrient-rich food! So whenever you can, kick the can off your shelf in favor of fresh produce, unprocessed foods and even frozen foods.