Most people find it extremely challenging to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Since old habits are so hard to break, they might find themselves not even wanting to try healthy meals, start working out and get rid of their vices. Many are also afraid of failure and fear that no one will support their journey to better health. The good news is, your love and support can be exactly what your partner needs to push them to a better way of life. But if you are not careful, they might misunderstand your intention and think you’re only on a mission to start manipulating their lives.
Did you know that lifestyle differences can ruin your once healthy relationship? You might have reached the stage wherein you’re already talking about purchasing diamond wedding bands. But if you are to live under one roof, your lifestyle can clash and put a strain on your relationship.
Why Motivate Your Fiancé to Start Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle
Sometimes, all one needs is the support of their loved ones to achieve what they thought was once an impossible task. You should not wait for your soon-to-be-spouse’s health to deteriorate before you encourage them to start eating healthy, stop their vices, and discourage unhealthy habits. You can better enjoy your life as a couple if both of you are healthy, happy, and fit.
According to a study, couples who aim to be healthy together get to experience more success. Some say this is since the influence you have on your partner can be a great motivating factor. But for this to work, you need to do more than just constantly reminding and nagging them to be healthy.
Encouraging Your Fiancé to Adapt a Healthier Life
Asking someone to suddenly change the lifestyle they have come to love can be as good as talking to a brick wall. You want to make sure they have good reasons to do this and are ready for the change. Here’s how to get them to make the healthy switch.
Help Find the Root Cause of Their Unhealthy Habits
You should not simply tell them to start eating healthy, exercise more, and start sleeping earlier than usual. Chances are, telling someone what they should do will only make them want to resist and hate the idea. You want to investigate why they have certain habits before you can help them change for the better.
Maybe your fiancé developed a drinking habit as a way of releasing his. Once you find the cause of their bad habits, consider if his habit is hurting his health. If yes, that is the time you can gently share healthier alternative solutions.
Manage Your Expectations
You can expect your fiancé to follow your examples simply because you said so. Please don’t force them to try something they are not interested in. This will only cause conflict, and you will find it harder to raise the subject again in the future.
For best results, consider their interest and incorporate his passion into your plan to help him live a healthier life. For example, instead of nagging him to go to the gym with you, why not revisit his childhood passion and ask him to teach you to play table tennis? You get to spark his interest while enjoying his company and helping him stay fit with a sport he enjoys doing.
Showoff the Perks of Living a Healthy Lifestyle
Sometimes, the best way to get someone to get on board the healthy train is to show him the positives of leading a healthy life. If you can show him how great it is to achieve a healthy weight, do the things you want, and sell a healthier way of life, you might increase your chances of influencing him to embrace healthier lifestyle habits.
Remember that in sales and marketing, consumers are shown the possible results a product can provide instead of simply listing down the benefits. If you can be his own role model, it is easier to challenge and push him to do better.
Start With Small Steps
The last thing you want is for your fiancé to be overwhelmed with all your healthy lifestyle “recommendations” and dos and don’ts. You can’t make him like the idea of healthy living if you suddenly make him eat only healthy food and exercise an hour every day. Remember that you want him to like their new lifestyle, not hate it on the first day.
You can start by incorporating healthy habits into his daily routine. This can be as easy as asking him to walk the dog with you to the park instead of taking the car. You can cook a tasty and healthy meal each day, increase his servings, or encourage him to eat at the table minus the distractions. Don’t forget to celebrate his small victories to keep him motivated and engaged.
The road to a healthier life is nowhere easy. But nothing is impossible if you and your spouse can commit and are willing to work together to achieve your goal. With your love, support, and patient, these will give him more reasons to keep on trying and maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you and your fiancé can achieve a healthy lifestyle, you can also increase your chances of overcoming all the hardships that might come into your marriage.