Originally Posted by andrelam

It can definitely be hard when you are trying to improve your physical life.

I am suffering with the problem with my wife. God knows she needs to loose some serious weight. My wife it about 80 LBs over ideal weight. I always tell her that I don't care what she looks like, I just want her to be healthy and to ensure that she has a good chance of living a long and healthy life. She suffers from Asthma (not her fault), has had various knee reconstructions and therefore a week knee, and has injured her back before and finds it hard to walk long distances. She has been going to weight watchers and other programs over the years, but doesn't realy take it seriously. I've let her try all sorts of things, but am getting sick of buying books and let her attend classes. This may seem harsh, but I constantly find junk food wrappers in her car. When she makes diner, she doesn't hesitate to make a large plate of past with lots of cheese. She knows that is a horrible meal, but if I offer to make a salad on the side most of the time she'll refuse to eat it. I am only about 15 Lbs over my ideal, and am working hard to keep my heart healthy and to slowly get to my ideal weight. I am not working that hard at my diet other than to try to minimize my intake bad food. I still love food of all kinds, but I make sure I eat a well balanced breakfast, lunch, and a sensable diner. I've also been working at home on ensuring that our meals are balanced. Every diner will include at least 2 types of vegetables.

So what does this have to do with cycling... I used to work "Down Town" and it would take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to get home. I got a job 2 years ago that was only 5 miles from home and now it takes all of 10 minutes to get home. I had a gym membership (as did my wife) and enjoyed going to two or three classes a week. The problem was that it takes nearly 20 minutes to get to the clud. Add an other 30 to 60 minutes for a class, and then 20 minutes home, and I'd would not be home till around 6:30 to 7:00 PM. I descided that riding to work was a lot cheaper and great excersize as well. I now commute year round and I can get home around 5:30 every day. I still get grief from my wife that I am obsessed with cycling. I do enjoy going on one club ride a week during the summer months. The Wednesday ride starts within 2 miles of our house so I do that one as it has the least impact on my time with my family. This summer I wanted to ride to my parents house about 25 miles way and again she was giving me grief. She was telling me that it wasn't nice that I was going to leave about 1 hour before her. We'd meet up all together, and I'd put my bike in the car on the way back, but still she was anoyed.

What is truly silly is that I am a natural early riser so I am always up on Saturdays and Sundays with our daughter. We'll watch some TV, play some computer games together... whatever. Usually this means I am up sometime around 7:30-8:00 am. This is still sleeping in for me and I'll feel plenty rested. I don't mind that my wife likes to sleep till 9:00 or 10:00 am. Yet if I ask for an hour later in the day for me, it become a problem. Sometimes she asks me if she can take a nap as well and I don't care if she does. I'll take our daughter to Karate or some other activity, its good to have some one-on-one time as well.

Most of the time we do have a good life together, but it can be challenging when you are the one of the marriage that is starting to try to show a better example for your child. The other party in the marriage knows they should change, but somehow they find it impossible to get up and moving. The more the 1st person improves, the more the 2nd person appears to resent the change. My wife find the biggest looser stories incredible and all I think keep thinking is, start getting out there with me. We'll get our duaghter riding as well, she loves being active, lets all do it together.


I care about our relationship as most of the time we do actually have a lot of fun together, but it can definitely be a challenge. Thankfully my wife is finally starting to loose a little bit of weight and is therefore starting to feel a lot better about herself. I am still having a hard time getting her to do anything physical. I know she would feel SO much better once she gets into a routine, but till that time she I think she is j ealous of my progress. I am an optimist so I hope that during the next few months I get at least get her to walk a bit more and that next Spring I can get her riding a little on her own around the neighborhood with our daughter... time will tell. I have mode some progress. Tonight we are meeting up at my mother-inlaw's place as my sister-inlaw is coming into town. My wife has gotten used to me riding there (its about the same distance as my commute home) and then at the end of night I'll ride home as well (also about the same distance as my commute)...

Keep up the "good fight" and show the world that it is OK to ride a bike. At last my family supports me and slowly my in-laws are starting to get used to my cycling and are less and less suprised. I don't think I'll ever be as lucky as Mr. Beenz... but there is still hope.

Happy riding,
André