You maybe keen to make a lifestyle change and get fit and healthy. But you can’t do it alone, and you need your partner to be supportive and lend a helping hand if not go along with your newfound lifestyle. If you’ve taken to sleeping early and waking up early, or cutting out your favourite kinds if food it hardly helps if your better half is doing exactly the opposite. So how do you deal with an unsupportive spouse who is getting in the way of your health goals?

Be comfortable with your choice – If it’s a new diet you’ve started or a new fitness regimen and if you’re met with raised eyebrows or ‘lets see how long it lasts’ it takes a great deal of commitment to keep at it. Of course this does not mean that you should shout from the rooftops that you are going to keep this up and set a date by which you will lose weight, but an internal silent resolution is necessary. 

To each a food cabinet of their own – If he or she likes to snack incessantly, it's important that you draw boundaries. Keep a separate cupboard that holds stuff that you cannot eat, and ensure that you stay out of there. Be self-sufficient and accountable for making your own meals ready rather than being dependent on the other one. This may initially lead to an increase in food bills, but eventually both of you will fall into a comfortable give and take routine. 

Gather all the support you need – Your significant other does not necessarily have to be your only support system. You can find support in your gym buddies, online forums, friends, and co-workers. When you are trying to make a transition in your lifestyle, you need all the support you can get, so go out there and get it.

Show him or her that you mean it – When you make a decision that involves a big change, in this case to get healthy, it’s not ok to be wishy-washy about the decision. You need to show your significant other that you mean business and that you are going to achieve your goals. Slowly, when your spouse sees that you mean it, he or she will come around and be more supportive about things like shutting off the tv earlier than normal or not grumbling about your early waking hours.

Act now – If you’ve talked about it for a long time and have still put off starting that gym membership, chances are that he or she has given up on you. The reason your S.O may not be supportive is because she or he may be used to the drill and may think – there he goes again. You may be surprised that when you finally do act, they may come around in a jiffy and turn out to be your prime support system and motivator.

All it may take is just some dedication on your part, and once your spouse sees how great your results are, who knows? Maybe he or she may turn over a new leaf too.

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