Nancy Slotnick: Do I Look Fat in this Blog?

There’s a story in my parents’ marriage.  Long ago, before I was born, my mom once asked my Dad “Do I look fat in this?”  He answered honestly.  Once.  So it begs the question- is talking about a woman’s weight (or a man’s for that matter) fair game in a relationship?  We all know guys are very visual.  And probably the #1 fear that most guys have (even though conventional wisdom says it’s “snakes”) is that their girlfriend, or wife, will get fat.  Is this fair?  Is this superficial?  Is this misogynist? Maybe all three, but it is what it is.  If he is stifled from talking about it, it only makes things worse.

I have been a dating coach for over 10 years, talking about women’s sex lives and dating lives and everything in between.  You would think that I have dealt with the most personal topics you can imagine.  But it wasn’t until this year, when I started dabbling in coaching on weight loss, that I really started to piss women off.  Some actually quit just because I raised the topic.  Is that fair?  I don’t know. But I like to ask: “Do you want it to be fair or do you want to be happy?”

Let’s just say that you’re single and you’ve gained 10 lbs (which means 15 lbs in girl lbs.)  Or that you are 10-15 lbs heavier than you’d like to be.  What if I were to say that losing 15 lbs would dramatically increase the chance that you could get any guy that you want.  Well, at least you could get to the 2^nd date a lot better.  Would you do it?

On the flip side, maybe staying overweight is a way of ensuring that you won’t get what you want.  Maybe the extra fat literally and figuratively keeps people further away.  Maybe eating is a replacement for sex.  Or for the vulnerability that you feel because you can’t control sex in the same way that you can control food.

Wait, this blog is getting too heavy- put it this way- doesn’t sex feel better when you’re skinny?  Can you even have sex after a meal at Carmine’s?  When you tell yourself “I want him to love me for me!,” is that just an excuse for being lazy?

Women’s commitment issues come out in the funniest ways.  A guy who isn’t ready to settle down will generally just say “I’m not ready for a relationship.” Women will bury themselves in Ben & Jerry’s and wonder “Why doesn’t he call?”  That’s still a commitment issue!

I’m not saying it’s easy.  I go on the same weight roller coaster that hasn’t yet ended.  (Maybe soon?  I’ll let you know.)  But I’ve made a commitment to myself to keep my goal at the weight that I was when I met my husband.  (I try for my wedding weight but I give myself a break- that was a false low.)  I believe I owe him that.  And owe me as well.  And I stay pretty close to that.  And it’s fair game for him to say something if not.  But I don’t have to like it!

Does anyone want to make that commitment with me at the start of a new relationship?  Or to him?  Your man will love you longtime.