Helping family members stay in shape?

[Ms. Toad Esq.]

Hello WISHers!

I need some advice on how or if to encourage healthy habits with my sister. She's always been a little chubby, ever since we were kids, but since she started college she has gained a lot of weight. Her doctor has expressed concern for her health, and I am really concerned about her too. I was blessed with a great metabolism, so I have always been and still am naturally thin, even when I am not in great physical shape. I just started Couch to 5k and tried to get her to go with me on some walks or runs - partly for her benefit and also because exercise plans are easier to stick to when you have a buddy! But I think sometimes when I ask her to join me on walks or runs she thinks I'm judging her, which I'm not trying to do. I have no idea how she feels since I've never been overweight before. I don't ask all the time, just when I see her around and I plan on going on a walk/run that day. Should I stop the offers to join me on my work outs?

Thanks for any input.

 

[ucfsweetie82]

I have been overweight most of my life too. I am doing my best to get healthy. I started the Couch to 5k program in 2009, and am training for the 2012 WDW marathon.
I have a few friends that are really overweight and tried to get them to join me. The things I have learned is that they will not do it unless they want too. Continue to invite her with you, but don't get mad if she doesn't want to go.
My other piece of advice to help her is to cook healthy meals together, or choose restaraunts with healthy but filling menu options, when the two of you are sharing a meal together.

 

[PrincessSteph]

I am not the best person to answer this as I am currently overweight, but thought you might like hearing what my health consious sister did.

A few weeks after I started watching what I was eating in order to lose weight, my sister asked me to exercise with her once a week simply because she wanted a buddy. The first couple of weeks, she drove to me and worked around my schedule. We did Leslie Sansone tapes (I picked out how we exercised) and chatted throughout - really had a good time. From there we started talking about participating in the local half marathon. We found a beginner training program and committed to getting together every Sunday for our long walk / run. My mom (who lives a few streets away from me) even got on board by planning a family dinner every Sunday night.

I know that I held my sister back in that she can run longer / faster than me, but she never made me feel bad and encouraged me regularly. We completed our first half marathon on Sunday!

I say, don't stop asking!

 

[Ms. Toad Esq.]

Thanks for the replies! Actually, I was hoping to hear from people with perspectives different from mine, so that was very helpful. I wasn't sure if me asking every so often could be taken as insensitivity or applying too much pressure. I'll keep mentioning it to her and maybe one day she'll feel up to it.