Scrap weigh-off threats and get healthy together

Opinion

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This article was published 13/01/2025 (251 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: I’m a former hockey player who suffered an injury that forced me off my team. As a result, I gained about 45 pounds and my wife is pressuring me to go to Weight Watchers. She is scared the extra weight could lead to a heart attack.

She needs to lose about 35 pounds herself. I said to her, “Look at you — you’re heavier for your height than I am for mine.”

Then she started crying.

This morning, she had thrown all the good-tasting food out of the fridge. Nothing remained but eggs, milk, vegetables and frozen meat. The cookie jar was completely empty.

I told her that she could starve herself and I would grab something to eat before I get home from work. So that’s where we’re at — I’m eating take-out dinners.

I do love this stubborn woman, but she wants to starve the weight off of me, and if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s a growling stomach. It reminds me of my childhood when there wasn’t enough food. What can I do?

— Missing My Food, Windsor Park

Dear Missing My Food: Former athletes can end up in poor health once they have to stop playing because they were used to being able to eat as they wanted and then burn it off playing.

You’re still a sportsman at heart, so you need to change sports, not stop them altogether.

If you can’t skate anymore, could you still curl or play broomball? Those winter sports are fun and entertaining and generally attract fun-loving people, providing you with a social life again. There’s also pickleball, which has really taken off in popularity in recent years. Your wife could also take part in these kinds of activities to get more healthy as well.

Check out a list of sports online and you’ll likely find at least half a dozen to play that won’t injure you further.

That beats the dubious game of hanging around the house and exchanging critical remarks with your wife, where you are guaranteed to get injured again.

Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: My new boyfriend gifted me a pair of black lace panties at Christmas with a short black leather skirt, garter belt and black stockings. I was shocked and speechless. Finally, I said to him, “Was this gift meant for me, or for your entertainment?” He turned red.

I had just finished presenting him with a blue sweater — a perfect match for his eyes — which I had been knitting for four weeks. So, I left the sex costume gift with him and went home and cried.

Today — two weeks later — he finally phoned me to apologize. He said his older brother explained to him what he had done wrong. The fact he didn’t know what he was doing until that moment was almost as shocking as what he did. Is he totally dense? I’m not taking him back.

My best friend says I was too hard on him, but then she never has any partners. What do you think?

— Still Shocked, St. Norbert

Dear Still Shocked: You and this guy are definitely not a match. You might have taken the time to explain things to him, but you didn’t owe it to him to be his etiquette teacher.

It’s time to look for someone more mature and sensitive. Next time out, don’t invest hours and hours of knitting a homemade sweater on a new guy. That’s a gift to save for when you are truly committed to someone. Both of you would have been smarter to simply exchange sweet and amusing gifts at this point.

Please send your questions and comments to lovecoach@hotmail.com or Miss Lonelyhearts c/o the Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6.

Maureen Scurfield
Advice columnist

Maureen Scurfield writes the Miss Lonelyhearts advice column.

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