One of the most exciting things that can happen when you have been seeing results with macro counting is when your spouse jumps on board and wants to track with you! Suddenly you are on this macro adventure together! But don’t we know that this adventure can be a little tricky…because sometimes you and your spouse are not on the same page or you just do things differently…here are some tips on how to keep the adventure fun and help it go smoothly!

1. Let You Spouse Decide when he is Ready

About a year or so after I started tracking macros, my husband joined the DadBod group. Now, much prior to him starting, I absolutely knew that macros were the answer for him…he had been doing keto before, but I knew that macros were a more sustainable option for his (our!) lifestyle. But I also knew that he needed to have his own motivation and desire to track macros on his own. So you might be looking at your spouse and thinking “you need this!”, but it isn’t going to work until they realize that they need this for themselves. That internal motivation is going to be the launch they need to start the beginning of their own journey!

If your husband’s ready to dive in to macro counting with a coach join Dad Bod HERE. Use discount code: HUBBY at checkout.

2. Have Open Communication

Every couple is going to have a different division of labor for their household duties. In our house, I am the one who handles the groceries, meal planning and meal prepping. So when my husband started to track it was important for me to communicate what was for dinner so that he could plan his day ahead of time. He also needed to share with me what foods he needed to make his macros happen or what his schedule might look like if he was working late so that I could have food available for him. In the beginning, this might look like a lot of conversations, but as you get into the routine, it will become easier and just like second nature. 

3. Have Boundaries but be Encouraging

When my husband started, I constantly had to remind myself that I couldn’t do this for him. We figured that I would make the main meal, but that he was on his own for the rest of the day. He had to figure out his breakfast, lunch, and miscellaneous snacks. I couldn’t plan and track for both of us! I also realized that I wasn’t his coach. I couldn’t give him a side eye or make comments about his food choices or his missed days because that wasn’t my place- that was between him and his coach! At the same time as having boundaries, I also leaned into a lot of encouragement. We are in this together and since I had been doing this for a long time, I was in the best place to be a great resource (for when he had questions) and to cheer him on!

4. His Journey is not your Journey

Recognize that his journey is not the same as your journey. My husband’s metabolism is not the same as my peri-menopausal metabolism…and it seems obvious that we shouldn’t compare, but we still do to some extent, especially if they have multiple missed days and still see progress. We are each on our own journey and that’s okay! 

As spouses, we are uniquely positioned to encourage and hold each other accountable! Tracking macros with your spouse can be tricky, but it can be fun if we just keep these things in mind!