Anna Duggar Treating Josh Like ‘Hero Returning From War,’ Losing Weight For Him

Anna Duggar reportedly planned a hero’s welcome for her husband after he completed his stint at a Christian treatment center. However, while Anna’s love and admiration for Josh Duggar has not been diminished by his unfaithfulness, the mother of four is reportedly worried that her husband isn’t completely committed to altering his behavior. According to a recent report, Anna believes that it is now her responsibility to keep Josh from going astray, and she thinks that she can prevent her husband from cheating again by changing the way she looks.

Josh put Anna Duggar in a pretty tough spot after the entire world found out that he had cheated on his wife. Instead of sticking around and working on his marriage, Josh claimed that he was addicted to internet pornography and checked himself into the Reformers Unanimous recovery facility in Rockford, Illinois. Josh left Anna alone with their four children, including an infant daughter who was just a few weeks old. While Josh spent six silent months safely hidden away, his wife and family members were forced to deal with the fallout from his actions. Anna Duggar and the kids temporarily moved in with Josh’s massive family, and Anna appeared on the Duggars’ three-part TLC special to tearfully explain why she decided not to divorce Josh.

As In Touch Weekly reports, Anna Duggar described 2015 as the “most difficult year” of her life because of what her husband put her through. However, she’s still Josh’s biggest fan. Instead of spending the last six months trying to recover from her ordeal by relaxing and taking a little time for herself, she’s been working hard on turning herself into the woman that she thinks her husband wants her to be.

A source told In Touch Weekly that Anna Duggar exercised like crazy while Josh was gone, and she lost quite a bit of weight. Anna reportedly believes that the better she looks, the less likely Josh will be to cheat. While Josh was away, Anna also kept herself busy by getting a new home ready for her family to move into.

“She lost a bunch of weight… [But] she still feels insecure. She’s been going nonstop, not only exercising but getting their house ready for him, like he’s a hero returning from war. It’s really sad.”

I got to meet one of my heroes tonight! @priscillashirer @warroommovie #theferventtour pic.twitter.com/MLOYxhVVDA

— Anna Duggar (@Anna_Duggar) February 16, 2016

Josh and Anna Duggar are followers of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) religious organization, and Patheos reports that IBLP members do believe that a wife should do whatever she can to make herself look like the woman of her husband’s dreams. During an episode of 19 Kids and Counting, Josh’s mother was filmed handing out lists of the “Seven Basic Needs of a Husband” at a Christian conference.

“A HUSBAND NEEDS A WIFE WHO WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP INWARD AND OUTWARD BEAUTY,” one of the “needs” on the list read. “HOW CAN YOU BECOME MORE OF THE WIFE OF YOUR HUSBAND’S DREAMS?”

There was also a segment on the handout dedicated to weight management.

“LET GOD AND YOUR HUSBAND KNOW YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR WEIGHT,” it said.

Even though she’s been feeling pressure to lose weight, forgive Josh, and make sure that he doesn’t go astray again, Anna Duggar has tried to put a positive spin on her husband’s cheating scandal. In January, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar posted a short statement from Anna on their family blog. Anna claimed that Josh’s actions inspired her to cling more tightly to her faith.

“2015 was the most difficult year of my life,” Anna wrote. “Yet, amazingly I’ve found that in my own life crisis God has drawn near to me (‘He’s near to the brokenhearted’ Psalms 34:18) and my faith has been more precious to me than ever before.”

However, in a preview for the Duggars’ new TLC series, Jill & Jessa: Counting On, Anna Duggar admits that she’s been suppressing her true feelings. She’s simply says and does what she thinks is the right thing to do, but sometimes she’s not even sure what that is.

“I don’t know how to handle each situation,” Anna says, according to People. “It’s not anything I ever would have thought I would walk through. [I tell myself,] ‘Just do the next right thing, have the next right response for the next 15 minutes.'”

What do you think of Anna Duggar walking on eggshells around Josh and trying to change her looks to keep him from cheating? Is she putting too much responsibility for Josh’s behavior on herself?

[Image via TLC/YouTube]