You wake up and the birds are chirping, the sunlight is beaming through your windows, and you feel like you’re in one of those glorious Folger’s commercials. Congratulations, my friend, you’re in love!
But as wonderful as it is being in love – sometimes the number on the scale doesn’t end up being as wonderful.
Gaining weight while in a relationship or marriage is very common. But there are things you can do to help combat love weight gain.
Here are some sneaky reasons you are gaining the “love layer.”
1.) You eat out, all the time.
Going out to eat together may seem like a good idea at the time, but your waistline will combat that feeling very quickly. Alternative? Stay in and cook together!
This will not only be a wonderful replacement to the restaurant food (which is usually filled with astronomical amounts of sodium, trans fat, and bad carbs), but it is a great bonding experience.
Start a Pinterest board filled with healthy recipes that you can make together.
2.) Women, you are going bite for bite with your men.
It’s human nature, when you hangout with someone for long periods of time you start to pick up his or her habits and behaviors. You make similar jokes, you start going to bed at the same time, you make similar facial expressions, etc. Ultimately we mimic that other person. And this human behavior does include eating habits.
In general, men are allowed to consume more calories than women. Depending on the man’s fitness level, this can range from 500-1,500 additional calories! As unfair as that sounds, it’s fact. But for women trying to maintain their healthy weight, or lose weight, this is extremely detrimental.
So next time your guy reaches for that second helping of mashed potatoes or opts for the 20-ounce steak instead of the 6-ounce, just look away.
3.) Your choice of date nights.
Instead of going to a movie – which usually involves consuming hundreds of calories in candy, popcorn, and soda – opt for a more healthy date alternative.
Go on a nice bike ride, play tennis, take a fitness class together, go rock climbing, mini golfing, play laser tag, or take the dog for a nice long walk. These are way more fun than just sitting in silence at a movie anyway!
4.) Get out of bed . . . and off the couch.
Ah yes, cuddling. Who doesn’t love a good cuddle? Unfortunately, spending hours lounging around with your partner is not good for weight loss. A body at rest tends to stay at rest. Get moving!
5.) You are skipping your workouts.
BZZ BZZ. The alarm on our phone is going crazy – it’s time to hit the gym! But doesn’t watching the next episode of Modern Family with your significant other seem more appealing? Being single, you lived on your own schedule. And that made hitting the gym a lot easier!
Getting your partner to workout with you is a fantastic thing – they keep you accountable, they are motivating and encouraging, and it’s always nice having the great company.
6. ) You’re both comfortable.
Every relationship gets to the point where you become comfortable with each other. You no longer hide your quirky little habits, you aren’t afraid for the other person to see how you look in the morning, they met all of your weird relatives, and they still love you!
As awesome as it is to not worry about these little things anymore, being comfortable can lead to weight gain. We start putting our appearance on the back burner and just enjoy each other’s company – but this can catch up with us. Being the healthiest version of yourself will only make you and your relationship stronger.
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