Gaining weight in a relationship has been identified as something that happens frequently.
Research has shown that couples gain a large amount of weight in their first few years of a relationship. Newly married couples are also a group that gains lots of weight. A study monitoring the weight of newly married women discovered that they gained an average of 24 pounds within the first five years of marriage.
Men were also found to be in a similar position when living with a partner they gained weight. Like women, they also gained weight within a few years of marriage.
This can creep up on couples and they don’t always realize it’s happening straight away. The wake-up call comes when clothes don’t fit anymore or you decide to weigh yourself.
Reasons It Happens
The honeymoon period in relationships makes people feel relaxed. You are enjoying each others’ company and going for romantic meals. The last thing on your mind during this time is your weight.
When you meet someone you may feel that there is less pressure to monitor your appearance. You may feel that your partner likes you for who you are and you don’t need to be as strict.
Also, couples can encourage each other to develop bad habits. Often you do not think about the long-term effects when you are enjoying the moment.
Let’s take a look at the main ways that a relationship can make you gain weight:
1. Change of Routine
When you are in a relationship your usual routine can change. Instead of doing the things you are used to you may prefer to spend time with your partner.
Because you no longer have as much free time you are put in a position where you have to make a choice. Naturally, the choice you make will be to spend time with your new partner and get to know each other.
2. Happiness
One of the major causes of weight gain in relationships is feelings of happiness. Why would you care about anything when you are in love?
If you were in the position where you were looking for a potential partner then you would want to look your best. There’s a chance that you would want to be slim.
Once you have met a partner the self-consciousness goes. There is nothing wrong with being happy and taking this time to relax but if you can find a healthy routine together that would also be beneficial.
3. Alcohol
Being in a relationship can often mean drinking more alcohol. Suddenly you are having regular date nights and having drinks at home together.
Once you’ve had alcohol you are much more likely to crave high-fat foods. Research has shown that alcohol can make you feel less full. Eating more when drunk is commonly known as having “the drunchies”.
A study was carried out that found that neurons in the brain are triggered that cause hunger after drinking.
4. Changes in Sleep
You may have started to sleep in the same bed as your partner. Suddenly having someone sleeping next to you can be disruptive.
The National Sleep Foundation believes that having someone in bed with you can disrupt sleep by up to 50%. Men are more likely to snore than women which can also affect sleep.
You may wonder where I’m going with this but lack of sleep but there is a link between lack of sleep and overeating. There is a hormone in the body called leptin that helps you to know you’ve eaten enough. When we don’t get enough sleep we have less leptin, meaning we could eat more.
The Fix
In order to overcome this, you should plan your week together. Think about what you want to get out of the working week.
If you both enjoy the exercise you could join the gym together and go a couple of times a week. Another effective strategy is to plan meal times. Think of some healthy meals that you could cook together.
There are lots of tasty dishes that are healthier. Making a few changes doesn’t mean that you can’t eat out anymore.
You could both look at the menu online before you head out and see if there are any healthy alternatives that you will enjoy. The key here is to make plans together so that neither of you gets tempted.
If you decide to have some alcoholic drinks go for lower calorie options. Drinks like vodka and tonic or vodka and diet coke have far fewer calories than wine.
Try to introduce a routine that will allow you to both get enough sleep. Unfortunately weight gain can make snoring worse. If your partner snores ear plugs may help or you could nasal strips may also help. Try not to stay up late all the time. Ideally, you should be getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night.
“Swear relationships make you gain weight. Meals out, snacks in bed together & get told you’re beautiful even when you look like Peppa Pig”- Unknown
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: AllGo – An App For Plus Size People on Unsplash