Friends it is that time of year again! A time where Cupid himself descends from the heavens to fire his arrows at unsuspecting people. Where hearts are filled with that strange emotion that has the ability to make us light as a feather while being equally horrified at the possibilities to come. Yes my friends we are talking about love and Valentine’s day. However, it’s not all cheap chocolates and fireproof bears, there is a darker, heavier side to Valentine’s day, and relationships as a whole. That darker side is unplanned weight gain!
“WAIT A MINUTE! THE FOOD HOLIDAYS ARE WELL BEHIND US, HOW CAN THE SEASON OF LOVE CAUSE WEIGHT GAIN?” I’m glad you asked. Once we enter into a relationship our lives go from being about ourselves to being about “us”. Having a love one in your life is an amazing thing, but it can be easy to adopt our partners habits, including eating.
It has been shown that an average of 17 pounds of fat is gained in the first year of a romantic relationship! With the possibilities going up to 36 pounds in 5 years! That is a lot more weight than our single brothers and sisters. You might be saying to yourself “ that doesn’t make sense, I still eat the same way I had before.” Perhaps you are right but there are still good reasons that weight gain may find you
A fair amount of people spend their time in the gym, watch their calories, and avoid desert in order to have an attractive physical appearance. Once our physical appearance helps us find someone it’s easy to stop paying as much attention to how we look! Gym days are missed, we lost track of calories, and bring on the PIE. In the days of our parents, they used to have to get dressed and plan an evening out. It has been proven that when people eat out they consume more calories than a home cooked meal. Not only do people consume more calories, but it’s a lot easier to split a piece of cheese cake. Since we are splitting, its half the calories right? For the modern day couple they don’t even need to put on pants to have their favorite food delivered right to their door with perfect restaurant quality! Now we take eating out which is proven to increase calories AND likely watching the latest Star Wars show. Eating in front of the tv is another proven way to consume more calories than we intend! Double trouble.
People in relationships tend to have more lazy days than they did in single life. It can be tough to get out of bed or off the couch when you are cuddled up wall warm and snug, in front of the tv watching that Game of Thrones. Let’s pretend that you avoid all the dangers of relationship eating, you and your partner are both wanting to look the same way you did when you first met. If this is you, you may feel that you are in the clear! Sadly, that weight can still find you! Whether we like it or not we tend to pick up on our partner’s habits or create new habits around our partners. Maybe your partner always got pizza on Saturdays but you never did. Perhaps you have the tendency to finish your partner’s plate when out at a restaurant. These habits can easily sneak weight to your waist line! AND even if you avoid all the pitfalls mentioned above, it has been shown that people who eat healthy in a relationship STILL TEND TO EAT MORE FOOD!
If you find yourself in a new relationship, or maybe you’re already in a relationship, don’t give up hope! There are several steps you can take to curb that relationship weight. Working out with your partner is a great way to build the relationship, share a common goal, and help hold each other accountable, even if you don’t workout with each other at the gym! To help with the diet and overeating side, you could meal prep together. Take a day or two throughout the week and help each other prep and stage food for the week to come. You’re really killing two birds with one stone here, you get to spend time with your partner AND do all the healthy things you’ve done before! Happy Valentine’s Day! Xoxo
At Your Best Self we offer a Couples Clinic in February as well as ongoing Buddy Sessions for Personal training with your partner. Call or text 234-320-4195 for more information!
Josh Flores, ACE CPT, LMT, Weight Management Specialist, Fitness Nutrition Specialist
Haupt, A. (2022, September 8). Relationship weight gain is real – and can be a sign of happiness. The Washington Post. Retrieved February 11, 2023, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/08/09/relationship-weight-gain-reasons-research/
Matthews, M. (2021, November 2). Here’s how much weight the average person gains in a relationship. Men’s Health. Retrieved February 11, 2023, from https://www.menshealth.com/health/a23396920/relationship-weight-gain-study/