I was looking through some old photo’s and just remembering when I was a newlywed. It was really neat to have home-cooked meals like mom used to make, being together, going out to restaurants for special occasions. Then I looked at another set of pictures, taken a few years later, after our first child.
Whoa. What happened? Where did the ‘wide body’ come from? I was feeling pretty down on myself, until I looked around at my other married friends. I have since learned that this is a pretty typical situation. I found out there was a study that concluded that if one spouse becomes obese, the likelihood that the other spouse will follow increases by 37 percent.
I read in an article by Dr. Michael Rosen, that many of us gain 15 or more pounds in our early adult years, but people who live with a partner often gain more. Within five years, newly married women gain an average of 24 pounds, and men gain an average of 30 pounds, according to a study presented at the Obesity Society annual scientific meeting.
What happens after you are in a committed relationship is that your schedules, habits and patterns change. More meals, larger helpings, missed gym sessions, snacking together, juggling families and jobs, complacency all add up.
A University of Connecticut researcher Amy Gorin, Ph.D., who focuses on strategies for long-term weight loss, offered some good ideas on battling those bulges:
1. Commit early to a healthful home. Subscribe to healthful-cooking magazines and try the recipes together. Support each other's workout schedules, too.
2. Weigh in regularly. When you step on a scale every day, the instant feedback gives you a chance to assess trends and make changes before habits become deeply ingrained.
3. Downsize dinnerware. Control portion sizes with smaller plates and bowls.
4. Scour the cabinets. "Once a month, go through the pantry and make sure high-fat, high-sugar items aren't sneaking back into your home," advises Dr. Gorin.
5. Team up for positive results. Choose activity over being sedentary. Bike, walk, take a yoga class, go dancing. Anything active works. As a couple, you have an advantage: an automatic exercise partner. Check with your doctor before a major increasing in physical activity.
6. Don't stop your favorite solo exercises. If an aerobics class and early morning run were important before the relationship, keep it up.
7. Beware of the garbage-can effect. Nibbling your way through food prep and cleanup tastes good but can add unwanted pounds.
8. Stay positive and supportive. "Nagging, controlling comments and unwanted policing usually backfire," Dr. Gorin says. "They really undermine someone's motivation." So, compliment and encourage each other's efforts.
So if you find yourself in a similar situation to the one I was in, just remember that it’s never too late to change those bad habits. If you need to lose weight, or help with better nutrition, there is plenty of diet help available online.
Whoa. What happened? Where did the ‘wide body’ come from? I was feeling pretty down on myself, until I looked around at my other married friends. I have since learned that this is a pretty typical situation. I found out there was a study that concluded that if one spouse becomes obese, the likelihood that the other spouse will follow increases by 37 percent.
I read in an article by Dr. Michael Rosen, that many of us gain 15 or more pounds in our early adult years, but people who live with a partner often gain more. Within five years, newly married women gain an average of 24 pounds, and men gain an average of 30 pounds, according to a study presented at the Obesity Society annual scientific meeting.
What happens after you are in a committed relationship is that your schedules, habits and patterns change. More meals, larger helpings, missed gym sessions, snacking together, juggling families and jobs, complacency all add up.
A University of Connecticut researcher Amy Gorin, Ph.D., who focuses on strategies for long-term weight loss, offered some good ideas on battling those bulges:
1. Commit early to a healthful home. Subscribe to healthful-cooking magazines and try the recipes together. Support each other's workout schedules, too.
2. Weigh in regularly. When you step on a scale every day, the instant feedback gives you a chance to assess trends and make changes before habits become deeply ingrained.
3. Downsize dinnerware. Control portion sizes with smaller plates and bowls.
4. Scour the cabinets. "Once a month, go through the pantry and make sure high-fat, high-sugar items aren't sneaking back into your home," advises Dr. Gorin.
5. Team up for positive results. Choose activity over being sedentary. Bike, walk, take a yoga class, go dancing. Anything active works. As a couple, you have an advantage: an automatic exercise partner. Check with your doctor before a major increasing in physical activity.
6. Don't stop your favorite solo exercises. If an aerobics class and early morning run were important before the relationship, keep it up.
7. Beware of the garbage-can effect. Nibbling your way through food prep and cleanup tastes good but can add unwanted pounds.
8. Stay positive and supportive. "Nagging, controlling comments and unwanted policing usually backfire," Dr. Gorin says. "They really undermine someone's motivation." So, compliment and encourage each other's efforts.
So if you find yourself in a similar situation to the one I was in, just remember that it’s never too late to change those bad habits. If you need to lose weight, or help with better nutrition, there is plenty of diet help available online.
No comments:
Post a Comment