7 Reasons Why Your Husband Makes You Gain Weight
By admin
In one week from today, Dan and I will be celebrating our 4 year anniversary.
Wow, was it really 4 years ago when I walked down the aisle?
Hard to believe.
But then sometimes not.
Sometimes it feels as if we’ve been together forever… Which if you consider the 6 years before we were married, it’s been almost 10 years. Wow, almost 1/3 of my live has been spent with this handsome dude.
Has it been all puppies and rainbows?
No. I’m not going to be one of those married women who says married life is just wonderful and that our marriage is perfect. It’s not, it’s real and sometimes its hard. There are ups and downs, tears and laughter.
But you know what?
I couldn’t imagine loving anyone else, or fighting with anyone else. We’re stronger because of each other, and all those not so great times and wonderful times of marriage makes the journey more of a journey.
Okay, enough with the corny chit chat… let’s talk about what’s really on my mind:
This is a quote from research carried out at the University of Dallas that studied weight gain in new couples over the course of 4-years (funny) and happiness with their relationship.
Maybe I can blame my weight gain on my blissful marriage? Just kidding.
7 Reasons Why Your Husband Make You Gain Weight
Dan and I moved in together soon after I graduated college. And like many newly cohabiting couples, we… okay I, gained weight.
It took quite awhile to get myself back on a healthy track, but living with a man, the journey took a little longer.
I blame Dan for the weight, naturally.
I know I’m not alone, I can’t tell you how many of my clients tell me they would be so much healthier if not for the habits of their husbands. What’s yours is mine, right?
Let’s break it down.
If you have been having a hard time dropping pounds, perhaps you can blame your husband or at least acknowledge what’s really going on to remedy the situation.
Men naturally eat more calories than women, they need more calories. After dinner, they might grab the bag of chips or almonds during your tv time. Can you resist the snacking?
It’s hard to say no when your guy is chomping down on chips and salsa or eating a bowl of ice cream right in front of you.
Extra snacking… extra pounds.
Why is it that men can eat plate full after plate full? Once their plate is clean, they go back for more. Of course not ALL guys, but a lot!
It’s tempting to see them eating again, the smells, the look, the social aspect. You want to join in. And from their point of view, they often encourage you to get a second helping too so they’re not eating alone.
Don’t do it. One way I have gotten around this is to make just enough food, so there aren’t leftovers.
This one is a no brainer, you’re no longer courting each other. You’re comfortable.
This is what the research was all about… you’re happy, your content and secure in your relationship and you are no longer trying to court your guy. That means relaxing a bit… eating more comfort foods, perhaps exercising less and in return a few pounds may pile on.
When I was a new wife, I wanted to knock Dan’s socks off with my cooking. I cooked meals that I knew he would love which often times translated into spaghetti and pizza.
Not that those are bad for you if done right, but they were foods that I wasn’t used to eating often and my body reacted. Holy bloat!
It’s true that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but aim to make clean eating a priority. All meals can be made clean, it just takes practice!
Dan loves chips and salsa, so we keep them in the house. At first, when he was snacking, I would join in… until I realized I never ate chips and salsa before so why should I now?
Perhaps your guy loves cookies, ice cream, chips, whatever.
The best way to avoid finding your hand in the cookie jar is to give him his own cabinet or drawer… not in the pantry where you can be tempted every time you go to grab something. Out of sight, out of mind.
I can’t tell you how many times Dan has said something along the lines of…
“Is that really all you’re going to eat!?” or “Are you really going to get a salad?!”
It’s not because it’s not enough food for me, but it’s not enough food for him. Men, I’ve learned, don’t really understand how women need less food than they do. It’s not that he wants me to gain weight, he just doesn’t know better.
And when your nutrition gets questioned, it’s easy to go for the burger instead. Yes?
I’ve always been a salad girl over burger and fries. Even when I was a kid (seriously, Cesar salads were my favorite) but for guys, that’s seems impossible.
No, being married doesn’t drive you to drink more but it does often lead to overall more alcohol consumption as you enjoy wine nights, or cocktails when normally you wouldn’t have if living solo.
If you find that the two of you enjoy a few more extra cocktails than normal, you may need to set some ground rules. For example, I don’t drink Sunday – Thursday. We used to drink more during the week, but once I realized it, I put a stop to that marriage habit!
How To Deal
I’m sure we can add to this list, because let’s face it, we all want to put the blame o someone else for our issues. And of course that someone else is most often our significant other!
The most important thing is to recognize your habits, the good and the bad. It’s also important to verbalize how important your overall health and fitness are to you, so that your guy doesn’t tempt you.
And finally, remember that it’s important to your guy too. Dan and I have a very open relationship… aka we’re brutally honest with one another. I know he works out to now only look and feel good for himself but he wants to continue to wow me. And right back at him, I workout for me but we run a woman’s only boot camp…
I have to make sure I stay looking fine for me guy with all the other ladies around. Ha!
So tell me…