Fit for Marriage, Fit for Life: A New Lifestyle to Keep the Weight Off

Gained some weight after the wedding?

An interesting study uncovered that married couples are more likely to gain weight than either singles or cohabiting couples. But you didn’t need a study to tell you that.   Both wives and husbands gaining weight after marriage have been joked about as long as people have had couches to plop down on after work (and maybe even longer). Maybe you’ve even noticed your pants are a little tight these days, and wondered how to drop some weight without getting in the way of your busy new life together. You and your spouse can both benefit from checking out these common reasons why you might have put on a few pounds since the big day, and smart ways to slim down without hurting your relationship.

Key reasons whey couples gain weight after marriage

Too much TV

One of the top pleasures of being in a relationship is binge-watching Netflix with your husband by your side. If you’d known how great it is having someone to poke when a major plot twist goes down on Game of Thrones, you would have included it in your vows. However, sitting still for long stretches doesn’t do you or your man any favors. If you love sharing activities, take a walk after dinner or play active console games instead of being couch potatoes. That leads us to…

Too much “we”, not enough “me”

You probably got tons of advice before you got hitched about always going the extra mile for your wife, or heard that old chestnut, “Happy Wife, Happy Life”. However, not getting any time away from her to exercise the way you like means either compromised or no workouts. Not everything you do has to be as part of a pair. Take some time for yourself to work up a sweat and she’ll really be happy!

Too many crash diets

If you worried about fitting into your dress before the big day, you probably tried a crash diet that helped you lose weight in the short term. You looked great in those pictures, but as soon as you relaxed the tiniest bit, you ballooned back up to your starting weight (and maybe a couple pounds over). Diets that focus on healthy, reasonably sized portions of food that you make at home are much more sustainable for a lifetime of slender satisfaction. The Mediterranean, DASH, or Volumetrics diets are worth checking out as interesting, well-researched plans that don’t rely on high-priced premade meals or chemical-laden shakes.  Leading dietitians offer some tips on choosing a good weight loss program.

Too much stress

You thought that after you got married, you’d automatically be a real adult. Maybe you bought a house, or a new car, or just upgraded to a nicer apartment with a dishwasher. In any case, stress due to added financial pressure puts an enormous burden on you both as a new couple, particularly since one or both of you work long hours to keep it up. This is a tough problem to combat, but the trick to time management is to do prep work during the weekend for the upcoming week. Make your lunches ahead of time, freeze batches of soup, go grocery shopping with your wife as a shared activity so you both have food you want to eat at home. Make sure you have attractive, easy, healthy food options available so you don’t have to order pizza on your way home because you’re just too tired to make dinner.

Too easy to fall into bad habits

When couples gain weight after marriage, their eating habits as a unit trend toward those of the heavier spouse. If you always want to raid the cookie jar and your husband tends to resist, try to follow his lead. Imitate his eating patterns as much as you can. If healthy husbands aren’t careful, it’s too easy to say yes to big bowls of ice cream after dinner every night, when they might have only had one scoop once a week before marriage. On the other hand, if you’re the birdlike eater, be kind but firm when you don’t feel like having seconds. Your good example will pay off in weight loss dividends for you and your chubby hubby.

Too comfortable

The biggest reason for weight gain after marriage? Happy couples aren’t looking for a mate anymore and accidentally let themselves go. When you were hitting the bars every Friday night, you worried about what every girl thought of your physique. Now that you’ve locked down the woman of your dreams, you trust that she’ll love you no matter what - she promised to, after all! Don’t take your true love for granted. Your spouse might love you as much as ever but still wish you looked as trim as you did the day you married her. There are so many reasons to lose weight, for appearances, for romance, and for long-term health. Don’t both of you deserve a partner who looks great and feels great long after the honeymoon has ended?

How to Stay Fit After Marriage?

It starts with lifestyle and will. Get inspiration and tips from from a great resource at CanadaWeds.ca as they offer up many articles on the topic of Marriage and Fitness. Of course it's a combination of eating well and maintaining an exercise routine. If you start with excuses and "buts", well, it simply isn't going to happen for you. When challenged you might say, "I'm not ready". That's fair, but the imperative is that you find a way to get ready to live a healthy lifestyle - first for you, then for your spouse and children. Hey, it's fine to give away chocolate and candy favors at your wedding, but once the party's over, stay fit for a lifetime with your soulmate!

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