MARRIAGE AND WEIGHT GAIN!

It’s the wedding season! Ladies and gentlemen…know why you gain weight after marriage to try to avoid this trend!

Research conducted around the world has proven that couples gain weight, especially in the first years of marriage. The reasons for weight gain are many:

One factor is the need to please the companion through the preparation of tasty and "full of affection" foods. Often, the husband's favorite meal consists of foods of animal origin (meat, eggs, and cheese) as well as pastas and pizzas, along with beer and potato chips. The wife just can't resist to the temptation of joining the hubby!

Moreover, many couples turn a meal into the main (or only) time of leisure and with marriage couples tend to always invite people over for dinner and are themselves invited all the time, turning eating into a pastime event. In addition, many women, while unmarried, were not responsible to perform household chores. After marriage they find themselves having to cater to cooking, cleaning, ironing, etc… as well as to their professions forcing them to take the easier path of buying fast food and easy-to-prepare dishes. This inevitably leads them to choose the tastier foods that are usually full of fats, sugars, and salts; foods loaded with empty calories that "kill hunger" without nourishing their bodies.

Another reason is that men and women tend to neglect their physical appearances after they have established a stable relationship and found their significant other. The woman is feeling more secure now that she has guaranteed a husband and "abandons the sacrifices of the diet" to "reward" herself with the goodies she enjoys.

A day has 24 hours, so with good planning you can accomplish everything you need without having to put your health in danger and all with good humor.

We forgot that when we dine indoors (with or without guests), there is a substitute for everything. We can serve fruits and sorbet instead of ice cream for desert, lemonade with little sugar instead of soft drinks and alcohol, low fat appetizers like chunks of low fat cheeses with olives and mint, artichokes, tomatoes filled with tuna, light popcorn, delicious salad recipes with low fat sauces, and many more if we really decide we don’t want to gain weight! When we go out, we can eat home before going so we better control what we eat outside.

In the life of couples, it is always important to help each other, for example:

-     Not filling the house with high-calorie foods

-     Choosing healthy restaurants

-     Preparing meals containing fewer calories

-     Practicing and encouraging others to do physical activities

-     Finding other ways of leisure than food

Remember: the physical form is a reflection of health, so sleep well, eat healthily and always cultivate a positive mind. Think healthy diet as a way of life and do not forget the physical activity (preferably along with partner). Maintain a balanced diet with less fat and more whole wheat carbohydrates and fiber.

And to end, we shouldn’t forget an important aspect of marriage to avoid weight gain:

We have to accept the other's character, avoiding stress because a joyful heart reflects a healthy body. Newlyweds must be prepared to face stresses of life brought on by the bills to pay, the division of roles, and the process to cope with each others characters — this, for most women, is balanced with the intake of sweets, leading to weight gain.

So let’s think positively and enjoy all the positive aspects that marriage brings to a couple’s lives, feeling safe and loved, and enjoying other leisure activities than just food!

Samia Khoury Dietitian