Relationship weight gain is real, so why do we put on a few ‘love pounds’ when we’re loved up long-term?
The number one cause of gaining weight, is by being in a relationship.
Wait. What?! Did I hear that correctly?
Yep. You heard right – the UK study by Diet Chef showed clear results that being in a relationship beats comfort eating, lack of exercise, and holidays as the most likely cause of weight gain.
“It’s widely known that people tend to put on a little bit of weight once they have found love, but what we didn’t expect to find was that the weight gain is on average a stone, if not more,” Izzy Cameron, nutrition and weight management specialist for Diet Chef, added.
Moving in
The number of pounds gained varies from individual to individual, relationship to relationship, but research suggests women tend to gain weight when they move in with male partners.
Thirty percent of couples pointed to staying in and watching television as their main activity together. Another twenty percent marked eating out at restaurants as the couple’s bonding activity.
A review of studies by Newcastle University found that a woman tends to gain weight when she lives with a guy in part because his bad food habits start to rub off on her. “It’s a combination of two factors,” says lead author Amelia A. Lake, PhD. “We mirror the eating habits of those around us, so if he eats a lot, we eat a lot. And it’s hard not to be tempted by junk food he keeps in the house.”
Don’t worry – you’re not alone!
💋 60% of us Brits put on weight when in a long-term, happy relationship
💋 52% of women say they often eat the same amount as their male partner
💋 56% admit this means they eat much larger portions than they would normally
These are happy pounds
The oddest part about it, though, is that it’s not the sad kind of weight gain often brought on by stress and depression; it’s the happy kind.
We skip the gym to spend more time with our significant other, and are less worried with our appearance as we don’t need to attract anyone new. Then we spend nights in and treat ourselves to deliciously large dishes of steaming hot food… sound familiar?
Your weight no longer becomes a priority, as you’re so happy and content with all the fun things you’re doing together.
Don’t stress
We all get massively caught up in how we look and what we weigh, but providing you are living a healthy lifestyle – those extra pounds are OKAY!
If you want to take back control then simply reduce portion sizes and try out couples workouts. Eat at home rather than out, which is a really simple way of saving about 250 calories (and money!).
Gaining weight in a relationship is NORMAL. It means your happy and content, just remember: if you’re happy, then fantastic. If you’re starting to worry about it, then simply cut back a little. Don’t stress the small stuff, and enjoy being in your happy relationship!
