Wedding fat- From fab to flab
- By Seema Verma
Almost every woman believes that marriage can make her fat. While she works hard to look perfect and fit on her wedding day, the fitness rarely lasts long enough. Weight gain after marriage is a common phenomenon for the newly-weds. It all starts with love, then the marriage and finally the scary phase of putting on those extra pounds. Studies have shown that women tend to gain weight during the initial years of marriage. Parties, celebrations, honeymoon and the candle light dinners are part and parcel of the post-marriage phase. Growing waist line and the extra flab seldom crosses the minds of the much in love newly-weds. While we tend to ignore the weight gain, here are plausible explanations to the sudden transformation from fit to fat:
- Irregular eating patterns
The newlyweds are cynosure of all eyes. Family and friends invite them over for meals. The elaborate food is hard to resist. The bride too cooks rich and tasty food to impress her new extended family. There is a sudden change in the eating pattern. From strict pre-wedding diets to calorie laden meals, the entire eating regimen goes for a toss. Adjusting to a new home and family adds the stress component, which also leads to weight gain.
- Two is company
The partners tend to adopt each other’s appetite and eating habits. Married couples enjoy their meals together, so if the other half craves for certain food, a spouse ends up eating certain foods he/she would not normally eat. Partner influence over diet decisions plays a big role in weight gain post marriage. Eating out, preparing elaborate meals and hanging out watching television are silent culprits in increasing the waist line.
- Changes in sleep patterns
Too many things are happening at the same time. The anxiety, excitement and the idea of sharing bed with someone can take a toll on the sleep patterns. The body may not get enough rest to heal itself thus resulting in weight gain.
- Change in priorities
Suddenly the woman starts to care less and her health takes a backseat. Managing work, household chores and adjusting to a new life takes up most of her time leaving little room for exercise. - Pregnancy and kids
This is the time when a woman tends to gain a lot of weight. Men too enjoy and join in the cravings of their wives. Kids of course occupy the top spot in the priority list and the couple generally ignores the health alerts. Eating leftovers becomes common leading to overeating.
- Is it possible to control post-marital weight gain?
A healthy life and happy work out sessions can prove to be a strong connection for the couple. It is a good idea to lose weight together and enjoy a “slim” marriage.
- Eat right
Eating in moderation could be beneficial in the long term. Maintaining healthy eating habits and sticking to the meal time are great triggers to a healthy marriage.
- Motivate and exercise together
The partners should motivate each other to stay fit. Exercise together, join a gym or an activity class, and spend time together while maintaining the fitness regime.
Marriage is bliss! Make it even more blissful by staying fit and flab-free.
