Is your relationship adding on the pounds?
After getting on the topic of me being a fitness instructor, a girlfriend of mine from work asked how she can lose sixty pounds. I began to ask about her eating habits, if she ate fast food a lot, what type of physical activity she does, etc. And it was funny because she admitted to not having the best eating habits and said she wanted to go on a diet, but she didn’t want her boyfriend to go on a diet with her. 0_o Long story short she said she didn’t like skinny guys, i.e. she preferred her man plump, but it was dang near impossible to go on a diet with them living together and her still wanting to cook good, fattening food to keep him plump. It was the cutest/funniest story because I had never heard someone admit such a thing but it definitely has to be more common then not. I made me think about how our image of ourselves and our physical priorities change once we enter into a relationship.
I remember when I first started dating my boyfriend and he said we’d probably gain a lot of weight as a couple. This being my first long term relationship, I couldn’t understand why and he said “when you’re in a new relationship, all you want to do is stay in and eat. You get lazy and you don’t care how you look to the other person”. Well thank God I became a fitness instructor soon after we started dating or I would’ve been waddling around like a dang penguin. He was right, all we wanted to do was order in and watch movies together but being in college and having three gyms at our disposal deferred us from getting too comfy. I always thought it was cute when couples go to the gym together, but since graduating and getting a job, I can see why one’s physical appearance may take a backseat while in a relationship.
Obviously you still want to look good for your significant other, but one of the worst habits of us human beings is that we get too comfortable sometimes. I don’t think it’s overly superficial if you still want to look good for your partner and you go through great lengths to do so (in terms of staying fit). Yet I do understand the lack of motivation to maintain physical exercise when you’re in a comfortable relationship. However, a relationship should be the greatest driving force to exercise. I can’t count how many times I walked into a Cardio Box class completely pissed off at my boyfriend and taught some of my best classes. Or as is the case now, when I’m sad from being in a long distance relationship and working out is the only way to clear my head. With anything, you should always do you when it comes to deciding to live a healthy lifestyle. I don’t think doing something for yourself and maintaining a level of expectation for you partner should be confused with doing something solely because of your partner. If my girlfriend’s man said “You know what, I’m no longer happy with being plump, I want to go on a diet”, at the end of the day she has to accept it.
Just remember, a healthy lifestyle equals a happy lifestyle and why not be happy together? It’s definitely harder to maintain a fitness plan if your partner isn’t really into it, so like anything else it’s better to partner up and be each other’s motivation. Here’s some tips I found on Lifescript.com:
Go On Fitness DatesWhen your honey suggests a Sunday matinee and early dinner, counter offer with an outdoor hike and a picnic packed with fresh fruits, hummus and other low-fat foods. Exercising together is one of the most motivating tools for weight loss, and also one of the most effective.
Tell Your Partner to Stop Tempting YouIt may be cute when your mate dangles a Twix bar over your mouth and proceeds to devour it without gaining a millimeter in his waist, but if you can’t resist temptation, simply ask your guy to stop tempting you. Out of sight, out of mind just may help in your fight against relationship weight.
Don’t Match Bite for BiteYou resolve to order the salad at dinner, but your boyfriend goes for the large pizza and finagles you into eating half of it. If you’re going to give in to him, at least go 60/40. A common mistake women typically make is splitting a meal down the middle, when in fact, you’ll be the one to gain more weight than he will. Men have a higher caloric intake and can eat more without gaining weight. So just because your appetite matches his doesn’t mean your portions should.
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