How to Avoid New Relationship Weight Gain

Advertisement

All too often when I begin a new relationship I suddenly find I’ve gained a few pounds. I used to think I was crazy, but now I know the new relationship phase is to blame. After all, how many of those first dates are spent in fancy restaurants or even sitting at a bar for happy hour? When I first start dating a man, my mind is definitely not on sticking to a diet, or how many calories that martini has in it. Additionally, when I first start dating a man, I want to spend as much time as possible with him, which makes it all to easy to blow off those gym workouts. Unfortunately, these situations always led me to gain several pounds. Once I recognized what was happening, I found some ways to avoid gaining those extra pounds.

First, I always make sure to proactively plan dates that don’t revolve around eating and drinking. I try to plan active dates, like hiking or exploring a new neighborhood on foot. I also try to plan date nights at home where I have control over the cooking and what ingredients go in the dish we’re preparing. This helps me make sure that I’m not accidentally eating a meal higher in calories than I thought. I also make sure that if we go out to a restaurant that I make sure to order something healthy. Once in awhile I’ll splurge on something irresistibly tasty but high calorie, but the general rule is to stick to a healthy, lower calorie dish.

Second, I make sure to limit the alcohol. Sure, sharing a bottle of wine over a candlelit dinner is romantic, but those booze calories really add up. Each drink adds roughly 100-150 calories to your daily caloric intake totals. Add in a few extra drinks with your mate each week, and you’ll inevitably gain a few pounds.

Third, I make sure to stick to my scheduled workouts. Sometimes I invite my boyfriend along for a quasi-date, and sometimes I hit the gym alone. I think the alone time is good for me, and if I’m going to spend some time away from my man, it might as well be while doing something that is good for my health. We always talk about my workouts, and thus we’re both aware of the importance of going to the gym a couple of times per week.

Finally, I make sure that I don’t eat just because he is. My new rule is if I wouldn’t eat it by myself, I’m not going to eat it with him. What I mean by this is if I’m not hungry, I’m not going to feel pressured to eat. Some nights when I come home from work, I just want a bowl of cereal. I make sure that on nights like these, I just eat the cereal, rather than forcing myself to eat a large meal with my mate.

By sticking to this plan, I’ve managed to avoid the new relationship weight gain during my current relationship. It’s taken some discipline, but to be honest, it’s not really too difficult. It’s not like I’m sticking to diet, and it’s not like I have to give up any of my favorite foods. I just simply have to make some smart food choices, and be a little more creative with date ideas- and let’s be real: how fun is it to go to a restaurant every night of the week anyway?!