Love and Weight: Fat and Happy

People usually lose weight in the first few weeks of a new relationship. Eating a lot seems besides the point as they float in a dream of bliss. Also, appetite-suppressing adrenaline is pumping through their bodies and they are motivated to look good for their new love.

But I have noticed that after a few months, people in a cozy relationship start gaining pounds. A study from the University of North Carolina found that, over the course of five years, women in relationships in their late teens and early twenties put on more weight than single girls do.
And the stronger the bond, the greater the weight gain: Women who live with their men see the scale climb three additional pounds, and those who get married add an extra nine.

Why the poundage?
When you’re in love, “You consume 35 percent more food when you eat with someone you like,” says Brian Wansink, PhD, author of Mindless Eating. Then there are those bottles of romantic bottles of wine that you wouldn't drink on your own. “Unfortunately, the booze adds calories, lowers your willpower, and makes you more prone to diet-wrecking late-night eating,” says NYC nutritionist Martha McKittrick.

“After you’ve been in love for six months or so, the bonding hormone oxytocin takes over,” says psychologist Belisa Vranich. “It triggers cravings for comfort foods.” Comfort foods are fatty foods" ice cream, pizza, chips with lots of guacamole, mozzarella sticks, fries, popcorn with lots of butter, anything with lots of butter.

Skipping the gym
On top of that, skipping your Saturday morning gym routine to snuggle in bed, accelerates the downward spiral. Now, not only are you not moving enough but you need to have a romantic breakfast, with all the trimmings afterwards. Yes, sex burns calories, but not like a spinning or aerobics class. Before long, pounds are piling on.

Trouble ahead
Now trouble can brew in the relationship. “You think, I can pack on a few because he loves me for who I am,” says Vranich. “But your guy’s worrying that if he stays with you, you’ll balloon even more.” Also studies have shown that women's self esteem about their bodies plummet and make them feel self-conscious their bodies and thus be less provocative in bed.

Men can eat more
"Men require 25 to 40 percent more calories than women do, so take a third less than his portion,” advises McKittrick. Adds Wansink: “Studies show that the more attention a woman pays to how much she consumes on a date, the less she’ll eat. So right away understand that you are not created equal at the dinner table. A man's metabolism will burn up the fat faster than a woman's.

Work it
So don't skip your favorite kickboxing class, just because you are in love. Involve each other in active dates, like hiking, running, or biking. Couples who resolved to improve their eating and exercise habits together were shown to lose weight and maintained a healthy lifestyle 16 months later.