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In the first few weeks of a relationship, it's common to drop a few pounds — appetite-suppressing adrenaline is pumping, your willpower is in overdrive (gotta look good for your new man!), and constant sex burns plenty of extra calories. But months into the romance, you often gain back the weight...and then some. In fact, a study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recently found that, over the course of five years, coupled-up women in their late teens and early 20s put on more weight on average than single girls do. And the stronger the bond, the greater the bulge factor: Chicks who live with their guy see the scale climb three additional pounds, and those who get married pack on an extra nine.
Why the Scale Climbs
When you're in the blissful throes of love, you spend lots of time staring at each other across the dinner table. "You also consume 35 percent more food when you eat with someone you like," says Brian Wansink, PhD, author of Mindless Eating. "If you're into a guy, you end up ordering the créme brulée to make the date last longer." Also, your desire to grow closer by sharing experiences with him accounts for why you agree to order food that you'd usually pass on ("Fried calamari? Sure, why not?") and split endless bottles of wine. "Unfortunately, the booze adds calories, lowers your willpower, and makes you more prone to diet-wrecking late-night eating," says NYC nutritionist Martha McKittrick, who writes citygirlbites.com.
On top of that, skipping your 7 a.m. Spin class when there's a cute guy next to you in bed seems reasonable. And what better way to relax after a long day than by snuggling up on the couch with your man...and a bag of chips? You indulge because it's there and because your brain plays a sneaky trick. "After you've been in love for six months or so, the bonding hormone oxytocin takes over," says psychologist Belisa Vranich, PsyD. "It triggers cravings for comfort foods, so 'guy snacks' you don't even like seem appealing."
Before long, innocent slips pile on pounds...and trouble for your budding 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." (He's picturing your mom!) To make matters worse, as you gain, you may feel self-conscious about your body and be less provocative in bed.
