Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Love and Fat

Do you think being in love makes you fat? Do we let ourselves get too comfortable in our relationships and give up taking care of ourselves? Do we only worry about our appearance when we are looking for love and give up once we find it. I wonder whether I would have gained so much weight if I had been single the past 25 years.

I know so many women who go on extreme diets, starve themselves and work out like maniacs to fit into their wedding dress and then they can't even squeeze into it when they get back from their honeymoon. They all look at their wedding pictures and wish they could get back to that unrealistic weight again.

Last week while B was away I ate healthy and didn't miss a single work out. The other thing I noticed was I didn't drink any Diet Coke even though I had plenty in stock. It makes me wonder why I'll sneak food when B is home but when I am by myself and can eat anything I want without having to hide it I don't.

Hmmm...it makes me think of a recent study about friends making you fat (sorry I'm too lazy to look up the link). It basically suggests that when you are around people who eat fast, you tend to eat fast. When we are surrounded by people who lead a sedentary life, we tend to do the same. If your friends and family are fat you are more likely to follow in their footsteps.

When B is drinking Diet Coke, I want to drink it too. When all my friends are partying and enjoying massive quantities of food and drink I want to be part of the party too. When there is a celebration I want to eat cake with everyone else.

Is it possible to make lasting changes if the people you surround yourself with don't make those changes too?

6 comments:

  1. oh I definitely think it is a contributing factor. I was thin whe nI met my boyfriend and was afraid to eat around him at first, thinking that girls were not supposed to eat how they really wanted to in front of men. but once we were comfortable around each other, I ate like he did and he loved it. whenever he had a snack, so did I, etc. and that is one contributing factor to me gaining weight. and considernig he loved me regardless, at first I did not really think there was a problem. that is why ultimately, losing weight has to be for yourself, because otherwise, there is no real motivation.

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  2. i doooo agree that love, while rockin', makes doing the healthy thing much more difficult!

    (btw, i've been reading via the RSS feed and haven't been to your actual blog for a wee while... now swooning over your header image! gorgeous part of the world :)

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  3. It's definitely true that the people we are around influence our eating. When we go out for dinner with friends most of the girls NEVER have a dessert or even finish their dinner. I always clear my plate unless I'm sick or something! :) But even though I'd love a dessert when out I would rarely order one when no-one else is doing so. I'd feel like such a greedy pig compared to the others.

    Needless to say none of these girls have weight problems but then I often think maybe they do and just have it under control!

    My hubby is clueless about it all. He does try but I know he just doesn't get it. He can easily stop when full and leave a chocolate bar in the fridge for weeks or months even! Horrifying.

    Do you mind me asking why you try not to drink diet coke? I have to say when I am craving something sweet it often takes the longing away along with a piece or 2 of good quality dark choc. Although I do realise diet or not that coke is not the best thing in the world for me but if it means not eating half a shop of chocolate it seems like the wiser choice in the end. Of course that's just me :)

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  4. Heather: I'm glad we both have realized we can't keep up with the guys.

    Shauna: If you like the header photo you should check out my other photos of the Public Gardens in Spring. The colors were amazing this year.

    Crazylady: I've had a serious Diet Coke addiction for years and aside from the caramel coloring (which is bad for your teeth) and the Aspartame (?) I figure it is always better to drink water instead of Acid (Phosphoric and Citric) and Caffeine. I'd just like to cut back on the Diet Coke addiction. Also, I think there may be something to the study about diet soda causing weight gain.

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  5. Thanks for your reply MB. I wasn't criticising or anything just in case you thought I was. I was just curious. I do battle with the fact that it's not very good for me but it just seems to work many of the times when I'm longing for something sweet. Plus it's a mental thing for me too, I think. I see it as treating myself to it so in a way it helps me to not feel deprived.

    PS. Sorry about leaving such a long 'comment' the 1st time!!!

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  6. I certainly have no answers, but this is a constant struggle for me. My husband has ridiculous metabolism from his many years as an Olympic-caliber swimmer and there are days when he literally eats only sugared cereal and ice cream. I finally had put my foot down and decided that if I needed to, I'd make a separate and healthy meal for myself, which is the norm now. I can immediately tell when I'm not being diligent enough.. I hate it, but it is what it is.

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