How to avoid weight gain during the ‘Honeymoon phase’ of a new relationship

Fancy four course dinners or relaxing Netflix and pizza nights make for great dates with the new man in your life, but while your new relationship may last forever, your pre-boyfriend slim figure may not. If you find yourself frequently skipping the gym for snuggle time or substituting fish and roasted veggie dinners for chef tastings and endless bottles of wine then this article is for you! Here are 5 recommendations on how to maintain a healthy balance and weight during the honeymoon period so your happiness and confidence flourish with your new relationship.

Drink Wisely: The calories from alcohol consumption can easily add up. The average glass of table wine will cost you 125 calories. So while it's nice to relax together with a drink, try to not make it into a routine. And before you opt to "split a bottle," keep in mind that an entire bottle of wine is around 625 calories, which basically cancels out any workout that you may have had that day. My advice is to try and limit yourself to no more than 4-5 drinks (wine or liquor) per week, if you want to avoid unnecessary weight gain.

Communication is Key: Talk about why you enjoy eating healthy or take a couple minutes to explain how Pure Barre, Fly Wheel or long morning runs are essential to your weekly schedule. Now, this doesn't mean be a crazy health nut and spend an entire date discussing your daily carbohydrate vs. fat intake but do try to be upfront about your diet and fitness goals from the start so you can hopefully avoid frustration or awkwardness when your new date suggests Shake Shack or their favorite pub for your next get together.

Limit Dining out Together to Once Per Week: Dinners out usually involve cocktails, ordering appetizers, dabbling in the bread basket or splitting a decadent dessert which clearly surpasses the caloric content of your basic dinner at home so if you're finding that you and your guy are constantly dining out then slow things down by limiting your full blown dining experiences together to once per week. This will help you to avoid downing meals that are major calorie, fat, and sodium bombs.

Don't Match His Appetite: When you see someone eating, it makes you want to eat too. Guys tend to eat more than girls, so be sure not to match his appetite or intake by splitting the same portion size of food with him. If he's munching away on an entire bag of pretzels or asks to split a pizza with you, try to only grab a single handful of pretzels for yourself or eat 1 slice of pizza less than him so that you two aren't eating the same amount. Making this recommendation into a habit will help you to stay aware of your portion sizes when eating together to avoid mindless eating and excess calorie intake.

Weekly Weigh In's: It's a great thing to accept your body and not obsess over every last calorie but it's hard to feel good about yourself when none of your pants fit so to prevent your eating habits from spiraling out of control and to gain back a sense of accountability, I recommend weighing yourself twice per week. I ask my clients to weigh themselves only on Wednesdays and Fridays. Wednesday is a perfect day because it is in the middle of the week so it gives your body time to adjust from weekend endeavors and Friday weigh ins give you a clearer perspective of your progress from that week.

----------

Read more Goal Getter for healthy eating, weight loss and more.