Couple Fitness: Tips for Newlyweds

5 Easy Ways to avoid packing on pounds as newly-weds

As the days begin to brighten up, many of us find our schedules becoming occupied with weddings to attend. If we’re not at the wedding as a guest we may happen to be the one whom all the attention is centred around. Newlyweds may also find themselves being invited to countless family dinners once the wedding is complete. 

The weekend dinners, which begin to take place, can add up quickly (as do the calories) and before you know it you won’t be fitting into any of the clothing you just had tailored for your big day! 

Just like the “Freshman 15,” which refers to the average of 15 pounds gained in the first year of attending university/college by high school graduates, comes the “newly-wed 15!” Marriage brings along with it many new adjustments to your life, which can make the transition period for newlyweds a bit of a challenge. A few very important areas of your life, which become affected, are your diet, health and fitness!  

Let’s go over a few pointers, which can help you coast clear of the unwanted pounds as you transition into married life, and give you the tools to survive the onslaught of family dinners without having to go buy new pants! 

Pick one day of the week where you and your spouse prepare the meals for the next four days:

Like they told us in school, if you fail to prepare you are preparing to fail! In order to make sure you can always make a wise choice when it comes to what to eat, pre-prepare your main meals in advance so you won’t fall victim to restaurants/fast food. Life is going to become very busy and trying to coordinate two work schedules around when to eat and when to prepare it, can become very difficult. Couples that don’t prep their food rely on having enough time each day to freshly prepare a healthy lunch and dinner, however, once life gets in the way and the schedule becomes too busy, the fast food window will begin to win the battle! 

Decide what days you will be training on the Sunday that precedes the work week:

Just as you’ll be prepping your meals in advance, your training too will be decided in advance. Once you have your work week scheduled and you know which engagements you have to attend and when, you can begin to schedule in when your training will take place and for how long.  Even if on certain days you can only give up 30 minutes for exercise, just do it! As long as your session is planned in advance, it will ensure you are not just roaming around wasting time. If possible try to train once or twice a week with your spouse as it helps keep each other accountable for the long run.  

AVOID calorie-dense foods for dinner and pack up on the lean protein:

There are many Indian appetizers which are fried (such as the lovely samosa) and pack a lot of calories. When at an event or family gathering, before you even make it to the main course you will find that you’ll have consumed way more calories than you should have – leaving you with a caloric surplus for the day. Pass up on the carb-rich appetizers and indulge in the protein-dense foods such as the many forms of chicken that is served. Save your calories for the main dish, trust me, your waist will thank you! 

Limit your alcohol intake to one to two times per week and no more than two drinks per sitting:

Limiting your alcohol consumption to two drinks per sitting is actually being very generous for all those that are thinking, “Just 3!!!!” Alcohol is very dense in calories and when added up with the food you’ll be consuming at the family dinners, things won’t be looking pretty for your summer 19 goals. Alcohol also negatively impacts your body’s ability to burning fat. I suppose now you can see why it’s imperative you don’t over drink! 

Limit “eating-out,” as a couple to once a week:

Going out to a restaurant to eat is something that becomes very habitual and a part of the week for most couples. However, this innocent habit can result in the number on the scale slowly going up. Create a strict rule right off the bat regarding how many times a week you will be eating out and stick to it. It will become very easy to miss meal prepping and opt to eat out instead, however that’s something you have to make sure doesn’t’ happen. Once this habit gets out of control, performing damage control after the fact will become very difficult.

Well there you have it! Five easy ways to avoid packing on pounds as a newlywed couple. Try to implement these tips into your lives as you’re going from one wedding or dinner to the next. 

About the Author

Jas Johal is a kinesiologist and co-founder of Fit Nation. Johal graduated from UBC in 2011 with a Bachelors degree in kinesiology and began working in the fitness industry in 2012. For any further in depth guidance on diet & exercise, email Jas at jas@fit-nation.co.