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What do you know about “happy weight” or “love pounds”?

You probably know it as the weight people put on because they’ve found love (in a hopeless place). But according to the Huffington Post, it’s the weight people put on because they quickly become accustomed to certain behaviors and ways of thinking once settled in a relationship. You’re more comfortable kicking back and indulging while with your beloved. It’s like when people say they don’t have to worry about looking a certain way or doing things in a certain way anymore because “I got a man now.” You snagged yourself a good one, so who cares about looking like a Sports Illustrated model? “Somebody like it!”

But in all seriousness, too much of that thinking can put extra weight on the body as we get older that can be harder to get off. And according to experts, women are the ones who usually pack on the pounds when they move in with their partner.

And Andrea Meltzer, assistant professor of psychology at Florida State found in a recent study that couples who are happily married put on even more weight than most.

Meltzer told the Huffington Post, “By focusing more on the health-related benefits of weight maintenance, people may be able to avoid potentially unhealthy weight gain once they enter a relationship.”

So, you’re advised to get all that in check before you get coupled up. If you do, chances are, you won’t be as likely to start letting yourself go so fast because you’re oh so happy.

The Huffington Post shared advice from experts on how to avoid the “love pounds.” They encouraged couples to cook at home more instead of consistently opting to eat out. They also urged partners to work out together for a more “intense” and “productive” conditioning, and more than anything, they said that couples should do more things that are focused on being on the move. Sitting at home and having a Netflix and Chill session is nice here and there, but being active will do both of your bodies good for the long-term.

But who hasn’t been there? I put on quite a few pounds while comfortable in relationships back in the day. In college, I slowly but surely started packing on the pounds while dating a guy I was with for almost two years. I didn’t realize this was happening until we went to visit his mother in St. Louis, and she told me I was starting to get a little “thick.” When I went home for the holidays, it was the same sort of language from my own family. I got the hint that I was getting a little chunky.

And in my current relationship, around the first year or two, I was very comfortable ordering Chinese food, pizza, whatever–and then lounging on the couch with my partner while he watched me revel in the greasy foods. It wasn’t until I started struggling to fit into my jeans, and he commented on me getting McDonald’s “again?” — and a “Did Y’all See?” viewer told me I should move up to an XL sleeveless top — that I realized I was falling back into my old habits.

So yes, it’s definitely important to care about your health and your weight, not only so you can look good and stay good when you snag yourself a spouse, but, in general, so you can feel good and look good for yourself. Because let me tell you, the more you pack on, the more complicated it often feels to get it off.

However, I would say that you shouldn’t let the commentary of others push you to get on a treadmill (i.e., Mama Joyce consistently telling Kandi Burruss she was getting heavy and then blaming Todd Tucker for it). If you see a change in your body and want to work on it, then you should. But if others are in your ear, know that a lot of weight is one thing, but a few pounds of extra cushion, or “happy weight” during a euphoric time in your life, never hurt anybody.

 

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