Gaining weight isn’t necessarily a bad thing but gaining too much of it can be considered unhealthy. In the case of couples and newlyweds, weight gain comes along naturally when they indulge in luxuries, delicious food and other stuff. According to studies conducted at the University of Glasgow, newlyweds gain weight on an average of 4-5 lbs in their first year of marriage. In contrast, couples who live together gain much more around 30-40 lbs in just the first few months.
As we age, our metabolism gets slower and we become vulnerable to disease associated with weight gain. Losing weight to stay fit and active is a great idea, but getting your partner to do the same can altogether be a different story. The best way to go about this is if you make it an activity that you both can enjoy together. You need to stress upon your partner the importance of losing weight. Hence, here are some pointers on how to get your loved one to lose weight and back in shape.
Going through diets regularly is a good idea to work on your weight loss plan. However, it’s also good for gaining weight if you have to. Diet charts provide you with the knowledge you need about what to eat and what not to eat, what food-combinations are good and so on. It is relatively easier to follow a diet plan than begin dieting with the knowledge you gain from researching. There are numerous diets that meet various different fitness-related goals. Therefore, you should always pick a simple diet which is not so restrictive and that which you can stick to.
Image Source: vietnammoi.vn
The primary focus in these is on calorie content and daily portions. This diet will take a while to achieve your desired result but it is much easier to follow on a long-term basis and is well-balanced.
Image Source: sdepositphotos.com
Follow a low carb diet which emphasizes protein and healthy fats consumption with minimal carbohydrates. Research has proved that these diets have a guaranteed weight-loss success rate. Hence, they are surging in popularity nowadays.
Image Source: www.sbs.com.au
Instead of shopping for junk foods and sugary stuff, try switching over to buying healthy foods. Replace all the junk food in your kitchen with fruits and vegetables. Keep them in places like on the kitchen table, so that you and your partner get motivated to snack on them. Without junk food around, you and your partner will be inclined to try out healthier food and snacks.
Low-fat yogurts, cheese sticks, nuts, hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, peanut butter and raw veggies are good replacements for all the fat-sugary junk food. Switch over from sodas and energy drinks to healthy hydrating fluids like green tea, decaf iced coffee, iced tea, water or flavored water, etc.
Image Source: cdnimpuls.com
Control your partner’s calorie intake by packing a wholesome healthy lunch for them to take to work, instead of them having to resort to take-out from local restaurants. Lunches packed in the famous brown paper bags help you control the portion sizes as well as the calories your loved one will consume. This way you can make sure the ingredients are nutritious and fresh. It doesn’t matter if you have to lose weight the packed lunch is a much healthier way of eating.
Pack a lunch daily, for yourself and your partner. In fact, it would be better to pack it the night before to avoid the morning rush to work. This will ensure that neither of you cheats on the diet plan. It would be good to purchase Tupperware containers or lunch boxes, as these keep your lunch at an appropriate temperature for long periods.
Image Source: vietnammoi.vn
Maintaining good health and a healthy body weight can only be possible with a well-balanced diet. This includes consuming a variety of healthy foods in the right proportions. It also means that you have to incorporate protein, dairy or dairy alternatives, starchy foods, unsaturated oils and spreads, and water, otherwise known as the “5-a-Day foods’’.
Image Source: vietnammoi.vn
Prepare a hunger-satisfying meal for your partner by including lean protein foods like lean meat, chicken/turkey breast, tofu, legumes, eggs, and seafood in it.
Image Source: hearstapps.com
Make sure to always include enough of fruits and vegetables to each meal. Consuming fruits and vegetables will help in maintaining a healthy gut and supplying your body with antioxidants. Furthermore, they are both rich in vital nutrients while being low in calories which are good for losing weight.
Image Source: dailymail.co.uk
Whole grains should be the staple choice when preparing meals. Brown rice, whole grain oats, quinoa and whole-wheat bread and pasta are excellent whole grain foods. These promote weight loss while supplying the body with fiber, protein and essential nutrients.
Image Source: energizenutrition.ca
It’s good to spend some quality time with your partner, and what better way to about it than by cooking healthy meals together. Cooking together will help deepen your bonds as well as get each other more into eating and living a healthy lifestyle. There is a lot to learn from this like how to mix different ingredients and what are the advantages of home-cooked meals. Changing your diet to suit your partner’s healthy choice of diet is a great way to support and motivate them to push on with their fitness goals.
Image Source: vietnammoi.vn
Certain studies have implicated that using smaller plates makes you eat small proportions and feel satisfied with it. The psychology is such that in larger plates food seems lesser in proportion while the very same quantity in a smaller plate may seem like a large amount of food. Hence, you end up being satisfied with less without even realizing it. The best way to do this would be to move the large plates, cups, glasses and utensils to a secluded area in the kitchen and keep cabinets filled with the smaller plates and bowls instead.
Image Source: brightside.me
Drinking water may seem like a normal insignificant task but it is crucial for your weight loss program. Water has the potential to reduce calories and even prevent you from gaining weight. It also detoxifies your body and is obviously the best way to stay hydrated. Drinking water will boost your energy while also reducing your want for sugary energy drinks.
Keeping a bottle with you is a good way of reminding yourself to take a sip of water every now and then, to meet your daily requirements. Filling up your partner’s water bottle and placing it in their bag or places where they often sit is a great way of encouraging them to drink sufficient water daily. This way they won’t have to go get any other drink when they feel thirsty.
Image Source: www.syl.ru
Your motivation and drive to work out will definitely receive a boost if you have your partner doing it with you. With your partner, you can do the exercises that require 2 people such as crunches, partner-pushups, and others. A study conducted at the Kansas State University revealed that couples who begin working out together are known to intensify their workout by 200%.
Having your partner workout beside you stops you from feeling reluctant to workout. Their presence makes you have a positive attitude towards your workout and helps you form a better connection with each other. Exercising doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to hit the gym, it can be stuff like jogging, swimming, hiking, and even enjoying a nice walk together is good enough. Workout or do some physical activity for at least 120-150 minutes each week with your partner.
Image Source: vietnammoi.vn
Getting less than 8 hours of sleep can cause you to gain weight. Sleep deprivation leads to weight gain. Thus, you might want to consider getting a good solid 8 hours of sleep to help you lose weight. In fact, sleeping less than 6 hours makes an adult’s appetite increase and makes them feel hungry more often. As a result, cravings for foods rich in carbs also increase. According to some studies, sleep deprivation and obesity are linked. This is due to the fact that lack of sleep has an effect on the hunger-regulating hormone (ghrelin+leptin).
Image Source: cdnimpuls.com
It would be advisable for both you and your partner to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night for regulating your hormones and to keep your hunger in and insulin levels in check. Move the TV out of your bedroom and switch off all electronic gadgets like computers, cell-phones, iPads and such that would keep you awake. Getting into bed at the same time as your partner is a good idea to get some bonding time before ending your day.
Image Source: meetville.com
Setting a common goal and a certain deadline together would be a good way to ensure both of you stay focused on what needs to be accomplished. This provides you with motivation to succeed before the deadline is up.
Just in case your partner has to lose a few extra pounds than you, set smaller goals that when completed leads on to the next until the ultimate one is completed. Recording your weight-loss journey along with the goals you and your partner have already accomplished, in a journal is a good way of staying motivated together.
Image Source: www.syl.ru
Knowing that a fun reward will be there at the end, once either of you have achieved your goals is a huge motivating factor to keep you going. Your loved one is sure to stay on track with their diet if they know that there is something fun planned for once the goal is reached. Planning little rewards and surprises for your partner for when they complete the mini-goals is an encouraging way to get them excited and set on completing the next goal. Just remember to present your partner with non-food related rewards, as it can turn out to be counterproductive, for those dead-set on losing weight.
Try losing weight and maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle with your loved one by following these guaranteed effective points; both of your lives will definitely take a turn for the better.
Image Source: rmncdn.com