Fahmida Hashem :
Weight gain after marriage is common in Bangladesh. Not only is this shown in newly-weds just beginning to live together, but in co-habitants as well. A lot of girls go on some magic diet 2 to 3 months prior to their wedding to look slim during their wedding; they are not able to follow same routine after marriage so obviously whatever she had lost earlier haunts her back.
Majority of us, once the big day is over, we start a marriage routine which causes weight gain and has negative implications on our health and happiness. Married life after the honeymoon is not as dreamy as they make it look in Bollywood movies; it is stressful especially for women because she has to go through so many changes.
The ‘newly married’ tag means you have the freedom to go out and binge every weekend, sometimes weekdays too! So more often than not, at least one of your meals is outside food which is often rich in calories and low in balance nutrition. Before the wedding, it is all about looking stunning which means hours in the gym, portion control, and so on.
But once the wedding is over and responsibility strikes, your health takes a backseat. Gym hour is replaced by cooking hour and diet as we mentioned goes for a toss. All these changes make you put on weight post marriage.
According to research some 82 per cent of couples gain weight after their marriage. In fact, a 2recent study showed women gain an average of 24 pounds in the first 5 years after marriage while their male counterparts gain on average 30 pounds in the same time. Nearly one in five married women in Bangladesh are obese or overweight, new research from icddr,b has established.
Many studies show that breakfast eaters are less likely to be overweight than those who skip their morning meal. Set aside 15 minutes to eat together before you head out the door. Just because one of you is a snacker doesn’t mean you both have to be. Stop and consider whether you’re actually hungry or just ‘eating with company’ before digging in, and encourage your partner to do the same. If dinner at home means lingering over a long meal at the dining room table, dole out a portion before you sit down and leave any leftovers in the kitchen. With the extras out of sight, you’ll both be less likely to overeat. Buy groceries for a shared meal that you can each personalize to your liking and to that day’s caloric needs.
Here is a sample food plan for new couple, so that you know how to divide your meals and calories during post marriage –
In early morning = 1 cup warm lemon water with 2 pc garlic
Breakfast = 1 pc brown ruti + Egg white (2)+ 1 cup mixed veg. (papaya , chalkumra)+ 1 cup yoghurt with 1 tsp cumin powder
Mid-afternoon= 1 handful of walnuts + Dalim / any seasonal fruits
Lunch = 1 cup brown rice + 1 cup lightly spiced mixed veg. / different shak with crushed garlic + 1 cup raw salad with dressing of lemon, pepper and salt + 2 pc fish/meat+ 1 cup cooked liver+ 1 cup ghono Dal .
Evening = Diabetes crackers (3pc) + 1 seasonal fruits + green tea
Dinner= Mixed veg. & chicken soup with minimum oil + Raw salad with dressing of lemon& yoghurt + +1 pc steam/ baked fish+ 1 cup steamed or cooked lentils.
Bed time= 1 glass soya milk + 1 pc dark solid chocolate
Keep yourself away from Fried foods, packaged fruit juice, Pickles, Jams, Biscuits and sweets, chocolates, ice-creams, yoghurt, mayonnaise in salads as far as possible to get the best results out of this diet.
The options given in the diet plan are varied, so that you do not get bored. Eating vegetables and grains in an interesting manner, and making a new pulse daily is the best way to stick to your diet plan. This plan would help you to get out of the post-wedding fatigue and weight gain.
Many of us know intuitively what research has proven – marriage can make us fat. But if we know the circumstances that lead to weight gain within a marriage, we should be better equipped to avoid or reverse it.
So to avoid turning that wedding day excitement into post wedding weight gain, make sure you are both taking steps to keep physical body in great shape, but also keep attitude towards new life with each other positive and prosperous and you should be able to enjoy a long, healthy, happy and SLIM marriage.
Weight gain after marriage is common in Bangladesh. Not only is this shown in newly-weds just beginning to live together, but in co-habitants as well. A lot of girls go on some magic diet 2 to 3 months prior to their wedding to look slim during their wedding; they are not able to follow same routine after marriage so obviously whatever she had lost earlier haunts her back.
Majority of us, once the big day is over, we start a marriage routine which causes weight gain and has negative implications on our health and happiness. Married life after the honeymoon is not as dreamy as they make it look in Bollywood movies; it is stressful especially for women because she has to go through so many changes.
The ‘newly married’ tag means you have the freedom to go out and binge every weekend, sometimes weekdays too! So more often than not, at least one of your meals is outside food which is often rich in calories and low in balance nutrition. Before the wedding, it is all about looking stunning which means hours in the gym, portion control, and so on.
But once the wedding is over and responsibility strikes, your health takes a backseat. Gym hour is replaced by cooking hour and diet as we mentioned goes for a toss. All these changes make you put on weight post marriage.
According to research some 82 per cent of couples gain weight after their marriage. In fact, a 2recent study showed women gain an average of 24 pounds in the first 5 years after marriage while their male counterparts gain on average 30 pounds in the same time. Nearly one in five married women in Bangladesh are obese or overweight, new research from icddr,b has established.
Many studies show that breakfast eaters are less likely to be overweight than those who skip their morning meal. Set aside 15 minutes to eat together before you head out the door. Just because one of you is a snacker doesn’t mean you both have to be. Stop and consider whether you’re actually hungry or just ‘eating with company’ before digging in, and encourage your partner to do the same. If dinner at home means lingering over a long meal at the dining room table, dole out a portion before you sit down and leave any leftovers in the kitchen. With the extras out of sight, you’ll both be less likely to overeat. Buy groceries for a shared meal that you can each personalize to your liking and to that day’s caloric needs.
Here is a sample food plan for new couple, so that you know how to divide your meals and calories during post marriage –
In early morning = 1 cup warm lemon water with 2 pc garlic
Breakfast = 1 pc brown ruti + Egg white (2)+ 1 cup mixed veg. (papaya , chalkumra)+ 1 cup yoghurt with 1 tsp cumin powder
Mid-afternoon= 1 handful of walnuts + Dalim / any seasonal fruits
Lunch = 1 cup brown rice + 1 cup lightly spiced mixed veg. / different shak with crushed garlic + 1 cup raw salad with dressing of lemon, pepper and salt + 2 pc fish/meat+ 1 cup cooked liver+ 1 cup ghono Dal .
Evening = Diabetes crackers (3pc) + 1 seasonal fruits + green tea
Dinner= Mixed veg. & chicken soup with minimum oil + Raw salad with dressing of lemon& yoghurt + +1 pc steam/ baked fish+ 1 cup steamed or cooked lentils.
Bed time= 1 glass soya milk + 1 pc dark solid chocolate
Keep yourself away from Fried foods, packaged fruit juice, Pickles, Jams, Biscuits and sweets, chocolates, ice-creams, yoghurt, mayonnaise in salads as far as possible to get the best results out of this diet.
The options given in the diet plan are varied, so that you do not get bored. Eating vegetables and grains in an interesting manner, and making a new pulse daily is the best way to stick to your diet plan. This plan would help you to get out of the post-wedding fatigue and weight gain.
Many of us know intuitively what research has proven – marriage can make us fat. But if we know the circumstances that lead to weight gain within a marriage, we should be better equipped to avoid or reverse it.
So to avoid turning that wedding day excitement into post wedding weight gain, make sure you are both taking steps to keep physical body in great shape, but also keep attitude towards new life with each other positive and prosperous and you should be able to enjoy a long, healthy, happy and SLIM marriage.
[Fahmida Hashem is Consulting Nutritionist & CEO, Miss Nutritionist (Center for nutrition & weight
management)]
