This doesn't seem like the best topic, coming days after Valentine's Day. But sometimes the strain of being in a couple does negatively affect one's willpower.
Often, couples do help and encourage each other. But when one partner is in good shape and the other one struggles, there can be resentment.
Vegetarian/non-vegetarian couples have issues. One eats potato chips while the other tries to avoid them. When you're alone, you can control what food comes in the house. In a couple, you don't always have that luxury.
The Washington Post article along with an accompanying online chat dealt with couples with different eating needs. Couples were highlighted where one ate much healthier than the other, and the subsequent issues involved.
The article didn't talk about diet and temptations, since this was for their food section. But the startling differences within the couples do point out that this easily applies to couples concerned with dietary issues.
I have the advantage/disadvantage of being alone at the moment (aawwwww). I can see clear advantages in the alone strategy: I can control what is in the house, with no outward temptations. I can set the dinner agenda. I can stay more disciplined.
But when I have been in a couple, and things are going well, eating for two is a lot more fun. You are more encouraged to cook, and more encouraged to try new things that can add fun and nutrition to eating. When you are tempted to slip, you get reminded that you should take better care of yourself.
When a couple is doing well, having a partner can help you do better. When a couple isn't doing well, nutrition sometimes goes out the window. When I was at the end of my then engagement, I gained a bit of weight from the stress, and when we broke up, I lost that weight pretty quickly.
So perhaps, the key is to be happy, single or otherwise.
What are your experiences? Is it better to stay committed to a eating program if you are committed to someone special? Let us know in the comments section below.
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