New Marriage

New Marriage

Your wedding dress is neatly packed away in its special box. The thankyou notes have been sent. And your blissful honeymoon is already a distant memory. You spent months preparing for the big day, keeping a vigilant eye on the scale, getting the needle down to the perfect wedding weight, ensuring that you looked your best as you walked down that aisle. Now, that megamotivation has disappeared from your everyday life. On top of it, you're adjusting to living and eating with another person, namely your husband. "It's a lot of energy to adapt to a new way of living and sometimes people don't have the energy to say no to the food."

As a result, it's crucial to have a postwedding plan in place for establishing healthy eating patterns in your new marriage. Experts agree: Communication is key to creating a healthy lifestyle together. "Talk to your husband about your eating habits and plans. Ask him to be supportive," says Alison Brown, PhD, a clinical psychologist in New York City who specializes in food and weight issues. What if your new spouse has a penchant for nacho chips and rocky road? "It is important to have the courage to say what you need," agrees Clark. "Negotiate what kind of food you're going to keep in the house," adds Brown. Ask him to keep the cookies in the trunk of the car or order ice cream at the local softserve hut rather than keeping cartons of it in the freezer.

Plan your meals together, suggests Rebecca Kelly, nutrition specialist and registered dietitian with Mississippi State University's Extension Service. "Go to the library together and check out a couple of good cookbooks. Educate yourself on cooking ethnic cuisine or lowfat cooking in order to achieve balance in both of your diets."

Also, think about other rituals you can create with your husband, outside of eating. "It could be an interest in hobbies such as flea markets or music that your share," says Brown. "Try exercising together, so mealtime is not the only time you spend together." Take up a new sport that you both enjoy, such as ballroom dancing or racquetball.