I never gained the "freshman fifteen." However, over the past two years, between the ages of 21 and 23, I've been working on the "marital fifteen." At the beginning of the summer when we stopped eating meat, I was thinking that my new diet chosen for ethical reasons would probably slow down or stop my gain. This theory, along with my mom's theory about my future weight gain, proved to be wrong. There have been some pros--I can wear more clothes from the women's section, which is helpful when one wants to look like a grown up. There have also been some cons--I have some jeans I really love which are now difficult to put on and give me some lovely muffin tops.
I've been contemplating why I've been gaining weight and have come up with some new explanations.
- My ridiculously sedentary lifestyle
- Emotional eating (which includes eating out of boredom or because it sounds fun)
- I really like cooking and really hate wasting
- Stress from school (emotional eating trigger)
- A husband who really likes eating
- Having fun activities/dates revolve around eating
- A newfound love for cheese
- A love for the deliciously sweet and sparkling taste of cola
My solutions:
- Exercise sometimes
- Only eat when I'm hungry
- Cook fewer desserts and more healthy meals
- Find new ways to deal with school stress (exercising, reading)
- Finding non-eating-related hobbies
- Chill out on the cheese--find other protein sources
- Save pop for a more rare "dessert" option
- Avoid high fructose corn syrup
My questions for you: Any unhealthy areas that trip you up that I should look for in my life? And, what are your favorite ways to exercise in the winter that don't involve gym memberships or treadmills (and like equipment) at home?
