Post-Wedding Weight Gain

soon2bmrsdaniel

I have been married since June and weighed around 195. I had been exercising religiously up until April and then with the stress of finishing undergrad, 40+ hours of work a week, and wedding planning, I fell off the wagon. I was content then because I thought I would get back on track after we got back from the honeymoon. Long story short, I ended up living with the in-laws from June 30 until October 16 due to our apartment catching fire and finding a new home. I have had NO motivation to work out or eat right. It seems to be the only thing that comforts me. I have gained about 15 pounds from stress eating because living with the in-laws was my own living hell. Don't get me wrong, I am so grateful that I had somewhere to go in that tough situation, but its a little awkward living with your in-laws and being newlyweds! I've tried to talk to my husband about how I feel but of course, he didn't see anything wrong with living there. I don't feel like myself anymore. I don't even want my husband to touch me or see me getting dressed because I feel disgusting. Anybody have any suggestions as to what worked for them? I'm up for any suggestions because I really need to do something! Plus, I'd like to get in better shape before we decide to get pregnant. HELP!

HoneyBee973

You gained 15 lbs, thats not all that bad.  Start eating healthy again, go for a walk in the evening, and on the weekends.  The 15lbs will come off, and than you can focus on losing more, if that's your goal.

entropicbeauty

You have to WANT to do this for yourself.

If you sincerely want to lose the weight, managing your food is going to be priority number one. Weight loss is something like 80% food and 20% exercise, so get your food in order! I recommend calorie counting using a tool like myfitnesspal.com (alternatively I hear people also like sparkpeople.com).

Be active. Even if it is just parking further away from the entrance at the grocery store. Every little bit helps. Once your food is more under control you can focus on adding in 2-3 days of exercise (even if it's only 20 minutes a day taking a walk!). 

hesakeeper

PP mentioned that it is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. Don't put a time limit on your diet. Heck, I hate the word "diet" because people don't always understand that it is a way of life. It's all about moderation.

The holidays are coming, but that doesn't mean you HAVE to HAVE second helpings, and nothing-but-sweets. It is easy to make excuses, but you really have to stay motivated for the weight to come off.

It is also easy to make excuses for exercise. Don't. There's no excuse. It has been proven that exercise reduces stress. If you plan to go to the mall for holiday shopping - park on the opposite end than the store you want to go to. You can walk through the mall (to avoid bad weather outside), but at least you'll be getting in exercise. 

Other thoughts:

1. Consider getting a pedometer - Make a goal to walk X many steps a day (a good goal is 10,000 steps) 
2. Have realistic expectations - Your 15 lbs probably won't come off by the end of the year, sorry. But don't give up!
3. Portion control - Watch what you're putting into your mouth at all times. This includes drinks and it also includes parties. 

entropicbeauty

hesakeeper also makes an excellent suggestion on getting a pedometer!

 One of the ways I've been able to lose the 40lbs I have so far is that I got a fitbit. It tracks how many steps I take in a day, how many flights of stairs and  how many calories I burn. That along with tracking my calories lets me clearly see what my intake and output is. 1 lb is approximately 3500 calories, so if I'm eating 500 fewer calories than I burn in a day that theoretically means I'm on track to lose 1lb a week.

Before the fitbit I was probably only doing 3,000-5,000 steps in a day, now my goal is 10,000 steps every day (which is what a healthy adult should be doing) and I average 8,000-12,000 steps a day.