SAMANTHA SALIS
He loves me…
He loves me not…
He loves me…
He loves me not…
We women know that when we have feelings for a guy, we are not prancing in a field, picking petals off of daisies, hoping that the stupid flower has an odd amount of petals. No way. We are putting our game faces on! Mad dash to the gym, mani-pedis, slipping into that can't-take-your-eyes-off-me new dress, preferably red-hot red... the works. Women are sure to create as many confidence boosters necessary before any big date. Every woman wants to see a look of sheer awe on their man's face.
And then you get to know each other and long story short, you get the guy. Whoo! Yay! Hooray! It is exciting and fun, and there is so much to do, and there is romance and so many free dinners….so many dinners. And sometimes at those dinners, he is still hungry, so you share that mud pie afterwards. And all those amazing days of lying around with out a care in the world. And for Valentines Day, he brings you chocolate. And then after a few months? Besides the love he gives you, you can’t button your jeans. You can’t pin point why because you have become accustomed to these new (not so healthy) man-habits. And then you realize, it is all his fault!
Before you get riled up, let me clarify: he himself is not making you fat. By having him in your life, you need to become more conscious about your own habits and realize that men's metabolisms are much faster.
Let’s start with the continuous dinner dates, casual or otherwise. I very much enjoy being taken to dinner, as, I'm assuming, do you. This gesture is just one example of the gentleman-like behavior that every woman should expect from her man! It is a great experience-- you are waited on by your man and the waitress whom emerges with a delicious meal from the kitchen. All of this is so exciting! But in terms of your calorie intake? Well, that is not something to be excited about. It is easy to overload on calories when out on the town, especially since you're not the one making the food-- you don't always know how much fatty or sugary ingredients you're ingesting. We should all be smart about how we order (maybe get that ranch dressing on the side?). Sometimes, it's fun to indulge, but at least get a healthy salad on the side and workout to keep healthy! It's not even about weight at a certain point, it's about your health. As for checking what we're ordering, there is only so much we can do. But, remember: no one is going to be as precise about your food as you are.
There is also a tendency for women to adopt the eating habits of those around them. If a woman is surrounded by a group of friends picking at lettuce, I doubt she is going to order the country-fried steak. On the other hand, if a woman is innocently trying to be satisfied by her kelp, and is surrounded by men and their cheeseburgers, she may be tempted to change her diet. Consider that; what does your man eat? Yup, exactly. Unless you're dating a wrestler-- they're worse than models.
To combat this boyfriend-influenced extra calorie intake, try to engage in more activities when you’re together (sex being one of them). Instead of laying in your PJ’s all day watching Modern Family together, try to go on a hike together! Play frisbee at the beach, and if it's cold, go ice skating! If he says, "no, that's gay," translate that to, "shit, I'm not good at ice skating. I'm going to fall straight on my ass." He'll go if you challenge him. By slowly incorporating changes like this into your routine together, an active life will soon become habit.
So the moral of the story is: love may make the world go ‘round, but it can also make you fat. Although it is completely unfair, men naturally lose fat more quickly and with more ease than women. Just because he can eat a donut every morning, doesn’t mean you can too. This logic of being aware of your own body in social situations applies to, not only those with a boyfriend, but every social eater. Be conscious! If you are surrounded by people with eating habits you would not like to adopt, don’t. So ladies, go out and love your man, love yourself, but for god's sake, don't love his food.
The Woman Behind the Fitness Section:
Samantha Salis is a Psychology Major and Political Economy Minor at UC Berkeley. She is a dedicated young woman, ambitious and sharp as a whip. Our dear Samantha tutors high schoolers and works at a Psychology lab at UC Berkeley. Even with this busy schedule, Ms. Salis creates the time to divulge to us her passion about the fitness and health of women, and is (fortunately for us) very well informed on these topics. Enjoy!
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