Thursday, 18 December 2008
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Still Single? You'll Be Unhealthy & Out of Shape Soon
My friend looked really good when I saw her over Thanksgiving break. She had toned down and lost some weight. I asked her how she achieved the look -- she said she saw her boyfriend more often, and they, er, exercised together.
"Do you have anything that single people can also do?"
"Yeah, you could start seeing somebody!"
Nice. Very nice.
I concurrently read this Time Magazine study that said single men had more health problems and higher levels of cholestorel than married men. This makes sense. Gross as the stereotype is, I imagine people eat healthier in family environments than they do when they are all alone. The results aren't just unique to men -- I eat a lot healthier now that I'm back home than I ate when I was in college. My mom cooks me lovely meals. It's sweet.
I kind of fear what will happen to my health when I move out. I don't think I can handle another freshman fifteen. I know that I should just suck it up and learn how to cook, but I have no time. I come home exhausted, and right now, I'm toggling between two jobs.
So, do you think that single people or people who are on their own, are less healthy? If you've ever lived on your own, did you notice a decline in healthy eating habits and the like?
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Comments (51)
i have no clue. I have never been alone. I lived with my grandparents (they raised me) until I married my husband.
great. just another reason to loathe my singleness. I was def. healthier and prettier when I had a boyfriend.
I'm eating and exercising way more since we broke up, because I'd prefer not to be alone for the rest of my life.
Well, It's been proven that the more sex a person has, the healthier they are, inside of monogamous relationships of course. I would assume that healthy relationships produce healthy people. Conversely, unhealthy relationships lead to unhealthy people. ( it's true- just ask around)
i'd have to agree with spokenfor above. being single right after a breakup motivates a lot of ppl to start working out and rebuilding that shot confidence.
college def made me gain weight, but now that i've started working full-time and have time to grocery shop/cook for myself, it's a lot easier to control my eating. i'm lucky my work hours allow me a lot of free time though. i have single friends who work long hours in front of a computer, have no time for exercise, and eat late at night (poor habits all around) and they've gained weight over time.
I think that having someone alongside of you helps you to find a reason to stay fit and trim; but it can backfire, too. What if they don't have to work out? Their metabolism might not need as much help to keep their good shape in shape, so they are less understanding or helpful when you have to.
As far as healthy food for those who don't know how to cook: there are wonderfully inexpensive frozen entrees available for the single person. I used to slave over the weekend to prepare foods that were healthy - all made from scratch - and freeze them for consumption later in the week. I even tried the "cook a month of food in one weekend" plan. Then I got so much overtime on top of a long commute, and had to buy frozen foods instead. I began finding some of those entrees on sale. The healthy ones. When I read the packages, and bought what I liked, I realized a few things.
1) There is automatic portion control. I won't overeat as easily. Sure, I can grab a snack and still blow the calorie count for the day; but I have to work a little harder to do it. So, it really helps me to be more disciplined about my portions.
2) It is cheaper to buy their food, than to make the same thing. Honest! I worked it out to where even spaghetti was cheaper that way. I just happen to like my version better than any frozen version, so I will rotate between the two. The problem for me is that after making it, I tend to put larger portions away in my freezer than I usually buy. I'm learning...sigh
3) You can figure out your calorie counts more easily, cause it's all labeled already.
Just be sure to watch what's on sale, and get a "favored customer" card at all the stores you can, so you can get the discounts!
Learning to cook is fun when you can do it without pressure, so don't beat yourself up about "learning to cook". You will learn it as you go.
I took a soc of family class. The book and professor said your more healthy when your with someone because you have someone checking up on you constantly. Like after two weeks if that cold doesnt go away, your significant other is forcing you into the doctors whether you like it or not. But if your alone, eghh itll go away.
As for me, I'm one of those people that doesnt eat unless my stomachs ready to kill me. And no its not because im anorexic or anything, believe me when im hungry I'll eat... a lot. But when I had a boyfriend he made sure I ate breakfast lunch and dinner, whether I was home and with him, or away at college. He kind of reminded me to eat, now that were broken up, I constently forget, and have lost quite alot of weight due to it. (im working on it I promise). As for the ermm, exersize part, I never lost weight from it, ever. =[
interesting.. having a bf does the opposite effect O_O and i lose WAYY more weight when im single... but then again I always thought this was normal considering ppl wanna look their best and continue their quest for a perfect partner... O_O
Don't these studies also show that the benefits are greater for men than for women? They get all the benefits of healthy living because someone else is doing most of the work for them.
I actually gained weight when I was with my ex. After a while, I was comfortable with him & I just started eating what he ate. He was 6'2" with a very phsyical job. I'm 5'5" and had a desk job at the time. His metabolism was ridiculously awesome. Mine, not so much. So, being part of a couple was actually less healthy for me.
I'm single and am living by myself, and I tend to eat a lot healthier this way, actually. I do all my own food shopping, so I simply choose not to buy junk food.
I think it depends on whether or not you know how to cook right for yourself. I know I would probably be unhealthy left to my own devices.
I've gained about 20 lbs since my ex and I broke up...I am far less active than I was while we were dating...
Well, I never lived alone, but my elementary school, junior high school and high school were all 10 minutes awya from my house, meaning I can walk home, so I would eat home made meals after school. But, ever since College, I go to school that is an hour away, and I'm in school alll dayy, I end up eating fast foood every single day. Sometimes twice, because I'm in school 7 am to 7 pm. And I started gaining weight. Almost the freshman fifteen, although so far is 5-10. So, I know this doesn't answer your questions fully, but it does sort of answer when you lived away from home, decline in health.
Also, I notice that I gain but lose weight constantly when I'm with someone, or seeing someone, because they treat me out to dinner, and desert, it's hard to turn it down! Lol. And it's like yummm foood, oh god im fat. hahahaa
yeah, i hope i answered. =/ =)
I'm rarely ever in a relationship, so this is not the case for me.
I don't know...if your reason for being fit is because you want someone to view you as beautiful, I'm not sure that's the right reason...and shouldn't your loved one find you beautiful no matter what?
I'm speculating, I couldn't say what every individual's reasons are when this is true for them...but I've always been fit for myself because the fitter I am, the better I feel, and the more I enjoy life.
I never needed any more reasons. ESPECIALLY not how other people see me.
Everyone's different though. I guess some people need incentives that loved ones give them, but plenty of single people I know are fit and healthy enough.
well, when you're single you're busy and so you may become stressed and eat a lot because "it's not a big deal" and then 5 lbs turns into 10, into 15...
I hate to say this, but I believe it.
I know how I eat when I'm generally by myself, and how I eat when I'm with family, so I can use that as an example. I don't think that having a significant other really makes much of a difference, minus the sexual area of course. It's the fact that when a person lives by themselves, they're more prone to pop a TV dinner into the microwave instead of cooking a decent, healthy meal.
The opposite is with people who live with family, friends, or a significant other -- Or if they're around any of those a lot. If you're around another person, you're more prone to want to cook actual meals -- Which are always healthier than their frozen counterparts. And families always cook a ton of meals, anyway.
Though when you specifically have a significant other, I think people are more prone to eat healthier and exercise more to look better.
i think it goes both ways.
when i'm single, i'm always excercising and eating well in order to look attractive for people. i've dated guys who like to be very active and we liked to swim and bike together....but when i was in a long term, serious relationship, i actually gained weight because my boyfriend at the time thought i didn't eat enough and so we started eating all of our meals together.
it is true...when you date someone, you pick up their habits. if you want to stay healthy, date someone who is healthy.
What a damn sterotype. I eat worse at home than anywhere else. I went away to college for a eyar and lost all kinds of weight.
In term of psychology I think health in relation to family is talking more about stress; people who are in a family environment have less stress or are able to handle it better. It doesn't have nearly as much to do with eating habits...But then that's just what I've studied and I've never gone into the nutrition and diet aspect.
I have the opposite problem! I ate healthy when I was on my own, but now I've sort of gotten accustomed to my boyfriend's eating habits. When I eat at his house, it's mostly pre-packaged, high sodium meals with little or no veggies or anything deep fried. Somehow I haven't gained any weight, but I know it's not healthy!
I thought it was the opposite. Many of the people I know who are in relationships tend to eat out more, which is waaaaay more unhealthy, no?
When I was still in college, I think I ate more junk food because I was doing all of my own grocery shopping. Now that I'm back at home, I just eat whatever's there... which is usually far from unhealthy.
I definitely get skinnier when I'm single. I feel like when I'm in a relationship I think about food more and eat more, because eating's such a social thing. I eat a lot healthier when I'm by myself too because my family always cooks unhealthy things and buys unhealthy food. And there's not as much pressure to eat when no one is around.
I think many people try to take care of themselves for their loved ones - boyfriend/girlfriend, spouse, children, etc. Sometimes I think it is just having someone else watch out for you!
I know that I have changed some of the ways I cook. It is helping my health - but the change was made for my husband. Not that he didnt care about himself, he just wasnt willing to do the extra effort now, while it wasnt 100% necessary. I want to prevent making it 100% necessary, so I put the extra effort in now.
People usually base their self worth on if they're in a relationship or not so when a break up occurs then they get depressed and might lose interest in the whole working out and eating healthy thing.
Being single is no reason to suddenly be unhealthy. Being single should be seen as an opportunity to really focus on yourself and better yourself in whatever way you see fit :)
I've dropped a lot of weight since I started dating my girlfriend. I think most of it has to do with the fact that I moved though and I'm now on the Can-I-Afford-To-Eat Diet.
On one hand that it is true, I went away for a whole month, and my bf ate nothing but junk food or unhealthy things. No cooked meals from scratch. He eats better with me since he doesnt know how to cook at all. So I would say that being in a family environment is good as it introduces the routine of having to cook and eat on the table stuff, there is no sofa or quick tv dinners.
In the other hand being single does motivate others to work out and eat healthy to impress the ex or the new person. It also depends on the person, there are couples that eat like pigs others eat like birds!
Great post though!