5 Reasons for Newlyweds to Adopt Healthy Habits After The Wedding Day

It’s no secret that good nutrition and lifestyle habits are important to living a long and healthy life. We often make New Year’s resolutions or “I’ll start on Monday” goals, but lack the motivation to begin or maintain the changes.

However, as you make the transition into married life, it is more important than ever to adopt healthy habits. Here are 5 reasons why:

The new chapter brings change

Getting married brings a lot of changes into your life. New extended family, a new ring, perhaps a new last name or house—there are many ways in which a wedding changes your life.

It is important to use this time of transition to bring as many positive changes into your life as possible, using this momentum as motivation. This is a great time to change your health habits for the better, such as improving your eating and exercise routines.

Eating for two

The food choices you make now will affect at least two people—you and your spouse—as well as anyone else who may be joining you.

Considering that each food choice you make will have at least double the impact than before—on both your short-term and long-term health—it is a worthwhile investment to make sure you’re doing it right.

Getting advice from a registered dietitian (RD) is the best way to make sure you’re on the right track with your eating. As the only nutrition professionals accredited by a provincial regulatory body, RDs use evidence-based knowledge and skills to promote good health. Since registered dietitian services are included in many employers’ health insurance plans, they can often be accessed for free or at low out-of-pocket cost. Most importantly, an RD will help you make changes that are sustainable for life, which is more than what any fad diet can offer. Investing in their professional counsel is investing in your health for years to come.

You have an ally

Now that you’re married and living together, you both have a new ally, by your side to support you through the easy and difficult aspects of change. Take advantage of this and make health improvements a team effort.

People seeking to make positive health changes often reported that having a gym buddy or healthy eating friend has helped to keep them motivated to reach their goals. Cooking or being active together is also a great bonding opportunity. Getting healthy together will allow you to strengthen your bodies, but also your new bond as you find more activities you enjoy doing together.

You have someone to be healthy for

You’re no longer on your own. The health choices you make impact your spouse, but have an even greater impact on your kids, both current and future.

We learn eating habits at an early age and often maintain them for life. As the rate of childhood obesity continues to rise, it serves as a reminder of the importance of setting a good example and building good nutrition habits early in life. Obesity often starts in childhood and continues into later life, so it’s important to prevent the problem before it begins.

Parental attitudes toward health usually transfer over to their kids, as they take queues from what they observe in their environment to form their own preferences. Parents and caregivers are the gatekeepers to good nutrition and healthy habits. If children can only choose between several healthy options, they have no opportunity to make unhealthy choices.

Start by building your own good eating habits now, so that when kids come along it will be one less thing you have to worry about.

Stay beautiful for years to come

Many couples will set a “wedding body” goal as motivation to lose weight and start exercising. It’s a shame that these positive changes are often abandoned after the big day.

However, your wedding should be a checkpoint instead of an endpoint to your healthy habits. Who doesn’t want to look as good for the rest of their lives as they did on their big day—or even better!

Instead of reverting to your old unhealthy lifestyle and nutrition habits, adopt those improvements into your new union. Use your anniversary as a way to assess your progress in the last year and since your wedding, as well as identify what else you need to work on. This will help you both look good and feel great for life, not just for one day.

Wishing you great health and good food,

Anna Gofeld, RD, M.A.N., BASc

Owner of Eat Well Anna Nutrition Consulting – annagofeld.com
Registered Dietitian
Masters of Applied Nutrition
BASc Nutrition and Food