Being Single Is Making Me Fat

November 17, 2009     Posted in Relationships

When I broke up with my last boyfriend I was ecstatic to have my personal time back. It had been a long time since I’d had my own routine and I couldn’t wait to do what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it. I had grand plans of daily visits to the gym, cooking my weird healthy meals and eating them on the couch while watching marathons of Say Yes To The Dress.


By Lauren

I gained ten pounds during that relationship and while he didn’t care – he loved seeing me in the buff despite the extra junk in my trunk – I was ready to take back the control of my life, shed the extra weight, and hit the single scene with my svelte new frame.

Only the reality was so, so different.

Not only is the single scene rather sad and over-saturated with douche bags, but being single is actually making me fatter!

There is something to be said about having someone around, and not just for the comfort and companionship that comes with a boyfriend. Passing the time with someone else keeps your mind occupied so you’re talking and cuddling and giggling instead of mentally surveying what’s in your fridge. And, not that I care about eating in front of a boy (trust me – I ate a burger and fries in front of some models once), but having anyone around forces me to check myself before I start grazing through the cupboards and housing anything I can get my hands on. Now that I’m alone I’m to my own devices, and apparently those devices involve dipping everything into peanut butter, whether I’m hungry or not.

And forget the gym. Since I don’t have anyone to look good for, I often give in to that fat little devil sitting on my shoulder and trade in Spinning time for catching-up-on-my-DVR time. I keep telling myself I’ll go tomorrow; I have so much free time, why wouldn’t I go? But then I don’t go. I put on sweats, think of things to melt cheese on and retire to the couch for the rest of the night.

The worst culprit, though, is the emotional eating that comes with dating. There is rarely an emotional roller coaster when you’re in a serious relationship. You know how he feels about you, so you’re comfortable and happy. But when you’re single, the emotional ups and downs come daily. You like someone who doesn’t like you back, you see all your friends who are blissfully happy with their own boyfriends, you spend long nights alone and you convince yourself you’re going to be single forever…

And what does that all lead to? Comfort in the form of something creamy, cold and served in a gallon tub. Which you keep eating because there is no one around to stop you. And which you don’t work off because you’re too lazy to get to the gym.

Sigh. I’m stuck in a single rut and I can’t get out. Probably because I’ve gotten too fat to fit through the door. I need motivation. I need self control. I need a padlock on my refrigerator.

I need a… boyfriend?

 

15 Comments on "Being Single Is Making Me Fat"

  1. Lily says:
    Tue, 17th Nov 20096:43 am 

    For the record, the breakup diet is the best thing that ever happened to my ass. I lost 15 pounds after the last break up. I think the key is realllllly liking (loving) the guy, so you're emotionally distraught enough not to eat.

    Really, you don't win either way. But good luck!

  2. k says:
    Tue, 17th Nov 20095:00 pm 

    Its the opposite for me. I gain weight when I date someone cause they always want to go out to eat!

  3. Darwin - New York University says:
    Tue, 17th Nov 20097:01 pm 

    Seems like people deal with things differently. A breakup could either mean stuffing your face with those leftover TGI Fridays’ appetizers that you so conveniently absconded with from dinner, or it could mean avoiding food because you are never mood for eat.

    The best way to probably do it is to stay healthy all the way through. Eat right and work out when you’re single to show off and get some action. Do the same when you’re in a relationship because your partner has a stake in you now and you do not want to lose what you have.
    Then again, personally, I think I have to end up siding with Lauren. We end up doing quite a bit for our other half. They’re pretty good inspiration and enjoy their compliments.
    We can quickly transform into apathetic, lazy curmudgeons when single…

  4. Alice says:
    Wed, 18th Nov 20093:42 am 

    Me and my boyfriend eat out quite a bit, and laze in bed all the time. But it balances out since we are quite “active” and sometimes forget to eat being together like that :P

  5. sara says:
    Fri, 20th Nov 20094:44 pm 

    I tend to lose weight after breakups because I want to become a skinnier, hotter version of myself in order to win him back, or else just make him jealous or envious of what he lost.

  6. Jenn says:
    Mon, 23rd Nov 20096:37 am 

    I am completely with you — I always eat more when I'm single, just because I feel like I can since there's no one to impress. However, I'm not sure dating some guy I'm not even interested in is worth losing a few pounds haha

  7. Lacy says:
    Tue, 24th Nov 20094:42 am 

    I was the opposite… I lost a bunch of weight at the end of my last breakup. Someone even commented on how good I looked right in front of my ex :) I have stayed about the same since getting into a new relationship with maybe 1-3 pounds extra, just from spending a little less time at the gym.

  8. AshleyB says:
    Tue, 24th Nov 200910:15 am 

    i eat so much with my boyfriend. we eat out all the time and after a while you stop trying to impress other males and find yourself stuck in sweats and t shirts all week because you stop caring. that's why my boyfriend is making me fat.

  9. Dan says:
    Fri, 4th Dec 200911:42 pm 

    They say there's two kinds of people in relationships – the ones who look better when they're single, and the ones who look better when they're with someone. There's points on both sides – staying hot to attract a partner, taking care of yourself for your partners' sake.

    Then of course there are those "balanced" people who don't let relationships dictate their lifestyles. Freaks, right?

  10. leeann says:
    Mon, 27th Jun 20118:36 am 

    The most dangerous thing a man can say to me is, "I love you the way you are." Oh yeah? We'll see about that! Wonderful man I'm with now, but his dauntlessly affectionate attitude coupled with these anti-depressants are making it hard for me to torture myself with dieting. XD I met this man once upon a time, and we were talking about our ideal mates when he said, "…And hopefully not fat." I flipped out and starved for two weeks.

    Yeah, you can ride that high horse all you want and bellow about how you don't let relationships dictate your lifestyle habits but let's face it, we like comfort as humans. Dieting for some is mostly uncomfortable and exercise for some is mostly uncomfortable and some of us do it as a pre-requisite to getting or keeping something. That doesn't make us freaks.

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