Does falling in love make you fat?

If you recently said so long to singledom, you might want to be on guard against a few extra pounds of pudge. A 2008 study from UNC Chapel Hill put some scientific might behind anecdotal stories that newlyweds pack on the pounds. Over the course of about five years, men who got married gained 6 more pounds, on average, than those who stayed single. Women made out even worse — those who said “I do” put on 9 more pounds than their counterparts who hadn’t settled down.

Why the association between relationships and weight gain? Well, I think a number of factors are at play. Most importantly, if you’ve settled down with someone, you’re no longer facing the competition of the dating field. That means you may have less incentive to stay in shape and look your best. Plus, your lifestyle starts to revolve around food a bit more. As a couple, you probably stay in and cozy up (with food) on the couch more often than you did when you were single. Plus, you’re at risk of picking up all of your sweetheart’s bad food habits. I think this is especially dangerous for the women out there who were pretty good about watching what they ate when they lived alone, but now get tempted by their hubby’s or boyfriend’s perpetual snacking on “man-sized” portions of fast food, chips, cookies and ice cream (I love my husband dearly, but his Mallomar cookie addiction is killing me!). And when I got married, I had to immediately nix his Buffalo wings and Cap’n Crunch from the house — I knew all too well I’d be munching on them too!

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Of course, falling in love doesn’t have to mean falling out of shape. Here are seven simple steps you can take to keep yourself — and your partner — in line:

1. Stay loyal to your positive habits
Just because your honey overdoes it on the snacking doesn’t mean you have to follow suit. If you're happy with a plain-Jane scoop of vanilla ice cream, don't fall prey to your partner’s preference for oversized hot fudge sundaes.

2. Attention, women: Lose the sweats and spandex!
It’s hard to gauge weight gain when your clothes are expanding with your body. You don’t have to give up your favorite sweats or pj’s altogether. Just make sure you slip into a pair of form-fitting jeans every couple of days to give yourself a weight reality check.

3. Make the TV room a no-eating zone
Chances are, one of your favorite pastimes is snuggling up next to each other on the sofa to watch your favorite shows … which goes hand-in-hand with nibbling on buttered popcorn, tortilla chips and other high-cal snacks. Mindless munching in front of the television is a dangerous habit, and the calories really start to rack up as a result. Instead, relax and enjoy each other’s company, without involving food. If you take turns giving each other back massages, you’ll burn a few extra calories (about 70 calories for every 15 minutes) by working those muscles in your upper body and hands.