On average, men gain 14 pounds when their partners are pregnant. The plumper papas credit the sympathy weight to reasons like wanting to make their partners feel better about their own weight gains.
This story got me thinking: what other qualities do people suddenly acquire thanks to their partners? Here are some examples:
- Musical tastes: Your iPod might suddenly be filled with ambient music from bands you never heard of thanks to a new crush. The more people you date, the better your library.
- Reading lists: If you hook up with a nonfiction buff, you might check out the latest releases so you can have your own book club for two.
- Vocabulary: I definitely heard my friend's boyfriend say, "Whatevs!" more than once, after they started spending a lot of time together.
- Style: We've all seen those shapeshifting couples who slowly begin to dress alike.
- TV watching habits: I know some men that blame their girlfriends for a newfound Real Housewives of New York obsession. And if your partner likes sports, you might actually find yourself rooting for the favorite team, too.
- Food: If your partner cooks, you might learn to appreciate foods you previously hated.
To see other things you might gain from your new partner, read more
Of course, it's not desirable to change yourself completely when you're in a relationship; but much like the men who gain weight when their partners are pregnant, sometimes we can't help but be influenced by the people we're close to.
Killah
Pepe Jeans
Napapijri
We both gained weight! More so since living together. And I definitely got him hooked on The Food Network and Dirty Jobs. As far as style...we haven't changed. My boyfriend definitely reads -- on the internet. I still read books.
But other than the obvious, you really do change a little bit, since you are around someone else so much. He has made me a better person, I am a little calmer, a little nicer, a little more relaxed.
1I gained weight when I first started dating my bf because he eats all this rich fattening food and I finally broke down and started to enjoy it with him. Big mistake! I def got him watching my tv shows and actually following them to the point that he knows what is going on. He makes me feel more calm and I don't sweat the small stuff as much as I used to which is really nice and I still don't know how he does it.
2I weigh less than I did when I got married, which puts me 3 pounds from being underweight. But - my husband has gained 10 pounds, and doesn't go to the gym as much. I try to bug him to get in better shape, but it's all promises. He doesn't understand that his strong arms are what drove me into his bedroom in the first place.
3Fitness! Either working out more because your new SO is interested in certain sports, etc. Or working out less because you have less free time.
4I believe it. Thanks to my boyfriend, I'm learning to appreciate my inner nerd.
5Chrstne, that is so sweet about your boyfriend helping you be a better person!!! I know I've found the right guy because I feel the same way, and so does he.... I help him express himself more, he keeps me more level-headed, as well as sharing interests (sports, foods, etc).
I even taught him that Beyonce's "Single Ladies" says "all you single ladies", instead of "I'm a single lady".... which is what I caught him singing one day when I went over to his apt, so hilarious
6I think what's great about our relationship at least, is that I was a whole person -- I was the way I was, and I was okay with it. Since we have been together, I realized that I am good the way I am, but I can afford to change -- be a little less high strung, a little less anxious, a little less sarcastic. He has given that to me. I have given him the ability to not be a pushover, to be a little better with people, etc. We both compliment each other so nicely, and that's what made me view him as a better half. Because now, I am completely whole, because I have a balance -- whereas before, I was sort of one sided in my actions, my words, in everything.
Almost all of his good traits rubbed off on me. I am not 100% sure he even HAS any bad traits.
7I definitely got more into sports while with my ex, mostly because I had to or we wouldn't spend enough time together. I don't not enjoy watching sports, it's just not the first thing I want to do. I'm happy for the experience though because now when someone turns on a game I know all of the lingo and rules:)
8On the whole, we're much happier and healthier people since we've been together, but especially since we've been married.
9Chrstne you basically just described the relationship I have with my husband. We both balance each other so well and I feel like he gives me so many things I never would have had the courage to be before. I think when you find a true partner you can't help but enhance one another. It's such a great blessing to have found my real soul mate.
10my gal pals and i totally gain weight when we've been dating a guy for awhile... we call it "happy weight." plump and in love!
11I noticed I gained weight, but I was also towards the end of recovering from an ED when I met and started dating my boyfriend. I haven't come out with it yet and I don't intend to. However, I do find myself listening more to his kind of music, enjoying being active, eating a variety of food (which made recovery so much easier; as well as the thought of 'what guy would want to be sexually active with a female that has NO curves and you can easily feel bone). I used to find golf extremely boring. But now that I have to take a methods class for golf for my PE major; which sparked a slight interest in it, and hearing how often my boyfriend goes and how often he works at a country club, i now find myself watching golf on TV; something i NEVER did. I even checked out a pair of clubs and had urges and thoughts like "oh this is a nice golf day". Despite the changes, they are for the better.
12Does anyone find dating a certain guy sort of alters their 'type'? Like most of the guys I might find attractive now tend to be similar in appearance to my current boyfriend.
1314
yah Pistil totally,
15My BF is a cute geek and the last three years i started thinking all those nerdy guys on TV shows are good looking haha
i gained 10lbs. its hard to lose some of that weight when you have a skinny tall man who love buffalo chicken and likes to cuddle. lol
16this is my boyfriend and i COMPLETELY! i like sports but i really started to get into football, baseball and soccer and actually understanding them because of my boyfriend. he loves sports and he actually plays soccer but now, i'm probably louder than he is during the games lol. at first, he used to make fun of my friends and i for saying "whatevs" jokingly and i totally caught him saying it haha. recently i got him to try sushi and he loves it! i think it's nice that we are both opening up to new things
17lol
18... I don't think there is a single thing my boyfriend has started liking because of me. I've learned how to eat with chopsticks, appreciate my inner nerd, cook better, think more critically during arguments and call out his bullsh*t REALLY fast, but I don't think he likes a single thing I did before we started dating. At all. ... is that a bad sign?
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