No doubt you’ve heard of the “Freshman 15.” That time during our first year at college where we lived solely on Ramen, Hot Pockets and peanut butter crackers (or was that just me)? While I didn’t gain the full 15 extra pounds, the proverbial trend did not leave me unscathed.

Fast forward to my first eight months as a newlywed and history seems to be repeating itself. According to a recent study, “love weight” is not just an urban myth and if you’re not careful, it can sneak up on you. European scientists have discovered that married people have a higher body mass index than their single counterparts. Why?

Well, the “Marriage Market Hypothesis” claims once you’ve found The One, there’s less motivation to get them gains, i.e. no more #LegDay or squats. You’re perfectly content sitting on the sofa binge-watching Netflix and snacking on pizza rolls. And Date Night means 1,300-calorie dinners at Cheesecake Factory.

My husband and I have both noticed our waistlines expanding and weren’t happy with what we were seeing (or rather, how our clothes were [not] fitting). Friends and family noticed, too.

At my sister-in-law’s wedding, his aunts asked me “what are you feeding him? Looks like Jeff’s put on some weight.” Oh and this from my mom while I was holding a friend’s baby: “You should suck it in before someone thinks you’re the one who just had a baby.” Gotta love moms.

So in an effort to “get it right, get it tight,” we both started working on our fitness. After all, a couple that sweats together, stays together … or something like that. We’re also making it a point to eat healthier as well (but man, do I love carbs and cupcakes)!

While we want to make sure we look good a) for ourselves and b) for each other, it’s more about adopting a healthy lifestyle that will hopefully continue throughout our marriage and once we start a family. I’ve chased after toddlers before … It requires stamina!

But all is not lost. According to Huffington Post, the same study said that happily married couples “are more likely to live longer, have overall better health, have stronger bones and are less likely to have heart attacks.”

Cheers to that!

An aspiring Disney princess, L’Oreal Thompson Payton said “I do” to her Prince Charming in November 2014. When she’s not busy writing, L’Oreal enjoys reading, dancing and eating her way through Chicago. She’s also passionate about mentoring young girls through her writing program and website, Stories She Wrote. Follow more of L’Oreal’s newlywed adventures on her blog, LTintheCity.com.

Do you have any experience with “love weight”? Share your story in the comments!