Speak Up: Preventing Weight Gain When Dating

My boyfriend and I have started doing physical activities together. We like to go for runs in the park or long bike rides to the beach. We have a blast and not only do we get some exercise, we get to spend time with each other feeling totally accomplished.

We also try to split the bad stuff. For example, we'll split a burrito and each have our own salad. Same thing with pizza.

we always split food like just have one main between us

racquetball, tennis and bicycling are all things that I've found our better done in pairs.

I connected to my current boyfriend through a love of good food. This led to us exploring a variety of interesting (and in many cases expensive) restaurants together. Not that this was new to me - I've always loved going out for a good meal. But alone, I am more likely to order smaller portions, not have any alcohol, and/or skip appetizers/desserts. With him, all of a sudden we had to have all of these things at every special meal. Worse, whenever I would say I'd have enough he would insist I have one more bite of this or piece of that.

So I'm sure it won't come as a suprise that after a year of dating I put on ten pounds. I've since lost that weight, thanks to some things I/we learned:

1. I hadn't been exercising as vigorously as I had in the past, since I had lost my passion for what I had been doing (running, triathlons). So I tried a new sport (rowing), and have been able to find my passion for exercise again.

2. We have stopped going out to nice restaurants as often as we had before (although this is more for budget reasons). After we moved in together, it became easier for us to cook our food instead. We also happen to enjoy cooking for each other, and sometimes race to be home first so we can get the chance to cook (while the other person gets to clean up.)

3. When we do go out, we do tend to splurge, but he's learned to listen to me when I tell him I don't want anymore instead of insist I eat more.

Sometimes it isn't easy, but I think these three things have helped me (and us) manage our weight.

I've actually lost weight since dating my boyfriend. We usually try to go for long walks or hikes before eating a big meal together, and I always eat half of my meal, while he eats the other half of mine. He's naturally thin, but also a marathon runner, so he can eat a lot. We're also both really into working out, and I've gone to the gym more frequently now that we're together. What also helps is cooking meals together as the relationship advanced. We try to cook healthy meals and watch our portions

This is a problem I've dealt with in every relationship I've been in. What can be particularly frustrating is indulging in all the same things as my boyfriend, but thanks to the wonders of male metabolisms, I'm the only one putting on the pounds. I've been in a relationship for six months now, and have been more successful than ever in keeping away the "love handles". I tried to get my boyfriend to be more active with me and to embrace cooking for ourselves and healthier foods, but that turned out to be a losing battle. Eventually, it just struck me that when I'm single, I come first. Yes, I want to devote my time and attention to my relationship, but not at the detriment of my physical well being and self confidence. I buckled down and started up my old workout and nutrition routine, solo. Luckily, my boyfriend is very supportive; we both believe that a couple is two individuals, not a single merged entity, so it is important for each of us to have things we do alone. This has not only saved my waistline but, I think, keeps our relationship healthy emotionally too.

I found this new book on Amazon. It's called "Looking Good Naked" and I think it's a natural weight loss plan. It could be really good for couples. I'm looking forward to trying it.

When I was dating my husband, I didn't really gain weight because I kept active and pretty much ate the same way I had always been eating. Pretty much every restaurant or cafe you go to will have a somewhat healthy option that you can eat/drink. If you're going out for coffee, just get a plain black coffee with some skim milk in it instead of a sugar-filled coffee drink. If you're going to a restaurant, order some sort of grilled meat and a side salad or something. Oh, and when you want dessert, offer to share it. Every time I did that, I'd end up eating probably only about 25% of it because my husband would eat most of it!

I've been dating my bf for a little over a year now. We've actually both lost a little weight...maybe 5 pounds (and 10 lbs for him). We're both very active, but we really love food, trying new recipes and restaurants. Ultimately, our love for exercise plays off each other so I think we just spend more time doing it. But also, we're spending time with each other rather than being on our own and maybe snacking a bit more than we need to. We are also both drinking less alcohol. Now just a few drinks a week, if any.

me and my boyfriend go to the gym together and if we can't make it to the gym we always try to do something fun outside

My honey and I met at a yoga class, so while dating, we made our Wednesday night class part of our date schedule. We'd practice next to each other, and then go to the health food store to get salads from the salad bar. Health and staying in shape was something that was important to us, so we also cooked together, went skiing, and went on hikes and bike rides.

We share food, that's a big one. When I was single, I would always have to order my own meal when I went out and felt more inclined to eat a larger portion. The key is to portion out the food before you start eating. If you share from 1 large bowl or plate, you're less likely to monitor how much you're really taking in. I give my guy more than half, take the other portion, and that's it. For a while, we were going to the gym together also, that was nice. We like to save money, so we share for that reason too. If I want a blended coffee drink, about half of the time he'll drink some as well. It really is easy to gain weight when you're taken. I watch him eat a lot and I don't always feel satisfied with my portion.