Nerds Do It Better

Being in a healthy relationship means relying on each other for help, and one great way to offer help to each other is through collaborative weight loss. By working together, you and your loved one can motivate each other to do better than you would have if you’d gone it alone. Here, we’ll offer a few tips and resources for taking the weight off together. Tips Follow these tips for a successful weight loss partnership.

1. Reward yourself: Every time one of you hits a goal, reward yourselves together.
2. Split restaurant meals: If you like to dine out together, cut your calories in half by splitting meals.
3. Put away your large plates: When eating at home, use only your small salad plates to cut down on too-big portions.
4. Make exercise a habit: Couples have habits that form when together-make exercise one of them, and you’ll help each other stay on track.
5. Don’t make dining a date: Do something else instead of going out to eat all the time, like walks or board games.
6. Play games together: Play fun games together, like basketball, racquetball, or even frisbee.
7. Agree on a diet: If you’re eating together, it’s important that you decide on a diet that’s healthy for the both of you.
8. Have sex: Sex offers great exercise, lots of fun, and even motivation to look better.
9. Be considerate: If one of you can eat pizza and the other can’t, don’t torture each other.
10. Don’t criticize each others’ diet: Hovering will do no good, unless you’ve both agreed you want that sort of oversight.
11. Consider your motivation: Remember that losing weight is part of a plan to stay healthy and be around for each other for a long time.
12. Focus on health over weight: Don’t make your weight loss all about weight-think of it in terms of health instead, and you’ll have better motivation.
13. Encourage each other: Tell your significant other if they look better in jeans, and they’ll appreciate the support.
14. Take photos: It’s hard to see weight loss when you’re together every day, so use photos to see how well you’ve progressed.
15. Create new traditions: Replace birthday cakes with healthier options, and go to farmer’s markets instead of out to brunch.
16. Don’t compare weight loss: Men often lose weight faster, so be careful about putting your weight loss achievements head to head.
17. Start a garden: Gardens offer activity, a focus on healthy food, and better yet, it’s hard to eat junk when you know how delicious your own produce is.
18. Stock your fridge with ready-to-eat produce: Slice up some vegetables and keep baby carrots handy so that it’s really easy to eat vegetables for a quick snack.
19. Don’t eat on par with each other: Your nutritional needs are different, so don’t eat the same way.
20. Cook for each other: Make dinner more fun by cooking healthy meals for each other.
21. Plan vacations around activities: Instead of planning vacations around food, shift the focus to activities like walking tours, swimming, and sports.
22. Join a league together: Have some competitive fun in an adult softball, bowling, or soccer league.

Tools Put these tools to work and make losing weight together easier.

23. PeerTrainer: Stay accountable and support each other using this online resource.
24. FitDay: Use FitDay to track your nutrition, activity, and weight loss in one handy tool.
25. Activity Calorie Calculator: Use this calculator to find out how much you’ve burned based on your weight, activity, and duration.
26. CyberDiet Meal Plans: Plan your meals together online with CyberDiet’s 12-week meal plans.
27. BMI Calculator: Find out what your respective health risks are, and about how much you both need to lose with this calculator.
28. Wii: Use the Wii console to play fun, active games together.
29. BuddySlim: Track your weight loss experience together and with your friends using this web-based tool.
30. Nutrient Data Laboratory: Use this database to learn how nutritious the foods you both eat really are.
31. Calorie Needs Calculator: Find out just how many calories your bodies require with this calculator.
32. Food Diary: Use this food diary to keep track of what you’re both eating.
33. Target Heart Rate Calculator: Find out what rate each of you should be aiming for.

Articles Check out these articles to get more information and tips on losing weight as a couple.

34. Expert advice: Couples diet better together: This article discusses how combined weight loss works through constant support.
35. Help Her Lose Weight: Men, here you’ll find advice for navigating the dangerous waters of weight loss with a woman.
36. How to Tell Your Spouse to Lose Weight: Learn how to carefully bring up the subject of weight loss so that you can start your journey together.
37. The Buddy System: Check out this article to see how you can encourage each other to lose weight.
38. Couples Dealing With Weight Loss Together: Dr. Abramson discusses sabatoge, motivation and more.
39. How to Help Your Family Lose Weight: This guide turns weight loss into a family affair.
40. Partner Up: Lose Weight with Your Spouse: Learn how to use your built-in support structure to lose weight together.
41. Living Together Helps Him Lose Weight While She Gains: This article discusses the phenomenon of weight gain women experience in a relationship.
42. Buddy system could hold key to keeping fitness resolutions: Learn why using a partner to help you with weight loss is important.
43. 11 Ways to Help Your Partner Lose Weight: Get tips for being supportive of your spouse’s weight loss.
44. Diet Overkill: 25 of the Most Ridiculous (and Ineffective) Popular Diets: Steer clear of the frivilous diets featured in this article.
45. Weight Loss for Couples: Learn about grocery shopping, exercising, and more together.

Books These books offer detailed information on weight loss between couples.

46. She Loses, He Loses: Check out this guide to learn how couples can work together to lose weight.
47. The Town That Lost a Ton: Find out how this town used the buddy system to lose weight, and how you can use the same method to lose weight with your partner.
48. Your Diet Is Driving Me Crazy: This book will help you deal with food conflicts together.
49. The F.A.S.T. Diet: This book believes that families can lose weight together, and tells you how to do it.
50. How We Lost Our First 100 Pounds Together: Romantic Weight Loss for Couples: Learn how this couple lost weight together, and strengthened their relationship at the same time.

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