Losing weight is tough. Exercising and eating right can be hard to do when you’re balancing a busy schedule. So, get your boo on board and face the battle of the bulge together! Not only can maintaining a healthy weight improve your overall wellness, but it could boost your love life, too. Extra weight can make you feel sluggish and less excited about sex. Also, being overweight or obese puts you at greater risk for diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes ­all of which can lower your sex drive.

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As you and your partner begin your wellness journey together, here are some things to keep in mind.

Remember your partner is your comrade, not your competition.

It’s natural for women and men to lose weight at different rates. Because men tend to have more muscle, they can usually lose weight without cutting as many calories as women, WebMD reports. And men can typically eat more than women without gaining weight.

Furthermore, a woman’s weight loss may not show up on the scale as quickly. When you lose weight, some of it is water, and men have a higher concentration of water in their bodies. Therefore, they tend to shed weight faster.
So, don’t compare your progress to your partner’s. Remember you’re in this together.

Don’t starve yourself or your relationship.

Starting a wellness plan with your partner doesn’t mean you two can no longer enjoy meals together. Starvation is not the answer! Eating small, frequent meals that are well-balanced is the way to go. Cooking and preparing these meals together can be a great way to bond.

Work it out.

If your schedules can sync, try to hit the gym with your partner. Be sure to incorporate both cardio and strength training in your workouts.

Also, find some moderate-intensity activities you can do together like walking.

This can be more beneficial for women. WebMD reports that research shows when women work out intensely, their hunger drives them to consume enough calories to make up for what they worked off. On the other hand, lower intensity exercise tends not to increase hunger.

It’s important, however, to find fitness activities you actually enjoy. So, if your partner wants to go cycling and you want to try Zumba, it’s OK to go solo.

Just hold each other accountable to make sure get active and stay active.

All in all, the best thing you and your partner can do is offer encouragement along the way. Remember you’re getting healthy for your own sake and for each other.