At the beginning of a relationship, the world seems a lot brighter.  You’re unusually giddy, mysteriously overly affectionate with your friends and tad bit scatterbrained.  Your life is suddenly looking a lot more colorful and you couldn’t be any happier; all but one tiny detail.  Lauren Conrad once coined it the “boyfriend layer”.  If this is new to you, it’s the politically correct term for the weight gain at the beginning of a relationship.

Jennifer Aniston and Kim Kardashian have us conditioned to believe that men want the supermodel body.  So we counteract by calorie counting and stairmastering our way into creating a real life Gisele.  Yet, when he comes along and we’ve got him blushing, we celebrate by shoveling in mass quantities of chocolate and cheesecake– or at least I did.

After months of romantic home cooked meals, chocolate covered body paint and lazy Friday night Ben and Jerry’s movie dates, you begin to notice that your jeans are a little too snug in the waist and your favorite little black dress just won’t zip up anymore.  Suddenly, your sweatpants have been upgraded in your much beloved wardrobe and you’ve become a little bit more lenient about your oh-so-strict gym schedule.

As a walking example of the dreadful boyfriend layer, I will tell you that it often happens quickly without immediate recognition.  One minute my boyfriend and I are making a romantic meal, and before you know it I was polishing off the last piece of key lime pie and licking the spoon dry – compliments to the chef of course, but not so much to my True Religion’s.

Now if you’re lucky, the boyfriend layer usually disappears once the novelty wears off and the relationship stabilizes. Sadly, for most of us, it doesn’t work this way.

But with a little bit of motivation, I won’t have to let my love life derail in order to get fit this year. So how am I supposed to lose weight without sacrificing the romance? With these workout ideas for couples, my partner and I can spend quality time together while I stay on track to reaching my goals.

• Go on an After Dinner Stroll

Switch up your dinner routine.  After a big meal, avoid cuddling on the couch with a blockbuster and instead opt out for an evening stroll. No gadgets, no gear and no trips to the gym are necessary.  This plan is so easy and natural. It hardly feels like a weight loss program.

• Split on Dessert

Can’t resist the brownies? Save money and calories by going halfsies with your beau.  After all, together is always better.

• Enter an Active Community Event

Become more involved in your community’s philanthropy actions by joining a running or biking event.

• Bike instead of Drive

Not only body smart but green smart too.  Trade in your car keys for your biking gear and let the calories burn away.

• Spice it up in the Sack

Feeling frisky?  A little innocent touching can lead to a full body work out without even knowing it.  On average, a 30-minute lovemaking session burns between 80 to 200 calories.  Keep in mind that the more rigorous the sex, the more calorie-loss.  Sex has never felt this good.

• Painting

Incorporate a fresh look all around.  Spruce up a room or the outside of your home by spending an afternoon painting.  You’ll be amazed how great your arms will feel.

• Dance Lessons

Cha cha, waltz or tango your way to a slimmer silhouette together! Not only will you burn a few hundred calories per lesson, but you can both bust a move at your next outing.

• Hit the beach

Kill two birds with one stone by soaking up the sun and perfecting your beach body this summer.  Throwing around a Frisbee or joining a volleyball league will kick your metabolism into full gear.  Plus, a little couple competitiveness never hurt anybody.