11 Romantic Ways To Lose Weight As A Couple (YES, It's Possible!)

We said a collective, "awww," at the romance of it all after reading this story about Alan and Jan Coupe, winners of the Slimming World Couple of the year award, who lost 210 lbs between them after being told that they were too heavy to sit together on an airplane.

To get trim, the couple joined a weight-loss program, altered their diets, and began bike-riding and swimming together. Now, the Coupes are almost unrecognizable, as they won a couples makeover in addition to shedding all of that weight.

We love the idea of staying fit as a couple—not just for the obvious health benefits, but also for the bonding experiences. We're not sure how many of these weight-loss methods Alan and Jan tried, but we figure that the happy couple would approve: 

1. Take a dance class together. Take the romance up a notch by learning to salsa, tango, waltz, even tap-dance. Not only will you burn a few hundred calories per session, but your friends will be so impressed the next time they see the two of you bust a move. 

2. Wash the car. Don't think of car-washing as a chore. Winter's over, so take advantage of the sunny weather to have a little flirty outdoor fun. Who knows what kinds of shenanigans you can pull with a hose, a bikini, and a bucket of sudsy water! Once your car's clean, take it out for a romantic night on the town. 

3. Rollerblade. Speaking of springtime, we love an afternoon activity date. Explore your neighborhood's parks with your partner and two sets of skates. Bring a picnic basket (full of healthy food, of course!) for when you need to cool down. 

4. Fly kites. If you're feeling particularly artsy, make the kite together before taking it out on a windy day.

5. Paint a room. Painting's a lot of hard work, but it'll go by twice as fast if you recruit your partner's help. Think of how many calories you'll burn just by adjusting the furniture! Your apartment will look as pretty as you feel.

6. Bike instead of drive. Google Maps has bicycle paths now, so why not? Switch up your weekend routine by biking to your favorite cafe. Afterward, go explore nooks and crannies that you can't access by car.

7. Split a dessert. Can't resist the chocolate fudge sundae? Save the money and calories by going halfsies with your guy. You'll feel like teenagers on a first date all over again.

8. Go to the beach. Ban your beach-body shyness by exercising out on the sand. Jog up from one end of the beach to the other. Take a surfing class together. Play volleyball. Go snorkeling! Just keep each other from lounging around in the sand for too long.

9. Dine at home. Cooking makes for a great joint activity, so experiment with some low-fat dishes together. If anything, focus less on what you're subtracting from your diet and more on what you're adding. For instance, if he's bummed about giving up brownies, get him excited for yogurt berry parfaits.

10. Go on a post-dinner stroll. Instead of plopping in front of the TV after dinner, take a romantic walk around your neighborhood. In addition to burning off that extra serving of pasta, you'll be able to enjoy some time to yourselves: no entertainment, no work, no chores, just the evening air and a little conversation.

11. Have a pillow fight. Feeling frisky? Gage his mood, and if nothing seems amiss, smack him lightly with a throw pillow and hope for a playful response. Trust us, it may lead to a better, intensely calorie-burning, evening.

No matter what activities you choose to do with your partner, keep in mind that your most important goal, aside from staying healthy, is being supportive. Set goals together and plan out rewards (a trip to Medieval Times, a couples massage, a weekend getaway) for meeting your milestone.