It can be easy for all the ice-cream dates and fancy dinners to get the best of you, but being in a relationship doesn’t have to shut down your fitness goals.

Whether you’re meeting friends on campus for lunch at Chick-fil-A or grabbing late-night Waffle House with your significant other, food likely plays a major role in your social life. In relationships, this becomes even more common. Grabbing dinner before a movie, picking up a hot dozen from Krispy Kreme, going grocery shopping together — we can’t help but feature food in our relationships. But this doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In fact, making healthy choices together can strengthen your relationship. However, it can also bring up unwanted issues of self-consciousness, jealousy and disappointment. This list highlights the good (and the not-so-good) sides of getting healthy with your bae.

Why You Should:

They are Your #1 Fan

When choosing to eat healthier as a couple, you are in it together. Your significant other holds you accountable and encourages you to stick to your goals, while you do the same for them. Oftentimes this promotes a general positivity in other aspects of your relationship as you are working toward this goal together.

You're in Uncharted Territory

As a couple, the most fun comes from new adventures and experience that you go through together. Trying out new recipes, venturing to new restaurants, and spending time grocery shopping are all benefits when you decide to dive into healthy eating together. You may be surprised at how much fun you will have experimenting in the kitchen, rather than just watching the same old, routine TV shows.

Why You Shouldn't:

Girls and Guys are Different

Biologically speaking, results in men and women often appear at different rates. Generally, guys tend to lose weight faster and have concrete, visible results, where results for girls often take more time. This is all due to our physical differences and should not be discouraging, but this may be a source of jealousy in the relationship. The fitness goals that men and women have in mind are also something to consider when planning this journey together. Guys generally focus on building muscle and strength while girls often want to slim down or tone. Both of these can be reached in a healthy way, but remember that if you have different goals, your steps to get there will also vary.

You May Develop Co-Dependence

As great as it is to partner up in this journey together, don’t get too ahead of yourself. Dieting can sometimes be harmful for your mental health, and it can potentially hurt your relationship’s health as well. Determine what works best for you, and make sure you do this on your own (like when you’re away from your significant other). This requires balance, as with anything else in a relationship.

There are many benefits to eating healthier as a couple, but the most important part is to maintain your healthy lifestyles. If changing your diet isn’t for you, heading to The Rec for a date night is always a fun way to change things up and get closer to reaching those fitness goals with your partner. Plus, who says rewarding each other with ice cream or cookies is against the rules?

Have tips for staying fit as a couple? Let us know on social media at @AuburnCampusRec!

Be well, Auburn.

Photography: Jack P.