A bicycle built for two can come in handy for tandem weight loss. That’s the case with Randy and Regina Jones of Lindenhurst.

After Randy lost 60 pounds on Weight Watchers, Regina decided it was time to lose 23 pounds herself. Since then, Randy has lost 134 pounds and Regina has reached her goal.

More and more couples are choosing to battle the bulge together. Couples have a high success rate because they have a live-in support system, similar diet and a workout partner. The icing on the cake is when weight loss sweetens their relationship -- they exercise and travel together, share in each other’s success and even have a better sex life.

It worked for the Joneses. “It’s like having an affair with my husband because he’s almost a new man,” said Regina. Now the weight-loss duo takes long walks together and rides the rollercoaster at Six Flags Great America. Regina is an avid rollercoaster rider, but in recent years Randy was too large to join his thrill-seeking wife.

“We’re seeing so many people losing weight together,” said Kristi Widmar, spokesperson for the western region of Weight Watchers. “One partner starts cooking differently and the other starts losing naturally. Eventually they say, ‘Let’s do this together.’”

Support is the key. “When you’re with someone 24/7 and you’re trying to eat healthily and they’re not, that’s a real struggle,” said Widmar. “If you have someone wanting to go on this journey with you, it’s fun. You have your own little support group at home.”

Weight loss in one partner can be tough on couples. The partner who loses builds confidence and self-esteem, while the other may begin to feel insecure. Also, the burst in energy that one partner gets from losing weight can be unsettling for a formerly couch potato couple.

But if both lose, it’s a win-win. “Losing weight together is a bonding experience,” said Widmar. “Chances are they were at their ideal weight when they first met. They step back into the relationship when it was so new and exciting.” 

“We started to spend more quality time together, said Regina, 46. “Losing weight together gave us more time to talk, whether we were walking, playing tennis or riding our bikes.”

“It was nice to have company,” said Randy, 46, of Regina’s decision to join him. “She dug out low-fat recipe books and would try new recipes. It was fun.”

“I would have quit 15 times by now if it wasn’t for Randy,” Regina said. “At meetings we would hear about spouses sabotaging their partner’s weight loss efforts. That’s definitely not the case with us.”

Ada Guerra, director of Swedish Covenant Hospital’s Weight to Go program, has seen 10 to 15 couples wanting to lose weight together within the last six months. “When you do it together, you experience a new life together,” she said. “You start exercising together, traveling more, feeling more like a team.” 

Elias and Jessica Reyes of Chicago each lost 100 pounds recently through Lap Band surgery at Swedish Covenant Hospital.

Jessica, 32, had the procedure first and six months later, Elias did the same. “When she’d lost about 70 pounds, I got to thinking, ‘I am only 33. I want to be around to see my kids. My feet were hurting too,” said Elias, who drives a train for a freight company.

“When Elias saw my success, he said, ‘Now it’s my turn,’” said Jessica. “Now everybody eats the same foods in our household. We enjoy shopping for clothes now. Before, we hated it. Even grocery shopping is fun. We compare food labels.”

By Terri Yablonsky Stat

Special to the Tribune