Consider doing something silly with your lover that you used to do when you first dated, no matter how silly it seems-in fact, sillier better. Take time to enjoy your partner. Let dishes and laundry pile up if necessary.

Need some more ideas? Here's a few:

Surprise your sweetie with tickets to an event you think s/he'd really enjoy. Hide them where s/he'll find them.

Take her/him out on a date where s/he gets to choose whatever s/he wants to do, even if it's something you wouldn't ordinarily want to do (remember to be gracious).

Take turns planning weekly dates, where you take turns deciding what to do. A date could be a picnic in a park, a drive in country, a trip to an art gallery, or a movie.

Turn your home into a fine restaurant for one evening. Surprise your lover with a menu, music, candles, a delicious meal, and table service (that's you). If you're frequently too busy to find time together, make spending time together a priority. Show your partner that s/he is your priority.

Take a day off from all responsibilities, including telephone, and just do what you both really want to do. Be completely spontaneous, and if you can't agree, take turns doing what you both want.

Devote yourself to your partner's wishes for a fixed amount of time. S/he gets to decide whatever s/he wants you to do (assuming you agree to it). S/he may want to be held, have you read poetry, receive a massage, be understood about something, have you clean kitchen, or be taken out for coffee. Taking turns with this can be a lot of fun.

Be playful with each other. Feed each other with your fingers, stay in bed all day, take a walk in rain, sing old tunes you both know, or have a pillow fight. It doesn't matter what you do, just that you have fun again.

Find a time to look deeply and lovingly into your lover's eyes; words are not necessary. Look at her/his face and see her/his beauty and uniqueness. Tell her/him what you see and feel. Take risk to feel depth of your emotions and to share that with your lover. At night before you fall asleep, tell her/him something that you love about her/him. Remember, you're one who knows what your lover really enjoys. Surprise her/him with something special-don't wait for a birthday or anniversary.

The idea is, no matter what you do, make it special.

These are just a few suggestions to help you regain some of sparkle in your relationship. Don't be afraid to let your imagination go wild, or to appear silly. Your partner will enjoy love and thought you've put into it, and over time you may find your relationship feeling vibrant once more.

© Kali Munro, 1998, 2000. http://www.KaliMunro.com

Don’t get caught up in Fat-free food frenzy. Fat-free foods are very high in simple carbohydrates and will increase your insulin, which will “Feed” your fat cells making you fatter very quickly.

A good nutrition plan starts when you’re making your grocery list. Then of course you have to stick to list! Another good idea is to shop for your groceries just after you’ve eaten. This way you won’t be tempted to fill up cart with junk food.

Nutritionally poor food is fine in moderation. But don’t over-do it. Take one day each week to satisfy your cravings. You won’t eliminate all good things you’ve done over rest of week. There's little wrong with it and in fact it’ll help you stay on track.

If you try to eliminate your favorite “junk food” completely it’ll lead to binge eating in only a couple of weeks. Then you’ll have a lot of trouble getting back on track.

When it comes to meats chicken, tuna (and most other fish) and turkey are your best choices. They’re lower in fat, which means they’re lower in calories as well and have less cholesterol.

But don’t eliminate red meats. They’re not only an excellent source of protein but also of iron, zinc and creatine (which helps tremendously with fitness). So try to include a couple of meals each week that contain red meats.

Banana’s, oranges, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits are best fruits. They're rich in vitamin C and potassium. Eat fruit and drink juices daily. But be aware fruits and fruit juices contain a lot of calories, so if you’re trying to lose weight once a day is good enough.

Supplements are meant to supplement healthy eating, not compensate for poor eating habits. But if you aren’t getting nutrients you need, for example you’d need to drink a ton of milk plus take other calcium rich foods each day to get calcium you need, then a calcium pill a day may be a good idea.

Exercise is not an option. Cardiovascular exercise and more importantly resistance exercise (weight lifting) is essential for good long-term health. Muscles will increase your metabolism making it possible to lose fat, and resistance exercise has amazing benefits for your heart and other organs.

A daily vitamin E may help protect against heart disease and cancer. Because people cannot easily get enough vitamin E in common foods, a supplement of 200 to 400 international units (IUs) per day is a wise health investment.

About Author:

Phil Beckett is author of ‘The New Women’s Guide To Successful Weight Loss & Fitness’ and Fitness Director at Women’s Health & Fitness Inc. He’s helped thousands of women succeed with their weight loss, health & fitness goals over past 14 years. Visit http://www.womens-health-fitness.com to contact Phil with your questions.

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