Dropping Pounds Along With an Ex by By Julia Allison, Dating Columnist, Time Out New York

The truth is, I haven't been to the gym in over six months; my membership got cancelled in August, along with The (Ex) Boyfriend. And yet the number on the scale today is finally -- FINALLY -- the same as it was when I first moved to New York a little over two years ago. What happened?

Only the most effective weight loss strategy in the history of the world: the Breakup Diet.

My Breakup Diet consisted mainly of negatives: I was no longer eating out six nights a week, no longer having appetizers, entrees and desserts, no longer downing two glasses of wine with dinner, then chasing that with a cappuccino, no longer lingering over long brunches involving bagels, lox and all of the cream cheese in the entire state of Wisconsin.

Thanks to all this (and, okay, a small stint in the hospital conveniently during Thanksgiving), I've managed to shed the 15 pounds I gained with the Ex gastronomist.

Letting yourself go - Apparently, I'm not the only one whose weight fluctuates when getting in or getting out of a relationship. Katherine, 22, an editorial assistant, says that her last romance "started with me being fit and in shape (and quite confident) and ended with me being terribly unhappy because my body looked completely different." She and her then-boyfriend made a habit of scarfing down Chinese food, pizza and candy. "We had reached a comfort zone," she explains, and "there was no one to impress."

After what she describes as a "bitter" breakup, they turned things around. "We were both at the gym EVERY DAY trying to get back in shape because we had let ourselves go. Being back on the market and making SURE the other one was jealous was complete motivation."

"I see it a lot," says Stacy Berman, a certified fitness trainer and founder of Stacy's Boot Camp in New York. "

Individuals get in good shape to meet someone, then they meet them and gain all the weight back.

Individuals get in good shape to meet someone, then they meet them and gain all the weight back."

Lose weight while you're still together - Although many couples train with her to get ready for their weddings, Stacy contends that it would make more sense if they started working out earlier in their relationships. In other words, get thee to a gym when your jeans are merely snug, not when you can't wiggle them over your hips.

Her suggestions for busy couples? "You have to make time for exercise, and do it together, so it's more of a bonding experience." Physical activities like boot camp, dance lessons, yoga or even a stroll around the park are far more engaging than side-by-side lifting or 20 minutes of mind-numbing ellipticals.

And instead of bonding over an expensive, caloric, high-fat restaurant meal, try grocery shopping at Whole Foods together. Okay, so it won't be that much cheaper, but at least you'll control what goes into your meal.

Take away the take-out menus - If you're dating someone who thinks of kitchens as storage for his take-out menus and shot glass collection, remember that just because he doesn't gain weight from downing several slices of cheese pizza, doesn't mean you won't. Many women unintentionally match the caloric intake of their partners, and with even just a 500 calorie differential, that's at least a pound a week.

The solution? Um... tell your partner to quit eating crap food in front of you! Or wait until he's gone and throw all the food into a black garbage bag, along with his cell phone, which should make ordering take-out more challenging. If none of this works, don't despair. At some point you'll either have to lose weight for the Wedding, or you'll split and go on the amazing Breakup Diet.

In the meantime, just remember, "relationships are all about giving," says Ryan, 29, an artist. "And what kind of partner would you be without giving your mate the proper love handles for spooning?" You can imagine the ladies are all lining up for that.