| Spring or early summer is the most popular | | | | days per week. Be sure to include both cardio |
| time for weddings. But no matter when you're | | | | and resistance training so you'll get some |
| planning your wedding, the stress can be | | | | muscle tone while you're burning fat. |
| overwhelming! The average cost of a wedding | | | | |
| in the United States is over $22,000. About | | | | Second, banish all high-fat junk food from |
| $7,630 of that is spent on the wedding | | | | the house. Be strong! You can do this! No |
| reception (source: American Wedding Study, | | | | Twinkies, no bacon, no chocolate cream pie. |
| 2002). From increasing costs to angry | | | | Eat plenty of lean protein (skinless chicken |
| relatives to the never-ending guest list, a | | | | breast, fish, etc.) and absolutely pig out on |
| wedding brings stress and frustration for the | | | | fresh vegetables! Drink plenty of water, and |
| bride. | | | | in all cases avoid the empty calories found |
| | | | in soda, alcohol and that sweet kids juice. |
| Unfortunately, we often resort to binge | | | | |
| eating and 'comfort foods' during times of | | | | Finally, be wary of the weight-loss 'tricks' |
| stress, which of course puts on the pounds | | | | that you'll hear from your girlfriends. There |
| and creates even more stress! "I bought what | | | | is no magic pill that will make you a size 6 |
| size wedding dress?!?!?" | | | | by the wedding, so don't experiment. Don't |
| | | | starve yourself because that will make you |
| Approximately 7 out of every 10 brides crash | | | | grumpy, make you retain fat, eliminate muscle |
| diet or starve prior to their wedding date | | | | tone, and set you up for failure. Don't |
| (source: fresnoweddings.net). Real health and | | | | listen to the gossip about the newest |
| fitness experts will tell you that crash | | | | 'cabbage diet' or 'grapefruit diet' or |
| diets and starvation diets are the worst | | | | 'Hollywood diet'. Instead, stick with a |
| thing we can do! "If you crash-diet, you run | | | | balanced diet and exercise.....this is the |
| the risk of comprising your health ... so | | | | only proven way to lose fat and look your |
| that your hair, skin, nails don't look good | | | | best. |
| for your big day or in the wedding pictures. | | | | |
| If you want to lose weight before your | | | | Two more bits of advice for the bride: Eat |
| wedding, look for a balanced eating plan" | | | | breakfast the morning of your wedding day - 8 |
| (source: Suzanne Henson, coordinator of the | | | | out of every 10 brides don't eat breakfast |
| University of Alabama-Birmingham's EatRight | | | | (source: fresnoweddings.net) which will only |
| Weight Management Program). | | | | make you miserable and weak during the |
| | | | reception! Most importantly, remember that he |
| So what's a blushing bride to do if she has | | | | knew exactly what you looked like when he |
| only six weeks until her wedding, and the | | | | proposed to you, and he still proposed! He |
| stress is building up faster than the potluck | | | | loves you the way you are, and all these |
| table at church? There is hope..... | | | | fears about size and weight are unfounded |
| | | | anyway! |
| First of all, start exercising now. It's | | | | |
| crunch time, and while the old 30-minutes per | | | | Relax, enjoy yourself, and make the lifestyle |
| day, 3 times per week may work for the | | | | changes that will bring results. Have a great |
| general public it's probably not enough for | | | | wedding! |
| the bride. Shoot for 30-minutes per day, six | | | | |