A 2008 study from Fitness Magazine found that 83 percent of brides aim to drop weight before their wedding. Some are willing to do so drastically by taking pills or fasting. If you are a bride trying to shed some pounds, do it healthfully with exercise, proper nutrition and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Bridal Boot Camp
Join forces with other brides trying to lose weight by joining a bridal boot camp. These types of workouts are available all over the country and offer a military-inspired workout program. Some are tailored specifically to brides, such as Fit to Wed in California. This program focuses on shaping and toning “key wedding gown areas,” such as arms, back and shoulders and is geared toward brides, bridesmaids and mothers of the bride and groom. Other programs are just geared toward women who want to get in shape, such as the Adventure Boot Camp For women, which has more than 400 locations across the world.
Bridal Workout DVD
If you are looking for programs you can do at home, pick up a bridal workout DVD. The Healthy Bride’s Boot Camp Workout DVD combines cardio moves and strength-training exercises with a certified personal trainer leading you through the 45-minute workout. Diet-ranking website Diets in Review called this DVD engaging but challenging, though noted its drawbacks include lack of variety.
Another option is the Bridealicious Boot Camp, a four-disc set of DVDs from certified personal trainer Doug Rice released in June 2010. It focuses on the arms, shoulders and back. There is an accompanying website that offers extra advice and features real brides.
Start a Nutrition Program
One of the most common ways to lose weight is to revamp your diet. When searching for a diet plan to follow, MayoClinic.com recommends searching for one that includes foods from all the major food groups—fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy and protein—as well as foods you like and the proper number of calories and nutrients. Consider the Mediterranean diet, which includes the basics of healthy eating, according to MayoClinic.com, as well as getting exercise, eating plant-based foods, adding healthy fats such as olive oil and limiting red meat.
Join or Start a Weight-Loss Challenge
If you are motivated by competition, join or start a weight-loss challenge. Discovery Heath offers the National Body Challenge, a free fitness and weight-loss challenge for people—not just brides, so you could include your groom in this—to get into shape. The National Body Challenge includes customized meal plans from nutritionists, a fitness plan, online support from others taking the challenge and weight and fitness trackers.
You can also start your own weight-loss challenge. If you have a friend getting married, challenge her to see who can shed the most pounds before a certain date. You could also challenge your bridesmaids. Keep a food diary to share with each other and schedule group exercise times. The girl who drops the most weight gets treated to a round of drinks or dinner the week before the wedding.
Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
For many brides, weddings cause plenty of stress as there are appointments to keep, families to make happy, details to schedule and a budget to stay within. Stress hits people in different ways, but a common reaction is to eat more frequently. Chronic stress increases levels of cortisol in the body, according to Psychology Today, which sends extra calories eaten to the abdomen, where it is deposited as fat. Your body does this to allow for a quick supply of energy. It also sends out a metabolic notification to the brain to shut down its response to stress. This means that many people eat more to calm down their anxiety.
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