Do you need to get fit or lose weight for your wedding? No not at all. Not if you are comfortable with your shape and size. But if you’re not happy with either of these or you’re not feeling at your best you may well want to get fit for your day – after all it’s a goal to achieve by a specific date.
For many, losing weight means going on fad diets or not eating many meals in the hope that this will lose some of the weight…but in reality this can actually make things worse as their body could start to store supplies as it knows they are not going to be eating for a while. Some people go all out on a diet and exercise regime which gets the initial look that they were after, but their regime is so intense it’s not achievable in the long term. You have to consider how you are going to get the look that you want and be able to maintain it so after your wedding day you continue to feel good.
These are a few of my tips to look good on your day:
#Exercise Programme – it’s important to consider the type of exercise you enjoy, the amount of exercise you currently do and what your overall goals are – to lose weight, tone or build muscle. It’s worthwhile working with a Personal Trainer to help you identify achievable exercise goals, to encourage you along the way and to record how well you are doing so you can celebrate successes.
#Nutrition – understanding what food you should be eating and when is important. I’m a firm believer of everything in moderation and don’t believe you should restrict completely the things you love. That said, it’s about understanding what you eat and potentially reducing the intake of certain foods and also drinks. A nutrition specialist / Personal Trainer can help with this, but generally most of us know which foods are good and bad for us so it’s about realising how much of each we are actually consuming. A food diary is a useful aid.
#Support from others – I’m a firm believer in support from other people…and although I’d like to think of myself as fit and healthy, I still need a kick occasionally either from myself or ideally a Personal / Fitness Trainer to make sure I don’t get carried away on the chocolate front! Fitness classes and boot camps especially are a fantastic way of working out with like minded people who are all trying to achieve a healthy lifestyle.
#Eat slower – we’ve all done it – rushed our food as we are so hungry, or desperate to eat and move onto the next job we have to do…and often we can’t even remember tasting the food that we just consumed and sometimes we consume way too much just because we haven’t taken the time to see the signs that we are filling up. So take the time to enjoy and savour your food, the flavours and recognise when you are beginning to become full.
#Don’t go hungry – whether we are missing meals to lose weight or just too busy to eat this can have an impact on how we look. I personally find my tummy starts to bloat if I miss a meal and sometimes then as I’m so hungry I eat far too much at the next meal – I’m sure I’m not alone in this. So start to recognise the signs of when you are feeling hungry and ensure you have healthy snacks with you to eat inbetween meals. I’m not sure all professionals would agree with me, but my view would be to eat little but often (as long as it’s the right food choices).
#Limit your alcohol intake – for teetotallers out there this will be an easy one, however for those of us who like a glass of beer or wine it’s not so easy. However, alcohol has a high calorie content and so drinking lots of it can increase our weight. So perhaps try not to drink any alcohol during the week days and maybe just on a Friday and Saturday night – but then don’t start binge drinking as this won’t be good from a health perspective either.
#Get some sleep – I’m probably the worse person to give this advice as I’m always so busy with work and children that I find I often work late into the evenings but then I’m up again early for the school run. However, I do know that when I get plenty of sleep (usually on a holiday) I feel so much better in myself – my tummy seems flatter and my wrinkles less defined!!
#Drink plenty of water – experts are always telling us to drink more water and they are absolutely right – there’s nothing better than feeling water trickling through your body and cleansing away the badness. The only slight issue I have is the increased urge to go to the toilet – many more times than normal, but the benefits far outweigh the number of toilet visits.
#Limit caffeine – most of us like a cup of tea or coffee and many people can’t seem to function without that caffeine intake in the morning. Caffeine is believed to have some healthy benefits and some risks and has been associated with a mild form of drug dependence when people try to reduce their caffeine intake – so that symptoms can include headaches and irritability. Ultimately like with anything too much of one thing is certainly not good for you and relying on coffee instead of eating meals is likely to have a negative impact on your body.
#Monitor portion control – I believe this is one of the best ways to lose weight – limiting the amount you eat at each meal time. Sometimes we load our plates so much that our digestive system cannot cope with the amount we are consuming. Smaller sized plates would help with this. Reduce the amount you eat but remember not to skip meals. I also heard that it is better to eat before 6pm if that is feasible as this will help your body to digest your food properly before bedtime.
#Over indulgency on occasions is okay – so what if you have that one day when you drink an extra glass of wine or eat too much cake…just don’t make a habit of it. One over indulgent day is not going to have a long term effect on your body. So don’t feel too guilty just be healthy again the next day.
For me, it’s about changing the way you think…and realising what type of body and fitness level you really want to achieve. Being realistic also helps a little too. The key thing is being happy in who you are and enjoying life to the fullest…including your wedding day. Who doesn’t want to feel great walking down that aisle?!
Local to me there are two incredible guys who are both Personal Trainers and who can support you on your quest to feel good on your day.
#Xceed Fitness (http://www.xceed-fitness.com/) is run by James Price in West Yorkshire. In the studio, he has facilities to deliver resistance based training programmes and HITT sessions. The studio is perfect for small groups, couples and one to ones. All plans are tailored with regular weigh-ins and stat taking. On the doorstep of his studio is a park and 5 minutes away is Pontefract racecourse giving huge scope to training possibilities making it varied and fun.
James runs boot camps that are all mixed gender, abilities and ages. A mix of boxing and circuits provides a good calorie burn as well as having a great social dynamic to the groups. Indoor and outdoor venues are available. James also provides nutritional support to all his clients taking sessions based in the studio and there are intermittent nutrition seminars before certain boot camp sessions. His nutrition support helps to show you how to get the right amounts of what you need into your system at the right times of day. He also expels the myth that fats make you fat. James says ‘It’s all about lifestyle change and not about stopping eating or just eating rabbit food.’ Eating can be easy to do as well as getting the results you are after.
#Crowle Bootcamp (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1253607968049606/) run by John Dunn is based in North Lincolnshire. John’s motto is ‘being fit is not a destination, it’s a way of life.’ John has been involved in the fitness industry for 32 years and has always been hugely involved in encouraging people to achieve their goals. He gets massive satisfaction from this.
John believes fully in intrinsic motivation; giving people the aims and reasons why to train resulting in them motivating themselves to achieve success. He believes that many people are ignorant of their abilities and what he tries to do is unlock these and open their minds. People see very quickly that they can achieve and often they do. Setting achievable goals assists with this and keeps people motivated. John’s job becomes from then on a sort of push in the right direction and motivator from a distance because he believes people get far more out of training when they push themselves.
John is a health trainer and is first aid mental health qualified so he gives much from his training in terms of guidance and direction. He will discuss with you issues like diet and nutrition, rest and relaxation and much more.
John like James ‘cares about people and wants people to get the best out of life’. As John says ‘conquer your fears and quality of life’.
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