Doesn't every bride want to look her best on the most important day of her life? It takes some effort but Circle City Planners has created a slim down time line to make sure you are in tip-top shape for your big day. The best way to ensure that you will look radiant on your wedding day is to start ahead of time and begin a wedding exercise and diet regime early. Below is a helpful guide to help you shape up and look fabulous. It’s time to but down the Doritos and say hello to your new friends, apple and banana!
Wedding Love and Hugs,
Tonya
6-9 Months before The Wedding: Start a Sensible Work Out regime.
In order to look and feel your best on your wedding day it is important to take care of your body in the months leading up to the wedding. We recommend working out at least 2-3 times per week, (if you feel you have more to lose you might want to up that to 3-4 times per week). by incorporating exercise into your weekly routine you will not only slim down but you will also feel healthier and have more energy. Try to make sure that your workouts combine cardio and weightlifting. Cardio will help burn calories while weightlifting will firm and tone your muscles. There are a variety of different workout plans you could follow. Running is a great way to burn calories and get in shape quickly and Pilates is a fun way to tone your entire body. There are also many great workout DVD's that are specifically designed to get brides into shape such as "The Wedding Workout" from Women's Health magazine.
4-5 Months before the Wedding: Watch What You Eat!
Ok ladies...like we said before it is time to put down the Doritos and say hello to your new friends apple and banana. With your wedding around the corner now is the perfect time to take a look at your eating habits and make sure that what you put in your body is going to help you look your best on your big day. You should be eating balanced meals (meals that contain carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats). Eating five smaller meals a day will keep your metabolism active which, combined with your workouts, will help you lose any extra weight you may have to lose. It is also important that you EAT. Now is not the time to start a crash diet or starve yourself in order to look thin. By drastically cutting your calories you will only weaken your immune system causing you to get sick. This is not the time to be stuck in bed with the flu so be sure that you are eating at minimum 1,200-1,500 calories a day.
2-3 Months before the Wedding: Start Targeting Specific Areas.
Ok so you have between 8-12 weeks left before your wedding. Now is the best time to change up your workout routine and start pinpointing parts of your body that your dress shows off. If your dress is strapless you will want to start toning your arms and shoulders so that they look well defined when you walk down the aisle. Some great strengthening moves include shoulder presses, bicep curls and triceps dips, all of which can be done at home with a set of 3-5lb weights. If you don’t have weights at home you can get two 1 litre water bottles and use them to do your exercises. If you are wearing a more formfitting silhouette, like a mermaid style dress, you will want to do some exercises that target your gluteus, hamstrings, and your abs so that your lower half looks firmed and toned. Some great exercises to tone your lower half include squats, reverse crunches and lunges. By adding these strengthening moves to your weekly workouts you will be able to see a more toned version of yourself in time for your big day. The website below has great instructions on how to do the exercises mentioned above as well as many other exercises that would be great additions to any workout.
1 Month before Your Wedding: Take Some Time To Relax
So now it is getting down to crunch time. The wedding is around the corner and there are a million details that still need to be addressed. This is the time when most brides begin to feel overwhelmed. Don't let the stress get to you. Set aside some time each week to just relax. Read a book, go for a walk, or just veg out on the couch and watch some bad reality television. Whatever you do to relax make sure that you incorporate it into your weekly routine. If you let the stress get to you, you open yourself up to fatigue, illness and weight gain, not to mention the fact that you might turn into a total Bridezilla! Make sure you make time for yourself. If you feel stressed out try delegating some of the responsibilities to your mom, your bridesmaids or even the groom. Try not to get stressed because not only will it take a toll on you emotionally, but it will affect your appearance negatively as well.
2-3 Weeks before Your Wedding: Drink More Water!
Even if you think you drink plenty of water every day...DRINK MORE! Drinking water will help your appearance in many different ways. First of all water will help you de-bloat. When you don’t drink enough water your body will hold on to any extra water that it receives causing people to carry around extra water weight. Drinking lots of water will help flush out your system and hydrate you, causing you to get rid of any extra water weight you may be carrying. You can also help this process along by cutting down on your sodium and sugar intake, both of which will cause you to bloat. Water will also help your skin look and feel clear and radiant. The more water you drink the more full and plump your skin cells will become, which will make your skin glow
1-2 Weeks before the Wedding: Don't Get Carried Away With Your Diet!
Hopefully by now you have had your final dress fitting (If not you need to get on that right away). Once you have had your final fitting it is extremely important to keep your weight consistent. If your weight drastically changes the week before your wedding there will not be enough time to alter your dress to fit, so make sure that you are not crash dieting the week before!
The Week Of Your Wedding: Pamper Yourself!
This is the time when you need to take care of yourself physically and mentally. Take all the appropriate steps to make sure that you are looking your best. Exfoliate your skin so that is glows. If you are going to get a tan, make sure that you have tested the type of tan you are going to get beforehand. It could be a disaster to go spray tanning the week before your wedding only to have your skin turn orange! Make sure you schedule a manicure and a pedicure for yourself. Also, you might want to deep condition your hair a few days before the wedding. Hair stylists don't want you to condition the day of your wedding because it makes styling too difficult. So if you deep condition a few days before, your hair will look shiny and gorgeous and your stylist will still love you!
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Tonya Shadoan is the owner of Circle City Planners. Brides are taken on the CCP journey exploring their wedding vision as our planners guide them through each step of the planning process. Tonya has earned the designation of Professional Bridal Consultant™ and is a Member of the Association of Bridal Consultants and International Special Events Society.
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Muriel MacRae is an associate wedding coordinator, a design consultant and event choreographer, and a destination wedding coordinator with Creative Weddings and Occasions and the owner of a boutique travel agency called Del Sol Travel. She is a certified wedding planner and destination wedding coordinator through the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada. Getting to know and understand her clients is critical in helping turn their ideas and vision into a unique and memorable masterpiece when creating their dream wedding. Located in Calgary, Alberta, she plans weddings, destination weddings, and honeymoons for couples in and around the Calgary and Banff area and throughout North America. For more information about planning your wedding, honeymoon, or romantic getaway, please contact her at muriel@creativeweddingsandoccasions.com or phone 403-477-0643.