We all know the way to lose weight, don’t we? Eat less, move more. It’s a simple equation, so why are some of us still struggling?
You want to look your best on your big day, wearing your dream dress and feeling confident and comfortable. But, ideally, you may not want your dream dress to be a plus size. Maybe like a lot of women you’ve always battled with yo-yo dieting and every time you lose weight it eventually creeps back on?
Hormones and stress play a part and it’s no wonder that so many of us need a helping hand when it comes to losing a few pounds. The stress of organising your big day means it’s all too easy to unwind with a large glass of wine and a cheese toasty, but we all know that’s not the way to glow on one of the most important days of your life.
So, what’s the secret? Let’s take a look at the options.
There’s no need to go it alone these days. The Confetti Weightloss & Fitness forum has lots of brides looking for diet buddies to help motivate each other – so why not log on and get hints, tips and sympathy from like-minded girls in the same boat?
Slimming clubs
Joining clubs like Weight Watchers and Slimming World can work well as the eating programmes and camaraderie between members encourage you to stick to your goal and lose weight at a steady rate. Online versions mean if you are too busy to attend meetings, you can still follow a tried-and-tested plan and keep on track while sharing as much or as little as you want. It’s also advisable to follow a nutritionally complete plan rather than going it alone and cutting out whole food groups such as dairy or carbs, which can endanger your health if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Do it right
Fad diets and drastic short-term weight loss plans may seem like a quick fix, but more than likely you will put the weight back on (or more!) and feel miserable. Changing the way you eat for a slow and steady weight loss is the way to go. Buddy up with your fiancé or best friend and start running, swimming or even just walking to work for starters. Check out all the different classes at your local leisure centre and try out the gym that offers an induction to include a personalized plan to help you get the most out of your workout. Entering a charity race such as Race for Life encourages you to take up a planned training programme and you will feel great knowing that you are doing something nice for others too.
Diet deliveries
A new idea is calorie counted delivery services. These work by having meals delivered to your door twice a week so all the boring counting has been done – losing 10 pounds a month is the reported average and it’s rumoured that TV presenter Kate Garraway recently lost two stone in four months using one of these diet plans.
Easy changes to make today
Many people get stuck in a rut when it comes to mealtimes. For speed and convenience you may skip breakfast, buy lunch and make do with a ready meal or a take away for dinner. If you do cook meals from scratch, look at what you’re making – if there’s a lot of red meat, pastry, butter or desserts then it’s time to start trying out new healthier recipes. Swap your weekly spag bol or bangers and mash for a prawn or turkey stir fry with loads of vegetables and brown noodles or rice.
You can make a healthy and filling vegetable, chicken, lentil or bean soup in minutes, which you can then freeze for another time, or reheat for your lunch the following day. Instead of cakes and puddings, make a fresh fruit salad and top off with plain yogurt. Eating protein such as eggs or nuts at breakfast will keep you satisfied for longer and occasionally swapping healthy cereal bars with a green tea for your usual cappuccino with a bun will help too. You won’t believe how much energy you’ll have, how easy the weight will fall off you and how amazing you will feel! You can still have the pasta dishes you love, just make sauces with oil instead of butter, swap your cheese sauce for tomato sauce with green vegetables, and always add a salad. Simple and delicious.
Left it to the last minute?
Fasting is never a good idea (unless you’ve an operation the next day?) If you really have left it until the last minute and are in a panic, consider a boot camp – these may be expensive, but are often very effective. You’ll be put through your paces by army-trained leaders, and will be expected to exercise from early morning to late at night.
Whatever you choose to do, your wedding weight loss may just be the start of a deliciously healthy new way of life that’ll keep you looking and feeling great long after the wedding.
Always consult your GP before embarking on a new diet regime.
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