The wedding is the trigger that motivates many people to get in shape. Ideally the right time to begin is about six months before the wedding. In this time frame, you can literally look like an entirely different person. It can be a complete transformation. But what if your wedding is sooner? Not to worry. You can do wonders even with a three-month regime. Even 1 72 months will show results...
You just have to realize that you're not going to lose more than a couple of kgs. But you can strengthen and tone some key muscles so that even if you don't lose a significant amount of weight, you will stand taller, you'll have more energy and feel better, and your clothes will definitely fit and look better.
Here are some tips to help you hone in on healthy weight loss.
Make time for fitness: Many people attempt to lose weight by diet alone, but exercise really is key. There's no way around it no quick fix or magic! pill. Not only does it help you shed the weight, it also reduces stress, boosts your mood and helps you sleep.
Release that sweat: Not only can it help you burn fat, sweating will improve blood flow, remove toxins from the body and help you to better at night -- all factors that will lead to that glow being captured in the photos that will last a lifetime.
Get eight hours of sleep and limit stress: Research shows that stress and lack of sleep contribute to weight gain.
Don't over train: The biggest mistakes brides and grooms make is overtraining, trying to do too much, too soon, and continuing to do too much too close to the wedding day. Bumping up your activity levels the week before your wedding isn't going to make that much difference and you could get injured.
Also important: Don't try to lose more than half a kilo a week. So, if it's a six-week count down, don't look for more than a 3 kg loss.
For grooms: See your body through her eyes. Ask your fiancée to identify your most displeasing physical characteristic. It's instant motivation. If she's hesitant, make a list for her – abs, love handles, upper arms etc... and have her rank them from best to worst. Make the most-hated body part your workout focus for four weeks then repeat the quiz for more motivation.
For brides: Fix what you don't like: You can't change your basic body type -- you are who you are. So shop for the dress that looks good on you the way you look before you start your workout program, and then enhance that look with the workouts. Once you have your wedding dress, put it on, stand in front of a full-length mirror, and look at the parts that will be exposed. As you do not have that much time, you can concentrate on the areas that will be seen first. So if you have a sleeveless dress, do the upper-body workouts first - Work the shoulder, biceps, and triceps. For most women, it actually is the upper arms, upper back, and, shoulders that command the most immediate attention, with most concerned about getting rid of the “bye bye wave.
DIET
Don't skip meals, focus on what you eat: keep a food diary for two weeks (be honest!) and you'll soon see where your weak points are. Don't starve yourself in the weeks before the wedding. Not only is it not healthy, but it can also affect the way you will look on the wedding day, including your skin and your hair. With guests coming frequently, with people to visit and places to go, it is easy to gorge on everything that is offered to you. This is the time to work that will power. Avoid fried food, sweets, caffeine and colas. This is also a good time to cut down on alcohol and cigarettes. All this is bad for your skin. Instead eat lots of fruits and veggies and drink tons of water. This is the time to eathealthy, not starve to a size zero frame. You need loads of energy before, during and after your wedding.
HEALTHY EATING HABITS
Antioxidants tackle various aging concerns so consume tomatoes, broccoli, eggplant and other sources. Research has revealed that antioxidants can reverse age-related cell damage too. The meal should be with the correct proportions of minerals, vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and water, which hydrates our body. The right combination will help us improve our health and also make our skin look great. If you are not healthy inside, no matter what skin care products you use, you can never have the desired effect. Get enough protein: Your body uses 20-30% more energy to digest protein foods than carbohydrates. Make sure you have some protein rich food at each meal: try fish, chicken, eggs, milk, tofu or pulses. If you are working out hard aim to eat one gram of protein per your weight in pounds.
WATER
The quality of your skin depends a lot on the amount of moisture in it. The easiest means to keep your skin moisturized in to drink plenty of fluids including water and fresh juices during your detoxification. With this, you can ensure a more radiant and youthful skin, sans the blemishes.
WHAT DO YOU DO
Everyone wants to look their best on their wedding day, but who has time for trips to the gym? It is easy to make excuses to avoid exercising and this is a big no-no. Getting in some cardio and yoga everyday is a must for flawless skin. It improves the circulation and this is in turn switches on the glow in you. No matter how tempting it is to avoid exercise, do it anyway. You won't regret it. Regardless of what activity you choose - 30-45 minutes a day, three to four days a week, is the maximum for pre-wedding workouts. And you should spend the day or two before the wedding concentrating on relaxation, not fitness.
CARDIO
You'll be amazed how much you can achieve through just little changes to your daily habits, going for a 10-minute stroll at lunch time, or cycling to work. Run. Running is the best calorie burner out there – it gives you a bargain 600 calorie burn per hour. But don't just jump in: start! by setting aside 20 minutes every day; run for one minute, walk for one, and gradually up your running. You'll burn fat; lose inches fast, and best of all you'll run off all that pre-wedding stress! Here is a wedding fitness guide, which includes exercises that target the abdomen, legs, butt, arms and chest. Perform these exercises, three non-consecutive days per week one after the other, resting after the last exercise for 90-seconds before attempting your second and then third sets. If you do this consistently up to your wedding day, you will look and feel your very best!
YOUR CORE
Goal: Increase inner core strength (transverse abdominus), pelvic stability, low back strength; mental toughness Instructions: Lying face down on ground (prone), support your entire body in this ‘prone' position hovering your body over the floor supported only from your forearms and toes; DO NOT ALLOW YOUR LOW BACK TO DIP; focus on drawing your belly button in towards your spine; hold this position for up to 60 seconds.
YOUR LOWER BODY
Get your legs and butt buffed with lunges. There is no piece of equipment that will tone and shape that lower body like this specific exercise. Goal: Strengthen the low-body (hips, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, ankles); to improve balance Instructions: Standing with feet parallel and with both arms relaxed at sides; looking straight up. Inhale while stepping the right foot forward approximately 3 feet making sure the right heel touches the floor first, Your right thigh should be parallel to the floor. Do not allow the left knee to rest on the floor your right knee to extend over your toes. Exhale, while pushing the right foot from the floor, bringing both arms overhead and returning to your starting position. Repeat to left leg. Repeat for 15 repetitions (1 repetition for each side = 1 full repetition). *Try to keep your body weight centered in the middle of your working/ forward foot
YOUR ARMS
Strong, lean arms and shoulders can transform your body shape and unless your wedding dress has sleeves they'll be a key feature on the big day. Just five minutes of push-ups every day will tone your arms as well as your back and core muscles. Aim for two sets of 15 with your hands wide apart, then try another two sets with hands just less than shoulder-width apart to work your triceps and get rid of those bingo wings. Goal: Strengthen the chest (pectorals), shoulders (deltoids), upper arm (triceps); increase pelvic stability (transverse abdominus) Instructions: From the prone (face down) position on the floor; maintain a neutral spine with your head up supporting your body from your hands with extended arms under chest and on feet (toes) (Plank position). Inhale while lowering the body until upper arms are parallel to floor and then exhale while returning to start (maintaining slight flex in both elbows). Continue for 15-repetitions * Do not allow your hips to dip in toward the floor or pushing hips into the air; do not 'flex your chin to your chest
YOUR POSTURE
Regardless of what areas you want to "fix,” that the one area every bride and groom should pay attention to is his/her posture. It's the quickest way to enhance your overall look. Strengthen the quadriceps -- those upper thigh muscles that will help you to stand tall in new shoes for an extended period of time. You will need - dumbbells and a stability ball. By sitting on a stability ball and lifting dumbbells above your head, you're not just working out your arms and upper back, but engaging your core, muscles - the area in your midsection. Sitting on the ball forces you to work more muscle groups. You improve your posture, you pull in your abs, and you burn more calories as well.
