Every woman wants to perfect look for her wedding day, and many profess a weight loss goal to try to achieve this wedding day perfection. Too often, women equate getting fit and looking great with the numbers on the scale. Beauty is not and never has been measured in pounds. Instead, focus on healthy habits to look and feel fantastic on the biggest day of your life.
If the mirror doesn’t reflect what you want to see, begin by mapping out a few body and fitness goals. Again, don’t make these goals about the numbers that the scale registers. Focus on strengthening and tightening the body, eating healthy and clean and hydrating the skin…and body.
A fitness roadmap should break bigger goals down into monthly smaller goals. Never try to crash diet to achieve ideal measurements or to fit into a certain size. Starvation and unhealthy diets can wreck the body, cause health conditions and even lead to light-headedness and fainting. A bride falling into her wedding dress at the altar is not a princess perfect moment.
Control Portion Sizes & Eat for Nourishment
A ‘clean’ diet doesn’t have to mean organic. If the budget doesn’t allow for buying organic items, don’t stress. Eat wholesome foods that nourish the body. Learn about portion sizes and how much of each item you should be eating. According to the National Institutes of Health, a serving of lean meat should be about the size of a deck of cards, a serving of dry pasta is about the size of half a baseball, and a serving of veggies should be around the size of a deck of playing cards. Another way to control portion size is to switch out plates. Instead of using dinner plates, WebMD suggests using salad plates for dinner.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Love sweetened fruit drinks, teas or soft drinks? Tell them goodbye, because they are adding empty calories to your diet. Sugar isn’t healthy. While sugar helps give us a burst of energy, the crash is usually not far behind. Kick out the sugar habit, and replace those sweetened beverages with unsweetened decaf teas and water. Stay hydrated to keep skin looking luscious and to help cleanse the body of waste and toxins.
Find a Workout that Works
Not everyone loves fitness. The secret to strengthening and toning the body is to find a fitness routine that works for you. Some women are avid runners, while others feel like they’re going to fall over after a few blocks. Building endurance, however, is necessary to help condition the body. If you’re interested in running for cardio (and to build strength), start slow and even alternate between walking and running.
Yoga helps improve flexibility and lightly tones the body, and it’s also incredibly relaxing. Use yoga to help stretch muscles and to relax after stressful wedding planning. If you’re not an avid yogi, begin with easy positions and don’t push the body.
Not fond of your core? To help tone tummy muscles, add crunches to your morning routine. Or, if you want an extra zing in your workout, try hula hooping. Kelly Osbourne swears by hooping, and she has credited her hoop with helping her keep off her 70-pound weight loss.
Love Your Skin
Our skin is the body’s largest organ. Take care of it. Stress can cause break-outs, sun can cause burns and early aging and make-up can clog pores. Pamper skin each night and stay on top of any early irritations that might pop up. Use SPF every day, whether or not the sun shines brightly. Moisturize each night. Oily skin should opt for an oil-free moisturizer. Dry skin ladies may benefit from using virgin coconut oil on skin at night. The oil penetrates skin for deep-down moisture. Coconut oil also provides a close shave when used in place of shaving cream. Plus, it smells like paradise!
Guest Blogger
Naomi Shaw
