Today we’re joined by Vicki Lunn from Motivation.ie. For over 20 years, Motivation Weight Management has helped hundreds of brides and bridesmaids lose weight before their Big Day with simple lifestyle changes, with people losing on average 14-20 pounds per month. It has a unique approach to losing weight, addressing not just what you eat but why! Today, Vicki is sharing some helpful weight loss tips and advice to ensure you look and feel your best on your wedding day! Over to Vicki…
Yes, it’s happening! You’ve agreed the date for the wedding. This is the day you’ve imagined over and over in your mind. You’ve met the most fantastic person and you are going to share the rest of your life with them.
This can be and should be the most exciting, wonderful time of your life. For many brides, this is their dream; they’ve thought about this day for years and have planned every minute of it. For others, it is a living nightmare for months beforehand. We’ve all been to that wedding where the bride doesn’t look happy or can’t relax. The fact is, no one wants to feel that way on their big day. If you are unhappy with your body, no amount of makeup or reassuring comments will change this. The truth is, you won’t believe the comments anyway.
If you wish to lose weight for your wedding, be realistic with your goal. For instance, don’t put yourself under excessive pressure trying to lose weight in an impossible time frame. It will lead to disappointment and unnecessary stress!
What you do for yourself between now and your wedding will have a direct effect on how you feel on the day. Making positive changes will pay dividends in how relaxed and upbeat you feel on the day, on your honeymoon, and into your new married life.
No matter how impressive the venue, how great the weather or how experienced the photographer is, ultimately the enjoyment of the day depends on how feel in yourself, how calm, content and at ease you are in your own skin.
1. Time Management – It may seem obvious but that doesn’t mean many of us don’t leave things until the last minute. Planning a wedding involves writing plenty of lists. It’s important to do this to ensure you don’t forget anything, or miss out on booking the band you really wanted because you left it too late. This will help you prioritise, plan your budget, lower stress levels, and delegate tasks when necessary.
2. Make Small Changes – There are two habits that can be started now, with little or no preparation. Sleep and water. We require approx. 7-8 hours sleep a night in order to function to our full capacity both physically and mentally. 2 litres of water is needed to ensure hydration and assist the skin in looking it’s best. This may seem like a lot for those of you who don’t drink much water. Break it down into glasses or the kids size bottles instead of looking at a 2 litre bottle and feeling defeated.
3. Find fun fitness – While nutrition plays the biggest role in weight loss, physical activity is required for stress management and fat loss acceleration as well as muscle toning. When exercising, if you are not sweating and getting your heart rate up, you won’t physically see the benefits. Motivate yourself by using a fitness app, meeting a friend or employing the expertise of a trainer. A combination of cardiovascular exercise and strength training will work brilliantly for fitness, muscle tone and weight loss.
4. Do not starve yourself or skip meals – In order to maintain energy, mood and concentration, you need to include protein at each meal, and eat at least every 3-4 hours. Protein prevents muscle loss, protects vital organs, prevents hunger and provides energy. Aim for chicken, turkey, fish or pulses, keeping red meat down to just twice per week. Lower your carbohydrate intake to avoid getting a sugar dip and reaching for that chocolate bar! Check out the Motivation Weight Management healthy food plans and recipes.
5. Set Achievable Goals – By this I mean behavioural goals, not numbers on the scale. For long term weight management, you want to develop a set of rock solid habits. Starting some form of exercise, or reducing alcohol could be a good place to start. Regardless of what you choose, the benefits of reaching these goals should be personal to you. Start by writing down 3 goals and writing beside each goal why you want to achieve it. There is no such thing as a silly goal so be as random as you like if it will help you feel happy and confident long past your wedding day.
6. Portion control – If you want to shed some pounds for your wedding, it’s worth looking at portion control. Use a smaller plate and eat slower, remember it takes 20 minutes for the stomach to recognise fullness. Have protein every time you eat (snacks included), and bulk up on vegetables at meal times.
7. Time out – Don’t over extend yourself with wedding meetings to the detriment of your own me time. We all need some quiet, otherwise we can get overwhelmed and exhausted. If you are a mother, working, or a working mother, you are already a very busy person with enough to deal with without juggling unnecessary wedding meetings. Practice saying no to service providers if meeting with them has no real purpose. Being assertive will benefit you in so many ways, not just for the wedding.
8. Eat breakfast – Eating breakfast helps you to lose weight as it fires up your metabolism and reduces your calorie intake for the day. Researchers (National Weight Control Registry) found that dieters who eat breakfast lose on average 50% more weight than those who skip it. Aim for a combination of slow release carbohydrate and healthy protein e.g. an egg on wholemeal toast. Sugary cereals are unhealthy and will promote hunger and weight gain.
9. Reduce or eliminate alcohol – Alcohol temporarily impairs the part of the brain that helps you think clearly and rein in impulsivity. Overdoing it leads to not caring about the consequences of continuing to overeat and drink. Alcohol also interferes with the way your body burns fat. When you drink, the body stops using fat for energy and uses alcohol instead. Aim to choose low calorie options if you are going to drink alcohol and include water in between your drinks.
10. Ask for Help – Don’t be afraid to ask for help, especially from your future husband/wife. You may feel they aren’t as skilled at organising a wedding, but it is their day too. They may enjoy getting involved and knowing their opinion matters; let’s not forget there will be a marriage after the wedding.
Likewise, your bridal party has a duty to help you in any way they can within reason. You are not a one-person wedding planning army! If you are stressed and worried about every detail, it will take away from the fun and romance.
Don’t forget, here at Motivation we’ve helped hundreds of brides, so we’d be only too happy to arrange a private, one-to-one consultation to discuss how we can help you.
Melanie O’Donovan
“For any bride-to-be, I recommend Motivation. With their help, the day I dreamed of, was the best day of my life.”
For more info on Motivation Weight Management, pop over to their website here.
To download a FREE bridal pack of handy tools including tips, tricks and recipes to help you plan for your wedding day, click here!
