Sunday, August 10, 2008

Weight Loss Tips for the Bride-to-be

You really want to lose weight before you get married, to look your best for the big day? Here's how.

The fact that you are going to be in the spotlight at your wedding might be reason enough to lose that excess weight that you have been carrying around for much too long; or it could be an even better reason to shed those few extra pounds you gained over the course of the few months before your wedding as you planned, partied and tasted too many cakes.

Well, you'd better get started as soon as you can if you want to make any permanent weight loss strides before your wedding. If you only have a week to go and suddenly feel you need to lose ten pounds, forget about it - that's just stress rearing its ugly head. The only way you can lose ten pounds so quickly is through starvation and water deprivation. If you want to be happy on the big day, don't do this.

Realize that the best way to reach a healthy and attractive weight is to eat mostly highly nutritious and non-processed foods. In other words, eat your leafy greens, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, low fat yogurt, whole grain bread, rice, and 100% pure durum semolina pasta (without the cream sauce). When eating meat, go for the baked, grilled or stewed items rather than the deep fried or highly salted cold cuts. These types of foods tend to be the tastiest and don't leave you feeling bloated or heavy.

If you have a few weeks or maybe even a few months to go until your wedding, you should really consider going on a well-designed diet.

Also realize that if you can find the time to exercise, you won't need to cut back as much on your eating.

Here are few easy tips to get yourself moving and burning more calories:

Jump rope: Jumping rope burns a lot of calories and is easy for almost anyone to do. Jumping rope works the heart, lungs, and leg and arm muscles.

Climb the stairs: When you give your leg muscles a work out, you burn more calories. The legs are the largest sets of muscles on your body and they require the greatest quantity of calories to work. So, by taking those stairs and pumping your legs you not only give yourself finely cut calves, but you burn off that cake a lot more easily.

Ride a Bike: If you have an indoor stationery bicycle or the opportunity to ride your bike to do an errand, don't think twice about it. You will do your body some good.

Do Calisthenics and Stretch: When at work and sitting at your desk, take a moment every hour or so to do a round of arm circles, plyometrics (pressing hands together or pulling them apart), work your buttocks by doing butt squeezes (no one will know you're doing them either), and stretch.

Now if you are the one who isn't getting married, try not to look too too good, the attention is supposed to be on the bride!!!