Ask any bride about her goals for the big day, and one will most likely be to get in shape. And why wouldn’t she? This is the day when she is the center of attention, the day when her friends and family will all gather to celebrate her new marriage, and a day of photographs that will be seen for the rest of her life; it’s only natural that a bride would want to look her best. But with all the stress of planning a wedding, finding time to eat right and make it to the gym is a bit of a laughing matter. No fear, though, for there are a few proven ways to look your absolute best on your wedding day fitness.
1.) Set realistic, healthy, accomplishable goals. Yes, believe it or not, I can hear you now thinking to yourself, “Screw realistic, I’ve got to drop 30 pounds, and I don’t care how I do it!” Stop it. It does matter how you do it; if it’s not a healthy method, it’s not worth doing. Now I know that at 5’4”, I will never be one of the lanky models I see strutting down the Victoria’s Secret runway every November, so it would be futile to aim for that standard. Instead, think about what you can realistically do (you might want to consult a doctor to make sure it is realistic), and then move on to step two.
2.) Plan ahead. Planning is always key when considering a fitness regimen. Setting goals for yourself can only get you so far. Now you need to know how to reach them.
Start by writing things down and then creating steps to reach these goals (this is where your doctor can come in handy). Creating a workout schedule will help keep you on track. Personally, I find I work out faster if I have a checklist I need to take care of rather than just showing up at the gym and “winging it.”
This will also help with nutrition. Plan out your meals ahead of time and think of ways to stave off those unhealthy snacks. Do you always eat late at night? Go to bed earlier. Do you always end up starving around 3:00 in the afternoon and eating junk food? Bring some healthy snacks to work.
3.) Keep a journal. Don’t stop writing out things just in the planning phase. Make sure to write down everything you do. Keep a food journal of the food you eat and a workout journal of your exercises. It’s pretty tough to say to yourself, “I can’t run more than one mile” when the day before, you just ran five. Writing things down will keep you honest and help you stick to the plan.
4.) Keep things in perspective. The truth is, you are probably being harder on yourself than you need to be. Your fiancé did not fall in love with the perfect, flawless, fit version of yourself that you envision walking down the aisle. They fell in love with the person you are right now. The caring, talented, and hilariously funny person they will spend the rest of their life with. So good luck with your fitness goals, but remember; it’s your wedding day! Live it up!