Are you dealing with the dreaded ‘D’ word…Diet? If you’re engaged then sadly this may have been mentioned to you, or you may eel like you need to lose weight in time for your wedding day. Let’s just start buy saying that you’re getting married to someone who loves you for being you! They proposed to you how you look now and your figure and body is enough. It’s perfect!
If how to have your hair and the style of makeup most flattering aren’t enough of a worry as you approach your big day; there’s the dreaded waistline and scales to bring you back down to earth with a bang, when you should be feeling on cloud number nine.
Many brides desperately struggle to shift the pounds to look trim and toned to attain that smaller size for their wedding day; for some brides having a dress taken in a few inches equals an accomplishment, a feeling of pleasure. But is this really the right attitude when dealing with weight loss? Of course it’s not! Brides can be left feeling apprehensive and anxious to attain that picture perfect figure. Many feel pressurised to look a certain way resulting in depression and low self esteem, fixated on an ideological image that for many of us is beyond reach. This ultimately creates a dejected, overwhelmed bride when she should be feeling her most exhilarated.
Rather than shuddering at the word ‘diet’ and listening to your stomach growling all day long the easier and sensible choice is a complete overhaul to your entire routine with food. There is no point starving yourself feeling hungry and miserable in order to look slim for one day, only to put the weight back on during the honeymoon….and then some. Having a healthy attitude to food and what you eat is more important in the long run for a healthy body and mind.
Here at OneWedding we understand how every bride feels in the run up to the big day, but eating crackers and salad for days then binging on a big bar of chocolate in the evening isn’t a wholesome or nutritious way in accomplishing that slimmer figure. Introducing healthy tips and maintaining them into your own lifestyle will make a difference not only to your waist line but to your everyday life too. Here are some must have healthy tips to keep every bride happy and healthy and sweet and savoury treats to keep you away from biscuit tin and reaching for that takeaway menu!
Breakfast
• Breakfast is the most important part of the day, even if you do not usually eat breakfast or have a lot try and eat some cereal, porridge or a banana. This settles your stomach and gently burns calories throughout the morning while you are working.
Alcohol
• Instead of fizzy drinks laden with empty calories turn to the diet varieties which taste just as sweet. For boozy nights out switch wine, ciders and beers for vodka cokes or gin and lemonades.
Treats
• You can still enjoy all your favourite treats; just because you are cutting down doesn’t mean you cannot eat anything tasty, It is all about using your initiative. If you fancy a fry up switch the fried egg and sausage and replace it with a poached egg and quorn sausage. Grill your bacon instead of frying, mushroom and beans are both healthy vegetables so stock up on those. For roasts the same attitude applies; cut back on the hefty carbohydrates and swap for extra vegetables choose the leaner meat avoiding fatty parts and avoiding the more fatty items such as Yorkshire puddings.
Snacks
• It is best to eat little and often throughout the day rather than having three huge servings of breakfast, lunch and dinner as the hours go by you will get hungry and snack, so if you have lots of little bites throughout the day you are less likely to indulge. Healthy snacks will fill a hole include bananas, raisins, crackers, low calorie bars or a cereal bar, cut up fruit and veg such as a fruit cocktail or cut up tomatoes and cucumbers whatever takes your fancy.
• Replacing foods can help shift the calories without you even noticing little changes such as swapping butter for margarine, sauces such as mayonnaise to the lighter versions make a huge difference when eating empty calories. Instead of 4 slices of thick white bread for some sandwiches swap them for cracker bread only 15 calories a slice you can have double the amount and fill them with low spread cheese such as dairylea triangles or ham with cucumber and onions delicious!
• Swap fatty meats for the leaner versions, yes they are more expensive but they are better for your waistline. Always drain any meat fat out into a glass before serving or alternatively switch to vegetarian options own super market brands or quorn you can still have your favourite spaghetti bolognaise but with half the amount of calories!
Portions
• For dinners make your portions sizes that bit smaller and where there is less pasta or lasagne fill up the rest of your plate with vegetables this will still fill you up but will be half the amount of calories. For toppings instead of lashings of grated mature cheese get the lighter varieties or use parmesan this will still give you a cheesy after taste but you won’t need to use as much.
Sweet Tooth
• Buy ice lollies or milk lollies and keep your freezer stocked up on them when you get a sweet tooth you can reach for one and most lollies are only between 40-60 cals.
Crisps
• For crisps switch to the baked or low fat variety which taste just as nice. Sunbites carry and family favourites such as quavers, pom bears, wotsits, skips and French fries are all under 100 cals.
Keep Moving
• If exercising isn’t for you and you don’t fancy spending hours in the gym keep active! Taking a walk with an iPod or cleaning the house, even jumping on your kids trampoline are all easy ways to burn calories without breaking out into too much of a sweat!
Boredom
• Keep occupied! Spending too much time at home can be many women’s downfall many of is eat out of border when there is nothing else to do. If it’s a nice day go out, enjoy the sunshine! Ring or see a friend it’s too easy to graze on food if you are sat in front of the tv or computer all day! Small modifications in the food you eat can change your life and your waistline for the better.
All Together
• Don’t go it alone! Join a group online or at your nearest hall. Encourage your other half or family to eat healthier too, there is nothing harder than trying to cut down when you still have to watch your partner wolf down a big mac! If you are all changing your eating habits for the better you are less likely to break under pressure from someone else.
Jot It Down
• Keep a diary or table of your daily achievements or download a free fitness app. It is easy to sway of track, having what you’re eating laid out for you to see will allow you to remember what you have eaten. Many apps now allow you to input your calorie intake so you know how many you have remaining.
Be Strong
• Don’t be too hard on yourself! Being unrealistic in your aims will more than likely end up in a major food session if you don’t deny yourself anything you won’t be tempted to binge out on unhealthy junk. Don’t allow yourself hardly any calories for you to get through your day, your body is a machine and needs calories for energy if you deny yourself you only end up feeling faint and lethargic.
Do It Yourself
• Instead of greasy takeaways have fun creating your own at home. Homemade pizzas with the kids can be a really creative fun task, you get to see what you’re putting on your pizza and can fill up with loads of veg and low calorie cheese. For Chinese try a homemade stir fry using a low calorie oil spray in the wok you will use half the amount of calories you would find in a average chow mien. To help philologically save your old Chinese plastic containers and put your stir fry into them it will make you believe you are having the real thing. Chop up lots of mushrooms and onions and zap them in the microwave for 5 minutes – the results of Chinese tasting veg is delish!
Drink It
• Juicing the new fad that has taking the celebrity world by storm has actually been used for years. It was especially big in L.A in the 1970s fill up with your 5 a day by turing all your fruit and vegetables into a scrummy smoothie.
By making these small changes to your everyday routine you will feel healthier, look healthier and start to gain confidence. Take your time this isn’t a race! Weight takes a long time to loose and you won’t look different over night; but in making these small changes and swaps you will eventually see the benefits.
It might not be a quick fix like crash dieting but it’s the healthy, sensible way and you will lose real weight and real inches rather than just water retention! Last but not least anyone will tell you that a kind smile, confident attitude and body imagine is a lot nicer to see in a woman than a gaunt, depressed calorie counting zombie who has no energy to do anything! If you want a meal out go! If you want a drink have one! Life is for living, eating and enjoying, It’s not denying yourself that meal out or takeaway in, rather making small modifications in the food you eat that can change your life and your waistline for the better.
