Calling all Brides who want to look Bridalicious for their big day and super gorgeous on the beach. This blog is for you (and me). When I got married I was super fit and of course the incentive was looking fantastic in my dress!! Since then I have badly fallen by the way side. I contacted Gail Abbey, a friend of mine and who I trained with, to help motivate me and asked her to give all our brides to be the best advice on how to get fabulously honed and toned for their big day. First of all Gail thought we had better start with the basics so this is part one of our Bridalicious blog.
Be Realistic
What’s healthy weight loss? One to two pounds per week, for a total of four to eight pounds per month. This is what can realistically be expected. Yes I know it’s not fast enough and yes the scales may sometimes show a greater loss s but body water fluctuates and waste storage etc. So you will find that over a period of a couple of months the scales will show eight to sixteen pounds loss. Mean while of course there should be no sitting about waiting for diet alone to change your shape as so often to begin with clients can’t believe that comments are flooding in from friends to them about how amazing they are looking so quickly. Muscle is dense lean tissue and needs food therefore with exercise alone the body mass will start to change.
Set A Deadline
For a healthy level of weight loss, it takes time. So if you need to lose 30 pounds? Get cracking at least six months before your wedding. For 15, you’ll need three months, and so on. Just don’t cut it too tight ,leave yourself a little extra time so not to put yourself under too much pressure .We all can lose focus at times and might have a bad few days. So set a firm deadline, just don’t make it your wedding day. Give yourself time to really tone up and sculpt your physique to look absolutely fabulous for the pre wedding parties too.
Know What It Takes
I would recommend a minimum of three to four 30-minute sessions of cardio per week and the same amount of strength training, Already starting to panic at the thought of fitting this in to your daily schedule? Well first of all you can start by taking three or four brisk walks around your area per week and spending at least 20 minutes doing some basic exercises like push-ups and crunches. Just try to stay active, and cut down on at least the worst of your high-calorie eating habits. If you have been a regular gym goer for a while then you will have to up the ante and take your workout up a gear.
Up The Ante
Start working a little heavier with the weights and super setting, so no rest between exercises and varying the workouts. Remember, if you continue to do what you’ve always done, you’ll continue to get the results you’ve always gotten. Want to make more progress? Then you’ll need to push yourself a little harder.
Don’t be afraid of increasing the weight load. This is required to challenge your body and take it past a plateau and no, increased strength training does not equal a masculine physique.”
Track Your Progress
Keep track by recording your goals in a journal — having them in writing is a fantastic motivator. Keep them small and specific. Ie:
Week One: Work out at least twice and be sure to strength train; then also do cardio two times during the week for at least 20 minutes.
Week Two: Repeat your fitness regimen from week one, but add 10 minutes to your two cardio workouts. Cut out drinking alcohol during the week, and replace with more water. As you reach each goal, record it — you’ll find it’s not so tough to build on your successes.
Its for Life
You can lose weight through diet alone and there are plenty of crash ‘new diets’ that come out on a weekly basis.
Before I came into the fitness industry I tried them all too and felt the frustration / elation/frustration/elation and could not believe how simple the formula was. Healthy eating, smaller portions, eating regularly, plenty of water and good exercise programmes.
Clients often come waiting for me to consent to the latest fad diet as Mrs ?? has just lost 135 lbs on the belly buster programme in 4 weeks.
Q. Do you really want to live on a shake for the rest of your life? Can you drink alcohol and eat cheesecake with the shake like you have been for the last two years and starve yourself of water?
A: No
Then just cut out the alcohol and cheesecake from your old diet for starters!!
Protein heavy diets?? The same no alcohol and cheesecake…. amazing!!
Be sensible and realistic, make small lifestyle changes, include exercise and long after the wedding day has passed you will still be reaping the health and beauty benefits.
Most brides want to focus solely on their upper body because of their wedding gowns, but you want to work on your entire body for symmetry and a neat waist.. Remember ladies, the dress eventually comes off!”
My next Blog for Wedding Genie is going to be giving you some more nutritional tips and a simple to follow four week exercise programme for beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Brides to seriously maximise your metabolism and set you well on the way to looking Bridalicious.
For any more advice on Health and Fitness, or info on my Bridal fitness and Boot camp Hen and Stag parties.
Contact me on: mob:07818 492578 web:www.gailabbey.com e:gail@sospagreece.com
Wow!! thats given me a boost, pop back on Wednesday next week for the second instalment. Keep fit is like wedding planning, you have to be organised, enjoy it and keep at it!!!
Until next time, happy planning.
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