The Healthy Bride

There are always a lot of questions and concerns from brides about how best to get great wedding dress arms, and a flat belly before their wedding.  Both are possible!  However, it’s not easy (sorry!)

Here are a few tips for the bride on how best to proceed toward this goal:

You can’t spot reduce.  Sorry (again), but spot reduction is a myth.  I wrote an entire blog post (the war on bridal back fat), so please go read this post.

The good news! You CAN spot strengthen. Getting your muscles stronger will make them more defined for sure, so don’t stop working your arms or doing your ab work, there is just more to it than that.  Women have more body fat than men.  It’s a fact of nature.  We carry more fat because women have the babies.  If you want buff arms and a flat belly, you will need to work off the fat that is covering your gorgeous muscles.

How to do that?   If you want hot arms and flat bellies you want to work on losing fat.  This means working out, and eating fewer calories than you take in.  There are a million options for losing weight, but what I believe works is finding a way of eating that will last a lifetime so you don’t get on the unhealthy yo-yo cycle.   We have some great articles from nutritionists I love and believe in on our website.

The good news! You CAN spot strengthen. Getting your muscles stronger will make them more defined for sure, so don’t stop working your arms or doing your ab work, there is just more to it than that. (check out our “bridecast workouts“)

How do you workout in a way that loses fat? This is another area loaded with myths and controversy.  My belief?  Workout hard (I mean on a scale from 1-10 workout at level you consider 7 – 9 for 40-60 minutes). If you are not huffing and puffing and sweating, you are not working hard enough.  If you can’t push yourself hard enough, find someone who will in a class or a trainer.  Be sure you warm up for 10 minutes first, then go hard, then cool down for 5-10 minutes and stretch.  Vary your workouts!  Doing the same thing over and over allows your body to adapt, so will no longer be giving you the stress you need to change.

What about weight training? Lift enough weight so you are “stressing” (NOT INJURING) your muscles. I see a lot of women picking up 3 pound weights when they should be picking up 10 pounders. You want to be sure you have enough weight to make some change in your muscles, and your muscles will only change if you “stress” them. If you are not using heavy enough weights, nothing will ever change. With weights, warm up for 10 minutes first, cool down and stretch at the end.  Make sure you have good form.  If you don’t know what you are doing, hire a trainer to help you learn.  Again with weights, you need to vary the program at least every 6 – 8 weeks.  Doing the same thing over and over allows your body to adapt, so will no longer be giving you the stress you need to change.

Track your food intake.  This is hard, but really gives you truth-in-eating!  The website I use is mypyramidtracker.gov, but there are others like sparkpeople.  The reason I like my pyramid tracker is that you can add your exercise and then get an energy balance at the end of the day.  Be sure you are taking in less than you are expending, and the fat WILL burn off.

What if the fat won’t budge?  I mean really, if you are working hard, eating healthy – and I mean all the days of the week, including the weekends, and things are not moving, go see a Naturopath. I say Naturopath  rather than a Dr. because they will really look into every aspect of your health to figure out what is going on for you and help you reach your health and weight loss goals.

The Secret! Be consistent. Yes, that is the secret to losing weight, keeping it off and being a healthy bride with buff arms and a flat stomach. Be consistent, stay with your program long term, give yourself enough time (1-2 pounds per week) and don’t try to be perfect about it.  Now  just go do it.

We are one month into the new year.  How are your new year goals going?  Need some inspiration?

I have been checking in on the brides who entered our 2010 Healthy Bride Challenge, and they are struggling (a little) to stay on track.  The weekly check-in is helping them stay focused.  Who is checking in on you?  Do you need a re-start on your goals?  Now is as good a time as any – and without so much pressure.

Some Bridal Fitness tips to help:

1.  Review the goals you set at the beginning of the year and decide whether or not they feel realistic for you.  If they feel too lofty, then adjust them now, don’t cast them aside.

2.  Put your schedule into your calendar every single day.  Today, I had class at 6am, ran with the dog at 8:30am and have a 3pm appointment with my basement weight room.  If I don’t schedule it, it doesn’t happen.

3.  If you are trying to lose weight, track what you are eating for several days.  BE HONEST!  I use My pyramid tracker which also lets me add in my exercise.  I love to know what the balance says at the end of the day.

4.  If weight loss is your goal, weigh yourself at least one time per week.  Those pounds can really creep up on you, and knowing which direction you are going helps you control the direction before it’s too late.

5.  Get a bridal fitness buddy.  I know you have heard this before, but it does not hurt a bit to remember this.  Make sure your buddy is encouraging you to stay on track, not helping you fall off the wagon.

6.  Get enough sleep and drink enough water.

7.  If you dread your workout, you won’t do it.  Make working out something you look forward to doing, so make it fun.  How?  Try different things like bridal bootcamp, zumba, boxing, capoeira, break dancing, tennis, swimming.  There is something out there you will like, just keep at it.

8.  Give yourself congratulations for trying, for hanging in there, and for all that you ARE doing.