The Healthy Bride

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.

Last night was our last bride class of 2009.  Thanks to everyone who participated in our bridal fitness classes this year.  It was one of the best summers I can remember!  I think the classes only felt rain 2 times from April to September.  Wow, that is amazing. For the fall and winter, we are moving indoors.  We are starting a circuit training class next week – for anyone who is interested in joining.  It will run 10 weeks, with Brooke leading the class while I am away in November.

The transition to fall is often one that comes easy.  Big sweaters, leather boots, fancy wool hats and a bit slower pace of life feels welcome after the busy, full summer season.  Many of you were just married and the frenzy of planning your wedding and honeymoon is now behind you.

The fall can  mean “hearty (aka fatty) foods, Halloween candy and many lazy days watching movies on the couch.  How do we avoid falling into the low motivation behavior of fall?

Pick a goal that you feel passionate about.  Fall is a good time to join a class (already mentioned above, sorry) think about ski season (we are starting a ski-fit class in October) and how great it will feel to be in superb shape for skiing.  What about that winter beach get-away vacation in Hawaii or Mexico?  It will feel really good to cruise from your summer svelt to your winter bikini wonder-body!

Alternately, choose some small things you can do every day like the 50-50-50 (50 pushups, 50 sit ups, for 50 days), take only the stairs at work for the entire fall and winter months, kick candy for 30 days, promise to eat 9 friuts and veggies per day for the rest of the year, promise to do weight lifting 2 times per week for the rest of the year (I am signing on to this one), or ??????

What is your plan to navigate through the fall and into winter?  What is the most important items for you to commit to and include in your program for the remainder of 2009.  The sun is out again today, perhaps our fall motivation lapse will not happen this year?

Alexis sent me an email earlier this week asking how she can stay motivated to workout after her wedding.  I invited her back to class. She tried to get Alyssa to come, (Alyssa has also not worked out since her last Healthy Bride class) but she had food poisoning, so could not make it. Alexis came to class and had a fun workout.  She kept mentioning how much she prefers working out with other people.

I often hear that after the wedding, things are really hard.  There is the let-down from the event, the exhaustion from the months of planning and the need to just veg out for awhile.  I think taking time to do nothing is fine, as long as it does not last too long.

You guys work really hard in class, and my hope is that all the things you learned will stay with you.   So I feel that I need to do a little butt kicking to get you back out there. You have to start by thinking about what you like to do and who you like to do it with.  It’s doubly hard to exercise when you are doing something you don’t like.

Here are a few examples of others getting back out there.  Sometimes just hearing about what others are doing will help.

Shanya and Suzanna are a great example of two who have continued to be motivated past their nuptials.  I have seen them working out together in the park on several occasions.  It makes my heart sing to see them.  They have their bands and are doing all of the exercises they learned in the Bride class (and I am sure some they learned elsewhere), but the point is that they are there together.  I am not sure that they met in the bride class, but I think so. Great job you two, you are setting a great example for other brides looking for a way to stay motivated.

Tracy ran her first-ever half marathon last April and then told me that she was having a really hard time staying focused.  I tried to get her to sign up for another race and she just was not in the mood for that.  I then introduced her to Ann.  They became running buddies (they live 2 blocks away from each other) and soon enough had put their money down on the Victoria Half Marathon.  Hooray for running buddies (and workout buddies too) they really can help keep you motivated.

Alicia had Bradon in August and she is already back up to 6 miles.  She has a live-in babysitter (AJ dad of Bradon) and is determined to get back into shape for a race in November.  “I am getting back into the swing of things…  ran six miles the other day and have committed myself to the golden garden stairs once a week. I am surprisingly not that sore – it might be from carrying around the extra weight that now is gone.”  Go Alicia.

Shanna decided to become an iron triathlete.  She and her husband Scott train together, so it gives them a common focus.  I don’t think Shanna even owned a bike when she entered the half iron race last fall.  She went a long, long way from the Bride class to her half iron.  Of course, after finishing the half iron, she immediately signed up for a full Iron.  She is amazing!  Way to Go Shanna.

Karen joined The Healthy Goddess class on Saturday mornings at Phinney.  It’s a super fun class with Brooke as the instructor.  The group energy helps her get up early on Saturday mornings.

My wish for all of you is that your wedding is just one milestone is your quest for a lifestyle of health and fitness.  There is something very motivating about having those eyes on you at your wedding, but taking that momentum and rolling it forward to the “next big adventure” in your life will help you stay on track….from this day forward.