wedding weight loss plan

I do find that most brides want to lose weight before their wedding. I more often find that brides want to look and feel fabulous on their wedding day!

The brides I work with in the Northwest tend to view the time before their weddings as a time to evaluate their health and fitness habits. They are interested in making healthy lifestyle changes that include establishing workout routines they can maintain long term, making healthier food choices, finding alternatives to "fast or junk" food, choosing healthy snacks, and making healthier food choices when dining out. They are also interested in establishing healthy eating patterns like making eating breakfast every day a habit.

Fortunately, I rarely encounter women who feel desperate enough to resort to the drastic measures a recent Cornell University study found among 30% of brides.

A healthy wedding weight loss (and long lasting) rate is 1-2 pounds per week. The most successful wedding weight loss occurs when brides both increase their activity level (and yes, everything counts - especially the small things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking further to the store, etc) and decreases her caloric intake. In order to lose 1 pound a week, brides need to create a 3500 calorie deficit per week (500 calorie deficit per day). To lose 2 pounds per week, she needs to create a 7000 calorie deficit per week (1000 calories per day). Let's look at an example:

Carol is 28 years old, stands 5'5" and weighs 155 pounds.
She needs to eat 2300 calories per day to maintain her current weight at her current activity level.

Her ideal body weight range is 112.5 - 137.5
A good target weight for her is 137.5
A healthy number of weeks to get to her ideal wedding weight are 18-35 weeks (1-2 pounds per week)

To get to her ideal wedding weight in that number of weeks Carol needs to eat between 1500 and 1700 calories per day. This is true if Carol also maintains her current "low level of activity" (Low activity= you work in an office, but your day includes some walking, bicycling, or stair-climbing - Or you exercise at least 20 to 45 minutes at least once a week.)

If Carol steps up her activity to an "active level" (Active = your daily routine involves walking or standing most of the day or includes some brisk or uphill walking or some lifting -Or you exercise at least 20 to 45 minutes about three times a week.

At the Active level, Carol can eat 1650 calories to 1850 calories per day and still reach her goal weight in the same number of weeks!

Now THAT is a healthy wedding weight loss program!