Relating: In Fitness and In Health
He asked. You said yes. Then, suddenly, the whirlwind of engagement began. Now, not only do you have to take care of the million little details a wedding requires; you also, if you’re like most brides-to-be, want to trim and tone your lovely self so you look and feel your best in your lovely white (or off-white). But, you don’t need to go to war with your body to drop those pre-wedding pounds. Follow these smart, simple tips from some of Philly’s top health and fitness experts to slim down, tone up and take care of your body (and sanity!) while planning for the day that matters most.
[sidebar]Set realistic goals—and soon. Although celebrities may be able to magically melt away pounds in a few weeks, don’t expect your total body transformation to happen so quickly. “You need at least five to six months to get in bridal shape,” says Lauren Boggi, owner of Philadelphia’s Lithe Method. “If you wait until the last minute, not only could you injure yourself, but most brides have more important things to do than cram in two hours of exercise each day.”
Leaving yourself ample time to adjust your eating and activity levels also allows them to become habits. “Prepping for the Big Day can help you create a strong health and fitness routine for the rest of your life,” says Holly Waters, a personal trainer at Sweat Fitness’s Center City location. “Do it now, and you’ll be proud of your body at each stage of your life.”
Pick a dress that flatters your (current!) body.
Whatever you do, do not make the super-stress-inducing mistake of lusting after a dress that simply won’t do justice to the body type you were born with. “You can’t make your body fit a dress,” says Boggi, who tied the knot in the Dominican Republic last fall. “I wanted a mermaid dress so badly, but I’m petite and curvy. My curves weren’t going anywhere no matter how much I dieted.” Finally, Boggi stopped fighting it, got a dress that fit her shape and ended up looking and feeling beautiful in a simple, strapless lace Monique Lhullier. She also found she was able to better enjoy the planning once she wasn’t obsessing over her shape: “I was trying to change the impossible—my height and my frame.”
Write it down.
When you’re juggling work and life on top of planning a wedding, time once used for preparing healthy, wholesome food can easily be overrun by other obligations. “It’s very easy to eat fast, processed foods, because you’re so busy,” says Tiffany Rothwell, a freelance fashion consultant/designer and manager who recently got married in Cherry Hill. Her secret weapon: a food diary. “Having to write down what I ate made me not want to eat unhealthy foods,” she says.
