You’re going to be wearing the dress of your dreams on one of the most important days of your life, so of course you’ll want to look amazing in it. To find out what works and what doesn’t, we asked our loyal Facebook friends for their hints and tips on shedding those stubborn few pounds before the big day.
Slim as a group
You may find joining a slimming club helps you through tempting times and that you need the discipline of having to ‘log in’ to report your weightloss to help keep you motivated.
“Definitely Slimming World,” says Facebook friend Ruth. “You can sign up online and then follow the plan, even if you can’t make classes. It’s the only diet where you can eat almost anything you like! I could eat a packet of crisps and bar of chocolate every day and still lose weight.”
“Slimming World! It’s really easy to follow,” agrees Sheena. “It teaches you to change your attitude towards food and encourages you to make healthy choices, even with takeaways! I’ve lost 3 stone so far and have a stone or so left to go in 8 months! Plus exercise helps lose inches, so although I still weigh more than some people in my group I look smaller because I’m toning up!”
Weight-tracking apps
A diet app certainly has its place to keep you motivated while trying to lose weight.
One Wedding Ideas Facebook bride recommended the My Fitness app. She says it was simple to use for basic calorie counting and had a useful bar code scanner, which she could use to scan her food and it would bring up all the dietary information she needed. Another useful app is Carbs Control, which lets you keep track of your daily carb intake and logs your weightloss over the next few months.
Whatever programme you decide to use, it’s important that you step up your exercise routine, as this will help you to burn those calories faster. Don’t feel you have to join a gym – just introducing more walking into your daily routine makes a big difference.
“Use a calorie counter app to keep an eye on what you’re eating,” says Wedding Ideas reader Aisling. “Also, drink lots of water and make sure you fit in some daily exercise; just doing a 20 minute power walk to work makes all the difference.”
What about personal trainers?
It’s the more expensive option but working out with somebody is a good way of staying motivated. “I’ve just got myself a personal trainer who I see once a week, but she also gives me a home workout and a nutrition plan,” says Charlotte. “I’m determined to look amazing in my dress!’
Drastic action
However, some readers took more dramatic measures …
“I went to see a hypnotherapist to have gastric band hypnosis,” says Michelle. “I’ve lost over two and a half stone in 18 months. I still eat what I want but my portions are a third of what they used to be. I also go running twice a week, do Zumba once a week and I feel so much better than I did!”
Love yourself and your body
“Being a wedding dressmaker, this topic comes up a lot! Says wedding dress designer Caroline Arthur. “My tip would be not to stress about losing weight – he asked you to marry him because he loves you and you look wonderful to him. Choose a gown that makes you feel fabulous right now. If you plan to lose some weight, that’s fine, but dressmakers can always stitch an internal corset into your gown, which could solve the problem!”
So a combination of exercise, improved diet, eating more of the right things and less of the wrong things seems to be the magic formula. Do that and you’re sure to look fabulous on your big day.