I just want to start this blog by saying that I know many people aren’t looking to lose weight for a wedding, and that in no way do you NEED to in order to have a fantastic day.  I know plenty of people who have a target in mind in order to shape up for their wedding day, but also plenty of people who are happy and not in need of any of the advice that follows.

Since getting engaged in June, I’ve joined a few groups on Facebook about wedding planning and organisation; wedding styles or themes; and general wedding paraphernalia.  A lot of the posts that I see are from brides (and grooms, but mostly brides) about slimming down before the wedding.  As I said above, this isn’t a requirement for everyone, but I think it can be the one thing that often gets left to the last-minute, and then adds to the whole stress of organising a wedding.

I’ve had clients in the past, and still have clients now, who are getting in shape for their wedding – in the short-term for when they choose their dress, or in the long-term, where they have their dress and have a specific goal in mind that I’m helping them work towards.

I’m talking in general about weight loss for a wedding, but the goal can be anything you want to choose – some people want to lose weight, some people want to gain muscle or change their overall shape….. it is entirely personal.

With any goal, you need to put them through the SMART principle (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound), and some aspects of this will be easier than others – your wedding day will probably be the specific date you’re aiming for, but there will be other dates along the way which can help you stay on track.

When thinking about the specifics of the weight loss, you need to be realistic in the goal you set yourself – weight loss has to be done healthily, but think of all the other non-scale victories that can help with your motivation along the way.  You will also have occasions along the way which could prove to be stumbling blocks, and how you deal with those will determine whether you achieve your overall goal.  If you feel you have a significant amount of weight to lose, make small changes that’ll help you achieve that as early as possible – like I said, it will help keep the stress levels down, as the day gets nearer.

Here are a few tips to help you along the way:

• Drink plenty of water – helps with weight loss, but also helps keep your skin clear
• Speak to a Personal Trainer or get a Gym plan sorted – this will leave you one less thing to worry about, just turn up to the Gym, and not have to panic about what you need to do.
• Relax! – have 10-15 minutes each day to relax and unwind, taking time out of planning and stressing about the wedding.
• Increase your activity levels – go for a walk at lunchtime (this might also help with the relaxation), or try to increase the time you spend exercising.
• Get your sleep in check – get into a good night-time routine.  Lack of sleep can lead us to make poor food choices, you’re less likely to stick to your gym regime or deal well with extra stress.
• Keep your target realistic – if you have plenty of time; make sure you start as early as you can to ensure you can cope with the target you’ve set.
• Keep an eye on calorie intake – it may not specifically be weight loss you’re looking for, but you also want to avoid weight gain before the wedding. Know how many calories you should be having, and try to keep within that.

If you have any other top tips, feel free to comment below J

Planning a wedding should be an exciting time, but I also know first-hand how stressful it can be too.  We’ve managed to get quite a lot of our plans sorted already, knowing that I have nearly 6 months after Christmas to think about final details and coming up with a realistic regime that I can adopt to get ready for the wedding.  I already have my dress, but it needs to be altered and I know that I get better results when I have a shorter target time – I may have said above about giving yourself enough time, but you also have to work the best way you can.

If you need any help or have any questions, let me know.