Now I know this is a fashion blog, but what could be more fashionable than looking slim and trim in your brand new insanely expensive wedding dress! I am a lover of all kinds of diets and weight loss programs...I don’t really abide by them, but I like having the knowledge. I am totally not a qualified nutritionist, rather a normal gal like yourself who just happens to be obsessed with the idea. Please consult a doctor before starting any extreme weight loss regime. I will say this, I am not really offering a diet plan...more a bit of advice to keep you at your best before the wedding. Also, please be aware that once you have had that final fitting loosing more weight is not going to be fashionable...
Diets are fascinating, just by rearranging your habits you can say so long to bloat, extra poundage, and even ruddy skin. I am a total believer in “you are what you eat,” so always stay away from over-processed “fake” food. I think you should be able to read a label and know what all the ingredients are. Avoiding packaged food will be a great step in avoiding bloat, the sodium in one healthy microwaved meal is out of this world. Now with that said, I love my fast food more than any girl in the world, I’ll take What-A-Burger any day, but still I really work it into my weekly diet because if you aren’t careful that much fat could really do terrible things to your heart, forget about what it does to your thighs! Diets are hard to stick to, but in the months and weeks leading up to your wedding use your best judgement and imagine yourself in that dress all fabulous, it really is terrific motivation.
Now Dermatologists have been saying for years that it doesn’t matter to your skin what you eat...I call bollocks on that! Your skin is fully susceptible to what you eat. If you don’t believe me check out Dr. Perricone’s website and take a gander at his patients results. A diet full of Anti-Inflammatory foods, greatly reduces redness and the excess oil that causes acne. Now this diet isn’t going to cure you of decades of bad skin, but I swear you will see a difference. It’s no surprise that the foods on these lists happen to be the kinds of foods that a nutritionist or a dietician might tell you to eat. Wild Salmon and other various fish full of heart healthy oils and fatty acids. The list is full of veggies, fruits, nuts and spices that make you glow. The list doesn’t include any grains or starches, but I think adding a cup of brown rice or quinoa would make a perfect healthy meal. Check out http://www.metabolismadvice.com/anti_inflammatory_food/ for the entire list.
So if slimming down is your goal, then take my dad’s favorite advice, “say no to all white foods!” Seriously, it’s painful, but there are so many tasty replacements that you will never feel deprived. Trade white rice for brown, white potatoes for sweet potatoes, white bread to whole wheat/grain. Super easy to do and really tasty! Plus, these alternatives are loaded with fiber that keeps you fuller longer, jackpot!!!! When you cut foods out you have to be adventurous, never tried quinoa or barley, now is the time.
Now in the week leading up to the wedding it would be good to avoid foods that cause bloat! So absolutely no fried foods, fast foods, packaged foods, starches, diary, and even some veggies. Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, asparagus, and beans. Know I know that this list sounds like deprivation, but seriously one week, have you no self-control??
When it comes to sugary drinks loaded with calories, stay away! There are some exceptions, juices with no sugar added are acceptable for breakfast. I have found that coconut water is the best way to stay hydrated, it’s completely natural and loaded with 15 times the potassium in any given sports drink. It only has 60 calories per serving and is sooooo tasty. Drink a ton of green tea, not a fan, try Honest Tea, they mix tasty varieties of green tea with organic honey or cane sugar bringing the calorie count for one bottle to 32. Seriously, I buy this stuff by the case!!! The Moroccan Mint Green tea makes me sooo happy. I am also in love with Kombucha, never heard of it? Well, it is a fermented tea that is known for its medicinal purposes, it is an acquired taste, but man my skin glows when I drink this stuff!
Some pre-wedding eats:
In leu of pre-packaged dinners, I like to do all work at the beginning of the week. I make a whole box of whole-wheat couscous cooked in chicken broth. I buy a bag of steam in the microwave broccoli, I squeeze half a lemon and add some lemon pepper seasoning. Then I grill up some chicken seasoned with lemon pepper. Finally, I cut up the chicken and mix with equal parts broccoli, I add a cup of couscous and bam! yummy meal ready in a sec. I separate them into plastic containers and have lunch for a week. This can be done in a whole load of variations, for the week before the wedding omit the broc and exchange it for roasted red peppers, red onions, and mushrooms, replace the lemon pepper with salt and pepper and a touch of rosemary.
I love fish, so grilling a piece of salmon or halibut with lemon, extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with dried thyme, salt and pepper. Serve with sautéed baby spinach and a cup of quinoa cooked in low-sodium chicken broth. quick and tasty.
I am also a huge fan of tofu, when cooked right it is delicious. And a quick stir-fry is a healthy and fast way to cook it. First, I cube a block of extra firm tofu into the suggested serving amount. I add a teaspoon of sesame oil to a non-stick pan and cook the tofu until it is brown and crispy on all sides. When that is finished I remove the tofu and add another tablespoon of sesame oil, and add a plethora of my favorite veggies sprinkled with a pinch of salt and pepper, I cook until soft, but still with a crunch. I add the tofu back and add a few tablespoons of oyster sauce. I serve with a cup of brown rice, dunnso! Oyster sauce is available on the ethnic food aisle with the soy sauce, it is super tasty and low in calories, it can have a high sodium count around 492 milligrams in a single serving, so just use enough to coat everything in the pan.
So I found that the best way for me to stay slim and get all of the energy I needed before my wedding was to get a monster smoothie with tons of protein. It worked! I was full and full of energy without any of the bloat...I did have to pee a lot...a lot, a lot, totally worth it! Man, I felt skinny.
Now this was a breezy description of a really complicated world. I could get into the glycemic index and calories from fat and all of that nonsense, but in the end it boils to down being smart. And these diets are not just here to make you look good...stick to a healthy eating plan and you will be surprised how nasty you feel when you give in to temptation, but don’t feel bad if you do. Beating yourself up does you no good :) Another piece of advice, use your resources, Shape and Self magazine both have amazing websites with tons of FREE recipes, workouts, and newsletters. Did I get carried away? I LOVE DIETS!
Until we meet again, stay bridal and remember that looking good and feeling good is within your reach, but don’t let the diet rule your life. The wedding is the most important part. That was far too sentimental, let’s try again...
Until we meet again, stay bridal and don’t get too skinny for your wedding...when’s the last time you said, “hey Lindsay Lohan looks great!” boney is never in style.
Lauren
My go-to Diet books: The South Beach Diet, The Makers Diet, The Detox Diet, The 5-Factor Diet. I also love Jillian Michael’s book “Winning by Losing” it’s a great mix of scary “Biggest Loser” Jillian and a nice-level head trainer/nutritionist.
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