Connecticut
KCLindgren
member
Diet!
KCLindgren
member
in Connecticut
Did you diet before your wedding (engaged girls, are you hoping to lose weight before your big day?)?
I have gained weight here and there in the past few years. Fiancé is my high school sweetheart and he loves me no matter what. BUT....I'd like to be thinner on my wedding day. I just feel chubby. We got engaged last month and i joined a gym last week. Fingers crossed! I've never been good with diets....
Anyone in a similar situation?
How many months to your wedding? What's your plan to get fit? Are you nervous about how you'll look?
I have gained weight here and there in the past few years. Fiancé is my high school sweetheart and he loves me no matter what. BUT....I'd like to be thinner on my wedding day. I just feel chubby. We got engaged last month and i joined a gym last week. Fingers crossed! I've never been good with diets....
Anyone in a similar situation?
How many months to your wedding? What's your plan to get fit? Are you nervous about how you'll look?
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Re: Diet!
A couple pieces of advice: Once you start working out, and assuming you are doing fairly strenuous workouts, you will probably find yourself hungrier and wanting to eat everything in sight, so just make sure you are reaching for healthier option (a handful of almonds, carrots or celery with peanut butter, fruit, humus, etc). Pay attention to serving sizes too. Almonds for example, while a good snack choice, can also be very fattening.....but, a serving size is pretty big, about 28 nuts. I usually will eat half a serving and then something else (piece of fruit, or raw veggies).
Second: I'm a big believer that you shouldn't completely restrict yourself from foods you enjoy just because they are "bad" for you, because more likely than not you will end up falling off the diet wagon and binging on unhealthy food. Husband and I love ice cream for example, but we limit ourselves to only eating it twice a week (and we only have small cups). Satisfies the craving, but we aren't going nuts eating it everyday.
Third: If you gym offers group exercise classes that fit into your schedule, especially if you have never lifted weights before, go to them. After years of running and doing a lot of cardio, I discovered in the last few years that lifting weights has transformed my body in a way I like much better than running and doing the elliptical did. I still go to spinning classes because I love them, and I'll run 5Ks every few months, but for the most part, I only lift weights (which if you do circuits is a cardio workout!). I don't have crazy huge muscles, but I'm defined and toned, and think I look better now than I did when my main focus was cardio. If you have never lifted weights before, group exercise classes for lifting are a great start. You'll learn proper techniques and they can give you the confidence to lift on your own in the gym eventually. You'll also learn a variety of exercises for different body parts so it's easy to not get bored and stay motivated.
If you need any encouragement or advice, feel free to reach out! I love helping people with this kind of stuff.
Yes, I've found myself hungrier than usual lately. I was wondering why! haha But you're right, it's because I've been exercising more. just making sure there are healthy foods available is important.
I've also found out that I really like salads!! I thought I hated them!
Thanks so much for the encouragement. I'm sure I'll need it in the next few months. I have a long way to go!
June 2012 Bride!
This. I started Pilates earlier this year to supplement running and I'm planning to add weight training. Plus, muscle burns more than fat when you are doing cardio--a win-win! I also still eat ice cream and in addition to measuring out a small serving size, I also find that I'm much more satisfied if I go for the full fat/Ben and Jerry's style when I do eat it. In general, I try to pick desserts and snacks that are more enjoyable to me and therefore "worth" the calories (i.e., dark chocolate-covered dried banana chips versus the E.L. Fudge cookies FI bought yesterday). Summer's been tough because there have been so many outdoor BBQs/ going away parties with delicious junk foods. I'll eat a snack or small meal before going so I'm not ravenous when and tempted to load up on chips when we arrive.
Also, while paying attention to calories and fat on a food label is important, one of the first things I look at is the sugar content, since too much sugar can definitely aid in packing on the pounds. And often, things that are labeled no fat, or low fat are actually loaded up with sugar to improve the taste so they are not necessary a healthier option. I advocate eating real food rather than processed foods as much as possible, but I know sometimes when you're on the go or rushing between meetings at work, etc, you have to grab something prepackaged and quick. So, just make sure you check the label on packaged foods first.
Also, while paying attention to calories and fat on a food label is important, one of the first things I look at is the sugar content, since too much sugar can definitely aid in packing on the pounds. And often, things that are labeled no fat, or low fat are actually loaded up with sugar to improve the taste so they are not necessary a healthier option. I advocate eating real food rather than processed foods as much as possible, but I know sometimes when you're on the go or rushing between meetings at work, etc, you have to grab something prepackaged and quick. So, just make sure you check the label on packaged foods first.