Ask The Wedding Goddess - Advice for a Bridal Body
January 1, 1970
Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway answers your questions and relieves your wedding stress.Dear Wedding Goddess:
I can’t seem to get my diet together in time for my wedding. I am so stressed out about being a fat bride and at the same time I am eating like crazy. I thought the joy would take my appetite away. I am experiencing the reverse. Every time I get upset I eat.
- Denise, Manhattan
Dear Denise –
This is a tough challenge for many brides. There are studies that show that people tend to gain, or “hold on to” weight, when under stress. Not just for the obvious reasons, such as stress-related eating, but because of hormones triggered by stress. Whatever you are going through, you’ve got to counteract it.
I recommend trying to bring balance into your life in a number of ways, such as: Meditating, eating nourishing foods, yoga, fitness and doing other things that make you feel good. If you focus on a healthier lifestyle, weight loss will likely be part of it. Perhaps you can create a buddy-system with another bride and you can call each other to talk, rather than eat, when you get a blast of wedding stress.
Alas, I am a spiritual and emotional fitness expert, and not a physical fitness expert, so I sought the wisdom of Elissa Hyman, one of the City’s most popular personal trainers and fitness consultants. Many of my friends train with her and love her. She developed a special program for brides called BRIDAL BODY PERFECT. “I’ve designed it for brides of all ages as well as shapes and sizes,” she says. “My goal is to make them not only look but feel beautiful.”
Elissa, who has her graduate degree from Columbia University in Exercise Physiology, generously offers these ten top tips for looking and feeling gorgeous in your wedding dress:
1.Processed foods are a no-no. They slow metabolism and should be avoided. No need to make weight loss more difficult.
2.Eat smaller portions. 1200 calories daily is ideal and nutritionally balanced is key.
3.Stall over-eating. Ask yourself, “Do I really want seconds?” Allow ten minutes to think it over. Guaranteed you will not be hungry since your body will by then register full.
4.Drink lots of water. We often think we are hungry when we are really thirsty
5.Breakfast is important. It's a great metabolism booster and prevents cravings. A slice of toast and an egg white are perfect or cereal with skim milk.
6.Avoid alcohol. There is no nutritional value and there IS a high caloric cost. Save it for the wedding day.
7.Snacking is fine. Just make healthy choices such as fruit, energy bars, low fat yogurt or raw veggies.
8.Walk everywhere. Take stairs when you can. Just start moving and get active!
9.Plan to lose between 2 pounds a week. Doing 45 minutes of cardio 5 days a week will help you meet this goal. You can do it!
10.Consider a 4 day boot camp program. Weight training helps burn fat and calories due to the higher metabolic rate of muscles. Partake in an exercise program that targets areas that will be showing in your dress.
My feeling is that even if you start with one or two of these tips, it will help you move forward and feel better. In undertaking any journey toward self improvement, please do not forget to love yourself as you are! Remember, that is who your beloved feel in love with – and you should love her too!
Many blessings,
Rev. Laurie Sue
© 2006, Reverend Laurie Sue Brockway
_______________________________________________________Find Out About
Elissa Hyman and BRIDAL BODY PERFECT
personalbestgym@yahoo.com
212 - 744 - 2378
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More about Rev. Laurie Sue:
Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway is one of New York's leading interfaith and non-denominational wedding officiants. She serves couples of all backgrounds, cultures and religions, and helps them celebrate their love with a highly personalized ceremony. She is known for her warm, loving, and creative approach to blessing couples in love.
Rev. Laurie Sue is also a widely recognized bridal stress expert. She is author of "WEDDING GODDESS: A Divine Guide to Transforming Wedding Stress into Wedding Bliss" (Perigee Books, May 2005).
www.WeddingGoddess.com
www.WeddingGoddessWisdom.com
E-mail The Wedding Goddess at RevLaurieSue@WeddingGoddess.com
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