LOOK YOUR BEST IN YOUR WEDDING DRESS
1. MAKE A VOW TO LOOK GREAT It's your big day. You want to look and feel your best. So make a commitment to be healthy and fit on your wedding day. Adopt a plan of action that is easy-to-follow, sensible, and allows for your busy schedule. A bonus? Staying fit will alleviate some of the stress that goes along with planning.
2. SAY "I DO" TO A REASONABLE WEIGHT LOSS GOAL Most weight loss programs fail because of unrealistic goals. You can safely loose 1-2 pounds per week, so a goal of 16 pounds of weight lost in 8 weeks is appropriate. Anything more and you are setting yourself up for frustration and failure.
3. STRETCH TO DE-STRESS Gentle stretching for 10 minutes each morning is a great way to combat wedding stress. Take a yoga class once or twice a week to learn the basics. Invite your maid-of-honor along, too! An exercise partner will help you stay on track.
4. AVOID GET-THIN-QUICK PRODUCTS If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Fad diets and "fat burning" diet pills can be dangerous to your health. Electronic ab stimulators and other home exercise inventions that promise results without effort are just marketing gimmicks. Save your money for your honeymoon.
5. PRACTICE WALKING DOWN THE AISLE Choose to be active every day. As little as 20 minutes of walking will burn excess calories. What's more, that time is for you. Use it to relax, to meditate, to escape the stresses of the final days.
6. HIT THE WEIGHTS, NOT THE WALL Include at least 2-3 days per week of light weight training with dumbbells. Choose 8-10 exercises and do at least 8-12 repetitions per exercise. One set is enough, especially if time is precious. Best exercises include biceps curls, triceps extensions, lateral raises, rows, lunges, squats, crunches and hyperextensions.
7. CAN THE SODA AND SAVE THE CALORIES Sugar-rich soda adds empty calories to your diet. Drinking water rather than soda can reduce your caloric intake by as much as 300-500 calories per day. That's a pound of fat weight per week you can lose effortlessly.
8. EAT OFTEN TO STAY ENERGIZED Plan to eat at least five times a day to stay energized (3 meals and 2 snacks). Fill your home with healthy foods, including plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Make sure you don't skip breakfast--it is one of the most important meals of the day. Follow the recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid for balance and variety. Avoid excess calories from junk foods like chips, donuts, and sweets.
9. GET MOM AND DAD INVOLVED Share your commitment to health with your mom and dad. It is a time of change and stress for them as well. They, too, can benefit from being more active and eating sensibly. Why not take them with you on your walks? Spend that time with them wisely. It is a precious gift.
10. DO IT FOR THE HEALTH OF YOUR MARRIAGE Bring the commitment to health into your marriage. Encourage your husband-to-be to share in your efforts to maintain a healthy weight and to be active. The benefits are enormous: increased longevity, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, reduced risk of diabetes, reduced risk of cancer, just to name a few. You can look ahead to a vital, active, and healthy partnership in the years to come.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: JAMES VILLEPIGUE is an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer and nationally recognized authority on health and exercise. His new books, THE BODY SCULPTING BIBLE FOR ABS: MEN'S EDITION and THE BODY SCULPTING BIBLE FOR ABS: WOMEN'S EDITION (Hatherleigh Press, $14.95 each), are available from booksellers everywhere or call 800-528-2550. For more information, please visit www.hatherleighpress.com.
2. SAY "I DO" TO A REASONABLE WEIGHT LOSS GOAL Most weight loss programs fail because of unrealistic goals. You can safely loose 1-2 pounds per week, so a goal of 16 pounds of weight lost in 8 weeks is appropriate. Anything more and you are setting yourself up for frustration and failure.
3. STRETCH TO DE-STRESS Gentle stretching for 10 minutes each morning is a great way to combat wedding stress. Take a yoga class once or twice a week to learn the basics. Invite your maid-of-honor along, too! An exercise partner will help you stay on track.
4. AVOID GET-THIN-QUICK PRODUCTS If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Fad diets and "fat burning" diet pills can be dangerous to your health. Electronic ab stimulators and other home exercise inventions that promise results without effort are just marketing gimmicks. Save your money for your honeymoon.
5. PRACTICE WALKING DOWN THE AISLE Choose to be active every day. As little as 20 minutes of walking will burn excess calories. What's more, that time is for you. Use it to relax, to meditate, to escape the stresses of the final days.
6. HIT THE WEIGHTS, NOT THE WALL Include at least 2-3 days per week of light weight training with dumbbells. Choose 8-10 exercises and do at least 8-12 repetitions per exercise. One set is enough, especially if time is precious. Best exercises include biceps curls, triceps extensions, lateral raises, rows, lunges, squats, crunches and hyperextensions.
7. CAN THE SODA AND SAVE THE CALORIES Sugar-rich soda adds empty calories to your diet. Drinking water rather than soda can reduce your caloric intake by as much as 300-500 calories per day. That's a pound of fat weight per week you can lose effortlessly.
8. EAT OFTEN TO STAY ENERGIZED Plan to eat at least five times a day to stay energized (3 meals and 2 snacks). Fill your home with healthy foods, including plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Make sure you don't skip breakfast--it is one of the most important meals of the day. Follow the recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid for balance and variety. Avoid excess calories from junk foods like chips, donuts, and sweets.
9. GET MOM AND DAD INVOLVED Share your commitment to health with your mom and dad. It is a time of change and stress for them as well. They, too, can benefit from being more active and eating sensibly. Why not take them with you on your walks? Spend that time with them wisely. It is a precious gift.
10. DO IT FOR THE HEALTH OF YOUR MARRIAGE Bring the commitment to health into your marriage. Encourage your husband-to-be to share in your efforts to maintain a healthy weight and to be active. The benefits are enormous: increased longevity, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, reduced risk of diabetes, reduced risk of cancer, just to name a few. You can look ahead to a vital, active, and healthy partnership in the years to come.
___________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: JAMES VILLEPIGUE is an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer and nationally recognized authority on health and exercise. His new books, THE BODY SCULPTING BIBLE FOR ABS: MEN'S EDITION and THE BODY SCULPTING BIBLE FOR ABS: WOMEN'S EDITION (Hatherleigh Press, $14.95 each), are available from booksellers everywhere or call 800-528-2550. For more information, please visit www.hatherleighpress.com.
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