MemberHi Bees!
I’m about 5 months out from my wedding, and with the holidays coming up, I’m struggling with the desire to eat super healthy. I would like to lose about 15 lbs before the wedding date, without sacrificing any muscle that I’ve built from weightlifting. How far out do you think is necessary to begin the real, hardcore diet?
Would love to hear advice/experiences!
MemberDon’t skip out on holiday goodies! It’s one day, it won’t hurt you, just don’t go overboard knowing you are giving yourself the treat day. The more you try to restrict, the harder it is to stay on track.
Even after the holidays, you’ll have about 4.5 months which is a healthy amount of time to lose 15 pounds. Just go slow and steady, especially if you want to preserve muscle. Don’t cut down too much too fast 🙂
MemberI lost 10 pounds in about 2 months before my wedding, without being super drastic. I think you’ll have plenty of time after the holidays. Just remember that you’ll need to give yourself a buffer for dress alterations, if applicable. So, rather than seeing it as 5 solid months, maybe think of it in terms of more like 3-4, so that your body is where you want it by the time you need to have all alterations finished.
(My seamstress was a friend so she was super easy to work with and altered my dress up until a week before my wedding. But, that’s not always possible. I’d give yourself at least a few weeks leeway to be safe.)
Memberstart slow now and ramp up the strictness as the holidays end. enjoy your meals on the holidays themselves, but don’t take leftovers or overindulge with cocktails between holidays at parties or nights out. you can do it! 🙂
MemberI’d start now, even with the holidays near. It’s never a bad time to develop better eating habits and you don’t have to have a severe deficit to accomplish fat loss. 5 months is plenty of time to drop 15#…aiming for a loss of 0.5-1 lb a week will get you at goal right near your wedding.
MemberNow. I started 11 months out and had 15 lbs to lose. I talked to a trainer and he said the sooner the better. I’ve been working with him for 2 months and am already craving healthier foods and am fully committed to my workout plan.
I’m already down 5 lbs of fat, up 6 lbs in muscle, even with a very busy schedule and lots of holiday functions, including Thanksgiving.
I think you also want to look at this as getting healthier for life, not just a crash diet for a few months before your wedding.
Good luck!
MemberI guess for me I’d rather go slow and steady but that’s also because everything I’ve read (and my own personal experience) suggests that hard core backfires in the long run. Is there a reason you couldn’t practice more of an approach of moderation, especially if you’re already quite active?
Memberstart now and continue your weight training and cardio and eating healthy.
the more muscle the higher your metabolism.
before marriage and kids, when i was at my peak fitness level. i was training for a half ironman and doing a lot of strength training. i could pretty much eat whatever i wanted whenever i wanted.
so one day of holiday isn’t going to do much harm. just get right back on track and continue working out.
MemberHard core diets don’t work in the long run. The weight loss is usually temporary because those type of diets are hard to keep up long term and then you wind up putting the weight back on and then some.
My personal opinion is “diets” don’t work. You have to want to make a lifestyle change to eat healthier. I don’t believe in giving up on particular food group. Moderation is the key.
If you like to drink, then cut back on alcohol starting today. Have a couple of Christmas cookies, not 10. If you like eggnog (which can have a lot of calories), have half a cup instead of a full one. All those little changes add up.
I also track my calories on My Fitness Pal but for me, no matter what I do, my body wants to stay around a certain number weight wise. It’s been hard for me to accept that I’ll never be “skinny” and that losing weight is really hard for me since I had my gall bladder removed several years ago. But I started working with a personal trainer in January for my end of April wedding. I only saw a difference of 3 lb on the scale, but I could tell from my clothes that I was a lot toner. So you can’t always trust what the scale is telling you.
I would start today, that way it doesn’t seem so daunting once the wedding is getting closer. If you put pressure on yourself, you’ll just feel worse if you don’t see the results you want.
MemberMemberFirst of all, good for you for wanting to look and feel healthier! I have been into fitness for the past several years, so here are my 5 cents.
1) Do not go on the strict diet. It is a huge mistake that you would make because strict diet makes your body go into a “safe mode” and slows down metabolism. Once you start eating a little more than your body used to on a strict diet it will backfire and your body would turn food into fat to survive during “bad times of dieting”, instead of burning it into energy.
2) I keep to certain food plan 6 days a week and on 7th day (Sunday usually) is my cheat day, when I can eat anything I want. This meal plan boosts metabolism and does not make me feel that I am limited in food options all the time.
3) Drink plenty of water (not soda though, that’s off-limits). Helps to lose weight. At least 8 glasses per day and more if you exercise that day.
4) Cut off the salt intake. Using salt for cooking adds more salt than our body actually needs therefore it provokes water retention hence extra weight. And most of the food already has salt in it.
5) Eat 5-6 times a day in small portions (3 main meals and 2-3 snacks). The time between meals should be no longer than 4 hours. That boosts your metabolism. For example, I eat breakfast at 7-30 am, then have a snack ( banana) at 10 -30 am, then lunch at 1 pm, another snack (apple or banana or a protein bar ) at 4 pm, dinner at 7 -30 and last snack at 10 pm (apple or berries).
6) Cut off sugar 6 days a week. Although dark chocolate in the morning with coffee or tea is OK.
7) Do not eat white bread, potatoes and pasta. Substitute for the whole wheat bread and eat sweet potatoes instead, they are healthier.
8) No fast food. But as I said on Sundays I have cheat meals so I allow myself to order burger with fries or a slice or 2 of pizza.
9) Stay active. At least 3 times a week. I got to gym 5-6 times a week, that not only helps me to stay fit but also pumps up my mood.
During Holidays, in particular, I think it is OK to indulge yourself for 1 day. Next day after Christmas or Thanksgiving I go to a gym, for example, and have no regrets that I ate something prohibited the day before.
10 years ago I used to do hardcore diets before holidays and ended up being so hungry that it made me overeat at the table. That resulted in rapid weight gain during holidays. Until I learned about what influences metabolism.
Good luck!!!
MemberRemember, it takes longer to lose weight if you don’t have much to lose. If you’re aiming for 15, but you’re at or close to a healthy weight, slow and steady wins the race! plus you’re way more likely to keep it off after your wedding.
I second the recommendation for myfitnesspal.com. I’ve lost 10 pounds in the past 3 months and am aiming to lose 15 more before my wedding next year (but also keep it off :))
Also – make sure to be aware of your choices to at least maintain during the holidays. Last thing you want is to make that 15 pounds into 20!
MemberI would start now. Slow and steady is the healthiest and is the most likely to stay off. You can allow yourself treats sometimes. (I always allow a “fun” meal on Saturday or Sunday.) However, it is a good idea to go ahead and work on eating more veggies, eat whole grains, and eat healthy fats.
Some of this depends on your age. When I was in my 20’s, weight dropped fast. Now that I’m in my 40’s, it takes much longer to lose weight.
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