Slim Tip #1 – EAT
Your body doesn’t care if you’re going to a wedding or not; you must eat before the wedding!
I’ve heard too many times, “I’m not going to eat anything today because I know I’m going to eat a lot tonight at a wedding and I want to save my calories.” HUGE MISTAKE! Your body frankly doesn’t care if you’re going to a wedding or not…it needs fuel! If you starve your body of the nutrition it needs to keep your metabolism roaring your metabolism comes to a screeching halt. So in cocktail hour when you’re mindlessly picking at those passed hors devours …you’re going to end up making-up for the calories that you didn’t eat earlier in the day…and then some.
Your body doesn’t tell itself, “tonight I’m going to a wedding and I’ll probably be eating and drinking a lot of calories, so I’m going to automatically turn up my metabolism and start burning more.”
Here’s the really bad news. What happens when you don’t eat for several hours is that instead of your body efficiently burning the platter of cheese and pigs-in-a-blankets, your body will hold on to every single calorie you consume because it thinks you’re not going to feed it for the next several hours (since you didn’t feed for the last several hours). It’s your body’s way of going into survival mode. Even if you stick to the crudités section and eat just carrots and celery…your body will still hold on to those “healthy” calories…and you can take a guess how your body stores that. You got it, as FAT.
The key is to eat small meals throughout the day leading up to the big shindig (tip: this is what you should be doing everyday anyway!).
Here’s what the wedding day should look like:
8am Breakfast: jumpstart your metabolism for the day with a solid breakfast with a mix of protein and good carbohydrates like an egg-white omelet with veggies and fruit.
Skipping breakfast = killed metabolism = weight gain
9am - Intense 30-40-minute Total Body Workout (this includes resistance training with short cardio intervals)
10:30am Snack: handful of almonds and a piece of fruit
12:30pm Lunch: salad with protein
Get dolled-up for the wedding
Cocktail hour: Get yourself a small appetizer plate of appetizers (including your passed hors devours). Fill half your plate with veggies and fruit and the other half with those wedding goodies that you don’t get to eat everyday…then eat. After you’ve enjoyed that one plate, stop the grazing and avoid those handsome waiters with their trays of temptation.
Dinner: If it’s a seated dinner, regardless of the entrée you order, you need to primarily be cautious of the portion size. Most of the unwanted calories come from the oils, butters, and sauces. A good rule of thumb is to eat all your veggies, a palm-sized portion of meat/protein, and no more than half of the starch (usually it’s a rice or potato served). And easily nix the bread.
Dessert: You don’t have to insult the bride and not try the cake! Most places don’t serve huge slices of cake, which is helpful. Where it gets dangerous is the dessert buffets. Pick 1 or 2 small bites of those specialties that you know you don’t find all the time. So skip the brownie or the chocolate chip cookie if there is something else you can have a taste of that you can’t get anytime you want.
Slim Tip #2 – TALK
Use your gift of gab to keep away the flab
This is where your mouth might actually keep you out of trouble! Especially during the cocktail hour. I discovered how useful this is at a wedding I was at a few weeks ago. I got my appetizer plate and glass of wine, started chatting with another couple and before I had a chance to be tempted with a second go-round of food, they were shooing us into the ballroom. I realized that by shooting the breeze with some really interesting people, I didn’t end up eating as much as I may have otherwise. Plus, you never know who you’ll connect with, maybe a potential business connection or new friends.
Slim Tip #3 – DRINK
And it’s not what you think
Who’s kidding who…part of what makes weddings extra merry is the drink. But you definitely don’t want to be “that girl” at your next wedding. Aside from the liquid calorie-binges courtesy of alcoholic drinks of any variety and the effects of excess alcohol on your behavior, the long-term effects of binge drinking will wreak havoc on more than just your metabolism.
Drink at least one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage. Get in the habit of ordering water with your drink or if you’re at your table, take a drink of water for every drink of alcohol. This is key to keeping you from drinking (and eating) too much and you’ll feel a lot better the next day.
Slim Tip #4 – DANCE
Trade in your workout shoes for a pair of dancing shoes!
No matter how nutty you might look on the dance floor, you can get a killer total body workout while you’re at it. Not to mention, every minute burning calories on the dance floor keeps you away from the bar and the buffet packing in those added cals.
Slim Tip #5 – REWARD YOURELF
Don’t punish yourself the day after for what you did or didn’t do.
Exercise should never be used as punishment. If you blew it at the wedding and ate or drank more than you planned, don’t jump on the treadmill thinking you’re going to “burn off” all those calories. Exercise should NEVER be used to punish yourself for the choices you make. Likewise, exercise should never be used as an excuse. Just because you workout, doesn’t mean that you get to eat whatever you want all the time. Here’s your new mantra: abs are made in the kitchen…not in the gym.
Special occasions like weddings and birthdays are meant to be enjoyed. These are the times to “let loose” a little, genuinely enjoy yourself, and celebrate with friends and family. Don’t let obsessions with your weight ruin special occasions for you (because you may also end up ruining it for others too) and it will keep you from seeing real, long-term results.
When it comes to losing weight or achieving your fitness goals, the wedding isn’t your biggest enemy …it’s the lifestyle you’re living the other 364 days of the year.
Great Advice!!
ReplyDeleteThe advice is really good, but VERY hard to do. I find that I will skip all of the food to feel better about myself and end up feeling like I never get to have anything. Unfortunately, our "fun" times are SO tied in with food that it is VERY hard to break the bind. Keep giving your great advice and maybe it will finally sink in for some of us.
ReplyDeleteif it's a buffet, visualize your plate in quarters. half should be veggies, one quarter starch/carb and one quarter protein...don't pile it on high. tell yourself you'll go back if you want more...most of the time I am too engrossed in catching up with folks and dancing to remember to go back. sounds silly, but it does help. MIchelle L. 6amer
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