We're so excited to have Melissa from FitTrition back today with her first post of the year! This is something you won't wanna miss, especially all you newly engaged gals. Welcome, Melissa!
***
The holidays are a special time for food, family, love and most importantly-- engagements! Even my holidays had a little extra bling this year! On an outing with my family and friends to the National Christmas Tree, one of my friends received a gorgeous early Christmas present! They were both glowing with joy and I couldn't be happier for them. What a special place to pop the question!
Be prepared because after the initial diamond giddiness wears off, you will abruptly be met with the overwhelming “wedding checklist”. Girls, I get it! It is A LOT to take in and A LOT to do before your big day but in the end it will all be worth it!
When I was planning my wedding, I lived and breathed by The Knot’s wedding checklist. It helped guide me step by step to my dream day in a manageable amount of time.
My gift to you all is a "the FIT checklist” that will help you get in shape, look and feel great before reciting those exciting "I-do's".
12-Month Bridal FIT Checklist
12 months away: Time to make a realistic list of goals and check your diet!
- Do you want to lose weight? If so, how much? Normal weight-loss is 1-2lbs a week.
- Do you have a dress in mind? What style will highlight your favorite asset?
- What does your diet consist of and what improvements can you easily make?
Most brides want to look their best on their big day, obviously! So it is important to start working at it NOW! It is better to make small improvements along the way, than trying to do a crash diet 3 months before the big day. I recommend taking out all sodas, juices, fast food, and refined sugars from your diet now, so that you’ll easily drop weight and bloat from those excess calories. Contrary to popular belief, eating more of the right fats can actually help you lose weight, feel full longer and have glowing skin. Try extra virgin coconut and olive oils, raw nuts, avocados and cold water fish.
9 months: Change it up!
Now that you have your diet under control and you are seeing the benefits of more energy and clear skin, I would recommend increasing the amount of time you exercise. If you work out 3 times a week, step it up to 5 times! You can easily do this by introducing different types of exercise to your workout. For starters, add a cycling class for your cardio, try yoga to manage your stress, and maybe even a barre class to sculpt those arms and legs!
Remember that you need to hit all your major muscles for a total body workout:
• Bicep
• Tricep
• Shoulders
• Chest
• Back
• CORE (Abs & Low Back)
• Legs!!!! (are your largest muscle group and burn the most calories!!! SO get off that bum!)
The Washingtonian Well + Being just featured an exclusive FIT workout to keep you long and lean!! All you need is either 5 or 8lb weights!
6 months: Time to step it up a notch.
Whatever fitness activities you are doing take it to that next level! If you are running, sign up for a 10K for a new challenge or simply add light weights to your workout! Maybe even try a cleanse.
At FitTrition, we recommend a seasonal juice cleanse to detox from those sugar toxins and start fresh! Checkout our FIT Network partner, Hawthorne Homemade, for our signature FIT cleanse.
3 months: Hire a trainer.
The last three months are the worst and this is where I find a lot of brides plateau. Whatever you do, don’t give up! Hire a trainer to keep you on track and help push you out of that stubborn plateau.
This is a perfect time to give yourself little pampering; after all you have been running around planning everything! This is the ideal time for a few facials. You don't want to do them too close to the day in case your face reacts, but removing those blackheads, three months before the big day will help insure glowing skin. Facials were my favorite indulgence!!!
If you are really motivated, try to remove your cheat days for the last 3 months! Easier said than done but it really can make all the difference!
1 month: MAINTAIN!
At this point you should be pretty close to achieving your goal, assuming you stuck to your plan! Now it is just time to maintain all the hard work you have done! Checkout our blog, the FIT life, to get our latest tips, workouts, local finds, fare and recipes!
2 weeks: Stay active and plan ahead!
Do another 10K or plan a girl’s day yoga class, anything to help ease your mind away from the stress of your checklist and to do lists. Most importantly, know where you are going to be the week of. Start planning now to ensure you can eat healthy for the whole week leading up to the wedding. With destination weddings, this can be hard. Look at the hotel menu. Consult your trainer for advice on pitfalls, etc. You have worked this hard to get here, you don’t want to risk throwing it all away!
Wedding Week: Try not to over-indulge.
Talk about how skin reacts to drinking, not good! You should be drinking tons of water and exercising until the bitter end. Might not sound so appetizing now but it will ensure that you look & feel your best when it counts!
Wedding Eve: SLEEP!
Grab your bridesmaids, pop in a movie and relax! They probably want their beauty sleep just as much as you do!
It’s HERE, Your Wedding Day!
I always recommend going for a run the morning of your big day! It’s the perfect way to clear your head (and your jitters) and feel FIT & FABULOUS for your trip down the aisle!
So for all you brides-to-be, while you are printing out your “wedding checklist” print out this “FIT Checklist” as well and get started! Check back here every month for dress specific workouts!!!
CONGRATULATIONS from the FIT Family!
xoxo,
Mrs. Melissa and the FIT gals
Comments