6 Diet Tips You Can Follow Before Your Wedding

Your wedding might be the happiest day of your life, but the months leading up to it certainly aren’t. In between scheduling bridal fittings, finding the perfect venue and picking out floral arrangements, to-be brides have very little time for themselves. Brides also have to contend with the mounting pressure to look 'perfect' on their wedding day.

For some brides, this means shedding those excess pounds. Unfortunately, many women resort to crash dieting and unhealthy fads to lose weight quickly. If losing weight before your wedding means that much to you, here are eight ways to do it safely.

# Stay Away From The Word Detox

Many detox diet plans today consist of tailor-made low-calorie meals that guarantee you weight-loss. However, don’t fall for their tall promises, they’re not giving you the whole truth. While these detox diets will make you lose weight, they are also extremely harmful to your body. Surviving on such a low-calorie diet for weeks depletes your body of energy and vital nutrients.

This leaves you feeling fatigued, gives you mood swings and can do irreversible damage to your health. What’s worse, most people put on even more weight once they go off these diets.

Your wedding day is supposed to be filled with joy. You don’t want to feel light-headed and crabby the whole time.

# Create A Personalized Diet

The easier a diet is to follow, the more likely you are to stick with it. Instead of going on the latest diet craze, personalize one for yourself. Make a list of all the foods you like eating that are also low in calories. Swap out foods like sugar, refined carbs and junk food for healthier alternatives. Healthy food doesn’t always have to be boring and tasteless. Foods like avocado, salmon, seeds and whole grains are delicious, but also weight-loss friendly. If you’re not sure how to go about this yourself, enlist the help of a nutritionist.

# Set Reasonable Goals

You’re not going to lose 40 pounds before your wedding day, so don’t expect yourself to. Creating unrealistic weight loss goals will only set you up for failure. Instead, figure out how much weight it is possible for you to lose and work towards it. It’s also important to make your weight loss journey realistic. You might plan on slugging it out at the gym for four hours a day, but let’s be honest, that’s not going to happen. Set aside one hour every day or 2-hour sessions three times a week to exercise.

# Try Not To Eliminate Foods

Unless you have will power made of iron, you won’t be able to completely eliminate entire food groups from your diet. The good news is, you don’t have to. Eliminating foods like dairy, gluten and meat overnight isn’t easy. If you do eliminate certain food groups, the more likely you are to give in and binge on them. Instead, try restricting food groups.

Reduce your alcohol intake to just one glass of wine instead of giving it up altogether. Eat one square of dark chocolate a day instead of cutting out all things sweet. Set aside one day each month to have a cheat meal. Restricting food groups means you’ll have fewer cravings. This will help you stick to an overall healthy diet.

# Up Your Veggie Intake

Vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber. In short, they’re the perfect diet food. Most of us aren’t eating as many vegetables as we should be. Including more vegetables in your meals will keep you full, but help you lose weight as well. Try to eat a whole variety of colorful vegetables to get the most nutrition. Add them to your omelettes, soups, salads and sandwiches. Substitute your usual sugary snacks with vegetables. This simple swap will save you a whole load of calories and help you lose weight before the big day.

# Keep Yourself Hydrated

Human beings are mostly water. A large portion of our weight isn’t fat, it’s water. If you aren’t keeping yourself hydrated, your body clings on to every bit of water it has, refusing to let it pass through. This results in water retention, which can add inches to your waist. It might sound paradoxical, but to combat water retention, you need to drink more water. Keeping yourself hydrated tells your body that it can release excess water. This means you’ll go to the bathroom a lot more frequently and ultimately, lose weight. Drinking more water will also help you get glowing skin on the day of your wedding.