4 Pre-wedding Weight-Loss Tweaks for Your D-Day!
Imagine being at your favorite restaurant, enjoying a meal with your childhood friend Natalie. You’ve been inseparable since you were kids, but every time you look at her, a twinge of jealousy creeps into your heart. Natalie has a remarkable taste for delicious food and gets excited about every type of cuisine. Her eyes shine with anticipation as she talks animatedly about all the mouthwatering dishes.
You can’t help but feel envious of Natalie, who eats generously and still manages to stay stylish. Meanwhile, it feels like every sip of water and every breath you take adds extra pounds to your hips and belly. The final straw comes when you think about your upcoming fall wedding. You feel excited, but it’s still mixed with a touch of anxiety.
You feel sick to your stomach at the thought of not fitting into your brocade fabric. One of your worst fears is, ripping your gown while trying to put it on. But don’t worry! These 4 proven MyFat Diet tweaks are definitely worth trying before you walk down the aisle.
1. Start Isometric Training
From budget planning to outfits, accessories, hair, manicure, shoes, and the bride’s bouquet, amidst organizing the menu and seating of guests, you’re busy running errands and suddenly realize you haven’t had time to squeeze in a proper workout. But wait, what if you could still get some exercise done in just 10 seconds? That’s where isometric workouts come in.
Even if you don’t have access to a gym, isometric exercises can fit easily into your busy schedule. They don’t require any equipment, so you can perform them anytime, anywhere. Whether you’re taking a coffee break or even watching TV, you can easily fit in a quick isometric exercise. Here are a few examples:
Upward Dog
Start by looking forward and lengthening your neck and upper body. Pull your shoulder blades back to push your chest upward, maintaining this pose for at least 5 complete breaths. Release by dropping your belly towards the mat, allowing your body to relax.
Straddle Stretch
Stretch your inner thighs by opening your legs as wide as possible. Hold this pose for 30 counts. If you’re extremely tight, try doing this stretch with one leg at a time or sitting on a pillow to lessen the stretch.
Side plank
Balance on your left arm and raise your left hip off the floor while keeping your core tight and your body in a straight line. Hold this position for 30 counts. Repeat on the other side.
Low Plank
Tighten your core, as if like preparing for impact. Hold for a count of 50. Jut as you engage your core while holding your plank, remember to engage your core on your D-Day, as it can help you stand tall in your wedding dress and exude confidence.
Hollow Body Hold
Pinch your shoulder blades together and place your feet just in front of your torso, legs straight. Engage your core. Lift your arms, and legs above the floor so that your body mimics a soft C. Hold this pose for 30 counts.
What makes isometric workouts unique is that they allow you to build strength without putting excessive strain on your joints. It’s a type of static exercise where you hold a muscle contraction while remaining still. Let’s say you’re holding a stack of heavy books in front of you. The weight of the books exerts downward pressure, but to counteract that and prevent them from dropping, you raise your arms upward, keeping them at the same level. You’ll feel that your arm muscles contract isometrically, working against the resistance of the books without any movement.
Few more fun ways to do an isometric exercise:
If you’re waiting in line, you could exhale and simply squeeze your abs, pulling your belly button towards your spine, holding that contraction for a count of 10. Or, if you’re sitting at your desk, you can engage your core muscles by lifting one leg or both legs off the ground by 2 or 3 inches. These quick bursts of muscle engagement may seem small, but they can have a huge impact on your fitness over time.
One of the great things about isometric exercises is that they’re beginner-friendly. If you’re just starting your fitness journey, isometric exercises allow you to gradually build strength without overwhelming your body. They are low-impact, so they won’t put excessive strain on your joints. Plus, these exercises can make everyday tasks easier and cut down the risk of injury.
So, the next time you find yourself with a spare moment during the day, make use of it and do a quick 10-second isometric exercise. It could be as simple as a wall sit, where you press your back against the wall and hold the seated pose. You can also choose to hold a basic squat or position a chair behind you, lightly touching it with your buttocks. In all three versions of the squat, hold the pose for a count of 30.
Remember, consistency is key. Do a few quick isometric workouts every day, you’ll be amazed at the progress you can make, even with just a few seconds at a time. Here’s one more video from MyFat Diet for you to practice:
2. Try Restorative Yoga
In vinyasa classes, you flow quickly between poses, work up a sweat, and gradually build strength and flexibility. Vinyasa poses focus on engaging the muscles. On the other hand, restorative yoga uses props and supports to relax and calm your muscles.
According to recent research on weight loss, those who practiced restorative yoga lost weight almost twice as quickly as the stretch group and did a better job of keeping it off. Also, compared to the stretch group, the restorative yoga group lost more subcutaneous fat.
If you’re a person who has never been in a restorative yoga session, here’s what to expect. You might do only a few poses over an hour. Once you get into a restorative pose, like the reclined butterfly pose, you may not move at all during the pose. Instead, you can focus on your breath and become aware of the emotions that arise in your mind. As you settle into the pose, your lungs will open up, creating even more space for your breath. Your thoughts will slow down, allowing your mind to intentionally rest in the present moment.
Having said that, here’s how to do a reclined butterfly pose!
Lie down on a bolster, resting your hands either on the sides or on your belly. Stay for five to ten breaths—or perhaps longer. Use supports, such as cushions beneath the knees or thighs to raise them, if you experience any knee or groin pain. You could position the bolster down the length of your spine if you notice your lower back is arching excessively.
Use this guided 10-minute restorative yoga class as a ‘jumping-off’ point for your practice. For this session, you will require a bolster, pillows, and blankets.
3. Say Yes to Nutrient-Dense Weight-loss Smoothies!
Use smoothies as meal replacements:
A high-fiber fruit or vegetable smoothie made with berries, apples, cherries, pomegranates, broccoli, kale, spinach, and carrots, is like having a whole meal. When you have a smoothie for breakfast, not only will you get the benefit of a nutrient-dense meal, but it will also make you feel more satisfied. According to a poll, you only eat five different types of plants on average each week. For a healthier gut bacteria, you need to consume 30 different plant foods each week, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Whatever food religion you practice—vegan, vegetarian, lactose-free, or any other—doesn’t matter. You won’t become obese, or develop allergies if your gut bacteria is extremely healthy. So, keep up the 30-diverse-plant-food goal.
Be mindful of your smoothie consumption:
For example, if you have a smoothie in the morning, you shouldn’t pair it with a cup of muesli or a vegetarian omelet. Having both a smoothie and a second bowl of muesli is like having two separate meals. Don’t go overboard on your calorie intake. Every extra calorie you put in your mouth might pave the way for cellulite on your butt or thighs.
Choose nutrient-rich snacks:
Imagine there’s a cup of chopped carrots in one bowl and a plate of crackers in the other. Which one will you choose? Here’s the catch! When you compare them calorie-wise, even though both the crackers and carrots have the same calorie count of around 50, carrots still offer more nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber than the crackers, making them a healthier choice.
Look out for food cue reactivity!
Let’s say it’s past mid-noon, and you’re battling the all-too-common afternoon slump. It triggers a habit known as food cue reactivity. For instance, you find yourself snacking on cookies whenever you see them, even if you’re not actually hungry. Your food cue reactivity pulls you towards the cookie jar out of habit or in response to seeing them. Before you know it, all the resolutions you made to eat healthy, go out the window. One cookie quickly turns into too many, and fast forward a few weeks, you step on the bathroom scale only to find that the needle has gone far beyond your usual weight. If you’re already overweight, it becomes a daunting challenge to lose weight.
Say no to, nutrient-poor, high-calorie foods:
Most of the eye-catching and mouth-watering foods like glazed doughnuts, pastries, ice cream, candy, soda, potato chips, or corn chips are high in calories but low in nutrients. They won’t make you feel full or satisfied due to their lack of fiber. Also, they can lead to insulin resistance, where your cells stop responding to insulin, the hormone that controls your blood sugar levels.
Beware of store-bought fruit juices:
While they may seem healthy, store-bought fruit juices often contain a lot of calories and sugar while offering minimal fiber. Fiber is important for satiety and can help control calorie intake. Instead, consider making a high-fiber fruit or vegetable smoothie using ingredients like berries, apples, cherries, pomegranates, broccoli, kale, spinach, and carrots.
4. Make Protein Soups Your Weight Loss Guru!
Before a meal, make a habit of sipping on a cup of warm, protein soup made with simple ingredients you have on hand. If you think that soups will make you hungry very soon, you need to rethink. It’ll dawn upon you that most protein soups like rotisserie chicken noodle soup, or black bean and lentil soup, can make you feel almost as satisfied as having a full meal. And the story doesn’t end there, the leftover turkey soup, especially after Christmas and Thanksgiving, is the best way to make use of your leftover vegetables and turkey breast or legs.
In a study, individuals who regularly consumed soup were found to have lower body weight, smaller waist sizes, and consume fewer calories compared to those who did not include soup in their diet. Go ahead, feel free to indulge in a protein-rich soup for dinner. There’s no need to worry about feeling hungry immediately after enjoying the soup.
Vegetable broth, chicken stock, and even beef stock are common choices for soup bases. Soups made with a broth base have a low energy density, which means they add only fewer calories per volume, making you feel more satisfied and full. The best way to up your daily intake of vegetables is to go for a yummy soup like gazpacho.
If you favor cream-based soups over protein-based soups, though, you’ll be walking on thin ice. The creamy ones are higher in fat and calories, so make sure to indulge only on your cheat days and not too often. Oh, do you enjoy the reduced-sodium and canned soups? If so, you need to be much more careful. Cook one-pot soups at home with fresh flavors and colorful herbs. This way you can have control over too much salt and also rule out BPA or bisphenol A.
A study shows that BPA is found in most canned food, even in the ones marked BPA Free or organic. Your daily exposure to BPA should be limited to 0.0024 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. Any amount more than that could make you a diabetic or a heart patient.
Talk To Your Doctor
It’s important to remember that quick weight loss is often not sustainable in the long run, so keep that in mind as you make changes. Also, don’t hesitate to share your goals and struggles with a healthcare professional—they can provide valuable guidance and support.
References:
Leave a Comment