All too often a bride can panic in the run-up to her wedding and find herself on an extreme diet. Not only do such eating regimes make mealtimes less than enjoyable, they are also almost impossible to maintain and often far from healthy.
Making smaller long-term changes, which can also boost your health and appearance, is an easier way to trim down before you walk down the altar.
Kelly Lloyd-Sanderson of beauty, health and wellness company Arbonne shares her top tips on how to make a pre-wedding health regime pain free.
Arbonne's top tips:
1. Kick the caffeine
Caffeine, or rather, the drinks caffeine is found in, are often more calorific than we may think. A large latte in the morning can contain as many as 340 calories and 18g of fat, if made with full fat milk. What's more, caffeine-loaded drinks, particularly mainstream energy drinks, are often packed with refined sugar, something which doesn't help with weight loss. Try to switch your coffees and energy drinks for a healthier alternative such as green tea, or, if you really need your kick of caffeine, switch to black coffee.
2. Boost your vitamins
For improved skin, increased fullness and a more balanced diet, up your intake of vegetables. If the thought of chopping and cooking more fresh food seems like a headache, opt for a supplement for a vitamin boost instead. Arbonne Essentials Greens Balance (£40.00) is a powdered supplement which contains the goodness of 37 different fruits and vegetables, including celebrity favourites kale, quinoa and sweet potato. Simply mix with water and take as a drink, or add to a sauce for an injection of goodness into a favourite meal.
3. Don't skip breakfast
Breakfast can seem like an annoyance in the morning when you're trying to reduce calorie intake, or when you're rushing around getting ready for work or wedding planning. But the old wives' tale really is true; breakfast is the most important meal of the day, setting up your metabolism and making you fuller to reduce the temptation to snack. Take the time to have a healthy breakfast, such as a low-fat natural cereal or porridge, every day (finally a health tip that says eat more!).
4. Concentrate on your food
Studies show that we're more likely to eat less and to eat healthily if we take the time to concentrate on what we're consuming. It can be all too easy to take lunch at your desk while answering emails or to have dinner in front of the TV in the evening. However, this can lead to mindlessly eating more than we really need or leave us feeling unsatisfied, as we don't feel like we've had a proper meal. Try to make the dish your focus while eating and don't complete other tasks until you've finished.
5. Get planning
You won't leave anything to chance when it comes to planning your wedding so why have a haphazard lifestyle plan? Plan your meals at the start of each week and buy everything in advance, including snacks. If you create a healthy plan and stick to it, allowing yourself the occasional treat of course, you'll find healthy eating easier and won't grab a last-minute takeaway or ready meal . To find out more about Arbonne and its products, visit www.arbonneinternational.co.uk.