Best pre-wedding diet tips for brides (and grooms, too!)

by Brittany Anas · March 7, 2013

By Brittany Anas

Are your wedding bells inspiring you to pump barbells?

A Cornell University study found that more than 70 percent of brides-to-be want to lose weight before their big day. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look your best on your big day. The problem, though? More than 33 percent of brides-to-be are taking extreme measures — like fasting, skipping meals and popping diet pills to get to their desired weight, according to Cornell researchers.

Of the women surveyed for the Cornell study, 14 percent of those who had already bought their wedding dresses admitted to buying one that was one or more sizes smaller than their current dress sizes.

On average, researchers found that women wanted to lose 16 pounds.

Here are 10 pre-wedding diet tips that are safe and effective.

Start early and be realistic: If you are safely dieting, you can expect to lose one to two pounds a week. So, if you start five months before your wedding — and you have an ample amount of pounds to shed — you can expect to drop at least 20 pounds with the right diet plan.

Make high-fiber foods your best friends: Fiber makes you feel full and can help you avoid over-eating. Try eating an apple prior to dinner. It packs 4 grams of fiber. Also, incorporate fiber vitamins in your diet to improve your digestive health. (Try Fiber Choice supplements from Wal-Greens, where you can get 6 percent cash back.).

Target your problem spots: You will be the star of your own fairytale and all cameras will be on you. Talk with a personal trainer or check out work-out routines that can help you target your trouble spots. One of our favorite online tutorials promises to take care of double chins and armpit fat.

Incorporate yoga and meditation: Not only will these exercises help you tone up, they’ll help you relax during the hectic wedding planning process.

(Shopping for yoga pants? Get coupons and 4 percent cash-back at Electric Yoga)

Eat avocado: Dice up some avocado to put on your egg omlette in the morning or add some slices into your sandwich. Yes, it’s a good-for-you superfood that contains heart-healthy unsaturated fat. But, the Vitamin E in avocados will give your skin a healthy glow.

Drink a glass of water with lemon first thing in the morning: Before you go to grab your cup of coffee, first drink an 8 ounce glass of water with some lemon slices. Lemons contain pectin fiber which can stave off hunger. Lemons are also a diuretic, which can help you flush out toxins.

Eat sugar in its natural form: Processed sugary snacks and candies will make you crash and are a known enemy to your complexion. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, resort to a stash of berries. They’ll help keep your energy levels up.

Trust your measuring tape: Scales can be tricky. If you’re eating healthy and exercising, but your weight loss hits a plateau, check in with your measurements. You could still be getting smaller.

Choose a good photographer: So, this isn’t so much a dieting tip. But every good wedding photographer has some go-to, flattering techniques that incorporate good lighting and angles to help you look svelte.

(Want to print your photos for cheap? Check out coupons at Photobox).