Author and Health & Wellness Coach, Diana Matuszak, shares her fool-proof method to becoming your best self by and beyond your wedding day.
By: Diana Matuszak
Gone are the days of getting to a certain number on the scale (thank goodness!). Instead, the goal is to feel your BEST on the big day and making your new healthy lifestyle a stress reliever. With floral prices coming back double what you anticipated and family members having too strong opinions, the last thing you need is the self-inflicted additional stress of losing a certain amount of weight.
But, I’ll let you in on a little secret – when you approach it with this new perspective, you’ll end up looking your best, and feeling your best, too.
A healthy glow, a strong and confident body, and loving the skin you’re in? Now that sounds like a beautiful bride. Have I convinced you yet? Good. Here’s how to make it happen!
The Workout
When it comes to choosing the perfect workout schedule, remember that exercise during the wedding planning stages is about stress relief, helping you love the skin you’re in, and start your marriage as the best version of you. The number one exercise tip is to LOVE your exercise routine.
Secondly, be sure to include at least one form of resistance training and at least one form of cardiovascular training. The body needs both to be truly healthy and fit. Resistance training (think: traditional weightlifting, pilates, CrossFit, Bodyweight Exercises) helps to build strong muscles for a “toned” look and increases metabolism. Cardiovascular training (think: walking, jogging, cycling classes, or swimming) is great for fat loss and a healthy heart.
The key to having a successful workout is choosing an exercise routine that you will want to continue after you say “I do.” If it makes you feel like you can take on the world, love the skin you’re in, and turn a bad day into a good day, you’ve found it!
You’re creating the healthiest and best version of you for a healthy marriage, not just the wedding day. When you do what you love it becomes routine, and soon you will crave it.
The Nutrition
We all know this one is important, but many also like to make it much more complicated than it needs to be. My clients and I abide by the 80/20 rule. Eat 80 percent of the time whole, from the earth nutritious foods, and 20 percent of the time enjoying a glass of wine at happy hour, a date night dessert, or when you just really want a side of french fries.
To help you feel full longer and allow your body to reach its healthiest weight, there is a a science to it. Use this rule of thumb. In every meal be sure to include a serving of: protein, fiber, healthy fat, and vegetables.
Why? Protein is responsible for muscle growth and satiety. More muscle results in more fat burned. Fiber is responsible for keeping you regular and absorption of glucose which controls blood sugar spikes that turn into cravings, low energy, and mood swings. Healthy fat is also responsible for satiety, curbing cravings, micronutrient absorption, and helps release stored fat. Not to mention, healthy fats provide a healthy glow, (think: hair and skin) along with healthier nails. That’s bride-to-be’s dream come true! Vegetables provide the vitamins the body needs to function properly.
This combination of food keeps you full, energized, regulates mood, and helps your body release stored fat.
With all of this in mind, what’s most important is listening to your body – eating when you’re hungry, stopping when you’re full. This may sound like a no-brainer, but many of us do not always listen to our bodies. Do you eat when your bored, sad, stressed, or even really happy? Realizing this is often what makes the major changes for my clients. Gain the awareness to truly listen to and honor your body’s natural hunger cues.
The Mindset
The number one concept to achieve your healthiest weight, mind, and confidence is to adjust your mindset. Exercising and eating healthy is all done for the purpose of becoming the best version of you. And, by best version of you I mean healthy mind, body, and soul, having the confidence to pursue all of your dreams, and to be the happiest version of yourself. Enter your marriage as the best partner you can be. This begins with loving yourself just as much as your partner.
Remember that it’s not about the way you look, how much you weigh, or the size of your gown – it’s about feeling amazing in your own skin, radiating beauty inside and out, and beginning the first day of your marriage as the best person you can be.
Photos: Katie Rae Bode Photography
– Diana Matuszak is an author and health and wellness coach.
