AHHHH....the joys of getting that wedding body! I mean honestly, what is that all about anyways?!?!? Why are brides everywhere so focused on looking thin on their wedding day?
If you think about it, your friends and family love you regardless...they are actually into you for your personality...and your man, well he wants to hitch his wagon to you for the next 60 years or so, so he is obviously digging your flow...so WHY, do we, as brides, put ALL this pressure on ourselves to be so fit, so skinny, so crazy to drop lb's leading up to the big day?
I question this, but I also fell victim to this. When I met my fella, I was 26, single and didn't have a care in the world. I lived 5 minutes from work and got out at 5:30pm on the dot. I was content filling up my evenings with spinning and cardio kickboxing classes that had 6pm starts and then went home and cooked/nibbled on a meal for one....ta-dah....125 lbs, solid, single, sexy! Fast forward 3 years, early 30's, living with my guy and dog, a major knee surgery, broken foot, at least 3 years of nesting...which included not going to the gym and way to much beer, wine and eating out...tadah...153lbs, doughy, engaged, sparkling personality....yikes!
So about a year and a half ago...after looking at one to many pictures from holiday parties where my 2nd chin was determined to be the star...I decided something needed to change. I needed to be healthy but I also needed my swagger back...it had gone into hiding around 140lbs. But how to get back on track? I decided I needed something active and fun. Since I have a horrible history of injuring myself, contact sports (soccer, basketball, etc) were out of the question. I hadn't been to the gym in awhile (conservative estimate) and I knew I wasn't in the right head space yet to go back. Luckily, one of my friends was teaching a pole aerobics class. It was just what I needed, it was fun, different, still athletic, non-contact (key!) and I felt like I was supporting a friend. Because the class was full of people I knew, it made me accountable...which I needed...and it was social. Tuesday night was MY night!!
Did I lose a ton of weight doing this....not really, a few maybe....but I felt good about myself and it was an important catalyst in regaining my 'me' time which I had let dwindle and replaced with 'we' time, since moving in with my guy.
After the engagement party, I still looked...we'll go with...puffier....than I would like to be. I tried to make some changes, but going into the holidays...it was tough. At this point, I was at least getting into the gym to do some biking, but definitely needed to amp it up. About mid-Jan, I "flipped the switch", with 5 1/2 months till the wedding, I was running out of time for excuses. Starving myself during the month of May, just wasn't an option. My saving grace....GROUPON!! Tons of fitness deals, great prices, low commitment. I have spent the last 4 months just trying out all the fun boutique gyms in the area that I would not normally go to since I can't wrap my head around paying $25-$35 for a single class...I hope you can't either. I got a little posse of friends who were down to try them out as well and its been fun!
So the first piece of the fitness puzzle...working out...you can see how that's going, but I knew I needed to change my habits. I went to Whole Foods and bought a Whole Body Cleanse...as a ceremonial start to healthy eating...clean slate. I said goodbye to alcohol for a month and a half (minus SuperBowl Sunday)...no more margs, goodbye delicious micro-brews and no more evening glasses of vino, which let's be honest was never just one glass. If you want to see weight drop, SAY GOODBYE TO ALCOHOL....I wouldn't have believed it, but I rapidly dropped about 8lbs. I really focused on eating good foods like fish and chicken with red meat once a week and cut out my vices. No more pizza, Chipotle burritos.. which taste better with sour cream and guac...McNuggies, Baja Fresh Nacho Chicken Burrito....delicious, but all gone!
Three months later I am at 135lb with a month and a half left before the wedding and my dress fits PERFECT. Somewhere in the middle of this process, it became less about losing the weight and more about gaining a lifestyle. This is not a crash diet, this is me realizing that I need moderation in my life. I have added things back in, but this time it is only A beer or ONE glass of wine. Its about understanding that life isn't slowing down anytime soon and that I need to be able to strike that balance between 'me' and 'we' and that diet and exercise is a part of taking care of me and ultimately my family.
I am happy that I have found what I believe is a sustainable lifestyle, so that when I walk down the aisle, it will not be a snapshot of how I look on that one day, but how representative of how I will take care of myself during our life together.
Ahhh...the realizations of the crazy bride....seems like I won't have to be crazy forever!
Cheers!
Yay!! So proud of you. And besides preparing for a wedding we are leading parallel lives! Boutique gyms, cleansing, and no alcohol (with a few key exceptions;) Would still love to join you for a class sometime. But as we don't want to overdo it maybe we should go for pizza instead? ;););)
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