Celebrating the holidays makes everyone feel warm and fuzzy….. and a little sluggish; sharing traditional holiday meals with family and friends you may not see often, sampling  holiday treats, enjoying an extra drink or two and (with the exception of holiday shopping) spending more time sitting indoors than moving around outdoors. After weeks of this it is no surprise that the #1 New Year’s Resolution is to lose weight and/or get in shape.  If you got engaged over the holidays, you are even more likely to want to drop a few pounds to fit into the gown of your dreams. Before you begin your diet read on:

– Always check with your doctor before starting a diet/exercise program. Sound silly? If you get a check up before you start it may alert you to some hidden dangers that will decrease your chance of success like being anemic or having low blood sugar. Even something seemingly innocuous like heavy periods will change how you go about losing weight.

– Water, water, water! Drinks lots of it! Most people walk around dehydrated and don’t even know it. Try drinking 8 oz of water every hour all day. Warning: you may not have headaches anymore.

-You do not have to be a size 2 to look great.  Starting a healthy diet/exercise plan is smart for you both physically and mentally  but, not everyone will be a size 2 and there are beautiful women of all sizes.

-Do this together. Studies show that couples who develop a fitness plan together are more successful than when one partner is completely un-involved. It will bring you closer, it will forge a bond in your relationship and you will keep one another on your toes!

-Set your goals high but, be realistic. Remember that  when you see a certain celebrity has lost 40 lbs on a certain diet….they  probably have a personal trainer, a dietitian, perhaps even a personal chef.  Don’t base your success on someone else’s results.

– Reward yourself for each success. Losing just 10 lbs is success. Instead of rewarding yourself with food, find some other way to give yourself a boost for every small goal. Treat yourself to a manicure, a new pair of shoes, a sparkly pair of earrings and remember to do this for every milestone.

– Take a photo every week so you can see how your body is changing. You look at yourself in the mirror and may not see any difference. The camera doesn’t lie and you will have an uplifting  chronicle of your success.

– Losing weight, gaining weight, losing it again and so on is bad for you. Starving yourself may help you lose an extra five pounds but, it trains your metabolism to do without. It is better to live a healthy weight for along time than to be thin and then fat, thin again, fat again. You heart can only take so much and even though it may seem easy now, it gets more difficult to do this as you get older.

– Diet pills, supplements and energy drinks all have side effects. It is better to go slowly and lose less weight per month than to attempt a ‘jump start’ with diet pills. If even one of them worked for everyone, it would be the only one on the market.

– Starting slow works best. Take a walk, ride a bike, cut your burger in half, eat one less dessert. Changing slowly will help your mind and body adjust to a different lifestyle without going through withdrawal and fatigue. You will need a lot of energy while planning your wedding, fatigue is the enemy!

Most importantly, if you plan to lose weight before your wedding, plan to keep it off.  Making  a plan to begin this next chapter of your life in a healthy manner is a recipe for a better life.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago