Getting fit for success in THAT dress

Have you ever got through a whole week without one of your girlfriends mentioned those two words? The two words that dominant the health industry? The two most important words for most brides to be after ‘I do’. Weight loss. It dominants every health and fitness discussion. For a large percentage of brides to be, it’s key! Here are the 6 key factors you need to address for success!  

You’ve reached a healthy balance

It may be that your body has reached its “perfect” weight. Reaching this level is generally pretty easy but it won’t get you to ‘ultimate’ body your after. Women, more so than man, tend to achieve a healthier balance at higher body fat levels. Breaking through these plateaus can be hard enough, but plateaus set by the body itself can be even harder. To dip below your ‘healthy’ bodyfat percentage can affect your hormones and most importantly your fertility rate.

You lack the willpower

All these healthy habits depend on how badly you want it! If you don’t want it enough you’re not going to get it! For all brides to be there should be enough motivation to look your best on your big day! If you normally have willpower but are struggling at the moment, take note, it might actually be an indicator of your body’s needs to recover! In these cases overtraining is a bigger issue than lack of will to train.

Excuses, excuses, excuses

Everyone has them at some stage… Some people have them every day and others have them every hour. If your find yourself have mini arguments with yourself and start lying to yourself about what you are eating and doing you’re probably full of excuses.

You’re not getting enough sleep

Low levels of sleep can cause the release of cortisol, the old fat-storing hormone. The biggest spike in (fat-burning, anabolic) growth hormone plasma levels happens when you’re at rest sleeping! Studies have shown that interrupted sleep patterns are linked to weight gain. Get seven to eight hours of sleep a night.

You’re under too much stress

The stress response system responds to stimuli and nothing else. Emotional stress, physical stress, financial stress, relationship stress – your body does not differentiate between sources of stress. They all cause the body to produce cortisol, the stress hormone which leads to break down of  muscle, alters insulin resistance, and promotes the storage of fat. It’s likely that organising the wedding on top of everyday life will cause a little stress but you need to take a step back from your life and take stock of your stress levels – they may be holding you back.

You’re not as healthy as you think!

Do you spend time down the aisles at the supermarket rather than around the perimeter? Low-carb or not, you want to eat real food. Eating the packaged and processed food you’re just feeding an addiction and consuming empty calories – sound familiar? Disregard the labels and look inside for what you know to be true: this crap isn’t food, and you shouldn’t be eating it. It’s about way more than just low-carb.