It’s predicted that 2022 will see the most number of weddings since 1984 with some 2.5 million couples tying the knot. That’s a lot of people potentially trying to shed weight before their big day.
The good news is that even with a limited timeline until you walk down the aisle, it’s still possible to lose weight fast and safely. “Typically weight loss is losing one-to-two pounds a week. Working on weight loss efforts for a month and a half you could lose up to 12 pounds,” says Jeanette Kimszal, RDN, NLC, Root Nutrition & Education. “Weight loss does not have to be hard when you focus on your goals.”
Nicole Swingle, RD, echoes this sentiment, saying, “While you may be stressed out about your wedding coming up and losing weight in time, it is possible to lose weight even when you’re a month out from your big day.”
For more, check out these five simple tips to drop 10 pounds or more before you say “I do.”
Time to eat the rainbow, friends. One strategy “to lose weight when you have a time crunch is to increase your vegetable consumption to help you have more dietary fiber, which will help keep you fuller for longer and positively impact your gut health,” says Swingle. “When you feel fuller, you are less likely to eat.”
Kimszal agrees. “Adding at least one serving of vegetables to each meal will help to increase your fiber and nutrient intake,” she says, highlighting that this can help with weight loss.
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Swingle shares that one simple way to lose weight before your wedding day is to stop eating out at restaurants those last 30 days leading up to your nuptials. “This is extremely effective for weight loss, as eating out adds a tremendous amount of calories and sodium without you realizing it,” she says. “By reducing how often you eat out, you are reducing the amount of salt retention and calories to help remain in a calorie deficit and help the scale tip back down.”
“One way to lose weight is by looking at your diet and seeing how much protein you are taking in,” says Kimszal, noting that you should aim to have lean protein at each meal.
As we’ve previously reported, to stay fit or lose weight, men who work out for 45 minutes three to five days a week need about 0.45 gram per pound, and women with the same activity level need 0.35 gram per pound. Read more on how much protein you need in your weight loss diet plan here.
Not only is it incredibly bad for your health, but it wreaks havoc on your waistline, too. “Cutting out soda and other sweetened beverages can help you lose weight,” says Kimszal.
Along with regular soda, ditch diet soda, too. “Many people turn to diet sodas for weight loss, but they can have the opposite effect,” says board-certified obesity expert Sylvia Gonsahn-Bollie, MD, the lead physician at Embrace You Weight & Wellness in a 2021 story for Eat This, Not That!
“Lastly, assessing your hunger on a scale of 1-10 before you eat can help you to lose weight because it forces you to stop and ponder if your body is truly hungry or if you are bored and want food,” advises Swingle. “This facilitates weight loss by reducing the amount and how often you eat.” While you nosh, chew slowly, observe your inner experience, and follow more of these smart habits to promote mind-body connection.
Remember, perspective is key. “Don’t let weight loss be your end goal. Focus on how you feel. Do you feel you are more energetic when you get up? That is what is most important,” says Kimszal. And on your wedding day, feeling energized and excited is far more important than if you squeeze into a smaller suit size or were able to get another inch tailored off the waist of your wedding dress.
Perri O. Blumberg