6 Things You Must Know to Avoid Pre-Wedding Weight Gain

Wedding planning is stressful! There always seems to be too much to do and too little time to finish. Though everyone deals with stress differently, weight gain is commonly reported among stressed-out folks like busy brides-to-be.

Here are the top 6 Things You Must Know to Avoid Pre-Wedding Weight Gain:

Evaluate Your Options & Build a Balanced Plate

Whether you are at a buffet, celebration, or on the run, there are usually several food options available for you to choose from, some healthier than others. Though making an occasional exception to indulge might be acceptable, the closer you get to your wedding day, the more critical it is to be extra vigilant of your intake.

The best way to balance calories and nutrition is to aim for a healthy plate with ¼ protein + ¼ carbohydrates + ½ vegetables.

• Go for lean proteins such as beans, lentils, tofu, poultry, and lean cuts of meat.
• Choose complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, whole grain bread or pasta, buckwheat, quinoa, barley, or oatmeal; stay away from white & refined grains.
• Load up on vegetables—two handfuls worth at lunch & dinner—of various colours that are served fresh, steamed, grilled, or lightly sautéed

Use Smaller Plates

The eyes are often hungrier than the stomach, especially when we are famished. As a result, most people fill their plates to the brim and consume more significant portions than are needed to satisfy hunger. Visual queues are an essential aspect of satiety, so it is necessary to understand how to use them to your advantage.

Smaller plates will help you feel fuller with a smaller amount of food. This is particularly important if you have a habit of finishing everything on your plate. Eating an identical portion of food from a filled small plate will make you feel fuller than eating the same amount of food from a partly empty larger plate. Think of it as an optical food illusion that you can use to control your weight without changing the foods you eat.

Limit “Sometimes Foods”

Between engagement parties, bridal showers, and wedding food tastings, there is a fair share of “sometimes foods”—sugary, fried, and generally unhealthy food options.

Though it will likely be impossible to avoid these entirely, trying and limiting them is essential. This is because they can wreak havoc not only on your waistline but also on your skin and overall mood.

Be Mindful of Liquid Calories

Though watching our calories often focuses on the foods we eat, it is essential also to be mindful of the liquid calories one may be consuming. Both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages can have quite the caloric kick.

Consider the following:

• A medium white hot chocolate from Tim Horton’s is 380 calories. If you have two a week for one year, this adds up to just over 10 lbs.
• Alcohol contains seven calories per gram, almost as much as a gram of fat, with some varieties—like liqueurs—adding calories to that with sugars. A shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream is about 121 calories. If you have three images per week for a year, that adds up to just over 5 lbs.

Work in a Workout Plan

Though nutrition is a massive part of the weight control pie, we cannot discount the importance of exercise. Being physically active can help burn those extra calories and improve overall health and mood. However, it’s crucial not to permit yourself to eat extra because you exercised a little, as calories are much harder to work off than consume.

Review Your Intake with a Registered Dietitian

Tried all of the above and still gaining weight or not losing it fast enough? Are you stuck and unsure about what you’re doing wrong or how to eat healthily? Best for Bride’s nutrition consultant—Anna Gold, RD, M.A.N.—can help answer your food-related questions.

Getting advice from a registered dietitian (RD) is the best way to ensure you’re on the right track with your eating. As the only nutrition professionals accredited by a provincial regulatory body, RDs use evidence-based knowledge and skills to promote good health. Since dietitian services are included in many employers’ health insurance plans, you may be able to access Anna’s services for free or at a low out-of-pocket cost. Most importantly, an RD will help you make sustainable changes in life, which is more than any fad diet can offer. Investing in professional nutrition counsel is investing in your health for years to come.

And for a LIMITED TIME, Best for Bride customers receive a 10% discount* on services from Eat Well Anna Nutrition Consulting. 

Wishing you excellent health and good food,

Anna Gofeld, RD, M.A.N., BASc

Owner of Eat Well Anna Nutrition Consulting – annagofeld.com
Registered Dietitian
Masters of Applied Nutrition
BASc Nutrition and Food

*New clients only. Limit of one discount per customer. Offers may be revoked at any time and cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. Best for Bride offer must be mentioned before payment tisapplied. Limited time offer. No cash value.