Sunday, January 20, 2008

Staying & Looking Sexy for a more seductive married life


"Ten Tips to Maintain Your Bridal Figure Long After the Wedding"

The shimmering sun peeks lazily through the tiny window over clouds as white as your gown and as pure as your dreams of a new life with your husband. The plane touches down gently, returning you both from your honeymoon and delivering you back into reality. Gone are the mile-long buffet tables and hours-long lounges in the sun. No more will caution (or your body) subjugate its will to your whims without taxing your vital statistics for the tab.
If you are like many newlywed women today, preventing the seemingly traditional weight gain that accompanies the beginning of marriage is a major concern. Below we offer ten simple, conventional wisdom tips that are touted by experts as sound, safe, effective means of keeping those unwanted pounds off. As always, please consult your physician before starting any diet or exercise program. After all, everyone is unique and it is your health!


Not The Time To Relax

1) Do not allow the videos and photographs of that beautiful, elegant, svelte angel of a bride lull you into old habits that worked against your goal. Avoid comfortable temptations to indulge regularly in your favorite junk food and to relax into a sedentary lifestyle. Eat sensibly and live actively and you will continue to mirror the beauty you feel inside.

Do Your Homework

2) Continue to take advantage of living in the information age and do the work necessary to learn about your body. If your last full physical was when you were 12, have yourself looked over by a professional to assess your current state of body. Identifying what activities in your life lead to your strengths and weaknesses will bring you the answers to some of your most personal physical questions.

Sensible Goals, Livable Schedule

3) Only set goals and a schedule to reach them if you are comfortable with the changes they require. While we all resist change, also true is that consequence follows action. If your benchmarks are too high, you will slip. This may lead you down a path of depression and regression to the comfort of vices. Being realistic with yourself when you put together your eating and exercise routines will greatly increase your chances of keeping yourself on track.

Low Fat, Low Calorie

4) Today’s conventional catchphrase of “Low-Fat, Reduced Calorie” can be as simple as it sounds. Our multicultural society offers many delicacies to tempt the most determined palate. Your mission is to learn what menu works with your body. Honestly adding up the calories in every little junk food snack or fast food stop you take each day will uncover the source of much unwanted weight. Watching for these cravings and understanding how they will work against your goals will help your resolve. In essence, avoid the high-fat, ton of calorie days of your youth.
Crash Diet Fasting

5) Fasting and cigarettes (or other non-nutritious alternatives) are not the answer. Plan your days so that you are able to eat many small meals of healthy low-fat foods. Start with an appropriate, but robust breakfast and follow that up throughout the day with smart snacks to maintain your energy level and allow your metabolism time to burn the calories. If you simply don’t eat anything, you are shutting down your digestive system. Instead, drink liquids, particularly water, and spread out your calorie consumption and you will allow your body to do its job.

Dancing With Cravings

6) Cravings are as unpredictable as the weather. You never know when and you never know for what. If you find that suddenly you wouldn’t mind a quick drive thru snack at one of the dozen or so you pass in your travels, try just driving past. Allow yourself a pause to see if you’re feeling real hunger and if so, find an intelligent alternative to the value menu and the junk food aisle. Develop the habit of preparing a healthy travel snack pack for errand runs and you will keep your bodily rhythm despite unpredictability.

The Language Of Your Metabolism

7) Learn your metabolism and take the necessary steps to maximize your fat burning potential. If you feel bloated after a certain type of meal, it may mean you’re consuming too many carbohydrates for your system to utilize and the excess is being stored in your trouble areas. It may not be the content of the meal that is causing problems, but the amount that you are eating. Find your metabolic medium and adjust your eating accordingly.

Inactivity Is The Enemy

8) Movement is essential in your quest for body maintenance. Developing habits such as walking around the block, rollerblading through the park, bicycling to the store, or participating in a sport will keep your muscles tone and your metabolism running well. Avoid sedentary habits. If not possible due to your occupation or another responsibility, counteract the effects by stepping up your activity during other times of the day.

Build Muscle to Burn Fat

9) Increasing your metabolic rate can help to burn off the excess calories your body cannot process into energy. A straightforward way of doing this is by building muscle mass. It is a medical fact that muscle tissue burns calories much faster than the rest of your anatomy. Strength training such as weight lifting with proper stretching for flexibility builds muscle mass and speeds your metabolism. Research exercises that work well with you and your lifestyle.

Don’t Go It Alone

10) Set your goals, schedule your exercise and diet to meet them, and then enlist help. Utilize peer pressure to your advantage. It may be your husband, a relative, or close friend. You are looking for someone who empathizes with your motives and will be supportive of your actions. They can help you to maintain your schedule and keep an eye on your goal. Another good approach would be to join or start a support group for others seeking to improve their health and fitness.

These basic tips will help you to avoid the post-wedding weight gain you fear. Remember that your body and your goals are unique and only you can make it all happen the way you envision.

Be honest with your initial assessment of yourself, be sensible when you set eating and workout goals, and be diligent in following through and both your physical and photographic presence will continue to match for many years.

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