Wedding Weight Loss!!

daeriam :)

Hello all,
I know this is prob a silly question but I am gettin married in 14 months and i would like to loose at least 2 stone if not 3 but I dont know where to start, I feel if i join a gym and then dont use it I will have just wasted my money, as thats what i have done in the past, Im just feeling a bit lost and dont know where to begin, I've started my healthy eating and i do feel ive shed a couple of pounds from that and thats great but i need help with the big work!!
I'm in the Galway area and any suggestion or groups i could join would be great. Thanks

tinkerbell

Check out the fitness forum here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=252

D3PO

Firstly congrats on the engagement.

The key to weightloss is two fold.

One excercise
Two food intake.

You can manage to lose weight by doing only one of these but it makes it much harder. I know what you mean about the gym people have good intentions get out of their routine and then its just a waste BUT there are loads of ways to excercise without going to the gym.

Perhaps you can cycle to work
Instead of driving to the local shop walk instead
Or if you have a Dog bring him/her out for more frequent walks
Maybe you can join a fun social activity like tag rugby ?
if you do decide to join a gym try and get a group of friends or your fiancee to join aswell. Motivation in numbers really helps sustain visits.

The other key things to remember are

1. Dont keep checking to see if you have lost weight. It acts to demotivate people
2. You shouldnt be looking to lose weight per se but to become healthier. (Muscle weights three times that of Fat)
3. Muscle also uses more calories when you are idle. So by building tone and maintaining calorie intake you immediatly will see a benefit
4. Healty eating on its own is no good. Portion size is equally as important. This is a key point.
5. Booze is the devil if you are losing weight give up the booze aswell.

good luck

starsinmyeyes

Hi,

Congrats on the engagement. I thought I'd throw in my 2cense worth and tell you bout my fitness regime! I am in a running group in Howth, we run twice a week. I use the group as part of my overall fitness but there is another girl who has been in the group about 8 months, she joined originally to lose weight for her wedding. She did lose a huge amount of weight and claimed to have dropped to dress sizes before the big day.

I'm not a massive fan of the gym either, I only go to do weights as I find it so boring. I do however combine my running with a spinning class once a week also in Howth. I have definitely found the combination of the spinning and running helps you lose a lot of weight. The fact that you are in a group helps to keep you motivated rather than long hours in a gym, when quitet often people are exercising wriong anyway! So that's my advise. It's summer time now so I think an outdoor activity is the way to go.

Runningchoppz

Yes, congrats on your engagement!

D3PO made some fantastic suggestions, and I'd like to add a couple that have worked for me, so hopefully they'll help you as well.

I have an Exercise Physiology degree, yet have been carrying extra weight all my life since retiring from Elite Sport. Meeting with a nutritionist I discovered that I have been under feeding & watering myself...and eating too infrequently causing my metabolism to slow down. Since I started eating 5 times a day, and drinking a min of 2 litres of water a day...the weight as been falling off!

I'm getting married in Aug, so I have the same motivation as you.

If it helps I can give you an example of my daily meal regime...just let me know.

Best of luck with the healthy changes, you'll feel great, and look fantastic on your wedding day!

D3PO

the last post is very true I should have added that.

LBD

Hi there!

Just my two pennies aswell but I agree with the above posters...

I am getting married in July this year and here are the few things that I found really work for me, baring in mind I only really started the get in shape for the big day routine just before Christmas....

I started the C25K (Couch to 5K) programme and went from being barely able to climb the stairs to running (fingers crossed)my first 10K this sunday (seriously I cannot recommend this programme enough) I wasn't even able to run for the bus before, I really can't get over the change in myself. I am getting up before work to do my run too which a year ago would have been unheard of...It really helped with weight loss and toning and given I had about 2stone to lose toning was important for me. I have about 5KG to go but am delighted so far

Second thing I have been doing is a bootcamp, twice a week. I go to basecamp fitness in tallaght (but there are similar groups around the country -try google), they are great there and have some good tips to encourage you to go that bit further on your own at home. I am only three weeks in but I am really enjoying it and am seeing the benefits already.

Lastly and I think most importantly I got into a routine with food. I learned when to eat and what was best to eat to give me the energy I needed.

I don't know what your fitness level is like, do you walk much? I know I keep harping on about it but routine for me really was the key, the more you get into it the less it seems like a "chore" and becomes second nature..

Good luck there really is nothing like the incentive of the big day to get rid of the extra weight and it is so worth it when you feel confident and good in yourself when trying on your dress

D3PO

OP also remember excercise produces endorphins. Endorphins improve your mood and will reduce stress, which coming up to a wedding is a great thing

Madame Razz

Bootcamp in Galway: www.revibe.ie, this is run outdoors in summer and indoors in winter.

Running in Galway: http://www.galwaycityharriers.com/category/senior/fit4life Lots of people do this, and it means you can run as part of a group.

Also, Hot Yoga have a workshop on April 16th which might be a good kickstart for you: www.hotyoga.ie Tracy is brilliant.

This lady runs kettle bell classes and does personal training also:

http://www.galwaykettlebells.com/#

She is a lovely girl and really knows her stuff

Or another good personal trainer:

www.davidgallagher.ie

www.oceanfitness.ie is an amazing gym and pool facility and they do some very good classes and swimming lessons too.

Also, Rusheen bay windsurfing school will be opening again this month and run a really good water gym programme, which also allows you to learn to windsurf, which might be an advantage for the honeymoon;)

This is great value for what you get and is really popular.

http://www.rusheenbay.com/live/

Hope this helps:)

SSFG

Runningchoppz wrote: »

Meeting with a nutritionist I discovered that I have been under feeding & watering myself...and eating too infrequently causing my metabolism to slow down. Since I started eating 5 times a day, and drinking a min of 2 litres of water a day...the weight as been falling off!

HUGE plus one to this I started running in Jan literally walking 25 paces then running 25 paces and built from there slowly. I was losing weight but also putting on muscle, so I went to a nutritionist just to see if I could help the weight loss as I felt I was stuck. I was eating very healthily, but she actually told me that I was eating too much. My portions, even though the food was healthy were too big. Since then I have come on in leaps and bounds, she is in Galway so if you want her details pm me.
Best of luck and congrants on the engagement!

Susie_Q

Hi there,

Just to supplement what others have been saying above, exercise is key but remember that weight loss will be about 80% good diet and 20% exercise.

Check out the nutrition forum on here for tips but common sense will already tell you what to eat; whole, unprocessed foods and avoid refined sugary boxed junk. Your diet should mainly consist of vegetables, fruit, eggs, meat, fish and wholegrains. Don't go near 'low-fat' foods as they will be full of sugar, and if you're like most people wheat will make your stomach bloat like crazy so leave off the bread if you can. Best of luck and congratulations on your engagement!

daeriam :)

Thanks so much to you all I really appreciate all your advice and I'm defo going to look into other options besides the gym!! (Or if any one wants to pay for the lypo that would be ok too) ha ha.
Thanks again to you all, ye have really motivated me to get up and get out there

Heineken Helen

I gave up meat after Christmas (only cos I ate so much of it I couldn't face it anymore) and, since then, the weight has fallen off me. We also bought a rowing machine and I use it maybe 3 times a week for 10 minutes but I also do quite a bit of walking (don't drive so it's a necessity). I would highly recommend the no meat thing though as it's made me HAVE to think about what I eat and how to get protein in other forms and I've discovered many kinds of food I'd never try as a result. The Quorn stuff, some of it is disgusting but some is amazing!

Bride2012

You've gotten great advice there.

I put on 2 stone when I was put on steroids for an illness and to lose it I bought the Davina McCall 30 minute workout dvd and did each of the three workouts once a week. Great dvd to add to exercise.

The 2 litres of water a day is essential too. Also for an occassional treat try buying a treat size bag of your favourite bar or variety pack and freeze them. You feel like you're getting a bigger treat coz it takes so long to eat. Sounds silly but worked for me.

Good luck and congrats.