Bride-To-Be: Health

I can’t quite believe it, but I’ve been engaged for 5months already! So much has happened – the best engagement party ever was enjoyed by family and friends, lots and LOTS of research has been done and several vendors are booked in for the big day.

Like every B2B the world over, I want to feel (and look!) my very best for the big day, but instead of going on silly crash diets or starving myself into submission while simultaneous shaking my tushie all over the Zumba floor, wearing a sweat suit and hallucinating a purple dinosaur is running the class while Oscar Wilde sits in the corner doing a poetry reading with Donald Duck running around in a towel and shower cap!!!

[Side Note…..if anyone knows of that kind of class, please email me, I would definitely like to check that out!]

Anyway! I have decided to share with you today my personal Top Five Tips that I’ve been sticking to in the hopes that they might help you too

1. DRINK WATER – no seriously, drink it! But don’t guzzle – sip it in a ladylike manner throughout the day (don’t suddenly panic at 4:45pm and down a litre – you’re just going to make yourself sick!). While this is something I have struggled with in the past, the benefits are racked up to the ceiling (sleeping better, healthier hair, nails, skin etc…), so it’s unavoidable, do it enough times by choice and after a couple of weeks drinking the required amount per day will become a habit for you – but like everything, going to extremes will do you absolutely no good at all, you can over-hydrate you know! Stick to eight glasses per day and drink a little more if you’re working out a lot.

2.) EAT WHAT YOU WANT SO LONG AS YOU’RE PREPARED TO WORK IT OFF – This has become my mantra, I have always been an active person but it just so happens that I now live beside THE best bakery known to Man, so if I’m really craving one of their sugary, cinnamony, heart-attack inducing puff balls, I’m going to have one – but only and ONLY dear reader, because I am fully prepared to run that extra 2K at the end of my workout or lift that extra weight to burn it off again.

3) GYM WEAR – I’m not saying you’re to become one of those ferociously irritating, preppy, people whose hair is quaffed and ready for the red carpet before AND AFTER their workouts – no, no, I’m talking about spending a little bit of mula on a nice new crop top or running leggings, a headband to get in touch with your 80’s child maybe or even a brand new pair of neon kicks (I hear they make you run faster!) to keep your enthusiasm up.

It’ll get you through those days when you just feel like your little self needs a snooze and that you’re not seeing any benefits anyway so what’s the point – WHERE’S THE ICE-CREAM?! SOMEONE PASS ME A SPOON! Seriously pet, put the ice-cream, the chocolate spread and the spoon down and GO TO THE GYM!

Remember, in the words of Elle Woods “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.” <—– words to live by

4.) D.O.M.S – Delayed onset muscle soreness is a GOOD thing! This is when you’re achy from working out and it lasts up to 72hours, but it’s not “injury pain”, you haven’t actually torn a muscle or strained anything, you’ve just worked to a new limit. I think of it like fraying muscle, then, as it nits back together your muscle gets stronger, this is something I try to achieve after each workout. If I wake up the next morning and I’m not a little bit sore, I’m like “wow I took it way too easy yesterday!!”. I’m not saying you should be crippled with pain all the time, but I like to feel my muscles the next day, it means they’ve been worked. I am no expert, so if you want to know more, read this

5.) EAT FRUIT AND VEG  – 5 portions a day. Get colourful – why not have some melon, mango and strawberries for breakfast and with your lunch or dinner have some more colour – like peppers, green beans, tomatoes or spinach! Your choices are endless really – which is great!

The main thing to remember is, it takes an army of will power to get back on track once life has taken over and you’ve let your good habits slide, so set yourself mini targets and remember – the scales really isn’t everything, trust how you feel, how you look and how your clothes are fitting and if you’re doing it right lovelies, while it won’t happen overnight it will happen

P.S. If it happens overnight, that’s what we call a fad diet! Run away quickly! They really don’t work in the long run and aren’t worth your time and energy!

Rxx

{Photos were taken from here and here}