Wedding Weight Loss | Are All Fats Bad For You?

Some Beneficial Fats Are Good For You

The general myth is that fats are not good for you, however some beneficial fats are essential in our diet.

Beneficial fats include monosaturated and polysaturated fats, found in nuts and seeds, olives and olive oil, avocados, canola and canola oils. They also include omega-3 fatty acids found in linseeds, soybeans, dark green vegetables and oily fish.


Monosaturated fats are good fats that help to lower LDL (bad) cholestrol and boost HDL (good) cholesterol. Polyunsaturated fats help reduce the cholesterol levels in your blood and lower your risk of heart disease.

The two types of fats that you should avoid are saturated fats and trans fats. Saturated fats tend to raise blood cholesterol levels that may cause heart disease. Saturated fat is found mainly in animal products and high fat dairy products such as butter. Coconut milk and cream are also high in saturated fat.

Another type of fat to steer clear of is trans fat which is produced when vegetable oils are hydrogenated or hardened for use in commercial deep-frying and in processed products (e.g. factory-made cakes, pastries and potato chips). Trans fat, like saturated fat, tends to raise blood cholesterol levels. If your diet is high in saturated and trans fat, and low in unsaturated fat, it increases your risk of getting heart disease and stroke.

Weight loss tip based on the above is to read your food labels and stay clear of trans fat. You do not need trans fat in your diet! Instead, pick foods that are high in good fats.

Wedding Weight Loss | What Would be the Perfect Dieter's Snack?

The Right Combination Diet - The Right Snack

No, it is not cake. Nor is it chocolate, or chips But no need to worry. The perfect snack can be just as delicious, and yet more nutritious!

When you are feeling the urge to snack, instead of reaching out for a high calorie food that is loaded wit sugar, salt or fat, why not consider healthier yet delicious alternatives such as low fat yogurt?

Yogurt is a result of fermented milk with friendly bacteria. The probiotics in yogurt help maintain a desirable balance of beneficial bacteria (prebiotics) in the digestive system. They also help to maintain a healthy digestive system.

For example, low fat yogurt can come with fruit chunks such as strawberries, pomelo, apple, banana, pear or aloe vera, just to name a few.

You can also add granola, or multigrain crackers to your yogurt for a change in taste.

Whether you are a first-time or regular yogurt eater, you will quickly discover the refreshing taste in yogurt, which is a satisfying snack that is not too sweet, has no sour taste or aftertaste.

Therefore, yogurt is the perfect snack to indulge in, with no guilt because low fat yougurt is usually 99.9% fat-free with no trans fat and cholestrol.

Wedding Weight Loss | The Right Combination Diet

Eat Right To Lose Weight

Bride-to-bes are highly motivated to lose weight because they have a deadline to adhere to - their wedding date. But the pressure to lose weight quick can make you choose the wrong type of diet and exercise program that might lose you weight, but not good for the long run.

Crash diets or fad diets that you cannot possibly sustain for the long-term will only ensure that you regain all the weight you lost, once you get off the diet, or even worse, put on more weight.

Research has shown that weight gain has to do with the generation of new fat cells. We are all born with a certain amount of fat cells. But when there is excess fat in our system, new fat cells are formed. Once those fat cells are formed, you cannot simply make those extra fat cells disappear. That's when we become overweight.

To lose weight, you would have to reduce the fat content in the cells. But you never can be rid of those fat cells you had attained - they'll always be there.

What's the lesson in this? Be very careful in selecting a diet plan. Do not be compelled to pick a popular fad diet just because you think you will lose a lot of weight in time for your wedding. Fad diets are not rarely sustainable because they usually advocate unhealthy eating to promote weight loss. So the potential for regaining weight, and putting on more weight is high.

What can you do then?

Start with a proper diet plan that you can upkeep for the rest of your life! Yes, I am serious. If you are on a tight deadline, you may not lose all of the weight you would like in time for your wedding, but you can be assured of losing weight consistently even after your wedding, until you reach your ideal weight.

Start with Having the Most Important Meal of the Day - Breakfast

Breakfast literally means breaking your overnight fast. Remember that it could be at least 10 hours since your last meanl, so it is important to re-fuel your body ready for another day.

Enjoying breakfast can help lift your mood and has been shown to help with improving concentration levels, behavior and learning abilities.

It is important to make the most of your breakfast meal by including highly nutritious foods such as wholegrain cereals, fruits, low fat dairy or fortified soy products and nuts and seeds. Avoid foods high in fat, sugar and salt, in preference for more nutritious foods. People who skip breakfast also generally find it difficult to achieve their daily nutrient requirements, so it's best to start packing in those nutrients early.

So start your right combination diet by eating your breakfast brides-to-be!

Fab Abs Go Beyond Stomach Crunches

Flatter Abs Will Make You Look Great in Your Wedding Dress

The secret to flatter abs incorporates a healthy diet to reduce fat intake, cardio to get lean and let those abs show, and functional exercises that consistently engage the core muscles, which also involve the back.

Those key muscles groups include the rectus abdominis (the ones along the front that comprise the six-pack abs); the internal and external obliques that flank the rectus abdominis and help the trunk rotate; and the deep muscle layer called the transverse abdominis that lends stability to the pelvis.

We have a layer of fat between the skin and the muscle, and it does not matter how many crunches you do, if you do not cut down that layer of fat, you will never see your abs.

You have to do exercises that are high in caloric expenditure - compund joint movements like squats, lunges, lower body exercises that recruit a lot of muscle fibres because they are incorporating more than one muscle group. The overall result is that you burn more calories.

There is no such thing as spot reduction. You are not going to lose fat in your mid-section if all you are doing is crunches. Crunches burn very few calories compared with other things you can do.

People who are not overweight (but still have that layer of fat) can bump up the intensity of their work outs.

Many people shy away from resistance training and focus on cardio. But resistance training increases lean muscle mass, and you burn more calories to maintain that lean muscle mass, so your body's daily caloric expenditure increases.

One great exercise is a simple bicyle crunch - alternate bringing your elbow to opposite knee. That rotation is good for your abs and obliques.

Wedding Weight Loss Tips | Safely Lose One to Two Pounds a Week

Quick Weight Loss Tips for Brides-to-Be

So you are getting married, and you think you could stand to lose just a few pounds so that you would fit better into your wedding dress. But your wedding day is fast approaching and you are worried. No need to panic though! There is a way for you to lose that few remaining pounds fast. Yes, that's true, you read it right. But you must be determined to work hard and be motivated to stick the course till your wedding day.

You have to just follow the three following steps to watch the weight fall off your body:

1) Write a diet plan and stick to it

Most women make the mistake of eating fewer than 1000 calories, thinking that less calorie intake will help them lose weight. But all it does is lower the body's metabolism, which has the counter-effect of making you gain weight. And then they
it becomes impossible to stay on your diet. Instead, write a diet plan that includes 1200 to 1300 calories per day and eat 5 to 6 small meals each day. Always plan your meals each day so you know what you will be ingesting throughout the day. This will help you avoid taking foods that are not on your plan.

2) Types of Food to Include in Your Diet Plan

Your diet should include veggies, lean meats and the least amount of sugar to get the best results. No white bread, white rice, and starchy carbohydrates such as potatoes. Instead, pick brown rice (jasmine brown rice has a nutty flavor) and add loads of green vegetables (as well as other colored veges). Lean meat and salmon fish are also good items for protein (which are important for building muscles). For snacks, have a handful of beneficial and healthy nuts such as walnuts and almonds. Or snack on multi-grain crackers. If possible, stay away from processed foods, and go organic and natural.

3) Get Aerobic Exercise

Include daily aerobic exercise such as fast pace walking or stationary biking for 30 minutes, 4 to 5 times per week. Short bursts of high-intensity exercise do not help you lose weight. You need to do sustained exercise at low-intensity. Walking around your block will help you lose weight fast. It will also tone your legs and butt, as well as build muscle.

If you can make these three steps as part of your daily life-style, you will be able to lose 1 or 2 pounds each week safely and comfortably.

Wedding Weight Loss Tips | Increase Your Metabolism

You are a bride-to-be, and you have just committed yourself to losing some weight for your wedding day. Most brides-to-be are fully motivated to lose weight (more than any others) because they want to look great on their wedding day. Well, who wouldn't? A wedding day is supposed to happen only once in your life (cross your fingers for that, given the dire divorce statistics in the US today!).



So here are some more tips to help you on your wedding weight loss goals by increasing your metabolism rate.

What exactly is metabolism and why is it important for weight loss? Well, metabolism is the process by which the body burns calories. When a person experiences a high rate of metabolism, they are more likely to lose weight. If a person experiences a slow metabolism rate, it is more likely that the individual will gain weight over time.

One thing to note is that we all need energy to maintain our bodies. And we get that energy through calories. This particular energy is an important method of maintaining the body. Metabolism is the process in which this energy is burned. Every minute of every single day, the body is working to ensure that calories are burning in order to fuel your body. Your body requires a basic level of energy in order to operate efficiently, keep you alert and energized throughout the day, and process important minerals and key nutrients to ensure your overall health.

People who have a high level of muscle mass in the body generally have a high metabolism rate. And people who have a high level of fat in the body have a low metabolism rate. Fat tissue and cells do not require much energy to remain consistent while muscle requires a lot of energy in order to remain strong and healthy.

Our bodies will generally lose muscle mass as we age, and if we do not take steps to change it, we will have lower metabolism making it easier for us to gain weight!

Here's what you can do about it:

1) Always eat breakfast in the morning. It jumpstarts your body's ability to start making fuel for the rest of the day. People who skip breakfasts have a lower metabolic rate, and heavier than those who do not.

2) Increase metabolism by eating smaller meals through the day. Eat 4 to 6 six small meals, 2 to 3 hours apart.

3) Take foods that and beverages that are high in carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and other key nutrients because these are an essential part to developing a natural increase in metabolism. Include more energy foods such as whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits.

4) Be careful of any diet that requires you to starve yourself for many hours when trying to lose weight. This will slow down your metabolism in a hurry. Avoid 5 to 6 hour gaps between meals without eating.

5) Plan your meals and eat smaller meals at regular intervals. The common mistake is to skip meals and eat too little during the day. This makes you vulnerable for eating junk food later in the day. Eating to lose weight takes planning.

6) Do not eat heavily in the night (at dinner for instance). If you adhere to step 5, you will not have a reason to binge during the last meal of the day.

7) Short bursts of an exercise routine (like running at full speed on the treadmill for 15 mins) does not help with increasing your metabolism. So be sure to incorporate a walking routine to your exercise regime to increase metabolism at least three to four times a week. Walk 30 to 40 minutes each time. This is the best way to increase your metabolism.

8) Add the types of exercise to your regimen that focus on developing the muscles in the body and increasing the oxygen levels to the blood.

9) Use the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible. Walk to the post office instead of getting into the car. Take your dog on a daily walk. Do more activities around the house to burn energy - cleaning is an exercise!