They say that your wedding day is the best day of your life, so surely you want to look the peak of wellness and wellbeing. Many brides choose to lose weight for the big day, if only because knowing that everyone you know is going to be watching you walk down the aisle is great motivation! However, once you say “I do” you relax and start to regain all that weight you made the effort to lose in the first place. If you ever look at your wedding dress and wonder if you’d ever be able to fit back into it again, why not learn from a few success stories from people who have done exactly that? These brides (and one groom) followed a wedding dress weight loss plan that consisted of a diet developed by nutritionist and registered dietician Stephanie Middleberg and weekly exercise videos with dedicated personal trainer, Angela Salveo, to get back down to their wedding-day weight. Let’s see how they got on.
1. Rita Cookson: Rita, 43, has been married five years, and managed to lose 29lbs in four months. She asserts, ‘If I can do it, anyone can—I’m a pastry chef! Last year at this time, I felt depressed, tired, and generally gross about myself. I am a completely different person today. I stopped eating all those extra cupcakes and cookies, plus I’ve been doing four fun cardio classes per week at Gold’s Gym, in addition to meeting with a trainer there twice a week. I was afraid of lifting heavy weights because I thought I’d bulk up, but I got leaner and feel amazing.’
2. Lindsay & Brendan: Both aged 35, Lindsay Michalcik and Brendan Rineer decided to take up the weight loss challenge together and have been married eight years. ‘Figuring out how to fit in exercise was key,’ says Lindsay, who lost 18lbs. ‘I do a workout DVD before work a few mornings each week, and Brendan and I have a standing gym date on Saturday and Sunday mornings. We completely changed our eating habits too. Now we stick to one serving of protein each and load up on veggies, not carbs. We’ll still take the kids to Chuck E. Cheese’s, but we bring our own snacks or eat from the salad bar.’ Brendan, who lost 23lbs, adds, ‘Lindsay and I were able to learn healthier habits from each other. Before the challenge, I’d drink 32 ounces of Dr Pepper or Coke a day. Once I cut out soda, I immediately had more energy to work out. When I started, I said my goal was to develop a six-pack, but that’s just a bonus. My five-year-old daughter likes to count the “bumps” on my stomach.’
3. Jeanell Boomer: 36-year-old Jeanell has been married 10 years. She details, ‘I’m down 14 pounds. I’m not back in my dress because it took me a while to get a handle on my eating habits. For example, I’d tell myself I had to eat things that weren’t good for me because my family expected me to cook and bake certain foods—with no shortage of butter or oil. After I stopped the rationalising, the weight started to come off. And it’s true what they say: Once you lose the first 10 pounds, you really gain momentum. I lost three more the week after this photo was taken.’
4. Heather Wells: It’s nine years since Heather walked down the aisle, but the 42-year-old managed to lose six pounds and get back in that dress. She recalls, ‘When I joined the challenge, I knew I needed to start working out, so I walked and did the Wii Fit at home. But my body didn’t begin to change until I upped the intensity. Once I started taking spin classes and following the workout on Jillian Michaels’s 30 Day Shred DVD, I started to see a difference. I lost four inches off my waist and hips, and two and a half inches off my thighs. I’m fitting into clothes that are three sizes smaller, and I’m still going. I never thought I’d say this, but if I skip a workout, I miss it!’