How to Go Down a Dress Size Womens
Here at Cosmo HQ, we don't believe in crash diets, bonkers bootcamps or ridic plastic surgery (Kim Kardashian's toe-job anyone?) But of course every bride wants to look her damn-near best on her wedding day and that usually involves a bit of a health kick. I wanted to feel fit, strong and healthy – the best version of myself – and if a few pounds came off too, that was a bonus.
I couldn't afford a personal trainer and I hate the gym so I invented my own exercise rules based around free stuff and workout DVDs. I don't believe in fads (although I did try a juice cleanse just for *fun* - read about it here) and I still wanted to drink wine. And you know what? I've actually busted my original targets, dropped TWO dress sizes and feel fitter than when I was a teenager.
Here's what I did:
1. SET A TIME LIMIT
Denying yourself chocolate FOREVER is just silly. I set myself some basic rules (like chocolate and wine only on the weekend) and started my health kick in January – with a keen eye on the fact that I only had to maintain Jessica-Ennis-like discipline until my wedding in June. 'Just 5 months' became my mantra.
2. WORK OUT TO DVDS
Gym? Not my thing – the expense, the smell, the feeling that I ALWAYS have to be there. But I love jumping around to exercise DVDs at home. The trick is to buy a selection and rotate them so you don't get bored. I love all the Davina DVDs and my absolute favourite is Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. These will work you HARD. I aimed for 3 times a week.
3. WALK EVERYWHERE. TAKE THE STAIRS
Sometimes it's the little things that have a great cumulative effect. I signed up to the principle of HIIT training, which is that short, intense bursts of exercise are just as health-giving and fat-busting as long workout sessions (read more about it here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2538858/Can-exercising-just-60-seconds-week-transform-health-The-BBCs-Dr-Michael-Mosley-says-fast-exercise-powerful-experts-thought.html). I made sure I walked everywhere as much as possible, swapping my morning tube commute for a 20 minute power walk. I enforced a lift ban too – taking the stairs – fast! – instead.
4. DO SOMETHING YOU LOVE
I LOVE walking, cycling and yoga. Basically anything that feels fun and not like 'exercise' at all. I tried to plan lots of this fun stuff as possible, putting it in my diary like an appointment. I also got into Reformer Pilates (at my fab local studio thefitnessfunction.com) – which is basically like doing tough moves while you're lying down on a bench. Oddly relaxing and graceful, definitely my kind of workout. Another discovery was Psycle (psyclelondon.com), a nutty spinning workout performed to a rave soundtrack and disco lights. Fun fun fun! Find something that presses your buttons and, surprise surprise, you'll do it more.
5. FAST
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably read all about the 5:2 phenomenon. It's a regime of intermittent fasting which involves eating very restricted calories – just 500 a day for women – for 2 days a week. The other 5 days of the week you can eat completely normally. This is a whole new approach to healthy eating, backed by scientists, which provides all kinds of health benefits, not just weight loss. Given that I consider myself a naturally greedy person, this kind of 'diet' appealed to me! I could endure two days a week of a rumbling tummy if I knew that a hot breakfast awaited me the following morning. In truth, I found my 'fast' days really hard but I worked out my own ways to get through it: I skipped breakfast, had most of my calories at lunch, some boiled eggs for dinner and a very early night. With no other adjustments to my diet (well, I did try and have less pasta than normal) I lost pounds steadily and safely. And in 4 months I had lost a stone and reached my perfect fighting weight. Yay!
6. KEEP IT REAL
Your wedding day is about marrying the man you adore, not about getting into a size 8 dress. Any diet and exercise plan should never be a source of stress or your overriding obsession. You still want to look like YOU, the girl your man fell in love with. I hope my story shows you that you can get fit and lean over a few months without turning into a crazy person. So relax – happiness is the best beauty trick of all!
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Source: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/body/fitness-workouts/a27296/6-rules-for-dropping-a-dress-size-healthy-way/
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