HOW GOT IN SHAPE FOR WEDDING

Every bride-to-be is different when it comes to getting in shape for her wedding. Some make little to no change in their lifestyle, but others start a bridal boot camp the day after the engagement ring hits their finger. To see the range of health and fitness tips that the newly betrothed employ, I didn't have to look very far — in the last year, there have been at least 10 weddings and engagements amongst Sugar staffers! If you're in the midst of planning your own wedding, keep reading to see what helpful tips these new brides and brides-to-be offered up:

One small change is OK. Many of our brides-to-be say they aren't doing too much in terms of diet and exercise — wedding planning is stressful enough! Instead, they incorporated realistic and simple changes into their lives: Tara has been going to the gym more, and Karli cut sweets from her diet.
Make it about you and the groom. "I wanted to incorporate a fitness regimen that would not only get me into shape but involve my hubby-to-be as well so that it's something we are doing together! We are both training for our first marathon and have been committed to an intense training program three times a week. This gives my fiance and me a chance to enjoy the outdoors when the weather is nice and do something physically fit together." — Stacia


Look like yourself. "Best advice I got and would give about . . . is to look like yourself. An unrealistically skinny version of yourself will look weird in pictures and take away from the day." — Alexis


Keep reading to see how our other brides and brides-to-be got fit!


Make lifestyle changes that last beyond the wedding. "I wasn't necessarily trying to lose weight for my wedding, but both me and my now-husband wanted to look our best. I guess about 3-4 months before the wedding I got really serious about my gym-going, trying to do at least some form of working out every day, with lots of focus on interval training, upper body strength training, and core work . . . I also cut back on my alcohol intake and my sugar intake, though I wasn't sticking to a specific diet regimen. Just trying to eat healthy and well . . . I have actually done a pretty good job sticking with the exercise and eating habits I established for my wedding (with the exception of a holiday binge!). It just felt good to be fit and healthy, so I'm probably healthier now than I was before." — Nancy


Reap the financial benefits of eating healthy. "I'm definitely focusing on making dinner at home and bringing lunches to work more instead of eating out, that way I can really control exactly what I'm eating (and save money that could be better spent on clothes for the honeymoon!)." — Lauren


Let the wedding inspire you to new fitness challenges. "I have been considering things I normally wouldn’t, like training for the half marathon in October. I am thinking the wedding could be the motivation I need." — Deirdre


Don't be afraid to make a fitness splurge. "I plan on taking Bar Method classes for the last two months before the wedding. I’ve done that before and loved the results so I figure it's worth the splurge to be totally confident on my wedding day. I love the arm and back muscle definition that I get from Bar Method, which is especially important since I'm wearing a strapless dress!" — Lauren

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