Fitness & Health Section

Shape Up in a Year or Less

Got a year to the big day? Here's your guide to trimming the fat.

So your wedding day is just around the corner and you still haven't started the diet you've been talking about since the day he slipped the ring on your finger. Or maybe you're planning ahead...12 months to go and you already joined your local gym. No matter what your predicament, the following steps will help you slide effortlessly into your gown.

A Year And Counting

According to Kathy Drake, 12 months is an ideal weight loss and toning time frame. The body has plenty of time to adjust to a workout and diet plan. A bride-to-be can start off with 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise and, each week, add an additional five minutes until the goal time is reached. The same is true for weights-start with a light weight and a high number of repetitions and gradually build up to the heavier weights.

It sounds easy to shape up in such a long amount of time, yet there's always a catch. Drake says, "After a month, your routine is not going to be as challenging and weight loss is going to slow down, which is good because it means your body is getting in shape. To keep the changes coming, it is recommended to take one [aspect of your routine] and change it." This idea is known as the FITT Principle (frequency, intensity, type and time): work out one more time per week; add an extra 15 minutes to your routine; incorporate 30-second sprints for increased intensity; or maybe try inline skating on nice days, instead of your usual step class.

As for dieting, a year is a long time to deprive yourself of the foods you love. The important thing isn't to ignore cravings, but to give in to them in moderation. Drake is a big fan of the food pyramid, which encourages women to eat a variety of foods, including some fat and sugar. If you're trying to lose weight, keep these amounts limited and try to get them from healthy sources that provide other nutrients. A good rule of thumb is to stay away from processed foods and eat what you can find in nature.

Six Months Left

Six months gives you plenty of time to get in shape. As a matter of fact, most people can see results in only two months. Drake says that those interested in shedding pounds and inches should combine cardiovascular exercise with strength training and a well-balanced, low-fat diet. She cites the London College of Sports Medicine (LCSM) as recommending four-plus days of exercise per week to help lose weight. Obviously the less time you have until the wedding, the more exercise, within reason, you should do. Aim for 20-60 minutes of cardio per session with your heart rate reaching from 55-85 percent of your maximum heart rate.

Although more exercise is usually seen as better when it comes to losing weight, there are a few times this is not true. For example, you should never strength train two days in a row, because the muscle fibers will not have enough time to repair themselves between workouts. There's no need for a rest day between cardio workouts, but you should definitely take at least one day off per week from all exercise so your body can completely recover.

Once you hit your goal weight, work at maintaining your new body and even making slight improvements. Many women worry that by weight training they'll become bulky or manly. However, muscle-mass actually takes up less space than fat, leaving your body more streamlined and statuesque. And the more toned your body, the more efficiently you will burn calories, even at rest, because muscle helps to raise your metabolism.

If you have trouble finding time to exercise as you near the big day, LCSM states that exercising three to four days a week with two days of strength training should keep you at a steady state. Any influx in the scale will probably be due to muscle gain and fat loss. Continue to eat healthy and you'll make it to the altar as a new, thinner you.

Almost There

With under two months to go, there isn't much that can be done to lose weight and still be healthy. It's recommended that you lose no more than one to two pounds of fat per week, so at this point only those looking to lose a little extra baggage are in luck. Your first instinct will probably be to starve yourself, or to try one of the many fad diets that deprive your body of the necessary nutrients to function. However, Drake recommends that you "listen to your body. People who are not taking in enough calories lose some mental clarity and get tired easily." If you're run down, you will not be able to handle all the last-minute wedding details that will surely be headed your way.