Ugh. Normally, I’d like to say I’m a fitness kind of girl. I really would. I think I’ve definitely told people I like running (I don’t). I’ve tried yoga a couple of times (fell asleep, but it was a really restful nap!). Rock climbing lasted about a weekend (my hands really hurt). Walking I have a handle on. It doesn’t require too much or too little effort. I’m into fitness like this dog is into this pizza:
But now I’m getting married, so there’s this dress I need to make sure I still fit into in six months, and I gotta be honest – I LOVE PIZZA. And sushi. And burgers. And tacos. Basically food. I love food. My name is Samantha, I love food and it loves me back. Well, it kind of loves me back, but not in the way I’d like it to. I want it to love me in the ‘I give you energy and sustenance and you are happy and at a healthy body weight’, not in the ‘you sat on your ass eating Cheetos the last four weekends, no wonder you gained two pounds, get it together’ kind of way.
I’m not going to beat myself up for eating – everything in moderation – so don’t think I’m going to sit here and encourage you to eat celery for the month before your wedding to make up for the Cheeseburger Deluxe you had last year. No way. But I’ll be honest about some things:
If you don’t want to pay for major alterations, don’t gain weight
That’s wedding budget tip number one. Don’t try to lose an entire person’s worth of weight in the months before your wedding, but also try to be careful you don’t gain any because you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed. Stay healthy. Stay active. Don’t be obsessed.
Eat well. Get sleep. Drink water.
Do I even have to tell you this? I’m not a doctor, but this is honestly what will keep you alive longer than any supplement you can take.
If you want to feel good in your wedding dress, stay active
I may have just said that, but it needed to be reiterated. Don’t let the stress of planning a wedding on a budget take a toll on your physical and emotional health. Because if you’re not careful it will.
Find something that motivates you to stay active
Yeah, you noticed I’ve said ‘stay active’ about a thousand times so far, right? Because I seriously mean it. You have a lot going on. I’m planning a wedding on a super-low budget, I’m still working a full time job, I’ve got family that needs me for certain things, and I have a fiance who wants to spend time with me because, you know, we’re getting married! But I have to make time for me or I run out of fuel for taking care of everything else.
My motivation right now is kickboxing. I tried a few studios – it’s Manhattan, there’s literally a fitness center of some type every other block – and although I have to trek a few avenues over (like 6, but it’s a good warm up), I’ve found that Beat Box Fitness is totally worth it. I think this is more motivating for me because there’s an actual DJ in the room – it feels like a workout in a club. You may not know me, but I LOVED to go clubbing (I nearly tore my ACL in college jumping off of a speaker after dancing on it for an hour. Not my finest moment). High energy dance music just gives me this crazy high like no other. These guys mix a great DJ, amazing music and a killer workout for the BEST result!
Have you ever found an activity that makes you smile when you’re on the way to do it and leaves you drenched in sweat and still smiling afterward? Okay, other than sex? Cool, because this is MY JAM. No one is going to kick at YOU, but YOU are going to kick SERIOUS ASS.
Bring an extra towel if you’re taking the train back to the burbs. You are going to be dripping.
Leave a Reply