Here Comes The Bride
by: Tracie Johanson
In case you hadn't noticed, it's now officially spring! Kids are enjoying Spring Break from school, the birds are starting to sing, flowers are pushing up through the earth, and everything is wonderful.....unless you're one of the thousands of women planning a spring wedding!
Spring / early summer is the most popular time for weddings. But no matter when you're planning your wedding, the stress can be overwhelming! The average cost of a wedding in The United States is over $22,000. About $7,630 of that is spent on the wedding reception (source: American Wedding Study, 2002). From increasing costs to angry relatives to the never-ending guest list, a wedding brings stress and frustration for the bride.
Unfortunately, we often resort to binge eating and 'comfort foods' during times of stress, which of course puts on the pounds and creates even more stress! "I bought WHAT size wedding dress?!?!?"
Approximately 7 out of every 10 brides crash diet or starve prior to their wedding date (source: www.fresnoweddings.net). CRASH DIETS AND STARVATION DIETS ARE THE WORST THING WE CAN DO! "If you crash-diet, you run the risk of comprising your health ... so that your hair, skin, nails don't look good for your big day or in the wedding pictures. If you want to lose weight before your wedding, look for a balanced eating plan" (source: Suzanne Henson, coordinator of the University of Alabama-Birmingham's EatRight Weight Management Program).
So what's a blushing bride to do if she has only six weeks until her wedding, and the stress is building up faster than the potluck table at church? There is hope.....
First of all, START EXERCISING NOW. It's crunch time, and while the old 30-minutes per day, 3 times per week may work for the general public it's probably not enough for the bride. Shoot for 30-minutes per day, six days per week. Be sure to include both cardio and resistance training so you'll get some muscle tone while you're burning fat.
Second, banish all high-fat junk food from the house. Be strong! You can do this! No Twinkies, no bacon, no chocolate cream pie. Eat plenty of lean protein (skinless chicken breast, fish, etc.) and absolutely PIG OUT on fresh vegetables! Drink plenty of water, and in all cases avoid the empty calories found in soda, alcohol and that sweet kids juice.
Finally, be wary of the weight-loss 'tricks' that you'll hear from your girlfriends. There is no magic pill that will make you a size 6 by the wedding, so don't experiment. Don't starve yourself because that will make you grumpy, make you retain fat, eliminate muscle tone, and set you up for failure. Don't listen to the gossip about the newest 'cabbage diet' or 'grapefruit diet' or 'Hollywood diet'. Instead, stick with a balanced diet and exercise.....this is the ONLY proven way to lose fat and look your best.
Two more bits of advice for the bride: Eat breakfast the morning of your wedding day - 8 out of every 10 brides don't eat breakfast (source: www.fresnoweddings.net) which will only make you miserable and weak during the reception! Most importantly, remember that he knew exactly what you looked like when he proposed to you, and he still proposed! He loves you the way you are, and all these fears about size and weight and unfounded anyway!
Relax, enjoy yourself, and make the lifestyle changes that will bring results. Have a great wedding!
About The Author
Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, 30-Minute Workout For Women. Pick Up The Pace is a 30-minute exercise studio for women, focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. For more information please visit www.letspickupthepace.com or email us at info@letspickupthepace.com. * Copyright 2005 Pick Up The Pace. Permission is not required for the distribution of Pick Up The Pace articles as long as they are used in their entirety, are properly credited to Pick Up The Pace, and are accompanied by our website link: www.letspickupthepace.com. * The information in this article and on this site is for general reference purposes only and not intended to address specific medical conditions. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Prior to participating in any exercise program or activity, you should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional. No information in this article or on www.letspickupthepace.com should be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition.
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Spring Cleaning - Time to Tackle Your Closet
Spring Cleaning - Time to Tackle Your Closet
by: Susanne Myers
Spring is on it?s way and even though it may already be tempting to spend the day outside, take a few hours to clean out your closet. You?ll be glad you did when it is finally time to dig out those t-shirts and shorts.
Before you start:
Try to have all your clothes washed and in your closet before you start, so you have a good idea of what you actually own at this point. Wear some comfortable cloths and turn on some up beat music. Grab a couple of rags and some all-purpose cleaner to wipe off shelves and rods in your closet. Grab a couple of large trash bags and a few empty laundry baskets.
Start out by sorting everything into three piles.
- Things you will throw away or use as rags.
- Things you will give away.
- Things to keep.
Make these piles outside of your closet. With the closet empty, take some time to wipe all the...
Spring Cleaning - Time to Tackle Your Closet
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Memory Foam Mattress vs. Coil Spring Mattress; How Do They Differ?
Memory Foam Mattress vs. Coil Spring Mattress; How Do They Differ?
by: Charles "Chuck" Harmon
Have you ever wondered how anyone got the idea to start sleeping on springs in the first place?
I mean, think about it for a minute, what would it feel like to lay down on the bare springs?
And why is it, that laying on springs with some kind of material over them, is considered any better?
The creation of a coil spring mattress was first documented, by patent, in 1865, and there have only been a couple of minor changes, to that original design, in the following 140 years.
During that same period, we went from plowing fields with oxen, to men living in space.
Don't you think it's conceivable that we could find new ideas and materials to improve the mattresses we spend 1/3 of our life on?
The differences, between a regular coil spring mattress and a memory foam mattress, will be presented, to help you understand the difference....
Memory Foam Mattress vs. Coil Spring Mattress; How Do They Differ?
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Purseonality
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Most people do not notice what a purse says about one?s personality. If you start to analyze the different aspects of the purse, you would find that it tells much about that person. So you can check one?s personality by looking at their purseonality. Some examples to illustrate my point are what you would find inside the purse as well as the purse itself. You might look inside for different hints to one?s organization or items...
Purseonality
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