Fitness Tips for Brides
You just got engaged and now the fun of planning a wedding begins. Finding the perfect venue, a cake, music, flowers, oh and of course the dress are all part of the big day. You want to look your best and part of looking your best is good nutrition and working out.
Below are some common questions and answers to help you effectively and efficiently prepare:
How far in advance should the newly engaged bride to be begin her fitness program?
To start to see physical changes and muscle definition it takes 8-10 weeks for the body to respond to a consistent strength training program. This is where a personal trainer is key. Having a personal trainer allows you to be accountable and not skip workouts. Especially as it get closer to the wedding date, life on becomes more stressful and more busy. Also, a personal trainer has the the background to design a workout program that meets your fitness goal needs so you are not wasting your time doing the wrong exercises.
How do I go about finding a personal trainer?
Unfortunately, just about anyone c an call themselves a personal trainer. Most states do not have a state wide licensure program to regulate the quality of personal training out there. Therefore, you’ll want to do your research before trusting your body to just anyone. For example, Columbus Fitness Consultants of Columbus, Ohio ( www.columbusfitness.com ) has a highly experienced staff who all have a degree in Exercise Science. There are certification programs out there to certify individuals to become trainers however the average consumer does not have the knowledge to distinguish a valuable accredited certification versus an over the weekend online course. So be inquisitive and ask in detail what your potential personal trainer’s qualifications are before trusting your body over to them.
How many times a week and for how long each time should I be working out?
For strength training a minimum of two times per week is recommended. For cardio training such as, running, elliptical, biking, swimming or aerobics classes a minimum of three times a week of 30 minutes at time is recommended.
My wedding dress is strapless and I want defined shoulders and arm but I don’t want to bulk. How can I avoid this?
Because of a woman’s natural hormone levels of progesterone versus estrogen versus testosterone it is extremely unlikely to bulk from strength training the upper body. Not to say that women cannot achieve this however it takes a very disciplined diet and hours upon hours of heavy lifting. For general toning and gains in strength it is recommended to do a variety of upper body exercises and keep the reps high in the range of 20-25.
Alcohol and Dieting, Choose Wisely
The number of calories in mixed drinks depends on several things, including the amount and proof of the alcohol; the mixers; and the size of the drink.
It’s the mixers, syrups, and sodas that really get people into calorie trouble, because most drinks start with 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits that only have around 96 calories, but mixologists can easily turn that into a drink with hundreds of calories,” says Carolyn O’Neil, MS, RD, co-author of The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous.
Whether you’re drinking a beer or a cosmo, the higher the alcohol content, the higher the calories, says O’Neil. For example:
The higher the alcohol content, the higher the calories
- 80-proof vodka (40% alcohol; the most common type) has 64 calories per 1oz
- 86-proof vodka (43% alcohol) has 70 calories/1 oz
- 90-proof vodka (45% alcohol) has 73 calories/1 oz
- 100-proof vodka (50% alcohol) has 82 calories/1 oz
When it comes to portion size, the average serving size of wine and alcoholic beverages is probably smaller than you think. Beer, on the other hand, is more standardized in bottles and beer glasses, except if you are in a European beer garden.
Tips for Savings Calories with Alcoholic Beverages
- 1. Alternate alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks to save calories.
- Choose wine, light beer, or simple cocktails made with low-calorie mixers. Just as you might order your salad with dressing on the side, don’t be shy about asking for your cocktail your way.
- Diet soda or diet tonic: 0 calories
- Orange juice (6 oz): 84 calories
- Cranberry juice cocktail (8 oz): 136 calories
- Light orange juice (8 oz): 50 calories
- Light cranberry juice (8 oz): 40 calories
- Light lemonade (8 oz): 5 calories
- Coffee, tea: 0 calories
- Baja Bob’s sugar-free margarita or sweet ‘n’ sour mix: 0 calories
- Lemon or lime juice (1/2 oz): 10 calories
- DaVinci or Torani’s sugar-free syrups: 0
- Skip the mixer altogether. Try ordering your favorite spirit or one of the new flavored liquors on the rocks. “Infused vodkas are very popular because they are not sweetened but infused with flavors, from jalapeno to peach, without adding any extra calories,” says O’Neil.
- Dilute your drink. Another option is diluting your drink with club soda or sparkling water. Wine spritzers are a low-calorie standby. And if you usually drink vodka and cranberry, for example, try it with club soda, just a splash of cranberry juice, and a squeeze of lime. Garnish with a wedge of citrus or pineapple to add flavor and few calories.
- Have a game plan. Before heading out to the cocktail party or happy hour, make sure you have a game plan. Decide in advance the number of cocktails you are going to drink and cut back on calories during the day in anticipation. But eat a light snack before you go so you won’t get tipsy with the first drink and it will be less tempted to dive into the food. Always be aware of your own personal limits. Don’t drink too much, and, of course, don’t drink and drive.
How Many Calories Are in Your Favorite Cocktails?
- Mojito (8 oz): 214 calories
- Cosmopolitan (4 oz): 200 calories
- Chocolate martini: (2 oz each vodka, chocolate liqueur, cream, 1/2 oz creme de cacao, chocolate syrup): 438
- Margarita (8 oz): 280
- Green apple martini (1 oz each vodka, sour apple, apple juice): 148
- Martini (2.5 oz): 160
- Bloody Mary (5 oz): 118
- Red wine (5 oz):120
- White wine (5 oz): 120
- Beer (12 oz): 150-198
- Light beer (12 oz): 95-136
- Ultra-light beer (12 oz): 64-95
- Champagne (5oz): 106-120
- Coffee liqueur (3 ounces): 348
- Godiva chocolate liqueur (3 oz): 310
- Wine spritzer (5 oz): 100
- Eggnog with rum (8 ounces): 370
- Hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps (8 oz): 380
- Spiced cider with rum ( 8 oz):150
- Vodka and tonic (8 oz): 200
- Screwdriver (8 oz): 190
- Mimosa (4 oz): 75
- Gin and tonic (7 oz): 200
- Long Island iced tea (8 oz): 780
- White Russian (2 oz vodka, 1.5 oz coffee liqueur, 1.5 oz cream): 425
- Mai Tai (6 oz) (1.5 oz rum, 1/2 oz cream de along, 1/2 oz triple sec, sour mix, pineapple juice): 350
- Rum and Coke (8 oz): 185
- Rum and Diet Coke (8 oz): 100
Exercise Improves Quality of Life
What if just 10 minutes of exercise a day could better your mood, give you more energy, improved confidence, increase motivation, and even increase agility? Well, studies have found exactly that to be true!
With such a stressful economic climate today, we are valuing our quality of life much more. It is important to only stay healthy but feel as good as possible in order to be able to face life’s daily tasks and curve balls.
10 minutes per day can improve your quality of life
Findings from the Archives of Internal Medicine outline the results of study where 430 sedentary postmenopausal women which were divided into 4 groups: non-exercisers, moderate exercise for one hour a week, moderate exercise for two hours a week, and moderate exercise for 3 hours a week. Questionnaires were completed at the end of the trail which found that these women found improvements in all aspects of quality of life (mental health, energy, social functioning, and emotional health). There was a direct correlation that the more the women exercised the greater the improvements.
Even more interestingly, the study found it is possible to be overweight or obese but live 3 years longer than a normal-weight individual who does not partake in daily moderate exercise.
So much activity should you do? The government’s latest physical activity guidelines suggest:
- 2 ½ hours moderate-intensity physical activity (brisk walking) or 1 ¼ hours a week of a vigorous-intensity activity (jogging or swimming)
- Better yet would be 5 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity or 2 ½ hours of vigorous activity
- Two or more days a week is recommend for adults of resistance training which should cover all major muscle groups including chest, back, shoulders, thighs, hips, and abdomen.
- Older adults should follow the same guidelines if able to. If not they should do as much physical activity as their bodies’ will allow. Balance training should be integrated to help prevent falls.
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