5 Weight Tips for Brides That Actually Work
We all know that our wedding day should be one of the happiest days of our lives. Unfortunately, it quite often turns into one of the most stressful, and unless you are one of the fortunate “few” who are at your tip top shape and weight (I’ve never seemed to fall in that category), then the whole concern about looking your best is probably going to be a major stressor! But whether you have a full year ahead of you or are just a couple months before walking down that aisle, the only way to get there is with a sensible and effective fitness plan.
Most fitness plans fail because we don’t stick with them; been there, done that! But being a bride tends to be a great motivator to get in shape, so this is a perfect time to “make a plan, work the plan”! Let’s get right to the tips for your bridal health to make a part of your schedule starting tomorrow; NO, let’s start today!
Weight Tips for Brides #1 – You’re not going to like this – There is no miracle drug. There are great aerobic and strength training videos, “diet” books, weight management guides, and the Weight Watchers®, Online weight-loss program (an excellent and easy weight loss program!); heck, I even find watching The Biggest Loser very motivational and informational, but there is no pill or tea or special water – I know because I’ve tried them all! Yes, you can take some drastic measures, the South Beach Diet or the Cabbage Diet (can’t imagine), and if all you want to do is lose 5 to 10 pounds quick to look just “right” in your wedding dress, then they will probably work if you can get through it, but the results will not last! When you come back from your Honeymoon you’ll most likely find you’ve gained it all back, and a bit more. So, if you are serious about your overall health and keeping the weight off that you lose then you need to follow Tips #2 through #5.
Weight Tips for Brides #2 – Get Active! Yep, it’s a fact, the more you “move,” the more calories you burn. Help yourself stay motivated to exercise by involving a friend or family member, hiring a professional trainer, enrolling in a class of some sort (doesn’t need to be expensive – the YMCA is very reasonable!). It is obviously easy to blow off working out if no one else knows you were suppose to, you didn’t make an “appointment” to meet up with someone, or you don’t have actual “dollars” invested in the deal. Bottom line here is you know yourself – if you are not good at being disciplined or keeping to a goal all on your own (which many of us struggle with), then do what you have to do and make commitments that make it hard for you to not follow through. P.S. Just about every time you “force” yourself to do what you committed to do, once you are there, you will find that burst of energy that you needed, and once you are done (whew!) you will be happy and proud of yourself and that much closer to a healthier you – that I’m certain of!
Weight Tips for Brides #3 – Strength/Weight Training! Add strength training to your regimen and you will increase your metabolism, which in turn helps the pounds melt right off. If you are new to weight training, you should utilize the assistance of a trainer for the first few weeks to help you understand how to lift weights – there are definite good ways and bad ways. Or, find a DVD that you like and follow their steps. I like to use 3 tapes that I switch around to keep it interesting and I believe it helps my weight loss just that much more by the diversity of these different workouts. I, however, find it hard to commit to more than a 30 minute tape (got so much on my plate to do) so look for short sessions like on Jillian Michaels – 30 Day Shred
Weight Tips for Brides #4 – Pay Attention to What you Eat. It’s not rocket science. What you put in your mouth does make a difference! Diets — I know, I hate the word and I HATE DIETING, which is why I DON’T DIET! What works is a lifestyle change — Get Your Free Personal Assessment from Weight Watchers and find out how easy it is to make a lifestyle change!
By changing just a few things that you know aren’t good habits (and probably don’t want to admit out loud), you’ll be surprised how much you can lose. As an example – if you’re like me and enjoy wine with your dinner every dinner, you don’t have to cut it out, just reduce your portion – for me that was (hate to admit it) 3 glasses down to 1-1/2. It’s made a tremendous difference. Turn your ice cream treat into a Weight Watchers fudge bar, or instead of you and your fiance both getting a combo at the burger joint, get one combo and one sandwich only and then you share one bag of fries instead of eating one all yourself, or better yet go to Subway instead and with your sandwich if you have to have something more get Baked Lays – they’re good, really! Put fresh berries on your cereal instead of sugar, always have apples around or something else healthy that you like and grab that when you’re looking for a snack. You should have the jest by now – it’s easier than you think, which leaves me to …
Weight Tips for Brides #5 – Think! Be aware of what you’re doing. Think about everything you eat and everything you do. Think out loud when you make a choice – ask yourself is this really what I want to do, is this going to help me get the results I want? You have to be cognizant! When you eat that candy bar or just automatically jump in the car instead of choosing to walk without really stopping to think what a difference it would make if you made a “different” choice, you are not being truthful to yourself about what you’re doing, call it “denial.” Don’t be in denial, be aware!
When it comes to Bridal Health the final thing to remember is not to obsess over what you are going to look like in your dress. Your whole wedding day look is going to be a complete package. Nobody is going to notice if you didn’t lose that last 1/2″ from your upper arms, so don’t let it ruin your day. And, remember, your fiancé loves you for who you are, no matter what. Getting in shape for your wedding is a great goal, but an even better goal is both of you maintaining a healthy way of living for life. I know you can do it!!!
By Cheryl Cox, Editor of YourWeddingDollars.com, See “Note from the Editor” for more information on Cheryl and her credentials.
“Create Your Own Wedding — Own Your Style, Not Someone Else’s — and do it all while keeping money in your pocket!”
How to Save Money Tips – 30 Easy Ways, Part II
Yes, indeed, there are many ways you can save money, and this being the 2nd part of our article on How To Save Money Tips in 30 Easy Ways is going to lay out another 10 suggestions to put cash away for your Wedding Day! So, sit back, read and start thinking about what great things you will be able to add to your wedding reception or your honeymoon with the extra money you will gain when putting these “how to save money tips” into action.
So – How Do You Save Money? Part II:
- Consolidate and pay off debt as soon as possible: This is important also as you start your new life together. If you can help it, you don’t want to begin your marriage carrying debt, so focus on consolidating it into a lower interest card or get a low interest equity line of credit to transfer the debt to and then pay it off as soon as possible. Money paid in interest is money thrown away! Why spend your hard-earned cash to make the financial institutions rich?
- Pay your bills on time and avoid late fees: With the Web and banks having everything online now, you can set up most all of your payments so they are automatically deducted from your checking or even charged to your credit card (get mileage or reward points – but be sure to pay it off when the bill comes in). So there really is no excuse for forgetting to pay a bill on time and forking out the late fees, but if by chance you do forget a bill, if you are a first time offender, call the company and request politely to waive the late fees, and more likely than not, they will to it for you.
- Be aware of your bank balance and avoid over draft fees: If you use your checking account often or have some bills that are paid automatically from your checking account, be aware of your balance at all times to avoid overdraft fees. And make sure you reconcile your bank account every month to know exactly where you are at in your account. While we try not to make mistakes or be forgetful, they happen – a check might be written that you were in a hurry and forgot to record in your book or worse … I once wrote a check for what I thought was $350 toward a bill that we owed a few thousand on, but I somehow managed to write it for $3,500 (I was obviously short on oxygen that day) and that messed me and my account up for weeks, and the overdraft and NSF fees that mounted up — UGH!!
- Avoid ATM fees: Be aware of the ATM withdrawal fees. There is no reason to pay these – just be sure you think ahead of time for when you will need cash and get the money from your own bank’s ATMs or just withdrawal the money from the bank.
- Avoid credit cards with annual fees: Credit cards with their cash back bonuses and reward points are a great way to save some money. Just make sure that the card does not charge you any annual fees! There are cards that offer fee-free reward plans, so there really is no reason to pay the annual fees.
- Disconnect land line if possible: Unless you have small kids in the house or older people to take care of, it is more than likely that you could survive with only your cell phones and can get rid of your land line. I have friends who have survived without a land line for a couple years now without any problems. I have to admit I haven’t made this transition yet myself, but that’s because I’ve had my same land line number for 30 years and it seems like part of the family – I have to get over that as I know it would be a big savings for us!
- Instead of buying books, borrow books from the library: Unless you need a reference book that you will look back at often, why buy a new book (in fact, see the next tip on this). Whenever possible, use your local library to get the novel you want or research something that one you have your notes you wouldn’t need to refer back to the book anymore. Library cards are free and they are generally well stocked. In many cities, the chain of public libraries is connected and you can check online for available books. All very convenient and affordable!
- If you have to buy books, check if you can buy it used: Considering you can get used books for sometimes as much as half the price as it would be new, this has got to be a good option for many books. They might not have quite the same feeling as leafing through the crisp pages of a brand new book, but really, it’s like a new versus used car, once you’ve used it, it is now used. My favorite place to buy used books is from Better World Books. Not only do they have great discounts, but they have social, economic and environmental value, collecting and selling books online to fund literacy initiatives worldwide. Check out their website at Better World Book, Used Books, Free Shipping. Another great option is AbeBooks.com
, being the world’s largest online marketplace for books, you are bound to find what you are looking for here, and some books are discounted up to 90%.
- Price check before buying anything expensive: For any items you are looking to purchase that are on the expensive side, ALWAYS do a price check before buying the item. Having the World Wide Web (“www”) at our fingertips today, there is no reason not to search the living daylights out of any expensive item before making a purchase. If buying online, you should also check out the Coupon Dork (I only just found out about this cute money saving “dork” myself a few weeks back). This site has online coupons that you get the code for and “poof,” it’s another easy way to save some money.
- Avoid impulse buying: This is REALLY A GOOD ONE – because we’ve all been guilty of this! Make it a habit to avoid impulse buying. If we had just waited for a day or two on many of the items we thought we wanted to buy just because we saw them, we often determine we are OK without them, and man what a savings that is!! Also, waiting means you will be able to check prices and make an informed decision to buy it at the best possible price. And, if you decide to buy it, you won’t have any buyer’s remorse as you will have done your homework!
The final 10 How to Save Money Tips will be published in the next couple weeks. Check back or subscribe to our website to be notified of when Part III is released.
Incorporate more and more of these tips into your life and the savings will add up, and you will be pleasantly surprised to find out that you can actually save thousands of dollars over the course of a year.
By Cheryl Cox, Editor of YourWeddingDollars.com, See “Note from the Editor” for more information on Cheryl and her credentials.
“Create Your Own Wedding — Own Your Style, Not Someone Else’s — and do it all while keeping money in your pocket!”
5-Minutes to Buying Affordable Wedding Dresses Online
When shopping for your wedding needs, whether it’s wedding dresses, wedding shoes, wedding veils, wedding favors, wedding invitations, etc., it’s hard to beat the Web as there are indeed great prices to be had! But there is an abundance of online stores making the choices overwhelming and that means there are some”fly-by-nights” that we don’t want you to fall prey to, so we hope this 5 minute read (yes, we clocked it) of tips for shopping online will help prepare you for the challenge of finding your ultimate wedding dress for the best price. As is true with many things – no pain, no gain… It’s the same when searching for a deal online; they don’t just fall into your lap. You have to look for it, but we’re certain these tips will help put you in the driver’s seat.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
- There are many wedding dress stores on line. There are a few that we personally recommend over others listed at the bottom of this article. Whatever store you are considering, check out their testimonials, but remember when you do that there are always going to be a few disgruntled shoppers because quite frankly there are people out there that just aren’t happy campers no matter what and bad luck seems to follow them, so when you look through the testimonials, don’t discount a wedding dress store because of a couple bad reviews compared to hundreds of good ones.
- Find out what their return policy is. Custom made items and down and dirty priced items will probably not be returnable, unless it is damaged. So that is something else for you to weigh – for the right price – if it’s not damaged and looks anything like you saw on their website – will you be able to be happy?
- Visit the Better Business Bureau to see if they are in good standing.
- Call the company – this is a big one… Do they answer the phone, is the person that answers the phone knowledgeable?
- You are probably all over the web looking at things for your wedding and with that you will see websites that advertise online wedding dress stores. Notice which ones you see most often because they will be the most reputable ones.
- When it comes to the concern about not being able to try the wedding gowns on ahead of time to make sure the style suits you. That’s what the bridal stores are for. Go try on sleeveless and long sleeve, straight and sleek or big and full, ivory and white, short, long, with trains and without. Then armed with your notes, go online and find the one you want. You can even go to designer stores and look at specific brands like Dessy, Alfred Angelo, Jessica McClintock and Vera Wang and then go to your online wedding dress store of choice (after doing all your homework from above on them) and find either the exact designer dresses or really good copycats by dozens of wonderful designers.
Buying online offers convenience and great pricing, but it also can have some risk. You’re paying upfront without directly seeing or trying on merchandise and you could potentially be opening yourself up to identify theft, but here are some ways to reduce that risk:
SHOP SAFELY
- When looking for your wedding dress online, go with brands and websites you know.
- Shop online stores that have been recommended to you from friends, family, and websites you know and trust.
- Be sure you see https:// at the top of your screen where the Web address is displayed. The “s” after “http” indicates the site is secure.
- You may also want to call the company to ask about its privacy policy or look for their privacy policy on their website.
- Do not send money to a site that doesn’t have a physical address or a phone number for customer service.
- Pay for your wedding dress with a credit card. This is another biggy! If you are unsatisfied, quite often you can get your credit card company to reverse the charges, if your reasons are valid.
- Trust your instincts; if you don’t feel comfortable or if you feel pressured, don’t buy it.
OTHER NOTES TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN PURCHASING A WEDDING DRESS ONLINE:
- Obviously, the fit of your wedding dress is also a concern when buying online, but that shouldn’t be a big worry. If it’s not a perfect fit (although it should be really close so long as you measure yourself accurately and use your website’s size charts), wedding dresses can usually be altered up to 2 sizes in either direction, and even with any added cost to alter the dress, you’re wedding dress is still sure to be priced well below retail!<br>
- Many of the wedding gowns can take some time to get, so ORDER EARLY. Online Designer dresses at prices well below retail are not “off the rack” orders. Be sure you call them to check stock information. Do not just order online; talk to a live person. It’s worth the extra couple of minutes to confirm your choice is available!
You may want to visit our two favorite online dress shops that we have researched and found to be very reputable companies: House of Brides and The Bridal Online Store
By Cheryl Cox, Editor of YourWeddingDollars.com, See “Note from the Editor” for more information on Cheryl and her credentials.
“Create Your Own Wedding — Own Your Style, Not Someone Else’s — and do it all while keeping money in your pocket!”
Wedding Health? Yes, there is such a thing! 6 Simple Tips to Help you Stay Healthy Through the Stress of it All
Wedding Stress – if you are getting married you have most likely already experienced it in one form or another. That pressure we put on ourselves and we experience from others when planning our wedding can lead to poor health and that’s the last thing you want. No one wants to be feeling like the couple in this picture is right now!
With mental stress comes physical problems because when we find ourselves mentally stressed and exhausted, we certainly aren’t going to feel up to doing anything about our physical health. Taking good care of yourself, both mentally and physically, is key to helping you make it to your Wedding Day healthy and happy.
There are many things you can do during the process of planning your wedding to help you maintain good “Wedding Health,” and there is certainly no void for great health and beauty tips on the internet, in books, and from your friends and family, but if all you manage to follow are these five simple steps you should be able to keep your Wedding Health barometer in the red. Oh, and this not gender specific, these tips are as equally important for the Groom or Bride!
Take a Break
Sure, you have a million and one things to get done, but you need to take time to relax. “It’s important to take time for yourself. Read a chapter in your book, get a massage, lay out in the sun, take a nap, go for a slow walk, go to a movie, meet a friend for coffee, get a manicure (yes, men too), visit your Grandparents…. Think of little things you enjoy doing that you can fit into your busy schedule and do them! Taking a break whether it is for a couple hours or just a short 15 minutes will rejuvenate you and help you to not feel like you are going, going, going, all the time!
Pay Attention to Nutrition
People react to stress in many different ways. Some people stop eating, while some binge on junk food. Good nutrition is important, especially during hectic times, so be aware of what you are doing. Do not let your eating habits become bad ones!
This is not new news, it is a known fact that our bodies work better when we “graze” throughout the day as opposed eating large meals 3 times a day. Try to eat several small balanced meals (optimally four) and a couple of small snacks throughout the day. And make sure you are getting plenty of protein and complex carbohydrates to fuel your body! Good sources of protein include lean meats, fish, egg whites, dairy products, beans and rice. Complex carbohydrates include whole-wheat bread, wild rice, whole-wheat pasta, multi-grain cereal and potatoes. You should also aim to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables throughout the day.
Exercise to Look Good, Feel Good
At your wedding, all eyes are on you, so of course you want to look your best. If you want to lose a few pounds or just get in great shape, there are many options for you – from using an exercise tape to going to a gym, to walking briskly, riding your bike or playing a favorite sport. The key to keeping your exercise up which will significantly help you to look good and feel good is to do something that you enjoy, mix it up so you don’t get bored, and be committed. Exercise, when you first start it, is not necessarily immediately rewarding, you must stick to it and then one day (a few weeks into it) you realize that you have more energy, you’re sleeping better, and hey, guess what, you find you are fitting just that much better into your wedding dress!
Ah, and those stress-busting endorphins generated by vigorous physical activity are a great side benefit as your wedding draws near and last-minute details start to pile up. Exercise is a great stress reliever. Whether you go for a run, hit the gym for an aerobics class or take the dog for a walk, physical activity can help you look good and feel good!
Get Plenty of Rest
You’ll be better able to deal with any wedding complications if you aren’t sleep deprived. The amount of sleep you need varies from person to person… sadly I’m one of those that needs no less than 8 and like it even better if I get 9. I say “sadly” because that means there’s less time in my “awake” day to get things done, but I have found that if I don’t stay true to the fact that my body just plain needs this much rest, then it doesn’t matter how much time I have, I just don’t do things quite as well!
Incorporating physical activity into your daily agenda, as mentioned above, also helps to promote a good night’s sleep.
Keep to Your Budget
Very important. Nothing can stress a to be married couple out more than financial matters. Determine your budget early on and feel good about the decision you make together to have a beautiful wedding while keeping to your budget! This “exercise” of sticking to your plan and your budget will also help to create a solid foundation for your financial future.
Above All, Having a Sense of Humor is Vital
Having a good sense of humor and also being able to let things roll off your back and “go with the flow” is vital to your mental and physical health. It is inevitable that you’ll encounter some bumps along the road to your wedding day. The important thing is how you react to them — they can ruin your day (or your week), or you can take them in stride and move on. A sense of humor may be your most important tool as you plan your wedding.
Ok, you say, well, these tips are nothing new. No new tricks; you’ve heard all this before, right? I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that since this advice is given over and over again that it must be good advice! Don’t feel like you have to have some big new difficult steps to pursue, following the “basics” for good health and nutrition are all you really need! Now, go take on the day and happy wedding planning to you!
By Cheryl Cox, Editor of YourWeddingDollars.com, See “Note from the Editor” for more information on Cheryl and her credentials.