The majority of brides want to get in shape and lose weight before their wedding day.  According to a Fitness magazine survey, 1 in 3 brides purposely buy a dress that doesn’t fit them - buying a dress too small (and hoping that they’ll fit into it by their wedding day) or buying a dress too big for them.

When shopping for a wedding dress, you can tell the salesperson that you are thinking of/planning to lose "X" amount of weight by your wedding, but don’t order your dress to fit that size.  Order a dress that matches your current measurements.  No matter what size you order, you will have to have alterations and it’s much easier to take a dress in if you lose weight, than let it out.

Here are some expert fitness tips from the editors of Fitness magazine to help you get in shape for the big day:

1. Consider your back-side. You may be worried about your abs, but guess what all those guests you invited are going to be looking at? That’s right, your back. To get it looking super-sexy by the big day, try these three easy moves.
   
   
2. Arm yourself. No matter what dress you choose, chances are you’re going to be showing off your guns. Focus on toning your biceps, triceps and shoulders with this workout.
   

3. Boost your calorie burn! The only way to shed those few extra pounds is to up your cardio. If you find yourself coming up with a hundred excuses at the end of the day as to why you should be working on wedding stuff and not working out, plan on getting your cardio fill in the a.m. Set your alarm 1-hour before you usually get up five days a week, and to keep things interesting (aka - not boring) mix it up—take a kickboxing class one morning and go for a run the next. Here are a few other ways to get creative with your cardio and blast major calories.
   
   
4. Take care of yourself. It’s easy to get wrapped up in all the planning and forget about what you really need for an amazing wedding— feel-good energy! Take a yoga or Pilates class once a week. Not only will it help take your mind off of everything else, but it will also help tone your arms, core and legs. Plus, less stress means a tighter tummy! The stress hormone cortisol often causes unnecessary bloating in the middle, and who needs that on their big day?!
   
   
5. Save time! If the clock is ticking and you’re still worried about fitting into your dress— incorporate total body exercises into your routine that target everything from head-to-toe. Try doing biceps curls with lunges, shoulder presses with squats and triceps dips on a BOSU ball (for added instability- to help work your core). For cardio, do intervals that get your heart rate up, blast major calories and help tone at the same time. Try this routine for fast results in just 4 weeks.

So I couldn’t sleep last night.  And we still haven’t gotten our couch so I couldn’t lay down, watch TV and just zone out.  I just thought and thought and thought some more.  What did I think about?  Everything!  When the couch would arrive, how we were going to pull off 2 Seders in our apartment this weekend, how I was going to explain the new home office furniture I just ordered.  (Dave:  I promise it was on sale.)

You know how things just roll around in your head.  Well, I got to thinking.  When I was planning my wedding, I would be up for hours just thinking of all the things I had to do and coming up with ideas for the wedding.  I think that’s when Dave suggested I leave a notepad and pen on my nightstand so I could write ideas that came to me in the night.

But I didn’t need a notepad.  I needed to get rid of all the stress.

A few days ago I got an email on how to de-stress using a few simple yoga techniques, and I thought I’d share them with you:   

• Shoulder Shrugs

Sit on a cushion and shrug shoulders up as you inhale through your nose, and let shoulders relax as you exhale through your mouth, letting out a big sigh. Repeat 5-10 times. We hold a lot of tension in our shoulders, neck and upper back. This will help relax those muscles.

• Cat/Dog

On hands and knees in table position, extend spine by letting belly, ribs and chest move toward the ground while lifting head and tailbone as you inhale. Then draw navel in, rounding the back and tucking head and tail under as you exhale. Repeat five times. This will help move tension out of your back and neck.

• Child’s Pose

From table position, open knees wide, and sit back toward heels, resting forehead on the floor, stretching arms on the floor in front of you. Take 5-10 deep, three-part breaths into your belly, ribs, chest, and back, continuing to draw navel in at the end of your exhales. Forward bends help us retreat, take a break, and restore our energy.

These yoga technique tips are from Noel Schroeder, creator of Kandalaya Yoga and an instructor at The Sports Club/LA in Boston.

Hope this helps you unwind.  As soon as I get a few photos from an event I went to on Tuesday, I'll give you another great idea on how you can let go of your planning stress and get in shape for the big day.

I received an email this morning about a post on a Pre-Wedding Health Guide on the blog, Live Smarter.  The post has 25 really helpful tips on what you should know about being healthy for your wedding day.

From the well-known - eat well, take vitamins, drink water - to the more interesting - have sex (unless you're waiting for your wedding night), eat some chocolate, practice good posture - I think this easy to follow healthy living guide is not only great to help you get through wedding-related stress, but to follow for life as well.

Here are the first 5 tips:

1. Eat well

An impending wedding is sure to mean lots of celebratory eating and food on the go. Don’t let nutrition fly out the window during this important time. Make healthy choices, like opting to drink water instead of soda, and exercising portion control.

2. Take a walk

This low-impact exercise is great for many reasons. It not only helps you clear your mind and relieve stress, but also burns more calories than you’d think. An average bride can expect to burn around 70 calories per mile, an amount that will at least work off a few cake-tasting bites.

3. Practice good posture

For good health in your wedding and beyond, stand up straight. This will not only make you look more attractive and for your walk down the aisle, it will also help prevent injury and promote better back health.

4. Eat some chocolate

By now, you’ve certainly heard about the health benefits of chocolate. Dark chocolate is good for blood pressure, zapping of free radicals, and a host of other benefits. But don’t forget that chocolate also stimulates production of feel-good serotonin, a hormone that can help with stress and ease your moods.

5. Get a head massage

Getting your scalp massaged is a relaxing way to take a break from wedding planning. It also stimulate hair follicles, so by doing this regularly, you’ll help yourself to a more beautiful head of hair.

Click here for the rest of the 25 wedding wellness tips. 

Thanks for the email Amy!

I cannot find the cord that links my computer to my camera since I got back from LA so I couldn’t post this sooner, and it is one of my most favorite pictures ever taken.

I think I mentioned the main reason for our LA trip was my cousin’s bat mitzvah. My dad came out west too, and was wandering the streets of Beverly Hills – dressed as a tourist – and ran into a major celebrity. This gentleman was so gracious he agreed to take a photo with my dad so we would believe him when he told us of this major, and I mean major, celebrity sighting.

Now unless you’ve already scrolled down to find out which major celebrity he saw/met, it was…drum roll please……RICHARD SIMMONS in his complete tank top and short shorts outfit!

There is a wedding related post that I’m getting too, but first, isn’t it a great shot?!

Many brides plan on losing weight and/or getting in shape for their wedding. But you can’t just say I’m going to do it and insist on ordering a wedding dress two sizes too small – remember they can’t take a dress out as easily, or at all, as they can take it in.

Make a plan for yourself. Do you want to lose a certain amount of weight? Is your dress strapless, so you want tone your arms? Or backless so you want to tone your back? You may want to splurge on meeting with a trainer to learn which moves are right for you and make sure you’re doing them correctly.

A great book to help you get in shape for your wedding is Sue Fleming’s Buff Brides. The book is filled with illustrated exercises and fitness tips to help you get in shape for the big day. You can get an idea of what Buff Brides has to offer by listening to the WPN's Wedding Workout Podcast #2 where Sue offers fitness advice and tips. There are 6 podcasts, so far, in the Wedding Workout series.

You may also want to talk to your local gym to find out if they have any wedding/bride-to-be packages. Many gyms do offer programs for women, as well as men. Don’t forget that your groom may want to get in shape too.