a look of pure love as I danced with my
new husband. With that in mind, we
asked our favorite health-focused
influencers—all newlyweds or brides-
to-be—to offer inspiring advice on how
to ditch the diet and soak up the love.
First, don’t cave to the pressure.
Bianca Karina (@biancakarina_),
whose tagline is “a lifestyle not limited
by size,” admits she started out feeling
forced to do “the wedding weight-loss
thing.” She says, “At almost every dress fitting someone would say, ‘Well, we want
to give you enough time to lose weight.’ ” But Karina refused to be intimidated. “I
spent a lot of time as an adult unlearning the hate that society has for fat bodies,”
she says, “so I didn’t make any specific health goals around my wedding.” Kathryn
Budig (@kathrynbudig), author of Aim True: Love Your Body, Eat Without Fear,
Nourish Your Spirit, Discover True Balance!, asks brides to examine their desire
to lose weight. Her emphasis? “Be you! That’s why your partner wants to marry
you, so don’t kill yourself to look ‘better’ for one day of your life.”
Nourish your mental well-being, along with your physical health.
Smoothie queen Ksenia Avdulova (@breakfastcriminals) spent all of her teenage
years dieting and wanting to lose weight, and it took daily practice to make peace
with her body just as it was. “Getting married is a great reason to reinforce my
self-acceptance so that I can focus on more important things,” says Avdulova, “like
being present for myself and my family on one of the most special days of my life.”
Her advice: Meditate daily, even for five minutes a day, beginning now. “Head-
space and Insight Timer are fantastic apps to get you started.” As for bridal inspo,
she did a Pinterest board using images of brides with a body type similar to hers
to avoid incentivizing dieting.
Eat to feel good rather than to look good. This means different things to
different people. Lisa Hayim (@thewellnecessities) has a strict policy of not let-
ting health goals fluctuate for events. “Wellness is about living a balanced lifestyle
without restriction and obsession,” she says. As a registered dietitian with a mind-
ful eating approach, she prioritizes her health by nourishing her body with a
predominantly plant-based menu and movement that soothes aches and stretches
muscles. Food blogger Erica Key (@eatingwitherica) eats for a living but orders
healthier options. “Instead of the filet mignon, I opt for a Chilean sea bass or
salmon and add more greens to my diet,” says Key. She warns women not to look
at the scale every day. Have an “accountability partner instead,” she suggests, who
helps you achieve a balance of nutritional choices.
Obsessive restrictions only harm you in the long run. That’s why Hayim
advises her clients not to get caught up in their food intake. “I’ve worked with
brides and then new wives, and that can be how the binge cycle begins,” she says.
Sarah Grace Spann (@freshfitnhealthy), a nutritionist who suffered with an eat-
ing disorder in high school, says the only way to a sustainable healthy lifestyle is
to swear off fad diets. “Remember, if you deprive yourself of something for so
long, you’ll likely binge on it later,” says Spann. “Everyone swears by Whole 30,
but what happens on day 31? You wind up overindulging in everything.”
Joy is sexy. Don’t let fears about your appearance in wedding photos weigh on
you, says Karina. Instead, she advises, “Just be present.” It’s easier than you think,
says Younger. “You’re marrying the love of your life, so it’s hard not to be incred-
ibly happy!” At the end of all the planning, Budig spent the week before her
wedding “straight-up celebrating. We ate and drank at our favorite restaurants
with our family and friends, and I wouldn’t have done it any other way.”
“I spent a lot of time as
an adult unlearning
the hate that society
has for fat bodies,”
says Bianca Karina
(@biancakarina_).
Resorts bySandalsBeaches Turks & Caicos*Visit http://www.beaches.com/disclaimers/bridesaugsept2019testdrive or call 1-800-BEACHES for important terms and conditions.@beachesresortsweddingsWeddingMoon̈
TEST
DRIVE
YOUR
BEACHES.COM/TESTDRIVE
1-877-BEACHES or call your
Travel AdvisorBeaches® makes it easy for you to
test drive your dream destination
wedding and experience our 5-Star
Luxury Included® Resorts first-hand.
Be our guest for two nights at an
exclusive rate starting at $250 per
night double occupancy,* plus if you
book your WeddingMoon® group of
5 rooms or more, under a group code
or contract and you’ll receive up
to $600 in credits,* complimentary
group inclusions,* and more! Certain
restrictions apply.