You have worked so hard to look good on your wedding day. Your dress fits perfectly, you skin is glowing and you simply feel fantastic.

 

But what happens after the wedding? A very scary fact though, is that many brides gain weight after their wedding again…

 

In this post we will be looking at why brides lose and gain weight, plus some great tips for keeping in shape and feeling great!

 

Why most brides gain weight after their wedding – and how to avoid it!

 

Why brides lose weight in the first place

 

To fit into their dress

 

It is not uncommon for a bride to find the perfect dress, and one that will fit her body type and shape perfectly.

 

However, there are many of us that have to lose a few to fit into our ideal wedding dress, or so that the dress can take shape around your body. So, this is the main reason why brides lose weight on purpose

 

They see their wedding day as a new beginning

 

Some brides also feel they have to make the necessary lifestyle changes in order to fit into married life with their new husband. This can include a number of things, from becoming more organized to having healthier eating habits.

 

Because they stress

 

Stress can cause a lot of harm to your body, and that includes losing weight in an unnatural way. You may feel that you don’t have an appetite, because you worry too much about all of the wedding planning stuff.

 

Also Read: 16 Ways to Survive Bridal Burnout + FREE printable compact guide to essential oils!

 

5 Reasons why most brides gain weight after their wedding

 

They feel they have accomplished their goal (fitting into their dress)

It can be so rewarding to see that all of your weight loss efforts have paid off. And the best way to measure this is by finally fitting into your wedding dress. What an awesome feeling!

 

Not only do brides gain weight again after the wedding, but here is one reason why they gain weight again before the wedding! Once they see that the dress fits again, they go and celebrate with cake and champagne!

 

The accepting husband

We have all probably heard the whole “beauty is on the inside” talk, and there is nothing truer than that saying. However, if someone tells you they accept you as you are, especially your husband, you will feel a bit more relaxed about your weight.

 

And this is where a lot of women just let go. They feel it’s okay to do this, because their husband accepts them as they are and that is all that matters. And it is so easy to lose yourself or even neglect yourself when it comes to self care, including weight maintenance.

 

It’s easy to fall back into unhealthy eating habits after dieting

It’s true! After months of forcing down cardboard type food, you finally get the chance to eat whatever you want. And when this happens – when you realize how good a piece of old fashioned chocolate cake tastes – you risk falling into that trap.

 

Suddenly you don’t care about what you eat, because you get to eat anything you like. It’s all back to sugar and carbs, and before you know it, you’ve gained three pounds again…

 

They simply don’t feel the need to maintain their weight

This all comes back to the whole “my husband accepts me” scenario. Many women feel that they have found their husband, why should they make the effort to still look good?

 

Most of us are guilty of this. When last did you put on a nice dress and full faced makeup just for your husband?

 

With weight loss it is the same, and we need to remember that gaining too much weight puts our health at risk. We don’t have to lecture you on the link between obesity and heart attacks…

 

Honeymoon phase

Ah, yes! The Honeymoon phase… That time after the wedding you wish it will all never, ever end. And for many couples it doesn’t.

 

However, there are a lot of couples who fall into a very comfortable trap of life’s pleasures, including eating all the wrong food, all the time. We’re not talking about pizza night or that once in a while Burger King meal you love so much. But doing this every night? Don’t.

 

 

How to avoid gaining weight after your wedding

 

We have struggled through the cold hard facts above and some of us are guilty of these reasons for gaining weight.

 

But now, it’s time to look at how to avoid all this weight gaining…

 

What are you going to do about it?

 

See a dietitian and work out a regular eating plan together

If you can afford it, this is one of the greatest investments you can make. A dietitian will interview you about your daily routine and habits, how active you are, etc. Then they do some tests and take measurements and so on, to see what type of eating plan is a perfect fit for your lifestyle.

 

This is especially useful if you have some health issues relating to food, for example gluten and lactose intolerance, food allergies, etc. They can help you figure out what to eat when there are things you need to avoid – for your health.

 

After the wedding, when you have stopped your diet or your efforts to lose weight for whatever reason, make sure to book an appointment with a dietitian so that they can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

 

Stay active

Many of us are guilty of not putting in the daily exercise needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle. We are not talking about sprinting across the field and running a few miles until you wish you hadn’t started in the first place, no.

 

We’re talking about moving around more often. If you work from home, make the effort to take a walk or get up every hour or so just to move. If yoga or stretching is your thing, do more of that. Or join a fitness class of some sort if you have to.

 

Many women gain weight because they sit down the whole day, at a desk or in front of their laptop or computer. We have to remind ourselves to just be a little bit more active.

 

Have a daily routine

It is easier to work meals into a routine, than just trying to guess “what’s for lunch or dinner?” If you just wing all of your meals as they come along, it’s much easier to eat unhealthy food.

 

When you work out a daily routine, be sure to include times of when you will eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, and snacks in between (and by snacks we mean fruit, nuts and healthy snacks – not crisps and chocolates! 🙂

 

Work out a meal plan for each week, and if you don’t have time to do this, create a monthly one. A great tip is also to take an evening off, and make a few monthly meal plans, which you can change out – for example, create 3 or 6 monthly meal plans, with easy and quick recipes, and change them out. You can also batch cook meals and freeze it.

 

Also make sure you include drinking water in your daily routine, too!

 

Don’t overdo your honeymoon phase

When it comes to your honeymoon phase, and who knows how long it will last, it is so easy to fall into unhealthy habits – take aways, dates at restaurants, spoiling each other with chocolates…

 

We don’t think you should exclude date nights, but definitely make time to eat healthy together.

 

It’s so fun and romantic to cook a healthy meal together. Choose something that’s not too difficult to make, and set the table with some candles. Switch off all technology and just spend time together.

 

Also, go out for a picnic and pack in loads of fruit, some cheese and crackers in a basket and you’re good to go. A nice walk afterwards for some mild exercise is also a great idea.

 

Stay active together

It can be so empowering for a couple to work out together, and a bonus is that it helps to keep the relationship strong. Even if you just have a walk together every afternoon after work, that’s okay!

 

If your budget allows it, you can join the gym together, too and make it part of your daily routine. Join extra classes at the gym which is something he will enjoy too – things like kickboxing, or even yoga if he’s into that.

 

Cut unhealthy stuff from your diet – permanently!

Having healthy eating habits is a lifestyle commitment – not just for “now and then”. You should make an effort to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and he should, too!

 

This means that you should limit your intake of all the bad stuff or cut it from your life permanently. Things like too much sugar, oily foods and carbs. Yes, you do need them for energy, but switch to healthier options such as fruit and whole wheat breakfasts.

 

Also Read: 7 Mistakes to  avoid when you go wedding dress shopping

 

When should you GAIN weight for your wedding?

 

 

Yes, you’ve read that right! Some brides need to gain weight for their wedding, and here are the reasons why…

 

Being an unhealthy bride

Being too skinny is also not good. And don’t think it won’t happen to you – all this stress and dieting can cause more weight loss than is necessary and you can easily overdo it.

 

You don’t want to get married in a dress that is too big for you, or worse, will show off your extremely bony shoulders. There’s also a limit to how much a dress can be taken in before it reaches its limit and doesn’t look as flattering anymore…

 

All advice we can give you here is to watch your weight. Don’t diet if it isn’t necessary, and try to keep up healthy eating habits, too. Don’t skip meals and remember to eat, no matter how bad your appetite is.

 

To fill your dress

Sometimes you need to gain weight to fit into your wedding dress – especially if it is a pre-owned dress and the previous bride was a bigger size than you.

 

A key piece of advice here is that you shouldn’t go for a dress that is a few sizes too big and cannot be downsized too much. Rather shop for a dress that fits, or almost fits.

 

Becoming weak and ill

This goes with being too unhealthy and your body can’t handle more stress and weight loss. This is where your doctor or a good dietitian should come in!

 

If you are weak or ill because of all the wedding stress, you will not survive all the excitement and effort needed on your wedding day. Besides, many brides faint on their wedding day because their bodies couldn’t handle more pressure.

 

Look out for the warning signs if this is you: Headaches, becoming light-headed, extreme fatigue, etc. You should know when your body can’t handle more dieting or your appetite is non existent because of all the stress and pressure. You need food to have a healthy immune system and to fight off disease.

 

Don’t wait until it is too late!