David and Joelle's
Suggestions and Observations:
I remember a few years ago listening to a well known movie
star talking about how they had lost so much weight for
a movie role they were preparing for. As we all know, there
are more "Hollywood Diets" and "Infomercial
Diets" than can be counted. That's why I was surprised
to hear this person simply say: "I ate less and ran
more." That was it!
Of course, this strategy probably wouldn't work for everyone,
but the concept is pretty sound. If you burn more calories
than you consume, you are likely to lose weight. However,
I realize that there are some people out there that may
have a condition that might not make weight loss this easy,
or perhaps it may be just a slow metabolism that you have
inherited from someone down the family line.
Joelle and I aren't experts on health and weight loss by
any means. We do, however, read about and research "health
related" topics frequently, as we are both very interested
in staying fit, slim, and feeling mentally sharp into our
latter years. Joelle is 40 + years old, and I am nearing
40. We are both trim, and it isn't a stretch to say that
we are slim and in great shape. We both have improved our
strength over the years, and we both are very centered mentally
and spiritually. I am not writing this to "toot our
horns" but rather to convey that we have made many
lifestyle choices along the way to be healthy.
We both believe that if these lifestyle choices and changes
were adopted by a bride or groom to be, they would see the
results in the short-term (before the wedding) and would
also enjoy the benefits well into the married years. Joelle
and I both discourage "diets" in the traditional
sense, and quick fixes are designed to fail. Fitness and
health should be a way of life.
That said, I'd like to share with you some of the things
that have made a difference in our lives - things that any
bride or groom could adopt into their daily routine fairly
easily, and start realizing the benefits very quickly!
 1)
Yoga, Especially "Hot
Yoga" or "Bikram Yoga" - I discovered
"Hot Yoga" well before I got married, or even
had a thought of my future bride or family. My sister turned
me on to it, and I have been hooked ever since. I have been
a runner most of my life, so my joints were a mess and very
stiff (pre-yoga). I went to my first "Hot Yoga"
class, and after it was over, I felt as if my whole body
had just gotten a lube job. My knees felt sore, but great!
Hot Yoga is a series of 26 poses that take place over the
course of 1.5 hours in a heated room. The idea is that a
heated room makes your body more pliable, and the heat also
encourages detoxification. Let me tell you, future brides,
you will sweat your butt off in this class! Be prepared
to be soaking wet once you are finished, and after you do
this class, you will sleep like a baby that night!
After several weeks of doing this yoga, my skin started
to feel much more clear, and my sweat wasn't nearly as "stinky."
My breath smelled better, and I had a ton more energy. I
also started feeling much more relaxed, and my posture improved.
I have now been doing this "Hot Yoga" for about
5 years now about twice a week. It is the single most important
contributor to my overall health. My mind is sharper, my
legs, arms and back are stronger and toned, and I deal with
life's challenges with greater ease and peace of mind. Joelle
started about 2 years ago, and she was also hooked on her
first day! Yoga was an essential part of both of our pre-wedding
routine before we got married in 2002.
Imagine seeing the benefits described above before your
wedding? You'll look more rested, your "glow"
will be more intense, and you will look proud with your
perfect posture! Most big cities offer "Hot" or
"Bikram" yoga studios, and many smaller towns
are starting to see studios popping up.
If you aren't able to attend a class in town, there are
many great videos and books out there about a great many
different yoga styles!
2) Running or Walking - You CAN fit into that tuxedo
or wedding dress! I will swear by running to anyone
who wants to lose weight. Joelle and I were at a Mexican
Food place not too long ago, and she looked over at me and
commented on how trim I was - even more so than usual. I
am now a stay at home dad, so I get to take my son out in
the jogging stroller quite often. I would say that I run
anywhere from 3-5 miles a day, 4 times a week. It only takes
me about 30-45 minutes to get a good run in, and when I
am running regularly, I feel my metabolism go up sharply.
After my wife made that comment, I looked down and noticed
that I had not only finished my triple combination platter,
but I had polished off most of what she didn't finish, as
well as the better part of a bowl of chips. Ok, I am not
proud of this, but my point is that runners are often accused
of being able to "keep their figure" and "eat
like a horse" at the same time. I have found this to
be completely true. I'm not encouraging gluttony, but you
will notice your metabolism kick in!
You probably won't see any results of a regular running
routine for a few weeks, but if you stick with it, you will
start to notice that your clothes fit a little looser, and
that your energy level is going up!
When running isn't an option, Joelle and I try to figure
out ways to get a lot of walking in during the day. Not
taking the elevator, or walking the half-mile to the store
instead of driving all adds up. We also like to take "family
walks" with our 2 year old. I have seen studies that
suggest that walking a mile burns as many calories as you
would if you had run the same distance. You can also do
the "run walk" when you are just starting - run
as you can, and if you get tired, run a stretch.
If you are one that likes to keep track of mileage, there
is a wonderful tool to help you! The Gmaps
Pedometer is a great way to see what you have accomplished
in your running or walking. I'll bet if you can get up to
several miles a day several times a week, you'll start dropping
sizes and you will be able to slip that tuxedo or wedding
dress on with ease! Stick with it!
3) The Wedding Day Diet - There are so
many different opinions out there as to what you should
or shouldn't eat on your wedding day. We believe that if
you don't "over indulge" the night before or at
the rehearsal dinner, and that if you have light, healthy
meals on your wedding day, you'll feel great.
Consider having some fruit and some healthy cereal, or
perhaps a protein shake for breakfast. Protein does help
level out your blood-sugar during the day, making you less
likely to "bonk" or get ravenously hungry. Keep
coffee and caffeine to moderate levels, since caffeine will
make you jittery, and it is also a diuretic, making you
dehydrated. Lots of water will also keep you feeling energetic
and fresh. For lunch, maybe a salad with some nuts (protein)
and a light dressing. The fiber you get from lots of fruits
and vegetables will "keep things moving" if you
know what I mean - very important on your wedding day! Keep
cheese, dairy, and breads to a minimum (many breads can
make you sleepy an hour or so after you eat them).
4) Getting Your Mind Right! I have a card
that my dad gave me many years ago that lists the top characteristics
or habits of successful people. One of these habits is to
"Quiet The Mind" every day. Many people have tried
meditation but have been discouraged quickly because it
is time-consuming and the benefits may take some time to
realize. Also, there are many different ways to meditate,
so how do you know if you are doing the right one, or if
you are doing it correctly?
My friend Erin is a very holisic person (she's a Chiropractor
) and I would say she is a "female buddha" in
many ways. She and Joelle and I often share "zen-like"
things we have discovered in our lives. Recently, Erin turned
us on to Holosync
Mind Development and Meditation Tool. From their website,
they say "The idea of using precise sounds to alter
a listener's state of mind came from a 1973 article in Scientific
American by researcher Dr. Gerald Oster of Mt. Sinai Medical
Center in New York. In this article, "Auditory Beats
in the Brain," Oster describes a characteristic of
the brain wherein electrical brain wave patterns resonate
to certain precise frequencies when presented with audio
tones of certain frequencies."
I was a little leery of this at first, but Erin let me
borrow her Ipod and I gave it a whirl. The sound is basically
of a rainstorm, which is very, very relaxing - however,
you can barely sense some very low pitched sounds happening
throughout the audio. By the end of the audio session, I
am as relaxed and as centered as ever. My creativity has
been enhanced, and my ability to deal with stressful situations
has been greatly improved. Nothing seems like an emergency
any more, but ironically, I am seeming to get a heck of
a lot more done during my day.
Imagine being this centered during the planning of your
wedding, and then, of course, on your wedding day? I am
not trying to pitch this product, as I receive no financial
gain by telling you about it - I just truly believe in these
tapes and encourage you to give them a try. I'll bet that
you'll still be using them long after your wedding day has
passed.
5) Keeping your sense of humor - Joelle
and I watch funny movies and shows frequently to keep our
sense of humor in good shape. It's very important to us,
especially in today's stressful world. We have also decided
to stop watching the news, not to become uninformed, but
because it just puts us in a bad mood. We recommend to any
bride or groom to be to consider taking a "news break."
If you need to keep up with what's going on in the world,
you can usually get the important news you need by going
to Yahoo or MSN, or CNN.com.
You may also want to read a funny book. Learn
how to make the lady in your life laugh!
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