Pre-Wedding Workout - Advice?

Question

So our wedding is in a bit under 2 years. Right now I'm about 5'4", 196 lbs, size 14-16 dress (depends on the style).

Anyways, I've got two years, what can I do to get more in shape. I'll be wearing a strapless gown.

I need to get my middle and upper thighs in shape. My arms are large, but muscle, is there anything I can do to tone and reduce the size. Same with my calfs, large but muscle. Any certain exercises or things I should be doing?

I'm already eating healthily and own an elliptical, I use it about 2 hours a week, working up to 3 hopefully soon.

Or are there certain foods that boost metabolism, or helped you stay trim? I'm open to any kind of advice you've got! Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

buy some weights for your body at wal-mart and go walking and wear a  trash bag shirt

Answer 2

try ballet. it lengthens the muscles and makes the body slim and strong

Answer 3

Have you ever tried Weight Watchers?  It really works.  If you cannot make the meetings, you can even do it online.  It's extremely educational and teaches you HOW to lose and keep it off for good.  Very easy plan to follow because it doesn't cut out the good stuff.  Check it out.  Best wishes!

Work out-wise, Curves is a great place to start...strength training...circut training.  I also mix in some cardio.

Answer 4

Eating healthy is important. So is cardio cardio cardio. Elliptical is great. Running is AWESOME because it works everything (legs, butt, arms, core). I say work your cardio up to 3 hours a week, definitely. During the 8 months you're in school, I would definitely find time to do some jogging or swimming or something. Jogging or elliptical would be the easiest because it takes less time (just hopping on the eliptical or stepping out your door to run takes less preparation time than driving to the pool).

A lot of people think they can lose weight just by eating healthier, and they can. However, if you add exercise to that, you will 1. lose weight faster 2. lose more weight 3. tone muscle 4. be healthier

You are totally on the right track with wanting to add exercise to your plan. You go girl! You sound very determined. Just remember (and you might know this already) that even though your wedding is what is motivating you to lose the weight, that overall you are going to be so much healthier and happier. Do it for you, not the wedding.

Answer 5

Eat healthy foods, don't eat out as much as possible (most of the stuff at fast food places shouldn't even be considered "food" it is so unhealthy!), and walk a lot. Get a pedometer, do the 10,000 steps a day program (start out slowly). Lift Weights! You will not bulk up and muscle burns more calories. I weigh 137 pounds and am a size 6. I'm only 5'5" (and a half).

Try Tosca Reno's Eating Clean Diet book. It's not really a "diet," though. It's the way most healthy people eat.

Stop buying and reading magazines that feature women that are too skinny. They make you feel bad (no matter what size you are), and those women are unhealthy anyway.

Watch less tv. Most Americans watch between 2 and 5 hours of tv a day! There's no excuse to say you don't have "time" to exercise if you are sitting on the couch watching tv. If you go to the gym, you can watch your favorite show there. I used to only watch "Law and Order" on the treadmill or stair climber at the gym. I loved that show - so I was always at the gym when it was on. That's what it took to motivate me to get to the gym when I first started.

For me, squats and lunges don't really get my legs in great shape. They work a little, but what works most is putting a 5 pound ankle weight on each leg and doing leg lifts.

Swimming is awesome for your entire body. When I weighed  200 pounds (about 10 years ago), I started swimming at the gym. I lost 75 pounds in about 10 months, and had awesome abs. When I started, I could barely swim back and forth one lap. You just work up to it slowly.

Yoga and Pilates are also great. Find something that you like, though. If you don't like it, you won't stick to it over the long run. If you like sports, join a local team. If you like biking, hiking, rock climbing, or just walking, do those things. Don't go for a "fad" exercise or something you're "supposed" to do if you don't like it. I love GeoCaching (which makes me walk and hike), and rock wall climbing. I also love Zip Lining and Rapelling, but that's hard to find places to do it. Hopefully, we'll get a kayak or canoe soon though - that's fun.

Also, make sure you go to your doctor first and get a check-up. What's fun is to get all your blood work done - cholesterol, blood pressure, etc., then when you get it done next year look at how far you've come!

Don't go crazy and injure yourself. Also, water aerobics classes are great - and they are fun! Although often it is realy old women in them, haha. Do crunches off the side of the pool, too (hook your feet up over the edge, your back in the water, with your butt as close to the wall as possible. Crunch up towards your knees. The extra resistence from the water makes it tough!)

Get up early and exercise first thing in the morning - that way you are done with it. Before long, you will start to feel great (maybe even before the scale moves at all) and you will wonder how you ever got along without going for a walk or lifting weights when you first got up!

Also, watch what you eat when you start exercising. Do not reward yourself after you workout with some fatty coffee or smoothie drink. That will just cancel out everything you just did! Try a banana with peanut butter and a little milk (even chocolate milk!) after a workout. Or a sandwhich and some milk. Working out can make you hungry, so watch how much you eat.

And make sure you are not drinking TONS of calories a day. If you can quit drinking sodas, that is best (even Diet sodas are bad for you). Lots of water (and not Vitamin water or Gatorade-type drinks - they are loaded with sugar and not good for you. You don't need them!)

Good luck! You can do it!

And congrats on your wedding!

Answer 6

Pilaties!  Its slimming and toning and doesnt build large muscle mass

skip sugars and cut down on carbs

drink lots of water

and new diet- nothing with a  drive thru!