Slim Tip #1 – EAT
Your body doesn’t care if you’re going to a wedding or not; you must eat before the wedding!

I’ve heard too many times, “I’m not going to eat anything today because I know I’m going to eat a lot tonight at a wedding and I want to save my calories.” HUGE MISTAKE! Your body frankly doesn’t care if you’re going to a wedding or not . . . it needs fuel! If you starve your body of the nutrition it needs to keep your metabolism roaring your metabolism comes to a screeching halt. So during the cocktail hour when you’re mindlessly picking at those passed hors devours . . . you’re going to end up making-up for the calories that you didn’t eat earlier in the day . . . and then some.

Your body doesn’t tell itself, “tonight I’m going to a wedding and I’ll probably be eating and drinking a lot of calories, so I’m going to automatically turn up my metabolism and start burning more.”

Here’s the really bad news. What happens when you don’t eat for several hours is that instead of your body efficiently burning the platter of cheese and pigs-in-a-blankets, your body will hold on to every single calorie you consume because it thinks you’re not going to feed it for the next several hours (since you didn’t feed for the last several hours). It’s your body’s way of going into survival mode. Even if you stick to the crudités section and eat just carrots and celery . . . your body will still hold on to those “healthy” calories . . . and you can take a guess how your body stores that. You got it, as FAT.

The key is to eat small meals throughout the day leading up to the big shindig (tip: this is what you should be doing everyday anyway!).

Here’s what the wedding day should look like:

8:00 am Breakfast: jumpstart your metabolism for the day with a solid breakfast with a mix of protein and good carbohydrates like an egg-white omelet with veggies and fruit.
Skipping breakfast = killed metabolism = weight gain

9:00 am – Intense 30-40-minute Total Body Workout (this includes resistance training with short cardio intervals)

10:30 am Snack: handful of almonds and a piece of fruit

12:30 pm Lunch: salad with protein

Get dolled-up for the wedding

Cocktail hour: Get yourself a small appetizer plate of appetizers (including your passed hors d’oeuvres). Fill half your plate with veggies and fruit and the other half with those wedding goodies that you don’t get to eat everyday . . . then eat. After you’ve enjoyed that one plate, stop the grazing and avoid those handsome waiters with their trays of temptation.

Dinner: If it’s a seated dinner, regardless of the entrée you order, you need to primarily be cautious of the portion size. Most of the unwanted calories come from the oils, butters, and sauces. A good rule of thumb is to eat all your veggies, a palm-sized portion of meat/protein, and no more than half of the starch (usually it’s a rice or potato served). And easily nix the bread.

Dessert: You don’t have to insult the bride and not try the cake! Most places don’t serve huge slices of cake, which is helpful. Where it gets dangerous is the dessert buffets. Pick one or two small bites of those specialties that you know you don’t find all the time. So skip the brownie or the chocolate chip cookie if there is something else you can have a taste of that you can’t get anytime you want.

Slim Tip #2 – TALK
Use your gift of gab to keep away the flab
This is where your mouth might actually keep you out of trouble! Especially during the cocktail hour. I discovered how useful this is at a wedding I was at a few weeks ago. I got my appetizer plate and glass of wine, started chatting with another couple and before I had a chance to be tempted with a second go-round of food, they were shooing us into the ballroom. I realized that by shooting the breeze with some really interesting people, I didn’t end up eating as much as I may have otherwise. Plus, you never know who you’ll connect with, maybe a potential business connection or new friends.

Slim Tip #3 – DRINK
And it’s not what you think
Who’s kidding who . . . part of what makes weddings extra merry is the drink. But you definitely don’t want to be “that girl” at your next wedding. Aside from the liquid calorie-binges courtesy of alcoholic drinks of any variety and the effects of excess alcohol on your behavior, the long-term effects of binge drinking will wreak havoc on more than just your metabolism.

Drink at least one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage. Get in the habit of ordering water with your drink or if you’re at your table, take a drink of water for every drink of alcohol. This is key to keeping you from drinking (and eating) too much and you’ll feel a lot better the next day.

Slim Tip #4 – DANCE
Trade in your workout shoes for a pair of dancing shoes!
No matter how nutty you might look on the dance floor, you can get a killer total body workout while you’re at it. Not to mention, every minute burning calories on the dance floor keeps you away from the bar and the buffet packing in those added cals.

Slim Tip #5 – REWARD YOURSELF
Don’t punish yourself the day after for what you did or didn’t do.
Exercise should never be used as punishment. If you blew it at the wedding and ate or drank more than you planned, don’t jump on the treadmill thinking you’re going to “burn off” all those calories. Exercise should NEVER be used to punish yourself for the choices you make. Likewise, exercise should never be used as an excuse. Just because you workout, doesn’t mean that you get to eat whatever you want all the time. Here’s your new mantra: abs are made in the kitchen . . . not in the gym.

Special occasions like weddings and birthdays are meant to be enjoyed. These are the times to “let loose” a little, genuinely enjoy yourself, and celebrate with friends and family. Don’t let obsessions with your weight ruin special occasions for you (because you may also end up ruining it for others too) and it will keep you from seeing real, long-term results.

When it comes to losing weight or achieving your fitness goals, the wedding isn’t your biggest enemy . . . it’s the lifestyle you’re living the other 364 days of the year.

Lindsay Vastola, CFT is corporate manager-turned-fitness professional specializing in designing fitness programs for the success-driven career woman. Updated frequently, you can find information on Lindsay’s latest transformation programs, online workouts, and nutrition tips on her blog at http://www.BeABoardroomBabe.com. She is also the founder of Body Project Fitness located in Central New Jersey. Her goal is to help the ambitious career woman get to the top and look damn good while she’s at it!

Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Great news for vegetarians! And quinoa is especially high in the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. The grain is also a great source of manganese, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorous. Quinoa may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis.

Quinoa’s survival through the millennia may be attributed to the resinous, bitter coating that protects its seeds from birds and insects, called saponin. Most quinoa sold in this country has already been cleansed of its saponin, but quinoa should be rinsed thoroughly before cooking to remove any powdery residue. Place the grain in a fine strainer and hold it under cold running water until the water runs clear; drain well. To increase the digestibility of quinoa, soak for several hours before cooking.

Click here for Suzanne’s favorite Quinoa recipe: http://www.reallifefood.com/mediterraneanquinoa.html

Real Life Food Quick Tip
Little known fact: the longer you chew whole grains, the sweeter they become. It’s nature’s little reward for taking time to chew!

Suzanne Monroe is Food Coach and owner of Real Life Food. Suzanne helps busy people figure out what to eat and how to have more energy through her nutrition coaching programs. For more information on Suzanne’s programs, workshops, and recipes, or for a free food coaching session, visit www.reallifefood.com.

Have you ever thought about why this happens? Think of your mind like a magnet. Whatever thoughts come into your mind circulate around and around and cause you to feel and act a certain way. When you focus on not eating something, you place a lot of attention on what you are not supposed to be doing. Whether it’s a positive or a negative thought, either way you are focused on it. Your thought “I will not eat cookies” rings in your brain as “cookies, cookies, cookies”. So how can you possibly stop eating cookies when all you are thinking about is not eating cookies?

There is a better way to eating healthy and it’s not about depriving yourself or denying yourself of your favorite foods. When you deprive yourself, you wind up feeling dissatisfied which can lead to more cravings, overeating, and feelings of guilt. Let’s throw guilt out the window! It’s not fun and you don’t need it in your life.

Instead of focusing on what you can’t eat, flip it around and focus on what you can eat. There are many methods I use for helping people to eliminate their cravings, and this method is called “Crowding Out”. By adding in all of the delicious, nourishing food that you can have – the food that you enjoy and that is healthy for you – suddenly the food that makes you sick seems to disappear. Your body will recognize this change and say “THANK YOU!” Keep adding in nutrient-dense foods, and watch your cravings for processed, sugary foods diminish. And you won’t even have to arm wrestle with yourself in the kitchen!

Try this exercise: List all of your favorite foods that are full of nutrients. (a.k.a. “healthy and tasty”). Next, decide on different meals to add these foods in during the week. Then make a commitment to focus on these nutrient-dense foods for one month. Make sure you are adding them in each day. Post your goal on your refrigerator. If you are have a craving for something “unhealthy”, examine your list and decide if something on the list will do instead. If not, sit down and enjoy your treat without guilt.

Here are a few examples of Nutrient-Dense Foods that will leave you feeling satisfied:

Beans – Garbanzo, Pinto, Kidney, Lima, Cannellini and many more. Beans are loaded with fiber and will add a sensation of feeling full.

Vegetables – The more green vegetables you eat, the more you will want to keep them in your daily diet. They are loaded with minerals and nutrients.

Berries – Loaded with antioxidants, berries of all kinds have cancer-preventing power. They are also a great fruit choice for weight-management.

Wild Alaskan Salmon – Full of Omega 3 Fatty Acids, a serving of salmon will leave you feeling satisfied.

Nuts – Walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, and other nuts are a healthy source of fat. They make a great snack or just top them on your salad.

Suzanne Monroe, HHC is a Food Coach and owner of Intelligent Health Group, LLC. Suzanne helps busy people figure out what to eat through her nutrition coaching programs. For more information on Suzanne’s programs, workshops, and recipes, or if you would like to sign up for a free newsletter, visit www.intelligenthealthgroup.com.