This Trainer's Tips to Make Your Bouquet a Little Tighter

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Meet fun loving girl-on-the-go Jenn Hogg is the Group Fitness Manager at Equinox. From brides wanting to whip themselves into shape overnight to fit into their dress to a more long term tighten-up to keep it spicy way on through the 10th anniversary.

1. Be realistic with your goal and set an appropriate deadline. To be healthy, you should not be looking to lose more than 1-2 pounds a week. If you have a specific weight loss goal, do the simple math and give yourself enough time to be picture perfect AND healthy on your wedding day.

2. Know what types of workouts you need. You definitely want to work a combination of cardio and weight training but if you have more than 15lbs that you want to lose, you’re going to really need to kick the cardio into high gear. Don’t have a lot of time? Raise the intensity of the cardio for a shorter periods of time and still hit the weights at least twice a week.

3. Log your workouts as well as your consumption. Writing down your workouts will hold you accountable and will show you if your upping the ante weekly – which you should as you get stronger and more conditioned. In addition, with the food journal, include what your drinking as this is a pitfall of many people trying to lose weight. A lot of those beverages have unwanted calories. Avoid empty calories and up the water instead.

4. Broaden your horizons. Try new classes that you’ve never done before. Wake up your neuromuscular system and break through training plateaus. In addition, don’t view the workouts as simply a means to looking great on your wedding day. The best day of your life also includes the stress from planning, family, etc. Let your workouts be your escape from it all while helping you reach your wedding day fitness goals.

5. If you’re cutting calories, don’t cut the protein. Need to the fuel those muscles and protect them as the intensity of the workouts increase. Focus more on cutting calories that are not serving your body well from an energy standpoint such as those from sugary beverages & processed foods. Try to eat whole foods as much as possible and keep yourself hydrated. Always keep healthy snacks – such as raw almonds with dried cranberries or blueberries – on hand in case your hunger gets the better of you during a long day.
· Equinox Chicago [Official Site]
· All Weddings Week Coverage [Racked]