Guest Blogger: Health Coach Justine Sloan of Crunches Then Cocktails

So you’re engaged!!  You’ve found your person, you said “YES!” and now you’re planning your wedding day.  Maybe you’ve been dreaming of this since you were a little girl.  It should all feel fantastic, magical, and like pure bliss… right?

Not always.

Getting married is actually one of the most stressful transitions we experience as humans.

The planning starts, and can feel daunting at times, or even like a second job that you didn’t sign up for.

The pressure to throw the perfect wedding sets in.

All eyes on you means there is pressure to look your best… pictures are forever, right?!

Family drama can come up.  Or the drama of trying to trim a guest list at the expense of other people’s feelings.  Not to mention trying to stick to a budget within a $70 billion industry.  Welp.

Stress levels go though the roof during this time in our lives.  And when our stress levels rise our bodies release cortisol- a fat storing hormone.  Exactly what we need when we’re trying to look our best in a wedding gown, right?!  Thanks a LOT, hormones!!

If your goal is fat loss, toning up, or even just maintaining your current weight, stress (and this pesky cortisol hormone) can make it really difficult.

Add into the equation lots of events that may not be your best days of eating.  Engagement parties, bachelorette parties, showers, celebrations, etc.  The champagne is flowing, and with your hectic schedule, workouts and healthy eating habits might be taking a backseat.

So what’s a bride-to-be to DO??

Don’t worry, sister.  I’ve been there (I tied the knot on 03-11-18!) and I’ve got you.

Here are my tips to look and feel your best come wedding day… and every day!

1. Figure how YOU de-stress. Managing your stress is just as important as your nutrition and workouts during this time, but stress relief looks different for everyone.  For some gals yoga is the perfect fix, but for others, yoga might just be one more thing on that never ending “To-Do” list.  Notice which activities have you feeling truly relaxed, recharged and like your happiest self.  Whether it’s a walk in nature, a candlelit bubble bath, or curling up with your fiancé (or fur baby!) to watch a funny movie, it should be something good for your SOUL.
2. Resist the urge to crash diet! Our bodies crave homeostasis- so crash dieting, or any drastic approach will actually stress your body out (oh hello, MORE cortisol!), making it harder to achieve the results you’re after.
3. Fill up on the good stuff! When it comes to eating I teach my clients to focus on healthy, high vibe foods they LOVE first,versus anything they “shouldn’t” eat.  My philosophy is that all foods fit- it’s just about finding balance!  Following an 80-20 approach (or 90-10 if you have a big fat loss goal) is a great general principle.  *To dive deeper into a balanced way of eating for LIFE, check out my Battle To Balance Course.*
4. Focus on Behavior Goals vs. Outcome Goals. An example of an outcome goal: “I want to lose 10 lbs.”  Examples of behavior goals: “I want to double my water intake,” or “I want to exercise 4 times every week.”  Behavior goals are empowering because we have 100% control of our behaviors and actions.  We can’t always control how our body responds, or how much we weigh, so while it’s okay to set an outcome goal, I find clients have a much higher success rate when they focus on actions first.
5. Trust me.  To quote Mean Girls, “You let it out, honey.  Write it in the book.”  Journaling is one of the most healing activities you can do.  One of my favorite journaling exercises is called a “Brain Dump.”  Whenever you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or any strong emotion, take some time to put it all on paper.  Getting it out of your head and onto the page provides such relief, and also allows us to step back so we can look at the situation more logically, and process WHY we are having that emotion.  For more ideas on how to journal, check out this blog post I did. Check out this blog post I did.

At the end of the day, remember the bigger picture here.  Getting married isn’t about the centerpieces, the seating chart, the dress you wear, or any of that stuff.  It’s about two souls committing to taking on this thing called life as a team… and that’s so freaking beautiful.  Don’t sweat the small stuff to the point where it takes away from the magic of what this is really about.  Take a deep breath and ENJOY it.  Because trust me, it passes by WAY too quickly!

Cheers to you, and to your happily ever after!

Justine Sloan is a Health Coach & Nutrition Specialist, blogger and self-love advocate. You can read more of her blogs at CrunchesThenCocktails.com

Follow Justine on:
Instagram: @CrunchesThenCocktails
Facebook: facebook.com/JustineKMoore
Join her private Facebook group here!