Today’s mindfulness exercise is one of my favorite strategies for reaching and maintaining your ideal weight, even after the motivation of the wedding is over.

My client and bride-to-be, Lucy, came to me with the goal of losing 8-10 pounds before her wedding, which was 6 months away. To help her reach her goal I created a training program that she found fun and interesting, and together we sculpted her dream wedding body! I was really proud of the commitment Lucy made to her workout routine and healthy eating patterns and couldn’t wait to continue her progress once she returned from the honeymoon.

However, during one of our recent training sessions Lucy casually mentioned that she had regained 5 pounds since the wedding. This didn’t worry me too much, time off from training and indulgent honeymoon eating, paired with some post-wedding blues, often do lead to small fluctuations in weight. We would get Lucy back on her healthy path and feeling tip-top in no time. But then she said this:

“Obviously I don’t expect to stay at my wedding weight…”

Pardon? What? Why not? If you achieved a healthy, happy weight for your wedding, as Lucy and I did working together, you can absolutely expect to maintain that weight long after the official “I Do”. In fact, finding a healthy, happy forever weight should be the main goal that you are working towards, the wedding is just its debut. Unfortunately, this isn’t how women – brides in particular – have been encouraged to think.

Why do we view our wedding self as someone different and unattainable from our forever self? [Tweet this]

It doesn’t have to be this way. Living permanently at your ideal weight is a very realistic goal, and a wonderful mindset that enables you to stop fad-dieting once and for all. When you commit to health, wellness and self-nourishment you will actually find it quite easy to maintain your wedding physique, as well as create more love, energy and cheer to bring into your marriage. Why? Because when we are happy inside, this reflects on the outside and shines into all those things around us.

In order to succeed in creating and maintaining the body of your dreams, you need to visualize the radiant, healthy and happy life that you desire as a newlywed, and beyond.

The Secret To Wedding Weight Loss

In today’s exercise I encourage you to reflect upon your health and fitness goals. Consider how you will feel on your wedding day after reaching these goals, and then broaden your vision to include the long lasting benefits of creating a healthy, happy you!

Take out your journal and list three fitness and/or nutrition goals that will help you achieve your ideal bridal body. Next, consider the long–term benefit of reaching those goals and write that reason down.

For example:

Wedding Goal

I want my upper body to look lean and strong in my strapless dress. I will do this by completing sculpting exercises such as Pilates and Yoga.

Long-Term Benefit

Physically: strengthening my upper body will be vital for my future when I am renovating my home, when I am traveling with heavy suitcases, or when I have children and need the strength to support my body through pregnancy and in becoming a mother.

Emotionally: a strong core and strong shoulders will hold me up as I face the challenges that I know will come my way during my first year of marriage. Continuing my practice of Pilates and Yoga will be vital for achieving these longterm goals.

Now it’s your turn. When we can support each other there is no limit to what we can achieve. Share your inspiration for embarking upon this journey in the comments below.