Does the added stress of wedding planning make it harder or easier to lose weight?
“The added stress of planning does indeed make it harder to lose weight,” says Conde. “When most of us are stressed, we turn to food for comfort.” The trick, according to the experts, is to make one’s fitness goals a priority. “Treat your ‘get in shape’ program like a part-time job that you have to budget time and energy for every day. The pay off will be better than the money another job could provide,” says Flipse. How important is the role of exercise? Is limiting food caloric intake enough? “There is no way to lose weight and get into wedding dress shape without exercise. Don’t even consider it,” says Flipse. “You do have the time for toning, stretching and/or more vigorous workouts if you just move it to the top of your priority list.” Conde recommends dedicating at least an hour (three to four times per week) to workouts. She emphasizes that decreasing caloric intake is vital. “Obviously, working out does burn calories and increases lean muscle mass, but if your caloric expenditu
