Bridal Red Flags!
At TeamLeeFit, we’ve been supporting brides in achieving their goals for years. For some it was weight loss, for some it was toning up, and others it was simply building the confidence to walk down the aisle in front of their friends and family.
We have heard the struggles of many brides like you, of how hard you work and it feels like nothing is changing. We are here to listen, work hard with you, and together we find the solution.
Conformity
What do we mean by conformity? A lot of brides who are working towards changing their body composition jump to the extreme - fad dieting, maybe they go from working out every so often to every day, throw out all their “junk” food.. In a week they can’t sustain it and “fall off the bandwagon.” You are already an adult with habits and needs, and one week of turning it upside down on its head isn’t going to change that. What our program allows you to do is to break down old habits, build healthy new ones, and to find a workout and nutrition regimen that works for your lifestyle leading up to the wedding - we don’t try to change your life to fit the goal. This is how we see success in long term results with our clients. It may take time and some trial and error, but it’s the only thing that sticks. Don’t conform to the diet or the workout plan you think is going to work. We get to find what works for you.
Mental Health
A little saying of ours is “Change your mind first and the body will follow”. This is why we coach our brides with the three principles: Training, Nutrition, and Mindfulness. We talk a lot about being aware, even hyper-aware, of our choices, habits, patterns, and identifying which serve our goal and which do not. It’s also incredibly important to leave all judgement of what those habits are aside. When you were a little kid, did you ever draw something, and some bully came up behind you, said that was stupid, it’ll never look good, and walked away? That’s you and what you want, versus the judgements you put on yourself. We limit our belief that we can achieve what we want. Maybe because we think we don’t deserve it, we’re not capable, or what we want was a dumb idea. THAT’S WRONG! And as soon as we know that, the sooner we will feel our body reacting towards what we want. Maybe it seems cheesy, but we promise it works. Our brides are not only happier with themselves, but that allows them to freedom to enjoy the wedding planning process as well. We get to create our own happiness.
Not Eating Enough
The biggest misconception in “dieting” and trying to eat healthy is that “you’re supposed to eat less.” *GIANT BUZZER SOUND EFFECT HERE!!* WRONG! Absolutely wrong, so wrong, I’m hungry just thinking about it. You may have heard that your body needs to be in a caloric deficit in order to lose weight - this is correct. What happens is if we push this too much and fuel our body with too little nutrients, our body goes into starvation mode, slowing down our metabolism. This makes it even harder to lose weight. That’s why it’s important to find that nice sweet spot, which a nutritionist or professional is more adept to help you to do.
Not Having a Plan
Making specific plans for our brides and helping them stay accountable is exactly what we do. Creating a meal plan ahead of time makes it easier to make a grocery list, and a more efficient shopping trip. It’s more likely if you shop without a plan (or on an empty stomach), you’re more likely to stray from the healthier options you went there for in the first place. Just like you don’t want to enter the grocery store without a plan, you don’t want to enter the gym without one either. It’s really easy to feel lost and confused, wandering around the gym and seeing other people workout - it’s intimidating! Set what part of the body you’re going to target each day (upper body, lower body, etc.), and write down your workout on your phone or a notebook. Take it a step further and record what weights you used for what exercises so you can track your progress week to week. Also, do yourself another favor, and get rid of the scale. As we lose fat and build muscle, the number on the scale might not change, but our body composition totally does. Take a photo of yourself in the same tight clothing or bathing suit every two weeks and watch how you change. All of these small plans are helpful tools to keep you on track.
Doing it Alone
“It takes a village”. It can definitely be hard to ask for help or to accept it - but if you’re at a place where you’re ready to make a change, not only is it okay to ask, but it will be better for you! Choosing an online generic program to do on your own can be a waste of time. This program doesn’t know you, your habits, your lifestyle, your body type, or even what your personal goals are. It might be a good program to “keep healthy”, but a piece of paper or a PDF is not going to keep you motivated after weeks or notice your progress or push you. Same goes for the wrong trainer. Choosing a fitness trainer that isn’t right for you can be detrimental to your progress. The right trainer coaches you through your struggles, helps you discover new things about yourself and what you can accomplish, and pushes you past where you thought you could go. Finding the right trainer may be a little “trial and error”, and you should meet with a few to see who you click with. Making the conscious choice to look for a good trainer is choosing to make an investment in yourself. If you aren’t interested in working with a trainer, ask a friend to meal prep and cook with you. Ask your brother or sister to go for a run together. Find a gym buddy. Having someone available to you to support keeping you accountable makes a world of difference in how you show up. At first maybe you’ll find yourself showing up for them, but we promise, eventually, you will show up for you.
For more information on our FitBride program, email us or visit FitBride.com