If you’re interested in a plan to lose weight for your wedding, you’ve come to the right place. I focus on helping women choose the right place for their calorie intake needs, so they can eat as much food as possible, be full & satisfied, and lose weight effortlessly.

My perspective with weight loss is to focus on meals high in protein, fat, and vegetables. I also focus on creating extremely simple meals, so that you can actually stick with the plans, and eat healthy foods when you’re busy.

So, if you want to fit into your wedding dress (and you currently don’t), you’ve come to the right place. These are not short-term tips that you’ll use 2 weeks before the big day to lose weight fast and gain it all back after the wedding. This is a lifestyle change that you should start 1 year before the wedding, for long-term results in not only your look but health as well.

Healthy eating, strength training (or any training), workout routines or workout plans, personal trainers, healthy changes, all of that can help you lose weight even when you’re planning a wedding and think you don’t have time for a diet.

How to Lose Weight for the Wedding 1 Year Away

Here are my general tips for a successful weight loss journey for your wedding day (and every after!).

1. Plan your meal times

It’s a good idea to structure your meals every 3-4 hours. This allows your body to go through its natural hunger and fullness cycles. So for example, eat at 8 am, 12 pm, 3 pm, and 7 pm.

If you eat all day without any breaks, you aren’t allowing your body to process the food, or burn it for energy. You need to have breaks in between your meals, including snacks.

2. Focus on protein & fat at Breakfast and Snacks

These foods keep you the fullest for the longest. They also give you enough energy for the day, and they don’t include carbs which aren’t the best for weight loss goals, as an excessive amount of carb intake can cause weight gain, and if you want to lose weight for your big day, that isn’t ideal. Some examples include:

2 hard boiled eggs + 1 piece of fruit (like an apple, pear, etc.) + 1 string cheese
2 hard boiled eggs + 1 single-serving package of guacamole
2 fried eggs + 1/2 avocado
1/4 cup of nuts (or get a 1-ounce pre-packaged baggie) + 1 piece of fruit
1/4 cup of nuts + 1 string cheese
1 latte with 2% milk and sugar-free syrup and 1/8 cup nuts (or a 100-calorie pack)
One 2% plain yogurt + 1/3 cup frozen fruit
1 apple + 1 tablespoon of peanut butter + 1 hard boiled egg
2 hard boiled eggs + 1 string cheese + half a serving of guacamole
One greek yogurt + ⅓ cup frozen fruit + 1/4 cup of nuts

3. Follow my “formula” for lunches & dinners

My “formula” is: 2 cups of veggies + 100-200 calories of fats + 4-5 oz protein. So for example:

2 cups baby carrots (veggie) + 2 hard boiled eggs (protein) + 1/4 cup nuts (fat)
2 cups celery sticks (veggie) + 4oz turkey slices (protein) + 2 slices of cheddar cheese (fat)
2 cups tomato slices (veggie) + 1 can tuna (protein) + 2 Tbsp mayo (fat)
2 cups cucumber slices (veggie) + 1 packet turkey jerky (protein) + 1 high fat yogurt (fat)
2 cups tomato slices (veggie) + 1 can tune (protein) + ¼ cup feta cheese
2 cups baby carrots (veggie) + 2 hard boiled eggs (protein) + ⅓ cup peanut butter

4. Make Snacks Count

In general, I recommend for snacks:

Nuts or nut butters (in single-serving amounts): choose a variety of nuts to get all the benefits - no one nut is better than another.
Hard Boiled Eggs: Did you know hard boiled eggs last a whole week? Make a dozen on the weekend (only peel them when you're ready to eat them). Top them with Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel seasoning or grated Parmesan cheese.
Single-serving Cheeses: I love string cheese and other single-serving cheeses like slices of cheese or round cheese in wax. So filling and tasty!
Jerky: Seriously one of my favorite filling snacks. So tasty and great protein.
Greek Yogurt or Skyr: These great single-serving options are full of high-quality protein, often probiotics, and are usually great sources of calcium.
Fruit: Fruit is great for snacking! It’s healthy, good for you, and it can satisfy both your sweet tooth, and your need for snacking!
Veggies & hummus: This is another very satisfying snack. It’s much healthier than potato chips for example, and it’s delicious. Choose your favorite dippable veggies (cucumbers, carrots, etc.) and dip them in hummus, or a similar dip that you like. Ranch would work as well.
Smoothies: Smoothies can be an amazing snack! They’re delicious, nutritious, and you can use any fruits or veggies that you like to make them. If you’re eating them as a snack and not as a full meal, make a smaller portion and you’ll be good to go. Add greek yogurt, honey, cinnamon, or any other flavors you like.

5. Alcohol in moderation

Make a plan for how often you’d like to include alcohol for the week. 4 drinks for the week? How do you want to distribute them?

A lot of people don’t realize how many calories alcohol has, and you can ruin your weight loss goals that you’re working on by eating healthy, if you drink unhealthy a lot. Of course, for long term sustainability, you don’t have to cut out alcohol completely, but try not to drink 2 glasses of wine every day.

6. Keep your favorite Desserts in your plan

Also make a separate plan for dessert. How often do you, personally, need dessert? Once a day? Twice a week? Just make a plan.

If this was a short term diet, you’d probably have to cut it out completely, but since this is a long term health journey, we want you to be able to sustain it, so your favorite dessert is not off limits every once in a while. And neither will be your wedding cake when your big day comes!

7. How to Decrease Bloating - Flat Tummy Tips

Eat Proper-Sized Meals - Not over-eating can be incredibly helpful with decreasing bloating. This Is definitely the #1 trick for me! Planning ahead & sticking with your meal plan is key.

Try a Probiotic - Several studies have shown that certain probiotic supplements can help reduce gas production and bloating in people with digestive problems. Probiotic supplements can take a while to start working though, so be patient. This is the one I recommend.

Drink Up - There actually isn's a ton of research to show that this is actually beneficial - but drinking plenty of water definitely won't hurt you. Try to drink at least 2 cups with each meal. Remember still water is preferable to sparkling. Add some lemon or lime for flavor if you like.