Wedding Day Tips: Avoiding Belly Bloat and Staying Slim

It’s pretty much the norm that brides start thinking about their bodies once the wedding date is set. It’s the one day in their lives that they want to look perfect or at least the best they can. After all, all eyes are on the bride on her wedding day.  History has taught us that some things work towards that end and some don’t. This bride’s question addresses one of those situations.

Dear Wedding Guru: “I’m committed to eating well and exercising regularly so that I look good at my wedding and on my honeymoon. I’ve made myself a promise and I’m keeping to it, but every so often my stomach ‘blows up.’ My friends say it’s called ‘belly bloat’ and I just have to wait until it goes away.’ I’m not good with that and if that happens on my wedding day or on my honeymoon, I’ll be beside myself. Any ideas you can give me would be very much appreciated.”

(Our answer on next page)

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The Wedding Guru says: Yup — you’ve got “belly bloat” alright! Here are my tips to avoid it:

• About three to five days before your wedding day, cut back on salty foods, which lead to water retention
• Avoid anything with more than 400 milligrams of sodium per serving
• Avoid soda and other carbonated beverages. The bubbles trap air inside the large intestine and cause gas and bloating
• Stick to water — lots of it
• Limit the amount of alcohol you drink each day to one, and limit your coffee to no more than two cups a day. These both dehydrate and can cause your body to maintain fluid
• Stay away from gas-causing foods such as beans, bean dips, fruits and vegetables. Stick to lean proteins like turkey or chicken breast and small amounts of complex carbs, like brown rice. These are good sources of energy and don’t usually cause bloat.
• Avoid high-in-fat dairy products
• Lastly, make time for exercising. Building up a good sweat will rid your body of fluids

Look for more tips to “Shape Up for Your Wedding” here.

» More on beating the belly bloat
» More from The Wedding Guru
» Submit a question to the Wedding Guru
» Hudson Valley Weddings 2013