Getting married is about making a commitment to your special man and promising to love him forever, but most wives and brides to be will agree that there's also a lot of focus on how beautiful you should look. Whether the pressure is on from friends and family or you want to look great for yourself (as it should be!) losing weight for your wedding may well be one of the issues in the forefront of your mind. Luckily there are some very effective ways to do it and improve your health at the same time.

Don't start dieting and exercising straight away; you need to be mentally, financially and physically prepared first. Buy daily diary and divide each day up into seven sections: before breakfast, breakfast, before lunch, lunch, before dinner, dinner and before bed. This is the book you'll open at the start of each week and plan your eating and exercising routine. Okay, that sounds terrifying but considering you are planning it for yourself it shouldn't be too harsh!

Think up some low fat meals that you enjoy, or look through cookery websites and books for inspiration. Things like low fat yoghurt with fruit, or carrots and celery with houmous or cream cheese dips are great for snacks. For meals try to balance them out with a bit of protein (meat or fish) with double the size of vegetables and a little carbohydrate. Say, a fillet of grilled salmon with 3 boiled new potatoes and plenty of peas and sweetcorn. Or, chicken strips and asparagus on bruschetta with tomato sauce. There are thousands of ideas out there and you can use online calorie counters (google them) to keep track of what you're eating each day. Do try to plan every meal and if you do this at the start of each week and go shopping afterwards then you're more likely to stick to it. Shopping every day will make you more likely to give into cravings. Also, eat before you go shopping so you buy lighter, healthier and less rich foods. Don't forget that the right nutrients will not only help you lose weight, but they'll make you more pumped for exercise and they'll make you look healthier too. Omega 3 oils found in nuts and oily fish help to keep your skin supple and smooth; a look I'm sure you'll all agree we want for the big day.

Any exercise is good exercise for losing weight. Try coupling something like running or jogging that really burns the calories with another exercise that tones you up, like yoga. Some exercises do both at the same time, such as aerobics and swimming. Bear in mind that while swimming is great for the whole of your body, chemicals in the water can dry out your skin and hair, so moisturise and condition every time you get out.

Using your daily diary and planning your diet and exercise in advance is the best way to stop yourself snacking, giving into cravings and staying in bed rather than getting up early to exercise. It can be a gruelling routine but one that you'll be thankful you stuck to as you glide down the aisle in your dream dress.

Stan Tian

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