This time last year, I was about 2 weeks away from walking down the aisle. Now as many of you who have gone through this know, this time isn’t all peaches and cream (wait, now I’m hungry). It’s stressful! Trying to balance working full-time with dress fittings, last minute guest cancellations, seating cards, flower arrangements and more is no easy task.
And like every bride, I wanted everything to be perfect. Including my body. When I hear people talk about the “thinnest they have ever been” it is always at their wedding. Now, of course this makes sense, as it is one of the most important days of a woman’s life and they want to look and feel their best. But why does looking your best always have to equate to being your thinnest?
I am FOR SURE guilty of this mentality too! For the month before my wedding, I was definitely super careful with my diet. I did not restrict myself, but was just very mindful to watch my overall intake, avoiding alcohol and high sugar foods. I did not change my exercise routine, as I have always exercised consistently (which is so important for stress management). It is normal to be more mindful of food intake before an important event, such as a wedding. But there is a difference between starving yourself and being careful. Also, just an FYI, I’m not the type where weight “just falls off” because of stress. I never have been. Good for whoever fits into that category, but it’s certainly not me. I had to work very hard to reach my wedding body goals. And that’s OK! As long as it’s done in a healthy and balanced way (no starvation!)
Now, back to the question of why looking your best always seems to equate to being your thinnest. I think for some people this is true and for some people it’s not. I’ve encountered hundreds of patients over my 3.5 years as a practicing dietitian and the one thing I can say for sure is that people look their best when they FEEL their best. And weight is oftentimes just a small part of the equation. I have worked with clients who completely changed their diet and lifestyle habits; reducing their blood glucose and cholesterol levels, minimizing joint pain, improving digestive health and sleep patterns, however did not lose a significant amount of weight. Many of these clients reported feeling the best they had in years. Maybe they had been “thinner” at other points in their lives, but did not feel as healthy, strong and energized.
So the moral of my story is that nutrition and well-being is not “one size fits all.” What works for one person may not work for another and vice versa. No one will notice the 5 extra pounds you did or didn’t lose on your wedding day. They will notice if you seem happy, relaxed and in-love. Which has absolutely nothing to do with your weight.
P.S, this is me on my wedding day. I don’t think I had gotten to the EXACT number on the scale that I had initially wanted to. But that’s okay…no one seemed to notice and it was the best day of my life 😉
XO, Juliana