(via Inquirer.net) MANILA, Philippines – It has been a practice of busy women preparing for their wedding to eat less and neglect exercise. If you resort to starvation, you’d regain the weight during honeymoon.

The best weight loss strategy combines regular physical activity and a sustainable eating plan even after the wedding.

Early preparations

Your wellness program should be planned at least four to six months before your wedding.

Set your lifestyle goals. How much weight do you want to lose? If you have 10 pounds to lose, you should target at least two pounds every month. If you have 30 pounds to lose, better start sweating it out as early as now so you can lose an average of five pounds per month. Avoid over-dieting and using weight loss pills.

Set a budget for wellness. Allocate at least five to 10 percent of your budget for your wedding wellness program. Enroll in a health club or buy exercise equipment which costs less than P5,000.

Hire a credible fitness/wellness professional to coach you every week or every two weeks on your six-month eating and exercise program so you can get faster results.

Spend time for exercise. Delegate the wedding tasks to your friends and family or get a wedding coordinator.

Start your weight training program so you can get a toned body, especially your arms and back. Full body weight training can be done 30-45 minutes two to three times a week. Include all exercises for the back, chest, shoulders, arms, core, buttocks and thighs.

Start a journal on your food intake and physical activities. Combine your wedding notebook with the wellness journal so you are always reminded about your commitment to health and fitness.

Two to four months before:

Ask your fiancé to exercise with you at least once a week so you will get the chance to talk more about your lifestyle goals. This fitness bonding is important so both of you will avoid the “after-wedding” weight gain.

Include fitness and wellness items in your wedding registry. This is a good idea for your outdoor getaway like a tent for hiking and camping.

One to two months before:

Shop for clothes in smaller sizes as reward. This will motivate you to continue your wellness program by moving more and eating healthy.

Treat yourself in the spa. Enroll in a yoga class with your fiancé to learn how to breathe properly.

A few days to two weeks before:

Do the easiest and most accessible type of physical activity you can do at home or around your village like walking or jogging.

Avoid saucy and fatty foods. Get enough rest so you can physically and mentally prepare yourself for your most-awaited day.

(source: Inquirer.net) Marriage really is good for you as it reduces the risks of depression and anxiety, according to a recent international study.But say goodbye to marriage and it’s hello, therapy.

A study of nearly 34,500 people in 15 countries found married people are less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and substance abuse, according to clinical psychologist Kate Scott of New Zealand’s University of Otago.

“What our study points to is that the marital relationship offers a lot of mental health benefits for both men and women, and that the distress and disruption associated with ending marriage can make people vulnerable to developing mental disorders,” Scott said on Tuesday.

Being separated, divorced or widowed is associated with the increased risk of mental health disorders in both men and women, particularly with depression in men and drugs and alcohol abuse in women.

“One of the more important findings is that in recent years it has been asserted that marriage is better for men than for women in terms of mental health. This study does not agree with that position,” Scott said.

“We found that compared to never getting married, getting married is good for both men and women in terms of most mental health disorders.”

Unique study

What makes the study unique and robust is that “the sample is so large and across so many countries and the fact that we have data not only on depression … but also on anxiety and substance use disorders,” Scott said in a statement.

“In addition, we were able to look at what happens to mental health in marriage, both in comparison with never getting married and with ending marriage.”

The study, however, did find that men are less likely to become depressed in their first marriage than women, a factor Scott said was probably linked to the traditional gender roles at home, as other similar surveys have shown that as women get better educated, depression rates tend to fall.

The other gender difference the study found is that getting married reduces the risk of substance use disorders more for women than for men.

This may be explained by the fact that women are usually the primary caregiver for young children, according to Scott.

Downside

However, the downside of marriage, the University of Otago study shows, is that ending it has a negative impact on both genders.

“What our study points to is that the marital relationship offers a lot of mental health benefits for both men and women, and that the distress and disruption associated with ending a marriage can make people vulnerable to developing mental disorders,” Scott said.

The study was recently published in the British journal Psychological Medicine. It was conducted in association with the World Health Organization, Harvard University and a number of other international organizations. [Reports from Reuters and Agence France-Presse]

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related article:

• Marriage good news for mental health, but separation and divorce have negative impacts (insciences.org)