Working with many clients over the years, I have found one of the most important pieces to getting them fantastic results is incorporating a deadline, setting a firm date for which you must have achieved your fitness goals. There is no better example of this than with a new bride to be. Now that the question has been “popped”, the ring is on, the date is set and dress is bought. Things are getting serious and it’s amazing what happens to women when it finally hits them – the most important day of their life is coming. They’re now ready and willing to do whatever it takes to feel strong, look great and fit into their dream wedding dress while inspiring the “wow” factor on her big day.

In addition to the right blend and intensity of workouts, a bride-to-be cannot ignore a proper nutrition blueprint in order to get the job done. It’s undeniable that this key element is 80+% responsible for sculpting a leaner, stronger and sexier physique. The following nutrition guidelines will help you do exactly that. Don’t be surprised to see losses of 2+ pounds of ugly, unwanted body fat per week and a reduction in at least 1 clothing size per month. But remember to keep the focus where it should be and that is improving overall health, body composition, and performance, NOT just weight loss!

The Strong and Fit Bride Mentality:

EAT to Fuel Your Metabolism and Lose Fat (NOT Weight)

Nutrition Tip #1: Drink Up!

Drink at least 2-4 cups of water immediately upon waking and then drink at least 1-2 cups of water every 2 hours you are awake. A dehydrated bride (or anyone for that matter) cannot effectively lose body fat!

Drink at least 1-2 cups of water for every 15 minutes of vigorous activity to maintain optimal performance and to prevent dehydration during your workouts.

Consume at least 3 servings of antioxidant-rich hot green tea per day to boost your immune system and accelerate recovery from vigorous exercise. Sorry, this does NOT mean drinking bottled or processed tea. Loose leaf or tea bags only.

Nutrition Tip #2: Start Eating Earlier and More Often:

Eat immediately upon waking and then again every 2-4 hours after that for a total of 6-8 feedings per day. This is a staple for any solid fat loss nutrition plan because it allows your body to starve the fat and feed the muscle, optimizes performance, and prevents your body’s starvation signals from going off, which are true indicators that will dramatically decrease the body’s ability to shed the blubber.

The dietary breakdown is 3 total meals per day consumed at breakfast, lunch, and dinner time, 3 total snacks/day consumed between meals and before bed, and workout nutrition in the form of a protein or amino acid supplement consumed around your training sessions. Snacks are typically about half the caloric value of meals.

Nutrition Tip #3: Always Focus on Essentials For Life:

Consume a wide range of organic lean proteins of animal origin at each feeding, usually a typical fist-size helping will suffice. Protein is not only the only macronutrient responsible for building and repairing that lean, sexy muscle but it also allows your body to best starve its unwanted fat stores. In addition, the sheer consumption of protein elevates metabolism and burns calories through the thermic effect of feeding since protein is requires your body to use way more energy (calories) to digest, as opposed to fat or carb grams.

Consume a wide range natural fats at each feeding (olive oil, coconut oil, beef, salmon, whole eggs, avocado, mixed nuts, flax, full-fat cheese, etc.). Sufficient dietary fat intake is critical to beneficial hormone production, which allows for optimal fat loss. Furthermore, your body cannot optimally burn stored body fat without a sufficient amount of healthy dietary fat.

Consume a wide range of fruits and veggies at each feeding (with a special emphasis on green veggies). A great rule of thumb when it comes to produce is to consume at least one green item AND as many other colors as possible at each and every meal to get the most health benefits.

Here is a Sample 1 Day Menu:

Breakfast at 6am: Scrambled Omega-3 Eggs, Greens, and Turkey Sausage or Bacon

Mid-Morning Snack at 9 am: Mixed Raw Nuts and Fruit/Veggies of Choice

Lunch- Noon: Chicken, Salmon, or Shrimp Caesar Salad

Mid-Afternoon Snack at 3 pm: Full-Fat Cheese and Fruit/Veggies of Choice

Dinner at 6 pm: Turkey or Beef Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash

Pre-Bed Snack at 8 pm: Strong & Sexy Power Bowl:

Mix of Full-Fat Cottage Cheese, Protein Powder, Flax Meal, and Raw Nut Butter

Nutrition Tip #4: If Nothing Else, You NEED These 2 Supplements:

- Take a daily whole food based ?top_menu=Products&products=7&submenu=1" multi-vitamin for your gender . Ensuring adequate intake of vitamins and minerals is essential for your body to function optimally, especially for people who struggles to get at least 8-12 servings of fruits and veggies per day.

- Take a high quality essential fatty acid (EFA) or ?top_menu=Products&products=16&submenu=1" fish oil supplement . Omega-3 fats found in fish oil are scientifically proven to increase metabolism and generate increased fat burning, besides having a host of other benefits like preventing cancer, reducing inflammation and joint pain, enhancing skin and hair quality, etc.

Nutrition Tip #5: Think Fiber First When It Comes To Carb Choices:

- It is critical to focus on carbohydrate quality FIRST and then quantity SECOND. In terms of quality, all carbohydrates (outside of dairy) that you eat should contain AT LEAST 3 g of fiber per serving and offer LESS THAN 10 g of sugar per serving. In terms of quantity, we have found most females achieve the best fat-burning effects by limiting their total daily carb intake to 50 g or less, NOT including their unlimited daily fibrous carb intake from green veggies (fruit can be used in moderation) nor the trace carbs from protein and fat foods.

- To ramp up fat loss, use the following Carb Adjustment Blueprint as outlined below (in the exact order) listed to breakthrough any plateaus in your quest to get into that dress:

Step#1- Replace all white carbs with 100% whole grain carbs and all refined sugars with natural sugars found in food choices with ONE ingredient (e.g. fruit, honey, etc.). This will results in much more even blood sugar levels in your body, the key to maintaining high energy levels and burning fat.

Step#2- Limit all 100% whole grain starch and natural sugar consumption to within 1-2 hours post-workout or immediately upon waking for breakfast. Your body best handles these types of carbs at these times without excessive risk of this energy being stored as fat.

Step#3- Replace all starches and sugars with fruits and veggies. Fruits and veggies are the most nutrient dense carbs loaded with tons of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and tummy-filling fiber, making them the staple of any good fat loss meal plan.

Step#4- Replace all fruits with green veggies (or any other veggies BESIDES corn, peas, carrots, and potatoes) to weed out any remaining unwanted sugar (fructose, fruit sugar) that will prevent your body from maximally using stored body fat for fuel. Green veggies like broccoli, spinach, dark leafy lettuce, green beans, asparagus, etc. have the most figure friendly benefits of any carbohydrate on the planet. Try for organic versions of said items. These can also be consumed in an unlimited amount throughout the day to keep you full and satisfied.

That's it….the top 5 keys to fitness nutrition success to help you look and feel the best on the biggest day of your life. And remember, it’s not about weight loss - it’s about changing your body