1. Try until you succeed. For some people, 30 minutes a day on the treadmill is ideal. Others prefer jogging or biking outdoors, or even participating in team sports. And some do best when following the moves of an instructor. The point is, everyone is motivated by something different when it comes to exercise, so if you just can’t drag yourself to the gym, try taking a pilates or spinning class, get your friends together for a pickup game, or check out some local hiking trails. Keep trying new forms of physical fitness until you find one (or several) that you like.
2. Join a program. Whether it’s diet or exercise that causing you problems, there is likely a program that can help you stay on track until the wedding (and possibly beyond). So look into diet systems like Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig and consider joining a gym that offers the equipment, classes, and even personal trainers you need to succeed.
3. Make it a priority. Like anything in life, your priorities are going to win out. Of course, your main priority at the moment is probably to pull off the wedding of the century. Oh wait – William and Kate already did that with their royal marriage, so it seems you’re off the hook! Instead of using your looming nuptials as an excuse to ignore your personal health, take a moment to realize that getting hitched is actually a great reason to rethink your fitness since you want to have as many wonderful years as possible with the person you love. That means making your health your top priority, now and in the future.
4. Enlist the aid of bridesmaids. Sometimes all it takes is a little moral support (or accountability) to keep you on track. Since your bridal party also wants to look fantastic in their dresses, they should be more than willing to participate in your shape-up strategy. By working together you can all reach your goals.
5. Get your honey on board. Your soon-to-be spouse has probably been trying to find ways to be useful during the wedding planning process. And one great way is to help you get going with the diet and exercise regimen that will have you fit as a fiddle for your special day. When you’re doing it together instead of watching your partner wolf down chili dogs while you’re stuck with salad, you’re far more likely to succeed.

Sarah Danielson is a contributing writer for 983wedding.com where you can find a large variety of wedding invitations along with planning tips and other great resources for brides.

DON’T: Rely on fad diets. You might be tempted to eat cabbage soup for a week or purge every toxin from your body with a 10-day cleanse, but the problem with nearly every fad diet is that they make you feel absolutely awful and the weight immediately returns once you resume normal eating habits. So skip the hassle and disappointment that are inherent in such diets and try something different.

DO: Join a diet program. With education, tools, and round-the-clock support at your disposal there’s no reason you can’t reach your weight loss and fitness goals with time to spare. Some, like Jenny Craig and The Zone take the guesswork out of dieting by providing you with food options. On the other hand, Weight Watchers teaches you sustainable, healthy eating habits for life, but it does take some time and effort to master. You decide which suits you best before your wedding day.

DON’T: Skip exercise. It’s true that dieting is responsible for the majority of success when it comes to weight loss, but getting fit for your wedding day requires more than just losing a few pounds. You also want to look and feel great, and exercise can help in a big way on both fronts.

DO: Enlist the aid of friends. Exercising alone can be a big bummer, but the truth is that every bride has a built in support group thanks to the family and friends in the wedding party. Since everyone wants to look great walking down the aisle, set up a schedule where you can all get moving together, either walking, jogging, hitting the gym, of playing some team sports.

DON’T: Check the scale daily. As if you need more daily stress leading up to your wedding! You might think that checking your weight each day is motivational, but in all honesty it can only serve to undermine your progress by turning the scale into your enemy rather than a tool for change.

DO: Track your successes. A wedding magician won’t magically make your extra pounds disappear before the big day. If you want to see change it’s all on you. But you can definitely help your own cause by tracking your fitness goals and charting them over time. Whether you want to shed unwanted pounds, trim up that waistline, tone your arms and abs, or simply boost your mood, writing down your accomplishments and looking them over every so often can help you to stay motivated, feel good about your progress, and reach your wedding day healthy, happy, and fit to walk down the aisle.

The easiest exercises involve muscle holding, or squeezing. You can’t exactly do squats or crunches in the car, but you can get some of the same results by performing a series of clench-and-release moves. Target your glutes, abs, or other muscle groups and then clench muscles tight, hold for ten seconds, and slowly release. Repeat as desired (but try to do at least ten reps for each muscle group). Try sitting up straight (instead of leaning back in your seat) to work abdominal and even back muscles in this way, and possibly lift your posterior slightly off the seat to work hammies and glutes (if you’re a passenger rather than the driver, or if you are on a long road trip and the cruise control is engaged). And don’t neglect other muscle groups like the quads (front of your thighs), calves, pecs, and the many muscles of the arms.

Another simple movement that anyone can do while in the car is shoulder rolls. Many people store tension in the neck and shoulders, especially when they spend the majority of the day hunched forward over a keyboard (or a steering wheel). Head and shoulder rolls will release tension and stretch muscles (although you might not want to do head rolls while driving since they will likely take your eyes off the road). But if you want to do more, you can also try shoulder raises (bringing shoulders up to the ears and squeezing) in order to strengthen the muscles of the neck and upper back.

Finally, you might use some props to help you engage various muscle groups. For example, you can squeeze a pillow or a small exercise ball between your legs to work the inner thighs. Or you might sit on a balance/stability disc in order to get your abdominal muscles doing more to keep you upright as you sit in the car. This may not seem like work, but it will actually force all of your abdominal muscles to fire in order to keep your body from tipping over, which makes it an extremely effective form of exercise in terms of toning your abs.

Of course, you could do more if you have more space in your car (and if you’re not the one driving), so you might want to consider checking the classifieds for SUVs or trucks for sale if you get really into the idea of car workouts. Or perhaps you should hold out for Google’s self-driving car so that you can do a full exercise routine on your way to work, even when you’re the only one in the vehicle. Until then, try a few of the easy exercises listed above.

Breast augmentation is a significant surgery, and exercise should be approached with caution. Most doctors will recommend a six-week waiting period before lifting anything remotely heavy. But daily walks are a great way to start getting back in shape. Basically, focus on any sort of exercises that don’t push your upper body, and keep aerobic exercises to a minimum until you are a month out of surgery.

Rhinoplasty is a cosmetic surgery that you may not normally connect with an exercise routine. But running or jogging could be difficult initially. Get yourself up and walking a day or so after surgery, and wait a week for anything else. Also avoid any bending action for the first week. You’ll be healing for a good while, so don’t get into any contact sports for at least six weeks.

Liposuction is fairly standard, and most people stay in bed for a week or so before resuming activity. However, there is a potential risk of blood clots in the lungs or heart if you don’t get yourself moving. Start with intervals of short walks to build up your breathing, and add in additional exercises slowly as you feel comfortable. However, keep your workout regimen at about one quarter your regular intensity until a month or so has elapsed from your surgery.

One surgery that’s becoming quite popular is the buttock lift. This and all cosmetic surgery procedures can be very expensive, so you don’t want to do anything that will minimize the work you paid for. It takes around six weeks to heal from a buttock lift, and it’s all too easy to do something that reverses what has been done. So keep any intense exercise out of the picture for a month after surgery. You can do upper body exercises during that time, but be careful. After those six weeks you can ramp it up with workouts focused on your lower muscles. Consider climbing stairs, which targets that area directly.

Laser eye surgery is very popular these days. You can correct your vision swiftly, and often see a huge difference after only a day or two. After three or four days have passed, you should be good to get back into your exercise routine. Remember to focus on exercises that rebuild hand-eye coordination, such as jumping jacks and regular stretching. Eyelid surgery is a bit different, so ask your doctor if there is anything else you need to keep in mind after that procedure.

If this is the case and you have tried all other avenues of weight loss to no avail, weight loss surgery may be your last option. However, you must understand that such surgery still requires a drastic change in your diet and other health implications are inherent with the procedure, as with any invasive surgery.

Below are explanations of the most common types of weight loss surgery, how they work, the lifestyle changes required and possible side-effects.

1. Adjustable Gastric Banding

A silicone hollow band is tied around the upper part of the stomach, dividing the stomach in two, with the upper part being the smallest division. The band decreases the size of the stomach, making you feel full after eating only small amounts. This decreases the volume of food intake, leading to weight loss, which will be monitored and maintained by your doctor. The tightness of the hollow band can be adjusted accordingly after the surgery, with a tighter band meaning you become fuller quicker and a bigger band allowing for an increase in appetite. As with all weight loss a gradual decrease in size is the best, so your doctor will monitor and maintain the best level of weight loss for you, to ensure that you stay in the best of health.

Pros:

The surgery is relatively safe with a low complication rate and it also has a short recovery period, with no need to remove any body mass or tissue. The procedure is also reversible and the ability to adjust the band means your weight loss can be healthily maintained.

Cons:
In rare cases the band around the stomach has been known to leak, erode or change position, which could result in infection. Also the person will still have to follow a low calorie diet after surgery, which means a liquid only diet for 2 weeks after the surgery and small meals for the rest of their life.

2. Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy

This surgery decreases the size of the stomach by removing a vertical portion of the stomach tissue. The stomach is then divided down the middle with staples. This method limits the amount of food eaten by decreasing the volume of the stomach by 85 percent, leading to high levels of weight loss.

Pros:
As the stomach is now reduced in size the patient won’t be able to absorb as many calories as before, leading to weight loss. Levels of hunger are also reduced with Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, meaning a decrease in cravings and further weight loss.

Cons:
This is a non-reversible surgery and cannot be changed after the operation is performed. Often, due to the invasive nature of this method, follow up surgery may be required, to solve any complications that arise. Patient are also required to stick to a specific diet and would be required to avoid high calorie foods such as ice cream or chocolate bars for the rest of their life.

3. Vertical Banded Gastroplasty

This surgery uses both band and stapling to create a small pouch in the upper regions of the stomach. This decreases the amount of food a person needs to eat at one time and slows down the passage of food, which reduces the absorption of nutrients and calories, leading to weight loss.

Pros:

There is no loss of stomach tissue with this procedure and the operation is reversible. As it combines both band and staple, there is a two-pronged attack on cravings and weight, with both a decrease in hunger and decrease in calorie absorption.

Cons:
The patient must to adhere to a strict diet for the rest of their life. If food isn’t chewed thoroughly severe discomfort and vomiting can occur and although reversible the procedure to do so is invasive.

Criteria for Weight Loss Surgery:

Before any weight loss surgery can even be considered, a person has to fit the strict criteria required for treatment.

To qualify for weight loss surgery the candidate must have a body mass index of over 40 and must be at least 100 pounds overweight. They must also be suffering from a life threatening obesity related illness, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or severe sleep apena. The patient must also be completely aware of the risk of their operation and accept the changes they will have to make to their lifestyle and diet.

The candidate must also have exhausted all other options of losing weight, such as dieting and exercising before they can become a candidate.

If you need anymore information concerning weight loss surgery it is always best to consult your doctor, who may put you on a better diet plane, or provide you with further advice concerning weight loss surgery.

Becky is an online writer, with a keen interest in health and lifestyle. For more top tips and health advice visit her Twitter page @FreshHealth11

Friends- Friends are a great form of weight loss support. They will help you with your progress and celebrate with you when you achieve your goals. This will work best if you find a friend that is also over weight that wants to loose weight with you. You can set goals with your friends, be accountable to each other and even set up rewards for your progress. Friends are also fun to cook new recipes with, head to the gym with and more.  With a friend by your side you will find that weight loss can actually be fun and enjoyable.

Co-Workers- Co-workers can provide great weight loss support. If you are interested in exploring this option talk with your company leader or HR representative and see if they would be interested in sponsoring a company wide weight loss plan. You could set up a company wide support group. You can offer to lead discussions about the struggles of weight loss one morning before work or perhaps even during a lunch break. This is a great way to get closer with your co-workers while working toward a united goal of better health.

Church- Some churches offer weight loss support groups or physical fitness classes to their members. Talk with your pastor and see if this is available for your congregation.

Gym- Signing up for the gym will cost you money but it is a great way to work on your weight loss goals and meet others that are struggling with the same things that you are. If you want some professional support consider hiring a personal trainer. They will help you learn the skills that you need to work out as well as to provide motivation throughout your workouts. They will also help you to set achievable weight loss goals and will monitor your progress as you work to achieve them.

Online- The Internet offers many weight loss support groups that are a little more anonymous than other weight loss groups. This may be an easier option for someone that is embarrassed to open up face to face about their weight loss struggles. There are many great programs but one of the most popular is probably Weight Loss Buddy. They will help you find a weight loss buddy to support you as you conquer your weight loss journey.

Paid Groups- Paid membership groups such as Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig offer weight loss support as well. These can be pricy, but if you are serious about losing weight can be effective. Some offer free continued support once you reach your weight loss goals so these can be great for helping you to keep the weight off.