This month marks one year until my wedding day! As a weight loss dietitian, this has sparked a lot of questions about my personal wedding diet plan.
So in this post, I wanted to share my thoughts on whether you should try to lose weight for your wedding. I have ten bits of advice for brides-to-be, and I’m going to reveal exactly what I’ll be doing, too, in the lead-up to the big day.
This post is all about weight loss tips for brides and sharing my wedding diet plan.
In my last "At home with a dietitian" update, I revealed that I got engaged earlier this year, and it has been a whirlwind of planning ever since. As I live abroad (Bermuda) and will be getting married at home (Ireland), planning a wedding from overseas is going to be challenging.
Since getting engaged, there has been a lot of curiosity about our wedding plans, particularly about my dress, shoes, and wedding prep diet! This inspired me to make a full YouTube video on this topic and write this post. Weight loss is always in and out of fashion, but losing weight for a wedding seems to always be at the forefront of many people's minds.
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Prefer sitting back and watching this information? Then I got you! Everything I cover in this post is wrapped up in my YouTube video below. Enjoy 💚
Should you lose weight for your wedding?
Your wedding is a big day—many people call it the happiest day of your life. So of course, you want to feel your absolute best. No matter how stunning the venue, how great the weather, or how experienced the photographer is, ultimately, the enjoyment of the day depends on how you feel in yourself - how calm, content, and at ease you are in your own skin.
That said, there’s often a lot of pressure in the lead-up. From organizing every little detail to managing expectations, it can feel overwhelming. Many brides also find themselves under pressure to look a certain way. And it’s not just about weight—it’s everything from glowing skin to luscious hair. After all, you’ve likely invested in a professional photographer or videographer, and these are memories you’ll want to treasure for years to come.
And I do think what you do for yourself between now and your wedding will truly impact how you feel on the day. Making positive changes—whether it’s focusing on your health, mindset, or overall well-being—can help you feel more relaxed, vibrant, and ready to enjoy not just the big day but your honeymoon and new married life, too.
Now, should you lose weight for your wedding? Or even try to lose weight in general? That’s become a hot topic, and honestly, the answer is deeply personal and entirely up to you.
Wedding Diets - "I do" or "I don't!"
The narrative online often feels like it falls into two extreme camps:
A: The anti-diet movement—diets don’t work, and you should never go on one. You’re told to love your body, accept yourself as you are, and eat intuitively.
Or...
B: Extreme diets paired with intense exercise routines that promise drastic results in a short time, leaving you exhausted and stressed.
Neither of these extremes really works for most people in the real world. That’s why I prefer what I call the Yin and Yang approach to weight loss. It’s a balanced, flexible mindset that doesn’t swing too far in either direction. In fact, this approach applies to any area of self-development, not just weight loss.
Yin & Yang Weight Loss
At its heart, the principle of Yin and Yang is all about balance. And when it comes to weight loss, balance is everything.
Yin is self-compassion. It’s about accepting your body, respecting it for all it does for you, and being kind to yourself throughout the process. It’s knowing that your worth isn’t tied to a number on the scale or the size of your dress.
Yang, on the other hand, is growth. It’s about challenging yourself to step outside your comfort zone, aiming for small, positive changes that make you feel stronger, healthier, and more confident.
But here’s the thing: You can’t have one without the other. You need Yin to keep things grounded, gentle, and sustainable, while Yang provides the momentum to move forward. The goal is to approach weight loss from a place of self-acceptance—not criticism or pressure.
Who Shouldn't Try to Lose Weight for Their Wedding?
This is an important conversation, and it’s one I think every bride should have with themselves before deciding on weight loss. For some people, losing weight simply isn’t the healthiest choice—physically or mentally.
Sometimes, there’s a belief that reaching a certain number on the scale will unlock happiness or solve all of life’s problems. Sadly, that’s rarely the case. If there are deeper issues with body image or self-worth, weight loss won’t magically fix those—it’s worth exploring these feelings with a therapist or a trusted professional, like a dietitian, who can help.
That said, if someone genuinely feels that improving their health, losing some weight, or focusing on their well-being will boost their confidence and quality of life, I fully support that. As a dietitian, my role is to guide people in a balanced, sustainable way that prioritizes their health—not just for their wedding day but for the long term.
10 pieces of advice for brides to be
Now that we’ve talked about finding balance and approaching weight loss from a place of self-acceptance, let’s get into some practical tips.
- Set realistic expectations of what you can achieve before your wedding day. Avoid putting yourself under excessive pressure to lose weight in an impossibly short timeframe—it can lead to unnecessary stress and disappointment. Your wedding build-up is a special time with so much more meaning than just transforming your body. Focus on enjoying the journey, not creating a timeline that feels overwhelming.
- Think long-term: If you have weight to lose and want to lose some of this for your wedding - the focus should also be on keeping this weight off long-term. It’s not about crash dieting, losing the weight, and then regaining it all on your honeymoon. Weight cycling—losing and regaining repeatedly—can be harder on your health than staying at a stable weight. In fact, it can slow your metabolism and make future weight-loss attempts more difficult. This is a big weight loss mistake that you want to avoid. On the flip side, pushing yourself too hard with restrictive diets and intense exercise can throw your body off balance. Many women even lose their period from overdoing it, which isn’t ideal if your next goal after the wedding is to start a fertility diet plan with the hopes of starting a family. Take a balanced approach that prioritizes your health over short-term results.
- Give yourself plenty of time: Ideally, start about a year in advance. Avoid jumping into a crash diet 12 weeks before the big day—it’s not worth the stress. The lead-up to your wedding should be fun and exciting, with moments like menu tastings and hen parties to enjoy. Starting early allows you to make small, gradual changes that add up over time. This not only feels less restrictive but also benefits your overall metabolic health in the long run.
- Don't starve yourself or skip meals. To keep your energy, mood, and concentration stable, aim for at least three meals a day to meet your basic needs. When you restrict yourself, it often leads to overeating or binge eating later, creating a harmful cycle of restriction and over indulging. This can also damage your relationship with food and your body, and it’s a difficult pattern to break.
- Make small changes and focus on building behavioral habits, not just chasing numbers on the scale. For sustainable weight management, it's important to develop habits that stick. Two habits you can start with minimal effort are getting enough sleep and staying hydrated. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night to function at your best physically and mentally. Drinking around 2 liters of water a day helps with hydration and keeps your skin looking its healthiest. If you're not used to drinking much water, try breaking it down into smaller glasses throughout the day and keep a bottle handy to sip on.
- Avoid fad diets and quick-fix solutions. Diet pills and meal replacement shakes might promise rapid results, but they can come with some serious side effects like poor skin, hair, and nails, digestive issues (constipation or diarrhea), dizziness, and fatigue. These are not issues you want to be dealing with during the weeks leading up to your wedding day.
- Prioritize your mental health. While wedding planning is exciting, it can also be emotionally overwhelming. With such a big life change happening, it's normal to feel stressed or anxious. The way you eat can directly affect your mental health, and vice versa. Some people may overeat when stressed, while others may lose their appetite when anxious. Make it a priority to check in with yourself regularly and find ways to manage stress. Consider carving out time each week for self-care to keep a balanced mindset.
- Diet & Exercise: They go hand in hand. You can't focus on one without the other. While diet plays a bigger role in achieving a calorie deficit, exercise is key for boosting energy, improving mood, and maintaining muscle mass—important for keeping your metabolism firing and sustaining weight loss. If you need a little accountability, consider joining group classes with your bridesmaid or getting your fiancé involved in your fitness routine. If you're looking for something fun, why not try dance lessons to get ready for your big day?
- What type of diet is best? There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. The best diet is the one you can stick with, that you enjoy, and that doesn’t feel like a diet at all. I wouldn’t recommend cutting out your favorite foods—just focus on practicing portion control. The one thing I would always suggest is making sure you get enough protein. It’s key for keeping you feeling full, supporting muscle mass, and maintaining energy throughout the day.
- Gut Issues: If you're dealing with gut issues like persistent bloating, now might be the perfect time to get to the root cause. Working with a dietitian can help you figure out what's behind it. No one wants to feel bloated on their wedding day, and bloating can be uncomfortable and painful.
My Personal Wedding Prep Plan
Firstly, I don’t need to lose weight. In fact, I purposefully put on weight last year to help with my hemochromatosis diagnosis. That said, I still want to look and feel my best on my wedding day. I want to feel fit, strong and toned, and I want my skin and hair to all look great.
The two biggest barriers to me achieving this will be time and stress.
Between working a full clinical caseload as a dietitian, running a YouTube channel, and maintaining a social life I constantly feel behind on tasks. When this happens, the first thing that begins to slip is my diet and exercise regimen. I often push them to a lower priority when trying to get everything else done.
So, the biggest thing I'm going to work on, which isn't specifically diet-related but I know will have the biggest knock-on effect on my diet, is time management and organisation.
My Wedding Prep Strategy
Time Management & Organization.
I’m setting aside time every Sunday evening to plan my meals for the week ahead and map out my work schedule. Staying on top of things helps me avoid the "what’s for dinner?" stress during busy weeks. And when it comes to wedding planning itself, I’m making an effort not to leave any tasks until the last minute. I want to avoid unnecessary stress in the lead-up to the big day and enjoy the process as much as possible. Sometimes I eat when I'm stressed and I want to mitigate against this as much as possib;e.
Mindful Eating
Another area I’m focusing on is eating more mindfully. When I’m busy, I tend to eat at my desk or while watching a YouTube video, and that’s a habit I want to break. Eating mindlessly like this can lead to bloating (you often swallow air!) and overeating since your body doesn’t get enough time to recognize when you’re full. My plan is to create a calm, distraction-free space for meals—even if it’s just taking 15 minutes to step away and enjoy my food properly.
Wedding Workout Routine
Finally, I want to get back to being consistent at the gym. My goal is to build a bit more muscle in my legs and maybe even run a half marathon in under 2 hours. To do this, I’m creating a proper running plan, getting back into a good strength-training routine, and ensuring I’m fueling my body well to support my training. I've also decided to start taking creatine supplements - there's so much evidence supporting their benefits for women, and no, they won't make you bulky! If you're curious, you can check out my favorite creatine supplements for women here.
FAQ
I offer personalized plans to all of my clients. Join the waiting list here if you would like to work with me 1:1.
You can check out my dieting and weight loss video series on YouTube.
That’s great! Focusing on feeling energized, confident, and healthy is just as important. Prioritize balanced meals, regular exercise, hydration, and self-care practices to feel your absolute best. If you feel you need some extra support or guidance with this, I'd recommend seeking the support of a dietitian.
Yes I have so many fertility nutrition tips! In fact I have written a full post on the best fertility diet plan that you can check out to help you get started.
Thank you for reading!
I hope this article has given you the tools and confidence to kickstart your wedding diet plan and support your journey leading up to the big day. If you have any questions or just want to connect, I’d love to hear from you! Please leave me a comment below or find me on YouTube and Instagram....I LOVE knowing there’s people out there reading my articles. 🙂 IG: @marialuceyrd_dietitian
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