Wedding season is once again upon us, which means you’re probably gearing up for some beautiful weather, gorgeous venues and of course stunning gowns. Even if you’re not the bride, wedding season is a time when you definitely want to look and feel your best, so you can attend any celebration feeling sexy and confident.

While lifestyle choices, like a smart diet and exercise plan, are essential to looking your best for wedding season, we hope you’re also including shapewear and waist trainers in your summer slim-down and shaping strategies.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to look your fittest and enhance all of your best features.

Surprising Benefits of Shapewear and Waist Trainers

You’re probably aware that shapewear is a must-have for the day of the wedding. (Need help finding which kind to use? Check it out: The Best Shapewear for Formal Occasions: Q&A.) But did you know can benefit from shapewear—and especially waist trainers—for months leading up to the big day? Here’s how:

They stimulate thermal activity: Compression shapewear, particularly waist trainers and activewear, heat up your target areas, which in turn makes you perspire. This is especially important during exercise, because you can get a more effective workout with the same amount of effort. And the more efficiently you work out, the more results you're going to see.

Check out the most effective workouts for waist trainers and compression activewear to get the most out of your fitness routine leading up to a wedding or formal event.

They increase motivation: Wearing shapewear regularly increases your confidence and gives you a vision for what you want your body to look like. Just like some people like to post magazine photos on the mirror to stay motivated, seeing your best self every time you look in the mirror can be even more motivating!

Slimming shapewear can also provide powerful reminders throughout your day of your weight loss goals. If you have a day when you’re just not up to your daily workout or eating well, try putting on a waist trainer and take a look in the mirror. That simple discipline can help you carry through the more difficult ones when you’re reminded why you’re making healthy choices.

They sculpt and shape: Not everyone has a natural hourglass shape, but the right shapewear can help you achieve the look you want by cinching your waist, enhancing your curves and providing slimming exactly where you want it. Be sure that you wear the shapewear that fits best for your final gown fitting so that any alterations are made precisely to the shape you want, especially if you’re working towards dramatic weight loss and slimming leading up to a wedding, That way, when the final alterations are made, you’ll get a gorgeous fit that shows off your curves in the most flattering way.

The Most Effective Weight Loss and Shaping Strategies—for Weddings and Beyond

 Looking forward to a wedding is naturally a time to be working toward weight loss and enhancing your shape. Hopefully, once you make adjustments to your lifestyle you’ll continue to make smart choices that will keep you feeling sexy, happy and healthy.

Here are some strategies we recommend:
Set realistic goals and break them down by week/day: Most of us have an ideal weight that we want to reach. But you have to ask yourself if that ideal is actually realistic for your build and can be met in the amount of time you have before the wedding.

If you only have a few months to lose weight, set a realistic goal. In general, it is healthiest to lose weight gradually: no more than 1–2 pounds per week. So, if you have a good plan, you might realistically expect to lose a pound per week before your goal date (also depending on where you’re starting from). If you lose more, then consider it bonus.

Also remember that weight isn’t always an accurate gauge of progress, especially if you’re not overweight to begin with. If you’re not trying to lose weight but would rather focus on slimming your waist and building more muscle tone, consider making different goals such as waist measurement or dress size. This is where a waist trainer or corset can come in handy; when you put it on it will instantly slim you. Use that as a target size or measurement.

Once you’ve set a realistic goal, focus on making steady progress day-by-day, week-by-week. Track your progress along the way and use your goals to stay motivated with your diet and exercise plan.

Make a realistic meal plan: There are many philosophies and strategies to meal planning for slimming and weight loss. While it might be tempting to crash diet before a big event like a wedding, it’s much healthier and effective to keep the long-term in mind.

Be sure to consume food that is nutritious and that doesn’t drastically cut out whole nutrient groups (unless a certified nutritionist or physician has instructed otherwise). Make small caloric reductions if you want to lose weight and don’t feel guilty about consuming whole foods that are nutritious. By slowly reducing your caloric intake you’ll preserve your muscle mass and metabolic rate while burning fat.

Don’t skip meals! This will wreak havoc on your metabolism and may cause you to overeat later. Try eating 5–6 smaller meals daily rather than 2–3 large ones. Control your portions (planning ahead of time helps with this). You may also find that wearing a waist trainer or corset will help you feel full, helping you stick to a small meal schedule.

Opt for fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains: There’s less need to count calories when you’re sticking to whole plant foods. If the vast majority of your carbohydrate intake is from these groups, you’ll naturally lose weight.

Stick to homemade foods: So many empty calories come from processed foods and drinks, which are loaded with refined sugars and unhealthy fats. If you prepare your own food from whole ingredients and steer away from excess salt, sugar and refined oils, you will feel fuller and more energized. You’ll also find that you’ll be craving junk food a lot less once you get away from it.

Drink water every hour: You should consume a half-ounce to an ounce of water per pound of body weight every day. There are numerous health benefits to staying hydrated, including helping you feel full and preventing cravings. By tracking your water intake and making sure you’re consuming it each hour, you’ll keep steady hydration levels throughout the day.

Increase strength training and cardio week by week: If you’re not in the habit of working out, it can be daunting to start a new program. You’ll be most successful if you gradually work up to your desired fitness level.

For effective weight loss and toning, you’ll need both cardio and strength training. There are many ways to approach this, so find a program or instructor that you enjoy. Start out with a few minutes a day of an intensity you can handle, and then try to push yourself a little harder each week.

Try to work out for 30-45 minutes per day: Wherever your fitness level is at, this is the target. If a few minutes of jogging followed by walking is all you are comfortable with, start there and work on improving.

Keeping Your Figure During the Wedding

When you’ve been working hard, the wedding is the time to celebrate! But you’ll still want to be sensible; otherwise you risk feeling sick as well as derailing your healthy habits.

Dance more and eat less: If there is a lot of good food available, stay active with dancing and socializing so that you’re not tempted to stuff yourself with all the sumptuous cuisine.

Eat your food slowly: Sometimes, especially if you’re hungry, it can easy to gobble all of your food down. But try to be mindful about what you’re putting in your mouth. By savoring it you’ll enjoy it more and be less likely to overeat. Take note of when you’re full and then stop eating! (Yes, even the snacks.)

Don’t feel obligated to try all the appetizers: It may seem irresistible, but you can eat more than a day’s worth of calories on appetizers alone. Take it easy.

Go easy on the drinks: Opt for water or low calorie drinks. Alcohol packs a lot of calories, so consider avoiding it altogether.

Look at the buffet before you start filling your plate. Think about how hungry you are and what reasonable portions are so that you don’t overload your plate. Add salads and fruits to the plate first and then fill in with the rest.

We hope you enjoy the wedding season! Be sure to share your slimming progress with us across social media by tagging us and using #BeTheHourglass.