Week Three: Drop a wedding dress size in a month!

So are you beginning to notice the effects of the Wedding Journal diet plan, are you starting to feel like a skinny bride?

We hope so and are feeling more positive about your up and coming wedding dress fitting in a few weeks time when you have dropped a wedding dress size and feel fabulous.

There is nothing more exciting than losing weight especially for your wedding day so we bring you your next seven day food diary and exercise guide – enjoy and happy dieting...

MEET OUR WEDDING DIET AND FITNESS EXPERTS

Suzanne Chalkley

Suzanne is a nutritional consultant for Health International NI and is a leading figure in the field of diet, health and nutrition.

Tel: 0845 8630487 (NI), 1890 740777 (ROI). www.healthinternationalni.com

Lynne Hanna

Clarins General manager (NI) Lynne Hanna has always been passionate about fitness and sport. Starting off as swimmer, she then progressed to long distance and ultra-running (150 miles). She has also been a champion body builder and in 1999/2000 represented NI in the UK body building finals (in the Miss Figure Category where femininity is key).

Tel: 07764161718 for fitness training with Noel Hanna. www.7summits2sealevel.com

Diet Recipes

Mixed grain muesli with hazelnuts * Day 16

Ingredients

• 30g rolled jumbo oats
• 15g of barley flakes
• 15g of wheat flakes
• 1 tbsp of sunflower seeds
• 30g of raisins
• 15g of unbleached hazelnuts roughly chopped

Method

Mix together the rolled oats, barley flakes wheat flakes, sunflower seeds, raisins and hazelnuts. Divide between two bowls and add milk or soya milk to serve.

Red Bean Salad *Day 18

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

• 2 (15oz) cans dark red kidney beans, rinsed & drained well
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 scallions, chopped, whites and greens
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup sweet red pepper relish
• 2 tbsps (2 turns around the bowl in a thin stream) olive oil
• 1 tablespoon (2 splashes) white distilled vinegar
• Coarse salt and pepper

Method

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and toss well; adjust seasonings

Beef Stroganoff *Day 16

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 675g/1.5 lb rump steak cut into thin strips
• 50g/2oz butter
• 1 medium sized onion finely chopped
• 100g/4oz sliced button mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon medium-dry sherry
• 200ml double cream

Method

Melt half the butter and brown the meat over a medium high heat. Remove meat and keep warm. Lower the heat, add the other half of the butter and fry the onion for a few minutes until soft and transparent, then add the mushroom slices and cook until softened.

Add the browned meat, then the tomato puree, the sherry and the cream.

Season with salt and pepper

Cover the pan and simmer on a gentle heat for 2-3 minutes

The dish is best served immediately.

Tummy tuckers

This weeks exercise guide is focusing on a huge problem area for brides and most women - the tummy!

It's the exercise we hate the most, but there's no doubt it's the most effective at flattening a tum – when performed correctly. Follow these steps carefully and you will soon notice the difference and side bends are great for defining the waist. However if you have any back or posture problems at all, as with all of the other exercises, consult your GP before you start.

How to do sit ups

1. Lie on your back on the floor and hook your toes under a heavy piece of furniture.
2. Bend your knee comfortably and keep them bent throughout the entire set. This helps to relieve concentrated back strain.
3. Place your hands behind your head and lock your fingers together.
4. Curl your head, shoulders, upper back and lower back slowly in succession off the floor until your torso is perpendicular to the floor.
5. Hold the upright position for a second and reverse the movement slowly until reaching the starting point.

How to do side bends

1. Stand up straight and with your arms straight down at your sides.
2. Bend sideways holding your pelvis very firm. First one shoulder should bend down toward the floor.
3. When you reach a point where you cannot bend further, inhale, hold your breath and raise yourself back to the erect starting position exhaling when you reach the vertical position.
4. Repeat this movement numerous times before switching to the opposite shoulder.

NEXT WEEK WE WILL BRING YOU THE LAST SEVEN DAYS OF OUR WEDDING DIET AND EXERCISE PLAN.

Read the week two diet and exercise plan

Read the week one diet plan

Read the week one recipes