Bride-to-be, we know that since you decided on the wedding date, you’ve been making runs to the market, spending a lot of time at the gym, and de-stressing at the salon. You’re carrying out a million tasks in a day and leaving no stones unturned to look your best on the special day. But along with the gorgeous lehenga, designer jewellery, and expensive beauty treatments, you need that ‘I am the bride’ radiant glow. So keep up with the beauty rituals, but add a healthy diet to your routine. No, we are not propagating any bizarre eating habits here — these are just pre-wedding diet plans that worked for real brides and may help you, too. Take it from those you’ve been there and done that.
1. I ate 8 meals every day… and it worked!
I consulted Dr Pooja Makhija, a celebrated dietician in Mumbai who recommended a diet plan with 8 small meals every day, set by her. Since I’m a picky eater, she made sure she only included things that I liked eating in my diet chart. Combined with a high intensity workout, this diet plan really worked wonders for me and even though it cost me a bomb, it was totally worth the money.
– Nidhi Kavle, Senior Beauty Writer, POPxo
2. Raw foods all the way? Bring it on!
I wanted to follow a diet that not only helped me lose some kilos, but also give my skin a healthy glow, without starving myself. So, I opted for the ‘raw foods only’ diet plan. There are many variations to this plan, and I chose the one in which I could consume fish, fermented foods, sprouted grains, nuts, seeds, eggs, and even some meat and raw dairy products in addition to raw fruits and vegetables.
– Ivena Kapoor, Mumbai
3. Good ol’ juices for me
I did a three-day juice cleanse a week before my wedding. The cleanse requires you to have only fresh juices (no food combos) for 3 days — without salt. I ordered a pack of juices from Fresh Pressery. They deliver six juices each day and mention the time of consumption. And this diet plan did work for me. The routine provided me with the perfect detox and gave me glowing skin just in time for the wedding. It might get a bit tough, but you should know that it’s quite effective. Plus, it also helps you look a little more toned!
– Sonakshi Saxena, Fashion Merchandiser
4. Keto diet to my rescue…
The ketogenic diet plan is considered to be a pretty extreme form of dieting, but it works really well if done with some caution and moderation. The diet aims to induce ketosis, a metabolic process in which we use fat for energy instead of the body’s preferred source, sugar. I opted for this diet plan because I wanted to lose a good chunk of weight. Since our bodies preferentially use carbs for energy, cutting them means we have to use something else to keep organs functioning. Our bodies then turn to the glucose stored in our muscles as glycogen for fuel. I consulted a dietician who designed a 7-day diet plan for me, according to my weight and body type. It helped me lose almost 5 kilos in a week!
– Mitali Shah, Mumbai
5. I can vouch for the GM diet!
Like every other bride, I too wanted to look fit and fabulous for my wedding. I started working out and followed a strict 6-month diet plan prior to the D-Day. I was confident that I would shed all those extra kilos. However, 2 months before the wedding, it all went downhill. I had too many friends and relatives to catch up with and the diet and regular exercise went for a toss. Then 10 days before the functions were to start, a friend suggested the GM diet and I’m so glad she did! It is a low calorie 7-day weight loss plan that helps you shed 5 – 7 kilos easily. The first day you eat only fruits (except banana), the second day is only veggies, third is fruit and veggies, fourth day is banana and milk, fifth and sixth is brown rice with tomatoes and the seventh day you have a combination of brown rice, fruits and veggies. There are a couple of other add ons. I lost around 5 kilos, my clothes fit better and I felt so light! But let me warn you that you gain all that weight back in just a week or 10 days and it’s also not the healthiest thing to do.
– Manasvi Jaitly, Wedding Editor, POPxo
6. Go vegan!
Just before my wedding two years ago, I decided to switch to veganism, a practice that eliminates meat, dairy, eggs and animal-derived products, such as gelatin, honey, albumin, whey, casein and some forms of vitamin D3. So obviously, I went for a completely vegan pre-wedding diet plan. A vegan diet seems to be very effective at helping people lose weight, often without counting calories. This may be explained by its low-fat and high-fibre content, which makes you feel fuller for longer. It really helped me lose weight and I’ve been following it ever since.
– Nandita Mehra, Delhi
