Wedding Diet: What to Eat to Look Good as Hell on Your Big Day

Worried about squeezing into your suit? Fear not!
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If you and your special someone have a rapidly-approaching date on the calendar, there’s a decent chance that one or both of you has had the bright idea to go on some kind of a “wedding diet” so that you both look unspeakably beautiful on the big day—for each other, for your assembled family and friends, and for the people you loathed back in high school who you know stalk your photos on Instagram. We asked Pam Nisevich Bede, a dietician with Abbott’s EAS Sports Nutrition, for a few last-minute tips on what the world’s grooms- and brides-to-be can do to look good and feel great—and make the social media haters as jealous as humanly possible.

Keep it tight. Generally, high-carb diets will make people feel a bit bloated, since they naturally attract more water. (Remember: They’re called carbohydrates.) Reduce your carb intake in the days before the wedding—not so much that you feel weak or lightheaded, but enough that you’re avoid things like white bread, crackers, pretzels, desserts, candy, and all that other stuff that you already know you should be avoiding anyway.

Detox—a little. Set aside 3-5 days to rid your body of junk calories, avoiding “trigger foods” that cause you to overeat. Most dieters who eliminate sugar and gluten, for example, find that removing those carb sources alone makes them feel significantly better. While short-term detoxes like this can be helpful in hitting the ol’ reset button, avoid more intensive detox programs, which can lead to nutritional deficiencies. And definitely avoid pricey commercial detoxes—you’re likely buying a glorified laxative.

Don’t pay for last-minute tailoring. Sorry, but if you want to make sure that suit fits as well at the altar as it did in the showroom, the most important thing you can do is reduce your carb intake. Foods high in salt also cause the body to retain water that can cause that dreaded last-minute bloat.

Plan for the pre-wedding festivities. Things like showers, welcome receptions, and rehearsal dinners aren’t known for being particularly diet-friendly, but this doesn’t mean you should be miserable the entire time. Try eating something healthy and filling before heading to those events, like a protein shake or a veggie-heavy salad full of fiber and topped with lean protein. You’ll feel pleasantly full when you arrive, but still have room to sociably nibble.

Think before you drink. How bad do you want it, really? Every little bit helps, and even if your goal isn’t to drop a ton of weight, taking in easy for a month or two will help you skip the calories and carbs that come from alcohol—and the late-night eating that alcohol tends to inspire.

Don’t stress-eat. Be proactive about finding something else to occupy your mind and body—exercise, piano, cleaning, whatever. Alternatively, try setting a timer for 20 minutes. If you’re still hungry when it goes off, go ahead and eat. Chances are that you’ll be on to something else by then. If you’re not stick to things that won’t derail your hard work, like salads, air-popped popcorn, and calorie-free flavored water or seltzer.

Beat the butterflies. Don’t head into the event on either an empty or a fully stomach—both feelings can be distracting, and feeling ill definitely won’t help with the nervousness. You should also try to avoid new or, um, special foods the day before. There’s nothing quite as humbling as eating, say, a particularly spicy dish at the rehearsal dinner and then dearly paying the price 24 hours later.


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