The 12 Day Diet: A Slimmer, Happier Bride

Get our tricks of the trade when it comes to losing those final pre-wedding pounds! (expert advice)

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With all the stress that planning a wedding brings, it can be easy to gain a little weight.  If you're not at the size you feel you should be at when you slip on your wedding dress, don't worry.  The 12 day diet promises that brides will burn calories, lose weight and inches, and be prepared for their special day.  Below you will find some helpful information on the 12 day diet.

Tricking Your Body 

As you prepare for your wedding, the 12 day diet suggests that you ‘trick' your body.  It follows the idea that our bodies become accustomed to the amount of calories we take in each day and it burns calories based on that data.  So, if you normally eat 2000 calories a day, your body will burn calories according to that - no matter how many calories you eat in actuality.

That's where the tricking comes in at.  You alternate between eating a ‘lower than normal' amount of calories for the first 4 days.  You then eat your normal amount again for the following 4 days.  Then, (you guessed it) back to the lower amount of calories.  So, if you're accustomed to eating 2000 calories, during the first 4 days your body will burn this amount - even if you're only eating 1000 calories.  By the time your body catches up to the trick, you're back to eating the 2000 calories.  

Types of Food for the 12 Day Diet

While you're on this diet, it's important that you eat healthy calories.  Rather than having calories from fat with foods like cookies, doughnuts and other sweets - you should have calories from lean meat, vegetables and fruit.  Beans, nuts and whole grains are important as well.  This will help you remain healthy while you're on the 12 day diet so you're a happy and healthy bride when your big day arrives.

Exercising with the 12 Day Diet 

The types of exercise you should perform with this diet include high calorie-burning workouts, like aerobics.  Things like jumping rope, dancing, jogging and workout routines are an excellent idea.  This will help your body burn fat faster and you will lose inches more quickly.  It's a great and healthy way to ensure that you look perfect in your wedding dress.

It doesn't have to be difficult to quickly whip your body into shape before the wedding.  12 days, a little determination and some support is all you need.

Member Comments

159 287 31 Cassaundra

10/27/2009 at 11:52 am This is not a bad idea, if a bride wants to drop a few extra pounds before the big day.  I agree with snbooapy, if you haven't started long ago, this article is a little late. Nevertheless, it will be important to eat healthy and good foods before the big day.  This healthy diet, along with good excerise will relieve more stress than realized!

2913 173 48 Lorienne

09/15/2009 at 01:47 pm This plan sounds more reasonable than what I have heard of brides doing in the last days prior to their weddings to lose weight.   Although I agree with snboooapy that acceptance and happiness is key, reality is that many brides are worried about the practicality of actually being able to fit into the dress that they've had altered for their wedding day.  Of course one should always seek the advice of their physician prior to starting any weight-loss plan, particularly a short-term plan.  If you are concerned about weight loss for your wedding we have a Group here on Project Wedding which offers support and encourages healthful methods of shaping up.  Please join us in the Project Wedding Slim Down Group!

2174 285 132 tstar

08/26/2009 at 10:18 am I like the suggestions, I do not think I can do this but nice thought.  Exercising seems to be the thing that is working for me.

102 159 3 snboooapy

08/25/2009 at 10:36 pm I found this article to be outrageous. No wonder brides freak out at the last minute--with the pressure that this kind of article puts on us. Who needs to be reminded 12 days for her wedding that she needs to lose weight?!?! If it hasn't happened by now, then it's time to work on acceptance and being happy, which is what the wedding is all about. At 2 weeks to go, you should be encouraging brides to focus on all the ways that they are beautiful, not giving instructions on a crash diet. It's a great idea to remind us to eat healthy and to exercise, not so well conceived to promote unrealistic 12-day diets.