Aim to loose 1-1.5 lbs per week by reducing calorie intake by 500 per day.
	Eat slow release carbohydrate's e.g. brown pasta, pulses, porridge, vegetables, yoghurt etc. Carbohydrates will produce more consistent energy levels, longer relief from hunger and give your body more chance to use up fat rather than storing it into fat. Carbohydrates should make up 60% of daily food intake.
	Reduce amount of saturated fats e.g. crisps, chocolate, spreads, fried food but increase essential fats e.g. fish, nuts, seeds. Fat should make up 20% of daily food intake, with no more than 10% coming from saturated fats.
	Eat some high-protein foods such as meat and poultry. Grill or roast rather than fry, trim off any visible fat and remove the skin from chicken and turkey. Protein should make up 20 % of your daily food intake.
	Increase amount of fibre e.g. vegetables, dried fruit, baked potato, wholemeal bread.
	Reduce processed foods e.g. frozen, tinned, pickled foods etc and refined foods e.g. white bread, white pasta, white rice etc.
	Drink at least 2 litters of water a day and reduce amount of caffeine, sugary drinks and alcohol
	Eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, either with meals or as a snack. Also supplement with a good multivitamin.
	Eat small frequent meals and try to avoid heavy meals in evening or missing meals
	A little of what you want does you good' is absolutely right. As long as you don't binge, a little of what you fancy won't have any effect on your weight loss.

Exercise and Resistance Training
Exercise and resistance/weight training are essential components of any weight loss and toning up programme.

When you are active your body burns fat and sugars predominantly but when you are inactive your body burns more sugar than fat. So as you become fitter, your body's ability to burn fat will increase. Also, exercising releases hormones called endorphins which help improve your mood and aid in dealing with the wedding planning stress!

People often fear that working with weights will build bulky muscle. This is not true. Weight training is essential for shaping and toning the body and is the key to raising your metabolic rate. Muscle burns the most energy in the body and the more you use it, the more energy it burns.

	Exercising for 20 minutes a day, 3 times a week will increase your fitness level. This doesn't mean you have to go to the gym and hate every minute of it! Fast walking is an excellent means of exercise when first starting an exercise programme and can fit into any busy schedule. You could get off the bus a stop earlier than normal, walk to work instead of driving or walk in your lunch break. When performed properly can burn many more calories than regular walking.
	When you feel your fitness level increase try some interval training by walking then running - beginners should start with a longer walking phase and build up to a longer running phase as they reach a higher level of fitness.
	Press-ups are a great exercise for toning up the back of the arms and shoulders. Start with half press-ups and progress to full press-ups once you have built up strength. 2 sets of 15 twice a week.
	Squats and lunges will help tone up the thighs, buttocks, lower leg muscles, abdominals and lower back. As you get stronger use hand weights to increase the intensity of the exercise. 2 sets of 25 twice a week
	Basic crunches are the most effective ways of toning the stomach. Make sure you keep the movement slow and focus on tensing your stomach and keeping your back flat to the floor.
	Invest in some hand held weights and start a whole body weight training programme for all over toning.

Visit www.body-change.co.uk for more information on achieving the look you want for a wedding or contact Kelly Parkynn at Body Change on 07801 950490 or e-mail personalfitness@btopenworld.com.