Have Your Cake And Eat It Too

You've found the gown of your dreams, and you're in the best shape of your life - everything's on track to you looking stunning on your wedding day. Then "they" start to happen: the tastings, the samplings, the showers. How can a calorie-conscious bride stay fit while eating and drinking her way through caterers and bakers? By following this clever (and tasty!) strategy courtesy of WeddingChannel.com.

Let them eat cake! But not an entire cake!
You've got a license to taste as many cakes as you need to find the perfect one for your big day. However, tasting is not the same as swallowing an entire sheet cake whole. Limit yourself to one nibble per filling per cake (each bite should include frosting too), and don't try to taste every cake in town in one day. Keep in mind that the lighter the cake, the lighter the calories, and steer towards white, angel food, and lemony over rich, carrot, and chocolatey.

Drink and be merry! But not too merry!
One of the most fun tastings you'll encounter is the wine sampling. Red wines, white wines, champagne - what isn't fun about sipping those? The dense calories, that's what. You may think a sip of this and a sip of that can't add up to much, but you can end up downing the equivalent of several glasses of alcohol in one sitting. Limit yourself to one small swallow of wine regardless of how much your server pours you. You're also more likely to imbibe more if you're thirsty (with the alcohol dehydrating you even more), so fend off overindulging by drinking tons of water before and during your tasting. Filling up on H20 and limiting yourself to one small sip per brand can save you loads of calories -- and a nasty hangover.

Make the food cater to you!
Sure, finding a cake and testing some bubbly are two calorie minefields you can weather pretty painlessly. But when caterer after caterer places plate after plate of gourmet food before you, you may start to crack. Try to stick to the one-bite rule for each dish if you can, and never, EVER go to a tasting hungry. Drink masses of water, eat a healthy salad, and have a non-fat yogurt (the regular kind, not frozen) before you even step foot from the house. If you're on the run, keep a high-protein snack like a nutrition bar in your car and eat on the way (protein fills you faster and longer than carbs). You should also be sure to stick to your plan - if seafood is too expensive for your reception, don't chow down on Crab Louie and shrimp dripping with butter simply because it's offered. Don't let the caterer press you to try dishes or deserts that are out of your price range either -- your objective is to choose the right food for your reception, not to sample as much free grub as you can (no matter how tempting that grub may be).

Party down, and eat up!
Your big day is inching closer, and so is your final fitting. You've dodged the diet pitfalls so far, but you're about to face your biggest challenge yet: the parties. It doesn't help that your bridesmaids, your co-workers and your Great Aunt Sue are all organizing showers loaded with goodies, and chocolate donuts seem to whisper they'll make your wedding stress disappear. First, remind yourself that your friends and family are happy for you, and not part of a grand scheme to make you burst the seams of your wedding gown. Then, come up with a plan to manage your calories, not cut them. Eat small, low-calorie meals throughout the day of a shindig so you'll have a bank of calories to blow that night. Don't starve yourself - fill up on fruit, raw vegetables, steamed rice, and all the water you can drink, and save your calories for the good stuff. Burn a few extra calories during party-season by extending your exercise routine by 15 minutes a day - it's painless and it adds up. Finally, eat what you want, but want wisely. Sure the cheesy artichoke dip is good, but would you rather have that or a healthy slice of chocolate cake? By managing what you eat, stepping up your mobility, and only eating what you really want, you can celebrate AND watch your weight at the same time.