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This is it… The final countdown to your big day. And along with settling those last few details — figuring out where to seat your eccentric Uncle Carl, firming up the flowers, deciding on your first dance song — you’re likely also making one last push to make sure the body that will be wearing that gorgeous white gown looks as good as it possibly can. You and nearly every other woman with an engagement ring on her finger. In fact, research shows that an overwhelming 91 percent of brides-to-be are anxious about their weight. But from here on out, you won’t have to be!
Whether you want to drop those last few pounds or look more toned — or both — we’ve got a month’s worth of daily tips (none of which require starving yourself or working out nonstop!) that will help you feel stunning and confident when you walk down that aisle. You know where to send the thank-you card. Let’s get started!
Day 5: Fiber Up!
Fiber isn’t exactly the sexiest topic in the world, but it can do your body a world of good. “It keeps you full and satisfied, helps naturally remove toxins from your body and expedites weight loss,” says Rachel Beller, R.D., of Beller Nutritional Institute in Beverly Hills and author of Power Souping.
A recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that participants who were instructed to get at least 30 grams of fiber a day — but that was the only dietary change they made — lost nearly as much as a group of people who were put on a much more complex diet that required limiting calories, fat, sugar, and salt and upping fruit, veggie and whole grain consumption. In addition to the fullness factor, fiber actually prevents your body from absorbing some of the calories in the foods you eat. In one study, people who ate 35 grams of fiber a day shaved 245 calories from their daily diets.
Beller recommends aiming to get 30 to 35 grams of fiber a day. (The average American gets about half the recommended amount of fiber each day, so odds are you need to up your fiber game, too.) And try to have 8 to 10 grams of it at breakfast. “It’s an easy meal to get it in because there are so many high fiber options — like cereals, whole wheat bread and oatmeal,” says Beller. “And if you fall a little short at another meal, you’ll be covered.”
See More: 7 Super Foods to Eat While Planning Your Wedding
One word of caution: If your diet is currently fiber poor, add it in slowly. If you jump right to 35 grams a day you might feel gassy and bloated. So, for example, rather than going for a big bowl of All Bran tomorrow morning, she suggests mixing it half and half with whatever cereal you eat now. Try the same strategy at other meals and gradually up your fiber grams until you hit that magic 30 to 35 range.
Here’s a quick list of some high-fiber foods, measured in grams per cup: