You'd be hard-pressed to find a bride-to-be who actually
wants to walk down the aisle carrying an extra 20 pounds. With all eyes on her, the average bride wants to look her best, even if it means shedding extra pounds and toning those flabby abs. Of course, getting there takes more than just good intentions. "Exercise is not easy," admits certified personal trainer Sue Fleming, who literally wrote the book on how to get in shape for your wedding day. "It's a commitment — just like planning a wedding." Fleming's book,
Buff Brides: The Complete Guide to Getting in Shape and Looking Great for Your Wedding Day (Villard, 2002), offers guidelines on eating right and getting fit, including detailed instructions on exercises that work. We talked recently to the author about her experience helping brides get in shape for their wedding day.
Q: What made you write the book Buff Brides?
A: It's funny, at some point I realized that all my clients seemed to be brides who really wanted to look their best on their wedding day. Most of them were panicking: either they had recently had a dress fitting or they were just beginning to realize that one of the most important days of their lives was six months or so away. As a joke I began calling them my buff brides, but at the same time I realized that there's a market out there for this. I did research and found more than 1,000 books that had something to do with weddings, but not one on getting in shape for your wedding.
Q: What is the biggest motivator for would-be buff brides?
A: As part of my research for the book I talked to a lot of women and I found the thing most women are thinking about when they think of their wedding day is that they want to look great in their dress. They realize they're going to look at their pictures and video for years to come and they want to be able to look back and say "wow."
Most of the brides I work with aren't looking for huge weight loss; they want to lose 15 to 20 pounds. But more importantly, they're really hoping to look fit, with a strong upper body and great shoulders. Women are not afraid to look strong anymore. And, especially with today's dresses, which are cut to really reveal your body, having your body look good is important.
Q: You've worked with a lot of brides. Are there any characteristics or experiences that they tend to have in common?
A: One thing I've found is that after they start working out, most of them begin to look forward to their exercise time as a relaxing time. They realize that they really need that hour or so when they can get away from the stress of planning their wedding, or working a full-time job, or both. It may be the only time for themselves that they can carve out.
I've had all types of people come to me to get in shape for their wedding, from women who just want to tone up or look stronger to women who want to lose 30 pounds. And the fascinating thing about it is that 98 percent of them reach their goal. That's because the wedding day is just so important to them. I've had other clients — non-brides — drop out and stop exercising, but I have very few brides who do. It just seems that the wedding day is the ultimate goal to keep them motivated. And I would also say that a high percentage of my brides do not go back to their old habits after their wedding day.
