Real brides reveal what they did to get fit on their wedding day

Some of their best-kept, diet and beauty secrets.

It's not just the thought of beginning a new chapter in their lives that gives most brides the jitters; the fear of not fitting into the trousseaux on the day of the wedding is the real nightmare. Every woman dreams to look her best on her wedding day. Although you may get away with your tired eyes, pale-looking skin and a little bit of flab here and there on a normal day, you can't escape people's prying eyes on the day of your wedding when you will centre of all attention.

However, reversing the effects of months and months of binge eating, couch-potatoing and being an all-round sloth isn't easy. That's why most brides go on short-term diet and fitness regimens to attain quick and effective results on the day of the wedding. Here are some of their best-kept, diet and beauty secrets.

(Read: 5 top blogger-recommended makeup products that every bride-to-be MUST have)

I went easy on the salt

Akshata reveals that she was battling the bloat days before her wedding. "My face looked swollen because I was on norethisterone, period-stopping pill days, before my wedding. When I realised that it was the pill giving me the trouble, I promptly went off it. I could manage my periods; not my swollen face. I went on a complete salt-free diet a week before my wedding to shed all the water (salt causes water retention). I stuck to clean diet and had diuretics like green and black tea. Did it work? The proof is in the pudding. I looked absolutely svelte and slim in my wedding pics, if I may say so myself!"

(Read: 7 foods that will make any bride-to-be healthy and radiant before her wedding day)

Zumba!

On being asked about her fitness tip, Tania says, "Zumba!" The fitness enthusiast and yoga expert didn't wait for the last-minute to start working out. She joined a Zumba class four months before the wedding day and shed seven kilos in four months! "I started my days with oatmeal mixed with yoghurt or milk. One hour before lunch, I'd have fruit. Roti-sabzi for lunch; a handful of almonds in the evening; and an early dinner with roti-sabzi and dal again," she reveals.

I had light dinners

Chetna reveals that she cut down on fried and store-bought foods in the weeks leading up to her wedding. "I banned rice and lived on chapatti and sabzi. But I ensured I ate well! Apart from that, I didn't do anything drastic. But I did yoga and exercise every alternate day. Oh! And I had only salads and oats at night," she says.

(Read: Here are the weight loss mistakes that all the brides-to-be should stop making, RIGHT NOW!)

I juiced up!

Shreya swears by carrot and beet juice for an ultimate detox diet. The wealth of vitamins and nutrients in the veggie juices gave her skin a healthy hue and a svelte figure. "I made sure that I don't touch junk food at all," she adds.

I laugh out loud

Sree had a truly unconventional take on fitness. "See, for me fitness and health is the absence of stress. I have a high-stress job and I didn't want the tension to reflect on my face at my wedding. I took a month-long leave for my wedding and watched all my favourite sitcoms Friends; Will and Grace; Everybody Loves Raymond and some funny movies like Andaz Apna Apna at home. I slept well, kept my work phone switched off and didn't log into my emails during my wedding leave." (Read: Fight stress by staying close to nature and greenery)

I went on morning walks

A snarky remark from her in-laws made Sadhna take up morning walks weeks before her wedding. "My mother-in-law said told my father that her son (my husband) was thinner than me. Although she didn't mean to sound snide, I took so much offence that I woke up every day in the morning and went for long walks. Rest assured, that was the last time she made that comment," she quips.

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