My wedding is in 8 weeks and I need to get back on the bandwagon asap. What are your fool proof, non negotiable must do’s for an eight week mini transformation? I’m talking; body, face/beauty, hair etc.
I’m trying to creep out of this low grade depression I’ve been in for quite a while. Influenced by weather (winter where I am) and burning candles at both ends (full time job, wedding planning, studying post grad, ADHD), and has resulted in a bit of flabby weight gain (double chin, enlarged mid section, sad saggy face) hair shedding, dull face, that is contributing to some serious self esteem issues…But if there’s one great thing about ADHD is how well I perform when a deadline is looming.
I’ve taken a leave from study and have been prioritising my mental well-being so I’m ready to do this! If you feel like I’ve missed anything let me know!
I’m 31F, weigh 58kg, 163cm (5”2) in height.
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I don’t know if anyone can give foolproof, but perhaps this is a good time to be purposeful about nourishing your body with good nutrition, get enough sleep, reduce stress as much as possible, go for walks regularly, etc. This is already a very stressful time, please be kind to yourself 💜 Congratulations on your wedding!
Lots of water, no alcohol, 10k steps a day, 100+ grams of protein a day and limit carbs that aren’t whole grains. Lift weights helps
Your symptoms sounds like endocrine issues: pcos, insulin resistance, thyroid? Id get some blood labs done.
In the interim, walk briskly 30 min a day, reduce sugar and no alcohol.
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If you don’t have a regular skincare routine, I highly recommend adopting one, even if it’s a simple as moisturizer.
Get a facial (you have time for two if you go in the next week) but nothing too intense, more like a gentle hydrating facial – but only if you know your skin won’t react or isn’t sensitive. A hydrafacial would be great.
Aside from that it’s just lifestyle choices. Get good sleep, eat healthy fresh foods and minimal processed foods. Cut out alcohol or minimize it as much as you can. Let your skin breathe (no heavy makeup days). Drink water!
Lift weights.
Drink all the water.
No alcohol.
Eat protein.
Sleep! Get enough quality sleep. 7-9 hours a night.
Lower stress as best you can.
Drink lots of water. Eat veggies every day. Make sure you’re getting at least 25g of fiber every day and increase your protein intake for more energy (and make sure you’re getting enough fat!). Get plenty of sleep. Use moisturizer and sunscreen every day. Make sure you moisturize not just your face, but also your neck and chest! Get some exercise every day, whether that’s a walk, dancing around your house, or something more focused like a class or trip to the gym.
Get a haircut (or even just a trim) now so that if you aren’t crazy about it, there’s time to grow it out more before the wedding. If your hair isn’t doing great right now, start doing a weekly deep-conditioning mask and limit heat styling. I use a high-quality conditioner and a coconut oil treatment every time I shower—it helps a ton!
This is a mental AND physical thing – working on both will make you feel better together.
Increase your water intake, eat lots of veggies, and try to minimize sugar to the extent that you can – I have found that both really help. These are not to lose weight (you might, but you might not), but just to feel good and be healthier. Experiment with different makeup looks to highlight the features you like on your face. If you have the money, visiting a hair stylist can help deal with the shedding. If not, then you can due process of elimination (but likely it’s stress).
A facial can work wonders on the face and the way you feel, but you can also do this with some face masks and self-care time at home.
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So much water, no alcohol, no smoking (weed or nicotine), lots of sleep. Listen, none of this is a secret. The secret is HOW you don’t and make it manageable. What scares people off is going off alcohol and realizing how much you’re using it to numb, or choosing different sleep routine habits and choosing not to stay up until 11 watching one or several of the screens. No secrets, just choices.
I know people say 10k steps a day and that’s a great goal. I also know that for people who are having low grade depression that it can throw you in a greater depression (how can I even get there??) – so another thing you can do is focus on “minutes per day” and increase gradually and give yourself small wins. Start walking at 4 minutes per day and you can even just do that in your own space (indoors), back and forth. I was hospitalized and had to do that – any win is a good win. Then increase to 5 minutes a day, and so on and you’ll get more and more steps in!
Try a good leave in conditioner – this made a huge difference to things I’d been doing for years. Bumble and Bumble has a couple of great ones.
Calculate your TDEE and focus on your proportion of protein, carb and fat intake and eat a high protein diet. This can make a huge difference, especially if you do even any bit of light weight training. Even something like a 10lb weighted workout bar every other day would make a difference! They have higher weights, so you can progress over time.
As far as body, overall, I’d say take care of yourself and focus on one more thing at a time. Get ready in the morning, establish a routine that makes you feel good. If there’s something that makes you feel better (new eyeliner technique or even just putting on a new shade of lip color), try that! Every one is different. Do what works best for you and work at it at a pace that works well for you.
Fibre. Water. Sleep. Moisturizer.
Everyone’s saying water but no mention of the need for sodium to make sure you’re staying well hydrated. Adding lemon and Himalayan or Celtic salt to the water will make you feel the benefits instantly.
Water! Drink so much water.
Leafy greens and lean proteins (stay away from brassicas as they can be inflammatory), eat fewer carbs and try to make them whole grain.
No alcohol!
No sugar (or no processed sugar to be more precise).
Walk 10k steps a day at least.
Do some cardio for 20-30 minutes a day.
Alter Ego corset.
No tummy wrap nonsense, they will change your figure DRASTICALLY in 8 weeks.
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As a reminder, requesting and providing medical advice is against subreddit rules. So is sharing medical misinformation.
This can include things like directing people towards specific medications and supplements, recommending diets, etc..
Sharing personal experiences is fine. Common suggestions like “drink less” or “eat less sugar” is fine. Saying things like “sounds like you have XYZ” and “go keto” is not.
Focus on lifting weight with your arms. 8 weeks won’t make a huge change to anything BUT you can make your arms look more toned which is what will show in your dress ( making assumptions you are wearing a dress here) so start chill but you are trying to get up to doing hammer curls with 25 /30lbs by the end of the 8 weeks. Not 5 lbs.
With everything you shared and the short time frame, what I’d focus on is destressing and stress management. Ideally, you should take some things off your plate. But if you really can’t, manage all that cortisol through movement and/or exercise, and use mindfulness techniques to deal with any anxiety or worrying. So much of our stress comes not from a real stressor in the moment, but us worrying about something in the past or future.
Chronic stress has a major impact on our bodies. Just looking at weight as an example, many people gain weight when stressed and some lose (the mechanics of this and the why are a complex subject). And it can also affect our hair, eg. shedding, greying. For me, I get hives.
Congrats on your wedding!! I’m wedding planning as well, so I know that it’s a lot.
Sign up for an expensive reformer Pilates studio, unlimited membership, and go every day or twice a day (it’s a very light workout so you can do it more often). I saw dramatic results in 2 months.
No alcohol, reduce processed foods, lots of water and lots of sleep. And strength training, feeling physically stronger makes you feel mentally stronger. Having discipline with what you eat and working out will also make to feel better mentally and physically.
Cool mist humidifier in bedroom
Get your brows done (maybe twice, once now and once closer if you liked them)
No alcohol
Daily walks outdoors
Walking, fiber, magnesium, sleep
This is what I would do:
1)No alcohol, sugar, or high GI index foods, low carbs
plenty of sleep, protein, and fiber
gym/workouts you like to do
nails/hair/light spray tan the week before
some kind of laser skin treatment/facial/microneedling/botox refresher a couple of weeks prior
Chlorophyll supplements now (they act as an internal deodorant and they work but it takes a few weeks)
good vitamin C topical in the morning if you’re not on that already (the hot dog water skinceuticals version just had their patent expire)
teeth whitening either with strips over the next 8 weeks or I’d go to a cosmetic dentist
Get a HydraFacial the day before the wedding. It’s a fancy, name brand facial and while I loved the results, it really only lasted a couple of days. I told myself I would only get it again for a wedding or special event!
What helps my personal glow up:
No alcohol, marijuana, tobacco.
Aim for 8+ hours of sleep per night.
Lift weights 3+ hours per week.
Bike commute daily, 10,000+ steps daily.
Handful of short runs per week and 1 longer dedicated low intensity cardio effort per week.
10g creatine daily plus plenty of water.
I drink minimal caffeine.
I aim for 140g protein per day, but your needs will be different based on height/weight/activity/goals.
Eating tons of fiber in the form of fruits and veggies.
Daily sunscreen/moisturizer/retinol (but maybe don’t start a retinol 8 weeks out from wedding unless you know you don’t purge.)
Start small with a goal to move a minimum of 30 minutes per day and be kind to yourself. Choose activities that make you happy.
Limit or cut added sugar. And WATER!! Like 100+ ounces a day.
Water, clean eating, and mental healthcare.
I have had great results with the following things:
Hair shedding – I was having bad shedding, I used a supplement called MSM, which stopped my shedding and gave me incredible regrowth- not sure if you want this happening on your wedding as regrowth looks kinda frizzy and goofy, but I digress. Coupled with vitamin c and collagen this has been very helpful in my experience.
Sleep – Sleep is important for your appearance and day to day function. I have had good results with Lactoferrin and Magnesium Glycinate. Lactoferrin has been especially amazing for improving my sleep and is great for those who struggle with low iron.
Face – I use a red light therapy light on my face a few times a week (panel not mask). It’s great for evening out skin tone and fine lines, it boosts collagen production. I have fallen off my routine for about 5 weeks and it shows. I also use SPF daily, this is more of a long game thing as I’ve been doing it for years but my skin has greatly benefited from this.
Body – Exercise 2 to 3 times a week. I use an app called Boostcamp because I’m not a gymming expert. Its not free but it’s cheap, like 5 bucks a month, but there’s loads of free resources out there as well. Exercise is good for mental health, sleep quality and making your ass (and rest and your body) look good.
Hydrate yourself, every day I drink a pitcher of water with some potassium, redmons salt, vitamin c, collagen, msm, maple syrup (for some sweetness) and pure cranberry juice. I always feel it when I don’t have this drink.
These are things that I do that I find personally helpful. I have done a lot of trial and error and this is what I’ve stuck with. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!!
Drink lots of water, rest, exfoliate atleast once a week with a good sugar or salt scrub. Also a good spray tan can work wonders to fake a glow up if you simply just don’t have the energy for anything else
Johnson’s tanning moisturizer. It has a nice “tan” look that comes on with repeated use. Smells nice, feels good. Unlike other cream self-tanners, it’s actually tan coloring, not orange. Takes 2-3 weeks to notice a difference.
Try getting your eyebrows threaded (or waxed/shaped). Beautiful eyebrows can change a whole face. I also added a fancy high end face wash to the shower and made it part of my showering routine. Washing my face before bed/wakeup just wasn’t cutting it.
Read a book. Pickup one of the hobbies you started and abandoned. Go through your closet and pull out anything you haven’t worn for a year; donate it. Get scented Epsom Salts and soak in a bath at least once a month. Get a lymphatic drainage massage (and prepare to cry after, because it somehow releases stored emotional tension??? Idk how but I sobbed for ten minutes after mine and it felt so good).
Drink more water, less sugary beverages. Eat a healthy breakfast.
Bring a granola bar everywhere – if you feel hungry, but not hungry enough to eat the granola bar, then you’re probably not really hungry.
Don’t cut out sugar unless you also want to burn calories through red hot sugar craving anger – just replace with healthier options. I like coffee with those flavored creamers. A flavored syrup and milk is healthier.
I enjoy sandwiches for lunch. Replaced white bread with ancient grain bread. I love me a McDonald’s sausage breakfast sandwich – but I can also get sausage patties at Costco and cook it myself without all the grease or buckets of salt.
Have rice or potatoes instead of pasta. Have a burger patty and toppings without the bun. Stop eating mayo (it’s gross). Use sub sauce instead of ranch. Lots of substitutions that won’t make you hate life.
Fellow ADHDer here and I totally feel you on the deadline thing! It’s our time to shine lol
I used my FOREO Bear microcurrent device nightly for a couple months before my wedding. They have an app that guides you through 1-2 minute “workouts” and I went hard and did all the workouts every night. Took about 10 minutes. My face was noticeably more toned and I lovedddd my jawline in my wedding photos, something I am usually a little insecure about.
Start with sleep! Get a lot of it!
And water!
Calisthenics
Eyelash lift and tint
Just walk every day. 10k steps preferably or close to it if you can. Drink water! Start there. If you have appetite for more, try to hit protein and fiber goals for the day and stick to whole foods.
Lots of water. Lots of sleep!!! Sleep gets underestimated. If you can get a collagen supplement – 8 weeks is enough to make a bit of a difference. Gentle exercise, again 8 weeks is enough to make a difference, my insecurity was arms since the rest was covered by my dress anyway so I focused on YouTube arm exercises, 10 minutes a day.
Maybe swap your pillowcase for a silk pillowcase. Great for hair and skin.