How to watch your weight during wedding season

It’s that time of year again: wedding season. This can be a time of blissful happiness or a time that stretches the limits of self-restraint while trying to keep your health in check.

It’s important to remember to limit yourself while attending a wedding. Most often, people become so caught up in the festivities they forget to remember to take care of themselves.

Most people have more than one wedding to attend during the year which can add on pounds, if not watched closely.

Overeating can lead to numerous health issues, such as emotional and physical damage to the body and mind. This can be due to loss of confidence and increased weight, as well as causing damage to the digestive system.

Here are tips for watching your wedding season weight:

Participate in morning activity.

Go for a run or walk, or a quick workout, or go golfing. These ideas, among others, can help clear the mind, as well as help you feel calm, centered and more in control of the choices you’ll make later in the day.

Don’t skip meals.

Trying to save up calories will leave you feeling tired, angry and more likely to overconsume during cocktail hour.

Pace yourself.

Choose the amount you want to drink. One drink per course (cocktail hour, dinner and reception) is a good rule of thumb. If that’s not sensible to you, limit yourself to one drink per hour, alternating water with alcohol. This advice is for of-age wedding guests who plan to stay put. Never to drink and drive.

Choose wisely.

There’s no law saying you can’t have one of everything, although it’s good to limit yourself to a few options. Determine what you want to make room for. Try sticking to one plate, filling half with vegetables and the rest with protein and starchy vegetables, such as beans and potatoes.”

Dance.

Hitting the dance floor can help you lose 200 to 300 calories per half hour. This gives you an extra excuse to show off your dance moves — good or bad — and burn off the calories you’ve consumed during the day.

Gabriel Berendes, M.D., is a Family Medicine physician La Crosse, Wisconsin.