Congratulations! You’ve been lucky enough to find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with and they actually feel the same way. The hard part is over. Now it’s time to shape up for your special day and here are 10 ways to do it right.

1) Love yourself! Love and appreciate the skin you’re in. Whether you or your partner proposed someone said yes and a match was made. Someone loves you and thinks you’re super hot just as you are and you should too. Don’t focus on your flaws and beat yourself up. Simply focus on how you’re going to improve and become the best version of yourself for you and your partner.

2) Set realistic goals. If your wedding is 3 months out, your not going to lose 50lbs or drop 3 dress or pant sizes and that’s ok. Take an assessment of where you are right now and start setting realistic goals. Things like your body fat percentage and waist and/or hip measurements are great ways to track your progress. In general when starting an exercise program you can expect to lose about 2 percent body fat per month. For every 4lbs of fat lost you’ll drop about 1 inch off your waist.

3) Workout everyday. Yes I said everyday. There’s a method to this madness. The fact is new exercisers are usually looking to do the bare minimum to get the results they desire. So if they aim for 3-4 days that becomes 2-3 which becomes 1 then you’re too busy and you didn’t workout this week. I realize it sounds like a lot, but this is what will help enable you to form healthy habits. To be clear I’m not talking about working out an hour a day. I’m talking about moving your body everyday. That could be 10-15 min of strength training, walking 10,000 steps, 10 min of jump rope, or a full hour workout. If you know everyday you have to move your body, you’ll be moving towards a healthier you on your wedding day.

4) Feed your body right. You can’t outwork a bad diet. Real foods are best. If you can’t read the ingredients label and/or can’t pronounce it, or don’t know what it is then don’t eat or drink it. Even if it says low calorie this or low-fat that. In general stay on the outside aisles of the supermarket. Fruits, veggies, lean meats, nuts, and seeds are great options. Half your plate with veggies, a small portion of protein (size of your palm) and a tiny portion healthy fat (size of your thumb) works well. Nothing wrong with some healthy carbohydrates either in moderation. A fist sized portion of oatmeal, brown or white rice, or a piece of whole grain bread won’t hurt you.

5) Lose the scale. People trying to lose weight have been known to weigh themselves almost everyday. This can cause a great deal of unnecessary stress when you don’t necessarily see the numbers you want and this is counterproductive. When you stress over not losing weight cortisol levels in your body increase and can actually cause weight gain. So if you absolutely must weigh yourself, but please no more than once a week.

6) Find a support group. In the ideal situation your significant other is your biggest supporter and you can both take your fitness journey together. No matter what, try to find people with similar fitness goals so you can support each other, motivate one another, and hold each other accountable. This will help you stay motivated and increase your focus around your exercise program.

7) Get a qualified personal trainer. A trainer can be your ultimate accountability partner and motivator. My suggestion is that you have a conversation with at least 2 personal trainers before you pick one. All trainers are not created equal and you want to make sure that your trainer can motivate you and is as focused on your progress as you are. A good personal trainer has the ability to customize your workout program around your specific fitness goals and needs while giving you exercises to enhance your strengths and address your weaknesses while minimizing your risk of injury.

8) Meditate. Start every day with at least 5 min of meditation. Sitting in a comfortable position listening to silence and focusing on your breath. Start from a position of gratitude for your many blessings. Thankful for the body you have, your breath, your health, your heartbeat, your family, friends, job, etc. This will frame your day with positivity and you’ll be less likely to be affected by life’s daily stresses which will keep your mind healthier, thus making you a better partner. If you’re new to meditation insight timer and headspace are two meditation apps that can guide you through your practice and have varying times to fit your schedule.

9) Sleep. It’s so simple and yet so important to your health and well being. Sleep is an integral part of our bodies recovery. Sleep repairs are heart and blood vessels. Without proper sleep we increase our risk of things like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Sleep also decreases our stress levels and helps with muscle recovery. No matter how busy you get you have to make time for sleep or you may have to make time for sickness which nobody wants before your wedding day.

10) Last, but not least, remember to get in shape for your marriage, not just your wedding day. Face the reality that your wedding will last one day, but your marriage will last the rest of your life. Think about all the ways you and your partner are going to continue to grow together and form an impenetrable union that will last forever.

Congratulations and best of luck!!

For more information feel free to reach out to Jason Rodriguez at his website https://www.fitnessjourneysnyc.com/ or via email at fitnessjourneysnyc@gmail.com