If you’re anywhere with an internet or cable connection, you’ve most likely been inundated with information about the royal wedding between Prince William and Catherine Middleton, arguably the most momentous wedding of our generation. So permit me one to add my two cents on the hoopla by approaching it from an angle I’m always interested in–the health and fitness aspect.
Kate Middleton on her wedding day in a dress designed by Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton. (Ben Stansall / AFP / Getty Images)
Since the royal engagement in November, every facet of Middleton’s life has been under a microscope, including her alleged dieting and visible weight loss. According to an LA Times article, Middleton’s mother, Carole, acknowledged the fact that her daughter was on the Dukan diet, and an ABC News article cited British papers saying that Middleton dropped from a size 6 to a size 2 in about five months. Rumors are that Middleton now weighs 120 pounds, which at five-foot-ten, put her body mass index (BMI) at 17.2, technically underweight (18.5 is the cutoff).
This raises a few questions. First, what is the Dukan diet? According to its website, the diet was developed by Dr. Pierre Dukan in France in 2000. There are four phases: attack, cruise, consolidation and permanent stabilization. The idea is to consume a high-protein, low-calorie diet, much like the Atkins diet. Because the diet is so restrictive, people who stick to the diet will definitely lose weight, but it’s not without side effects. A WebMD review of the diet warns that the diet does not contain all the essential nutrients that come from fruits, whole grains and healthy fats. And, as is usually the case with dieting, once you stop following the plan, you’re prone to binges and rebound pounds.
Second question: “Is Kate too thin?” I only ask this question because it’s such a favorite of the tabloids when talking about any celebrity who’s lost weight, but I don’t intend to answer it. This is an issue for Middleton and her doctor. What I will say about is her weight loss is that I completely understand. I’ve seen enough of my friends plan their wedding to know that the process in and of itself is incredibly stressful, let alone a wedding of this magnitude. I also know enough about what stress can do to your waistline to suppose that a lot of her weight loss can be attributed to wedding craziness.
That said, you can lose weight/tone up/get fit for your wedding without crash dieting or spending hours upon hours in the gym. Mahalo’s fitness expert Torri Shack shows you a sane way to acheive your fitness goals before your wedding. From getting started to toning exercises like burpees and bicep curls, you’ll learn anything you need to know to look great on your wedding day.
Think we’re missing something or have a fitness question? Contact us at requests@mahalo.com.
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