Every time I have a photo shoot or an event I am always asked what I do to prepare. Of course, the main thing that I suggest is to eat healthy before your event. You shouldn’t do anything unhealthy or drastic to drop weight quickly. Some people think they will just basically starve themselves or do cardio for hours a day…please don’t do either! With that being said, there are some changes that I do make to my diet and exercise to lean out as much as possible when I have a special occasion coming up – usually starting about 2 weeks out.

To prepare for my last photo shoot and our beach trip right after, I did the She Sweats Extreme 4-Week Shred workouts (I started with the She Sweats 12-Week Transformation). I was able to shred the last bit of fat by doing the high-intensity circuits that are part of the Extreme workout plan.

If you are preparing for a fitness photo shoot or competition, I highly suggest hiring an experienced coach but the tips below will give the average person just trying to drop water weight a starting point for that special day (whether it’s a wedding, vacation, reunion, etc.).

This was posted on my personal website but I decided to move it here so that more of you could benefit from it since we get a lot of emails on this topic. 😉

7 EASY TIPS TO SLIM DOWN FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT

2 weeks out from your event (or even earlier…if you can):

1. No alcohol.
2. Aim for a gallon of water per day
   • Only drink water or unsweetened tea (We also like to incorporate some of these detox waters – the Jillian Michaels Detox Water one is our favorite!)

5-7 days from out from your event (all of the following plus the 2 above):

1. Eat only whole foods.
   • Limit or eliminate protein powders and protein bars
2. Avoid dining out as much as possible.
3. Limit your intake of foods that bloat you.
   • This might take some trial and error. I have found over the last few years that eggs, dairy, gluten, protein powders, protein bars, gum, some veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, etc) bloat me. I do eat these (some of them every day) but will cut them out the week before an event.
   • Check out this post for more information on foods that may bloat you and how to beat belly bloat (again, we love the Jillian Michaels Detox Water to help reduce bloating).
4. Avoid sugar and artificial sweeteners.
5. Avoid adding extra salt to your dishes (This is another reason why it’s best to try and avoid dining out during this time).

Remember, the best way to prepare for an event is to live a healthy lifestyle year-round! Just a few minor tweaks {as listed above} will help you feel more confident when a big event is coming up but nothing can replace eating healthy and working out on a consistent basis!

Let us be your personal trainers with our detailed 4, 6 and 12-week She Sweats Workout plans! We guide your workout each day, telling you exactly what to do and what intensity to work at. We have everything you need! Find out more!