You have your wedding checklist which probably includes the usual, invitations, flowers, dress, etc and somewhere in that list (although probably not written down) is to lose weight before your wedding. Trying to find extra time to workout and fix good meals is extremely difficult under normal circumstances and when you are planning probably the most important day of your life, can be nearly impossible.

If you are like most brides, you just want to lose a few extra (well maybe a little more than a few) pounds just to make sure that you look extravagant in your wedding dress and photos. I'm sure everyone, including your soon to be husband, are telling you that you look great and not to worry about losing weight. This overwhelming desire to lose weight typically causes women to look for wedding diets that will help you lose weight fast. In this article I'm going to go over a few ways to lose weight without having to "go on a wedding diet."

Dieting is something most people hate having to do. Sometimes diets are necessary, but doing anything that your brain doesn't like to do, especially when it has to do with food, will eventually come to an end. Any weight that you have lost typically will come right back. This is exactly why diets, especially wedding diets, don't work.

Changing your diet is different. Weight loss will come a lot easier if it is a lifestyle change, which is long term, rather than a diet which is short term. Changing your eating habits and exercise routines are not easy, especially if you have bad habits (which most of us do.)

Here are five tips that will help you lose weight for your wedding without going on a "wedding diet."

1) Cut Out The Caffeine - Your probably saying, Ya Right, but remember, caffeine is a diuretic and can cause you to be borderline dehydrated. If our body doesn't think it's absorbing enough water, it will retain water, which will add weight (a gallon of water weighs 8.33 pounds.) Now don't go out and take a diuretic just to lose water because this can have serious health side effects. Caffeine also disrupts your sleep and a lack of quality sleep can interfere with your metabolism. (See tip #2)

2) Get More Sleep - There are numerous sleep studies that prove that a lack of sleep can be very detrimental to your health and one of the bad side effects of sleep deprivation is weight gain. If you are not getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night then you are not doing your body any favors. If you are regularly getting 6 or fewer hours each night, over time this will interfere with your body's ability to repair itself. When you sleep, your body is working hard to balance out your hormones and repair your immune system. Without adequate sleep, you will be prone to weight gain, disease and a whole host of health problems.

3) Eat Your Salad After Your Meal - Americans are one of the few countries that are in the habit of eating their salad before their meal. Studies show that eating salad after your meal can actually curb your brains need for a sweet. Yes, it is quite normal for your brain and body to want something sweet (and usually high in calories) after a meal. Eating your salad last can often avoid the evening cravings that we all get and thus help you lose weight.

4) Don't Skip Meals - Instead of skipping a meal, just eat a smaller meal. Your body doesn't like missing a meal and if this happens too often, it will over compensate by decreasing your metabolism and storing fat.

5) Do Some Meal Planning - A common excuse for eating poorly is a lack of time. You get home and are tired and just want to relax. Trying to think about what to eat is almost as hard as fixing the meal and if you are already hungry, your tendency will be to snack or to eat quick stuff which is not typically as healthy. Plan your weeks meals on Saturday or Sunday and get the preparations at the store ahead of time, so your not having to run to the store at the last minute or make an excuse to put the frozen pizza in the oven instead.

Wedding diets don't work, crash diets don't work and any weight you lose from these methods are typically a quick fix because you'll just gain it back and the last thing you want is to gain those extra pounds back on your honeymoon. You can lose weight fast and still maintain your health you just have to give your body what it needs, good food, sleep and exercise.