Maybe you were doing good until your boss starting bringing donuts to office meetings. Maybe is was your skinny fiance  who started cooking yummy pasta with rich cream sauces for dinner. Even though you are determined to look your best as a bride, it is sometimes hard not to indulge in the up coming months before your wedding.

Most people have a few stumbling blocks that can trip a diet. Lets face it. Food can mask any problem – at least for a bit. Then, after we finish eating that extra cookie or big bowl of ice cream, we beat our self up. It is a vicious cycle.

Following are some tips to help you when temptation hits.

Watch Portions

You can eat meals together with family and friends. Don’t be left out. When it comes to the main course of a meal, just serve your self three quarters of a size - smaller portion. Pass on mac-n-cheese and opt for a salad. If you go over board, increase your physical activity. If you exercise two to three days a week, boost it to three or four. Instead of a half an hour work out go for sixty minutes.

Select Restaurants

Have a list of restaurants on hand. Choose places where you know what is on the menu. Look for salads with different greens, which can be ordered with grilled chicken or fish. You will get good quality protein and folic acid with the green vegetables and you won’t have to act like you are on a diet. Another option, instead of cleaning your plate ask for a doggy bag. This saves on the pocket book as well as having a healthy lunch the next day for work.

Sweet Cravings

If sweets are a down fall, especially at all those prewedding parties, try to keep it to about 200 calories a day. Depriving yourself of something, only makes you want it more. The trick is to go for treats in small packages. By allowing yourself a little bit once a day, you can have your cake and eat it too. Try Hershey Kisses. They can take the edge off of cravings.

Not Enough Time To Eat Right

With the hectic way life is these days, and planning a wedding to boot, dieting tips can fall by the way side. When you are on the run, try to plan ahead. Grabbing fast food or filling up at office vending machines is just too tempting.

Plan to carry healthy foods with you if you are not going to stop for lunch. Put a couple grab and go items like fresh fruit or whole grain bars in your purse. Another healthy option is a bag of chopped vegetables, nuts and raisins. If your office has a fridge at work bring yogurt and low fat milk. The diet tip here is to have healthy snacks on hand so you can eat nutritious food through out the day.

Stressed Out

When planning a wedding, there are bound to be a few stressful days that can send the most conscious bride into a frenzy. Stress can ruin any good diet intentions and bring on cravings.

First you need to ask yourself if you are really hungry. If so, have a low calorie snack. If you are not really hungry, opt for crunching on ice cubes or shaved ice. Gum chewing is good too. If stress continues, increase exercise time. If you can’t get to the gym, go for walks. The fresh air will help too.

Excercise Brings on Hunger Pains

If you have a good run or exercise program, you will burn calories and may feel justified in rewarding yourself with food. Eating after exercising is not necessarily a bad thing, it actually helps the body recover from a work out. The tip here is not to eat too much. Fill up on water, dried fruit or energy bars. Tell yourself you are going to finish your work out and have a banana or sports drink. You will be having dinner in a few hours. This way you get some carbs and stay mentally on track.

Late Night Munchies 

It is common for women who are too busy to eat complete meals during the day, especially if they dieting, to be starved by dinner time. Skipping meals or going for long stretches with out eating is a set up. Get in to the habit of eating small meals and snacks through out the day. If you still get night time munchies, brush your teeth right after dinner. It is like telling your mind your are done eating for the day. Another tip is to drink low calorie beverages. Sometimes the mind confuses hunger for thirst. Satisfy those hunger pains with a glass of water or tea.

Inhaling Food

If you tend to eat fast, slow down. Wolfing down a meal leads to over eating. Your body doesn’t have time to signal that your are satisfied. Focus on the people you are dining with. Enjoy good conservation while lingering over the meal. Taste each bite. Feel the texture of what you are eating. Another diet tip is to eat slow foods like soup or salad. You can poke at a salad and consume fewer calories eating soup with a meal because it is more filling.

Remembering some of these dieting tips can help you to stay on track before the wedding. Even if you binge once, doesn’t mean your whole diet failed. It is like falling down. You don’t lay there you get back up. Work each day as if it is the first day of your diet. Set realistic goals. They are much easier attain.