We all want to look perfect on our big day, but crash diets and starvation are not the answer.  We've got some great and healthy tips for you to incorporate into your daily routine that will definitely help you to look and feel good.

DO:

• Know when to stop - It takes 20 mins from the first mouthful for your brain to signal that you’re full. Slow down, chew your food a set amount of times and put down your knife and fork between mouthfuls.

• Sleep yourself slim - Research shows that just two hours of sleep deprivation plays havoc with hormones that control appetite so you crave more calories during the day.

• Go liquid! – Whether you think one eats soup or drinks it, just be sure to consume it. A dieter’s dream, liquid foods have less calories than their solid equivalents and are just as filling.

• Be pro-protein! – Protein’s a must-have. It affects appetite regulation in the brain. You’ll feel less hungry if you get your calories from protein more than carbohydrates.

• Drink up, fill up! –Water is filling, it acts as a natural appetite suppressant. Plus, we often mistake thirst for hunger. The body loses two litres of water a day which need to be replaced – this equates to approx. eight glasses a day.

• Eat Breakfast! – Research has found that people who eat breakfast end up consuming 100 calories less than their breakfast-ditching counterparts.

• Banish the Booze! – On weekdays, at least. Although not high in fat, alcohol tends to be high on calories, especially fizzy alco-pops. And it tends to bring on the midnight munchies.

DON'T:

• Give Up! – Don’t let one Danish destroy your whole diet. Pick up an apple and move on.

• Ban foods completely – If you ban certain foods from your diet, you’ll crave them even more.

• Ditch the dairy! – Calcium speeds up your body’s fat burning and reduces the amount of fat it can produce – but go for the healthy versions.

• Buy Diet food – ‘Lite’ or ‘lo’ anything is often a marketing tool and no more. Eat proper whole foods rather than light versions and you’ll eat less and be more nourished.

• Supersize your Portions – unless you want to supersize your dress. Put your dinner on a smaller plate so you can’t have too much, order two starters as a main course when eating out.

• Binge at the weekend – If you let yourself go at the weekend, the effects of all your hard work throughout the week will go with it. 

• Starve! – Crash diets aren’t the answer. While you might lose weight in the short term, you won’t keep it off. This is because sudden starvation makes your body go into panic mode and hold onto every gram of food you give it which slows down your metabolism.