Need to lose a dress size by December 13! Help!!

MyTurn2BHappy

First let me say, please don't give me mean answers, I'm sensitive and will cry! LOL (seriously).. I ordered the wrong dress size for a wedding, realizing that they are a size smaller than what they say on the tag! I haven't been as strict with my weight loss and HAVE TO DO SOMETHING FAST!! I know losing weight fast is not healthy...blah, blah, blah... but I need to do what it takes! I have so many excuses, mostly an extremely busy life and going to the gym means getting up at 5am and driving 20 min to and from and then I don't get to bed until 11pm after my crazy day. So, I need something workable and a meal plan that won't leave me starving and wanting to eat everything in the house! I know I'm pathetic, but I would appreciate some "helpful" advice.. And again, be nice!!!!!!!!!

deksgrl

Seriously? Exchange the dress or get it altered.
That isn't mean, it is reality. Realistically, you can hope to lose 1 pound per week, so 8 weeks = 8 pounds. Probably not enough to drop a dress size.

Unknown

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LoraF83

Return it and buy a different dress. Eat at a moderate calorie deficit. Do some exercise that you enjoy (even if it's from home). Set yourself up for long term success rather than crash dieting for a specific event.

arwFTW

Keto...it's not something i've ever been good with. But keeping your carb intake very low seems to work for a lot of people and FAST. Good luck! If all else fails, go get it altered. They can let a dress out a few inches usually.

AskTracyAnnK28

Although it's totally possible to go down a size in 2 months, I'd exchange the dress for the correct size. It's easier to do that than make yourself crazy. Unfortunatly, weight loss doesn't have a timeline.

MKEgal

1 - What they said about exchanging / returning the dress.
Unless you're the bride, nobody will be looking at you, nobody will pay attention to what you wear. Easiest solution, best & fastest results.

2 - To feel fuller longer, increase your protein.
2 eggs are 144 cal
8 oz of tilapia or ham is just under 200 cal
1 cup of cooked black beans is 240 cal
8 oz of chicken breast is 260 cal

3 - To have more bulk, more time eating, with fewer calories, increase veggies and to some degree fruit.
1 lb of zucchini is 48 cal
1 lb of celery is 85 cal
1 lb of mushrooms is 117 cal
4 cups broccoli is 125 cal
1 lb of carrots is 186 cal
any of those can be dipped in hummus, apx. 70 cal for 2T

1 lb of apples is 276 cal
1 lb of pears or blueberries is 300 cal

pknjhh

Keto diet for sure. I am on it now and love it. Don't know if I am going to come off even I get bodyfat levels where I want them. Unless it prevents any additional size. It works fast. In 2 weeks you will be down 8lbs not joking.

Ninkyou

Return the dress and get a new one. People make mistakes all the time... get a dress that fits and save your sanity and health.

pknjhh

And if you add t3 to it you can take calories even lower with better results. Consult doctor on that part.

AskTracyAnnK28

PS - If you can't lose the weight and can't exchange the dress, invest in a good pair of Spanx

diannethegeek

Some things that you might want to take into consideration while you're deciding what to do about the dress.

Are we talking about a dress that doesn't fit by one inch or by three inches? That could make a big difference to how possible this is.

If you lose enough weight to squeeze into the dress, are you going to feel beautiful and confident while wearing it or will you feel self-conscious throughout the night? Are you going to look and feel healthy if you crash diet to get into it?

Is there any chance you'll be retaining water the day of the wedding (going out for drinks/partying a few nights before, at an unfortunate spot in your monthly cycle, high sodium foods, etc)? You might lose the weight but still not fit into the dress well if that happens.

You might look into taking up a strength training routine to see if you can change your body composition in the next two months, but no matter what you decide to do I think it's going to be a gamble that might not pay off.

JenMc14

You have 2 months, I'd say 8-10 pounds for a dress side. It's tight, but doable. First, a caloric deficit is what's important. Figure out your TDEE, and subtract 15-20%, then eat about that number of calories. Since you are really in a time crunch, hwile it doesn't generally matter what you'd eat, I'd eliminate as many processed, "crap foods" as possible. Stick to lean protein, lots of veggies and some fruit as much as possible. I am generally less bloated feeling when I eat this way, but I did lose weight in the past eating pretty much whatever, so long as I stayed under my calories.

Fit in exercise where you can. Checkout fitnessblender.com for some great videos, many under 10 minutes. I would definitely do strength training along with cardio. This may or may not work, but it's a basic, healthy approach to losing weight. But, it will require you getting into the right headspace and dropping the excuses.

in reality, I'd get another dress that fits well now, makes me feel sexy and get some sort of shapewear, as was previously suggested.

mkroberger

Yeah, I think you can lose a dress size for sure if you cut back on carbs, eat clean, stay away from alcohol (that's always the hard part for me). You can do it for sure! But also look into a back up plan such as whether you can return the dress right before the wedding, or taking out the dress. Sometimes an event will really help motivate me. :-)

Good luck!

Ready2Rock206

Return the dress or buy Spanx - they really work wonders.

kaspatore

You can do it! Aside from dress alterations, spanx, calorie deficit, and working out (you don't need a gym to excercise, by the way- just go outside!) Eat really low sodium a few days before hand. You will look amazing

Foamroller

You can probably do it. Try loose enough weight for a month, assess your results. Then, decide on keeping on Plan A or moving on Plan B;)

I've lost 13.2 lbs (6kg) in 4-5 weeks doing 5:2 and 16:8 combo. Before that I was stalled for almost a year...

It really works for me. I feel great! More drive, still workout a lot etc.

You can try this calc, made by one in our 5:2 group, to see if it's possible to loose what you need to fit into the dress.
http://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/

Here's info, if you're interested. There's also vids on Youtube.

https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

Good luck:)

Edit: I forgot to add the FAQ link to 5:2.
http://thefastdiet.co.uk/michael-answers-frequently-asked-questions/

MyTurn2BHappy

Thank you so much for everyone that was nice and gave helpful advice!!! I really appreciate it and YES I CAN DO IT! Thank you again!!

lisabwp

save the gym for the weekend maybe when you can devote more time. throughout the week do exercise in the morning at home instead. grab an exercise dvd from the store, they usually are about 30 minutes and require little to no equipment. doing it everyday in the morning before work will help make you feel better at work so you'll be less likely to cheat throughout the day and you don't lose that 20 minutes driving to and from the gym everyday, you can use that time to work out at home. take a walk at lunch(if your job permits) and stay away from the booze(wine on Friday gets me every week!) while I agree the best course may be to exchange the dress, depending on your size and if you are already somewhat fit, you should be able to drop one size in 2 months. in reality you will be able to tell for yourself after a month whether or not you will so if before thanksgiving you know you cant get there, maybe then its time to throw in the towel and call an alterations person, good luck!

MyTurn2BHappy

Thank you lisabwp!

7elizamae

Why not skip the gym and work out at home? There are so many good work out videos online, and it'll save you the commute.

If I were you I'd exercise 60 min a day, eat 1200 calories, and hope for the best. Buy the spanx just in case. I bet you'll do it!

Foamroller

You don't have time to EXERCISE off the lbs you need in time. I'm gonna parrot someone else in the forum: "Weight loss is mostly kcal deficit achieved with dieting. Workout is for health and helps to create deficit".

Good luck:)

kendalslimmer

So to conclude. Calorie deficit (e.g. eat 1200 cals per day) + exercise + super awesome underwear = fitting in the dress. :-) If you have trouble counting calories, like me, you could consider a program like Slim Fast. xxx

successgal1

I'm a bit confused. I dropped a size in a month with working out, cardio and strength, and mfp. Half a dress size was accomplished simply by toning my muscles, Pilates alone pulled in an inch around my waist. By December does not seem unrealistic or even that hard.

SarahSeemsSilly

Green tea is magic in speeding up your metabolism. Brew and drink a cup an hour or so before the gym, and a couple more cups through the day. But then again green tea is my answer to everything. Hahaha.

JagerLewis

For me, every 10 lbs is a size down. You have plenty of time to lose 10lbs the healthy way. Log your food religiously, stay at a deficit and you will be fine and looking great in your smaller dress.

bergpa

I went from a US size 2X down to a 12 in about six months (that was about 30 lbs) so I think it is possible you could do this if the dress isn't too small.

consideritdonemi

HIIT / interval exercises (less time investment), lots of green tea, 3 Day Military Diet (3 days on and then normal/healthy calorie intake 4 days), avoid high carbs and sodium leading up to the big day and/or give water pills a whirl...and Spanx...that's what I would try in the short/desperate term. ;-)

JenniDaisy

My advice would be to get the dress altered or exchange it and please don't listen to @pknjhh.

2013sk

Low carb - Cut all white carbs
Salads, Soups
Lots of protein
Fruit
Veggies
Lots of water
Green tea
Lots of sweating, exercising - Move a lot more.
Count calories
Log everything that goes into your mouth
Cut out fat, sodium, sugar, processed

Im sure your see results : )

Spanx knickers too, they hide any bulges you don't want anyone too see : )

runny111

Personally, I don't see why losing one dress size in 10 weeks is an unrealistic goal. Its very doable. A size is about 5-15lbs (depending on height and how close you are to your ideal weight).

I think you can do it.

The plan that worked for me was Bob Harper's Skinny Rules combined with tracking on MFP.
Ensure that you eat 20-25g of lean protein at every meal.
Fill up your plate with veggies and fruit.
Change your grain intake to wholewheat and non-wheat grains such as bulgur, quinoa, barley.
Prepare your own food.
Log everything

Also with the 40min commute to the gym, I would just take up walking/running. I know winter is coming but just suit up with warm clothing and get out there. At 6AM. 11-6AM is 7 hours of sleep. Make time for 30mins every morning and the rest of the day, take the stairs and try to fit in little bits of activity to total 30mins.

If you can afford it, buy a treadmill.

Good luck. With that plan, I lost 50lbs in a year. And have kept it off for nearly 18months.