Wedding in two months- HELP!!!
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Just as a reference, I am 5'8" as well. In January 2017 I was 175. Two months later I was 168. Now I'm in the low 140s (Maybe. Weight naturally fluctuates; I was 144 for some time, a brief drop to 142, weighed 144.5 day after Christmas. I think I have decided not to weigh again until end of next week after I've been back to regular tracking for about a week). 10 months later, twenty pounds lighter. Slow going is better for preserving muscle mass and developing sustainable habits to help with maintenance.
It's not realistic to be so close to a healthy weight range and expect your weight loss to continue as it did at the beginning. Also, the closer you get to a healthy weight range, the smaller your deficit should be. One of the reasons for that is to preserve muscle mass. Your body can only burn so much fat a day, then it turns to burning muscle. As has already has been mentioned, you also can't spot reduce.
Since I assume you'd like to look as good as you realistically can on your wedding day, it doesn't seem like it would be a good idea to try to lose rapidly at the risk of losing muscle. Additionally, placing extra stress on the body can increase cortisol levels, which leads to water retention, which leads to a higher scale reading (not fat weight).
I'd suggest a goal of .5lb/week, or even maintenance and just exercise regularly to create a small deficit and deal with stress.7 -
Yoga is awesome for toning15
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Awesome. Thanks for everyone's input. Still reading everyone's comments if anyone else wants to chime in1
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To add to the concerns about starving yourself, my main concern is wondering that with such a severe deficit, are you learning strategies for maintaining a healthy weight after the wedding?
We hear from thousands of brides trying to lose weight fast before the big day, and then we hear from thousands of women who packed on the pounds after the big day.
Notice any connection?
Learning to eat sustainably forever is the goal, not ##lbs before ## date.7 -
First off you look awesome and I love your style of dress...it reminds me of my own wedding dress
Secondly...Strength training has really changed the look of my body...I can't say weight because the number on the scale has gone up 2lbs(probably water) but I now see definition in my legs and arms and obliques just from strength training without changing my deficit...and I'm a weakling...like I lift 15ish lb weights so for me that has made a big difference and my clothes fit looser
Congratulations on your upcoming day!5 -
NicoleMckenzie2017 wrote: »Thanks all for the responses- please no need to get into arguments on this post. I appreciate everyone's input and ideas- what works for them and what doesn't. I definitely am open to any and all opinions and suggestions! and thank you @Rickster1967 .. I know we are MFP friends on here and I appreciate you.
I definitely have seen some suggestions on here that I will look into and try! Keep em coming though.
And also, to all those who say I look great and don't need to lose weight, y'all are sweet. However I know how to dress my body and I know my angles when taking a picture(; lol as sad as that may sound. Right now I am at 5 foot 8 inches and sitting at 175 pounds, which is still considered overweight for my height. I started at 190 two months ago, so I know more loss is possible. I definitely am not trying to starve or deprive my body of nutrients- but it is crunch time and I know there are techniques and ways to tone the arms or tone the tummy in better ways than I know. So thank you everyone for reading this post and feel free to keep commenting. I am open to everything! It's great to bounce ideas off of one another. That's why we're all here, right?
I'm 5'8" too and currently 159 - whatever the naysayers have to say about it, I could lose more than a pound a week when I was 175, which is your current weight, and I didn't starve myself, either. 175 is not that small - it's in the overweight category - and one percent a week, the recommended maximum loss, puts your rate at 1.5 lbs/week, which I could lose pretty comfortably at that point while eating between 1700-1900 gross calories a day and working out at least half an hour daily. Now, I did work out intensely, usually more like an hour a day, strength days alternating with running with one day rest. But it's not like I slaved away for hours. I didn't get run down, I feel great. And I'm 49, you can probably lose faster than I can. You have ten weeks, you can lose ten pounds.
My recommendation is to keep doing what you're doing since it is working for you. You can't spot reduce, but you can improve your ab muscles, which will hold your stomach in better. I love my ab roller, it greatly improved my posture and core strength. And get lots of sleep. Seriously. Sleep improves your hunger hormones and gives your body time to repair the muscles you work.
People are going to feed you things at parties in your honor. Eat them and enjoy them, and don't worry about your weight too much. Stay away from snacks when you're tired and emotional. And try to take time to be happy! You want to look great in your pictures years from now, but you also want to look at them and remember that time with fondness.10 -
Thank you so much @spiffychick85 !! We must have good taste. I will definitely try some lifting. I'm not much for lifting just because I am a cardio girl. (I use to run track faithfully in high school and actually enjoyed it) haha- so I will give some weights a try.
@rheddmobile thanks for taking the time to type all that out! That's definitely encouraging to hear a similar situation with results. I think a lot of people think that 175 is a healthy weight for someone of my height and I don't have much to lose, but it is still indeed in the overweight bmi section. I eat between 1200-1300 calories a day very comfortably without being hungry by the end of the day. I will take your advice and run with it for sure. I appreciate the feedback!1 -
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First, congratulations on your engagement and upcoming wedding.
In 2018, I’ll celebrate with my DH our 25th wedding anniversary, so my opinion is based on personal wedding/weight loss experience and decades of observation.
Of course, your wedding day is special. But it is ONE DAY. Try not to get sucked into the hype of the “day”. Your MARRIAGE is the important thing - and this is over your entire lifetime. So, with that vision in mind, re-read the comment from @Orphia about all the brides who kill themselves for the wedding day then pack on the pounds afterwards. Think long term, well after your wedding day.
That said, having fun during your wedding planning is important. Eat at a modest deficit if that helps you to be mindful. Certainly, this approach will allow some forgiveness if you over-indulge on occasion.
In contrast, if you focus on a big (difficult) calorie deficit, I - like many others here - fear that you’ll be too hard on yourself if you slip. Importantly, a major calorie restriction might make you feel bitter, anxious or otherwise negative as your wedding approaches. Not fun for you, your groom or those close to you.
You’re already active and don’t skimp here. Being fit and in great shape will ensure that you feel confident and sexy on your big day. Don’t skip your workouts. I agree with a few others that strength training is very gratifying.
So, don’t forget that you want to look and feel your best for life - not just for one day.9 -
NicoleMckenzie2017 wrote: »Thanks Deb! I have had a lot of luck with losing quickly. I do belong to a gym and usually try to go 2-3 times a week but I will definitely be upping that to 4-5 times per week.
try HIIT. 20 mins with a warm up and cool down of 5 mins on each side. do it every day. you will definitely find it works and you willl see results in the first week. but you have to really crunch it in the intensity interval. you will feel like you are dying. that's how hard you will need to work it. you will see results and you will see them fast.11 -
i bought a dress that fit me like a glove. if i have to have it taken in, awesome, if not, i still look *kitten* awesome.
i see no reason to torment myself and my fiance loves me the way i am. as do i.8 -
At my nephews wedding the bride fainted before the wedding could take place. We were all ushered in to the reception hall to wait the verdict. They ended up taking their vows in private and joined us for the reception. It turned out she had stopped eating and drinking and the stress was just too much.
So I’m opinionated.
I go to weddings to witness the vows and offer my support between two people committing to each other in love. It grits my teeth when the original intent gets drowned out.
Is a set of perfect pictures really worth all this?23 -
Although I am all for weight lifting, tread carefully if you begin. Between the month of my final wedding dress fitting and the final fitting, I continued my normal overload lifting program. So there was nothing new added since I even started dress shopping. In that short of time between fittings, my dress went from fitting perfectly to falling off. I cried. I cried so much because there wasn’t time to fix this problem and I was doing a destination wedding to top the stress. Thank god my sister had a padded bra that kept it up.
With that being said, I know you said your’s laces, but those can only do so much. Think of the other areas of the dress and tread carefully. At the end of the day, no one is going to be weighing you on a scale. They’re going to remember the happiness of that day on how it radiates from the bride.8 -
I think you look great! Don't overdo it at the end. I got to visually exactly what I wanted about 1.5m before the wedding....and the busy area was so loose you could see my boobs. It was bad. I actually had to gain about 5 pounds back just so the dress wasn't ridiculously big2
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Happy New Year everyone- thanks for everyone's input. It's interesting to see everyone's point of view on losing weight and weddings.
I however do not think trying to lose ten pounds in two months is unrealistic at all. Nor do I find it tormenting lol. I think wanting to look your best and be the best version of yourself on one of the most important days of your life is not wrong. That's just my opinion though. So anyone who has any other meal prep/workout pointers or advice, I'm more than open to that! I already did take away a lot from this post from some of the people who commented. So thank you everyone (:12 -
NicoleMckenzie2017 wrote: »Happy New Year everyone- thanks for everyone's input. It's interesting to see everyone's point of view on losing weight and weddings.
I however do not think trying to lose ten pounds in two months is unrealistic at all. Nor do I find it tormenting lol. I think wanting to look your best and be the best version of yourself on one of the most important days of your life is not wrong. That's just my opinion though. So anyone who has any other meal prep/workout pointers or advice, I'm more than open to that! I already did take away a lot from this post from some of the people who commented. So thank you everyone (:
So you've been riding along not being your best self?
Why have you decided that it's only worth being your best self on your wedding day?12 -
collectingblues wrote: »NicoleMckenzie2017 wrote: »Happy New Year everyone- thanks for everyone's input. It's interesting to see everyone's point of view on losing weight and weddings.
I however do not think trying to lose ten pounds in two months is unrealistic at all. Nor do I find it tormenting lol. I think wanting to look your best and be the best version of yourself on one of the most important days of your life is not wrong. That's just my opinion though. So anyone who has any other meal prep/workout pointers or advice, I'm more than open to that! I already did take away a lot from this post from some of the people who commented. So thank you everyone (:
So you've been riding along not being your best self?
Why have you decided that it's only worth being your best self on your wedding day?
You might have misinterpreted. I began my weight loss journey a long time ago, for myself- not for my wedding specifically. I strive to be my best self every day, however there is always room for more improvement. We are never "done" evolving and growing as human beings. I find nothing wrong with setting personal goals for myself to aim to reach before my big day.
I'm not sure why people are so negative on the message boards and so argumentative..
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NicoleMckenzie2017 wrote: »collectingblues wrote: »NicoleMckenzie2017 wrote: »Happy New Year everyone- thanks for everyone's input. It's interesting to see everyone's point of view on losing weight and weddings.
I however do not think trying to lose ten pounds in two months is unrealistic at all. Nor do I find it tormenting lol. I think wanting to look your best and be the best version of yourself on one of the most important days of your life is not wrong. That's just my opinion though. So anyone who has any other meal prep/workout pointers or advice, I'm more than open to that! I already did take away a lot from this post from some of the people who commented. So thank you everyone (:
So you've been riding along not being your best self?
Why have you decided that it's only worth being your best self on your wedding day?
You might have misinterpreted. I began my weight loss journey a long time ago, for myself- not for my wedding specifically. I strive to be my best self every day, however there is always room for more improvement. We are never "done" evolving and growing as human beings. I find nothing wrong with setting personal goals for myself to aim to reach before my big day.
I'm not sure why people are so negative on the message boards and so argumentative..
I don't see anyone being negative or argumentative, just trying to give some perspective.
I could definitely have gone for a more aggressive goal over the past year if I wanted to, but I understand the benefits of losing slowly (my goal is .5 lb/week and my trend pretty much matches that), and I also understand that your body can only burn so much fat per day and then turns to burning muscle. So, why would I rush it? I was originally 212 pounds and I greatly wish that I understood then what I understand now. I lost far too quickly in the beginning, with a completely unnecessary goal of 1200. I lose about .5lb/wk now with a NET intake of about 1400-1500, gross is usually closer to 2000 (ETA - and I weigh much less now).
Others have provided perspective as to the actual wedding dress and wedding day issues that could arise.
No one's saying you can't lose what you're aiming for over the next two months, but they are giving reasons as to why you might want to reconsider your goal.
We look out for each other here.8 -
NicoleMckenzie2017 wrote: »Happy New Year everyone- thanks for everyone's input. It's interesting to see everyone's point of view on losing weight and weddings.
I however do not think trying to lose ten pounds in two months is unrealistic at all. Nor do I find it tormenting lol. I think wanting to look your best and be the best version of yourself on one of the most important days of your life is not wrong. That's just my opinion though. So anyone who has any other meal prep/workout pointers or advice, I'm more than open to that! I already did take away a lot from this post from some of the people who commented. So thank you everyone (:
It's difficult to give food prep tips without knowing what you like to eat - tastes are so individual. Personally, I prep ingredients, not whole meals, cooking things such as pork tenderloin and roast chicken, whole grains, and stir fried vegetables, then put them together later to make quick meals.0 -
True story time:
I bought the Perfect Wedding Gown. It fit right off the rack, which never happens. Fast forward one month before the wedding and I couldn't do it up. I managed to fit into it in five weeks time by living off of an apple for breakfast, and lean cuisines for lunch and dinner. Went to bed hungry every night for five weeks.
If I had to do it again, I would have just bought another dress. By the time the dinner rolled around I was so hungry I ate all the foods, and never again have I fit into that damn dress. I had to leave early and undo it on the way to the hotel because it was too tight and killing me.
The moral of the story is this, if the dress already fits and looks great, just go with it. Just concentrate on keeping your body the same size and not putting on stress weight. You can do that by eating a sensible diet and exercising. Weddings are stressful enough.11 -
I have my fitting tomorrow to get the corset back added! down 2.5 lbs since 11 days ago. Woohoo 6
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If that's you in the beautiful dress then you are looking fab. Keep on doing what you did to lose weight and if you lose another 7-10lbs then that's great. All the best.
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You seem to know how to lose weight as you've been successfully doing it, if keeping at 1200 calories is satiating for you then awesome! I'm sure you'll lose the weight by the time your wedding rolls around. The dress is gorgeous 1
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NicoleMckenzie2017 wrote: »Thank you so much @spiffychick85 !! We must have good taste. I will definitely try some lifting. I'm not much for lifting just because I am a cardio girl. (I use to run track faithfully in high school and actually enjoyed it) haha- so I will give some weights a try.
Sorry people are giving you crap for having a (very doable) goal and deadline that ties into a wedding.
But congrats on the impending nuptials!
Anyway, your goal is doable with tracking and exercising as other peeps have said. My recommendation is, since you're mostly a cardio gal, if you've not done much lifting, you might want to take measurements of yourself now as well as with the scale. Lifting can do funny things to the scale numbers though your actual body size is going down. I'm not well versed enough to explain it technically properly, but just that if you're going to lift (which WILL help you get to your goal if you're going by angles in the dress you were talking about earlier), measure your arms, waist, hips, bust, etc first. If you see the scale go up, check those measurements again to reassure yourself that no, you aren't gaining weight, you maybe put on a slight, slight amount of muscle and your muscles are retaining water right now (also, maybe the week before the wedding, lay off lifting and drink lots of water to flush so you don't feel puffy? Anyone who wants to chime in on if that is a good idea or not, feel free)
Also, if you've got the extra cash in your budget, check out a good boot camp or personal trainer in your area. Explain what you're looking for and your goal. For the short amount of time you have until the wedding, they might help you get there with a lot less questioning yourself and your methods than if you did it by yourself.
Last piece of advice here, sleep. Sleep does a lot for keeping on track with weight loss, sleep dep and stress does a lot to sabotage it. Make sure you're getting a good amount each night and not burning the candle at both ends as you get closer to the big day, 'cause that's not going to help you at all.
Good luck!!8 -
Cheering u on! I'm also working on losing 15lbs by May and doing boot camps to tighten and really working on consistency and better quality calories to feel more satisfied. Congratulations on your upcoming nupitals!!0
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Hi Nicole!! So- a few years back - I bought a couture gown and wanted to lose weight for my wedding. I lost 3 dress sizes in about 4 months. The last 2 months - It was a mixture of Super discipline- regarding my keto diet and going to the gym. I stayed within 1200 calories a day and did spin classes 4 days per week. Drank a ton of water and limited alcohol. I also lifted weights to get toned! The hard part is keeping up with it post wedding after all the cake and food!! Good luck!!2
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In my mind there aren’t any tricks to help you lose weight faster other than just being on a calorie deficit. I had planned on losing some weight for my wedding but in the month or two leading up to it I just kinda said f it and coasted along at the same weight until after my wedding and now I’m back at it. Hah. I just had too much to worry about I think. I figured it’s just one day and my husband loves me the way I am. Good luck and congrats.3
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Lost 2 pounds since last posting. 10 to go with 6.5 weeks left!!4
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Just to put numbers in perspective, then. You've lost at about half a pound a week, which is a good, reasonable goal, and is really good!
But now you want to lose 1.54 pounds a week. And we know that as you get closer to goal, weight loss slows.
So two scenarios:
1) You are still determined to get there. What will you do to get there that you haven't been doing yet? Protip: Sharp calorie reduction, more intense workouts, and fluid dehydration are bad ideas.
2) Are you mentally prepared for what happens when you don't meet that goal?6
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