1 Year Until My Wedding...advice on getting motivated?
brownlhe
Posts: 3
Hi all,
I am a female, age 22, 5'4 and 240 lbs. I was 160 in high school and looked great. I would love to try and work back to that, but I am just not sure where to get started. My wedding is 05/09/2015 and I want to look great in those pictures. I guess I feel overwhelmed with where to even start. I am also not sure if losing 80 lbs in a year is even possible. I would love to hear what some of you have experienced, as well as how much you ladies have been able to lose in a year. And any advice or tips on where to start would be so helpful!
I am a female, age 22, 5'4 and 240 lbs. I was 160 in high school and looked great. I would love to try and work back to that, but I am just not sure where to get started. My wedding is 05/09/2015 and I want to look great in those pictures. I guess I feel overwhelmed with where to even start. I am also not sure if losing 80 lbs in a year is even possible. I would love to hear what some of you have experienced, as well as how much you ladies have been able to lose in a year. And any advice or tips on where to start would be so helpful!
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Replies
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Well done on leaving adequate time to get started. In one year you should be able to make a lot of changes.
Read this post to get started:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants0 -
Just start.
If your own wedding isn't motivation enough, I don't think anyone else can motivate you.0 -
Surely your wedding, looking good at it and in the hundreds of photos should be motivation enough.0
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I think 80 lbs in a year is totally possible. Even if it were only forty though, wouldn't you do it?
Take the slow and steady approach not only because it is good for your health and will yield prettier results but also because I am convinced that the bridezilla phenomenon has something to do with hangry.0 -
You want to look amazing!0
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As others have said your wedding is motivation enough!!0
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Sure, maybe a wedding is motivation enough for some people. But pictures and fitting into a dress are all about looks. Don't get me wrong, I like to look good and thinner too, but what about losing weight for health!!! For your life. To have the energy to run after your grandkids.0
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Just start.
If your own wedding isn't motivation enough, I don't think anyone else can motivate you.
this!
Set MFP to lose 1.5lb per week (change to 1lb when you've lost 40lbs) and weigh, measure and log EVERYTHING... find some sort of exercise that you enjoy to do regularly and do some strength/resistance training.0 -
I think it's a good idea to think short term and make achievable goals. This is what I did and it worked for me. The wedding is too far away to motivate you. Maybe think about wedding dress shopping. It is a lovely feeling being able to try on dresses that fit0
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As someone who went through the whole "shedding for the wedding" phase, I can totally relate. However, I would caution you about making your wedding your ultimate motivation. The problem is that your wedding is just one day in time. If that's all your motivated for, there might not be anything stopping you from going back to old habits afterwards.
What works for me as motivation is not just the wedding/bride aspect, but that you've chosen to spend your whole life with someone - presumably someone who means a lot to you. There are a lot of health "issues" that come with being overweight, and if you don't change your lifestyle, those issues could get in the way of living the longest and the best life you will want to live with your new husband and potential family (if kids are for you).
It's always been motivation for me that I have to be healthy to live a long, happy life with my husband, and making changes now will make it easier for you to do that in the future.0 -
Add some people that will help keep you on track. Feel free to add me! 80lbs in a year is toatally possible.
My wedding is 10/3/ 2015b and i want to lose 60.
You can do it! :happy:0 -
Hopefully your wedding is motivation enough! As for losing 80 lbs in a year, I happened to land in that ballpark... I'm 5'5" and went from 206.8 to 132.4 in a year.0
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if the wedding itself isnt motivation enough.. how about the honeymoon?
or better yet, boudoir photoshoot to show off your new body to your soon-to-be-hubby? :blushing:0 -
I have about a year until my wedding, and not looking terrible in my wedding pictures is for sure motivating. If you don't believe me, just Google, "bad wedding pictures," and see for yourself.0
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Definitely use your wedding as motivation to lose weight, BUT don't let your wedding and honeymoon coming and going be an excuse to pack the pounds back on. I lost 70 pounds for my wedding and put it all back on since. I've since lost half of that, but will always be kicking myself for allowing my weight to get unhealthy again. Make a lifestyle change, don't diet. Something sustainable is always better in the long run than quick results!
Good luck. And no matter how much you lose, you'll be a beautiful bride
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Go put on your bikini right now and take pictures of yourself in it. Do this every month when you start working out. It's really working for me 0
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Sexypants link is repeated for emphasis.
[/quote]Try this. Follow this advice...
Eat sensibly, with a reasonable deficit.Start here. It's a lot of reading, but these threads are packed with really good information that will get you going in the right direction.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1161976-adopt-a-noob-official-mfp-thread?hl=adopt
Adopt-a-Noob is an awesome program. Read the first post in the thread. If you think it's a good idea for you, Read through the entire thread. All 9 pages. Select some mentors that you think might be a good fit for you, and message them. Don't post in the thread, that's not how it works. You might find some of the mentors who have posted on the last couple pages are more likely available. But, it's a good idea to read through the entire thread, anyways.0 -
I would focus on your food intake and understanding calorie/quantities/weighing food. Get started immediately because as the date gets closer you will have wedding showers, parties, dinners etc. that will completely throw you off if you don't have a good handle on counting calories. Don't over complicate your eating. Try to eat things that satisfy you but reduce the quantities to fit into your daily calorie counts. There's no magic combination of food, you can eat whatever you want as long as you stay in a calorie deficit. As for exercise, do what you enjoy but don't rely on exercise to lose weight, it's all about the calories. Exercise will help shape you're body, but don't get fooled that if you do a work out you get to eat more. Slow and steady wins the race, don't do anything too radical or you'll burn out.
This is how I started. I lost 52lbs in a year, but I started at 183 and I took several vacations during the year. Still worked out to one pound a week in the end. With dedication and accurately recording everything that goes in your mouth I'm sure you will do better than me!0 -
Feel free to add me too!
♥0 -
Start NOW!
I say that because we all have success and failures along the way. Allow yourself room to have slip ups and to have times of plateau without worrying about needing to lose quickly which would only last short term.
Take this from me. I didn't get on top of my weight before my wedding day. I was 195lbs when I got married (5'10) and I was so unhappy with how I looked.
Of all days in your life, you DON'T want to feel anything less than beautiful on your wedding day.
It still hurts me how terrible I felt about myself on a day where I was supposed to feel amazing.
I'm now divorced, so I might have a second chance at some point.........and I'll sure as **** make sure i'm where I want to be, and comfortable with myself.
Get it girl 0 -
I'm getting married October 4, 2014 and I am trying to shed about 15-20 pounds by then! I have all different sorts of motivation: one is looking good in photos, but another is for the ladies at the dress shop to have to take my dress in when I go in for my fittings.
People always say a bride is beautiful is on her wedding day, but you know what...I want jaws dropping! :P0 -
Feel free to add me as a friend! And also, I've just started a new program called The Body Fat Breakthrough by Dr. Ellington Darden. I HIGHLY recommend it!! There's a group for the program here on MFP. In my opinion, its the most motivating book I've ever read and its SO doable. I've been doing the program for a week and have already lost 3 lbs!0
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Add some people that will help keep you on track. Feel free to add me! 80lbs in a year is toatally possible.
My wedding is 10/3/ 2015b and i want to lose 60.
You can do it! :happy:
Yep. My best friend lost 80 pounds in a year. She was extremely dedicated, though, and did it the healthy way. LOTS of exercise, LOTS of water, and healthy eating in the right proportions. And what important is that she stayed on track. She's even smaller than she was in high school now and we're 29. As far as my wedding went, I probably shouldn't have lost any weight, but probably lost 5 pounds. When I did need to lose weight after my baby (I gained 50 and had to lose 40-only lost 30 and after 2.5 years, I now need to lose 15 to get to MY ideal), I exercised on the treadmill for like an hour almost every single day and ate pretty much only salad/beans/grilled chicken. I lost 30 pounds in like two months. SO, YES--you absolutely can do this if you STAY ON TRACK. Start slow and count calories. Counting ALL the calories you eat is SO important if you want to lose weight!0 -
Hi all,
I am a female, age 22, 5'4 and 240 lbs. I was 160 in high school and looked great. I would love to try and work back to that, but I am just not sure where to get started. My wedding is 05/09/2015 and I want to look great in those pictures. I guess I feel overwhelmed with where to even start. I am also not sure if losing 80 lbs in a year is even possible. I would love to hear what some of you have experienced, as well as how much you ladies have been able to lose in a year. And any advice or tips on where to start would be so helpful!
Just do it, you have a good amount of time to make some major changes! I am getting married in a little over 4 months, and am on my way, I may not be at my goal, but I plan to be close.
You can do this!0 -
Hi all,
I am a female, age 22, 5'4 and 240 lbs. I was 160 in high school and looked great. I would love to try and work back to that, but I am just not sure where to get started. My wedding is 05/09/2015 and I want to look great in those pictures. I guess I feel overwhelmed with where to even start. I am also not sure if losing 80 lbs in a year is even possible. I would love to hear what some of you have experienced, as well as how much you ladies have been able to lose in a year. And any advice or tips on where to start would be so helpful!
1.5lbs per week = 78lbs in a year.
just have a consistent 750 calorie deficit every day for a year and you'll get there.
that doesn't mean starving yourself on low calories. that doesn't mean going crazy at the gym on the elliptical.
it does mean doing enough cardio to have an average TDEE high enough that you can eat enough food to be satisfied, meet your nutritional needs, and still allow for a 750 calorie deficit. that cardio can be as simple as a 1 hour walk every day at lunchtime and regular hikes on weekends. find the cardio exercises you will enjoy doing for the next year which can give you the extra calorie burn you need for your goals. trying to do too much can burn you out.
that's the hard part. setting up your plan and sticking with it. lots of people get impatient and try to do stupid things like eating at very low calorie levels, buying the latest crap weight loss product they saw on Dr. Oz, or radically restricting the foods allowed in their diet (e.g. clean eaters). these are all recipes for failure. DON'T DO THOSE THINGS!
learn the simple math about calories in vs. calories out. set your monthly goals reasonable. choose your foods properly to meet your needs (pre-logging is a great strategy for this). then just do it. stick to it. don't panic. don't stress. don't find excuses. what matters is the next year as a whole. no one day is going to ruin you. the trick is not letting one day turn into two or 5 or 10 or a month.
ETA: a 750 calorie deficit is 1.5lbs/week, not 1500. d'oh!0 -
Oh, yeah--I forgot to say, Good LUCK and CONGRATS on you upcoming wedding and weight loss goals!! 0
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My advice is to find a partner! Both my friend and I are getting married next year (she's got Pi day and I'm 10-17) and we made a pact to keep each other on the right track. We started the couch to five K a few months ago. We make sure we complete both sets of apps to it's taking double the time (makes sure we're ready for the next set). We've both seen results. Not a ton of weight loss yet, but both of us have noticed changes in the way our bodies look. So see if you can find a wedding buddy and good luck!!! Also, CONGRATS!
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Here is your motivation: You deserve to feel spectacular! Not just on your wedding day, but every day. You will feel SO MUCH better when you are at a healthy weight. 2 - 3 pounds a week is a good goal, so start with one week at a time. Eat colorful veggies and lean meat., a handful of nuts a day. Drink plenty of filtered water. Exercise moderately several times a week. Plan your wedding on long walks with your fiance. Have a beautiful life.0
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I'm going to send you a friend request so we can help push each other! I'm getting married in March 2015 and looking to lose 25lbs before then. I forced my motivation by buying me dress two sizes smaller than I was. The sales woman freaked out and yelled at me but I know I can prove her wrong! Dress gets here in August and final alterations in January. We can do this!0
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