1 Year Until My Wedding...advice on getting motivated?

Yeddy1118

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! :P

haleyc717

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!

dcroberts3

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!

Julzanne72

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!

BrainyBurro

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!

dcroberts3

Oh, yeah--I forgot to say, Good LUCK and CONGRATS on you upcoming wedding and weight loss goals!!

BraidedKitteness

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!

sassyjae21

ovenbird

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.

_caseyb

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!

Calliope610

Warning in advance - this is gonna be harsh, but...

Screw the pictures as your motivation for weight loss, because if that is all that is driving you, I guaran-damn-tee you that once the pics are posted on FaceBook, you will go back to your old ways and gain back the weight and more. And that's if you actually do loss the weight.

How about this for a better and more powerful motivation?? - I want to be a healthy, fit wife to my new husband, I want to be the wife my husband deserves. I want to be a healthy, fit and happy mother and a positive role model to our children to encourage them to life healthy and satisfying lives. I want to be the woman I deserve to be - happy, fit, healthy, active - so I can live my life to the fullest and enjoy everything life has to offer.

Capt_Apollo

here is some motivation for you- you have one year until your wedding.

wyldecane

I am not the originator of this quote, just sharing it

Do something today that your future self will thank you for!

Shawneb66

My motivation for getting started was a cruise, I didn't want to be the "fat chick"...maybe your bridesmaids are your motivation? Not to be the biggest one in the wedding party? It truly is motivating!! and once you get started...you can make it a lifestyle change!! Good Luck!

EmmieBaby

you can do this

my wedding is 22/08/2015 and I am aiming for 20lbs

oregonzoo

A year is plenty of time.

Just do it. That's all I can say.

One piece of advice. When you get your dress, don't pick one that is too small "hoping" You will fit in it.
Better to get it a tiny bit big and have it altered.

There is enough pressure to look good, you don't need the additional pressure to actually fit in it.

And also try to relax, the most you can. Stress will affect your weight.


Good luck and congrats!

AnIrishLibra

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:

^^^ This!!!

I'm not engaged...yet.... but the photoshoot is an AWESOME idea. I just may have to use that as motivation when the time comes.

SKME2013

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.

^^^

It would be a shame if you just did it for the wedding! See this year as a chance to change your attitude to food forever. See it as a chance to embark on a journey of a healthier life that does not stop at your wedding. Get fit, healthy and slimmer!

It doesn't matter whether you lose 80lbs, less or more as it should be just a start towards a healthier body. Once you lost the weight and I believe you can lose 80lbs, you will have to maintain it!

Do small steps and start by cutting out empty calories such as pop, fruit juices...drink water or tea, both have no calories. Introduce more veggies in your diet. They will fill you up and there is less space for pizza...

Best of luck
Stef.

RaeLB

It can feel overwhelming in the beginning but with the right information it can be very simple

Here are my Coles notes:

1. Figure out what your daily calorie intake should be to lose the fat.

- Calculate your TDEE http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
- Then figure out your calorie deficit, i.e. the amount of calories you'll eat each day. To do this take 15-20% off your TDEE and that will give you the amount of calories you should eat each day to lose
- Get a food scale and weigh your food (measuring food is not very accurate)
- Take measurements of your body and use them to track your progress (the scale can be all over the place)

Exercise - losing body fat is 100% calories in and out, exercise is not required to lose fat however exercise is awesome for strength, endurance, energy, endorphins, getting to eat more! (burning more calories), maintaining or gaining muscle, body composition, etc.

2. Figure out your exercise plan (*IF* you want to do exercise, if not disregard this section)

- Your exercise plan is going to depend on your goals so the first step is figuring out your goals and researching how to get there
- Pick an appropriate plan for your goals (for example, my goal is strength and defined muscles so I did a bulk for 4 months, now I am cutting and still lifting heavy to shed the fat and show the muscle)
- No matter what your exercise plan make sure you lift weights so you keep your muscle mass while you're losing fat
- Log your exercise as accurately as possible, perhaps invest in an HRM
- Don't be afraid to eat your exercise calories back (remember if you've already calculated an deficit for losing fat then you can eat back your calories and still lose weight). BUT - MFP tends to overestimate calories burned so I would suggest eating 50-75% of your calories back

EDIT: If this still feels very overwhelming I would suggest just working on your food intake until you're comfortable then starting an exercise plan

Timelordlady85

1.Find out your daily calorie needs and start tracking your calories on here,2. then evaluate your eating habits and work your way into a workout program slowly so you don't injure yourself. 3.Come on here for support and make a plan of action as to when you want to reach the weight by and update your weight and inches to show progress. 4. log in, stay committed and make changes accordingly and you will succeed.