In desperate need to fit into my wedding dress

So I bought my wedding dress in January off the rack and it's 2 sizes too small. It's been such a rough go the last few months dealing with by anxiety, depression, and binge eating disorder. I'm happy to say I haven't really gained weight, but I'm still too big to fit into my dress. My fitting is in 2 months, and I think I need to lose about 20-25 pounds. I really don't want to have it taken out if I don't have to.

So I'm needing some friends to help me stay accountable, keep me motivated, and make sure I stay on track. I know this is my responsibility to do this...but sometimes that extra encouragement helps.

I know some people will say it's too much to lose in a short period of time...but i'm almost 250lbs right now...weight seems to fall off me faster the bigger I am. I would love to be 225 for my wedding.
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Replies

  • JenAndSome
    JenAndSome Posts: 1,893 Member
    So I bought my wedding dress in January off the rack and it's 2 sizes too small. It's been such a rough go the last few months dealing with by anxiety, depression, and binge eating disorder. I'm happy to say I haven't really gained weight, but I'm still too big to fit into my dress. My fitting is in 2 months, and I think I need to lose about 20-25 pounds. I really don't want to have it taken out if I don't have to.

    So I'm needing some friends to help me stay accountable, keep me motivated, and make sure I stay on track. I know this is my responsibility to do this...but sometimes that extra encouragement helps.

    I know some people will say it's too much to lose in a short period of time...but i'm almost 250lbs right now...weight seems to fall off me faster the bigger I am. I would love to be 225 for my wedding.

    I was going to ask why you bought your dress too small, but if that's the motivator you need, good for you. I'm sure you can do it. I have seen so many success stories on here with great results.

    Good luck and congratulations on getting married.
  • StaceyJ2008
    StaceyJ2008 Posts: 411 Member
    25 in 2 months is doable if you are really committed and dedicated. :) If you need anything let me know.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    I'd be happy to be your friend. My situation is similar, though not as 'dire'. I'm already married but it was a courthouse ceremony with a bigger thing 'Soon'. I went dress shopping, informed the woman of my size. She then brought me a selection of dresses 2-4 sizes bigger than my size, while informing me that wedding dresses run small.

    I refuse to wear a dresser 'bigger' than 'my size' (vanity is an awful thing) so I took my butt back home and decided I would readdress the dress situation later this year.

    Long story aside I do understand the wedding dress woes and would be happy to motivate and keep you on track in any way I can. :)


    Edit: Did you get that dress in your profile picture from Fredricks of Hollywood? I swear I have the same dress in blue.
  • DarkAngel262
    DarkAngel262 Posts: 118 Member
    I respect trying to lose weight and set goals, but to set such expectations near your wedding, which is already a stressful time, seems unrealistic. Especially when you mentioned anxiety, depression, and binge eating.

    What you could do is take it to the tailor and if the back allows, just ask them to make eyelet holes for a corset backing. That way you can adjust it to be as loose or tight as you need and it will still have a stylish, romantic look to it.

    Either way, it's your wedding. Be happy and feel beautiful and please don't ruin the months leading up to it with beating yourself up or working yourself to the bone! Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
    Best of luck to you--BED is tough, I have it too.

    You are really beautiful, btw.
  • ltfitz89
    ltfitz89 Posts: 295 Member
    I just bought my wedding dress also! My wedding isn't until next June, but the dress will arrive in July and I ordered it 1 size smaller than the consultant suggested because I don't want to spend a ton of money altering the whole dress just because I have a big ribcage! I am hoping to lose at least 5-10lbs before the dress arrives! I have been falling off and getting back on the wagon since January and I need a kick in the behind to get back on track! If you work really hard I think you can lose the weight and hopefully the dress will fit like a glove! When I started losing weight I was about 190lbs and I lost about 25-30lbs in 2 months. It is do-able!! You can do it!!!
  • confetti_blind
    confetti_blind Posts: 91 Member
    i did the same with my wedding dress in february. i bought it much too small. the most amount of money that i will ever spend on an item of clothing nd i bought a dress which doesnt even fit me! what was i thinking :(

    i have lost quite a lot of weight since i began my weight loss journey but still need to lose some more before my dress fitting in august eek

    we can do it! if we dont have the motivation now we never will!
  • nekosimba
    nekosimba Posts: 239 Member


    What you could do is take it to the tailor and if the back allows, just ask them to make eyelet holes for a corset backing. That way you can adjust it to be as loose or tight as you need and it will still have a stylish, romantic look to it.

    I'm lucky that it is a corset back already and they can take the panel out. It's such a beautiful dress as is, I don't really want to make too many modifications to it if I don't have to.

    Leena: thanks! :flowerforyou:
  • pwittek10
    pwittek10 Posts: 723 Member
    It is very doable, just you have to keep your eye on the prize.
    When you are tempted just tell your self you have to wait 2 months
    Good luck
  • ShreddedTweet
    ShreddedTweet Posts: 1,326 Member
    At 250lbs you could totally manage 10lb per month loss if you stick with it, clean up your diet, up the protein, drop the carbs, forget soda/sweets completely and exercise.
    If it's worth it to you, if you really want it, you can do it.
    Best of luck x
  • taylorckt1
    taylorckt1 Posts: 263 Member
    I started at approx 255-260 & lost 25 lbs in 5 weeks...it is tough but doable...send me a friend request if u like.
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    Work on losing some inches rather than the scale weight... I lost inches all over when I did 30 Day Shred and now that I'm doing p90x, but I didn't lose much scale weight. Commit to a workout programme and keep yourself accountable for it and keep measuring!
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    The only reason that I am going to say "yes, you can lose that much" is because you are over 200. Otherwise that weight loss goal would be unrealistic. However the same struggles you have had in the last few months; do you expect them to vanish? Binge eating disorder actually could vanish but that would mean you would have to drastically change WHAT you eat. I've cured a long list of illnesses by changing my lifestyle permanently, and that includes binge eating disorder, severe depression, and anxiety (this one is not totally gone but much more manageable). These supposed psychological disorders are actually physical disorders. The brain is NOT separate from the body and it too is affected when there are metabolic disorders.

    I'm not a fan of setting timelines for weight loss. It doesn't work and whatever weight is lost is gained back. My recommendation is to find a healthy, sustainable lifestyle that addresses your health issues. A ketogenic (high fat, very low carb) lifestyle based on healthy, unprocessed foods would be very beneficial. And no, it's not a "dangerous fad"; quite the opposite. Humans are still hunter/gatherers at a genetic/physiological level.
  • srslybritt
    srslybritt Posts: 1,618 Member
    I added you, and have faith in you! Please let me know if you need a buddy, I'm always happy to be overly happy and supportive! ;)
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    20-25 lbs can be safely lost in 2 months, but you'll have to be very dedicated. You will need to stop looking to food for comfort, because planning a wedding is going to involve stress. Unless you get out of that mindset, it's unlikely you'll succeed. And even less likely you'll keep it off after the wedding, which hopefully is goal #2.

    Look to exercise as a stress reliever. It will work better than food, and you won't be left feeling guilty after because not only did you relieve some stress, you worked toward your goal while doing so.

    Best of luck to you! :flowerforyou:
  • verdancyhime
    verdancyhime Posts: 237 Member
    So I bought my wedding dress in January off the rack and it's 2 sizes too small. It's been such a rough go the last few months dealing with by anxiety, depression, and binge eating disorder. I'm happy to say I haven't really gained weight, but I'm still too big to fit into my dress. My fitting is in 2 months, and I think I need to lose about 20-25 pounds. I really don't want to have it taken out if I don't have to.

    So I'm needing some friends to help me stay accountable, keep me motivated, and make sure I stay on track. I know this is my responsibility to do this...but sometimes that extra encouragement helps.

    I know some people will say it's too much to lose in a short period of time...but i'm almost 250lbs right now...weight seems to fall off me faster the bigger I am. I would love to be 225 for my wedding.

    Yeah, good luck with that.
    I'm about your size and I've lost around 30 lbs since xmas. And that was only around half to a full size depending on the brand. It's possible, just not probable.

    As I understand it, wedding dresses are highly expensive and custom tailored.
    Why the heck didn't you just pick out a design and then have it tailored to the size you are at your dress fitting, whatever that may happen to be, so you can be happy with yourself no matter what size you are and not add on a ton of stress in the middle of all the wedding planning? You do know that a dress fitting usually involves CUTTING into the dress to make it smaller, yes?

    I am not the person who likes being rude to people about their goals, but expecting to lose two whole sizes in 2 months seems like you're setting yourself up for failure to me. Is this about wanting to be healthier or wanting to fit into a dress which can be made in any size? Is it about wanting to get in shape or being ashamed to show the people you love what you look like on the day you're promising to love someone for better or for worse and in sickness and health?
  • I've also struggled with anxiety, depression, and binge eating disorder so I know exactly how you feel.

    If I may make a few suggestions on the binge eating - quit eating refined sugar completely (I realize this is easier said than done, but if you're serious about fitting into that dress, you're gonna have to be committed). Figure out what your "trigger" foods are and avoid them. For me, although to be honest anxiety is my biggest binge trigger, crunchy things (tortilla chips especially) are what I have a tendency to binge on, and I've been known to binge on them whether I'm feeling anxious or not. So I stay as far away from that stuff as humanly possible. If I'm craving a crunch, I go for carrot sticks or celery sticks instead. For you, it might be something else, like sweets or candy. Also, it sounds cliche, but exercise helps my anxiety tremendously so I exercise sometimes as much as three times a day (yes, it's worth it). Just stay strong and remember your goal.

    If you need any more help feel free to send me a message. I believe in you. Namaste.
  • stacybg
    stacybg Posts: 2
    I lost weight over the last few years and went from a size 16 to an 8. I just got engaged in February, and when I bought my dress they said because of wedding dress sizes I would need a 16. I was so upset, but realized that I'm proud of the work I've done. I can't wait till my big day on Sept 21. You should be proud of yourself for anything you do, and if you put your mind to it and stick to it, you can lose the weight by your fitting!!

    Good luck and congrats on your upcoming wedding!!

    <3
    Stacy
  • micamacho
    micamacho Posts: 3 Member
    I lost weight for my wedding and it is so rewarding when I look at my pics. Let your stress work for you and make sure you have foods around to nibble on. I found out that McDonalds kiddie ice cream cone only has 45 calories. Also I just strated "Lipotropic B6" shots and they have given me the boost I needed.

    You can do this - - you will feel so beautiful on your wedding day and it will show in your pics! We are all rooting for you.
  • moniquebryan
    moniquebryan Posts: 32 Member
    Have no fear a new friend is here! I will keep u motivated. We can keep eachother motivated. I will send you a friend request. I want to know what steps are you taking?? to get what you want!!!!
  • Smitten823
    Smitten823 Posts: 20 Member
    Hi! First off CONGRATULATIONS :) As many others have said - your wedding is the most happiest and wonderful time of your life!

    Secondly - I will add you and will def be there if you ever need a motivator or a friend :)

    I think if you stick to it and do the best you can then you will look and feel beautiful and that is the most important thing! I am also actually 3 months away from my wedding and trying me best to have that day & my dress be my motivators :) So i can totally relate!!!
  • megan1869
    megan1869 Posts: 166 Member
    WHY do women constantly do this to themselves?! Every bridal consultant will tell you not to do it. Google it on the internet and the wedding buzz tells us not to do it, but we still order dresses that don't fit!? I don't understand why women don't order the size they are told to or one UP - you are more than likely going to be forced to alter any formal attire anyway! It's just a number and its ALWAYS easier to have more to work with as opposed to less.

    That rant being said it CAN be done. My friend did it last May for her wedding. If I remember correctly it was mostly low carb diets and two a day workouts that made it possible. Dig deep and go hard my friend... best of luck
  • ThriftyChica12
    ThriftyChica12 Posts: 373 Member
    So I bought my wedding dress in January off the rack and it's 2 sizes too small. It's been such a rough go the last few months dealing with by anxiety, depression, and binge eating disorder. I'm happy to say I haven't really gained weight, but I'm still too big to fit into my dress. My fitting is in 2 months, and I think I need to lose about 20-25 pounds. I really don't want to have it taken out if I don't have to.

    So I'm needing some friends to help me stay accountable, keep me motivated, and make sure I stay on track. I know this is my responsibility to do this...but sometimes that extra encouragement helps.

    I know some people will say it's too much to lose in a short period of time...but i'm almost 250lbs right now...weight seems to fall off me faster the bigger I am. I would love to be 225 for my wedding.

    Yeah, good luck with that.
    I'm about your size and I've lost around 30 lbs since xmas. And that was only around half to a full size depending on the brand. It's possible, just not probable.

    As I understand it, wedding dresses are highly expensive and custom tailored.
    Why the heck didn't you just pick out a design and then have it tailored to the size you are at your dress fitting, whatever that may happen to be, so you can be happy with yourself no matter what size you are and not add on a ton of stress in the middle of all the wedding planning? You do know that a dress fitting usually involves CUTTING into the dress to make it smaller, yes?

    I am not the person who likes being rude to people about their goals, but expecting to lose two whole sizes in 2 months seems like you're setting yourself up for failure to me. Is this about wanting to be healthier or wanting to fit into a dress which can be made in any size? Is it about wanting to get in shape or being ashamed to show the people you love what you look like on the day you're promising to love someone for better or for worse and in sickness and health?

    this reply IS "tough love", but ditto to everything here. SO agree!
  • rowanwood
    rowanwood Posts: 509 Member
    So I bought my wedding dress in January off the rack and it's 2 sizes too small. It's been such a rough go the last few months dealing with by anxiety, depression, and binge eating disorder. I'm happy to say I haven't really gained weight, but I'm still too big to fit into my dress. My fitting is in 2 months, and I think I need to lose about 20-25 pounds. I really don't want to have it taken out if I don't have to.

    So I'm needing some friends to help me stay accountable, keep me motivated, and make sure I stay on track. I know this is my responsibility to do this...but sometimes that extra encouragement helps.

    I know some people will say it's too much to lose in a short period of time...but i'm almost 250lbs right now...weight seems to fall off me faster the bigger I am. I would love to be 225 for my wedding.

    Yeah, good luck with that.
    I'm about your size and I've lost around 30 lbs since xmas. And that was only around half to a full size depending on the brand. It's possible, just not probable.

    As I understand it, wedding dresses are highly expensive and custom tailored.
    Why the heck didn't you just pick out a design and then have it tailored to the size you are at your dress fitting, whatever that may happen to be, so you can be happy with yourself no matter what size you are and not add on a ton of stress in the middle of all the wedding planning? You do know that a dress fitting usually involves CUTTING into the dress to make it smaller, yes?

    I am not the person who likes being rude to people about their goals, but expecting to lose two whole sizes in 2 months seems like you're setting yourself up for failure to me. Is this about wanting to be healthier or wanting to fit into a dress which can be made in any size? Is it about wanting to get in shape or being ashamed to show the people you love what you look like on the day you're promising to love someone for better or for worse and in sickness and health?

    I have to say I agree with this. Its harsh, certainly, but no one is looking at the tag on your dress. I got married 9 years ago and at the time I was only wearing a size 8 ... but my wedding dress was a 12. It didn't bother me for one second. It looked beautiful and my goal is actually to fit back into it for my 10 year anniversary. I'm giving myself a year to lose the 40 lbs I have to go...because I want to lose it forever.

    It doesn't help you if you gain it all back plus some during your honeymoon...it just hurts you. Your wedding is important, certainly, but trust me that the part afterwards is the really important stuff. For both being married and your health.

    YMMV of course and I suppose its a bit late since you already own the dress, but if it has to be made bigger, don't let that change anything. Your spouse to be is marrying you as is, not "only if".

    If you want to change, that's a great goal...just be careful you don't make yourself more stressed than a wedding already will....
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
    Congrats on getting married!

    Just my 2 cents, but if I were you I would focus on getting smaller, not necessarily reaching a certain weight. The goal is to be smaller to fit into the dress right? Weight fluctuates so much and it's going to be really frustrating if all you focus on is the number going down. Here's what you need to do for the next 2 months:

    1. Plan ALL of your meals. Literally plan Bfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Look up healthy recipes that appeal to you. Go grocery shopping and only get what's on your plan. Bring lunch/snacks to work and don't get take-out.
    2. Try not to drink much alcohol. It's empty calories and the drunker you get, the more likely it is that you'll go to taco bell on the way home!
    3. Plan your workouts and stick to them. I write mine on a dry-erase calendar. You don't have to work out for 3 hours a day. Schedule 30-45 minutes 5-6 days a week. Do a Jillian Michaels video. Go for a run. Lift weights. Go to a zumba class. Do whatever you can do to really push yourself for those 30-45 minutes. Change happens when you PUSH and not just go through the motions.
    4. Try not to go out to eat. If you do, stick to lean protein and veggies.

    Yes, this kinda sucks, but it's only 2 months!! You can do ANYTHING for 2 months! Keep your eye on the prize and focus on that dress. You can even try it on once a week to see how it's going. Don't give up! You got this!
  • redscylla
    redscylla Posts: 211 Member
    At 250lbs you could totally manage 10lb per month loss if you stick with it, clean up your diet, up the protein, drop the carbs, forget soda/sweets completely and exercise.
    If it's worth it to you, if you really want it, you can do it.
    Best of luck x

    It's doable, and you get your motivation where you can, even if it's a too small wedding dress. Just what this poster says: kill the sugars and simple carbs completely. Eat plenty of lean protein and green cruciferous veggies--think brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, spinach, kale-- and find a good exercise you can stick with.

    I just came off my third cycle of doing low carbs (<20 g per day). On each ten-day cycle I've lost about 8 pounds. (And keep it off by following a decent moderate carb diet in between cycles.) I would think at your current weight, you could lose a bit more on each cycle.

    Good luck!
  • Eve386
    Eve386 Posts: 1
    I am about to buy my wedding dress also and wanted to loose 20 kilos. Have accomplished 10 in 9 weeks. It is possible, but lets be honest, not the healthy lifestyle change I should have made years ago. Aiming high works for some people and not for others so maybe have a think about what you've done in the past and what has worked or what has led to worse binging.

    My key was my partner who is skinny as a rake and eats whatever he likes. This won't help unless you live together but I needed someone to do diet with me and to hold me accountable. So he agreed to not keep any junk in the house, to not allow me to give in to easier food options and to exercise with me each night. Having a partner, kids or roomie onboard really helps to motivate I think.

    I really hope you make it but don't be hard on yourself if you don't as any loss is good!

    Eve
  • angrystarlyt
    angrystarlyt Posts: 10 Member
    You can do this!! I weighed 165 when I got engaged and wore a size 8 dress. My grandfather owns a formal dress company so I could pick out any dress I wanted, but he warned me they ran small, so I ordered a 10. It was a column dress, however, so that baby would--not--zip. I didn't do anything crazy, but for 2 months over the summer, I walked 45 minutes on a treadmill every day, ate sensibly (I tended to eat lower carb, but certainly splurged a couple times of week,) and weighed 149 by the end of the summer and right in time for my wedding, and the dress juuuuust zipped. I hid the scale because I have the tendency to celebrate every few pounds of weight loss with pizza, which sort of defeated any progress I had made :) Just went by how the dress was fitting.

    This might seem ridiculous but if you're *almost* there but not quite a couple days before, try cutting out sodas, if you drink them. I didn't have Diet Coke for 3 days because the sodium made me swell up just enough that it made a difference.
  • nekosimba
    nekosimba Posts: 239 Member
    To those lecturing me about buying my dress too small, the reason being I bought it at a wedding show where I got a great deal on a dress off the rack. They probably would have ordered me a 20, but the dress was a 16 and an additional $400 off if I bought it that day. Who can say no to that! Got an amazing dress for $700.

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  • stacybg
    stacybg Posts: 2
    You look beautiful! Keep up the good work!!