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

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-sexypants

Surely your wedding, looking good at it and in the hundreds of photos should be motivation enough.

You want to look amazing!

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.

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 fit

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:

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:

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

Sexypants link is repeated for emphasis.

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.

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Feel free to add me too!
♥

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

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!

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!

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!

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.