Bride to be with LOADS of weight to lose!

Welcome and congratulations! I suggest buying a food scale and weighing/logging everything. You can still eat things you love, just weight/measure and log your calorie intake. If you are going to start working out, start slowly and build your way up. I suggest strength training to help you look the best in the dress. Also a good idea is to take body measurements for those slow days or weeks when the scale doesn't move.

Best wishes to you!

Sounds to me like you are have the best and most sensible approach to it already hun its not a diet its a lifestyle change and after a while it gets more habit and a lot easier.
I wont lie some days the weighing the butter i use on my toast etc really grinds me down. But then i think, ah well eventually i will be able to eyeball it and have a better idea. I guess how much i think is there, then weigh it, and to be fair i am getting better. My diary is open if you want to see what i get up to lol!
I ended up binging when i was on the 1200 cals, which is why i upped mine. I have never been at a slimming club etc, i think i needed to take full responsibility for my own destiny, and you now have a wedding dress to dream off for motivation... i mean thats freaking AWESOME ( insert girly squeal here ) lol.
Oh even though you probably wont want to....take pictures TODAY! so when the scales dont move you can look at the old ones compared to the new ones, its amazing, my tummy used to look like a waterfall, and now its more well, its a bit better lol. I still have a long way to go. Measurements are wise to take too. Trust me if you dont take them.... you will regret it later lol x

Knowledge is power. If you want to lose weight and get to target then its a marathon and not a sprint, so have realistic expectations and have the common elemnts that most successful dieters have.

All you need is a plan which you can follow that will enable you to return a consistent deficit, reached by burning more than you consume. The stickies on the forums are chock full of information, be sensible and learn how its done safely and properly if you wnat to give yourself the best chance of losing. It is straightforward once you understand how it works.

• Get the right mindset and commit.
• Believe in and be friendly to yourself.
• Dont beat up on yourself, but dont make excuses.
• Dont demonise food.
• Weigh and log your food consistently.
• Plan targets so they are small and achievable then progress them once you build confidence up and make progress. Gradual sensible steps for a lifestyle change are better than too strict, which can cause you to binge or quit.
• Look at your diet and consider whether it will help to eat more fruit and veg, complex carbs and lean protein, whilst moderating processed foods or those high in sugar.
• No need to ban anything.
• Exercise at whatever level will be beneficial to your health and wellbeing. Everyone starts somewhere, so a ten minute walk per day is good. Cardio and weights work well together.
• Expect some setbacks, but take it one day at a time and just move on to try and make better choices the following day.
• Keep going and good luck.

Congratulations! Im also doing this for the same reasons you are to be honest the hardest thing to do is get into the right mindset which you have already done! I started doing exercise in classes (which you are also already doing) rather than a solo session at the gym as i found it was more motivational - so you are already well under way on your mission!

I also decided that rather then just cut out all food and go into the calorie counting, to start slowly reducing my meal size/snacking/junk food beforehand then start on the calorie counting! I found that when i did start counting what i was eating it made the calories naturally come up less then i thought, so i found i had more to play with at the end of the day! I've also started challenging myself to log at least one exercise a day (whether thats walking the dog or taking a class) as that makes me feel better and gives me a boost to try even harder the next day.

This may not be suitable for you but i find it helps me alot

Also never forget that your fiance fell in love with you and your personality so dont worry too much if you have a bad day - no matter what you will always look gorgeous!

Ahh... nothing like a wedding deadline to sober us up!! I am getting married in October 2015 and can not STAND the thought of all those pictures being taken in the state I am in now!! MUST lose weight!

Congrats! I lost 3 stone for my wedding in 2008, in 10 months. Then I got pregnant straight after lol, and I had my third child 8 months ago, so since Oct 2007 when I got engaged I've been either losing weight or pregnant lol. So anyway, I know a thing or two about losing weight, as I was a UK size 10/12 before my third pregnancy.

For me, exercise is the main thing that helps me lose weight. I've never had a bad diet, just maybe my portions were too big, and I didn't get enough protein.

So, i work out a lot. I'm at the gym 5 or 6 times a week, sometimes doubling up on classes. I make sure I incorporate strength training. Sounds like you do that already if you do bootcamp. I find spinning is a great cardio work out, and it goes fast. I've got a personal trainer, and it's definitely worth the money if you can afford it.

I used to aim for 1200 calories a day, but now I aim for 1500-1600 and that works better. I get a lot of protein and aim for lower carb, and that works for me.

I like to do a treat day once a week...I usually bake a cake or cookies on a Friday after collecting my son from school, so it's a treat for my kids too. Again, that's what works for me and keeps me on track the rest of the week.

I use a scale to weigh my food so that I'm as accurate as possible, and I don't generally eat back exercise calories.

I also recommend taking measurements as well as weighing yourself, especially if you do a lot of strength training.

The most I've lost is 66lbs after my 2nd child, who's now 3.5. Yep, I gain a lot in pregnancy! Worth it though....

I'm in the same boat! I just got engaged a couple of weeks ago, and want to lose the 25 pds I gained in just the past two years (5pds of it was just gained over the holiday). I'm seeing a lot of folks on this post mention weighing their food. I think I should do this as well and take out my scale. Good tip!

For me, the ELF diet is the only thing that has worked in the past (ELF - eat less food). But now that I'm older I think I need to be extra restrictive.

Good luck!

I'm still at the beginning stages of losing weight, but the best advice I can give comes from my own mistakes. It sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders with the weight loss already, so I apologize if you've already considered the following, but it's worth saying anyway.

Set realistic goals. I don't just mean pounds lost per week, but how you approach changing your diet, the number of times you exercise per week, etc. Easing into this type of change slowly can be frustrating, but it tends to keep more people on track in the long run. You can always achieve more, but when you set goals too high, especially because of an upcoming event or other external motivator, you can set yourself up for failure. When the goal seems too big you can easily convince yourself to give up. So many people told me this, including my therapist, and I didn't listen. I wish I had.

Be honest with yourself about what you're eating and how much you're exercising. I spent so much time in denial about the effort I was actually putting in and I know it held me back. Similarly, log every day even when you know you're over. Logging isn't just about keeping track of calories, it's also about identifying your strengths and weaknesses and learning from them.

Also, don't just focus on the wedding as a motivator. Think about the long life you want with your significant other, the example you want to set for any future children, and improving your overall health. Having other motivators will help when things get tough and the wedding seems too far away (or too close) to care/bother.

Remember that weight loss is an up and down process. I don't know anyone who just loses weight in a constant, linear way. Just remember that when that happens you're not alone.

If you can, try to get your fiancé on board. After all, it's a lifestyle change and your fiancé is part of that life. The support will only increase your chances of success.

Congrats and good luck!