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Wedding Help! I need to fit into the dress by January...

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katieitak

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I just stumbled across this website and noticed how helpful everyone is with the forums. I purchased a gorgeous sleeveless dress a few months ago when a bridal boutique in my town was going out of business. I saved over 1000 dollars and it''s my dream dress but it''s too small. When I bought it I wasn''t engaged and I didn''t think I would be getting married for another year at least. Now I am engaged and ready to get married, at this point I am a large size 16, the dress is a size 12 but could possibly pass as a 10 (it''s made a little small).

Anyway, I just joined a gym and I also joined weight watchers and so far i have lost 7 pounds. I still have 40 to go. I want some realistic opinions as to whether you think I can fit into the dress if I keep exercising and eating well. I am starting to have horrible nightmares about not fitting into the dress on the big day.

Should I have a backup plan? What should be my deadline for fitting into it?? I don''t want to be stressing the week before the wedding... I appreciate any help and encouragement that I can get.
 
Wow Katie, I just want to say double congrats on not only finding a deal on a dress, but already working towards your goal of loosing weight. Weight Watchers is such a good program, as it teaches you about portion control, while still eating real food. Exercise can only help. 7lbs is a great start, and you''ve got a good amount of time to get there if you are consistent. Congrats on your engagement and upcoming wedding too.

Is there any chance that there is room at the seems for it to be let out be a tailor? Also, what style dress is it? Some may have room for an additional panel of fabric on the sides or up the back.
 
Have you ever watched the Biggest Loser? You can absolutely love enough weight in that time frame, but you will need total committment and more than Weight Watchers. You will need regular cardio and weight training. I would suggest that you work with a personal trainer at the gym to set up a regular program so you know how to safely use the equipment.

You can do it. The question is will you do it.

If you realize that you can't do it, you should get a back up dress.

Good Luck and Congratulations on your upcoming Wedding!!!
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Congrats on the 7lbs!!
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Well, let''s just say you have between now and December to lose the 40lbs that way it gives you a chance for alterations.

That''s roughly 4 months, 10lbs a month. It *can* be done with discipline. I would walk/run every day with maybe a day for rest. I would continue on the WW plan as I know that has helped a lot of people. I find it also helps to a) keep a food journal and be *very* honest when writing in it and b) document your journey.

I would also have a backup plan just in case. We all want to look good on our wedding day but not if it''s going to put your health at risk. If by November you find that you still have 20lbs to lose, then I would go buy another dress because it isn''t worth it.
 

Well, congratulations on your engagement (and losing 7 pounds)!

If your wedding is in January, I personally think that you need to fit into the dress by December 20. That means you have about 4 months to lose 40 pounds, which equates to 10 pounds a month or 2.5 pounds a week. It also means that you can't slack off during the holidays or Thanksgiving.

I don't know how realistic the goal is (only you'll know) ... but I think it'll be too stressful trying to lose that much weight while planning a wedding. Also, your dress still may not fit after your weight loss because you may have a bigger built/ bone--I sometimes have a hard time zipping up dresses in my bust size because I have bigger rib cage than the average (and I swear it's all bone, no fat). If your dream dress is being sold at other salons that carry the brand, try going in and find out what your true size is in that dress to figure out how realistic your goal is.

Otherwise, if I were you, I would have a back-up plan.

 
One more thing: I think brides look prettier and happier when they''re wearing comfortably fitting dress on their big day.

I recently bought a beautiful dress on ebay (for a photoshoot) which turned out to be a size smaller (or a bit too tight than I would have preferred). Even though it zipped up all the way, I could tell from the pictures that I was uncomfortable and my posture was just awful. So, for the sake of nice pictures, I''d say wear something that fits comfortably.
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Big congratulations on being so proactive when it comes to your health...and another big congratulations when it comes to your engagement!

I totally believe, if you''re motivated, you can lose the weight. But, part of the motivation is being totally realistic and honest with yourself. Its like New Years...the day after everyone is at the gym, eatting their meal suppliments and drinking their low cal shakes...but a month later, over half those people have disappeared. Its because they suffer burn out...they don''t see the instant results, they get tired, or just loose stem.

A few years ago, I was extremely overweight...it was bad. I commited to myself, and lost over 140 total. I did it by establishing a relationship with my goal. I still had a cheeseburger is I wanted one, because denying myself one made me even more obsessed over having one. I walked at night while chatting with my friends instead of sitting on the couch. I visited the gym three times a week max, but didnt beat myself up if I had to miss a day. And in the end, it was the way I *felt* that kept me going...I could cross my legs, which was incredible, I didn''t have heartburn...or get winded walking up the stairs.

Keep yourself on a realistic-for-you plan, and you''ll be a beautiful bride in no time...good things happen when you work for it!!
 
It''s a worthy goal, but I think realistically that it is EXTREMELY difficult to lose 2.5lbs a week. You really have no room to slip up or plateau (and plateau-ing is a normal part of weight loss... so you''d have to expect it!). Plus, losing 2.5 lbs a week means burning or cutting out about 9000 (NINE THOUSAND!) calories a week.

Do you really think you can do that and keep it up for four months? I only say that because I KNOW that I couldn''t!!

How much do you actually HAVE to lose to go down 3 dress sizes? Do you really have to lose the whole 40lbs? Maybe see a seamstress now and ask her advice.

Congrats on the 7lbs, the dress, and the upcoming marriage! And good luck!
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IMO you should absolutely have a backup plan. Sustainable, recommended weightloss rates are 1 to 1.5 lb/week, and that is not necessarily easy.

Yes people on the biggest loser start off with phenomenal weight loss rates. But these people are in a controlled setting and start off very obese and very out-of-shape, usually. They are also getting personal trainers, a team-like environment to support them and provide competition, close medical supervision during their dramatic weight loss phase as well as diet assistance to make sure they get the appropriate nutrients on their restricted calorie diet.

Remember also that your body adapts as you lose weight - you need less calories to maintain a smaller size body, and the same workout burns less calories as your conditioning improves, unless you increase intensity. So you will have to be very dedicated AND ramp up the program as time passes.

I personally feel that, for me, the stress of attempting that kind of weightloss with such consequences prior to my wedding would not be very fun. I would say, if you are healthy, that the dream dress could be a great motivator and you could make a go at it but do have a backup plan in case you are close but not there, or it just isn't coming off as quickly as needed. A backup plan that you would not view as a big disappointment or view yourself as a failure if it had to be executed.

Find a backup dress that you would be happy getting married in and that you would feel beautiful in. If you lose half the weight needed for the dream dress and are working out a lot, you will look so fabulous even if you don't make it to the dream dress goal. Most dresses can be taken in, so you could buy this dress before December, and plan on deciding mid-Dec which way you are going to go. Or dresses with adaptable corsets (Maggie Sottero in particular) are quite adjustable if you find one close to your size.

Best of luck!
 
Congratulations on your engagement!!

To be honest, that sounds like a very tough goal... I know you said it''s your dream dress, but have you thought about trying to find the dress somewhere else in a larger size? (I know $1000 is a LOT of savings, however) You can always list the dress you have to sell on craiglist/ebay/other sites if you find one that fits better to offset some of the cost of purchasing the new dress that may be more expensive, etc...

I am not very motivated when it comes to working out/losing weight so that is where I am coming from... I also gained some weight during the whole process, mostly from stress and lack of time to exercise. You want to enjoy every moment of your engagement/wedding planning and putting a pretty big extra stressor on you may not be the best idea.

I would say spend another month really kicking your workouts/diet into high gear and re-evaluate. If by labor day you find yourself falling short of your goal, then it might be time to start dress shopping for a 2nd dream dress! Trust me - one is out there...

Whatever you decide I wish you the best of luck!!!!!!
 
Have you looked into alterations, like the possibility of adding a corset back if the dress doesn''t already have one?

I agree with most of the posters that it might be able to be done, but would be very difficult and stressful, and still might not be enough. But maybe if you combined some weight loss with some alterations, it could work? Good luck either way!
 
7 lbs is great! Congratulations!

I think 40 lbs in the next few months is admirable, but very hard to accommplish. I do think that you need a back up plan. You may not a similar dress on ebay or as a sample at another bridal salon.
 
Date: 8/11/2008 1:40:42 PM
Author:katieitak


Anyway, I just joined a gym and I also joined weight watchers and so far i have lost 7 pounds. I still have 40 to go. I want some realistic opinions as to whether you think I can fit into the dress if I keep exercising and eating well. I am starting to have horrible nightmares about not fitting into the dress on the big day.


Should I have a backup plan? What should be my deadline for fitting into it?? I don''t want to be stressing the week before the wedding... I appreciate any help and encouragement that I can get.
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Katie,

This is an ambitious goal for your timeframe, but not impossible.

Get the book
"Eat to Live". Read it, embrace it. My mom lost 25 lbs in 8 weeks without exercise. If you do this, AND exercise, you will not be hungry, and you will lose the weight. :) This is not a kooky fad diet, it is a lifestyle change. It gets easier over time, and it really eliminates a ton of health issues (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, allergies, etc)! (great bonus!)

I can''t wait to see pictures of you in that dress!!!
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You might be off on how much you need to lose....

My dress was ordered (mistake by the bridal store) a size 8 in the gown when I needed a size 12 gown according to measurements (street size 10). They told me I would need to lose at least 40lbs to make it work.

I lost 14 pounds .... and it fit like a charm! No alterations needed!!! I did WW and worked out 5 days a week with cardio and weight lifting. So you might be off in how much you have to lose....

I would keep on doing the fantastic job you''re already doing and try the dress on once a month. See how much better it starts to fit and then see if it is getting more realistic. I agree with the rest of the board... give yourself a few months and if it is not going to be doable get another dress.

Good luck! We are cheering you on!
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Wow!! You have all been such a huge encouragement to me! I realize that I need to be completely realistic about my goals and desires and I am definitely going to evaluate how I am doing every week. I will let you all know how the progress is going and I think I am going to print out all of this and carry it around with me as an encouragement that yes! I can do it, but it''s not going to be easy.

I want to thank each of you for replying to this topic and I will definitely post pictures in the "dream dress" or the future "dream dress"... Just reading all the comments helps me know that I want to be comfortable and I want to enjoy this engagement and not be overly obsessed about my weight. But I can do it, it''s gonna take a lot. At this point I''m up for the challenge :)
 
I have a friend at work who dropped weight incredibly quickly to fit into her wedding gown. She was engaged to be married and lost a lot of weight for her wedding and bought a dress. Well her fiance cheated on her and they cancelled the wedding and she gained a lot of weight- at least 50 lbs. Well then they ended up getting back together and decided to replan the wedding. Of course her dress didn''t fit her anymore and she had to lose 50lbs. Her wedding planner gave her a diet to follow and the weight literally melted off her. She lost the weight in just a couple of months. I''ll get the exact diet from her- but it consisted mostly of chicken and fish, vegetables and some fruit- watermelon, melons, pineapples. It is extremly limited and she put the weight back on just as quickly if not faster than she lost it. But if your goal is to fit into your dress this diet should work.
 
I think it can be done.

My personal trainer is a former contestant on The Biggest Loser and in the short time I''ve been working out with her, I''ve not lost so much pounds, but inches, which will be the important thing when getting in the dress.

It''s important to keep going, no matter how tired, whatever you are. My trainer always says there''s no such thing as motivation. You either do it or you don''t, and it''s as simple as that. It sounded kind of ridiculous when she said it, but it makes sense. You either go to the gym, or you don''t. You either eat fairly good, or you don''t.

Just fyi, she put me on a 1500 cal/day "diet". She didn''t specify what to eat, just try to make good choices and stay under 1500. Also one day a week was 2000. Then an hour of cardio heavy exercise, 5 times a week.

It''s really tough but it will get you good results.

I would have a back up plan, just in case since things do happen. But I think if you start now and put your mind to it, you will be more than able to fit into your dress!

Good luck!
 
Just wanted to add my 2cents... the first time I went dress shopping, I fit into a David''s Bridal gown in a size 16 and it fit perfectly! It thought "yay! now I can dress shop & I know that if I find something I like in a size down, i''ll lose a li''l weight and get it altered."

Then, I found a gorgeous dress I fell in love with and I bought off of ebay and the description said "size 14" and that it had been altered--which I assumed to be hollow-to-hem-- but when the dress arrived, the TAG on the dress said "12" and I couldn''t zip it up on my own at ALL.

I was so worried, I didn''t even get someone to try to zip me up. I was like "oh no! I wasted my money, I have a beautiful gown & there''s no way i can wear it!"

I wound up dropping about 10lbs in the month between the purchase and my wedding (yah, I cut it that close!) and I still couldn''t get it all zipped on my own...but then my mom wanted to see and while a little snug, the dress zipped up!

So, I say go for it, and make sure you continue checking your progress against how the dress fits, and not how much weight the scale says came off!!
 
Date: 8/11/2008 2:34:19 PM
Author: cara
IMO you should absolutely have a backup plan. Sustainable, recommended weightloss rates are 1 to 1.5 lb/week, and that is not necessarily easy.
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Ditto this and everything else cara said.
 
Congratulations on your engagement!!!!

I think that it is possible, but it will be tough...quite possibly the hardest thing physically and mentally that you''ve ever done. You''ll need to NOT slip up with a very strict diet and I would seriously suggest meeting with a personal trainer who knows your goals 3x a week (this won''t be cheap) and working out another 3x a week yourself. Total commitment.

Good luck to you! A little encouragement being sent your way
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Wow, I can''t believe how much of an encouragement you have all been!! I''ve had a very crazy day but still managed to get to the gym and do 1 hour and 20 minutes of intense cardio. I was there until they closed the gym :P

I completely agree with the "either you do it or you don''t"... I could have all the motivations in the world but if I don''t just shut my mouth and start moving my butt nothings gonna happen.

What I keep thinking about is the fact that this is my wedding, it''s only going to happen once. I can either look and feel great, or I can regret not having been more committed.

You guys are helping me so much!

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Date: 8/12/2008 11:48:33 PM
Author: katieitak
Wow, I can''t believe how much of an encouragement you have all been!! I''ve had a very crazy day but still managed to get to the gym and do 1 hour and 20 minutes of intense cardio. I was there until they closed the gym :P


I completely agree with the ''either you do it or you don''t''... I could have all the motivations in the world but if I don''t just shut my mouth and start moving my butt nothings gonna happen.


What I keep thinking about is the fact that this is my wedding, it''s only going to happen once. I can either look and feel great, or I can regret not having been more committed.


You guys are helping me so much!


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OMG, you are my inspiration! I worked out for 20 minutes today and almost died! (not kidding)

Ok, tomorrow, I''m going to be like Katie!

Shoot, I could lose 40lbs too!
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Go Team, GO!
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try vegan diet with joggin, you will loose weight, you need to move each day and eat vegan, no meat or milk
 
Please don''t try any crazy fad diet. Eating vegan is a very serious endeavour, particularly if you''re working out a lot. You need protein desperately to make and repair muscle and tissue, and if you don''t know how to get enough whole proteins without eating animal products, you could end up seriously damaging your body. You need 0.46grams of protein per pound of body weight, btw. It is possible to be a healthy vegan, but it takes tremendous knowledge and a LOT of time and effort. So don''t just stop eating meat and milk unless you know what you''re doing.

A healthy, well balanced diet, which observes the food pyramid guidelines for nutrition, and is low in fat and high in fiber, plus regular exercise is the only sustainable, healthy way to lose weight and keep it off.

And just remember, 9000 calories means that if your usual diet is about 2000 calories a day, you need to cut down to 1200 calories (which is almost starvation level... seriously, think about it) IF you''re also working out hard for an hour every single day (burns about 500-600 calories... that means HARD CARDIO without stopping, which also means you''ll be HUNGRY!).

I think it''s important to set realistic goals so that you don''t a) harm yourself - your health is the most important thing and b) don''t discourage yourself.

My guess is that you don''t really need to lost the whole 40 lbs.

Hiring a trainer who is sensible is a good idea.
 
Run! run! run! run! run! I lost 20 pound in 4 months. I didn''t diet much, it was the running. Oh but the big thing is to run outdoors. I personally don''t think the treadmill has the same effect.
 
"And just remember, 9000 calories means that if your usual diet is about 2000 calories a day, you need to cut down to 1200 calories (which is almost starvation level... seriously, think about it) IF you''re also working out hard for an hour every single day (burns about 500-600 calories... that means HARD CARDIO without stopping, which also means you''ll be HUNGRY!)."

---

Just wanted to say that if you eat 1,300 calories a day, and do 1 hour of cardio at 500 calories/ hr, you will have a net of 800 calories, which would enable you to lose the 2.5/ week, theoretically. You don''t have to eat ONLY 800 calories AND do an hour of cardio, then you''d only have a net of 300 calories.. which is not nearly enough to sustain.
 
Oh, my all this talk of weight loss has made me a bit sad!

IMO, losing pounds is not necessarily the goal. The goal is to be a bit more slender to fit into your dream dress. You may lose pounds along the way, but obsessing over every ounce can be counter-productive. For example, I have weighed within the same 10 pound range for 10 years, but have fluctuated in terms of fitness, muscle tone, etc. And I have actually changed sizes!

My advice is that you rarely weigh yourself. Just eat sensibly (lots of fruits and veggies, whole grains and basically just whole foods, not lots of processed ones) and move regularly. If you punish yourself, you won''t stick with it. I think hiring a trainer makes a lot of sense.

Remember that you will look great on your wedding day if you FEEL great. If you have spent the previous six months hating your body, you may not feel so good. Practice loving that beautiful body, and focus on health benefits of increased energy, better muscle tone, etc.!

Good luck!
 
First off congratulations on losing 7 pounds, your engagement, and finding your dream dress for $1000 less!

I have to agree with Cara. Although I believe it is possible, I think that it is a lofty goal. I have been eating less and working out, but I am not losing weight. In fact, with the stress of the wedding, I am actually gaining weight (and unfortunately inches) around my waist. I think you need to evaluate how your body reacts to the stress, do you gain or lose weight when you are stressed?

Please have a seamstress look at your dress and talk to a bridal shop that carries your dress to see if you need a plan B.
 
Yes!! You can do it by January 09 BUT it will be extra hard because you will be going through Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years!!! I am getting married on 12/27/08 and I want to lose between 8 and 10 lbs by then. I know that isn''t much, but it is HARD with the holidays!!! However, what I suggest - or what works the best for me - is drinking TONS of water. Make yourself. Water water water! Watch your carb intake - no pasta, no french fries, I don''t even do potatoes when I want to lose weight. Watch all your fat and cals. I have cut out red meat, definitely no steak, burgers, etc. Lately I have been eating a lot of chicken and fish, tons of veggies - for snacks I sometimes have low-fat tortilla chips and salsa, or maybe a 100 calorie pack! It is a big change when you first start watching what you eat, but it will be SO worth it!! Good luck!
 
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