When do DON'T lose the weight you had hoped...

[MagsyMay]

My last few months of wedding prep have been chaotic and quite stressful, soooo rather than complain on here on a more than regular basis, I'll post something that *might* still be somewhat in my control.

I had grand hopes of losing about 6-7 pounds before my 9/11 wedding. Now that may not seem like a lot, but when you are 5 foot 1 1/2 inches... a little goes a long way, and is super hard to lose (for me at least!). While I do not "need" to lose weight I realize, I would feel much better on the wedding day if I truly felt I looked beautiful and the best I could have.

I have lost the same 2 pounds or so the last few pounds, regaining it after a weekend of eating out, drinking, losing it during the week of strict eating and tons of exercise, you name it. I know it's too late to really lose anything, but was wondering if anyone had anything they do perhaps to drop a last little bit of water weight/bloat or otherwise to feel their best!

No I'm not looking for some crazy liquid diet that will leave me dehydrated and exhausted at the wedding, but I think with a last little push can still make a little difference, if only in my mind!!!

 

[nkarma]

I don't know your diet history, but for me if I stick to a diet, I can lose 1.5 lbs/week and sometimes 2 lbs. You have 3 weeks until your wedding so if you diet well and stick to it, you can lose at a minimum of 3 lbs. I lose weight by eating 1400-1500 calories per day (don't do less) and not drinking alcohol. You just can't do the whole weekend eating thing...avoid eating out which sucks because it's very social, but I think you can do it!!

I have less than 2 weeks until my wedding and I lost 2 lbs in the last week and am hoping for 1-2 more before the wedding. I kept to it though. One thing I try to tell myself is that I can have the "fill in the blank" after the wedding which is only in a few weeks and it seems to work.

Good luck!!! And yes you don't have to lose weight. I remember when you posted pictures of you in your dress and I was like I would kill for that body!

 

[amc80]

I know it's too late to really lose anything, but was wondering if anyone had anything they do perhaps to drop a last little bit of water weight/bloat or otherwise to feel their best!
!

Jillian Michaels has a book called "Making the Cut." In the back is a 10 day diet plan that is purely for losing excess water weight. She stresses that it shouldn't be followed for more than this time frame. I have done it for a a few special occasions and it has worked great. I've been able to "lose" about 5 pounds the first week and a couple more the second week (I'm 5'7" and was about 146 at the time). The basic premise is to cut out salt and most carbs, which will automatically make you shed water weight. It's pretty bland- think chicken and veggies (none of the starchy ones though) with no flavoring. Tough to follow but totally worth it.

 

[yssie]

cut WAYYY down on your salt intake.

Check the labels on everything you eat, you'll be shocked at how much salt pre-packaged food has.


I wouldn't try any sort of crash-diet now, the last thing you need is to make yourself sick with something/give yourself an upset stomach two weeks before your wedding

 

[amc80]

cut WAYYY down on your salt intake.

Check the labels on everything you eat, you'll be shocked at how much salt pre-packaged food has.


I wouldn't try any sort of crash-diet now, the last thing you need is to make yourself sick with something/give yourself an upset stomach two weeks before your wedding

Great advice. Cut the salt and drink tons of water. One thing that I like about the plan I recommended is that you don't feel like you're on a crash diet- you're simply cutting out the crap. The first few days are hard, but after that I actually felt much better...just healthy and cleansed, if that makes sense.

 

[Autumnovember]

water...water...water....I can't stress it enough

I lost close to 35 lbs and a key factor was drinking a lot of water.

Eat a lot of veggies (they'll keep you fuller longer). Have fruit as a snack. Add chicken to the veggies as a protein. I will have to disagree that this has to be bland. It does not. There are MANY flavorful and very low calorie sauces you can add. Also, there are different ways of cooking that can also change how your food tastes. It does NOT have to be bland. It can be very tasty and very low fat/calories at the same time (think fat free zesty italian dressing..yum!)


you CAN lose 5 lbs if you just stick to the diet throughout the weekend...I promise.

 

[vc10um]

I'm on the water train as well. It also helps keep you feeling full! A lot of times when you think you're hungry...you're not...you're actually dehydrated. So for the next few weeks, every time you're hungry, stop, drink 8 oz of water, give yourself a few minutes, and reassess whether you're still hungry. If you are, then go for a healthy snack (or a meal if it's that time), if not, then great...you just cut out an unnecessary snack!

Definitely stay away from salt and alcohol as well. Try to stick to the perimeter of the grocery store for the next 3 weeks and avoid eating out.

As for seasonings, Mrs. Dash is AMAZING for when you need to go low sodium, since it's a spice blend you get a TON of flavor, without the sodium. I also recommend marinating chicken breast in balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Uber flavorful, no salt needed, and you don't need to add fat to the pan when cooking...plus olive oil is good for you!!!

Whatever you do, don't completely cut out fat. It will slow you down. Your body needs some fat. Just try to get healthy fats from things like olive oil, almonds, and avocado!

You can definitely lose a few pesky water lbs. by your wedding! Best of luck!

 

[TooPatient]

Healthy doesn't have to be bland! There are lots of great spices out there.



In your food processor blend: 1 garlic clove and a splash of olive oil (just enough to really blend the garlic)

Rub this on a boneless skin-ON chicken breast (skin-less dries out on the bbq if you aren't super careful) and let it sit for an hour or so. Add a bit of ground black pepper and a TINY sprinkle of salt.

Grill the chicken breast until 160 degrees. Remove skin before serving. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.

For variety:
Add a bit of cumin or paprika.


I usually serve this with grilled veggies (fresh squash, tomatoes, shallots, eggplant)

 

[Autumnovember]

Healthy doesn't have to be bland! There are lots of great spices out there.



In your food processor blend: 1 garlic clove and a splash of olive oil (just enough to really blend the garlic)

Rub this on a boneless skin-ON chicken breast (skin-less dries out on the bbq if you aren't super careful) and let it sit for an hour or so. Add a bit of ground black pepper and a TINY sprinkle of salt.

Grill the chicken breast until 160 degrees. Remove skin before serving. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.

For variety:
Add a bit of cumin or paprika.



I usually serve this with grilled veggies (fresh squash, tomatoes, shallots, eggplant)

I agree! Doesn't have to be bland Great idea!

 

[TooPatient]

You can do it!

Stick to your healthy diet on the weekends -- invite your friends over for a healthy dinner at your house to avoid going out if you need to. You've been losing 2 pounds a week and you've got almost 3 weeks to go.

Drink lots of water.
Cut the alcohol (instead of a glass of wine each night, cut that to 1/2 glass each night or 1 glass 3 times per week)
Skip the lattes (again, you can reduce to avoid temptation to splurge on a bad day -- try soy latte too as a healthier alternative)
Drink lots of water.
Have a snack planned in case you need it (fresh veggies, low-fat yogurt, etc -- if I get hungry and don't have something already I'm more likely to grab chips, icecream, bread....)


You can get those 6 pounds off!

 

[amc80]

I agree that it doesn't have to be bland, but cutting out salt will take getting used to. There are many other flavors/spices that can be used, such as garlic. We tend to consume SO much salt without knowing it that the lack of it is generally pretty noticeable, even with other spices. Food can still be absolutely delicious though.

 

[Pushin40]

Ahh - the story of my life. Failing at losing weight.

Salt
Alcohol
Carbs.

My favorite things IN THE WORLD!!!

 

[Bleed Burnt Orange]

Have a lemon wedge in your water. Drink a LOT of water...only water if you can help it for the next few weeks. The drinking on the weekend...if you can give that up until the wedding...you'll feel a difference, especially with the working out and eating well during the week.

 

[MagsyMay]

Ahh - the story of my life. Failing at losing weight.

Salt
Alcohol
Carbs.

My favorite things IN THE WORLD!!!

Haha, that is SO me! Mostly due to alcohol and eating out which is always high in sodium!

Nkarma: You are too sweet, thank you for the compliment!

Thank you guys for the great suggestions! I am guzzling water as I type I promise! I don't know why, because I am crazy stressed and have 100 things to do still, but for some reason my FI and I are acting like we're on vacation when it comes to eating/drinking. We moved back to Chicago and are in our old neighborhood and with the weather being so warm and summery, we've been overdoing it at the local bars and restaraunts and outdoor patio scene for sure. I keep telling myself life is too short to be stressed about a few pounds before a wedding, but then of course I want to feel thin and look my best.

I think a solid 2 weeks of low sodium and clean eating will help for sure and am going to check out that Jillian diet plan. I've been doing 30DS lately and was working out a ton which I'm cutting back on because oddly enough I swear it prevents me from losing weight! I'll keep you all posted!

I forgot to take pics at my final fitting last night. I am sort of eh about my dress by this point and think it gives me a back roll (which I realize I do not really have, it's skin, but where the dress hits me it just creates a roll. She lowered the back of the dress slightly, but with the boning and internal corset to do it more was going to cost an arm and leg, and would probably still leave me with the same problem!

So now I'm looking for a veil to hide my back fat, haha! We'll see.... I could be losing my mind!

 

[TooPatient]

Ahh - the story of my life. Failing at losing weight.

Salt
Alcohol
Carbs.

My favorite things IN THE WORLD!!!

Haha, that is SO me! Mostly due to alcohol and eating out which is always high in sodium!

Nkarma: You are too sweet, thank you for the compliment!

Thank you guys for the great suggestions! I am guzzling water as I type I promise! I don't know why, because I am crazy stressed and have 100 things to do still, but for some reason my FI and I are acting like we're on vacation when it comes to eating/drinking. We moved back to Chicago and are in our old neighborhood and with the weather being so warm and summery, we've been overdoing it at the local bars and restaraunts and outdoor patio scene for sure. I keep telling myself life is too short to be stressed about a few pounds before a wedding, but then of course I want to feel thin and look my best.

I think a solid 2 weeks of low sodium and clean eating will help for sure and am going to check out that Jillian diet plan. I've been doing 30DS lately and was working out a ton which I'm cutting back on because oddly enough I swear it prevents me from losing weight! I'll keep you all posted!

I forgot to take pics at my final fitting last night. I am sort of eh about my dress by this point and think it gives me a back roll (which I realize I do not really have, it's skin, but where the dress hits me it just creates a roll. She lowered the back of the dress slightly, but with the boning and internal corset to do it more was going to cost an arm and leg, and would probably still leave me with the same problem!

So now I'm looking for a veil to hide my back fat, haha! We'll see.... I could be losing my mind!

Keep on drinking (water)!

You've got two weeks to go -- you can do it!


One thing that helped us eat healthier at home is that I've started to cook stuff that will last for 2 days. If all I have to do is re-heat (or serve cold) I'm less likely to declare myself exhausted and suggest eating out or pre-prepared (canned/boxed/frozen) stuff. So I'll grill up twice the chicken breasts we need and serve the "leftover" chicken cold with a tossed green salad full of veggies.

 

[kagordo4]

30 day shred : ) and try livestrong.com

It's like weightwatchers but free!

 

[lulu66]

biggest advice: cutting out all sodas (even diet), replacing w/lots o' water , eat breakfast (fruit & yogurt is my fav or whole grain cereal, whole grain english muffin), small meals & healthy snacks throughout the day.

but really, mags, don't stress about your weight or your dress---i've seen your pic, you're freakin' gorgeous & so is that dress! focus on your love for fi, how he makes you feel about yourself, and think about all of the love that's going to surround you in a few short weeks. breathe & smile!

 

[yssie]

cut WAYYY down on your salt intake.

Check the labels on everything you eat, you'll be shocked at how much salt pre-packaged food has.


I wouldn't try any sort of crash-diet now, the last thing you need is to make yourself sick with something/give yourself an upset stomach two weeks before your wedding

Great advice. Cut the salt and drink tons of water. One thing that I like about the plan I recommended is that you don't feel like you're on a crash diet- you're simply cutting out the crap. The first few days are hard, but after that I actually felt much better...just healthy and cleansed, if that makes sense.

I meant that I know I'm always tempted to just *not eat* a few days before a big event - and I'm usually so stressed that I'm not hungry anyway, so not eating would be the easiest thing! But, from past experience, bad idea.

 

[iheartscience]

Can you eat when you're stressed out/worked up about something? When I'm stressed out/worked up I can't eat because I get an upset stomach, so I dropped probably 3-4 pounds in the couple of days right before the wedding. So if you can't eat when you're stressed out you may not have to do any diet at all.

I actually wish I had thought about it because my dress was a smidge big because of the weight loss. Oh well-I didn't realize just how much weight I'd lose and I'd rather have a slightly big dress than one that's too tight.

And whether you lose weight or not you'll be absolutely gorgeous! But I'm sure you knew that!

 

[MagsyMay]

Lulu: Aww thanks I am trying to remind myself that no one besides me will notice and FI thinks I'm beautiful just the way I am!

Thing2of2: Funny you ask, I normally don't eat when I'm super stressed. I just lose my appetite it seems. After taking two bar exams (different states, I didn't fail the first ) I saw that "diet" work pretty well! For some reason though, just because I want to lose weight this time, I'm sure it'll have the opposite effect! We'll see. My dress fits as is, but I don't think losing a few lbs would be noticeable since there's so much distraction going on and the internal corset/boning and all that.

Off to do my 30DS and more water it is!