Weight Loss Help!

lilbeanybby

I am getting married this October 2014 to the love of my life. I am so excited & happy to be marrying my best friend. I just have one downfall...I have no motivation whatsoever to lose the weight that I want to lose. I am 5'4" and weigh 151lbs. I would like to get down to 125-130lbs. My first dress alternation will take place in July '14. I know work has been stressing me out a lot along with the wedding planning but...should I have that "urge" to want to feel good about myself and a "dress" should be a goal for a lifelong eating healthy and exercising all the time? Ugh. So depressing. Maybe I'm still in the winter blues that we had for so long? Anyone else had/have this problem? What are you doing to overcome this? PLEASE HELP!

Blergbot

You could be me, except add 10 lbs. I've so crazy with grad school and a hip problem, that I do little more than walk 1/2 mile a day. I'm hoping to start some Pilates classes once the semester is over, but I honestly doubt I'll make much of a dent...sigh.

emmyg65

If you don't want to lose the weight, don't. When I got married, I was 5'2" and about 145. There's no law that says brides have to lose weight for their weddings.

Sugargirl1019

Fi and I are working out 3-4 days a week, running at least 20-30 minutes on a treadmill or elliptical each time. We love to make protein drinks with fresh fruit throughout the day and we eat apples with organic peanut butter as a snack very frequently! Make sure you are eating smaller amounts of food more frequently - breakfast is important!

Fi also doesn't eat carbs after 8 pm. He has lost 12 pounds in 2 months!!

ETA: it's crazy, but once you start eating better, your stomach just stops wanting greasy food. Chicken nuggets and pizza no longer sound appetizing to me. My stomach wants fresh fruit and vegetables and simpler foods without grease or fat.

JCbride2015

I'm almost exactly your same weight and height.  I feel like at 125 I'd look like I was wasting away!  Do you exercise and have muscle tone?  Maybe don't concentrate on "losing weight" so much as just looking and feeling your best.  150 pounds can look a lot different depending on your lifestyle.  

Don't deprive yourself; try making small healthy changes.  Get a workout DVD that involves some dumbbells so you are lifting a bit of weight with your upper body.  Try to swap out the carbs in some of your meals for more veggies.  

If you just think of it as making healthy choices, instead of trying to lose weight, you will probably be happier and have better results.

lyndausvi

myfitnesspal.com was helpful for me.  I was able to lose 16lb ins about 6 weeks.  Mostly from counting calories, but also exercising via walking  or biking a few times a week.

Key was getting a food scale.  It was a real eye opener to what true portion sizes were.   I still go back and use it from time to time just to keep myself on track.

BreMR

I would agree with PP about how you hold your weight, I am almost exactly like you only I'm 5'5 and 150 pounds.  I found a picture last night from a few years ago where I was 10 pounds lighter and looked WAY bigger.  I think the difference is that I've spent the last few years finding new workouts, running, Jillian Michaels, and a trainer so my weight has distributed itself differently.  I am just like you that I want to get down to 125 I just struggle with giving up food and motivation.  I'll wake up on a Sunday and think "this is it, this is the start of a new week" and then I eat cold pizza for breakfast.  No matter how bad I feel about myself it just doesn't seem to be enough to motivate! 

I'm also on MyFitnessPal, and find that when I am diligent it is really helpful!!  You can add me if you'd like BreMurie 

blabla89

I'm in the same boat about having no motivation. Honestly, I think you're fine and you shouldn't stress out about losing weight. But if you want to get into a healthier routine, here are some suggestions. Hope they help!

1. Make small, sustainable changes to what you eat rather than trying to go on a diet. Eat fruit instead of sweets, drink water instead of soda, get plain coffee with milk instead of a sugary coffee drink, etc.

2. Always keep some healthy snacks with you so that you're not tempted to reach for junk food.

3. Learn some exercises you can do at home and actually do them. I totally feel you on the lack of motivation, but after you push yourself for the first few weeks it really gets easier. I started doing pilates every morning (I basically roll from laying down in bed, to laying down on the yoga mat and start off slow) and I've noticed that even though I hate getting up early, it makes me feel so much better and more awake. So pay attention to what feels good about exercise instead of telling yourself you don't want to do it.

Angusaur

I'm super overweight and currently trying to lose weight. I was doing so before the wedding plans commenced, but yeah I'd like to be a bit more confident in my gown. I feel like if you're comfortable with yourself, why force yourself to lose weight? If the urge isn't there, don't do it. I'm sure you'll look and feel good at the size you are.

Angusaur

I keep trying to lose weight, and then I'm like, I want a giant bagel.

singinchick13

I am so jealous!! I am 5'6 and was within 5 lbs of your weight before I got pregnant. Now I need to lose 30lbs to get back there and it is soooo hard. FI eats nothing but grease - poutine, pizza, chinese food, and let me tell you it is a true testament to will power to pass up when it's right in front of you. Over the past two weeks I have committed to eating better, so I pretty much won't even eat the same meals as him anymore. I try to focus on healthy foods that I enjoy, like avocados and grilled chicken, or even turkey breast. Drink lots of water and avoid juices that have added sugar. Fresh fruit and vegetables are awesome and perfect snacks for summer. The most important part is NO CHEATING. Once you break the cycle, it's really hard to get back on track. I'm down 5 lbs to date and staying committed!

FiancB

Just don't go in with unrealistic expectations. You can expect to lose about a pound per week. Don't think you're going to lose 20 lbs in 2 months or something like that. You'll only frustrate yourself and more than likely do the exact opposite. 

On one hand, you shouldn't feel pressure to look a certain way for your wedding. On the other hand, it's always good to be healthier. It's not as hard as you think to get in the habit of working out and eating healthier. I am the laziest person in the world and have slowly transitioned to making most of my food from scratch and working out 6 days a week. Processed/junk/most restaurant food now looks repulsive to me. I concur myfitnesspal is helpful- recently I thought I could quit counting and instantly gained 10 lbs so I'm back at it. 

So yeah. That's my advice. Focus on being healthy and looking good is a bonus. If a structured plan would help, I really like Jamie Eason's LiveFit series on bodybuilding.com, or one of Blogilates' plans (her recipes are awesome). Both are free and you don't need a gym for the latter. 

mschristie123

If you don't want to lose the weight, don't. When I got married, I was 5'2" and about 145. There's no law that says brides have to lose weight for their weddings.

SITB


I'm really trying to get on board with this. My wedding is in a few weeks, and I always imagined that I'd be better in better shape for my wedding. But guess what? Planning a wedding is fricken stressful. And I'm a stress eater. I know that about myself. Should I go to the gym a few more times a week? Sure. But I know at the end of the day, no one will really care what I look like on my wedding day except for me. No one goes to a wedding and is like, "man, that bride should really have toned up her arms some more." I think the most important thing is to do what you need to do to feel beautiful and confident and not be so concerned with an expectation of brides being thin/in shape/toned/best shape of their life, etc. I'm trying to get those stereotypes out of my head so I can enjoy my day, regardless of how jiggly my arms are.

phira

First of all, I would take some time for some soul-searching. You would not BELIEVE how pervasive the idea of wedding weight-loss is. Like, I've been a huge proponent of Health At Every Size (HAES) for years, and spent a long time getting comfortable with my body. And then BAM, I bought my wedding dress and I've started stressing about my weight. So it's important to separate out what's really you and what's the wedding industry talking.

Sometimes, the wedding can feel like a convenient deadline for a lifestyle change that you've wanted to make forever. That's mostly what it's been like for me. Here's what I've done:

- tracked calories (I was legit eating 3-4k calories a day). I'm now eating a lot healthier, and we don't have to grocery shop as often. I track calories with myfitnesspal, and it's been okay. I also DEFINITELY recommend a kitchen scale. Like, for everyone who cooks, not just people trying to lose weight. It is the best. Here's the one I have.

- adding more movement. I used to walk 3 miles a day to work, but no longer. So I need to add movement back in. I'm doing Couch to 5k, but I am going to rope my partner into taking some walks around the neighborhood as well.

Finally, don't obsess over your numerical weight or your dress size. If you're eating healthy and getting movement in, and you feel great, then fuck the number on the scale. Really. There's so much more to life than being a certain weight or having your arms or legs or stomach look a certain way.

7651arty

If you still need advice for a quick fix, ask your Dr about Adipex (phentermine is the off-brand, and it's actually better because it's time released). I got it to help me lose the 28 lbs I put on from a recently-diagnosed thyroid issue. 8 weeks in and I'm down 20 lbs.