Ok girls...help me out here...

BarbaraG13

 Buying my dress from one of my bridesmaids - it's a BEAUTIFUL halter style ball gown - but it's a size 12 - I'm currently a 16... I've cut out soda, juices etc and am only drinking water or 1% milk, cut down in the sweets dept, and put a kabosh to the fast food. I've lost 11 pounds in what I think is sheer water weight in less than a week, but what else can I do to speed up my weight loss?

    Also, I need my arms and shoulders to be toned and sexy for our big day - any tips would be appreciated. Thanks, ladies!

          

anna.oskar

Here is what I posted earlier in response to a similar question.  I have gone from a size 18 to a 12:

it took breaking a lot of bad habits and forming new ones to get here.  Here are the basics (I blogged about the whole experience too and the link to that is in my signature below)

*Get the crap out of the house.  If you have chips in your cupboard 24/7, someone is going to eat them.  If you have frozen processed lunches, it's too easy to grab that.  Remove the ease of access to things.  Example:  i love cake and ice cream.  i never have it in the house any more.  If i want it, I have to debate whether it is worth it to go spend the money, get dressed, take the time to drive to a restaurant type place to get it.  50% of the time it's not so I can avoid it.  The other 50% of the time, I go and enjoy myself.

*Don't lose your favorite foods.  Find healthier alternatives.  For ice cream, there is a frozen yogurt place that has some fat-free and sugar-free choices plus toppings.  I'm going there tonight because their new flavor is "cheesecake".  I'll top it with fresh fruit or even cocoa roasted almonds.  Not only is it not bad for me.. it's actually good for me.  Pizza is a greasy yet flavorful diet killer if you overdo it regularly.  But there are DIY pizza recipes that are delicious and nutritious.  (fyi: turkey pepperoni is just as tasty as regular and WAY better for you)

*Track your food.  All of it.  Everything you put into your mouth has a potential to impact your health.  Hop on a site like SparkPeople.com (it's free and has apps) and you will soon be able to see exactly where your food problems are.  Previous to doing that i was actually an under-eater.  Years of dieting had me slowly reducing my intake until I barely topped 900 calories most days.  I think my first week i tracked a 650 cal day.  Because of that, my body was in starvation mode and holding onto every darn bit of fat it could as a self-preservation technique.

*Start an exercise routine.  It doesn't need to be something huge like taking on the p90x dvd program or running a marathon.  Just get moving.  Even a daily walk with a H/FI can start improving your health.  One of my favorite exercises is playing "chase the kittens"  it's like hide-and-seek but at high speeds all over the house.  20 minutes of that and you feel like you've worked out.

*Set realistic healthy goals but set some superficial ones too.  My goal is to not be the fat mom some day.  When we have kids, I don't want to be too tired to play, I don't want to be an embarrassment to them as teenagers, and I want to teach them how to have a healthy lifestyle so they never have to struggle with this like i have since I was young.  I want to go to the doctor for a yearly physical and just once to be not reminded that I really should lose weight. Side goals: i want to look hot.  I want to walk into stores and not have clerks look at me with that "we only carry normal sizes" pity.  I want to like who I see in the mirror.  i want to wear a bikini in public without feeling like I should wear shorts and a t-shirt over it to not offend people with my blubber.  I want to wear cute flowy dresses and shirts without worrying that it could make me look pregnant.

*Eat your veggies.  Your body needs vitamins.  Veggies and fruits are SO good for you.  If you don't like the taste (like my H didn't) there are tons of ways to prepare them and sneak them in that are delicious.

*Eat breakfast.  I feel like my body doesn't get revved up until I eat something.  Even if it's just a single cheese because I'm not hungry when I first wake up, that wakes up my system.  I feel like it's led to a more efficient body for me.

*Meal planning:  It's not only good for your wallet (helps avoid impulse buys) but it also allows you to make sure you always have healthy food on hand.  I have no "convenience" food in my house.  But i could whip up a dinner right now with only 10 minutes warning because after i shop I come home and do the whole week's meal prep (what I can anyway) and packages everything in little containers.  I have single servings of cheese and meat cubes, cottage cheese, sugar free jello, sugar free pudding, beef jerky, cut veggies and dip.  All of those are free snacks.  If I'm hungry, I eat.  I also portion out things that I'll need for various dinners and cook things like boiled eggs, mini egg bakes for breakfasts, and chicken breasts that all make for easy and quick snacks and salad additions.

*Eat:  getting yourself a healthy diet should not involve suffering needlessly.  If you are hungry, eat.  just stay away from crap foods.  I had heard it before and didn't quite believe it, but crappy food makes you want more crappy food.  A little handful of chips can quickly become half a bag (pop chips are a delicious and healthier alternative)  whereas healthy things seem to satiate me better.  plus, there is no guilt.  If i want more watermelon, cheese, or whatever... I eat it.

*Don't be lazy:  it's SO easy to just say I'll do it later, I'll start tomorrow, or just to keep doing what you've always done.  But we're on a weight loss and fitness board... obviously it hasn't worked.  Sure, maybe someone once lost 40lbs on WW or "dieted" their way to 15 lbs last year.  But if you're here and overweight, regardless of past losses, you're doing it wrong.  The real goal is to get to a weight that's healthy and to maintain it.  Without having to obsess over it.  You want a healthy lifestyle.  Everyone does.  I know I'd like to never count calories or debate over whether I really need a second helping of mashed potatoes and gravy.  It should be intuitive.  I think once I know what all foods are worth to my body completely and totally without thinking, can eat pizza without worrying about the scale, then I think I'll have truly made it.  Because then my lifestyle will be healthy and complete.

BarbaraG13

Great advice! Thank you so much. I'm going to read your blog, too.

      My Grandpa used to tell us kids: eat to live, don't live to eat. Basically what you're saying too.

       Just found out the gym at our new apartment complex opens at 6 am and closes at midnight, so even with my 12 hour work days, I can get in a workout before or after my shifts!   That should help a lot.

       Thanks for the ideas and motivation, and I'll keep ya posted!

misssunshine17

Anna took the time to write out some really meaningful stuff, so ditto everything she said. 

I really want to second the counting calories bit. I know someone who lost 70 pounds on Weight Watchers and gained it all back when she stopped doing it because she learned nothing about living a normal lifestyle. Not saying that WW is all bad- I have no personal expirience. I would really try to think of it as a lifestyle choice and not a quick fix trying to fit into a dress. 

Look to this board for support and good luck!

anna.oskar

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_ok-girlshelp-me-out-here?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:3f843f3f-638c-4ec5-8834-60f37a29ede6Post:a493f94c-18d3-4063-b8bf-e0c227950c4b">Re: Ok girls...help me out here...</a>:
[QUOTE]Anna took the time to write out some really meaningful stuff, so ditto everything she said.  I really want to second the counting calories bit. <strong>I know someone who lost 70 pounds on Weight Watchers and gained it all back when she stopped doing it because she learned nothing about living a normal lifestyle. </strong>Not saying that WW is all bad- I have no personal expirience. I would really try to think of it as a lifestyle choice and not a quick fix trying to fit into a dress.  Look to this board for support and good luck!
Posted by misssunshine17[/QUOTE]

This.  A lot of people have this problem with ANY program.  It can be avoided but people really need to learn something from the experience instead of just doing what they're told.

J&K10910

Hmmmm, the whole point of WW is to teach you about eating the right foods and doing it in the right portion sizes.  At least now--the old program was very "eat whatever you want as long as it fits into your points" but the new program emphasizes healthier foods very much.  With that said, I'm not a WW fan, but it works very well for some people.

NinaSchwab

You guys are SO right about Weight Watchers. I've been on it for 6 months, and I'm just now discovering that I really don't like it. It assigns a points value for every food and activity, so when it comes to calories and fat and all that stuff, you're like, what? I feel so out of touch with food right now, it's crazy. I just started using MyFitnessPal on my iphone, and it works really well. It's free and it employs a very simple calories in, calories out method.

gcrawford322

i disagree about weight watchers.  it is an absolutely amazing program that helps you to make better decisions and teaches you to live a healthier lifestyle that you really can maintain.  it gives you the ultimate choice as to what you are going to eat and you're the one who can choose to eat some processed, not so healthy food or a whole and nutritious food. but the ultimate choice is yours.  i learned to eat right through weight watcher's core program and have lost 80 pounds since 2005.  weight watchers made me a much more knowledgable person who is able to now make healthy choices.

BBear13

Great post, Anna!

I just want to add a few things:

Your wedding is a year away - If you have not already, go to your primary care doctor and get a physical. This is how my doctor caught a hormonal blood issue that was causing my body essentially to hold on to fat and flush important vitamins. It would have been made worse by a significant increase in exercise or a drastic change in diet, and I never would have known about it otherwise. Since she found it we've worked together to develop a nutrition plan I can easily stick to for the rest of my life, and I don't feel deprived or like I am dieting. Additionally, your doctor may be able to recommend exercise ideas that would work specifically for you. 

Make sure you give your self rest days (I work out 6 days a week, and on the 6th do some light stretching, nothing to get my heart rate up too much, just to loosen out after the week) Sometimes the bigges weight loss is apparent on the scale after one of my rest days; your body needs time to recover, especially if you are going from more sedentary to an active lifestyle.

Finally, stress can cause weight gains or plateaus - so it's important to plan ahead and try to stay organized. Knock out little wedding tasks (favors, music ideas, etc) early if possible, so that as the big day gets closer you have less you need to worry about. Also, make sure you set a little time aside each day to relax and unwind. For me, in addition to working out (which I consider "me time,") I take a walk every day during work to get out of the office. Not a run or a jog, just a leisurely 30 minute walk with no phone, email, etc. It clears my head and helps with stress during the day. 

Best of luck!