Anyone have a major weight loss/ overall healthly body goal?

FutureMrsBrandonLucas

I was wondering if anyone else has a major weight loss / overall healthy body goal for their wedding.

I do. My weight as increased to a very unhealthy point and feeling amazing for our trip is the ultimate reward. It should also be major motivation but for some reason I keep slacking. I need some tips on staying focused and thought others might appreciate them as well.

Now, before anyone posts a supportive "you should love yourself the way you are" please understand I realize this is a journey and I'm not crash dieting or doing this in an unhealthy way. I haven't been showing any love to my body (except for super yummy food) and have become unhealthy to the point it is hurting my body. So this is an effort to rally supportive posts to encourage, guide, and share with one another.

So I was wondering if any of you lost or are planning to lose 40+ pounds before your big day. If so, how did you stay focused? What techniques did you use (different programs, routines, daily reminders, etc.)

Even for the ladies who are working to lose 15 - 20 lbs, what are you doing to keep yourselves focused?

WinstonsGirl

DH and I did  a 12 week body transformation we found on Groupon, not for teh wedding specifically, but it ended up working out a few months before.  It really helped to do it together cos we could motivate each other when we were having off days.  It was a nutrition and fitness plan.  The fitness was probably a bit less than what we were normally doing, but it switched things up for us.  We dropped 1-2 lbs each week over 3 months.  Try doing it with your FI so you can motivate each other

flash8785

I have lost 10 pounds and I hope to do another 5 or so.  My main goal was to tone up, which I'm very excited to say that I've basically done already.

I found a girls only drop in dance studio by my house.  They have lots of different types of classes: barre method, styles of dance for cardio, zumba, and weight training.  The variety has helped keep me interested, the group dynamic keeps going, and I've found some friends with the other regulars. 

Maybe they have something similar in your area.  Good luck.  You can do it!

merrymaui

My FI lost 22 pounds over approx 10 months by swimming and eating well....he didn't want to do it quickly, just wanted to be fitter and healthier.  This motivated me to start trying and I lost 15 pounds by swimming too.  We now swear by swimming for fitness and weight loss.  But we did it pretty much 5-6 days per week. We now go about 3-4 times a week and are maintaining it and not needing to eat so well.  

I think the key is to make exercise part of your everyday routine if you can.  It can become too easy to say "I'll go tomorrow" if it isn't done most days.  And swimming has been great for us because we only go for half an hour.

Good luck with reaching your goal weight.

allisonpickup80

I once did Weight Watchers and it really does work. The way the new program is, it's more natural and healthy foods vs. other programs that you eat pre packaged meals and chemical which are not foods at all! If you do it the right way it really can work. I didnt go to meetings or anything, I just got the calculator they now use and did weigh ins. Trust me, the only real way to loose is through eating right and exercise, and WW can help you do that if you cant do it on your own. Find healthy foods you like and it will make it easier. But most importantly, you still have to treat yourself, I still have an ice crema treat every other night.... I just make sure I dont have any other snacks during the day... kind of the same philosophy as weight watchers.... just plan your day right and you can eat what you like You can do it!!!!

FSForever

We have a training room in our house that I use during the weekdays. I get up a half hour to hour earlier each morning and use the treadmill and bike for that half hour.  I then do about 15 mins of yoga.  FI has a weight thingy in there too but I have a nerve condition in my arms so I don't really try anything on that.  Most of all it keeps me toned and its a great stress reliever to the start of my day. We also walk 2 or 3 times a night but mostly just to relax before dinner.  

I would like to try to start jogging.  We live in a military area and there are a lot of runners in our neighborhood. 

motoLyn

In my case,  I wanted to get back to being active and feeling helathy.  I was chubby and pretty much not up to physical activities.  I just wanted to feel better about myself.  So I started off with doing something that I hated which was running, I took Alli for a while, and within 6 months lost about 40 pounds.  I gained some of it back when my fiance and I had to move in with his parents because we were going through escrow from buying a house.  Danish folks cook really delicious rich foods and my whole exercise routine fell apart.  This was in the course of like 2 years.  But what keeps me motivated is the fact that when I do something active and I see new muscles, toner legs and arms and that my cheeks are slimming down, then it motivates me to keep it up.  It really helps if I'm doing something I enjoy, which currently is yoga and stand up paddling and sometime yoga on a paddle board.  Killer core work out. 

Also FI motivates me because he's an active man before I met him and I feel like such a sloth when he's out running, surfing and mountain biking and I'm doing nothing. 

kaesha

Now that I'm pg and my pelvis has pretty much separated, my exercise plans have gone out the window. I'm trying to keep an eye on what I'm eating, because I'd rather not put on any more fat lbs, just baby lbs. =P BUT, I've gone up and down a lot in my weight, lost 25 lbs before the wedding, and certainly, when it comes to my post-pg plan, I'll probably have close to 45 lbs to lose (hopefully 25lbs of baby weight + 20 lbs more). So, come August, I'll be kicking things into high gear again.

Honestly, I think the first step is being honest with yourself. I don't know about you, but I'm very, very good at making excuses for my eating and exercise habits. So, rule number one: no excuses. No one else can tell you how to get motivated; it's a purely intrinsic thing.  But, what you can do is start building up techniques to deal with your thinking patterns. You know you're going to talk yourself out of exercising/putting that cookie down, so what are you going to put in your mental arsenal to combat that mentality?

Things I've done include: putting reminder signs up on the fridge; clearing the house of unhealthy snacks and leave fruit and prepared veggies at a visible level in the fridge. I keep track of what I eat via sparkpeople.com. I HAVE to keep track of things as a serial taster (a nibble here and there adds up!). Cooking DELICIOUS healthy food (I love to eat; so I have to keep feeding that love one way or another). Eating a solid, filling breakfast (overnight oats, with chia seeds and tons of fresh fruit mixed in is my favourite).

You have to make it easy for yourself to stay on task. We also have the advantage of not having a car, so I have to walk everywhere. I'd get off the subway 5 stops early and walk home for 45 minutes instead of just 5. I started timing myself to make a game of it too. I'm also a huge fan of weight lifting.

Most importantly, when I fall off the wagon one day, I don't beat myself up over it. I recognize that these things happen and there's no point in throwing all my hard work out the window because I had a treat (or 3). I just get back on task right after.

h1jung

I realized that my problem was more what I eat, so I'm on a meal plan now and try to workout 4 times a week- usually spinning or yoga classes. Also I try to do a lot of little things to stay active like taking the stairs, walking instead of taking the subway or cab, walk the dogs more, etc. Also regarding staying on the meal plan, I signed up for a meal delivery program which I got on sale and try to keep treats out of the house. If I do have to snack, I reach for turkey jerky which satisfies me the most. I think you just have to find the things that satisfies your cravings that also fits into your lifestyle.

lyssalou89

Since last January, soon after FI proposed I've lost 50 pounds because I had made the decision to have a healthy lifestyle for myself and my future husband. The wedding is what really inspired me including the thought that sometime in the next five years we would start trying for children. Not having a thyroid may make that difficult for us, so I've decided that I will do whatever I can to make sure that I can stay healthy for that. I started by just walking 15 minutes a day, to walking 30 minutes a day, to jogging 30 minutes a day, to running long distances. I've pretty much just kinda cut my intake in half, choose healthier snacks, and have been training for my first half-marathon in May. It is has been the best decision. I've found out that running is what I love to do, I feel happier, and feel like an athlete. If this is the decision you've chosen to make for yourself, I say go for it! You may discover something new about yourself in the process! I still want to lose another 10-15 pounds and have about three months to do it, but to be honest I'm already really happy with my weight loss so far!

marriedonmaui

I was really good about health and fitness for the majority of our relationship. Right before the wedding I suffered second degree burns on my leg and I've never really gotten back into it since. I have been eating like crap and my workouts have been few and far between. I am currently working on trying to get back on track but I keep getting derailed by sicknesses. 

Do your best and don't give up! Once you stop it's so hard to get back into it.

jtoly

My FI was diagnosed with Diabetes last year so in order for him to stay off insulin we got a membership at our local YMCA (they have a brand new gym). The navy was also pressuring him to loose weight in order to get his promotion so he went on Nutrisystem and lost 30-35lbs since February. I started South Beach in February and am now down around 15 lbs. I only have 3 weeks left before our wedding so I'm sure I will stick with it.

FutureMrsBrandonLucas

Wow! Thank you ladies for "weighing in" ... pun intended. It feels so great to hear everyone is making strides to be healthier. The real life experiences and tips you've shared make my goals seem attainable. I relate to what a lot of you posted.

I'm proud to report I created a meal plan for the rest of the week using healthy meals I normally make and some from various health and fitness magazines. (once I make the pretty version, I'll post some pics on here and on Pinterest) My main goals this week are to do 30 min strength training 5 days, 30 min cardio 4 days, easing up on starches, and not eating carbs after 6pm.(I too am a big foodie and snacker, so sticking to the meal plan should help in a major way)

I began with my trainer in December 3x a week, but I was experiencing severe joint pain so I stopped, and to drop some quick pounds I started the HCG plan at his recommendation. The FI and I were doing it together and it was working great, but since we travel so much we kept having speed bumps (cheating with food) and eventually realized it wasn't practical for our current lifestyle. So since I have 36 sessions paid for, my plan is to condition myself for the next 3 weeks and then begin back with my trainer.

Overall I just really want to feel better. So tired of being sore and tired. We love being active and I miss playing volleyball. Plus we want to surf, parasail, snorkel, and hike during our Hawaii wedding-moon.

I plan to order my dress in August, so I would love to lose some major inches before then. I took the dreaded before photos and will share them after I have some progress photos to show as well.   

mlperkins12

I would recommending counting your calories.  There is a great app (My Net Diary) that I have used to lose 30+ lbs. since January.  It's not easy, but after the first week you really do adjust.  By day 4 I thought it was impossible and I couldn't do it and the very next day it began to get easier.  The app will take into account your height and current weight as well as activity level and suggest a daily calorie goal for you to reach your goal in the time  you have alotted.  It was magic for me, I hope it is helpful to you too!