Weddingbee Blog

Miss Kiwi - I know exactly how you feel! When trying on bridesmaids dresses for my sisters wedding - nothing would zip up!! We went to store after store until I couldn’t take it anymore and I cried. It was a month before I would go out and give it another round because I felt so awful.

Trying on your wedding dress should make you feel beautiful. I would suggest taking one month to continue a diet and exercise routine (or maybe meet with a nutritionist if you haven’t), then pick a day to have your hair and nails done in the morning so that you feel pampered, relaxed, and beautiful. Then go shopping. At that point you will know you have done your best to lose the weight that bothers you, and you will have fabulous hair. Bring along people that make you happy, not who will critique your size. With ten months to your wedding, you should still have some flex time to get your dress ordered and altered. Most take about 3 - 4 months from what I have heard (mine took 3 weeks for some reason).

I hope things work out for you and that you feel beautiful every day, not just on your wedding dress shopping day!

i’m with you on this one too! i was always very skinny, but in the past few years, i put on 30+ pounds, and not because of medication. so when the sales people kept bringing out dresses that wouldnt fit, i got really depressed. so i hired a personal trainer, worked my butt off, and lost about 10 pounds. meanwhile, the lady at the bridal shop said i needed to order a size 12, but i ordered a size 10, and ended up taking it in about 4 inches!
dont give up hope and even though it sucks, try to order the dress in the next 5 months so that you’re not having it rushed. good luck!!! =)

Good luck Miss Kiwi! Try to keep a positive attitude!

I picked a dress with a lace up back (even though I don’t LOVE the look of a lace up back) because of the flexibility. I feel a little bit more calm knowing I can gain or lose 5-10 pounds and won’t have to worry about last minute alterations.

10 months is longer than you think, keep up the hard work!

Everyone out there, thank you SO much. It’s really heartwarming to know I’m not alone, and to have people actually speak up about their experiences too. It’s funny though, I’m not really jealous of my friends who can wear these teeny little dresses. I’m not even envious, I just want to be able to be almost back to my starting weight. The various comments from less supportive family and friends “You have a double chin! Wow!” don’t actually encourage you. Don’t they know that? Sure, I wish I could just lose this weight super easily, but I can’t. Having been on this medication for three years straight (oddly enough, the WHOLE time I’ve been with Mr. Kiwi), I don’t even remember what I used to look like. I hate pictures because they reinforce what “used to be”.
I’m trying so hard to get back my former self. I’ve been eating better, exercising more and being more active. Now, if only some progress would show. Just a little something.

Thank you ALL for your kind words of encouragement. You have NO idea what this means to me.

I just wanted to give you a little hug (OK a big one) {{miss kiwi}}. ALL of my body issues came out when I went dress shopping and it was really hard not to be upset when things couldn’t go over my butt/hips.

I, too, went for a lace-up back. I don’t mind the look and it makes me feel less anxious.

But more than advice, I just wanted you to know that I totally empathize with how you feel. You’re not alone! And let me reiterate that you will be a beautiful happy bride (even if the dress shopping part is not as fun as you had hoped it would be).

your entry screamed me, me, me!! i DREADED going wedding dress shopping b/c i was scared of how my upper arms and back would look. i put off my dress shopping to the very last moment. and when i did go, i was so sad that most wouldn’t zip up. i’ve only got 4 months left and 20 lbs to take off. eeek!! like all the other girls said, focus on the positive. and remember that you’ll be beautiful on your wedding day, no matter what size you are. good luck shopping.

You probably won’t notice a change in your appearance at first, because you look at yourself every day, so noticeable change will be more gradual for you. However, other people will start to notice and you’ll begin to receive comments on how you look like you’ve lost weight and stuff. I joined a gym and started working out a lot last year (I’ve since slacked off some) and it took me a while to really notice a difference. But I was getting comments from people and I couldn’t understand what they were seeing that I couldn’t. One day, I looked in the mirror and could finally see a change in myself. So be patient and keep up the hard work! It’ll happen for you!

It’s difficult to get back in shape if you dread it and think of it as a chore.. Believe me, I know the feeling! I tried running and going to the gym but I haaaated it and gave up quickly. Then I realized that I was going about it all wrong… I should mix exercise with fun! So I made an effort to play more tennis and go to more dance classes. Now I look forward to working out instead of dreading it and making excuses..

From your post about rollerskating and walking all the time, I think you have the right already already~! =o)

You can do it!

Medicine weight loss is hard–I gained probably 10lbs 5 years ago. It wasn’t like bloat, where you look soft and puffy, it was like plastic bloat where you look bulky and football-playerish! Luckily for me, I only needed to be on it for 4 months, but it took time and excercise to work it off.

If you want to lose weight, you can do it! Don’t give up and accept it–it will come off if you try!

Ten months? You’re fine. My wedding is in five months and I haven’t ordered my dress yet. I did pick it out and right now I’m just finding the cheapest price so it will be ordered in a day or two. But, still, I’ll only be engaged seven months when I get married. Some of the pressure that the wedding-industrial complex puts on brides to do everything fast fast fast and way in advance is for their benefit, NOT ours. Shop for gowns. Find one you like. Then order it, and go on a diet. As someone who lost 125 lbs (no, that’s not a typo) some years ago and has kept it off, I know that it can be done, and there’s no big secret. Reduce your calories, eat good food, and exercise, and you’ll lose the weight. Besides, I think once you have the dress ordered, you will have the BEST motivation. The dress can always be taken in. And, I seriously doubt your size is any bigger than mine. Imagine having to try on wedding dresses when they’re all one to four sizes too small. That was me, and I’m not fat, just big and tall. I still looked beautiful. And so will you. Good luck!