Wedding Blog
I’m so frustrated with myself that I just want to curl into a ball and cry. Like I mentioned earlier, I had a plan. A good, solid weight loss plan. When I started packing and moving to where I’ll be living when I become a Mrs., I stopped caring as much about what I ate and made excuses, any excuses, to avoid workouts.
Image source
As of Thanksgiving Day, I was **almost** 20 lbs. higher than my lowest weight when I was hardcore dieting last summer. I’m so disappointed that I let myself go this much! I’m almost back to my original college graduation weight.
The worst part is, it’s the holiday season! I am forcing myself to Shred again today, but how will I resist the holiday food?
Image source
I swear, Cindy Lou-Who’s eyes and mine look exactly the same around the holiday feast! YUM!
Does anyone have advice to motivate me? I could really use the help right about now. 
|
Share this post: Nobody’s Perfect
I know this will sound crazy, but TRUST me on this one….Get a Juicer and start juicing and substitute fresh fruit or veggie juice for at least 1 meal a day. Weight will drop off of you and you will feel FANTASTIC! PROMISE! (The Jack Lalane is the best!)
veggies…want a snack…baby carrots and low fat dip
want chocolate cake….grab some oranges or bananas with HONEY!
substitute ALL your between meals cravings with veggies and fruits…drop the juices and sodas and take water instead. Drink LOTS OF WATER.
If you don’t feel like exercising…hopefully you have an x-box or a wii or a playstation…buy the dancing game….it works! Dance to 3 songs and that’s 20 mins of cardio while you’re having fun!
In the middle of your meal…STOP EATING…rest for 5-10 mins. let your food digest and you’ll be so full you won’t be able to finish the whole thing…train like that and eventually you’ll just ask for less on the get go.
GOOD LUCK!
P.S. sorry for my crazy writing! 
I’m in the same situation. I do well during the week, but since FI are living apart, we tend to eat out on the weekends when we get together, and I end up overdoing it. I try to amp up the work-outs, but I’m also feeling kind of blah about it.
If you have time in the morning, I’d get your workout out of the way then. Also, try not to stay in your seat all day at work. I have the luxury of working for a company that has 10 floors of a building, so I walk around a lot at work, but even when I don’t, I get out at lunchtime for at least a 15 minute walk. It helps break up the day and can improve my mood. I try and reward myself for the walk. I work in DC, so I’ll try and walk down to the Mall, or to a shop, so I give myself some time to look around before I go back to work. I’ve really discovered the city doing this!
Don’t think of it as a diet or that your goal is simply to look thinner. Think of it as a lifestyle change. Think that your ultimate goal is to live a long and healthy life with your husband-to-be. You’ll look absolutely beautiful in your dress no matter what.
Words to motivate you. I have a lot.
Tried and true methods!!!
First of all- studies have shown that with any “positive habit building process” with each attempt (because there will be times you falter or ‘relapse’) gets you closer to maintaining that habit.
Second, try to do things on a week to week basis. Studies have shown that if you overview things weekly you won’t get overwhelmed with what you haven’t accomplished daily.
Third, get thee an accountability partner. Start getting friends, family, your fiance to help you out with your personal goals. Accountability partner=coach.
You deserve the holiday food. But you have to balance everything. Proportion energy expenditure with consumption.
What do you like to do? Studies have shown girls like to do things in group settings- so try to go running, gym classes, bicycle riding, pilates, run a 5K fund-raiser through work? Find something fun to do you know you will enjoy. *And do everything in baby steps. Studies have shown babies steps are a lot more successful for long term success. You can’t just expect to jump right into doing something and expect fast long term results. You have to nurture it.
So it’s ok if you feel upset about not meeting your personal goal. You have until May! So far away! So much time to cultivate the right balance that works for you!
*Success isn’t measured by times you fall, but how you pick yourself back up again!
Hold yourself accountable to family and friends… blog about it, set small goals, and be realistic. The holidays are brutal, but I’ve allowed myself free reign (and forgiveness) for Thanksgiving and Christmas and holiday parties. Otherwise, I’m sticking to my well-defined plan!
Sparkles and I were on the same wavelength at the same time! Though, she said it much more eloquently
This may sound counterintuitive, but cooking more helps me eat less. You spend so much more time prepping, that it makes it harder to just eat mindlessly.
Keep hydrating; call your friends a lot for support, or better, go on walks with them; try and eat smaller, more frequent meals; and keep track in a food journal. Especially if I know I’m going out to eat at night, it helps me to budget my calories earlier in the day, then set a strict “splurge limit”. Good luck, but don’t beat yourself up too much! You have a lot of time, do it at your own pace.
Lol- Doctorgirl. Unfortunately (or fortunately???) My graduate studies this quarter have been all about Behavioral implications of change and those darn models we have to know inside out (Knowles Adult learning theory… Bandura’s Self-Efficacy, Theory of Social Learning etc). I think the point of my quarter was to be able to summarize it the way I just did in my post. Unfortunately, it won’t be graded. Hahaha.
A lot of the holidays are surrounded on delicious food and baking…I get myself really involved in beautiful holiday projects so that I don’t feel like I’m missing out by not baking.
Don’t deprive yourself of your holiday faves; one of my biggest problems is portion control. Eat a little bit of everything, but not so much that you overindulge.
I am a major food addict, and earlier this year I realized I needed to change my habits. I gained about 40 lbs in the past 3 years and was desperate to lose it. I always made excuses to not exercise-it’s too cold or hot to run outside, gyms are too much money, etc.
I started to portion control back in March. I don’t really follow Weight Watchers, but I use some of thier ideas (and eat Smart Ones for lunch). I eat what I want, but I was definitely over-eating. I’ve found that this with a little bit of activity-walking the dog, playing dance dance revolution-has really helped me to find what works for me.
Eating out less has also really helped. Being in control of what you put into your meals has made it more enjoyable for me. We have saved a ton of money as well by limiting our dining out to a couple times a month.
I’ve lost about 25 lbs, and 3 pant sizes since March. I know I’ll never be able to stick to a ‘real diet’ and I still have more weight to lose, but it has really opened up my eyes to what and how much I eat.
I hope you find what works for you!
can you and your fiance work out together? that helps with me and mine - we push each other…if one is feeling lazy, the other guilt trips the lazy!
Try sparkpeople.com. The food tracker is GREAT for me because I can see how much I eat. It’s also a good accountability tool if you share it with your fiance or maybe a bff. I also keep a picutre of my wedding dress on my desk at work so when I order fries with my lunch (whoops!!) I have to eat them in front of my pretty dress — it’s a great motivator to stay away from fries and other yummies! This whiole watching what we eat thing tricky at the holidays, I know, but you can DO IT!
Miss BF- I have no words of wisdom, but I totally understand how hard it is- and how impossible it is during the holidays to try to get to ‘bride ready’ weight.
The easiest (by far the most effective) baby step is DRINK MORE WATER. When I amped up my water consumption to include at LEAST the recommended 64 oz a day, I found out really quickly that what I thought was hunger was actually thirst.
Make sure you always carry around a bottle of water, and drink up before going to a holiday function. When you’re full of a lot of water, it makes it easier to taste the yumminess, but not overindulge.
And I 100% agree with the 3 or 4 or 5 others who mentioned having someone–a friend, an online community, whatever. I highly, highly recommend getting involved with Sparkpeople.com (and it’s free!).
Hi Miss Ballet Flat — Lots of great suggestions above! I’m a weight watcher, but the single biggest thing that helped me is the book called “Beck’s Diet Solution.” The best exercise in the entire book is one of the first — write down all of the reasons you want to lose weight. All of them, from the silly to the serious. Then read the cards, every day, twice a day, at the times when you are most likely to go off plan. They helped me SO much to keep in mind why I wanted to lose weight, and why it was more important to me than giving into last minute cravings. Even if you aren’t interested in the book, I really recommend that one exercise to help keep you motivated.
Good luck!
I know everyone is anti-drug, but seriously..ask your doctor about the drug Bontril. I worked wonders for me. I only needed to lose about 30 lbs, and it took 2 months on the drug. No appetite. Your doctor must regulate you, and you must have a healthy heart to take it. I’ve always done cardio at least three times a week, but southern food is a killer. Sweet tea was my vice, and I had to learn to give it up. Good luck!
I know how you feel I’ve flopped back to my weight that I was at before the summer when I first started to get healthy and diet. I was pretty discouraged. Everyone’s healthy tips are great and you have to allow yourself to have your holiday meal. What I do… one plate of food and share the dessert with someone else. That is what I did for thanksgiving. All the other days I have been keeping on track and even if I have just lost 4 pounds I know my body is getting on board with the diet and exercise that I have been doing then that motivates me to keep it up. You can do it Miss BF!
Weight loss is hard work, setbacks are normal. You are human.
Health is a life-long journey and no matter how many times you mess up you can - and should - keep trying. (From a previous post I think I remember that you are religious? Think of it like God’s love: No matter how many times you mess up you can always try again! Hmmm…I think that was too sappy.) Blowing your diet today doesn’t mean that you should give up and stop eating healthy. Skipping your workouts this week does not mean that you have to skip them next week.
Be in the present: you how power over what you do right now, be in control of the moment and find strength in your success.
I just saw this on StyleMePretty…
http://www.stylemepretty.com/2008/12/08/the-dr-phil-show/
What has helped me is not specific content modifications but method modifications. First, eat slower. Put your fork down between bites. Make sure to finish a bite before taking the next one. Your body takes about 20 minutes to realize it’s full after eating, so if you go too fast you eat more than you need to to feel full.
Second, my method of portion control: When you serve yourself food, put half as much food on the plate as you think you want. If you’re at a restaurant, cut your entree in half on your plate. If you’re still hungry after eating half, get half as much more (or cut the remaining half in half again) and eat that slowly. Repeat if necessary. Odds are you will be full before you finish the full portion that you thought you wanted. Visually smaller portions still allow you the satisfaction of “finishing” your meal or cleaning your plate, the virtues of which many of our parents probably instilled in us as children.
And as a bonus, you have more leftovers (saving money)! When I order at restaurants (especially those with huge portions, like the Cheesecake Factory, which I love), I order with the thought in mind of it being both tonight’s dinner and tomorrow’s lunch. I never have to panic that I haven’t taken enough food because there’s always more waiting for me over there if I need it…and usually I don’t need it. You’ll find you probably don’t either. Good luck!
Whenever I think “Oh, I’ll have just one”, I remember that an extra 100 calories a day adds up to an extra 10 POUNDS a year. That enough keeps me from snacking. Also, if you cut out sugar your body will stop craving it over time and things will be much, much easier.
Something that helps me with portion control is to break up the meal into food groups. (I know the concept of “food groups” is totally outdated at this point, but bear with me!) I’m the sort of person who naturally gravitates toward one food that she loves and then chows down. In college, when I was eating the majority of my meals in the cafeteria, this was a serious problem.
I started making a conscious effort to break my meals into the food groups: rather than getting a plateful of lasagna, I might eat a small salad, a ham sandwich with lettuce and tomato, and fries. By making the choice not to overindulge in one area, you can still enjoy the “bad for you” foods that are so yummy! I also made a point of drinking milk and orange juice with every meal - like others have said, being thirsty can make you feel hungrier than you are, and the juice also helped boost my immune system.
When I started living on my own, I made a point of only buying good-for-me foods when I went shopping. That way, when I reached for a snack, it would be yogurt or an apple rather than ice cream or chips.
One more little rule I made for myself: when you go out, forget the rules! The entire point of eating healthy day-to-day is to splurge on special occasions.
Miss Ballet Flat, I also have no words of advice as I have been about 20 lbs. overweight for 5 or 6 years and have had time and money and motivation to lose it, and I don’t. Maybe we should have some sort of Hive motivational things where we can motivate each other!
I can’t remember where I saw this, but I read on someones blog “Nothing tatses as good as skinny feels”, I try and think of that when I crave something I shouldn’t, but it doesn’t always work.
I suggest hiring a trainer. I found a student trainer for $25/session at my gym. I always paid in advance and that way I always showed up. I don’t trust my self-control (I’m on weddingbee instead of working, for example) - so I do not buy any unhealthy food at the grocery store - and thus I can’t eat it. I don’t bring cash/change to work so I can’t go to the vending machine. You are very young, and life is not going to get less busy, so keep up with your efforts to get healthy now as it will only get more difficult as you get older and busier.
When tempted by free holiday goodies (or, really, any type of decadent food), I like to ask myself the following question: “Is this delicious enough to justify the calories in it?” This helps me limit my splurges to foods that are truly special and truly yummy, and helps me resist the urge to eat 4 rock-hard, store-bought Christmas cookies just because someone brought them to a party.
FitDay.com has an amazing food diary if you’re interested in getting some help with portion control and calorie counting. When I started using it, I was surprised to learn that some foods I thought were awful for me were actually much less calorie-packed than the “healthy” substitutes I’d been eating.
There are two things that I tell myself when I am about to splurge. Most of the time it works…
1. You can have it tomorrow.
I often think to myself “Oh Fill-In-The-Fatty-Food is here! I never get to have this. If I don’t eat it now who knows when I will get it again.” Instead, think to yourself that if you still want it tomorrow you can go have it. There really isn’t any cake/appetizer/ice cream/cookie/etc. that you can’t find somewhere else. You’ll probably forget about it by the next day (or have your resolve back)
2. Is this how I want to blow my diet?!
There are some things that I really love. Ice cream, tortilla chips, peanutbutter cups. When I find myself getting ready to scarf down a bunch of prepackaged cookies or some other yummy but less than the best treat, I think to myself. If you are going to eat an extra 300 calories you should go buy an ice cream bar instead. Somtimes that is enough to stop me and sometimes I really do go buy that special treat, but I don’t waste calories on things that I don’t REALLY enjoy.
Also, I recommend allowing yourself unlimited fruits and veggies. If you try to limit sweets you can get frustrated but if you allow yourself an unlimited amount of somethign else it can be easier. Plus you fill up on healthy stuff so you don’t want the bad stuff as much!
For our wedding, my now husband and I put together a work out plan we could do together. The key part for us was something we could see progress in. We lifted weights and for me it was more fun to go to the gym to lift and to do it with my husband. We also tracked our progress day by day. Erin’s suggestion is also great - if you are paying someone to help you work out, and you can’t back out last minute, you will stay on schedule! (I also took pilates, and knowing I would have to pay no matter what, I somehow always managed to get out of bed in the morning!!)
Food wise, I just tried to make good choices as often as possible. I wanted to feel great about myself on my wedding day, and that kept me motivated! The problem now is keeping it up after the wedding is over 
I don’t have advice, but I just thought I’d tell you that I’m in the same boat. I got the 30 day shred dvd and it seems good so far. I think I just need to watch portions and that will make a difference. My problem is just making time for a work-out. I start work at 8am and then don’t get done until 9-10pm at night by the time I’m done with class. However, I finish my semester this week and am planning on making up for lost time!
OMG everyone! Thanks so much for the tips!! I really appreciate the support!
Miss Ballet Flat - I definitely understand where you’re coming from. I moved cross country two months before my wedding, and then was job-searching, etc. I ended up gaining weight directly before my wedding and couldn’t get it off. But you know what? - and here’s the important thing - no matter how much you weigh on your wedding day, you will look absolutely gorgeous. I spent a lot of time feeling very depressed about it, and I wish I had spent more time being happy! Work out and eat well, and whatever happens happens. Just remember that you will look amazing no matter how much you weigh on your wedding day!
It’s a lifetime and lifestyle commitment…. no diets, drugs or tricks. You have to want to do it and you have to be willing to change the way you live essentially.
I recommend getting a personal trainer for the first few weeks so you can learn lots of exercises and also getting a dietician or registered nutritionist to take a look at what you are eating and offer suggestions.
It’s a simple equation of less food/more exercise = weight loss. Taking it off is easy, it’s maintaining your body that will be the hardest and if you are really motivated to do it the best way is to use professionals.
I also recommend a subscription to Women’s Health or Fitness magazine for extra tips.
Good luck!
I think it is all about a lifestyle change, not a diet. You are worth treating your body better. The goal should be to start this new life with your husband as a healthier (and maybe even happier) you. Watching the Biggest Loser, I am amazed at the health benefits from the weight loss - all the diseases that go away with the pounds. These people are not just transforming their bodies, they are changing their health, improving their confidence and taking charge of their life. You are worth giving this gift to yourself. Do it before your health is impacted. And if you look even more stellar in your wedding dress as a result, not a bad side effect
Here are some videos from the Today Show (which I watch too much of!) that I think are helpful.
1) maintain your blood sugar to help control cravings - interesting commentary on how lower blood sugar impairs the portions of our brains that are responsible for decision making
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/28139619#28111533
2) The Joy Fit Club shows how people lost real weight, on their own. In most cases, these women had a real “aha” moment where they decided to really change their lifestyle. They had all tried numerous diets, but the commitment to the new lifestyle was key. And almost across the board, they did it in small steps - maybe starting with giving up soda and walking just a mile 3-4 times a week.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21627769/
No advise, in fact thanks to all the ladies giving you advise b/c I’m taking it in too I just wanted to say, you’re not alone
More inspiration - you can do it!!
http://www.bodiesinmotivation.com/category/blogs/
Great site and blog to follow about getting motivated about healthy living, diet, and exercise. Whether you want to drop 100lbs or 10lbs or just tone up all those soft spots!
It’s hard I know!! I’ve had a 3 week gym lapse over the holidays and I’m mad at myself too! I just feel so ‘ugh’ and I know it’s from eatin junk and missing workouts! Good luck getting back on the wagon!
[...] about myself on here. As you all (may) know, I’m a plus sized girl. A couple of weeks ago, I asked for a push from you guys, and so many of you offered great advice and tips that I’m slowly incorporating [...]
[...] about myself on here. As you all (may) know, I’m a plus-sized girl. A couple of weeks ago, I asked for a push from you guys, and so many of you offered great advice and tips that I’m slowly incorporating [...]
[...] the way, as of today, I’m 10 lbs. down from when I blogged about finding motivation. Thanks hive for the [...]
| Visit our sister sites | Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Fertile Thoughts Infertility Support |
Mrs. Ballet Flat, New Orleans
Age and Occupation: 24, Geographic Information Systems Analyst
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, IT Analyst
Engagement Date: March 16, 2008
Wedding Date: May, 2009
Blogging Since: September 25, 2008
Venue: St. Charles Borromeo Church/Jefferson-Orleans North
About Me: I absolutely love wedding planning, spending time with Mr. Ballet Flat, various crafts, watching football, baking, pop music, bargain hunting and ice cream. My idea of a great date night is dinner and clearance shopping with Mr. Ballet Flat! I currently live below sea level in the suburbs near New Orleans, where I make maps all day, everyday for my job. I'm slowly becoming more and more obsessed with anything New Orleans related for our wedding, and I can't wait for the big day!
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 |
Latest Gallery Pics