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Bear with me, Hive, I need to get real for a minute. This has been me for the past 10 months with regard to my ’few’ extra pounds:
{Nothing ’more’ to see here} / Image via LOLcats
I’m sure you’ve heard of the ’freshman fifteen’…
{College is awesome!} / Image via Flixter
…but how about the dreaded Fiancee Fifteen? No, you say? Well, neither has Google. Welcome to my world. I’ve traveled the Kubler-Ross grief stages and finally have accepted the truth.
Image via Diary of a Smart Chick
DUDES! I am 15 effing lbs. over my normal weight range. W-T-effing-F?
Before you say that 15 is not a big deal, let me share some new Teacup fun facts:
A quick Weddingbee search reassured me that I’m not alone in pondering pre-wedding weight loss: Mrs. Octopus, Mrs. Crab Cake and Mrs. Deviled Egg share their woes and motivation. Miss Seal and Miss Bacon confess chocolate and other yummy foods. Ms. Sloth and Pengy show off their progress and Miss Teaspoon and Miss Ladyfingers inspire with their workouts.
Here’s the thing: I have two months before W-Day and I don’t want my confidence waver for even one moment regretting ’if only’ I had done something about this extra weight. Something’s gotta give, and I don’t want it to be my wedding dress zipper…
{Not me - but please let it go up!} / Image via Lose Weight Before Wedding
There’s just enough time for me to make a difference and change the outcome. Now I’ve just gotta figure out which plan to follow to get me there. IRL I’m very disciplined and determined.
{Yay, me! circa 1999} / personal photo
Right now, though, I have no extra energy to design my own diet and exercise plan. Work stress and wedding planning have sapped any reserve to kick my own butt into gear. Maybe I can also give a nod to some new meds I started back in January. But enough of the excuses.
What I need is accountability. I’m good at following orders and direction, especially when it’s something I HAVE TO do, rather than want to do.
Share your plans with me, what works for you to ward off the ’fiancee fifteen’? All suggestions welcome, I need ’em!
Honestly, um, okay, I was very superficial about this. I was 10lbs over where I was ini 2009 and the thought of looking better in another friend’s wedding (I got sooooo many compliments) than mine, sent me skidding into the kitchen. I measured EVERY.SINGLE.THING. Fresh popped pop corn was my new snack. Oatmeal was 4-5 times a week. I got up early and went jogging. Lifted weights. I had the discipline because I KNEW I wanted to look a certain way and I could do it. And I did do it. I looked amazing if I do say so myself. I used http://www.sparkpeople.com for recipes and ideas. Others swear by Weightwatchers but I don’t like their meals 
Not the healthiest option on the block but it’s worked so far for me (*note* I was not looking to lose weight it’s been a side effect): smoothies - 3 times a day every day and that’s it! I hurt my mouth and have trouble eating for last few weeks so I’ve literally been eating smoothies and oatmeal for like 2 weeks straight and I’ve lost weight though I haven’t exercised like I normally do. Watch how much you drink of the smoothies and what you put in to control calories, but you get lots of fruit and it’s a quick way to lose weight.
Normally eat smaller portions, cut out anything that isn’t water or milk (especailly pop and fruit juices) and move more.
Honestly, the thing that worked for me was envisioning how I was going to look on my day. Back in 2009, I was about 10lbs less than where I was ~2months to the wedding. I didn’t have a lot to lose but since my body holds on to weight I knew I had to be drastic. I worked out 5 times a week and measured almost EVERY.SINGLE.THING I ate. It helped. The weight melted off and I loved how I looked on that day. I used http://www.sparkpeople.com for recipes. Others swear by weightwatchers. But, the only thing that kept me on the straight and narrow was the dedication for my goal. It wasn’t hard for me since I exercise quite a lot. I just had to use portion control instead of eye-balling everything (eyeballing got me a 10lb gain in the first place) Good luck. I’m sure you can do this 
For me it started first with cutting back how muck coffee I drink each day. I was drinking 2 cups every day and I like my coffee with plenty of yummy flavored creamer. So I cut that down to 1 cup a day. I drink it slowly to make it last so I still feel like I’ve had 2 cups. Then I had to look at how much beer/wine I was drinking during the week. When I’m stressed I get home & tell myself I deserve to have a beer/glass of wine (or 2 or 3) because it’s been a rough day. When you do that every day then you start to notice that your tummy is not as slim as it was even a few weeks ago. So now, IF I have a drink during the week I only have 1 but I am trying not to drink at all on weeknights and never have more than 2 on weekends.
Making those 2 changes has made a big difference for me.
Weight Watchers, I started it a couple months ago to lose 10lbs and it helped me tremendously!
When I need to lose that kind of weight, I follow the “Sonoma Diet.” It’s not well-known, but it always works. I lost at least 20 lbs within 2 months. It’s basically a diet focused on lean protein, whole grains, fresh veggies and fruit (and you can have wine, too!) and, most importantly, portion control. The recipes are really great! Good luck!
Shawn T’s “Insanity” worked MIRACLES!!! I lost 20lbs and my husband lost 50lbs. It also comes with an eating plan. Bonus…it’s a 60 day program….exactly how much time you have
PS - After we finished the program, we were so strong and had so much endurance, that we easily began running 6-9 miles at a time with no problems to maintain the results we had achieved from the “Insanity” program.
Good luck!!
I had lap-band surgery about a year and a half ago, and I’m to the point now that I can’t get any more weight off doing what I normally do, so I’m in the same position. I’ve done the smoothie diet, however, as the ^ OP said, watch the calories. I’d look for a high protein, low carb powder (there’s one at Kroger that is awesome), and use about 1/4 cup of mixed frozen vegetables and 1/2 cup of either skim milk or the low cal orange juice (50 cal I think), and drink that in the morning.
These are going to be my tasks for myself for the next 6 months:
* Drink LOTS of water, I’m talking not just your 8, 8 oz of water, but up to 10 or more 8 oz glasses of water. Yes you will be peeing a lot, but not only will you lose the weight but your skin will be amazing for your wedding. No sodas or pops. If you cant chug water on its own, I like the Miyo that you squirt in your water and shake up. Tastes like kool-aid to me!
* No more fried foods (If you have to go to McD’s or other said fast food joint, get a fruit and yogurt parfait or salad.)
* ONLY whole wheat pastas or pastas with a low glycemic index. I love Dreamfield’s pasta - it’s not whole wheat but has a controlled glycemic index.
* Take a multi-vitamin and B12 sublingual. Energy!
Oh and find a friend in spinach! I make it with several high protein meals a week, and it gives it a great taste as well as lots of vitamins =)
Inbox me if you’d like recipes on any of these! Good luck!!
I’d tried all the diets but couldn’t keep it off, it would always end up going back on. So I eat as I want to but exercise, it works and you don’t feel like you’re depriving yourself. Obviously I have to be sensible though, like no chocolate every day, that sort of thing.
There’s a lot of bootcamp offered in gyms. I would suggest to look it up in your area. By this, you will get the motivation to really work out. My gym has a lot of classes offered, love the zumba classes the most and of course, cut all your carbs and sugar
ooh, I feel your pain - I’ve gained something like that in the course of living with Mr. PP - mostly because that boy can eat ANYTHING and stay skinny as a rail, and somehow I failed to realize I could NOT, and felt I could eat exactly what he was eating - BAD IDEA. This has happened to me a couple times, and my tried-and-true plan is as follows (note: I am NOT a doctor, and I know some people think this isn’t “healthy” but it always works for me as a short-term emergency plan and I’ve never had any medical issues):
* stay under 1,000 calories per day (if I’m really desperate, I’ve done 500)
* elliptical for an hour 5 days per week
* 100 crunches/pilates “hundreds” per day
I wouldn’t do this for more than two months, but it does totally work - I can usually lose about 7-10 lbs per month this way.
Good luck!
I did Weight Watchers. I started 6 months before the wedding, and lost a total of 25 pounds before the big day. I gained 5 after the wedding, and have another 10 to lose until my “goal weight”… but I’m thrilled with the results I got.
I am doing the Dukan diet for my wedding in December. It is a strict diet of protein and veggies but there are tons of free resources on the internet to help you (I follow http://www.mydukandiary.com). It is the only diet that has worked for me (I have PCOS which makes it very hard to lose weight). It is not easy, but it is so effective that the results give me the motivation to keep going…that and pictures of Kate Middleton taped to my fridge LOL
Last winter, I accidentally discovered the best way ever to lose weight when I went on the Paleo Diet. All you have to do is drop grains, sugar and dairy from your diet. Eat as much fruit and veggies (emphasizing veggies) as you want, along with eggs, meat and nuts/seeds.
Every day, I had scrambled eggs cooked in duck fat in the morning and two or three glasses of wine at night, and I lost 7 or 8 pounds in the space of 4 weeks. I also had a “cheat” meal every week, and I still lost that amount of weight.
It works because it’s the way our bodies were designed to eat. We’re not meant to consume grains, sugar, or dairy produced by any creature other than our mothers.
Good luck!
I don’t know how I feel about giving advice on this topic right this moment as I am clearly ‘off the wagon’ having just polished off a kit kat bar… But since March of this year I have lost 30 pounds and managed to keep it off. I started out using Jenny Craig (highly effective but costly) and Boot Camp (also highly effective when you can motivate your butt to get up at 5AM and actually go). But the biggest things I learned were;
1. Water. Water. Water. Oh did I mention Water? Cause you should be drinking insane amounts of it.
2. Portion size. Whatever you think looks normal, is probably more than you should be having. Restaurants serve MUCH larger portions than are healthy to be eating. Always take home half your meal in a doggie bag. If possible use smaller plates when you fix yourself a meal at home, sounds odd but I swear it helps. When my plate is half empty I feel like I’m being cheated out of part of my meal. Big plates = deceiving.
3. Move around more. Even if it’s something as simple as taking the stairs, parking an extra 3 spots away or walking to get the mail one more day of the week. Just move around. Once your body gets used to it, it becomes even easier to do.
Try “clean” eating. Seriously it sheds the pounds and quickly. Fruits, veggies, protein, brown rice, sweet potatoes, quinoa, legumes and limit your dairy (greek yogurt ok), sugar, and flour-based items. And lots and lots of water.
Oh, dear- some of these things will clearly work, but are super unhealthy. 500-1000 calories per day?! That’s not good for you at all! Sure you will lose weight- you’re not eating anything! And once you start eating again, you’ll gain it all back very quickly! Yikes!
I started going to the gym at least 3xs/week and watching my food intake about 9 months before the wedding. Clearly you don’t have that much time but you don’t have that much to lose, either ( I lost 30 lbs.). My best tips:
Use a site like caloriecounter.com to keep track of your calories. I used the formula of body weight x7 to determine how many calories I NEEDED to eat in order to lose weight. You do need to EAT in order to lose weight. It’s counter-intuitive but true.
Cut back on the sugar- actual sugar and carbs. Just say no!
Lots of water- don’t waste calories on beverages. Cut out the sugary cocktails and have a glass of red wine instead.
Get good sleep- 7-9 hours/night.
Eat every 3 hours- small meals/snacks that are heavy on protein.
Have the hubby-to-be join you! Mine came to the gym with me at least twice per week and it was super motivating to have him along. Plus, he lost a little weight too and felt great about himself!
Try not to stress to hard and definitely DON’T starve yourself. Stay positive, picture yourself looking fab in your dress and you’ll be feeling great in no time!
You can do it! Mix up the exercises so you don’t get bored (if you get bored like I do), and follow the fantastic food advice given here. Excited to hear about your progress!
Word of advice: low-carb diets may seem appealing, but the reason there’s an initial dramatic weight drop is because stored… carbs? I think? complex with water–what you’re really losing is mostly water. You’ll drop more weight in the first three weeks than you ever will in that kind of time frame again. Marian Nestle talks about this in What To Eat.
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Mrs. Teacup, Santa Cruz Age and Occupation: 34, Pharmaceutical Sales Fiance's Age and Occupation: 41, Ditto! (For a different company) Engagement Date: October 1, 2010 Wedding Date: October 2011 Venue: ceremony in our family's Catholic church in Watsonville; reception at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk About Me: I’m learning to embrace my true spirit as GIRLY GIRL after previous careers in the Navy and consulting for the government. My favorite hobby is SLEEP, with dancing HULA a close second. An INTROVERT in extrovert clothing, I’m questing to UNDO 34 years of TYPE A conditioning. Constantly processing the details of our upcoming nuptials, peek into this late blooming bride & groom's roller coaster ride to the altar. Giant Dipper required, sold separately.
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