The Art of Losing is Hard to Master

The Art of Losing is Hard to Master

August 10th, 2011 @ 5:42 pm by Mrs. Candy Apple
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Like many brides before me, at the beginning of our engagement (a whole 15 months ago) I vowed to lose weight and get in better shape.

Don’t get me wrong - I consider myself to be fairly thin, and understand that I am not overweight for my height and body type. However, I had gained weight in the years since college, and wanted to look more lean and toned. Not only that, but I wanted to feel better. We’re talking about my wedding day, after all! I wanted to look as good as I possibly could, and be healthier to boot.

So, alongside Mr. CA, I started eating even better than we had been previously, and exercising.

The real kick in the butt was when I went to try on wedding dresses. I was shocked that the dresses I tried on had such tiny sizes. To give you an idea: I generally wear a size 4 in dresses. The dress I ended up purchasing was a size 10. A TEN. What is the deal with that?? How is that possible? I honestly do not understand how their sizing is so different from regular clothing. Even though I knew the sizing was irregular, it made me really self-conscious and worried about my weight.

Nevertheless, I waxed and waned in my exercising over the next few months - going through spurts of sustained work-outs, then lapsing into indolence.

I have a very long commute each way to work, and it is really hard to squeeze in time to work out. I’m out the door by 6:20am, and don’t get back until around 7PM, when all I want to do is make dinner, eat, then go to bed. Working out was, unfortunately, not one of my main priorities.

Ultimately, I have maintained essentially the same weight over the last year. At this point, with the wedding looming in just a few short weeks, I am at peace with that. I will look like me on my wedding day. No, I won’t look perfect. But I will look perfect to Mr. CA, and that is what matters.

Did you try to lose weight for your wedding? How successful were you? Were you also shocked at wedding dress sizes?

Tags: fitness, health, seattle |

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25 Responses to “The Art of Losing is Hard to Master”

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Member

aggiebride10 (message) 89 posts, Worker bee

I’m in the same boat–just trying to work out to feel better and tone a bit. I have flexible work hours, but am also taking two graduate school classes, so it’s hard to fit workouts in!

I actually ended up buying my wedding dress in my street size and only ended up trying on a few that were bigger than my size, and it was only by one. I must have a good choice in designers, or weird proportions or something!

8/10/11 @ 7:47 pm (reply)

Bee

Mrs. Ostrich (message) 1,948 posts, Buzzing bee

i think you’re a beauty, Miss CA. those wedding dress sizes are horrible - i was a size 10 too - WTF.

8/10/11 @ 7:48 pm (reply)

Bee

Mrs. Prairie Dog (message) 400 posts, Helper bee

whatevs g, you’re a smokin hottie, period. as long as you FEEL good, that’s what comes through in person & in pictures.

i place myself as awkwardly not-thin but not-fat. i’m squarely inside of healthy but could definitely stand to drop a few. BUT I LOVE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES AND SITTING DOWN SO OH WELL.

8/10/11 @ 8:01 pm (reply)

Member

xtatic1 (message) 778 posts, Busy bee

I never understood the wedding dress sizing, don’t you designers want to make us girls feel better not worse?!? Although I was perplexed at the size my consultant ordered. I am normally a 2/4 street size and so she ordered a 4 bridal size. Let’s just say I have not been able to stop worrying about it fitting. It is a tight squeeze and little breathing to get into that thing.

8/10/11 @ 8:28 pm (reply)

Member

Ree723 (message) 1,569 posts, Bumble bee

Don’t worry about wedding dress sizing - most of them use European sizing. If you’ve ever tried to buy clothes in Europe, you’ll know that they’re two sizes bigger than the US (I wear a 6 in the US, a 10 in Europe). And actually, US vanity sizing is getting even worse so it’s getting to be more like three sizes difference between US and European clothes.

Moral of the story? Size is just a number. You are gorgeous and will be absolutely stunning on your wedding day!

8/10/11 @ 8:42 pm (reply)

Guest

Courtney

GASP - A size TEN?!! The horrors!! I know it sucks when you’re used to being a 4, but really it is just a number. There are girls on here who would be thrilled to fit into a 10. It’s one thing to want to be toned, fit and healthy (something I promote no matter what the size). Bashing a specific size causes an immediate eye-roll from me.

8/10/11 @ 9:12 pm (reply)

Member

ThePinkPeony (message) 264 posts, Helper bee

@Courtney: I don’t think Miss CA was bashing, just noting how weird it is that the size would be so drastically different, period. Which, it really is - no matter which direction the disparity goes!

8/10/11 @ 9:18 pm (reply)

Member

Future Army Wife (message) 1,102 posts, Bumble bee

You’re beautiful, Miss CA! I’m trying to lose 40-50 and have encountered the same problems as you. I tried on dresses and was so upset with how I looked, I couldn’t even look at how the dress looked on me. But I’m doing Weight Watchers and working out like a maniac with 10 months to go!

8/10/11 @ 9:24 pm (reply)

Bee

Mrs. Hyena (message) 1,882 posts, Buzzing bee

You’re beautiful, CA! But do what you need to feel good about yourself. My dress was a size 8, and that was surprising to me too.

8/10/11 @ 9:24 pm (reply)

10.

Member

Miss_Book (message) 54 posts, Worker bee

I *hate* wedding dress sizes! I’m normally a size 0 and my wedding dress is a size 6! Shouldn’t the sizes make brides feel better about their bodies instead of worse?

8/10/11 @ 9:33 pm (reply)

11.

Guest

Lone Star

@Mrs. Prairie Dog: @Mrs. Prairie Dog: Haha that is ME! I love wine and queso and I’ll make some sacrifices but I refuse to make the amount it would take to be a size 2! MMMLASAGNANOMNOM

8/10/11 @ 9:56 pm (reply)

12.

Bee

Miss Candy Apple (message) 1,465 posts, Bumble bee

Thanks for the comments, everyone! It is so good to know that I am not the only one to encounter the bizarre sizing for wedding dresses

And Courtney, I was in no way bashing the size 10 (or anyone who wears that size), so I apologize if it came across that way! Rather, I just wanted to bring up the frequent disparity between regular street sizing and wedding dresses, and how surprised I was by it. I hadn’t heard anyone mention that there could be such a difference before I tried on dresses, so it was a bit of a shock to say the least.

8/10/11 @ 10:22 pm (reply)

13.

Member

SadieBee (message) 771 posts, Busy bee

@Mrs. Prairie Dog: LOL “BUT I LOVE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES AND SITTING DOWN SO OH WELL.” Umm, yea, that is me. Right now I’m loving a beer and pizza, so oh well.

I’m in the same boat - usually wear around a size 4 dress, my wedding dress is a 10. I just don’t think about it. My bigger issue was that I wanted to drop a few pounds before the big day, but I ended up buying a sample dress that fits me perfectly. Why pay a bunch to have my heavily beaded bodice taken in when I could just maintain?

8/10/11 @ 10:26 pm (reply)

14.

Bee

Miss Teaspoon (message) 731 posts, Busy bee

Lucky we have pretty much the same sizes here in Aus - so street size 10 is a wedding dress size 10, no sticker shock there!

8/10/11 @ 10:34 pm (reply)

15.

Guest

Vlcatko

I am sorry that the sizing of wedding dresses made you feel selfconsious! But you know what? You are lucky - some of European countries (mine included) have yet another type of sizing and by that size 10 (UK sizing) = 38!!!

I remember I once bought an XXL pair of trousers because they were really nice and comfortable - I am normally wearing M sizes but I looked so nice in those pants I did not mind. And that is what is important - not what size the designer labled their dress but how it fits and suits you!

8/11/11 @ 1:26 am (reply)

16.

Member

Miss Peanut Butter (message) 9 posts, Newbee

I agree that the sizing is wonky–when I tried dresses on, though, I ended up wearing 2 sizes smaller than they estimated, so for once, it worked in my mental favor!

I just had to log in and give you props on your post title because no one else had yet. “One Art” is one of my favorites. Way to go CA! I love seeing another PNW bride here.

8/11/11 @ 2:13 am (reply)

17.

Bee

Miss Funnel Cake (message) 690 posts, Busy bee

Actually, with all I’ve read about crazy sizes of dresses, I’m actually surprised that I found normal dress sizes. Like you, I am pretty normal, but I’ve definitely got a booty, and all my curvy lady parts, so I’m by no means thin.

I’m surprised that the dress I almost settled on in Switzerland was a size 36, which is apparently a size 2 in America. (And normally I’m buying 36-38 in stores). And the dress I settled on was a size 4, but maybe Maggie Sottero sizes really are true to size.

I think it’s sort of mean how inflated the bridal sizes can get. It makes girls unnecessarily question and feel intimidated about their weight and size for their important day. If anything it should just be normal sizing. Glad you worked it out so you’re at peace with the sizing. And I really don’t blame you for not exercising with that commute… When I had a 3-4 hour commute I found it really hard to do anything beside shower and sleep at home.

8/11/11 @ 5:04 am (reply)

18.

Bee

Miss Funnel Cake (message) 690 posts, Busy bee

8/11/11 @ 5:04 am (reply)

19.

Member

mrsbowieii (message) 693 posts, Busy bee

I hear you Miss CA! I usually fall between a 4 & 6 in sizing depending on the designer but it’s weird that the only reason I could order the size 10 that I did was because it was a corset back so the ladies wouldn’t spew out the top. I too had planned to continue on my workout rountine but leaving the house by 6:30 am and working another job that fell off drastically. Just know you aren’t alone.

8/11/11 @ 7:48 am (reply)

20.

Member

aggiebride10 (message) 89 posts, Worker bee

@Miss Funnel Cake: My dress is a Maggie Sottero, too, and I ordered my street size (a 12). I wonder if their sizes do differ from other dresses…although I was only trying on a 14 in other designers, so there still wasn’t much difference.

8/11/11 @ 8:11 am (reply)

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