…even worse than the one I used to know. It’s been said, extremely misogynistically, that once you put a wedding ring on a woman, she blows up like a balloon. This statement makes me extremely angry. First of all, maybe women tend to get fat post-wedding because they’re having kids or their metabolisms are slowing down. Maybe it’s because women tend to have a higher percentage of body fat than men. Regardless, it’s really not anyone’s business, and it’s horrifying that not only do women have to struggle to look perfect on their wedding day, but now we also have to worry about gaining the newlywed nine and becoming a statistic.
That being said…I am really looking forward to being able to eat whatever I want after the wedding. OK, I’ll be real: my diet since the proposal hasn’t changed that much, but I am definitely depriving myself of some of my old favorite artery-cloggers, and my patience is wearing thin (unlike my waistband—not fair). Before the ring (B.R. from now on), I ate Frosted Mini Wheats with skim milk for breakfast; now I eat a banana. B.R. I ate a salad, two servings of fruit, and a bag of Triscuits with a Diet Pepsi for lunch. Now I’ve replaced the Triscuits with another serving of fruit (who knew those little buggers had so many calories???), and I’ve done away with the pop. B.R. dinner was a free-for-all, and weekends? I’m too ashamed to mention them. Now I try to eat a Lean Cuisine for dins. Weekends are still too shameful for me to write about. I may or may not be eating chocolate chips from the bag as I type…
Image via Kells Craft / Edited by me
I’m hoping to lose enough weight for the wedding that I can eat whatever I want for a few weeks after and end up with a net weight change of zero. Actually, a negative 10 would be nice. This Christmas, visions of sugarplums are not filling my head. (What are sugarplums, anyway??) Instead, these do:
Have you cut back on unhealthy food during wedding planning? What artery-cloggers are your pining for this Christmas?
Lou’s! Mr. Mink will be in Chicago for a business trip in January and he has already plotted the route from his hotel to Gino’s East. I’ll tell him to add Lou’s to his list. 
I gained some weight when I started cooking for Mr. Mink. If left to my own devices, I’d be a more strict vegetarian than I am. I have always preferred veggies and fish over meat, pork, and poultry. I gave in and started to cook with turkey here and there. I gained a little weight as a result.
I sneak in some veggie and even vegan meals here and there, though.
Mmmmm Portillos. I was so craving this the other day. I love all of that food on your list. I don’t know how I missed that you are also a Chicago gal, Miss Unicycle!
I (weakly) attempted to eat better after I got engaged. For about a month. Now, I am saying “after the holidays” lol. Like you, I am a June 2012 bride, so I’m figuring if I start in the new year, that’s enough time??
I have been on a pretty strict, low-carb, low-fat diet since July. It has helped me lose 25lbs! However, I have been falling off the wagon as my wedding approaches on December 30th. I can not wait to make (and EAT) Christmas cookies this weekend! I can’t possibly gain back all 25lbs in 2 weeks…. hopefully….
Mmmm…Portillos. Lous. These and chocolate were my wedding downfall as well. Good luck!
I definitely tried to cut back on unhealthy food for the wedding, but I ate whatever I wanted on the honeymoon. (which was amazing)
Unfortunately, I am definitely part of that statistic– I went crazy during the honeymoon and post-wedding since I was off the wedding diet and gained a ton of weight… now I’m fighting to get rid of it! So definitely enjoy post-wedding, but don’t completely kill eating healthy like I did!
I’m trying to lose weight right now for the sake of feeling healthier (because I’m feeling kind of gross as it is). It’s really hard when you want certain foods! End of the semester meant not a lot of time at home, so I ate out a lot. Now that I’ve been done and home more for the past few days, I have real food that I HAVE to eat. I’m determined to lose weight! It’s just tough when you wake up craving whataburger… my special K and a banana aren’t the same as chicken strips 
Be strong!
Got married in September, and with the week for the honeymoon cruise plus a week for Thanksgiving in Hawaii, I’ve gained 6-7 pounds! EEEEEK! I don’t regret it, but man… unfortunately you never can eat/drink what you want. Sigh…
i tried to get on a reasonably healthy diet before the wedding – but failed. instead i did a miserable slim fast diet for the 2 weeks pre-wedding (i lost about 10 lbs) well, for 2 weeks until 2 days before the wedding. i wasn’t going to skip the rehearsal dinner delights (or the thursday night “omg, we’re all in town” dinner/drinking.
on the honeymoon, i ate whatever i wanted. by the end of that week – BOOM. hello 10 lbs again.
however, husband and i have definitely gained the ‘newlywed 9′ or – we prefer to call it the ‘tailgate 10′ (from football season). we are getting more on track now. he lost all of it after a week of reasonable eating (STUPID TESTOSTERONE. NO FAIR) and i am about halfway back (aka still 15 lbs more than wedding day – instead of 20).
Wow, sounds like you are restricting pretty seriously. How much weight are you trying to lose?
I could never ever give up carbs. Or sugar. I don’t drink pop or any type of coffee (if someone takes me to Starbucks, I order a herbal tea, no milk or sugar), but I love bread and baking. So I eat bread and baking. I eat Miniwheats with unsweetened almond milk for breakfast most days.
I rarely eat fast food (unless I’m hungover, then A&W is a necessity) but with it being holiday party season… I’ve eaten more burgers this month than the other 11 months of the year.
Haha still sounds better than what I’m eating!! It’s too hard to think about losing weight around the holidays… I’ll get back to it in 2012!
Unless guac is a trigger food for you (ie you can’t stop until you finish the entire container/bowl) it’s actually a great food to eat – it’s all healthy fats and has lots of nutrients and will keep you satisfied. When I am hardcore dieting (Paleo-style), I love having it around to eat with plain roast chicken and raw veggies. Guac makes those foods SO much more interesting!
And I always hit up Lou’s when I am in Chicago!
Mrs. Unicycle, Chicago, IL Age and Occupation: 23, Editor for a Web Publishing Company Fiance's Age and Occupation: 23, MD/PhD Student Engagement Date: March 26, 2011 Wedding Date: June 2012 Venue: Bridges of Poplar Creek About Me: I’m a writer by trade who likes analyzing pop culture, making fun of celebrities, and laughing until I cry. I’m the queen of half-assed crafts, and there’s nothing I won’t try to DIY. You can usually find me reading blogs on my laptop in front of a good Lifetime movie, wine in hand. I’m planning a polka-dotted summertime wedding to my physics geek college sweetheart, and when I’m not making stupid puns I’m freaking out about my wedding timeline.
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