[ValentineBride]

I just thought I would introduce myself... My name is Jessica, I'm 21. I'm a legal assistant in a law firm, so I work M-F 8-5, It's pretty hard for me to motivate myself in the evening to exercise because I'm pretty worn out most of the time. I have a gym membership, which I never go to because I HATE going by myself and there is so many people there I don't know. I am engaged, no date set yet. Although I do have my dress AND I've gained about 30 lbs since I bought it, so needless to say, it does not fit anymore. I love food.. all kinds, pasta and potatoes mostly (I know, bad).

Sooo.. I feel pretty unmotivated right so I guess that's why I'm joining in. I need a lot of help and motivation. Thanks.

[mandalinn82]

Hey Jessica -

First off, I lost all of my weight while eating (yes, in moderation) potatoes and pasta. So its totally possible! There is no reason to give up your favorite foods, you just need to watch your portion sizes and make sure you're getting plenty of nutritious, whole foods to balance out your diet.

First off, have you tried whole wheat pasta? I think its really tasty, and its got a lot more nutritional bang for your buck than your standard white varieties. Then, make sure you're eating just ONE serving. To me, thats awfully small, so I plump out the servings with veggies (for red sauces, I use cooked onion and bell pepper, cut into strips. For white or broth sauces, I use veggies like broccoli, bell pepper, zucchini, etc). You get a big plateful of pasta for a fraction of the calories, and lots of nutritious veggies in addition.

I also bake small red potatoes when I need a potato fix. Sweet potatoes are healthier, but I need my white potatoes sometimes. Three of the small red creamer potatoes that I buy is 3/4 of a cup of potato total and very workable into my daily calories. I top them with fat free sour cream and lots of salt and pepper - yum!

Congratulations on your engagement! I guarantee you will like the way you look in your dress MUCH better if you start a regular program at the gym, especially if it involves strength training. My arms were never more toned as they were at my wedding (April 2007), and it definitely showed in the pictures. And hey, you'll have an opportunity to meet NEW people!

Best of luck to you, and keep posting! There is also a "Brides to Be" thread in "Miscellaneous Clubs" - you might want to check it out.

[sugarcookie53201]

Hey there Valentine,

Welcome to 3FC. Hey dont sweat the wedding dress thing, just like Mandalinn said, get on a program and who knows before too long you might be needing to buy a smaller dress! Take Care!

Sugar C.

[Andi18]

Welcome and congrats on your engagement!

I had a gym membership before my wedding, I swam laps every other day (no needing a buddy for that, can't talk while swimming!) and walked 2 miles the alternating days. I also was on the adkins diet at that time and lost 35 pounds for my wedding. Of course that was 4 years ago and all of that way has crept back on so here I start again in time to lose the weight for my 5 year wedding anniversary!

It is hard to exercise without a buddy, fortunately I had one while walking, but now I live 6 hours away from my family and friends and have to do this alone, but I have made it my goal to work out early in the morning when noone would work out with me anyways! (going to try to work out at night as well...)

If you want support, these boards are a great place to turn! I've been here for just over a day now and have found support and gained knowledge from reading through threads.

Take care and good luck!!!

[ValentineBride]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm feeling better today. I did great yesterday, although I didn't make it to the gym, I did play DDR and ate really good. I'm actually down 4lbs today .. I know it's just because I haven't exercised or ate right for awhile and water weight, but it was good motivation to see that on the scales this morning.

I was pretty fustrated yesterday and left out a couple other reasons I need to loss this weight. Of course I said my wedding and family planning, but also last week I had very severe back pains and it really scared me. I just pulled a muscle while re-arranging a filing cabinet, but it was the worst pain I had ever experienced and I don't want to have these kinds of problems when I get older because of being overweight. It also scared my mom and she decided to try to loss some weight too. Soo.. wish us luck!!!