**Advice Needed**
 

Hey! :hug: So I gave most of my information in my introduction blog, but I need some advice on if you think I can meet my goal or not. I am getting married on August 29th of this year, and I'm hoping that I can lose maybe 2 dress sizes by then.

First of all, how many lbs is a dress size usually? Or does it vary by your body type? Right now I weigh 205 and I'm thinking I want to get down to maybe 169. (Well, really 170, but the 160's sounds awesome! ;)LOL)

So that would be about 35 lbs. My questions are, would 35 lbs be possible by August 29? And is that about 2 dress sizes?

Thank you for all of your help and support!!!

~Carrie

Good luck! I think 35 lbs. is more than 2 dress sizes, but your body type does come into play I think. A healthy rate of weight loss is considered to be about 2 pounds/week or so. For some folks just starting out, weight loss in the beginning couple of weeks can be more and still be healthy. I'm not an expert, so maybe talking to your doctor would be a wise thing? Again, good luck and congrats on your upcoming happy day!!

Jenny

Mmm. That's what, about 3 months? Over 10 lbs a month? It's possible, but there's a lot of room for failure in there. What if 35 lbs doesn't get you down two dress sizes? What if you lose a bunch in the first month but taper off in the second and third months. Even if you lose significant weight, you might not meet your goals. How will this make you feel?

You can do it,




but







you will gain it back.

What's your plan?

I think it may be possible, and I also know you will look beautiful if you are your current weight, down 15 lbs, or down 35 lbs on your day!

I like to set behavior goals (planning food, journaling, exercising)---goals you have direct control over. The scale is something we have somewhat indirect control over. I would also encourage weight training as a way to lose fat and enhance your body composition. Stick around! We'll help you get where you want to go!

Your body type is definitely more important when looking at dress sizes. Make sure you're doing some kind of exercise. If you're looking for a video to do at home that will kick your butt, get Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. Some people have made amazing changes to their body with that, and it really does work everything. Don't just watch the scale, take your measurements, too. Measurements will be more important for dress sizes than weight, and sometimes they change more quickly or differently than weight.

I lost 30 inches when I wasn't even paying attention to anything (no idea how) and I didn't even realize it. I actually though one airline's seats were bigger than a different airline I'd flown on 2 months earlier cause I had NO idea I'd changed that much. 5 inches off my hips and 5 off my waist, and I had no idea.

I don't know your dress size, but the difference between an 18 and a 20 is 2 inches in the bust, waist and hips each. It's 3.5 each between a 16 and a 20. I think that's totally doable in 3 months.

Aug 29 is about 12 weeks away You would need to lose almost 3 pounds a week to meet your goal. There is really no way of predicting if you will make it or not, Our bodies all react differently. 2 pounds a week is about average but again that is generalizing . I would go ahead and give it my best shot, though, I usually drop a size after a 15 pound loss. Do you have an exercize and diet plan. ? Good luck.

Keep in mind that the heavier you are, the more pounds you need to lose to drop a size. Bargoo drops a size after 15 pounds, but I've lost nearly 30 and am still wearing the same size jeans (same brand, same style) as when I started. So it really depends on how you're built and where you carry your weight.

I will echo what everyone else has said - you can't predict how fast you will lose, or what size you will be in when you do. You can control your plan, but you can't control your body.

And - preparing for a wedding is stressful enough. You don't want to have a dress that is too small. Make sure your dress will fit you comfortably even if you don't make your goal. It is MUCH easier to take a dress in, than it is to let it out. AND a slightly loose dress looks infinitely better than one that is too tight!

ENJOY this time of preparation - don't let weight loss add more stress or anxiety.

And - since you asked for an opinion - I think 35 lbs is an extremely high goal. With the wedding prep, shower, etc. - I think that it is very unlikely that you will lose that much weight in 3 months.

Why not make a plan, stick to it, and see where it goes. Even 15 or 20 lbs. will make a difference in how you look and feel :)

Don't do what I did and assure the wedding people I was going to lose 30 pounds in 2 months and then they had to put a gusset in at the last minute. It was so embarrassing - so what I am saying is - don't count on .. .but be thrilled when it happens. AND enjoy your time planning your wedding.

One thing I would like to add is that everybody loses weight differently. You may lose weight evenly all over your body or you may be one of those ladies who loses boobs first. And there is a number of varieties in between. Do you have any previous experience with weight loss?

I would say that 35 lbs by the end of August is way too much. Sorry, but I think it is better to be realistic than to get upset that you did not meet your goal and feel like a failure. As the ladies already pointed out, you will have many other things to worry about and there will be a lot of stress.

Also, what do you plan to do about your dress? If you are planning to lose that many pounds, when will you buy your dress? In the last week? You need to take this into account as well.

I wish you best of luck.

** I have my dress **
 

I totally understand what everybody is saying, and I understand that it will be hard to lose the 35 and I know in my own head that I'm not sure if i'll be able to do it or not, its just a ballpark goal.

I have my dress already, it is hanging in my closet in a size 22, which is actually a little too big for me. I asked the women at David's Bridal how much they can take a dress in and they said up to 2 dress sizes, so I was hoping that I might be able to lose enough weight that they can take it in to an 18.

I'm just going to stick to my diet and exercise and see where it takes me. I think that if I keep at it, no matter what I lose will be awesome :)

Thanks for all your help and advice!!

~Carrie

Congrats on your wedding!

When I weighed nearly 300 pounds, losing more than 2 pounds a week was do-able. But at that weight, 2 pounds was less than 1% of what I weighed. The less you weigh, the smaller your weekly averages tend to be. SO, 35 pounds seems like too much in that time frame.

Dress sizes are harder to get your head around. There was one point in time -- when I had first started weight training -- when over a 3 month period I lost no weight but lost a dress size. I figure I lost some fat and gained some muscle -- which takes up less space than fat.

As has been mentioned, weddings can be stressful. I, personally, eat when stressed, so that would be tough for me to lose in that situation.

My advice would be to do everything you can to build new eating and exercise habits. Lose what you can, and enjoy your wedding prep. Remember to focus on your marriage after the wedding, not just that day. Don't add the stress of needing to lose a certain amount in a certain time during a stressful period...

We posted at the same time!

I'm glad to hear you have a dress that fits NOW, and can still go smaller, rather than having a dress that doesn't fit yet!

ENJOY!!!

You defiently can do it!:) I have done it in the past. Unfortunately, I did not keep up w/the healthy lifestyle changes,and gained it back.:(