Nobody informed me that bridesmaid dresses run a size small! My dear friend, the bride to be, went and bought the dresses last week without any bridesmaids present for fittings.  She text me asking what size I wore, i replied a size 8 thinking I'm usually a size 6 but I've gained 15 lbs so i'm probably a size 8 now. I was unaware that bridesmaid dresses run a size small so I should have really asked for a size 10.( Thank God for mom's who know these kind of things)  I had been wanting to try to lose some weight before the wedding anyways and just hadn't got around to making the commitment.  But now I have to lose the weight it's no longer optional.  I have 5 weeks to lose 15 lbs.  Does anybody have any tips on good excercises or good diets that will help me lose the weight in time but in a healthy way?  I will gladly take any advice or encouragement. Thanks!

Try and make each one of your meals full of lean protein, chicken breast, salmon, tuna, shrimp, eggs... Drink plenty of water, eat lots of vegetables (except potatoes), fruit in moderation, no alcohol, strict portion control when it comes to things like pasta. Mixed berries and lowfat yogurt, are good for snacking on. Go for a walk or do some other form of exercise every day.

yuck, weddings. i was my sister's maid of honor at her wedding.  we even had dress fittings.  i dieted and lost a ton of weight for the fitting, but weighed a good 12 pounds more come wedding day.  i went to a really good independent lingerie store and got a comfortable, beautiful corset.  it did wonders.

and now, i weigh almost 8 pounds more than i did at the wedding.  but i think that i'd fit into the dress just as well now, bec a lot more of that weight is muscle, and my whole physique is much tighter now than it was then. 

when you strength train, you build muscle that burns fat even while you're watching tv.  i've found that it's extremely effective for losing fat.  and 5 weeks is more than enough time to see results.  even a simple routine, 3-4 x a week, of pullups, bench press or pushups, walking lunges or weighted lunges or squats, a simple military press.  when women have asked how i get my arms to look toned i say, "grab something heavy and lift it over your head."  i wish you luck.

I would be more concerned about losing inches, not necesarily weight, although they often go hand in hand.  I would exercise like crazy, have a reduced calorie diet, and that's about all I can think of... or you can always try to exchange the dress. I'm not so sure that deadlines like that are so great...

Honestly I think you should see what you can do to get a larger size. I really hope it works out, but you do not want to find that the dress doesn't fit 2 days before the wedding! 15 pounds may or may not be doable in 5 weeks. =/ Just wanted to throw some reality in there.

Get this (or the beginner version) and stick to it!!  You might not lose much weight, but trust me, if you can do at least 10-15 sessions of this workout, you won't have any problems, the inches will have melted off.   They reccommend 2-3 times per week, so 5 weeks, 3 times a week = you'll look great!

(incase that link doesn't work, search "Callanetics" in amazon)

http://www.amazon.com/Callanetics-Years-Young er-Hours-Amazon-com/dp/B00064K0RI/ref=pd_bbs_ sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1202607539& ;sr=8-1

i'm with feanor.  obviously  the dress is off-the-rack.  its shouldn't be a big deal to get a size 10.

losing weight for a big event rarely leads to success.  either you don't make the goal (in which case you're really in trouble) or you do something drastic, in which case you'll probably end up gaining it all back.

Older and wiser words....I say get your size.  Than be happy if it's a little loose on that day.  You don't need this pressure and reality is you don't know what may or may not happen. 

I am in a similar situation but with my wedding gown. They took my measurements and ordered me a size, a ridiculously small size. It's the equivalent of my street size which everyone knows you order your wedding dress 2+ dress sizes larger. Plus I have gained 5 lbs since I ordered it in December. I am panicked about it but there is nothing I can do.

You, however, can drop some weight for sure, but 15 lbs is a lot to lose. Not undoable but still a challenge when under pressure. Weight loss under pressure is never a good thing. I agree with others and firstly try to see if you can find a dress closer to your size, then try to lose some weight at your own pace. 

Wow.. that brings back some memories!

I was in that same situation in August. Let me tell you though.. it definitely motivates you to lose weight because you KNOW you have to.  You will have to work pretty hard to lose 3 pounds a week.. but I would imagine it would be doable.

I would definitely recommend looking into a corset or what i would like to call a "sucker-upper" you can find them at any department store in the lingerie area (jc penny..sears) they can do wonders!

Good Luck!

failing all of the above, you can get the dress taken out. My sis had to do that with a bridesmaids dress she wore last year. There's heaps of "clothing alteration"ists around and there's usually at least an inch in the seems...

Original Post by caloriecountingme:

 when women have asked how i get my arms to look toned i say, "grab something heavy and lift it over your head."

*poke*  Do I detect a stumptuous junkie? 

I agree, BTW.  Weight training is definitely the way to go.

Original Post by sundari:

Original Post by caloriecountingme:

 when women have asked how i get my arms to look toned i say, "grab something heavy and lift it over your head."

*poke*  Do I detect a stumptuous junkie? 

I agree, BTW.  Weight training is definitely the way to go.

sundari, i have every respect for that website, but actually i haven't really found in in-depth enough to be helpful.  everything on it is such an overview.  i have found a lot of helpful information w/in t-nation articles, exrx.net for lift details and youtube for videos of lifts.

Ooh, more links, I'll definitely be looking these up.  Thanks, ccm!

sundari,

there are lots of helpful links.  but check this one out, called "strength training for women."  it gives some evidence that you won't bulk up by engaging in resistance training (lower testosterone, and also less testosterone stimulation by weight lifting than in males). 

i saw your journal entry about lunar fluctuations.  this is a medication's website, but it explains some of the pms symptoms and the hormones that cause them.  my friend gets all nauseous when she gets her period and doesn't have any appetite at all; i think nausea trumps all hormones.  glad you were looking for info.

My favourite forms of cardio workouts are Swimming and Biking... really try and find some form of cardio that you love! (i didn't read all the posts so sorry if someone already said that)
While dieting, as the others said, eat a lot of lean protiens and also if you need more food, bulk up your meals with low-calorie foods such as lettuce in salads or pumpkin.
Or even zucchini.
I find if you get a really nice pumpkin, its so tastey just mashed up plain with salt.
Lol i had some with lunch.

Anyway, goodluck and i hope you reach your 5 week goal :)
-C

I don't really have any tips or anything, but I had to reply.....for this exact same reason I decided to lose weight for the first time in my life! I was really successful because it's a really great motivation to have a dress you've gotta fit into by a certain date, especially for an occasion like a wedding where everyone is going to be looking at the bridal party! Hopefully that thought will keep ya going. JUST WANTED TO WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK! :O)

I didn't know that either. I just had to get my dress taken in it's a size 10 but after the alterations it'll probably be closer to an eight huh, so I'm a size 8 I can live with that.

I'm in the Maid of Honor club too now, the Wedding is in April I started my weight loss around October, and now 4 months and almost 20 lbs lighter I'm lovin it and I can't wait until the wedding.

So you actually have the dress in hand and it's too small or are you going by what you've been told about dress sizes? When my daughter got a formal dress at a bridal shop they actually ran large. While she normally wore a 10 the dress they ordered for her measurements was a 6.  (I always wondered what girls who actually wore a size 6 had to order...a 2?)  If you don't have the dress in hand, don't panic yet.  Check your measurements vs the size with the store.

If you do have the dress and it is small, I really hope you are looking into getting a dress in the right size. It was dumb for the bride to buy them without you there. She should have at least asked for your measurements. 'Size' just varies too much by brand. It's not your fault that it doesn't fit but you do need to act quickly.

If you get a dress that fits now and you lose weight it is much easier to have it taken in.

I would normally never suggest Atkins...but I have heard it works for the short term (chances are that you will put the weight back on AFTER the wedding) but if you're desperate, it is worth a try.  Just try and do it in a healthy way (best you can) Lots of veggies and lean protein, not just bacon and pepperoni.

Good luck!