HELP! I'm getting married 10 weeks today and need to lose 2 inches from my waist, 2 from hips and 2 from bust to fit my DRESS!!

First of all - is it possible?

I have been dieting since 13th August for this and have so far lost 10lbs but have been a little slack the past 2 weeks (haven't lost any just maintained).

Is this possible to do? I really don't want to buy a new dress as then I have to buy a matching bolero, shoes, flowers, groomswear etc (as the dress is a very specific colour and everything was dyed to match).

I know it was stupid of me to buy a dress to small but it was £320 reduced to £60! Please help! I'm eating 1100 cals and doing cardio for 30 mins 3 times a week. x

First of all, congratulations on your wedding. But know this: 1100 calories is not enough for a woman. An adult female needs 1200 calories minimum, a teenage girl or an adult man need 1500 calories bare minimum, and a teenage boy 1800 calories minimum when sedentary. Your metabolism can become shot from undereating and result in your body holding to every calorie it gets. This is what is referred to as "starvation mode".

You cannot spot reduce, cannot pick where inches come off. If I may be blunt, I think you did a silly thing picking a size too small for you. Do you have any skilled seamstresses in your family or friend circle that can take the dress out rather than resorting to crash dieting? 

What you can do is increase your calories to about 1500 or so. May I ask what your height, age, weight and activity level is? Though from the three times a week 30 minutes a time cardio I'd put you at lightly active. Still, if you have a busy job or lifestyle this may increase.

Hi. I have a very inactive job - I sit at a desk all day. I will increase to around 1300 cals. I know i've done a silly thing by buying a dress that's too small. But as it "nearly" fits I though i'd be ok.

Ok, I just tried the dress on. It's ok on my hips. A little tight, so I maybe need to lose an inch there. I could do the zip half up but it stopped at my ribs. I measured my ribs and they are 34inches and the material of the dress in that area measures 32 inches around. I measured by bust and it's 39 inches and the dress is 34 inches there.

I understand you cannot spot reduce, and I am exercising to lose all over but I am wanting to know if this is possible to do, has anyone else here done it?

I'm not an expert, so I wont even attempt to give you advice on your diet. But from experience pilates and yoga do wonders for losing inches. I did pilates to fit in a dress I had bought a few months before prom. I had a few more inches to lose. But it helped alot. Two inches really isnt that much. I think if you started doing pilates everyday (some videos only take 20 minutes!) it will definatly help with the inches for your waist and hips... Not so sure about your bust. You could try lifting weights and focusing on your upper body, that should help some!

I hope this is helpful. Like I said I'm not an expert I'm just speaking from experience.   

Really, a loss of inches is what I mean by spot reduce - it doesn't just have to mean fat reduction. Pilates and yoga may help you. So would resistance and weight training. And no, weights will not make you bulky. But all in all you have no guarantee it'll just fly off your waist and hips.

1300 is still a very low number especially as you exercise. I really think you would be better aiming for 1500 unless you are a very small woman. As in, 5'0. So... again, what is your height, weight and age?

Sorry, i'm 20, 5ft2, and I weigh 13st 4 (186lbs).

I'll pick up a pilates DVD today and do that in addition to the cardio DVD.

I'm willing to do anything I need to, even if I have to exercise day and night, i'm just not very clued up on diet and exercise (which is a surprise since i've been on over 10 different diets and have been yo-yo dieting since my stepmum put me on a diet at aged 10!).

Thanks for all your help

Ready for some numbers?

Okay. According to the CC Tools, you are 20, 5'2, 186lbs... which puts your BMR when sedentary at 2000 calories. You'd want to take 500 from that to lose healthily - so, 1500 calories, as I guesstimated. :] And that's when completely sedentary!

Never exceed a deficit of over 1000 and never burn off so much that it would equate going under 1200 calories. So, if your calorie burn when sedentary is 2000 and you removed 500 from that through diet, but then burnt another 300 calories, that would stick you back down at 1200 calories. Which is detrimental! So eat a bit more on your work out days. And every day, aim for wholegrain/complex carbs, half-fat or skimmed dairy, protein, healthy fats, and a fruit/veg serving at each main meal as well as a snack or two in the mid morning and mid afternoon.

That sucks to hear about your stepmum putting you on diets. :\ Children that young shouldn't be made to think about weight unless they are in the obese category, which I doubt you were at ten years old. It breeds bad habits.

Still, I hope this helps. If you have any more questions or concerns let me know.

Start weight lifting.  Your overall weight might not go down, but you will lose inches.  Do that with a reasonable diet plan (500-1000 calorie deficit) and you should get the results you're looking for, especially as you're new enough to it to get the newbie bonus.

Start thinking about having a backup plan!  That's a lot of inches to lose in a short amount of time.  Ask around to find a seamstress who can maybe add gussets in the back of the dress at the top, where the zip gets stuck.  If it's worn with a bolero, then perhaps it can be done in that part of the dress.

You got some good advice and I hope everything works out for you.

in addition to the exercise and diet - look into a good foundation (undergarment) that you can wear under the dress, you may find something that "smooths out" your midsection enough to allow the dress to zip. 

ten weeks is plenty of time, if you're willing to apply yourself. i lost 15 lbs in 10 weeks and 3 inches everywhere. what works best for me is jogging, i don't know i this is to much for you but you can work up to it. when you're working out push yourself past when you want to stop. I ate a lot of protein and still do cause i'm still trying to lose. Good luck you can do it. try to get one of your freinds to measure you every week so you can see your progress...

I lost 4 inches everywhere by walking 3 miles a day for 12 weeks! (calories at 1350.....5'7" 197 at start and 187 now)

Original Post by a_mckh:

in addition to the exercise and diet - look into a good foundation (undergarment) that you can wear under the dress, you may find something that "smooths out" your midsection enough to allow the dress to zip. 

 I picked out my wedding dress right before I got pg and got married at three months, which I didn't think I would have gained weight yet.  I did.  My dress didn't fit.  I got a good foundation undergarment and sucked it in just enough to look great in my dress.  (by the way, I didn't leave it on long, for those of you worrying, so as not to hurt the baby and she is a healthy happy 18 month old now)  This is a very good option in addition to the exercise and diet plan.

I'm going to agree with the weight lifting - and lift heavy if you continue with a calorie deficit you will NOT bulk up but slim down your weight may not go down but the inches will.  Be sure to work all muscles since our bodies decide where they want to slim down first but if you work all muscles the law of averages is sooner or later your problem areas are going to cooperate.

Here is my suggestions!

#1--lalabanana gave great advice--eat 1500 calories on days you don't workout or you will go into starvation mode and/or get sick and/or give up!

#2--get the book The New Rules for Weightlifting for Women and start lifting NOW 3x/week (eat more on days you lift)

#3--start walking or jogging 2-3x/week (eat a little more on days you walk or jog)

#4--buy a "body slimmer" a week before the wedding if you still need it! I used to work in that department and 25 years ago the simple "waist cincher" would easily take off 2-3 inches! (of course you could barely breathe haha) The products they have now are much better and can start at the knees and go all of the way up (even with a slit so you can pee)!

#5--find a seamstress that can alter the chest area the last week if necessary. There is usually about 1 inch that can be let out from the zipper and side seams if there isn't too much lace, embroidery, etc.

You are going to have to push yourself to stick with it for 10 weeks to see results but I think you can do it!

Good luck and let us know how you do--I want to see pictures!!

Eat sensibly, work out but not in excess, and get a super good corset and squeeze the sucker until it's about to pop. Worked like a charm for me!

It looks to me like you have been given a lot of good advice :)  This is not a dieting tip, but if you need just a little bit more help on your special day...   a little trick I tried once was a herbal body wrap, the results were amazing!  I lost a total of 23 inches overall.  Of course, there was no permanent loss of inches (darn it), but it was just what I needed for my special event and the special clothes I wanted to wear to it.  If this is something you would like to try, I would recommend trying it now, then again the day of, or the day before, your wedding if it's something you would like to use.  Congrats on the marriage, I wish you the most amazing of weddings!

I would def try getting a body slimmer, or start looking at other undergarment options...I used to work in bridal and the seamstress will only have about an INCH total to be able to let it out...and an inch is going to be the absolute max she'll be able to let it out...and it's going to cost  a lot of money to do, and may not look right if the seamstress isn't the best.

Day before; day of.....make sure you are drinking a ton of water, and take a water pill, which will make you pee and make sure you are not retaining any water and make sure you aren't bloated....that'll help a lil.

I was going to suggest the two things that have already been brought up

1) New Rules of Lifting for Women. It's EXCELLENT and FAST

2) Spanx or something that sucks you in. They do work

As a back up plan maybe have a seamstress make the back corset style?