Trying to Lose Before Wdding

Hi everyone!  I'm new here; just signed up.  Anyway I am getting married in October and want to be down 20 pounds by then.  I am pretty good at tracking what I eat (to be completely honest I drink a little more wine tahn I probably should and I think that may be holding me back).  I workout 5 days a week; typically an hour on the elliptical and then resistance training.  I really want the weight to come off but I don't know what else to do.  I wish it was easier for me to give up my nightly wine but it's really hard.  My fiance doesn't drink during the week I just enjoy coming home from work and relaxing with a glass.  Right now we don't have any in the house but we do have beer.   All of last week I got up and worked out in the morning but today I did not get out of bed; so I will work out tonight when I get home. 
Typical day:

Bfast - coffee with splenda, string cheese

Snack - 100 calorie protein shake

Lunch - today is italian sausage and mustard (I try to stick to somewhat low carb)

Dinner - salmon and brocoli steamed with lemon pepper

water - 64 oz a day

I'm sure I will put a little more in there but that's all I have for right now.  I am 5'5" and weight 180.  I am very muscular so getting lower than 160 would look wierd on me I think.  I have about 4 months to get this 20 pounds off.  I know some of you might say the low carb thing is really bad and it may be but until the wedding I'm not going to stop it because I don't want the 15 I have lost already to come back (I need my dress to fit!).  Or is there anyone out there who has done somewhat low carb and swiched off it gradually without gaining the weight back and continuted to lose?  Any suggestions would be great!  It's getting ot be crunch time!!! 

Thanks, Jessica

Original Post by jfourth:

Bfast - coffee with splenda, string cheese

Snack - 100 calorie protein shake

Lunch - today is italian sausage and mustard (I try to stick to somewhat low carb)

Dinner - salmon and brocoli steamed with lemon pepper

water - 64 oz a day

How many calories is this? About how many calories are you burning each day?

You probably need to eat more, you definitely need more veggies and probably more fat.

Agreed. If you're working out 5 days a week you need to be eating ALOT more than this. You will probably want to include some whole grains as well.

Are you serious? That's gotta be like 600 calories. You need to eat WAY MORE.

Congrats on the wedding!

20 lbs by October *sounds* doable, but not through starving yourself; why don`t you try inputting your stats into the calculator that this website provides, and go from the number it recommends. Caution: it`ll probably be around 2-3 times what you eat now. Don`t let it terrify you or put you off! Three months of constant undereating will most likely result in some horrible overeating, either along the way (hindering any progress you might be making), or afterwards (making you gain the weight you lost back and then some). Not to mention a whole summer of being cranky, moody and miserable - yikes! By your wedding you`d be so malnourished you could probably eat the cake all by yourself. xD

Oh, and while some might disagree, I personally think it`d be better to use your calories on something much more nutritious than wine, at least until then. Your body will thank you for it.

You need to eat more vegetables.  Even if you're trying to do low carb, veggies don't "count" as the carbs you'd want to cut down on.  Aim for at least 4 servings a day (at least five if you cut out fruit).

You need to eat more at breakfast.  Maybe add a piece of fruit to your cheese? 

You need to eat more in total.  Make sure your calories add up to at least 1200 every day.  Since you're exercising, I would raise that to at least 1500.  (I'm thinking 1500-1700 would be ideal, depending on your current height and weight.)  Resistance training is awesome at helping you burn calories (assuming you're constantly challenging yourself).

Also, try to cut down on processed foods.  Ideally, your diet should consist of fruit, veg, lean meats, dairy, grains, nuts, pulses/beans and healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, etc.) - with small treats every so often.  I set aside about 200 cals/day as "treats" - which might be healthy or might be chocolatey.  :-)

Hi Jessica,

goalof59 posted this I thought it was Great, Maybe it will help. Good luck, I just got married in Dec 08, matter of fact my picture is from my wedding.

http://www.fitnessland.com.au/news/pdf/Strong %20Women%20Dont%20Starve.pdf

Change up your workout - try running, or HIIT or the stairmaster even just something to stir it up and surprise your bod.

Congrats on the wedding!

Thanks everyone!  I eat more actually it turns out to be more; this is my "planned menu" but I end up around 1700-1800 calories.  I want to change it up just by doing different dvds (taebo, resistance dvd's pilates) that kind of stuff.  I have an elliptical at home but I get SO BORED on it!  I have not worked out this week b/c I haven't been feeling well but I will tonight when I go home.  THen tomorrow and Friday I will work out too.  It's wierd b/c my weight was way up on Monday from eating so bad over the weekend and I haven't worked out at all this week and it's back down to where it was on Friday.  Interesting. 

So my plan is to stick to around 1800 a day.  Today, tomorrow, Friday (today will be evening but tomorrow and Friday will be am) I will do a dvd and then starting Monday I will be up at 6:00 and do 2 dvd's in the morning (about 100 minutes total).  Anyone have any good tips for waking up in the morning?  I did really well last week but this week I wasn't feeling well so I haven't gotten up.  But I want to start again next week.  My fiance says I need to be doing elliptical too but it's just SO BORING!  I want to lose weight by just dvds!

Congratulations on the wedding! It sounds like you're doing things the right way so far which is great! Have you ever heard of Beachbody? I'm actually a Coach and I can't say enough about the programs. They offer a variety of at home workouts, one is sure to fit your fitness style and lifestyle. They have a 30 day money back guarantee if you don't find it right for you. Right now I'm using 10 Minute Trainer and P90X. P90X is extreme but you get extreme results. The workouts are different every day and the results keep me going back for more. The 10 Min Trainer is great for those who are short on time, I use it as an additional workout. But I think you might find out you really like, you should take a look! www.beachbodycoach.com/jessle830

The best part of Beachbody is the support that is there for you. The support and all the other people out there, doing these programs, reaching for the same goals as me is a huge help in my success!