Well, exercises and all are the best way to lose the arm flab. I'm definitely going to try out the site that was mentioned. As for those with wedding days looming close at hand, the only thing I found that works in a hurry is an herbal body wrap. Find someone who does the wrap with ace-bandage type wraps, not the kind that they just have you lay down and they wrap you in sheets. They wrap your arms, torso, legs, in ace bandages soaked in an herbal mix. I believe the purpose is to draw out toxins and help get rid of water weight. I've had it done a few times and the first time, I lost a total of 14 inches. (total of calves, thighs, belly, and arms) It felt great and my skin did feel tighter after the wrap for at least a week. Anyway, it's not a permanent fix, but will definitely help to make you feel better on your wedding day. Good luck!
ALMOSTTAKEN07 1/2/08 10:13 P
I have concerns about my arms as well - I have a strapless dress. I found an article that has exercises based on the type of dress you have - not sure if anyone else has used this or not. I did the exercises yesterday for the strapless dress and my arms felt great today - hopefully they will look great soon :c)
i totally understand the arm thing, its like the only thing you cant hide and it makes you feel so gross, i need to get focused and stay on track with getting in better shape and working out with weights so i can get toned arms :)
The thing I'm most concerned about is my flabby arms, even though my goal was to get under 70kg by my wedding (which is late February so realistically that isn't going to happen), it's really the arm thing that is bugging me.
I'm wearing a halterneck dress that I'm having custom-made so I know that will fit no matter what my size is, and I can wear a corset with that, but there is no way of hiding my arms.
I've been doing pushups and tricep dips and using a band and dumb-bells, but they just don't seem to be shrinking at all.
JEN7162000 1/2/08 5:53 P
I am getting married May 3, 2008. I had originally started here in August and lost 10 pounds the slow way and it stayed off for quite a while. Now it is back and I have less time to lose that and more. Err...I have decided to follow a Perricone diet which is also supposed to benefit not just your weight loss efforts but it is also supposed to great for your skin and face. Is anyone else considering this method?
WEDDINGINAPRIL 1/2/08 5:40 P
April 12, 2008 for me! I'd like to lose about 40 as well. I figure if I do 2 pounds a week, even with the little mishaps that will happen, I can be down about 25 pounds, which, in a wedding dress will seem like a lot more. You're so sinched in them, they create a smaller sillouette as it is. Anyway, if you need a cheerleader, I could use one too, so we can work together. :)
BABS09 12/30/07 12:02 A
Definitely! That's why I joined weight watchers to take off 60lbs or so so I can look like I did when my fiance and I first started dating 6 1/2 yrs ago
ALMOSTTAKEN07 12/22/07 12:21 P
I'm not sure if you already know about these sites or not, but I use theknot.com and weddingchannel.com as a guide to plan my wedding. They have a wedding checklist which will give you guidelines of when everything should be booked/ordered and they also have a budgeter. The recommendation is to order your dress at least 6-9 months before the wedding. I jumped the gun a little and ordered mine 11 months early...but they will allow me to do a size exchange 3 months before the wedding if needed. I would find out from the place you will be ordering from what their recommendation is - the ordering time varies depending on the designer and the type of dress.
CAGIRAFFE 12/21/07 4:57 P
I had a short engagement, so I purchased a dress off the rack that fit well when I bought it - in March, for a June wedding. I don't know if it was stress, parties, or what...but a week before the wedding, I could no longer zip my dress! I had it changed to a corset back so it would fit. Totally depressing, and it really did affect how I felt on my wedding day!
FWIW, I tried that dress on the other day - it's strapless, and it falls off. Literally hits the ground, my hips now are smaller than my waist was back then.
SHANNYH 12/20/07 7:09 P
I'm getting married in April 2008 and i would love to lose 40 pounds by then... probably not going to happen. I just want to not feel like a giant on my wedding day hahaha. Good luck to you all who are trying too!
WORDSLIKESWORDS 12/20/07 1:00 P
I think everyone feels that way. I know I do. We're getting married in April '09 so I know I have time to lose my 119 pounds, and I know that no matter what he will love me... but I want to look back on those pictures forever and love how I look. How long before the wedding should you order your dress though?I already know which one I want but I plan to be down 119 pounds by the time I get married... there's no way I can estimate a size!
ALF2008 12/19/07 10:27 P
Believe me I've felt depressed too. I was skinny when my fiance and i got engaged, but due to our young age we decided to wait to get married. We have now been together for over 4 yrs and our wedding is in May. I'm scared bc i've put on so much weight and I've had all this time and preparation for the big day. I think its finally hit me these past few months. I've lost 12 lbs so far and today I joined this website so I can stay focused and keep motivated. You can Do It!! Congrats!!
AMUS1556 11/28/07 2:40 P
I had it custom ordered because I am so short. Had I just ordered the dress as is they would have had to hem it up so much that the detailing around the bottom would be half cut off. So they ordered it "hollow to hem" that the hem is the exact length for my height. I hope it will still look okay if I have to take a lot in.
ALMOSTTAKEN07 11/28/07 1:35 P
If you are not getting a custom made dress, I would check with your Bridal Shop to see if they do size exchanges. I checked with my store and they said that if I had lost ten pounds or more to come in about 3 1/2 months before the wedding with the original receipt and they would do a size exchange and then make any alterations that are needed. This might save you some money.
AMUS1556 11/28/07 10:50 A
I have exactly seven months from today until I get married. I know that I can lose the weight because I have done it before and then I didn't have as big of event to look forward too. I just need to get out of my old habits and be more aware. Although I want to look fabulous walking down the aisle, I want to look even better for the honeymoon. I want to be able to go swimming or lay out in Mexico or the Caribbean without feeling self conscious about my weight. But like another poster said, my fiance love me for me even if I don't lose anything. But for my health and my self - esteem this is the right track for me to be on. I can't wait to get into my dress for the first fitting and see how many inches they are going to have to take in, even though I'm dreading the alteration bill!
ALMOSTTAKEN07 11/25/07 10:51 A
I hear you about the motivation. I am getting married 8-23-08 and my motivation runs in spurts. My fiance` and I keep saying that we are going to get really serious about working out and the diets come January 1. It's really hard right now with the holidays and winter approaching. I crave the sweets and comfort foods when I am stressed. I know that I can do this and I know that all of you can do this too. If you don't get get to your goal by your wedding day, remember that it's not the number that counts - it's how you feel. Just keep working out and you will feel good, eventually you will see results or that number move. Good Luck to everyone!
JADEITE828 11/25/07 3:37 A
New here...wedding day is 9.6.08. I thought I would be motivated to lose weight but for some reason, I have been eating MORE and gaining as a result... WTF?? I think I'm stressed out about all the wedding planning...and its so far off that I'm letting myself fall off the wagon...and I can't get back on! HELP!
HILLARY0312 11/19/07 7:15 P
My fiance loves me just the way I am and tells me all the time that he thinks I'm hot or sexy. I love to hear these things and know that's all that really matters, but in the back of my mind . . . I know I need to lose weight. When I look in the mirror, I don't see the fat me. I don't see it until I look at pictures and think "is that really what I look like?" A couple of weeks ago I was at my highest weight ever of 167. I'm only 5'0", so this is kind of a big deal. I have severe asthma and the weight was just making things worse. Over the last couple of weeks I have set my mind to making my weight loss a priority. I've been planning my wedding since January and kept telling myself that I had plenty of time to lose the extra weight. But what really happened was I gained more. Now I come out here and monitor my successes and failures and just keep going. You can't let yourself get discouraged or you'll end up going the wrong direction. Believe me, I know it's hard to stay positive, but you can't dwell on it. I have focused on staying in my suggested calories and started walking during my morning and afternoon breaks. I've already seen a difference. Whatever you do - don't give up. You have four months to go, that's quite a bit of time if you really put your mind to it!!!
ANSCHUIER 11/14/07 9:03 A
I had felt really worried/ depressed about how I was going to look on the wedding day, but there came a point, somewhere within the "less than one month" to "less than one week" time frame when it somehow clicked:
"I am marrying the man of my dreams. He loves me no matter what. My family and friends are all going to be in one place celebrating our new marriage!"
And once that clicked, I could've worn a potato sack and I would've felt beautiful.
It's all about loving yourself, and knowing that you are beautiful no matter what, and that your hubby finds you beautiful.
Continue to work out, as it's a good stress reliever, but don't worry too much! You will be lovely!
TINKER348 11/13/07 4:06 P
A lot of my friends have gotten married recently so of course I have seen their wedding pictures. My wedding is next June and all I can think of is how fat my arms are going to look and why in the world did I get a strapless dress? I hate being the center of attention anyways and I'm so self conscious- I have a hard time picturing the day being fun.
WEDDLEACE 11/13/07 2:42 P
I am DEFINITELY dealing with many of the same feelings! I'm getting married in June of 08 and am heavier now than I have been in a while. Because I've been so afraid of what I would look like in a wedding dress, I have pretty much put wedding planning off and have even been irritable when my poor fiance wants to talk about the wedding! In fact, I recently developed this thing where, every time someone asked me about my wedding dress, my first reaction was literally wanting to vomit! I can't believe that I managed to get myself so worked up. Luckily, I finally bit the bullet and made an appointment to try on and buy a gown (end of December) and I'm getting excited about it! And taking that step has made me finally get excited about my wedding. The people who have posted on this thread are exactly right. It's about the MEANING of the wedding. And brides look beautiful no matter their size! I just have to keep telling myself that! Luckily, SP is helping me feel confident in my ability to become more fit and healthy. So by the time my wedding day is here, I'll look better and feel better, and I won't have missed all of the special times between now and the wedding because I was obsessed about the size of my wedding dress! Good luck, brides! We CAN do it!
BEABEAR12 11/12/07 1:58 P
I went through the same thing. I am 4'11 and I weighed 135 lbs. before my wedding, which I admit is overweight, but I don't think it's THAT bad. My parents criticized me so much that one day both my husband and I left work because I was so upset about it. I just had to go home and cry and my husband was quite concerned about my well-being. Well anyhow, everyone left me alone after that and I realized that I can't put any more pressure on myself on top of all of the wedding planning. I just made sure I maintained where I was and that I fit into my wedding dress nicely.
Don't stress out about it--just have fun and enjoy the day! Good luck!
MELSWEET16 11/12/07 12:40 A
First of all, to SunnySmile, if I felt as though I'd look as beautiful in my dress as you look in your pictures, I likely wouldn't be motivated to lose weight! What a beautiful bride!
I have been with my fiance for 5 years and we've been engaged for 2. We're getting married in August. I lost 35lbs before I joined the site and hope to lose another 35ish before our wedding. I am using my wedding as my motivation and won't even look at dresses until I lose another few pounds... I figure that once I am a bit smaller, it won't matter if I wear a potato sack to my wedding, I'll look awesome anyways! Seriously though, I want everything to be perfect on my wedding day, including me! My fiance tells me that I am perfect, but I want to see myself as he sees me.
Further inspiration comes from my great aunt. She is in her 80's and maybe tips the scales at a whopping 90lbs soaking wet. She's always been a total bean pole. After she attended a familywedding earlier in the year that I was not able to go to, I asked my aunt about the day. She told me that the bride "looked nice-- for a big girl" *jaw on floor* ...I will not be the "big girl" at my wedding but will make sure that aunt skin and bones gets an extra large piece of cake!
Best of weight loss luck to all of the brides to be!
AMIYESIAM 11/11/07 3:20 P
afternoon to all the brides to be. Hope everyone is having a wonderful day and sticking to their plans. As I keep telling myself, I can do this.
JOANNAEDGE 11/9/07 11:40 P
I have at least a year before the big day because I refuse to be a fat bride. My fiance gets angry because he loves me and he is afraid I am going to run off when I lose the weight. Like I am in love with him because he would have me. Oh yea, he has weight ans self-esteem issues too.
BUTTERFLIDRMZ 11/4/07 3:37 A
You are not the only one that gets depressed about their weight especially for their weddin, I am and I still have almost a year to go. Just remember and tell yourself, you are beautiful for who you are and what you look like that thats what your fiance is marrying you.
SUNNYSMILE9 11/2/07 11:40 P
First, congrats to you! Getting married is a really exciting thing, and the joy of marrying the love of your life and your best friend is beyond any other!
Don't let your weight hold you back. The wedding isn't about how much you weigh, it's about how much the two of you love each other. Whether or not you will be radiant on your wedding day is not dependent on how much you weigh, it's on the happiness that will be radiating from you. Believe me!
Just keep taking it one day at a time. Cut some excess calories here and there, get into a regular exercise routine. And try not to stress about your wedding day weight! As long as the dress you purchase still fits, you are golden. :)
AMIYESIAM 11/1/07 12:21 P
hello Quinn I hope you medical set back is done and over and you are doing well.
FLUFFYSCIONGRRL 10/30/07 1:33 P
Hi Everyone! My name is Quinn and I've been on SP for a couple of months now, but I was offline for a month so now I'm trying to get back on track with everything. I'm finally exploring the site more, and I just came across this forum- which I'm really excited about!
My fiance and I got engaged on NYE (last Jan) and our original wedding date was 8/8/08, but I had a medical setback which caused a financial setback for us. So I don't think we're staying with that date. It's so expensive to get married! Honestly I would rather just run away to Vegas with a few close friends and have a party than make some big to do of it. (Well minus the dress thing of course, I sooo want a pretty dress!)
That brings me to what brought me to SparkPeople, I am definitely one of those women who once I was engaged only though.. "omg I can't be this size when I get married, I'm not gonna do it." I used to be much thinner many years ago, and I'm trying to regain that body back. Or at least the closest version of it.
I look forward to talking/ getting to know all of you!
AMIYESIAM 10/30/07 12:46 P
Hi, hope you are doing well. Love that there are so many boyfriends that accept us as we are. We put so much pressure on ourselves. I really don't want to be worried about how big my butt looks while getting married. That just sounds terrible but it is the truth.
HEREKITTYKAT 10/29/07 10:39 P
I understand how you all feel. When my boyfriend proposed the only thing I could think of was how embarrassed I am to be in a wedding dress overweight and with bad teeth. So we discussed my insecurities and while he see's right past them we decided to not rush the wedding and give me time to lose weight and get braces. I got my braces on last weeks so I'm planning on getting married in about a year, I have invisalign so it won't interfere with my pictures and they will be much straighter by then. which puts me in the dilemma of having one year to loose the weight. AAAHHHH! I know it is completely do-able but I need some serious motivation and perseverance if I'm gonna do it right!
AMIYESIAM 10/28/07 1:40 P
Good morning to all. This is day 4 here for me. I have to do this for me!
KANCHASR05 10/25/07 2:03 P
I completely understand what you are saying. I am at my highest weight ever and it really bugs me. I never thought I would not be happy with my weight when I got married but the way it is now I will be. My fiance is great and doesn't care how much I weigh but it bothers me.
AMIYESIAM 10/25/07 1:17 P
thanks for the kind words. He is wonderful and I know it. He does't care what I weigh. I just need to do this for me so I feel good that day, and every day.
AMORSALADO 10/25/07 12:48 P
Honey, he loves you and wants to marry you because you are you. Obviously, your weight isn't lessening his desire to/excitement about getting married.
Tell yourself these things and try not to let it lessen your excitement as well. And the truth is EVERY bride looks beautiful on her wedding day. Every one of them. It's because of what the day means.
In the meant time, use it as a motivator and do what you can in the time you have.
Congrats!
AMIYESIAM 10/25/07 12:25 P
Hi, new here. A friend told me about the site. We are getting married in about 6 months. Would like to weigh less, thin is not happening that fast. I would just like to be out of plus sizes.
LEECH_02 10/25/07 12:21 P
I totally understand. I feel like I'm going no where. I'm at my highest weight ever. It make me extremely sad because my mother had problems and ended up having a gastric bypass. But unfortunately I'm that in between where I'm not fat enough for medical help, and not thin enough to be happy. I've been working since April of this year, and so far I've only managed 6 pounds. If that isn't depressing I don't know what is. Granted I hate working out, so its mainly watching what I eat and trying to stay active. So I know part of my lack of success is not working out. I just can't seem to get the motivation...
I understand what you mean about always imagining your wedding happening after you lose weight. I also did that all my life (i was always, always fat) but I also imagined myself thin when I met my future husband as well (being fat did not make things easy for me in the dating world!).
You can either just decide that you are the weight you are and you are going to enjoy your wedding because of what it MEANS... or you can decide to use it as a wake-up call and a motivator, and realize that you still have four months, and four months is a lot of time if you start right now. I would encourage you to do BOTH -- accept that you will probably be overweight at your wedding, but decide to start working on your weight now so that you take advantage of the 4 months.
I am trying to avoid this situation by losing my weight before the wedding but I definitely understand!!
MCSHUMAKER 10/25/07 8:59 A
I still have four months until my wedding, March 8, 2008, but I find myself unable to get into the excitement of planning because of my weight.
I kept putting off getting into shape and putting it off always thinking there would be more time.
I had always assumed that a wedding would happen in my life after I had reached goal weight, kind of like a reward I guess.
But now the reality of the situation has hit hard. I will be lucky if I can get below 200 lbs in time for my wedding.
I was wondering if there are any other brides or grooms out there who have had to deal with or are dealing with this feeling and wondering how you got over weight being a prime factor of happiness for your wedding.
