Losing weight...

You could definitely be 2st lighter in that time!

I was thinking 2lb a week was achievable but I wanted to check I wasn't deluded and I figured many brides will have tried to fight the fat before their big days and could guide me. For me it's more about the honeymoon than the wedding, we're going skiing and I will enjoy it much more if there's less of me and I'm fitter.

Just need to sew my gob shut or hang a sign around my neck which says "nil by mouth"

I think 2nd might be okeen, might have to try just have 3 meals a day, with only fruit or veg to snack on in between then it might be a bit easier. I found put that my meal portions were nearly double what they recommend. That helps loads just weighing out your food, sounds silly, but might help you. Xx

Have you thought about contacting a dietician? I couldn't understand why I wasn't losing weight when I was eating what I considered to be a healthy diet. I basically existed on salad and ate loads of fruit and low fat products. What I didn't realise until I went to the dietician was that most products which are labelled and sold as zero fat are actually very high in sugar and, in most cases, it is actually healthier to eat the full fat version! As I was a MASSIVE fruit eater every single day, I also didn't realise that I was overloading on fructose which again is sugar. Since I saw her, I have lost a stone and am now back into a healthy weight level and BMI.

I aimed to lose only one pound a week rather than 2 pounds and she worked me out an eating plan with this in mind. It wasn't a diet but a healthy eating plan. She gave me lists of food that I could eat and another list of foods which should be avoided. Another problem was because I aren't a big meat eater, I wasn't eating enough protein. This made my sugar levels erratic and hungry all the time! She introduced more protein for me and included stuff I never ate before like nuts and seeds and I've totally re-organised the way I eat now. I paid privately to see her and it cost £75 for the first consultation and £45 for the next two but it was well worth every penny. If you need to lose 3 stone, you may find your GP can refer you to a dietician for free which would save you money going to Weightwatchers.

Hi SunnyPinkConfetti310 we are date twins, I am getting married on New Years Eve too!

I have joined Weight Watchers and find that it is a really good plan if you stick to it. I am about half way through my weight loss at the moment with it. I am having my measurements taken for my dress on 28th July so that is my aim at the moment and I have about another 10lbs to lose. They say that weddings are the best motivator to losing weight and it is working, mostly!!

I don't know about you, but for me there have been times I have attempted to lose weight in the past for events eg a friend's wedding a holiday abroad etc and I know that on the times I have been losing I feel much better. When I don't lose the weight, for example a black tie do I went to in April, I feel absolutely rubbish about myself and get really cross with myself and I really, really, really don't want that feeling on my wedding day.

A friend got married last year and about a year before her wedding she was posting on Facebook about losing weight, about going to the gym and had about 4 stone to lose. Over the months it was really sad to see her posts changing to being down on herself for not losing the weight and not doing the exercise that she wanted. On her wedding day she weighed more than when she started. She looked absolutely stunning and beautiful on her day but I know that inside she wasn't confident and I was so sad for her to be feeling like this.

If you can stick with Weight Watchers you will see results. I've been at meetings for a while now and I did myself a deal that for this year up to my wedding I am going to go every single week and make a commitment to it, even on weeks that I haven't stuck to it. I have had some weeks where I have lost (3lbs last week yay!) and some weeks where I have gained, 4lbs in 2 weeks was the worst. But I do know that every week when I track my food, stick to my points, I have lost weight.

Go for it and I will be interested to hear about your progress :-)

2lb a week is doable!

I am on a weight loss journey myself and currently on a 5 stone loss. I started 2 years ago and changed my habits completely. I started running and had goals like a 5k race I had to do, then a 10k race, then a half marathon.

I used to run 3-4 times a week even if it was for 10 mins it would be a start. I started running outside when I hit the 10k mark on a treadmill. I started to count calories and still was naughty every now and again.

I mixed it up with some core exercises and also some weights.

I would recommend that you just get out when you can, even if it’s just going for a walk and you complete the 10 thousand steps they say you should do daily. That will help!

You will see it come away; you just have to keep at it! We can be here to spur you on when you feel like you are going to fall off the wagon!

Also remember one day will not undo all the hard work you have done, it just depends on how you deal with it afterwards.

I am trying to lose a bit of weight too, with a few months to go. The dress I want to wear fits but it's a bit snug. I am going to make small changes and hope it is enough:

1) Replace semi-skimmed milk with skimmed milk in tea.

2) Morning breakfast is a detox porridge from the canteen, made with water and fruit.

3) No alcohol, very little fizzy drinks, replace with water, cold or hot.

4) Snack on fruit.

5) I'm strange in that I like rice cakes and plain ryvita.

6) More veg at dinner-time.

7) Going for a walk at lunchtime.

8) Also hoping to do some running and weights.

9) Weekends is when I tend to let go a bit more but I think I will have to be as careful at weekends as I am during the week, even if that means me and the OH have different meals.

Now that you have a goal in mind, that will hopefully motivate you. Perhaps do all your weekly shop in one go, and carry little cash to buy snacks with. Meals out can be challenging so I am trying not to eat out as much for the time being. Not a fun-filled existence but I am looking forward to eating better after the wedding.

Good luck, you can do it!

To be honest, I know exactly what I need to do - stop being a greedy b!tch! I just love food, we all blame my Mum (in jest) because if she wasn't such an amazing cook and hadn't taught us to be pretty good also, we might not have developed such a love of food!

I'm going to do Weight Watchers which I love and which I've done before, successfully, I just need to find some will power and stick to it. I don't see the benefit in a dietician as I know about avoiding processed sugars, that low fat almost always means higher sugar and that high quantities of fruit will hinder weight loss. I also have a pretty good handle on what levels and types of protein I need to eat, after my B12 and Iron went through the floor a couple of years ago. Alongside WW I think I will also do a processed sugar detox - so no fizzy drinks, only full fat natural yoghurt, no ready meals, no shop bought sauces, no crisps/sweets/biscuits/cakes, no shop bought bread etc. The first 7 days are hell but thereafter its pretty easy, and then I will just need to manage my sugar intake thereafter.

I will aim for 2lbs a week but as long as I lose I won't beat myself up. I'm a size 14 now and 3 stone will only take me to a size 12 (yep, really!) so if I don't manage to lose it all its not the end of the world - the fitness is probably more important than the weight. Thanks for the support, I'll let you know how it goes!

Good luck with it! I was hoping to lose weight for my wedding, but kept putting it off, now it's only next week and it's a bit too late lol. I am just too greedy and love chocolate.

Best of luck! You can do alot in that time frame, just need to stay motivated and stick to ur plan.. You can Do it!

I too want to lose weight. I have a little over a year to do it for the wedding, but I'm aiming to lose at least a stone before November when they send off the measurements to order my dress.

You can certainly make a noticeable difference in that amount of time. If you're going to the gym, perhaps they have advisors that can help with nutrition? I go to Bannatynes and they offer to help with your eating habits and help plan a custom diet, as well as set you up with a fitness programme to achieve the results you want.

Increase your water intake to 2-3 litres a day which will have your skin looking great, flush out your system and can even cut down your appetite.

Good luck! We're here if you need motivation!

I'd put in a realistic, achievable goal in there, so even if your aim is 2 stone, if you do half a stone you will be happy (it is the right way after all!)

That way if you lose 1 stone, you will be happy as you have beaten your goal, not disappointed because you have missed it.

This is a big help on my weight loss journey to me :-)

You can go to sauna and do workout oin gym, and just eat the whole grain menu.

I owe my weight loss and motivation to slimming world - you can eat most things until you're full and only have to keep track of the 'naughty stuff. Lost 5 stone since September! Joining a class (Weight Watchers or otherwise) or using pinterest and blogs to find recipes will help you a lot

Cut simple carbs, lower complex carbs, up the protein, and moderate the fat.

Chuck in some cardio 2-4 days a week, with a bit of gentle exercise to mix it up, and you should be on target for a 2lb a week loss.

Of course that's very general... but its a pretty steadfast plan.

I don't like calorie counting, because 100 calories of carbs is used very differently to 100 calories of protein, so if you don't understand food you're in danger of misleading yourself. I use macronutrition, which is balancing my fat, carb, and protein intake to a certain percentage every day, around a rough amount of calories I work on a 40/30/30 protein/carb/fat balance.

If you need any advice, feel free to fire away.

I have a PT who does all this for me but you need to calculate your basal metabolic rate (i.e. how many calories you would use if you just opened your eyes in the morning and didn't move) and then your maintenance rate (i.e. how many calories you need to get through the day depending on your job, lifestyle, exercise routine etc. You then need to set a deficit to lose weight of about 500 calories a day to lose 1 - 2lbs per week. As long as the calories you consume are in line with this, you should lose 1-2lbs per week (I lost more than this initially). Look here - https://evidencemag.com/fat-loss-deficit/ . You can calculate your BMR online as well, plenty of sites

Metafit is great because it carries on burning fat for up to 24 hours after the class, but you will need to lift weights to change your body shape. See if you can have just one session with a trainer or coach at the gym, as long as you keep changing your routine every 4 - 6 weeks, don't let your body get used to a specific exercise regime. I've gone from a size 14 to a 10 in three months - you can do it if you stick with it.

I also follow the paleo/eat clean approach. Google that too.

Finally - no booze. Save it for the big day. Good luck!!

Another vote for macro counting, use Myfitnesspal for this. I stick to 40/40/20 carbs/protein/fat ?

And by fat, make sure it's proper fat - butter, coconut oil, olive oil, nuts etc. These are essential for your body and will help you lose weight. No low fat stuff

I am the type that just can not diet. As soon as I start to restrict myself I want to eat everything in sight. I have found that the best thing for me has been doing simple changes to my food routines and eating foods in their most basic forms. For example, in the morning I have plain oatmeal (Quaker Oats) and a banana. For those who don't like the plain taste, cinnamon and apple slices is good too. I always bring a lunch to work and it is either grilled chicken with veggies and brown rice if I've had time to cook, or when I'm in a pinch, a microwaveable Weight Watchers meal. The ones in the US are so much better than the UK ones though, so I'm not sure if that is helpful to you. After lunch I usually have a snack of an apple with a spoonful of natural peanut butter spread on it, or some full fat greek yogurt with a little bit of honey. As a PP said "diet" or reduced fat food is packed with sugar. If they take the fat out they have to add flavor somehow!

Then for dinner I alternate between eating correct portion sizes of whatever I want, or healthy meals. Eggs are definitely my friend as I'm not a big meat eater. And avocados as well for healthy fat. I have a great egg salad recipe that uses hard boiled eggs mixed with avocado instead of mayonaise, and a tasty greens, eggs and ham recipe that is cooked kale, red onions and a little ham with avocado and a soft boiled egg on top. I basically try to use as few ingredients as I can so my meals aren't packed with hidden calories. I also love zuchini noodles as a substitute for pasta. They're so easy to make and really tasty. I have a spaghetti squash on my counter that I'm planning to attempt to cook tonight, but I'm going to make a simple pasta sauce myself rather than use a jarred one which is full of sugar.

For exercise, start strength training! The more muscle you have the more calories you will burn doing absolutely nothing. And while your weight may end up being higher than your initial goal, you will be much more compact and toned. For cardio, I like to do High Intensity Interval Training as I can burn the same amount of calories in 20 minutes that I would in an hour with a lower intensity workout. Do a google search for some HIIT workout plans that you can do on a bike or a treadmill at your gym.

And last but certainly not least, drink a ton of water! Start monitoring your intake. Most of the time we think we're hungry we're actually thirsty. 1-2lbs a week is a pretty reasonable goal, so with some small changes I'm sure you can achieve it!

And for the love of God....

*whispers* There is no such thing as being 'toned'

You build muscle, burn fat, and 'definition' occurs somewhere in the middle... to which there are different degrees of!

JenCTR: Shhhh...You're not allowed to say "strength training" or "weight lifting". Don't you know women are terrified of lifting weights for fear of becoming "bulky" (despite not having enough testosterone for that to be possible". Anything involving weights or resistance needs to be re-branded as "toning" so we're not scared away. ;-)

Well in that case- what 'tone' do they want to be? There's 50 Shades of Grey and that's only grey!!!!

I have 14 weeks till I need to order my wedding dress size and have to lose 21 pound I'm doing slimming world and have been for a year the first 13 weeks I lost two stone and ever since I have been messing about like a yo yo but I now need to get back on it I lost 2.5lb this week ! You can do two stone by then x