#@!?& it! Wedding in 4 weeks and I'm too fat for the dress

[SeasonallySnowyPeasant]

Is it possible to lose 5 kilos in 4 weeks? My wedding dress has a faux-button zip back and it won't sodding do up.

Yes, low carb, no alcohol, masses of water, weight bearing exercise (HIIT workouts online, even better if you add actual weights). It doesn't have to be super low carb. Also only eat in an 8 - 10 hour window and NO SNACKS

Yes, but it will be tough. I'd advise doing a Whole30 in that it's healthy, it's not a crash diet and it's really good for you. You can look online and see some before and afters. Intermittent Fasting would help you too. But please do it safely - weight isn't the be all and end all and dresses can be altered. I'm sure you look gorgeous and your future spouse would want you to be happy and relaxed in the run up to the wedding over miserable and hungry. I'd only advise Whole 30 on the basis it is genuinely a really healthy way of eating.

I think that would work out at approx 3lbs a week weight loss so doable but not easily.

Are there any local seamstresses you could try to see if the could help?

Ok, Whole30 I've done before and I can do that. I've got a Jillian Michaels box set and weights so I can do HIIT and I've just signed up to the local gym so I can do cardio exercise classes there.

I really fall down on snacks.

Can you change the back to a corset style instead? Local seamstresses shouldn’t be as busy as usual so you should be able to find one...

I think you could just about do it, but it’d be hard, and stress of the impending deadline could well screw up progress.

It also might make you feel self conscious and concerned on your wedding day, which you don’t want. Getting it fitted to you saves a lot of stress and worry; even if you do then manage it!

The dress was less than £100 from eBay so I don't want to spend more on putting in a corset back than I did on the dress in the first place.

Yes do keto and it will come off. Be strict and don't eat too much fat. Don't forget electrolyte replacement - most people don't realise they need it and then say they felt shite on keto when they just needed electrolytes.

Low carb high fat will help you to cut out the snacks. If you’re doing it correctly you shouldn’t be hungry in between meals.

Also as previous posters have said, no alcohol and loads of water. I’m not huge (size 8-10) and have easily lost a stone in 4 weeks low carbing before. Pop over to the bootcamp threads to have a read

Heading to the keto and bootcamp threads now. Thanks guys!

start doing 1 day fasts no food just water plus keto on non fast days. Then increase no food fast days to two days in a row. All helps.

Apparently 1lb (450g) of fat is 3500 calories. So for each pound lost that’s a calorie deficit of around 3500 over the period of loss. So my back of an envelope calc is a deficit of 1375 calories a day for you.
You you have a fitness device that tells you what your calorie usage is?
If not I think you assume that a moderately active woman needs 2000 to maintain so you need to do 400 cals of exercise and eat around 1000 calories. Not fun but doable. Apps like Lose It help loads.

Re snacks, try some pukka herbal teas, especially the ones with a spice like ginger or cinnamon instead

Also try a body wrap if you can fit it in, you can temporarily lose a fair amount

Dukan diet saved me! I couldn't do the dress up and then did the Dukan and most 1/2 stone in a couple of weeks

@cyclingmad

start doing 1 day fasts no food just water plus keto on non fast days. Then increase no food fast days to two days in a row. All helps.

I'm fairly sure I would faint and be dumped after not eating for 2 days. Have you really done that?!

I’m going to be one of those posters and say why make yourself miserable by putting yourself through all that in the run up to your wedding? Don’t you want to spend the next few weeks feeling excited and treating yourself? Just buy a dress that fits you. What a lot of pressure you’re putting yourself under for just for one day.

Keto. You won't be hungry and the weight falls off.

I'm another advocate for keto . I lost 1st 6/7lb in 6 weeks. That was with zero exercise except walking my dogs.

I've done intermittent fasting and lost 6 kg in less than a month.

Oh no!! The exact same thing happened to me! At the final fitting, the bloody thing was about 2 inches adrift and the (v expensive) shop said rather sniffily that it was my problem .

I ate ham and cherry tomatoes for lunch and salad with those roast salmon flakes for supper (or some variation on that theme) for two weeks and, on the day itself, the dress was actually a little too big! Good luck - you can do it!

Last year I went no carb for a few weeks just to keep DP company as he needed to do it. It was incredible - lost 8 kilos with virtually no effort. Certainlhy no calorie counting, etc. It was important to eat loads of fresh veg and go easy on alcohol. He also lost loads of weight, and even though we now eat moderate amounts of healthy carb, we have stayed the same weight. Its as though our bodies have had a reset to do with weight gain. Hope this helps OP..

@Coriandersucks

I’m going to be one of those posters and say why make yourself miserable by putting yourself through all that in the run up to your wedding? Don’t you want to spend the next few weeks feeling excited and treating yourself? Just buy a dress that fits you. What a lot of pressure you’re putting yourself under for just for one day.

I considered it but then I've already had to postpone the whole wedding once due to Covid, we've had to scrap our evening do, make our ceremony family-only, uninvite people... I'm wearing my bloomin' dress!

@SeasonallySnowyPeasant

Ok, Whole30 I've done before and I can do that. I've got a Jillian Michaels box set and weights so I can do HIIT and I've just signed up to the local gym so I can do cardio exercise classes there.

I really fall down on snacks.

I've started with healthy eating (I have a lot to lose) and I'm making progress on getting snacks right. I found I lost 10lbs in 3 weeks just by switching snacks to fruit, etc. Prepping and planning the snacks for the next day is helping me keep on track.

Watermelon has been a favourite so far. Not the pre-packed stuff, that's tasteless, but getting a whole fresh one and chopping it up. Has been great, low calorie, yet eating a good amount leaves me feeling full up.

You won’t feel miserable on low carb/high fat. It’s a fantastic way to eat and live. Yes you might get ‘carb flu’ for the first few days but if you persevere you’ll start to feel great.

If after the first three weeks you just need to shave off that little bit more you can also do a three-day egg fast in the days leading up to the big day.

Good luck!

What is your weight/BM1 now? I think it's harder to lose 4 kilos if you are a!ready very slim.

I'm 81kg, BMI 30.4.