Fitting into bridesmaid dress...help!

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-08-2003
Fitting into bridesmaid dress...help!
4
Tue, 09-09-2003 - 1:36pm
Ok, to continue my weight saga....I am in a wedding on 10/18. I was fitted for my bridesmaid dress last month and lo and behold, it fit almost perfectly with no alterations needed! I could stand to lose about 5 lbs. so that I don't have to suck it in all day. Since then, I've gained 8 lbs., so now to make the dress fit really well, I need to lose 13 lbs. before 10/18! In addition, the dress is beautiful, but also strapless. I have pretty chunky arms and I have tons of hanging flab...know what I mean? What exercises in addition to Curves could I do with my weights at home to try to make my arms more defined in the next 5 weeks? You guys rock!
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-22-2002
Tue, 09-09-2003 - 2:47pm
*If* your doctor doesn't have any problem with it, ADD MORE CARDIO! That hanging stuff isn't loose muscle, it's fat under your skin, and the only way to get rid of it is to burn it off. You can have killer muscles that you'll never see if you've got fat between them and your skin. That's why most people don't have six-packs--the muscles are there, but the fat hides them.

If you're not crazy about restricting your portion size (the half-size plate is a GREAT suggestion), then you'll have to burn more calories in order to lose weight, and that's best done with cardio done smartly. If it were me, I wouldn't go in and kill myself on a treadmill for 20 minutes, I would pick a sustainable pace and exercise and just try to do it for a longer period of time--my current cardio is 45 minutes on a LifeCycle.

You haven't given yourself much time, with only five weeks, but could be do-able if you're willing to work hard and exercise a lot of self-control. If you're a regular soda-drinker and don't mind tomato juice, instead of reaching for that soda, a V-8 of the same size has only 70 calories, two servings of vegetables, and is more filling. If that's not your speed, you might try sparkling water, or sparkling water with *a little* unsweetened fruit juice to sweeten it. Or a glass of water with a good shot of lemon juice is practically calorie-free! If you're a diet drinker, diet soda is loaded with sodium, which will make you retain water, which isn't going to help. ;) String cheese (1 oz) is a good snack, only 80 calories, and as filling as 300 calories worth of cookies! But use the half-size plate, portion size absolutely makes a huge difference.

For great arms, weights are a good way to go. We had a post not too long ago about how to work on triceps, there were good suggestions in there! Tricep dips on a stairway or kitchen chair, tricep kick-backs with dumbbells, here's a link: http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/ArmWt.html Look for the dumbbell exercises! You may also want to add 3 minutes (I promise, it takes only 3 minutes) of pushups to your morning routine, pushups are great for your whole upper body.

The best things: Watch your portion sizes and focus on eliminating useless (white sugary, simple starchy) calories that you don't absolutely have to have. Exercise several days a week, trying to get more good cardio (if your physician is cool with that) to burn off those calories. Be accountable somewhere, whether it's checking in here, having your husband nag you, but make sure someone is expecting you to (and is going to ask) meet your daily goals--remember that it's one day at a time, and one day of slipping up isn't sabotaging the whole mission--that might do more to motivate you to keep at it.

Good luck! I'm picking up a bridesmaid's dress this Sunday for a wedding in a week and a half, but I haven't just been in Vegas! And I've got a pretty intense program...but you're in the right place!

Judie

Judie Image hosted by Photobucket.com

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Tue, 09-09-2003 - 3:38pm


I see Judie has some great suggestions. :) Here's some other threads where we've discussed saggy upper arms too. :) Perhaps something here will help. :)

~Golly

http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-bhivhfitness/message.asp?webtag=iv-bhivhfitness&msg=3067.1

http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-bhivhfitness/message.asp?webtag=iv-bhivhfitness&msg=1232.11

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Tue, 09-09-2003 - 6:38pm
>>What exercises in addition to Curves could I do with my weights at home to try to make my arms more defined in the next 5 weeks?

**Looks like several have given you some great ideas ..

Try them all .. sure can't hurt

good luck and let us know how you do ..

Also you may just want to stick around here ..

Make youself accountable and check in as we do :)

~Hugs~

          Click & Join the fun!
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-18-2003
Wed, 09-10-2003 - 9:48am
judie rae,

Might I add, several minutes a day of relaxation, in whatever form? That alone helps me stay in control of my cravings for sweets -- it reduces stress too -- so also helps me retain motivation w/o going nuts,

I do a lot of stretching after a workout as a practice in itself. That counts for relaxation and is good for the body.

Ha! Doesn't work if I don't do it, though! I have to do this also on a regular basis, like after exercising. I eat out of nervousness and stress makes me abnormally hungry.

What do you think?

Yogi

 

bucketflwrspilled.gif image by JamminBach