Since when did a wedding invitation become an invitation for weight loss?
July may be over, but wedding season is still in full swing!
It’s basically a rule of thumb that the second you open up a wedding invitation, you put it on your fridge and get to show it off while counting down until the big day (yay!).
It’s like putting a big ole meme on your fridge that fills you with joy, happiness, and excitement every time you grab your overnight oats on your way out the door.
What a great way to start your day!
So why do you feel a pit in your stomach every time you pass by the fridge?
Well, if you’ve ever been in a wedding, you know that this is typically how it all goes down…
Phase 1 (doomsday):
You open up the invitation.
1 minute later – you call the bride freaking out about how pretty it is and how excited you are for the big day!!
2 minutes later – you put the invitation on your fridge with a big ole smile on your face
3 minutes later – you text the bridal party that you got the invitation!
3 minutes, 15 seconds later -the bridal party group chat starts blowing up:
Bridesmaid #1 – “I got it too!!!!!”
Bridesmaid #2 – “Time to actually start sticking to my diet and workout plan…”
Bridesmaid #3 – “I think if I lose 5 pounds I won’t have to get my dress altered.”
Bridesmaid #3 – “Who wants to do Whole 30 with me before the wedding?”
Bridesmaid #4 – “Does anyone recommend any spanx that actually suck all your fat in?”
Bridesmaid #5 – “Let’s keep a pact to not get drunk food on the weekends until after the wedding.”
MOH – “Ahhh, can’t wait for all the pretty pics!!! We got this guys!!”
Phase 2 (let the games begin):
Most people only think about the bride wanting to lose weight before her wedding, but don’t be fooled, the bridal party is thinking the same thing.
With each crazy, amazingly fun bachelorette party comes a new deadline soon after. A new challenge to FINALLY get in shape and actually follow through.
So you eat SUPER “healthy” and workout like crazy for the 3 months leading up to the wedding. Now you only have a few weeks left so you gotta go all in. You’re hangry all the time, you have no energy, you’re stressed out, you’re tired, and all you can think about is how much you want a cheeseburger and fries from In-N-Out, but you convince yourself that it’ll all be worth it… for the gram.
So you stick to it, lose weight and can actually breathe in your bridesmaid dress! Yippee!! You even fit into your skinny jeans that have been in your closet for years, score!
Phase 3 (post wedding):
YOU’RE FREEEE!! Bring on the pizza and ice cream! Yaaaasssss. Life is good again.
….Until three weeks later when you go to put on your skinny jeans and realize they don’t fit anymore… and then get so mad at yourself for letting all of your hard work go to waste. Ugh.
Phase 4 (rinse and repeat):
A year later, you’re the maid of honor in another friend’s wedding. Time to lose all of the weight you lost and then gained back last time around. You put that invitation up on your fridge and press repeat.
MORAL OF THE STORY:
I’ve worked with a lot of bridesmaids who want to lose weight before their best friend’s wedding, but are sick of the whole “lose weight and gain it all back” cycle.
I tell them that they can repeat what they know “works” – aka deprive themselves a few weeks before the wedding and lose a few pounds.
I also tell them that they can do this without depriving themselves and still look damn hot in their dress.
How?
The key is to start looking at this as an opportunity rather than a weight loss race.
An opportunity to transform your body and actually ENJOY the process, so you can lose weight and gain energy easily and naturally, and turn these healthy habits into behaviors that (finally) last from one wedding season to the next!
Alright, I think it’s time to pop the champagne.
Cheers to all the happy couples out there!
And cheers to all the bridesmaids out there who keep our beautiful brides sane 😉
-Em