Less to Love

Every day when I log on to Facebook, the nifty little ad bar on the side tells me that I need to lose weight for my wedding - there's always some ad titled "Bridal Weight Loss" or similar. Gee, thanks. I thought I looked ok in my dress! I feel like there's a lot of pressure to look a certain way on your wedding day, and people have actually asked me if I am on a diet right after I've told them I'm engaged. Charming.

The fact is, I had my eye on losing weight and getting fit for a while pre-proposal. However, I didn't want to be the bride who breaks down after the wedding, shouting about how she hasn't eaten a real meal or a carb in over a year. That's way less attractive than a few extra pounds.

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I'm against becoming the thinnest you've ever been or will ever be just for the wedding. Why? Well, it's torture getting there, so you spend your engagement obsessing over every calorie of cheesy deliciousness every time you want to hit up Taco Bell. That makes me cranky. Also, I've known more than one woman that came back from her honeymoon 10 pounds heavier and feeling lousy and uncomfortable in her clothes because she finally broke down and had a slice of pizza. You should never be so unnaturally thin that relaxing for a week and enjoying yourself makes you immediately put on that kind of weight! It's not kind to your body. And trust me, you looked way better when you were healthy and smiling, instead of sneering and growling because you think the guy at Subway used full-fat mayo on your Veggie Delight.

This is why, starting this past July, I became a card-carrying Weight Watchers member. After losing 15 of the 30 pounds I set out to lose by following a reasonable diet that allowed me to eat chain restaurant Mexican food at least once a week, I joined a gym and started working with a personal trainer. That was almost 3 months ago. Now I'm just 10 pounds away from my goal and feel better than I have in years. I've got, like, biceps, and I think I spy a wee bit of abdominal muscle peeking out from behind all the chips and salsa. Plus, all my clothes are falling off me (sexy).

So, you're thinking, "Great. This hypocrite just told us all how terrible it is to starve ourselves for the wedding, and then starts blathering on about diets, personal trainers, and losing thirty pounds. Umm, okay, Kate Moss, go sit in a corner, eat some celery, and write some Facebook ads."

The important part of my story is this: I wanted to lose thirty pounds because I had ballooned up significantly, and losing 30 pounds would put me comfortably at 10 pounds over my lowest weight. I feel that this is a weight I can maintain, a weight that is healthy, and a weight where I'll look like ME. Not a crazed, wild-eyed, bobble-headed version of myself, cranky because I didn't manage to lose the last 8 pounds before the wedding so I could fit into my middle-school prepubescent cheerleading uniform*, but a beautiful, healthy, 30-year old bride.

So please, ladies, don't let Facebook get to you. It's a liar. It told me that I was Kelly Taylor in the "What 90210 Character are You?" quiz, and we all know I'm Andrea. Suck it, Facebook.

*Disclaimer: I was not a cheerleader, ever, but I'm sure some of y'all were and would've made fun of my uncoordinated 11 year old self.