Definitely try getting into shape first! Not only is it"easier" on the bride but it's the bset thing for you and I'm sure you want to lose that weight anyway regardless of the upcoming wedding. Two months is plenty of time- but don't totally overwhelem yourself with pressure- Fit's exercise suggestions for cardio, intervals, abs, weights, etc are awesome and I think they are a great resource to start for creative workout ideas that will keep you motivated. Also check out Shape (the magazine) online has lots of great motivating practical workout routines. If after a month you haven't seen a change then talk to the bride- she needs to know what's going on- but if she picked you as a bridesmaid you are special to her and she should understand (I would!). GOod luck!

That's good advice. A few years ago, I lost almost 20 pounds in two months on Weight Watchers. I went to the gym almost every day, I drank at least 8 glasses of water a day, and I religiously counted my WW points. And the weight just fell off. You may want to give it a try.

Good luck!

i am getting married next year, i have a few brides maids that need to lose a few well more than a few pounds, so instead of coming out and saying hey lose weight, i told them six months prior to the wedding we ALL need to shed some pounds, every week we will alternate different places to walk and workout, i dont need to lose weight but that was the only way to tell them without hurting any feelings

weight watchers definitely - did it for me too. I lost a whole load with them and you always lose more to begin with so as you've only got 2 months then you'll be fine. Cut out carb-loaded food as well - that's quite a good quick fix.

Along with losing the weight, how about seeing a tailor for some alterations? Might make it a bit easier.

You'd be surprised how much weight you could actually lose in 2 months. Granted, you'd have to (literally) work your butt off. Besides the fact that you'll be able to fit into the dress, think about how great you're going to look (and feel).

Dear's advice on this is great (and simple). You can also check out iTrain.com, there is a fabulous free PDF you can download which gives you a diet plan (it's very easy) and exercise routine from Grace Lazenby - she gives it to her clients (celebs, too) to lose weight before an event. It's called the 6 week Body Makeover.

1) Go to www.itrain.com
2) Click on "workout programs"
3) On the left click on "more..."
4) Select iTrain Diets
5) On the right next to "6 Week Body Makeover" - click Buy (don't worry, it's free)
6) Click on "Shopping Cart" top right

You'll have to create an account (that's free, too) and they email you the link to download the PDF. Haha, I know it sounds like a bit of a mission but it's really informative and helpful!

Good luck.

don't forget your Spanx!

Definitely try to hit up the tailor and see what can be done about your dress. Also, like everyone else has said, hit the gym and start eating way healthy. I joined a gym and I lost almost 15 lbs my first month. Good luck!

There's totally stuff you can do to to lose weight. I'd try sparkpeople.com, personally. It helped me lose a fair bit of weight - sometimes it just helps to see everything you're eating. It also has tasty and do-able suggestions for meals. And do lots of cardio. You can build up your cardio tolerance pretty quickly. You can totally do this, just believe in yourself.

As for other peoples answers - Holy crap! If I was in a wedding and the bride told me we all needed to shed some pounds... I'd quit. Even if it was a "Gee, we all need to do it." You asked ME to be in your wedding. Not a skinnied down version of me. I would be so offended, I don't think I could be in the wedding. How dare someone dictate that I need to lose weight to be in her wedding? (this just happened to a good friend of mine, and given how much she cried, I can only imagine the strife this bridezilla is inflicting on her bridesmaids!)

I get a little annoyed by this post. Unless you gained a crazy amount of weight you should be fine. You just actually have to do it. If you did gain a crazy amount of weight you really should have thought about this a little sooner.

I know that is a little harsh, but the dresses are already bought, and you knew that. So get you but in gear.

chaton, I agree! I would be so offended if the bride told ME to lose weight! Really rude.

i guess some people have friends that dont get offended so easily, besides it was brought up after the fact, when i showed them the dresses i had picked out, some said it would look better if we were skinnier so i used that opportunity to suggest this

Seriously, what is up with these responses! It looks like your question was - What if I can't lose the weight not should I try to lose weight. Obviously, eating healthy and exercising is super important. But having a dress that fits is also pretty darn important - considering you'll be in that dress for a loooong time and probably have a million things to do while in it. The last thing you want to deal with, is not being able to breathe.

Here is my recommendation if you aren't able to lose enough weight.... continually check out Ebay and Craigslist for the Ann Taylor dress. Most people have no use for their old BMs dress and are happy to sell it. I would also consider posting on some some wedding websites that you are looking for that particular dress in a certain size like theknot.com, weddingbee.com, etc.

Best of Luck to you!

I agree, Krock19... she may have started a medication that caused the weight gain or something she cannot control. If that is the case, I think trolling ebay or calling Ann Taylor are great ideas to investigate *before* freaking out the bride. That way if you have to talk to her, you can at least say "well I've investigated X, Y, and Z." Good luck!

look for another dress on ebay or another online type resale site. don't stress yourself out. in the big picture this is SO not important. i'm sure your friend is deeper than what size you are and is just excited to be getting married. what matters is that you share her special day and support her.

I would stalk ebay for a bigger size dress just in case and get to your nearest Weight Watchers center or join up online. My mom lost 60 pounds in 10 months. Thats the bad thing about buying a dress so far in advance, anything can happen- My husband told me about a wedding where he was a groomsman and the bridesmaids bought their dresses really far in advance and one girl got pregnant! There was some crazy dress swapping right before the wedding hoping she could fit into one of them.

I just wanted to say I know almost how you feel. I also gained weight before a wedding I was in. Fortunately, I just made it into the dress but I had a hard time breathing throughout the ceremony and reception. Do yourself a favor and don't be like me and try to squeeze into the dress. Try to lose the weight first. Plus, DearSugar had some really good suggestions. I'd give them all a try.

Obviously you know what you need to do as far as diet and exercise, the Ebay advise is great but I would also invest in really good shapewear, I personally think there are better options out there than Spanx. I would definitely invest in Lipo in a Box it is amazing.

www.lipoinabox.com

Surely you can lose enough weight in 2 months to fit into it.

Honestly though and this isn't said with mean intentions...but why did you continue to gain weight knowing you had to fit into the dress?

Why bother going through all that effort (watching what you ear, exercising - what a pain!) Just have the dress let out.

* eat, not ear...

Foundation garments.

Foundation garments may smooth you out and make you look better in a dress, but they don't shrink you. Although I wish they did!

if anything, cutting calories makes the most impact (so don't think you can eat all you want and exercise it away). Fill up a lot on veggies in all forms--gazpacho, crudites and hummus, baby carrots...

Thanks Sunnyheart. Personally, I can totally relate to gaining weight from medication. I've always been very small due to great genes as well as a really healthy lifestyle. But in the past year, I've been on and off this medication thats made me put on some weight. Not substantial but it would be really hard to loose the weight - particularly given that I exercise daily as well as eat pretty well.

I felt like everyone hopped on a bandwagon against this poor girl and it made me rather annoyed. Its not always easy to quickly loose weight.

And I really do agree with the past poster who said your friend will understand. This is small potatoes in the realm of wedding planning.

it definitely is not easy to lose weight. if she can afford it, the poster should check in with a dietitian a few times to see what is actually attainable and to have someone to give her some tips and root her on. If the chick needs to lose, I dunno, 40 pounds and the dietitian says "No way, the max you can lose is 10" then do that and work with the dress/bride.

This happened to two other girls in a wedding I was in a month ago. They ended up buying new dresses. I would think Ann Taylor has things on back order should they not be available in the store. But since the wedding is coming up in two months, that should be enough time to lose weight. Since you're in grad school, take advantage of the gym facilities, many schools have excellent gyms and personal trainers either free or at very low cost for students.

You wont lose it if you dont actually try.

I think the eBay idea is a great one. Then you can resell one or both dresses when you're done with them.

Yeah, of course she should look into getting the dress altered if she has to, or possibly getting a larger size if possible. But I think just TRYING to lose the weight in the first place is a good idea. I would be doing it anyway, regardless of an event or not! If it's 'extra weight' and not simply a matter of 'oh I have to fit into a certain dress size', then it's perfectly reasonable to shed a few pounds (and hey, even 5 lbs makes a difference!)

I think telling your bridesmaids to lose weight before your own wedding (no matter how polite you put it) is a bit much, to be honest... I was maid of honour at my friend's wedding recently and I lost a few before the do, but just for my own peace of mind.

This happened to me when I tried on my bridesmaid dress three weeks before the wedding I was in. I couldn't even get the zipper zipped up and started freaking out. I ended up doing the Master Cleanse diet and lost over 20 lbs. in three weeks. I also did a body wrap, which made me lose over 22.5 inches and stayed off until I started eating again and gaining weight. Of course I do not recommend this at all, but I was desperate. Since you have a longer amount of time before the wedding I would suggest working out and cutting carbs. Also, see if you have enough time to get a larger size or if the seams can be let out by a seamstress. Good luck!

"why did you gain wait knowing you'd have to fit into this dress?" lol...I'm sure THAT was the number one thing this girl has been thinking about while she was in grad school. And also, we don't know, she could have been underweight before, and NEEDED to gain weight, gaining weight in and of itself does not make someone a fat cow!

I agree 100% with Chaton, I'd NEVER be in someone's wedding if they really wanted a skinnier version of me! It's ONE day. I mean, geez, telling people a YEAR before your wedding they should shed some pounds before the wedding day...that's crazy! Like all year long they are thinking about your wedding. I mean, if people are going to lose weight, you think they'd do it for other reasons, like their health, or their own satisfaction with their personal appearance, not the bride's!

If you (the poster) are unhappy about gaining weight, you should join a gym or weight watchers. I think people have given some great advice on how to go about that. You can make fitting back into your dress a goal! But I would definitely start looking for your dress on ebay, and meeting with a seamstress just in case. It took you a year to gain the weight, perhaps you can lose it in two months, and that would be the best thing, but don't get too stressed over it!

Yeah I'm with Snowbunny11 as well, If you are looking for thinner people to be in your wedding your looking for models not friends!
There is a difference in wanting someone to be happy and healthy and wanting them to be an imgage for you and your wedding.
~along with what everyone else has said... my advice is, get some great music that "pumps you up" and hit the gym!

check ebay and the ann taylor store like some others suggested. **it happens sometimes, we can't help it. just go with the flow and it will all work out in the end!!

If you can't/don't want to lose weight then I think your best bet would be to talk to the bride right away. She might be able to help you come up with a solution. If I were her and you didn't come to me and couldn't fit into the dress for the big day I'd be so pissed.

Perfect advice, Dear.

Wow PinkPrincess, if someone had asked me to be in their wedding and then made it clear I needed to lose weight before the big day, not only would I back out of the wedding, I'd probably back out of the friendship. What an awful awful thing to do to your friends. If these are the people you've chosen to stand up with you on the most important day of you life, it seems you should have some reason for wanting them there that has nothing to do with looks.

Master Cleanse is dangerous