Scared to loose weight for the sake of my dress.

I'm totally in the same boat as you! Hoping to lose weight simply because it's not where I want to be. My dress looks great on me, and I feel good in it but I am uncomfortable because I put on weight in the last couple years. But i am scared of losing too much weight for fear of having to need major alterations. I think realistically I could lose 20 lbs by my first fitting in July which should only be like one dress size? Depending on how much you want to lose, in the timeframe you're working with, you'll probably not need your dress taken in too drastically. Just a guess but I think 15 lbs to 20 lbs depending on your height is about one dress size...

It wasn't a wedding gown, but a fancy evening gown that I bought a size 8 and got down to a 2 with the help of a very talented seamstress. I wish I could find a picture. There was some detail that had to be redone, but it came out beautiful! It's totally doable with the right seamstress.

Edit: I have to admit I didn't think of what the cost of this would be, since I have a seamstress in the family who did me a huge favor here.

Seamstresses specializing in bridal gowns should be very familiar with these kind of alterations. Don't want to generalize but it seems Most women are in some kind of workout rut or routine come wedding time and that means you have to account for weight changes!

When I bought my dress I was really concerned about this. I called the alterations department where I bought the dress and was told they could take it in as much as I want and it'll look perfect. I think Davids Bridal has a 2 size max due to contracts. Non of the other shops I went to said it couldn't be done.

Beach bride 2016 I see a difference.

View Quoted Comment You looked awesome! May I ask what you did to receive those results? I’m also trying to lose weight before the big day.

I think you should do what feels sustainable and make you feel happy.

My husband and I started dating when I was close to my heaviest. I had just left a toxic workplace and had gained weight due to stress. Once I was free of that environment my health improved a ton, and when I met my husband I was in a much better place, and I gradually lost weight.

When my husband and I got engaged, something in me clicked and I started losing the last few pounds I wanted to get closer to my ideal weight without really trying to. When I bought my dress, I had pretty steadily been losing weight and it fit me well without the need for additional alterations. I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to "stabilize" myself at the ideal weight. I really didn't want to lose so much weight that I would need to have it refitted, and also was worried I would yo-yo and not be able to maintain my weight at a good spot. I also didn't want to lose too much weight and then balloon after the wedding because whatever I was doing wasn't sustainable.

Then Covid hit. My stress levels soared. My routine changed. I could no longer go to a seamstress for alterations if needed. I didn't know if we'd get married when we thought we would, or if it would be a year or more before I put on my dress again. I really tried to hold the course and somehow managed to.

We ended up eloping on our original date and my dress fit fine. It would have benefitted from super slight alterations for a perfect fit, but there was no time for them. We are hoping we can have a celebration this year and I can wear my dress again. I've been trying to maintain my weight but staying completely static is hard. I feel like my "ideal weight" is probably around 128-132 lbs but 135 lbs feels more sustainable and my dress fits really well at that weight. I'd rather be at a weight where I feel comfortable in my skin and that feels livable and like something I can maintain, than be a few pounds lighter but have it feel like "work" to stay at that level. I wouldn't want to be in a position where I lost weight to fit into my dress and look the best I have but then not have that be something I could continue to do. I didn't want to look back at my wedding day and feel like I peaked and the body I had for it was no longer attainable. I want to keep my dress and be able to put in on in the future.

Throughout high school I was consistently around 130ish lbs and athletic and muscular and never had an issue with my weight even though I wasn't as skinny as other girls. I gained a little in college (up to 140), but there was a point where I was dating a tall skinny guy and dropped down to 118 lbs. It wasn't healthy and I feel like being "happy" in my body has been a battle for most of my adult life. I've never hated it, but I've rarely embraced it. So for me, having a body that is strong and capable but makes me feel sexy is what I need for my mental health. There is so much societal pressure on women to look a certain way and being in a place where you love yourself is so much more important than the difference of a few pounds.

Also I'll throw out there that my clothing size has changed little through these 20-30 lb weight fluctuations. My clothes have fit differently but since I tend to buy clothes that always have some stretch, I was wearing size 6 jeans at 160 lbs and 135 lbs. My wedding dress has no stretch at all so there is a noticeable (albeit not major) difference between just 136 and 132 lbs.

We don't know when we will have our celebration, and because we are older and already married we are also not trying to avoid getting pregnant anymore, so who is to say if my dress will fit when the time comes. I really want to wear it again but am trying not to stress about it.

If you want to keep losing weight and think it will make you feel more confident and happy, I wouldn't let your dress hold you back. The dress is expendable, you are not. Being comfortable in your own skin is most important!