Friday, August 13, 2010

Wedding gown shopping, and why I'm losing sleep over it.

NOTE: Thanks to Andrea and Ace for commenting on the previous post! I appreciate the advice!

In a couple of weeks, I get to do one of the things I've looked forward to for most of my life. I'd say it's something most girls look forward: Trying on wedding dresses.

The funny thing is, I'm terrified.

Like most women, I've struggled with my weight for most of my life, and I'm sure the rest of it will likely be the same. I am not obese by any measure, but I am somewhat overweight, something I'm highly uncomfortable with due to the fact it's pointed out to me constantly by certain people. I blame my love of food, tasty, fattening food, usually, for my "tubbiness". I'd probably weigh a whole lot less if I had a little more will power, but I just can't deny myself that extra cookie/cake/brownie/french fry/what have you. What I'm saying is, food and I are BFFs.

I've always been this way, so it's not anything I'm not used to, but for some unexplained reason, I've gained a few pounds in the last few months. I say unexplained because I have been exercising more and watching what I eat more, so I'm truly perplexed. I know it isn't muscle gain, well, maybe some, but I honestly just feel flabbier.

(And if any of you wise cracks even for a moment suggest that I am pregnant, I assure you I am not.)

So, obviously, the last thing you want to do when you are feeling fat is try on clothes. You especially don't want to try on an article of clothing as important as a wedding dress. Add in the fact that I know most dresses run small, and I already wear a size 12 regularly, so I'll probably end up ordering a size 20 or something, and I'm breaking out into a sweat just thinking about it.

I've read all the crap about not concentrating on the number, just think of how you look in the dress, and while I can do this with jeans (I cut the tags out of all my jeans so no one else knows their size), I don't think I'll be able to do it with a wedding dress. Also, 12 is much easier to swallow than 20. I blame the media on this skewed body perception, but doesn't everybody?

Also, I am taking along my mother, who has always been more petite than I, and my skinniest MOH. This probably means nothing to you, but my MOH and I went on a diet together my senior year of HS. We both lost a lot of weight, but I gained it all back in college, and she was able to keep it all off. I have always felt a little upset with myself over this, because I figured, "well, everyone gains weight in college," but clearly not.


I know it's all mental, but my mind is my worst enemy. I'm hoping it will be more pleasant than I expect, as I am sure I'm overreacting, but still. Worrying is, unfortunately, what I do best.

4 comments:

  1. I think my dress was an 18, but I don't know what size I was in at the time. Around 12/14ish, I'd think.

    Do you need me to come so you can feel skinner than someone? Heheheh. Don't listen to those certain someones because he has no room to talk.

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  2. Ummm...I was a size 12 when I got married, and my dress was a size 12. Stop worrying. That adage about upsizing is not necessarily true. Most wedding dresses are fitted above your waist, so they disguise anything you may be uncomfortable about. You may have to upsize to accomodate your cleavage (which should make you feel good-hey, if a gay guy in a bar can say it, why not your sister?:)), but not your weight. You will look lovely.

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  3. I guess because my dress was fitted through the waist and had a more corset type bodice, that's why the upsizing applied to me. So it depends on the type of dress.

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  4. Haha, thanks Amanda. I feel a little better now that we peeked in the store we're going to, and I saw some really pretty dresses I can't wait to try on. I'll make sure someone takes pictures if they'll let us so we can send them to ya'll!

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