One Woman's Wedding Shape-Up: "Phew! My Dress Finally Fits!"

The Goal

In the year before I got engaged, I put on 45 pounds. That's right, I said 45. I had moved to a remote town in southern Ontario -- nearest gym, 40 miles -- to be with my boyfriend, Dallas, a former pro lacrosse player who was virtually impervious to the pudge-making power of the chocolate, apple fritters, and biscuits that had become my new pastime. By the summer of 2008, when we returned to Vancouver and he popped the question, I was far from the athletic personal trainer I used to be. I soon found the perfect wedding dress, but it was a size 10, and I was a 14. I bought it anyway; I had five more months to fit into it, right?

When I hit a plateau after I'd lost 10 pounds, I took a shot and applied to be on one of my favorite shows, Fine Living Network's Bulging Brides, a fit-into-your-dress intervention. I was picked! With less than two months until my wedding, I turned myself over to my TV support crew.