Esther Brady ("faintstarlite") on weddings and losing weight

Aisledash chats with bride-to-be and video blogger Esther Brady ("faintstarlite"), who lost 70+ pounds in just under a year and chronicled her experience online. She's now the brand ambassador for Weight Watchers in the social networking world. She shares her thoughts on weight and keeping healthy on their MySpace page.

We wanted to know how the wedding planning was going...

Congratulations on your engagement! We just saw the video of you trying on gowns. What else has surprised you about the whole wedding-planning process?

Before wedding planning I had shrugged off complaints from other brides about inflated pricing structures. I have to admit that it really hit home when I started calling salons to see what it would cost for my bridal party to get their hair styled. If I said I was looking for up-dos I was usually quoted around $50 per person, but as soon as I said they were for a wedding, the price would skyrocket to $80! I ended up booking a fabulous salon for the lower price – I was pleasantly surprised that vendors usually responded when I stuck to my guns and my budget.

Your wedding is coming up very soon. What's the best advice you can give to those who are just starting to plan their weddings?

It's so important to keep wedding planning in perspective – it's really not about the cake, the dress, or even the pictures... it's about you and your partner joining together. The first thing any bride-to-be should consider is how many people are going to be invited and how much she can realistically afford. My fiancé and I had very frank discussions about the budget at the beginning of the process because we were committed to avoiding going into debt for our special day. In order to achieve that we had to make sure our parents were on the same page, especially regarding the guest list. After that was all settled it's just been a matter of keeping track of the expenditures and enjoying each step along the way – it's definitely a wild and fabulous ride!

What advice would you give to women who want to lose weight for their weddings?


In my opinion, if a bride is hoping to shed more than a few pounds for the wedding day it's important to plan ahead. The sooner she gets started the better! I think setting short-term goals is key, perhaps a few pounds a month - instead of just 40 pounds before the wedding. Success all along the way provides motivation to keep going, and trust me, losing one to two pounds a week adds up in a major way!

Planning a wedding can be very stressful. How do you keep yourself on track when there are so many temptations (*ahem* wedding cake tastings*ahem*) out there?

I have finally learned that splurging at the right time is okay - I definitely enjoyed the wedding cake tasting! MmmMmmm... The truth is that the engagement stage can be really stressful though – putting together your dream wedding while pleasing everyone is nearly impossible. I've found that if I let myself stay wound-up for too long then I'm likely to gravitate towards food. Instead of heading to a buffet, I like to keep 100 calorie packs, Weight Watchers yogurts and fruit on hand for snacking, but sometimes a short stroll around the block or getting on the floor and spending 5-10 minutes stretching is actually the best way to manage the stress while curbing my cravings.

You lost over 70lbs with Weight Watchers. That's incredible! What was it about Weight Watchers that helped you lose the weight? How long have you kept it off, and what is the secret to your continued success?

One of the best gifts of losing almost 70lbs was getting to go wedding dress shopping – I felt so excited about trying on styles that I never would've imagined wearing only two years ago! I've been on the Weight Watchers program since March '07 and the reason I was able to get to my goal with Weight Watchers is because it offered a lifestyle change rather than simply a quick fix. Each week I integrated the healthy habits that I learned during meetings which have transformed my body and my life. I eat the same kinds of foods I've always loved, but now I'm more conscious of my portion sizes and bulk up my meals with more fiber and veggies. I'll probably never be a gym rat, but I'm always looking for ways to add activity in through walking, dancing or playing tennis.

Source