How To Drop A Dress Size In Just A Month (Or 2)

I did it and here's how you can, too!

Published September 05, 2024

photo collage of dress in mannequin, losing weight in a month or two, weight loss tips

Barbara Gibson

Upon receiving a recent wedding invitation, my first thought was how excited I was to attend this event. I've known this young woman since she was a toddler, and what a gift to share in this next chapter with her and her wonderful family.

After I sent in my RSVP, I realized I might want a new dress for the occasion. But I've put on a few pounds and would feel more confident if I dropped a dress size. Would it be possible to do so before the big day?

The answer is yes. Even in menopause, it is possible to drop a dress size. Slow and steady is the way to go when it comes to weight loss. Liz Josefsberg, weight loss coach and author of Target 100, says, "Usually, the way you take weight off is how you will put it back on. If you take it off fast, you tend to put it back on fast. But if you lose weight slowly, you can better sustain the weight loss."

Kim Shapira, M.S., R.D, celebrity dietitian, nutritional therapist and author of the new book This Is What You Are Really Hungry For: Six Simple Rules to Transform Your Relationship with Food to Become Your Healthiest Self, says, “An acceptable, healthy and sustainable weight loss is about two pounds per week."

Using that math, you can lose 10 pounds (a dress size) in less than two months and here’s how:

1. Eat When You're Hungry

Think about this scenario: You walk into a restaurant very hungry. After ordering your meal, the waiter brings a hot breadbasket, so you have a slice or two. What happens when your meal arrives 20 minutes later? You may eat the main course because you ordered it. After all, it looks delicious, and you are paying for it. But that doesn't mean you are eating because you’re hungry. Shapira says, "We need to listen to our bodies and eat to satisfy hunger, not for other reasons such as stress, discomfort or boredom."

She suggests a simple strategy for helping people lose or maintain weight: "Eat when you are hungry but eat half your normal portion size. It takes about 15 minutes for our bodies to process our food. If you are still hungry after 15 minutes, eat the other half. But if you wait, you may not be hungry anymore."

2. Bunk the Junk

"I tell my clients to eat what they love, but only if it loves you back," says Shapira.

Processed foods or foods high in sugar or salt don't love you. First, they have little to no nutritional value. Second, "non-food" foods don't fill you up. Most junk food is overly salty or sweet, resulting in the body craving more to eat to feel satisfied.

3. Choose Diverse Meals

“A diverse plate will cause you to eat less,” explains Shapira. “If you have a plate of one thing, you will tend to eat more because you won’t be satisfied. I suggest a diverse plate for every meal: lean protein, some carbs, some fat and many vegetables.”

Although Shapira cautions against eliminating any food group, be wary of carbs if you want to look lean for an event. "Carbohydrates like pasta can make you feel bloated because they 'hydrate' the body. If you eat less carbs, you will look like you lost weight, but that is just water weight and not true weight."

Josefsberg, whose celebrity clients include Jennifer Hudson, Jessica Simpson and Katie Couric, adds, "I suggest clients who want to look slim for an event to be wary of eating dairy because it can cause inflammation.”

4. Hydrate

"It may seem counterintuitive, but drinking more water will not make you feel bloated,” says Josefsberg. “Instead, it has the opposite effect — the body doesn't hold onto water when it is well hydrated."

Aim for eight cups of water a day. Being well-hydrated will make you feel full (sometimes a hunger pang is actually a feeling of thirst), aid digestion and help your liver and kidneys work more efficiently.

5. Take a Walk (or a Run)

Shoot for 10,000 steps a day, which can be a combination of walking, weight training, cardio — or any movement. "Regarding weight loss, it's 90 percent what you eat and 10 percent movement,” says Shapira. “So, while exercise alone won't usually cause you to lose weight without proper eating, it can speed up metabolism (especially weight training) and help you lose weight faster."

6. Watch Your Salt Intake

If you are trying to lose weight quickly for an event, be careful about how much salt you consume. Shapira says, "It's not just table salt but seasonings such as soy, teriyaki and marinara sauce that will cause you to absorb water and appear bloated."

7. Say No to Alcohol

"Calories are calories," explains Shapira. "A cocktail may have as many calories as a baked potato, and drinking a cocktail won't make you feel as full or satisfy your hunger." Plus, alcohol can lower inhibitions and make you more likely to overeat or eat less nutritious foods.

8. Eat Small Meals

Shapira is not a fan of intermittent fasting (although she does suggest not eating after dinner, preferably around 7 p.m., because it helps with sleep). "When you fast, you tell your body to worry that it won't get enough to eat," she says. "Fasting causes the body to hold onto food and store it as fat."

Instead, she recommends eating five to six meals throughout the day. “The body needs fuel throughout the day. You should be hungry every three to four hours; if you are not, that means you overate at your last meal."

9. Don’t Diet

Many of us (myself included) lose weight for an event only to "reward" ourselves the day after with food we have deprived ourselves of during our "diet" days. But this yo-yo dieting wreaks havoc on our metabolism, especially after menopause. It gets harder to take the pounds off and easier to put them back on.

If you get down a dress size, why not maintain it? Josefsberg says, “Ask yourself, ‘What did I miss most during the time I was being strict? What habits, such as drinking more water or avoiding processed foods, can I incorporate as part of a healthier lifestyle?’"

After all, while it’s nice to look your best for an occasion, isn’t it also nice to look (and feel) your best on a regular Tuesday?

Have any of you been successful when it comes to weight loss? How did you do it? Let us know in the comments below.

Randi Mazzella is a freelance writer and journalist. Her work has appeared in numerous online and print publications The Washington Post, Next Avenue, Your Teen for Parents, SheKnows and New Jersey Family. She writes about a wide range of topics including parenting, mental health, wellness, pop-culture, teens, finance and midlife issues. She is a wife and mother of three children who inspire her every day. To read more of her work, go to randimazzella.com.