The year that we were engaged was also my third/senior year of college. I was also working 25 hours a week. So school, wedding-planning, and work weighed heavy on me. Thank God for my mom, my sister, my grandma, and my second-mom Sue! They shouldered most of the planning burden and just came to me for guidelines most of the time. My poor mother- I don't deserve her!

Anyway, since I was working out and busy stressing, I lost weight. I remember wearing a high-waisted skirt with a belt, and for once I didn't have to fluff up my blouse to hide my muffin-top! My waist was small for the first time in my life.

Once I tried on the dress (freshly altered) it became clear that I could NOT lose anymore weight. The seamstress had shortened it, taken it in, and added a bustle. After lacing up the bodice, my mom said "Oh dear, Molly. This is almost too big now." What my mom meant was that the laces in the back almost laced closed, instead of the wide V that the laces should taper down to.

I wanted to fist-pump in the air so bad, but that gesture probably would have clashed with the moment.

This picture on top is the best one I could find of my dress from the front. Let's be honest, the true focal point is my ADORABLE niece/flowergirl. She pulls off the whitedresslook in mid-air! The picture on the bottom is a good shot of the back (bustled, at the reception). Anyway, you can see that I have somewhat of an hourglass shape. Some of it is due to my corset-like bodice, but a lot of it is due to pounding the treadmill for five months with Cousin Taylor!

As I was saying in my previous post, I fell in love with my shoes. Nike Women TR Fit. Or so my husband tells me. Supposedly they are run-training shoes, which accounts for the light-weight, malleable nature blah blah blah. Bottom line: They are a DREAM to run on. It's like wearing nothing on your feet. After my old torture-shoes, I felt like I was running on a cloud. I am head over heels in love with these shoes. If they ever wear out, I want to get another pair exactly like them. Simply amazing.

Taylor and I continued our workout routine. Three miles three days a week, and on Wednesdays we joined an aerobics/strength class. It was called "Cardio K.O."- Cardio Knockout. The first few times, we got knocked out. Our abs and upper-arms were definitely NOT up to par. The push-ups and sit-ups were killer, but eventually we were able to at least keep up! It was such a fun class. It would be completely dark except for colorful DJ lights flashing everywhere like a dance party. The music was a mixture of Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and Cee-Lo. Our instructor (a small, ripped Asian man) would sing along into his microphone whenever he sensed we were about to die.

My second (and last) semester of college, I took a 1-unit Pilates class. I was DETERMINED to get rid of some of my jiggle before walking down the aisle. Let me just say, I was a Pila-trainwreck the first month. I marveled at the instructor's flexibility and control. My foot has to go where? How long do I have to hold my body up? Should my arms be shaking this hard?

I had been working out for a while when the dress finally arrived. I tried it on in the bridal shop and couldn't help but be giddy. It was exactly how I remembered it. I could NOT wait for Joe to see it! One thing was very clear though: Alterations required. I am 5'2", which seems about a foot shorter than the skyscraper that wedding dresses are made for. It was also evident that I had lost weight. Victory!