When my mother was pregnant with me in the ’80s, I arrived three weeks late and came out weighing more than ten pounds. So from the beginning (literally), I’ve been a little bit lazy and have never been a petite girl. For the most part, it’s never really bothered me that I was a little bigger than average. Sure, we all have our moments where we wish that the trendy swimsuit looked better on us. But in general, I’ve accepted my natural curves and chubby cheeks. That is, until I embarked on wedding-dress shopping.

There’s nothing more infuriating than trying on a wedding dress that hangs like perfection on the hanger but won’t slip over your hips. I realized that for me to be truly happy with my appearance on my wedding day, I needed to start exercising and dieting—neither of which are natural habits. Like most other women in America, I’ve dieted before, but my weight constantly fluctuates depending on my stress level.

I have a wicked sweet tooth and have perfected the art of stress eating, both of which have hampered my diet attempts in the past. Exercising? Well, let’s just say treadmills have never been my friend, nor has the gym in general. I was on the cross-country team for three years in high school, but my motivation came from having a crush on the team captain, not from some strong desire to run around aimlessly in the woods. I really had no motivation to trade in chocolate for carrots until dress shopping began. Now I’m on a mission.

I know my weaknesses, so my fiancé (who’s in the middle of his own muscle-man program) promised to chastise me if he caught me eating unhealthy things. We got rid of all the tempting foods in the house and vowed to motivate each other to get our ideal bodies. As for the gym, I turned to online dating. Not Match.com or eHarmony.com; I headed to my favorite wedding message board! What better place to find other brides striving for their perfect wedding-day bodies?

I posted a plea for a workout buddy, and sure enough, I found Christina. She’s already super-skinny but is one of those motivated people who like going to the gym (go figure). I knew she’d be perfect to keep me motivated. Now I have someone to go to aerobic classes and run on the treadmill with, and we can trade wedding tips and stories while we’re sweating up a storm! Best of all, when I want to skip the gym, she reminds me of my ultimate goal to look fabulous in my amazing dress, and that kicks me into high gear. Although I’ll never fit into a sample size, at least I’ll feel like I worked for the perfect body for me, and that’s all that matters.

So far, I’m down 42 pounds and I’m feeling pretty good about it!

Lisa Marie, a local bride-to-be, writes every Friday about planning her wedding, which will be in Washington in July. To follow her adventures from the beginning, click here.

If you like reading about Lisa Marie, make sure to check out our other blogging bride-to-be, Eleni, who writes every Wednesday. Follow her adventures here.