Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

Fitness-Obsessed Groom Wants Bride’s MOH To Drop 30 Pounds, Says He Only Accepts Size 4 Or Under
Two fit young adults in workout clothes standing on concrete stairs symbolizing weight loss before wedding conflict.

Fitness-Obsessed Groom Wants Bride’s MOH To Drop 30 Pounds, Says He Only Accepts Size 4 Or Under

36

ADVERTISEMENT

Weddings are supposed to be about love, family, and maybe one or two regrettable dance moves. But somehow, between cake tasting and choosing napkin colors, some brides forget that their bridal party isn’t a curated Pinterest board.

When friendship gets weighed against waistlines, things can get out of hand faster than you can say “bridezilla.” And when body image becomes the unofficial wedding theme, you know it’s going to get spicy.

One Redditor found herself blindsided by the world’s least romantic gift ever, a diet plan she never wanted, courtesy of a bride who apparently thinks Photoshop is so last season.

More info: Reddit

RELATED:

    Some brides ask you to wear a pink dress for their big day, while others ask you to count your calories before the wedding

    Image credits: Bradley Dunn / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

    Woman backs out of maid of honor role after fitness coach bride “gifts” her a diet and workout plan to “help” her lose weight before the wedding

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: Natalie Runnerstrom / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

    The woman is a US size 10, with a clean bill of health from her doctor, but her friend thinks she should drop 30 pounds for the wedding

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: Evelyn Verdín / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

    The bride and her fiancé come up with a fitness plan for the woman, expecting her to reach a size 4 so their photos will be more “symmetrical”

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: Joel Lee / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

    Image credits: Vlada Karpovich / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

    The woman ditches the maid of honor role, planning to attend the wedding as a guest

    Image credits: CoCoOhNoThrowaway

    The woman reconsiders her friendship with the bride, who confesses that she wanted to use her as a “before and after” ad for her fitness business

    The OP (original poster) had been besties with the bride since they were 5. The bride and her fiancé are both gym rats with shaker bottles for emotional support. The OP, however, is a proud mom of three, rocking a US size 10 like the queen she is, living a happy, healthy life. No body issues, no complaints, just doing her thing, with a clean bill of health from her doc.

    So, when the bride rang her up, giddy with “exciting” wedding updates, the OP probably expected a chat about flowers or seating charts. Instead, she got hit with a surprise fitness plan designed to help her lose 30 pounds before the wedding. And all because she didn’t fit into the bride’s Instagram aesthetic. Apparently, if she dropped some pounds, their wedding pics would be more “symmetrical.”

    Yep, this lady wasn’t trying to help her friend get healthy; she just wanted the bridal party to look like a protein shake ad. And she delivered this announcement with the enthusiasm of someone giving out party favors, not demanding a complete body transformation.

    The OP was shocked, to say the least. To be clear, she never expressed insecurity and a desire to change. She was confident in her own skin, and honestly, good for her. But suddenly, she was being treated like a fixer-upper project. So, the OP declined the maid of honor role, because she’s not a prop, she’s human.

    A healthy relationship is built on mutual respect, not conditions or silent judgments, and body-shaming your best friend is not part of the mix. Body-shaming can hide behind the disguise of “just looking out for you,” but it’s about control and image. Appearance-based criticism can lead to long-term issues like low self-esteem, disordered eating, and even depression.

    Image credits: Oleg Lekhnitsky / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

    What makes it worse is when it comes from people we trust. In this case, the bride disguised body-policing as a “favor,” but it was really a message: conform or be excluded. The pros would call that conditional regard (acceptance) when someone gives approval only when certain expectations are met, like weight, appearance, or behavior.

    Conditional regard teaches people they are only lovable if they perform a certain version of themselves. It damages self-worth and creates anxiety around being one’s authentic self. But the problem isn’t someone’s weight; it’s society’s obsession with thinness as the gold standard. And netizens tend to agree, because this Reddit post exploded, and so did the bride’s business.

    Turns out bragging about turning your friend into a walking “before” photo wasn’t the branding move she thought it was. Clients pieced it together and dropped her like a hot dumbbell. Because after a long chat, she confessed it was never about health; it was about showing off a “fit mom transformation” in crop-top dresses.

    And the fiancé? A true gem. He muttered that “anything over a size 4 is disgusting.” Ah, the sweet sound of toxic masculinity in its natural habitat.

    At the end of the day, if your friends can’t love you at your comfortable, happy, and healthy size, you might need to reassess your relationships.

    What do you think of this story? Should the poster try to save her friendship, or was her friend totally out of line with her plan? Drop your thoughts and comments below!

    Netizens are shocked by the bride’s behavior, saying she and her fiancé were out of line

    Poll Question

    Total votes ·

    Thanks! Check out the results:

    Total votes ·
    Share on Facebook
    Monica Selvi

    Monica Selvi

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Hi! I'm Moni. I’m a globetrotting creative with a camera in one hand and a notebook in the other. I’ve lived in 4 different countries, an visited 17, soaking up inspiration wherever I go. A marketer by trade but a writer at heart, I’ve been crafting stories, poems, and songs, and creating quirky characters since I was 7.

    Read less »
    Monica Selvi

    Monica Selvi

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Hi! I'm Moni. I’m a globetrotting creative with a camera in one hand and a notebook in the other. I’ve lived in 4 different countries, an visited 17, soaking up inspiration wherever I go. A marketer by trade but a writer at heart, I’ve been crafting stories, poems, and songs, and creating quirky characters since I was 7.

    Rūta Zumbrickaitė

    Rūta Zumbrickaitė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Hi! Here at Panda's I'm responsible for Photo Editing and all of the things surrounding it. I love finding great, moody or even dramatic photos to fit the story. Besides that, I'm a proud owner of 2 cats with the silliest names and a bazillion plants<3You can find me at a makeup counter with headphones swatching all of the sparkly eyeshadows

    Read less »

    Rūta Zumbrickaitė

    Rūta Zumbrickaitė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Hi! Here at Panda's I'm responsible for Photo Editing and all of the things surrounding it. I love finding great, moody or even dramatic photos to fit the story. Besides that, I'm a proud owner of 2 cats with the silliest names and a bazillion plants<3You can find me at a makeup counter with headphones swatching all of the sparkly eyeshadows

    What do you think ?
    Paul C
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What's the betting the fiancé has an affair if he future wife loses her figure at any point? Pregnancy? He's allowed to have an opinion, but he's certainly not allowed to voice it about anyone else unasked.

    spacer
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    something tells me hes one of those who would expect his wife to work out as soon as shes out of the hospital to lose the baby fat

    Load More Replies...
    Ivona
    Community Member
    7 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The average, normal woman in the U.S. is size 14-16. Size 10 is a great size, slim enough for all fashion clothing.

    Load More Comments
    Paul C
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What's the betting the fiancé has an affair if he future wife loses her figure at any point? Pregnancy? He's allowed to have an opinion, but he's certainly not allowed to voice it about anyone else unasked.

    spacer
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    something tells me hes one of those who would expect his wife to work out as soon as shes out of the hospital to lose the baby fat

    Load More Replies...
    Ivona
    Community Member
    7 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The average, normal woman in the U.S. is size 14-16. Size 10 is a great size, slim enough for all fashion clothing.

    Load More Comments
    Related on Bored Panda
    Popular on Bored Panda
    Trending on Bored Panda
    Also on Bored Panda
    ADVERTISEMENT