How the magical skinny jeans dream is similar to the perfect wedding day dream

  Reader Amanda, is engaged and planning her big day. Congratualtions! However, not wanting to fall into the bridezilla trap of driving everyone nuts and into debt she asks, "would love to hear your thoughts on the whole crazy subject before my plans go into a financial tailspin of ice sculptures, thirty-four piece bands and paying for a pass-out, fall-down drunk Amy Winehouse to croon to my impressed friends and family." I don't think I could have put it more eloquently.

In a nutshell, here's my two cents on how the magical back in skinny jeans dream is similar to the perfect wedding day dream:

• Both have a Cinderella moment where all the eyeballs in the room are glued to your ravishing beauty, and you in turn become drunk from all the oohs and aahs at your divine beauty It's the moment every woman dreams about because she is perfectly adored. For skinny jeans, it's that moment when you walk into that bar, reunion, or party with your newly skinny bad ass self and all eyes are on you like Lohan to paparazzi. No one exists in the room except for you. For the bride, it's the moment the doors open for you to walk up that aisle, and everyone is gazing at you like the skinny bridal perfection you are. You even get background music to cascade the moment as if you were in a movie. (more after the jump)

• There is the build up and idolization of that Cinderella moment. While you are working your ass off in the gym so you can fit into that size "three sizes smaller than you are now", you envision the Cinderella moment over and over in your head like Marcia Brady getting hit on the nose with a football before her date with dream boat Davey Jones. Your day dreams are filled with attention on you, laughter, attention on you, happiness, and attention on you. This is your perfect moment and you only get it once (we tell ourselves), so you want it to be everything you can imagine and better.

• You have lost all sense of reality because the dream is intoxicating. It gives you a sense of euphoria and ecstasy. Know that your decisions are biased towards perfection. You're not thinking logically or practically when it comes to obtaining your new skinny self or perfect wedding day. This is why you need a support system of level headed people who will keep you grounded and not lost in la-la land.

• Finally, you get a big moment that is all about you, where you are the center of attention and you are allowed to be that. Everyone else always gets the attention or their needs met first. You always feel guilty or ashamed to want to "come first." But with the skinny jeans life and the wedding day, you get to come first completely guilt free. And even if that snotty jealous sibling, relative or friend tries to sabotage the attention back to them, everyone knows it, so don't even stress about it. It's your moment. Grab it.

• There is the belief that once you are skinny or married, your life will be better as if the skinniness or marriage is the sole key to your happiness. You are banking on the external event to be the magic wand that changes your life from un-noticeable to extraordinary. The reality is, your life will be different and that's it, that's the only guarantee. Whether your life gets better or worse has absolutely nothing to do with your looks, marital status, banking account, place in society, or anything external. Everything you need to be happy is already within your reach inside.