All of the hard work I put into dieting and working out paid off. I felt like a beautiful, blushing bride and all the sweat was worth it.

But, now that I’m home and back in the “real world” (a.k.a not the all-you-can-eat resort we stayed at in Mexico), I’m ready to get back into the health groove.

Many people just assume that couples let themselves go after they get married (and, as our country’s obesity rate suggests, maybe they do), but I feel almost more motivated to stay fit now that all the hoopla is over. I’m in a Nike+ running competition with a couple of my co-workers, I’ve cut back on meat and dairy, and I’ve been chugging water like it’s going out of style. I feel great, and I’m looking forward to using all of my cool new cooking gadgets (wedding gifts are awesome) to whip up some new recipes. Matt and I already made fresh salsa with the tomatoes out of our garden!

So, what did I learn in the end? That healthy habits are worth keeping — and that being fit is truly a lifestyle.

I’m happy to be back and am excited for what’s to come!

The time has come (and I think I’m going a little crazy)!

I am officially less than one month away from becoming a Mrs.

Over the last couple of months, I have spent a lot of time and energy focusing on my physical fitness. Just like many other brides before me, I want to look happy and healthy on my big day. But, I spent so much time focusing on the physical (and by physical, I mean all the things surrounding me on the outside), I went a little “mental.”

While maintaining your physical fitness does help reduce stress, sometimes you just need to slow down and take a mental inventory. Obviously, part of being healthy is being able to manage stress. I read an article on WebMD that made a lot of sense to me. It said:

“Centuries ago, Western culture lost its focus on the interconnectedness between the body and the mind or spirit, and how each has the power to affect the other. Cultivating a love of movement can help you get beyond the concept of physical fitness as separate from mental fitness – and toward a lifelong program of good health through mind and body fitness… Remember that fitness of mind and body belong together, and that exercise is very narrowly defined in our society. So redefine exercise as any activity that reduces stress and connects your mind and body.”

So, I decided to take a mental health day earlier this week and it made all the difference in the world. I left behind my job, the wedding planning, the room full of gifts I haven’t tackled yet, and the gym. I went shopping with my soon-to-be sister-in-law and had a great time focusing on someone else for a change. I was able to ease back into my routine the following day, ready to tackle all of the things that made me cringe just days earlier. Since then, I’ve felt calm and fit in both body and spirit.

So, what’s my advice if you find yourself in a fitness rut? Take one day off from all those things you “have to” do, and you’ll be surprised at how good you’ll feel the next day.

My fiance and I are now only eight weeks from our impending nuptuals. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am very excited about getting married. But, I wish I had more time! I feel like my fitness routine has come to a standstill. I don’t know if I’m bored, or stressed, or tired… or a little bit of everything. So, this week I decided to change things up by putting a little variety in my diet. I’ve been eating the same meals for a while now. So, this week I added a whole bunch of fresh fruit and veggies. I feel like they’ve been missing from my diet and I feel better already. And right now is the best time to take advantage of what nature has to offer. I’ve been checking out local farmer’s markets for my fresh produce and it makes all the difference in the world: The produce is straight off the farm, often organic, and reasonably priced. If you want to find a farmer’s market in your neck of the woods, click here.

I also haven’t been taking my own previous advice about varying my workout routine. I have been running nearly every day, but skipping my weight lifting classes. So, yesterday I went back to class after nearly a month, and I honestly almost got sick! It just goes to show that consistency is important… and you may not be as fit as you think you are.

Being that summer has officially started, I’m guessing more Fit Fare readers are taking the steps to get healthy. I’m hoping that you will share your secrets as I get closer to my wedding day, so that I can continue to improve my fitness as best I can!

Well, Matt and I are less than three months from our wedding. Last time I wrote about my continued success with my workout routine. Since then, I’ve strayed a little, but in a good direction.

There’s a product that has truly helped me regulate my fitness. For my birthday last year, Matt got me the Nike Plus attachment for my iPod. It’s a nifty tool that let’s you track your workouts. You can see how long you worked out, how many calories you burned, etc. You can also use the Nike Plus to compete with friends and other runners/walkers who have the attachment. Earlier this month, two of my co-workers and I started a 30 mile challenge. Mind you, both of my co-workers are men, and avid runners. I love to run, but I typically average between two and four miles per run. Well, frankly, I was getting my butt kicked in the challenge. These boys were running five to nine miles a day!!! I knew I had to step it up. So, for the first time in my life, I ran seven miles in one trip! I burned over 700 calories and maintained an 8:30 mile. I was so proud, I called Matt, my mom and one of my friends!

Point is, a little competition pushed me over a workout hump, and now I’m running between four and seven miles per run. I came in second in the challenge, but that was a big step for me. I also hit the 100 mile mark on my Nike Plus, meaning I’ve run or walked 100 miles since I got my attachment last summer.

So, if you want more clarification about your workouts, or would like a high-tech and easy way to compete with others, I’d suggest looking into the iPod attachment.

You can check out my progress here!

Until next time, stay fit!

Wedding Countdown: 99 days

This bride-to-be could not be happier! The majority of the wedding planning is done and I’ve managed to retain my sanity. Two weeks ago, I wrote about my new workout routine of weight lifting and cardio. I’ve been maintaining that routine for about a month now, and I can’t stop gushing about my results. Since then, I’ve been focusing on varying my routine to stay excited about working out. My fiancee and I have been playing tennis and I’ve been taking a boot camp class once a week, in addition to my weight lifting classes.

I’ve touched on this before, but I want to reiterate this week is how important it is to have someone who knows what he or she is doing to help you reach your goals. I believe personal trainers can be super helpful, but you don’t neccessarily need to pay someone to get the advice that you need. In my case, I asked the woman who teaches my weight lifting class if she would give me some tips about how to shape my upper body so it will look its best in my wedding dress. She helped me out, and now I know what I can do on my own to get the best results. You can also take a look around your workout class, or your gym, and find people who you think look healthy and fit. Then, throw your shyness out the door and ask them what they do to get results. You’d be surprised at how excited people are to talk about fitness.

Until next time, stay fit, healthy and happy!

Tennis Balls courtesy of MorgueFile.com.

There is no better motivation than meeting a goal. For me, getting to that point required help from an outsider. Taking classes at a gym or recreation center is a great way to focus your energy. It is time set aside for working out and time managed by someone who knows exactly what they are doing. Incorporating proper weight lifting into my cardio routine really helped me take off the inches too. Health experts do debate about what is more important, weight lifting or cardio. But many say that the right combination is the best way to shed pounds. To watch a video about the most effective workouts, which include cardio and weight training, check out WebMD.

Since I started planning for my wedding, this is the first time I’ve really felt accomplished. I hope to bring you more good news next week. To all you brides out there, don’t lose hope! You’ll eventually find your fitness groove and be closer to your wedding goals. I know I am.

You’ll need the following ingredients:

1 pkg of orzo pasta
Kalmata olives, pitted
Feta cheese
Fresh basil
Fresh Italian parsley
Sundried tomatoes
Red wine vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

When you are ready to put the pasta together, make sure to finely chop the basil and parsley, half the kalmata olives, and slice the sundried tomatoes. Now here is the best part: All you have to do is cook and drain the orzo pasta, and then add all of the ingredients to taste! It is important not to overload the pasta with oil and vinegar, but you can add the other ingredients in any combination you wish. I personally add extra feta cheese and kalmata olives because I love those two flavors together. I promise you will love this dish. It is great as a side or on it’s own… and is perfect for taking to parties or potlucks. With the weather slowly getting warmer, it is the perfect addition to your springtime meals. Enjoy!!!

The more I’ve put on my plate, the more I’ve thought about how important it is to stay fit in even the most stressful times of our lives. So many of us, including myself, let stress control our eating habits and our exercise routines. We are even more likely to let our routines go if we don’t have a good one to begin with.

Two weeks ago, I wrote about how I’ve been making progress with my diet and exercise. Surprisingly, despite the stress, I feel like I’ve managed to take care of myself despite the added stress of moving. I’ve found ways to work exercise into my routine even if I can’t make it to the gym. For instance, my fiancee and painted every single wall and ceiling in our new house. I don’t remember the last time I was this sore! And even though we’ve been eating out for most meals, I’ve been watching my portions.

The only thing I know I could do more of is drinking water. I’ve talked about it before and I’ll talk about it to the end of time… Water is so important for a fit body. But, in short, I know that I have been able to stick with my routine because I had a great one to begin with. I finally feel confident that my bridal diet may pay off… even in the long run!

If you’re working on a goal of your own, leave me a message!

Cutting caffeine out of my diet definitely helped me catch up on my sleep. We really don’t think about how important sleep is in our weight-loss battles. You can read more about it here. And getting more sleep has definitely given me more energy to get up, get things done and squeeze in some exercize.

I’ve also been cutting down on my snacks. I’m a major snacker, especially while at work. Granted, I do bring my snacks from home (instead of getting them out of the vending machine), but I have been measuring out my portions so I know exactly how many calories I’m eating outside of my meals. I’ve also been keeping up with my little book, writing down everything I eat during the day.

I hope to have more good news for you next week… And I would love to hear more from other dieters… Especially those with a deadline like me!

Wish me luck!

In the last two weeks, so much has changed. My fiance and I bought a house! When everything started happening, I was scared that I would let the stress take over. But, surprisingly, I kept it together. I followed my food and exercise plan that I established two weeks ago. I headed out to my favorite wholesale super store and stocked up on fruit, veggies, yogurt and healthy snacks. With all that healthy food in my house, it made it so much easier to make healthy choices.

I also completely cut caffeine out of my diet. I never drank coffee until I started working the night shift. And, although it helped me stay alert, it made me feel awful. I have suffered from migraines for nearly 15 years and caffeine makes my symptoms all “wacky.” Plus, drinking caffeine at three in the morning makes it very hard to get a full “nights” sleep during the day.

Finally, I did something that I never thought I would: I started a food diary. Over the last week, I wrote down everything I ate. Surprisingly, when you have to write down everything you eat, you feel more in control of what you put into your body. When I look at food that isn’t necessarily good for me, I think, “do I want to write that down in my book?” And the answer is almost always “no.” Writing everything down also helps me see where my diet is lacking. Do I need more veggies? Am I getting enough protein? For all you diet skeptics out there, try putting together a food diary. It is truly a blessing in disguise.

I haven’t listed my stats for the last month because, frankly, I’ve been afraid to get on the scale because I knew I hadn’t done as well as I would have liked. But with my renewed confidence, I fully plan on sharing them with all of you in two weeks!