Wedding Weight-Loss: Planning for 2014

I hope everyone who celebrates had a Merry Christmas! Not to sound like the Grinch, but I am so happy the holidays are almost over. I had a great beginning of the month in December, but I'm ending on a not-so-great note. Unfortunately, I'm not going to reach my 10-pound weight-loss goal this month. But I am down four more pounds. It was much harder than I expected to make time for my workouts and eat healthy during this month. 

jen and rene on christmas eve

I did not work out every day like I was doing last month (though I certainly would've liked to), but I made sure to get workouts in at least three times a week. Rene and I spent time at the gym together when we could and did workouts at home when our schedules got in the way.

Highlights from the past two weeks:

1. Mini-vacation to Atlantic City
Two weeks ago, Rene and I went to Atlantic City for the night with another couple who are good friends of ours. We made sure to do a lot of cardio the night before we left so that we could enjoy the food and drinks there. I knew I was going to eat a big dinner at Carmine's (it was so good!), so during the day, I opted for chicken and brown rice at lunch. And even though I really wanted frozen margaritas, I stuck with margaritas on the rocks and vodka. I know the little smart choices I made helped, but I still ate fattening foods that I wouldn’t have eaten at home.

I posted a photo of Rene and me (see below) on my Facebook and Instagram accounts, and I got such an amazing response on my noticeable weight loss — it was the best feeling in the world. Finally, people are starting to notice and see the results, and it's making me want to try harder and do even better to keep the results showing. The positive feedback I am getting from people is amazing, and I can’t wait to see where I will be six months from now.

tropicana atlantic city

2. Spaghetti squash recipe #2
My obsession with spaghetti squash has not gone away, and Rene made an awesome meal last week for us. He roasted the spaghetti squash and added in sautéed spinach, shrimp, and onion. For sauce, he used some leftover marinara sauce we had in the freezer and mixed it all together with some salt and pepper and parmesan cheese. It was incredible; it tasted like a fancy meal from an Italian restaurant, but it's so healthy! If you have any good spaghetti squash recipes, leave a comment below — I'd love to try them out.

spaghetti squash

3. Moving from an XL to a L
I am so happy to say that I am no longer a size XXL or XL — I am now a good old large. I eventually want to be a small, but for right now, this is a huge step for me! I first realized an XL was too big when I was buying a dress for my company holiday party. The dress I wore is a size large, and it fits me perfectly! 

jennifer crow

For Christmas, Rene bought me a pretty nightie to wear to bed from Victoria’s Secret, and it's also a large. Six months ago, I couldn’t fit into anything from Victoria’s Secret, and now I’m so comfortable and it feels amazing!

4. Gym accessories
For Christmas, I also got a whole bunch of new gym accessories — sports bras and workout pants (also in size large!), headphones, an armband for my phone, and socks. Having these new accessories is awesome because I couldn’t wait to wake up this morning and use them. Rene and I went to the gym and did a half hour on the elliptical at 6 a.m., and it was so great getting back on schedule. If you feel like you’re in a slump, I recommend getting some new gear, because you’ll definitely want to test it out.

jen and rene exercising

So to recap, my not-so successful month gives me hope for a much better January and to conquer my New Year's resolutions. For January, I need to lose more weight, kick up my workouts and diet plans to high gear, and focus on wedding planning. I have a few more things on my wedding-planning checklist I would like to cross of in January, and I’ll share them all with you next week.

Although I didn’t reach my goal this month, I am very thankful for my amazing friends and family and the time I got to spend with them this holiday season. Happy New Year, everyone, and cheers to an amazing 2014!

—Jennifer Crow