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We are just about halfway through the month of January, and so far, I am sticking to my resolutions! I was weighed at my training session with Bonne Marcus yesterday, and I'm down four pounds since my last weigh-in two weeks ago. Next week, we will take my measurements and see how I am looking there, which I am feeling confident about — my clothes are getting bigger and bigger. How is everyone doing with their own resolutions?

Last week I had a very successful week with my workouts and diet. Here is a recap:

I kept up with the “no starch” diet throughout the week. For breakfast, I ate hard-boiled eggs or just hard-boiled egg whites, snacked on unsalted almonds and fruit when hungry, drank only water and coffee, ate my veggie burgers and vegetables for lunch, and made lots of healthy dinners. We had plenty of grilled chicken and vegetables, split pea soup, and salads. At the beginning of the week, I found myself craving carbs, but by Thursday, I didn’t even want them, which was awesome.

Yesterday, I went food shopping and stocked up on healthy dinners: Mahi Mahi to cook tonight with asparagus and spinach, ground turkey to make turkey meatballs, and some more chicken and tons of vegetables to grill. I didn’t have time to make my own veggie burgers this weekend to eat for lunch, so I bought Boca veggie burgers to test them out. I cooked them on my George Foreman grill last night, then added steamed sugar snap peas and a cut-up apple to complete the lunch. I’ll let you know how I like them next week.

Q. “I need some easy but healthy lunch ideas. It’s always the meal I have trouble with.” —Jessica W.

A. I am a big fan of eating a balanced meal. This means it includes lean protein (chicken, turkey, low-fat dairy, and beans), carbohydrates (whole grain breads, brown rice, and vegetables), and fat (avocado, olive oil, and nuts). Despite what you’ve heard, eliminating anyone one of them is never recommended. Lots of brides think they have to give up carbohydrates, and it’s just not necessary. Give up the carbs and you may not have enough strength to walk down the aisle!

Photo Credit: Heart Love Weddings via Lover.ly

Enjoy some of my favorite lunch ideas:

1. Turkey burger in ½ a large whole wheat pita pocket with romaine lettuce and tomato slices.

2. Egg white omelet with vegetables and a slice of Ezekiel sesame bread (a bread with no sugar found in the refrigerated section in the supermarket).

3. Mixed green salad with grilled shrimp or chicken. I use balsamic vinegar dressing and sprinkle a little parmesan or feta cheese on top.

4. Turkey chili over a small baked potato or brown rice.

5. Seared Ahi tuna on top of mixed green salad with avocado, water chestnuts, shredded carrots, and sliced almonds with a low-calorie sesame dressing.

I hope everyone had a very happy new year and is looking forward to a fantastic 2014! I know I am — as I told my fiancé Rene last Tuesday night when the ball dropped, this is our year!

As did most people with the start of a new year, I made some resolutions I plan on keeping.

1. Lose another 40 pounds.
2. Get healthier.
3. Save money.
4. Take more time to enjoy life.
5. Smile more.

I've made these resolutions before, but I've never kept them, which is what happens to most of us. The difference this year is that I’m already half way there, and once you see results and have your heart set on the end prize, there is no turning back. My success so far in the past seven months helps me trust that I will meet my goals and resolutions — and you can, too. If you put your mind to it, and you don’t let anything or anyone get in your way, it can happen. I hope this helps motivate you to achieve your resolutions this year, because it really is possible, no matter what the resolution is.

While on the treadmill last week, I decided I was going to increase my workouts for the month of January. This morning, I woke up at 4:30 instead of 5 (crazy, I know), and did 30 minutes on the treadmill before my 30 minute spin class, burning tons of calories before I even started my day!

Guest blogger: Bonne Marcus
A fitness industry expert for 27 years, Marcus holds numerous certifications from the Aerobic Fitness Association of America (AFAA), including Step, Spin, Bosu™, Pre/Post Natal, Youth Fitness, Aqua, and Personal Training. She has taught for New York City’s top health clubs, including Crunch, New York Health and Racquet, and Reebok Sports Club. A recognized name on Long Island, Bonne has taught at Dany Holdstein’s Two Worlds, North Shore Health Club, LA Fitness, Sport time, Equinox and currently teaches at the Sid Jacobsen JCC in Roslyn. Learn more at getfitwithbonne.com.

Photo Credit: iStock/Maridav

"This year, I resolve to..." How many of us recite these words as the ball starts to drop, only to feel less-than-motivated by February? Don't despair — lack of motivation strikes even the most disciplined exercisers. Try to remember how good you felt about yourself after completing your workout, and be proud that you've started a program at all. Then, follow these handy tips to keep yourself going.

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. 

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.

It's been a crazy two weeks for me, and I'm sure it's been the same for all of you. But I have good news to share: I reached my 10 pound weight-loss goal for November! And now, I have my sights set on losing another 10 by January 1.

In the past few weeks since Thanksgiving, there have definitely been some challenges and hardships with staying on track, but I've managed to get through them and keep on keeping on.

Things I've learned:

1. One bad night of eating won't kill you, but it does curb the weight loss and make it tougher to go back to making good decisions.

I went to Atlantic City two weekends ago with three of my sorority sisters and had a blast! We don't all live in New York, so once a year we get together — and this year, we sure did it right. I messed up as soon as I got there with my lunch, where I ate nachos and French fries. We went to Buddhakan for dinner and had some tapas (I highly recommend the restaurant), then proceeded to Royal Jelly, the burlesque club at Revel, where we had a VIP table. I drank vodka and Red Bull, which I know is so unhealthy on so many levels. After we went out, I ate a half of a turkey burger and French fries at like four in the morning. I was eating like I weigh 100 pounds, which I totally don't.

During my Sunday weigh-in, I was down another two pounds! That leaves me with just two more pounds to lose in order to reach my 10 pound goal for November. I think with one week left, it’s absolutely possible and I will do it.

Last Sunday’s workout with Bonne Marcus was excellent! She said she knows that during the week when we do the routine ourselves we are not doing it two times through (she’s right…), so she had us do a three-segment workout two times through. The workout consisted of a leg exercise, arm exercises, and then an ab exercise. The first segment was lunges on the Frisbee, where you squat down and put your hands on the floor, kick your leg back, pull your leg back in the original squat position, stand up, and do it again, 20 times total. This was so hard! Arm exercises were a mix of bicep curls, rowing with the band, tricep extensions, and pushups. And for the abs, we did pull-over crunches with a 10-pound dumbbell and mountain climbs in a plank position. If you want a quick and easy workout, I highly suggest trying the lunges I mention. You can use a small towel or anything to help slide your leg, but it really burns and will give you an excellent quick workout!

This Week's #1 Goal: Don’t Slack on Workouts

Last Saturday, we trained with Bonne Marcus again, and I was down another 3 pounds! Only four left to go until I hit my goal of 10 pounds for this month!

Our workout on Sunday consisted of many of the same exercises we’ve been doing and focused on total body conditioning. Each segment had a leg exercise (step-ups, squats, front and side-kicks), an arm exercise (bicep curls, tricep pull downs, rowing with the band, etc.) and an ab exercise (planks, side to side crunches, leg raises). It wasn’t easy, but it felt great to get through it. I am noticing each week how it gets a little easier to finish the routine and not feel like I got hit by a train.

For the rest of the week, I kept up with my workouts, which definitely helped with the weight loss. Monday morning, I took a spin class, and I swear it helped set me up for the whole week. In recent weeks, I've been skipping my Monday workouts, but I realized that starting the work week off at the gym helps keep me motivated for the days to follow. It’s easier to make bad decisions if you don’t start your week out right, so I'm hoping to keep this trend going. Tuesday morning, I woke up and did the workout from Bonne at home. I rested on Wednesday, then on Thursday I took a spin class. Friday evening, Rene and I went to the gym and ran on the elliptical together.

As of last Friday, I officially have one year until I say I do! I can't believe how fast time went, and I can only imagine how quickly these next 12 months are going to go. Ah! Now it’s all really starting to sink in how close the big day actually is — and the need to lose the weight and plan the wedding of my dreams are both top priorities in my mind.

Last week, Rene and I attended a bridal expo on Monday and Tuesday night, where we met with various vendors and were able to schedule appointments and get information. So far, we decided on our florist and picked out the centerpieces, booked our photo booth (which was a must-have for Rene and me), and decided on a few little surprises we want to have at the reception. My next step to check off my list is finding a photographer and videographer. I know how important it is to find a great one, and I want to get my engagement photos done soon to get out my save-the-dates. Saturday morning, we met with a photographer/videographer, but I wasn't too impressed, so I need to make more appointments for this coming weekend. I need to find the perfect fit for us, and if it takes a few weeks to find it, then it’s all worth it.

Just because you're getting ready for your big day does not mean the whole month or two before has to be boring and restrictive. After all, it’s more about the journey than the destination. And sometimes, we just need a little treat that tastes good and guilty — and it doesn't hurt when it's festive for fall!

The good news is that you won't blow your calorie budget (or your waistline) with this one, even though it's totally one of my "cheat" recipes. Why? Because it's not all 'whole food' clean eating — yes, there's flour and sugar in these. But hey, we still have to live a little and indulge!

The 59-Calorie Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie

Prep time: 10 min.
Bake time: 15 min.
Makes: 32 servings

Ingredients: