adminbg's blog

Saturday morning, Rene and I had an early morning session with our trainer, Bonne Marcus. Before we began the workout, we got on the scale, and I’m proud to say I am down another five pounds, and Rene is down four! I guess after the bad week we had of the party, last week’s intense training and diet really helped! The workout was really hard this week. I should have known that after not doing any strength training for three weeks, it was going to be tough. She had us doing a lot of old moves combined with some new ones.

There was one new one called the “Prisoner Get-ups,” and they killed me! You put your hands behind your ears with your arms to the side, go down on one knee, bring the other knee down, come up with one knee, and then stand with the other. I had to do 20 starting on each leg. It’s an amazing exercise because it’s working your arms, your core, and your legs, but it was not easy!

Last Friday was the big day — our engagement party! I can’t even imagine what I’m going to feel like on my wedding day. I woke up extra early to pack everything up while Rene picked up the flower centerpieces from the florist and the empanadas we made for the party. I had a make-up appointment at 2:30 and a hair appointment at 3:45, and before I knew it, it was time to leave.

My dress from Rent the Runway arrived on Wednesday, and I absolutely loved it. I ordered a size 14 and a size 16, and I ended up wearing the 16. The straps and chest area was a little big, but it gave me enough room to breathe and not worry about anything. The back-up dress I had purchased (just in case the Rent the Runway dress didn't work out) was a size 14, and that fit me perfectly as well. I don’t even remember the last time I was able to zip up a 14 without worrying it was going to bust open! From now on, the sizes will just keep getting smaller, and that is a really good feeling.

Guest Blogger: Jessica Hochstadt, MS, Nutritionist and owner of “I Do” Nutrition
Jessica was a Nutritionist and Health Educator in a Boston-based hospital before deciding to focus her practice on brides with “I Do” Nutrition—a global weight-loss service that caters to brides and their bridal parties, on their schedule. She understands that everyone has a different relationship with food, and enjoys guiding bridal parties to appreciate the importance behind meal planning, understanding nutrition, and building a healthy lifestyle. In a time where our world and kitchen cupboards have become overly saturated with misinformation about nutrition, Jessica brings the simplicity back to a field that has sustained us through life.

Understanding Cravings

Cravings are the Achilles heel of every diet. They are the unplanned guests at your dinner party (or evening in) who just wont let you be. They gnaw at your willpower and, if given into, can destroy a diet with one bite.

Like any enemy we face, we must first understand cravings before determining the best way to destroy them. 

Cravings stem from three places: environmental cues, emotional cues, and physiological cues. 

Guest Blogger: Jessica Hochstadt, MS, Nutritionist and owner of “I Do” Nutrition
Jessica was a Nutritionist and Health Educator in a Boston-based hospital before deciding to focus her practice on brides with “I Do” Nutrition—a global weight-loss service that caters to brides and their bridal parties, on their schedule. She understands that everyone has a different relationship with food, and enjoys guiding bridal parties to appreciate the importance behind meal planning, understanding nutrition, and building a healthy lifestyle. In a time where our world and kitchen cupboards have become overly saturated with misinformation about nutrition, Jessica brings the simplicity back to a field that has sustained us through life.

Your wedding is going to be one of the most memorable days of your life — and hopefully for all the right reasons (like marrying your best friend and person you love, and celebrating with your closest friends and family) — not because you couldn’t fit into your wedding dress or had an allergic reaction to peanuts before walking down the aisle. (Laugh, but these things have happened!)

This past week, I unfortunately did not lose any weight (on the plus side, I also didn’t gain any!). After my disappointing weigh-in on Saturday, my trainer Bonne Marcus took my measurements, and that cheered me up — I am down another six inches from the last time she measured me five weeks ago! I lost one and a half inches from my chest, two inches from my waist and two and a half inches from my abs! I had a good week last week eating and exercise-wise, and it definitely bothered me that no pounds came off, but the inches are important, too.

Bonne points out, “The scale is a poor indicator of whether or not you are overweight. Your body composition is not simply determined by how much you weigh, but by how much of your body weight comes from fat. Appropriate amounts of both fat and lean tissue are necessary for optimal health.” A better way to measure yourself is to through a body fat test with a skin caliper. Using the tool, “a trainer will pinch certain sites on your body to get a measurement. It is not completely accurate, but it does give you a good picture.”

Guest Blogger: Jessica Hochstadt, MS, Nutritionist and owner of “I Do” Nutrition
Jessica was a Nutritionist and Health Educator in a Boston-based hospital before deciding to focus her practice on brides with “I Do” Nutrition—a global weight-loss service that caters to brides and their bridal parties, on their schedule. She understands that everyone has a different relationship with food, and enjoys guiding bridal parties to appreciate the importance behind meal planning, understanding nutrition, and building a healthy lifestyle. In a time where our world and kitchen cupboards have become overly saturated with misinformation about nutrition, Jessica brings the simplicity back to a field that has sustained us through life.

Your wedding day is a lifetime milestone and will be one of your happiest memories. And while there will be plenty of unforeseen surprises on this day, there certain things you can plan for — like what you'll eat as you're getting ready.

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: Iofoto/iStockphoto

If you've ever gone for a long, challenging run or toughed it out in the weight room with your significant other, you know that sweat can bring you closer. Working out produces endorphins, and endorphins give you that "exercise high." When you exercise together and both produce these endorphins, you end up associating those positive feelings with your partner.

I am extremely proud to say that I am now down 20 pounds! When I woke up on Sunday and weighed myself, it was one of the best feelings in the whole world. Now, I still have about 60 more to go, but this is such great motivation to keep it going.

I had a pretty laid-back weekend, mostly because I am staying sober and sticking to my new diet. On Friday night, Rene and I went out with another couple to The Nautical Mile in Freeport, NY, and I was the designated driver. It was a beautiful night, and I enjoyed myself anyway — no cocktails needed! On Saturday, I woke up and went to the gym and did 45 minutes of cardio split between the elliptical and the treadmill. Rene cooked me breakfast when I got home (two over-easy eggs and three pieces of turkey bacon) — he is the best breakfast chef ever!

I cleaned my apartment, got a car wash, visited my dad, sister and nephew, and then went to the mall to find a dress for my engagement party. Shopping was unsuccessful. I went to two department stores and didn’t find a thing I liked. I did, however, fall in love with a dress from Rent the Runway. I ordered it (they send two sizes to ensure a good fit), but it'll only arrive two days before my party, so I'm pretty nervous about that. I'm still searching for a backup dress just in case. You’ll get to see what I choose when I post pictures from the party!

Our trainer Bonne Marcus made some suggestions and modifications to my eating plan; I am cutting out starchy carbs, eliminating all sweets and sugar, and minimizing my alcohol intake. I'm going go try this new plan for at least the next three weeks, leading up to my engagement party, to see how it goes. The toughest part — cutting out fruit! I can eat raw nuts, though, which I’ll substitute for a little snack.

After work one day this week, I went with Rene to the new gym he joined, LA Fitness. They just opened up a new one near our apartment, and it is amazing. It's literally as big as a mall, with two sparkly clean floors and more fitness equipment I've ever seen in my whole life. The spin room had over 60 brand new bikes, which got me so excited! I’m not a big fan of my current gym, as they don’t offer classes, so I’m definitely considering switching over to this one. They offer a 5:45 a.m. spin class on weekdays, which works perfectly with my schedule.

Once I got over the initial shock of how cool it was, I spent a half hour on the elliptical and 15 minutes on the treadmill, sweated my butt off, and burned over 700 calories. I’d say that was a successful workout!