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.
Eating like that for the weekend made it harder on Sunday and Monday to make the right eating and exercising choices. I didn't work out again until Tuesday, so it definitely put a minor pause on my journey.
2. Hard work will take off the pounds
By the time I got home from AC, I had gained two pounds. But when I finally got back to the gym and back on track with eating healthy, I saw those two pounds fly off. I did cardio every night last week to make sure I burned off everything. Last Sunday, when Rene and I trained with Bonne Marcus, she took our measurements. I lost another inch in my hips, chest, thighs, and waist!
3. Plan ahead!
With the holidays right around the corner, my life has been crazy busy. Rene and I have holiday parties, family gatherings, and work parties. This week, I was in Chicago on Wednesday and Thursday for a work holiday party, and I knew the food was not going to be healthy. I made sure to do cardio on Tuesday night before I left and eat a healthy lunch the day of the party (turkey on whole wheat bread with cheese and vegetables), drank only vodka and club soda, and I also made sure to drink plenty of water. I didn't overeat any of the fried foods because I had it in my head that I was going to be good. I made easy changes to the food offered, like removing the bun and bacon from the sliders and just eating the meat.
I have another holiday party tonight with my girlfriends, and I'm bringing vegetables and dip so I can eat that. Plus, I have another work party here in New York next week. I just have to stay focused on my goals and not let myself slip up.
Like I always say, cooking and prepping meals in advance is a huge way to stay on track. This week, Rene made spaghetti squash with grilled chicken. Spaghetti squash is my newest obsession — if you haven’t tried it, you must! All you do is cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, place the squash on a baking sheet, and put in the oven for about 45 minutes at 400 degrees. Once the squash is roasted, you can take it out with a fork, and it literally looks like spaghetti. Rene grilled small bite-size pieces of chicken, added sautéed spinach, garlic, olive oil, some fresh herbs and fat-free parmesan cheese, and it was amazing! It tasted just like spaghetti in a garlic and oil sauce; I couldn’t believe it.
4. Enjoy the season!
As busy as it's been, Rene and I made time last Sunday to spend the day in Manhattan. We worked out in the morning with Bonne, so at least we burned a lot of calories. We started at Jacque Torres, a famous place to get hot chocolate, then went shopping at the Union Square market and Macy's. Then, we headed over to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree and have dinner. It was so nice to take a break and spend the day with each other, not worrying about anything else.
Tomorrow, I am off to Atlantic City again (I know, I'm a party animal) to spend the night with Rene and a couple we are friends with. I will definitely be doing cardio in the morning before we go and plan on sticking to my diet while I'm there. With all the holiday meals, I can't afford to be messing up too often.
My goal for this week is to stay on track, even with the parties. I want to lose two pounds this week and workout at least five days. Wish me luck!
—Jennifer Crow
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