Let me start by saying I am not a dietician, fitness expert, or anything in between. I have, however, always been into a healthy lifestyle with balance and a love of fitness.

That being said, I am a HUGE believer in not depriving yourself of anything. I am a wine lover (and vodka and gin and tequila) — no discrimination on the liquor-front—and have the biggest sweet tooth.

For me, my goal for the wedding was to look and feel my absolute best. That meant toning up areas of my body that had housed liters of sauv blanc and blocks of cheddar for the past few years, and it also meant refraining from foods/beverages that would make my skin break out and my energy levels crash. EVERYONE is different in terms of what affects them, and in terms of where they’re starting from/want to end up.

Note: You’ll see a list below of some foods I chose to LIMIT. Nowhere will you see the word “Eliminate,” because balance is key! If I got rid of sugar completely, not only would I be a raging b***h, but I would end up over indulging at some point from the deprivation. I’ve also heard of horror stories where brides eliminate dairy altogether, and then are innocently eating their delicious dairy-induced meal on the wedding day and suddenly can’t find a bathroom quick enough. Just sayin. So, with that…

I LIMITED…

Alcohol:

I decided to limit my intake of alcohol to one occasion per week (which may sound like a lot, but that meant forgoing that nightly glass or red wine), and restricting the consumption to only a few glasses when I did indulge. The glasses of wine, cranberry vodkas, etc all have sugar that, in moderation, are fine, but in large quantities make my skin break out and my energy levels crash. Also, who wants to wake up at 7am the next morning for a workout after polishing off 2 bottles of cab?

Bread:

About 2-3 months out, I stopped having bread unless it was a slice of Ezekiel bread for breakfast. No more sandwiches for lunch or the roll at dinner. Carbs affect everyone differently, but for me they absolutely affect my weight. Ezekiel bread is grainless but has the fiber that makes me feel full.

Sugar:

I have the ultimate sweet tooth, so this was also something I tried to cut back on! I would do my best to refrain from candy and other sweets during the day, starting about 2 months before the wedding, and would allow myself a nightly treat (usually dark chocolate almonds or halo top ice cream). I definitely noticed my skin clearing up and my energy levels increased when I cut back on my sugar intake!

Salt:

We don’t realize how much salt we ingest!! Between restaurant meals and the generous pour from the salt shaker, it almost becomes second nature to saturate our food with this seasoning! Salt is a huge factor of being bloated, and was something I decided to be aware of starting a month out from the wedding. When cooking my food, I’d get the salt-free seasonings from the grocery store, and I’d be aware of what I was ordering at restaurants that likely had less salt than other options. This helped me have the “flat tummy” look for the wedding day/honeymoon.

An average day:

Breakfast

I am addicted to my coffee and will never get rid of coffee creamer or splenda because I’m not an 80 year old man who enjoys it black and bitter. Sorry. Kept on keepin on with my almond milk vanilla creamer and managed to survive
Ezekiel toast with half an avocado smashed on top, a teaspoon of olive oil, red pepper flakes and a tiny bit of sea salt
OR
Oatmeal (plain, not the sugary kind) with cut up strawberries and a tablespoon of almond butter
OR
Green smoothie (see recipe here)

Lunch

Turkey burger (see recipe here) with steamed veggies
OR

Salad packed with grilled chicken, tomato, a little feta, cucumber, and any other veggie I have laying around; topped with olive oil and lemon squeeze

Snack

Built bar (I’m honestly not sure how healthy these are but they taste delicious and fill me up! And are 100 calories. Oh, and did i mention they’re like a candy bar?)
OR
Smoothie if I didn’t have one at breakfast! (I also love treating myself to Green Juice Co or Juice Bar and picking one of their green smoothie options!)

Dinner

Salmon (see recipe here) with grilled asparagus and a side salad

OR

Grilled chicken with side salad if I didn’t have this for lunch!

We also would go out to eat on a regular basis (usually 1 or 2 x a week) and I’d do my best to order similarly (leafy greens, grilled protein, healthy fats, etc)

I'll Wine About It Later: My Diet For The Big Day