Wedding Blog
In keeping with my little fitness/wellness theme this week (remember my 2-a-day crazy workout post?), I thought I’d give you peek into what I’ve been eatin’ over the last year or two.
I’ve managed to lose 30 pounds, something I’m quite proud of. But in addition to having started a challenging workout routine, part of my success has been due to running far, far away from the foods I love - mac ’n’ cheese, SpaghettiOs (yes, I still love these and yes, I realize I’m not an 8-year-old), frozen dinners, lots of pasta…. the list could go on. I’ve also learned to stop skipping breakfast and to always bring my lunch with me to work. I’m often the girl sitting and eating carrots and yogurt at a restaurant while my co-workers grab yummier stuff, and I’m okay with that.
I always start my day with a high protein, high fiber cereal, usually by Kashi (I love the Kashi Go Lean and the Kashi Heart to Heart). I recently switched to skim milk and have never noticed a difference between that and the 2% I used to buy.
(Please excuse the old picture, but it’s me eating cereal, nonetheless).
My lunch is always a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread, a low fat yogurt, a bag of carrots or a mixture of strawberries and grapes, a banana, and if I’m feeling wild and crazy, some pretzels or string cheese. Lately because I’ve been working out so much, a pack of instant oatmeal has also been helping to fill my tummy. But I make sure that I’m eating all day long, which I think is key. I actually eat my sandwich around 10AM, and eat all the way through 3PM, spreading the food out during that time.
(It’s great marrying a photographer… you seem to have pictures of yourself in every situation!)
Dinner after the gym is usually on the lighter side as well. I love buying organic frozen burritos that are just beans and rice. They’re great to have on hand, give you something hot, but aren’t super fatty! I eat those a lot during the week. If Mr. S has time to cook, he’ll make some sort of chicken dish (this week it’s been a blackened chicken breast over salad with a lemony Italian dressing - yum!). For “fun” we make homemade pizza with a whole wheat crust (a recipe we’ve developed over time), topped with part-skim mozzarella, chicken sausage and veggies.
Finally, we drink a lot of smoothies in our house (Mr. S will sometimes have 2 or 3 a day!), especially after the gym. He experiments with different fruit combinations for himself, but I like to stick with a strawberry, banana and peanut butter smoothie:
Combine all in blender, adding more juice depending on the desired consistency.
(This is what it looks like…. yum!)
I personally think it’s silly to go a little crazy on a pre-wedding diet. Keeping it healthy in the months leading up to the wedding will not only make you feel better through the last stages of planning, but will encourage you to maintain that healthier lifestyle after the wedding! I do not want the feeling of “crashing and burning” on my wedding day because I’ve been restricting what I’ve been eating.
And so, without further ado, I leave you with my “before” and “after” pics.
The Before (OMG I can’t believe I’m sharing these! And please ignore the dreadful sunglasses):
The After:
Source: Laurie Peacock Photography
Seeing these is an important reminder of just how hard I’ve worked to not only meet this goal, but maintain it, and how blessed my life is! I’m healthy, in shape, and Mr. S has encouraged and motivated me every step of the way. If fitness wasn’t so important to me now, I don’t know how ready I would feel for the wedding - I want to look back on the pictures and feel that I looked my best!
What steps are you taking to be a healthier you?
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Share this post: Eating My Way Toward a Healthier Me
Wow! Great job!! You made me feel a bit guilty for baking cookies. I have totally fallen off the wagon and you inspired me to get back on…right after the cookies!
wow! you inspire me! i really do need to start bringing my own lunch and stop giving in to temptations! i’m probably the same size with your before pictures, i need this constant motivation. thanks
Wow, I almost didn’t recognize you!! Congrats!! I did feel my very best on the big day, but two months later my fat and happy diet isn’t making me so happy any more!
Wow-great work! What a difference. You are inspiring me. I put on 20# pre-wedding & another 10 on the honeymoon-yikes! (Where do you get your frozen burritos-Whole Foods?) Love the photo of you & the Mister btw.
Wow!!! That is truly amazing! I admire you! Congratulations!
wow, what an admirable achievement! congrats!
oh and my fav smoothie as of late has been peanut butter, banana and honey. sooooo good!
OMG…you’ve INSPIRED me!! Seriously…I want to lose 30 pounds and have had a really hard time finding the motivation to get this started. Thank you soooo much! You’re before and after photos are stunning! And thanks for posting your menu for the day…. so helpful! 
Wow, amazing job! I have bee trying to cut back on my artificial sugars, and eat more fruit. I am also trying to better the other parts of my diet, and excercise more. Thanks for the inspiration!
Wow, you make me feel super inspired. I haven’t quite upped it to the level you have, but I have made some small changes. (Our wedding is 9 months away).
I replaced my old lunch staple of mac’n'cheese, to diet lunches, along with a yogurt for a snack in between my breakfast bar and lunch. I have also started working out about 2x week, but I’m hoping to bump that up once I build up a routine, and can work through the soreness!
I really hope I look as great as you do right now. I kinda look like your before picture right now..
You look fabulous! Great job, Miss S!!
you look amazing! thanks for the encouragement and motivation. you were pretty before, but the after pics say, “here comes the (hot) bride…..” love that pic of you two:-)
That’s so great! I love your ideas for healthy eating and you’ve got it right–crashing and burning is no fun at all. Congrats; you look wonderful.
Wow!! You look fabulous, and you make me want to get back on the diet track. Thank you for posting this!!!
Wow! You look so good. Girl, you should be proud of yourself. You are my new inspiration. I have been trying to get myself to the gym but just can’t do it. I just have to think, Miss Stiletto can do it, I can do it!
You look great! I’m doing a lot of the same - eating healthier and working out more. It’s not always super fun, but I’ll enjoy being healthy a lot longer than whatever random piece of food I eat.
You look awesome! You should be really proud of yourself and I love me some spagettios! Yummmm but I’m staying away too. Let’s talk more about the burritos.. Where do you get them? Brand? I figure if they can keep you from spagettios I should give them a whirl too!
You look great! Congratulations. I’m trying to be healthier too, while not going on a crash diet. I’m just not a good dieter - I have no will power and love to eat. At first I just tried exercising more (I started running, and doing Jilian’s 30 day shred), but it wasn’t doing much, especially compared to all of the effort I was putting in. I didn’t think of myself as eating a lot, but then my fiance said “how do you really know if you eat too much or not?” He had a point, I don’t really keep track or have anything to compare it to, so I looked for a good way to track it and I realized that Weight Watchers was perfect. It has been great! I track everything online and it really helps me pay attention to what I’m eating. I can eat whatever I want, as long as it fits within the number of points I’m alloted in a day. I’ve already lost 6 lbs (in about 3 weeks). It’s slow and steady, so I think I will be able to maintain it over the long run. I recommend people give it a try, even if you just want to lose a small amount of weight.
you know, i too eat a pb sandwich on whole grain bread for lunch every weekday! for whatever reason, i still have not gotten sick of it yet.
You look fantastic! I wish I could follow your diet, but once I eat a PB&J I can’t eat anything else for lunch, and a bean and rice burrito would be all I can eat *all day*. 
Stupid Weight Watchers! 
Wow you look awesome! So healthy and slender, but toned!!! Congrats! what a wonderful life change
I’m so inspired!!! Thanks for sharing your way to health. You look incredible!
Oh, I love me some macaroni and cheese! You are such an inspiration!!
wow stiletto, you’re lookin bomb! that was a little inspiration for the evening
Holy moly you look awesome! Great job and keep up the good work. I’m so inspired now!
Wow you look amazing. I bet you feel fabulous as well - Congrats. Love the shake.
You look great! And I never would have thought to put peanut butter in my smootie! I am definitely trying that!
Congratulations, you look fantastic. I started in Sept towards my (lofty) goal… I have lost 60+ with a few more to go… IT. IS. WORK!!!
WOW amazing!
i was real strict with myself and religiously “Shredding” every day, prior to the wedding.
then i stopped working out, and now i feel horribly pudgy again
you just inspired me to make it a sustained lifestyle of wellness!
I love SpaghettiOs too! I thought I was the only twenty-something who still ate them glad to know i’m not alone.
A couple of years ago I lost about 30 pounds (about 10 too many for my height) and though I steadily started gaining it back through grad school, I worked hard to maintain once I gained back about 15 or 20 because I was in a friend’s wedding a little over a year ago. After that, though, i just let go, and I gained everything back, and more! I think I just got tired of fretting about it. At the same time I was getting used to a desk job, which really didn’t help matters.
I’m getting married next May, so I’m hoping to get back in gear… though I admit, so far I haven’t had much success. I think I’m about ready to get back on the wagon, though! Thanks for sharing your inspirational pictures and story! That smoothie looks great
You look great! This post really motivates me on starting *again* to live a healthier life. I’ve been on and off dieting and right now more on the “off” side
Congrats.
I also lost a lot of weight pre-wedding for non-wedding related reasons. It just happned to coincide and I firmly believe that it needs to be a lifestyle not a quick fix.
My turning point was ironically was because of a photo. In December 2007, my future SIL took a family photo that I was in and sent it out to the entire Future husband’s east coast family.
I about died and when I saw how huge I was, I guess I was in denial , that and the combination of this photo representing me as their nephew, grandson, son’s future wife was mortifying. I knew I had to do something about it then not because of our wedding but because that wasn’t the person he met and not the person I wanted him to know in our new future together.
That was enough motivation to get fit. From 2009-now I’ve lost 50 pounds and am always looking for new tips to help me keep it off. I tend to fluctuate a lot and my body has hit a plateau with my current workout routine. I can’t seem to make it to the last 20 pounds of my weight loss goal of 70pounds. I do Elliptical/abs/weights.
Recently, I bought the 30 day shred, but too scared to put it on after reading how people say you hurt, but I guess if your’re in shape, it won’t? I don’t know something about Jillian Michaels voice, and dvds don’t keep me interested. But, I need something new as I am not losing weight.
? about your food-
What brand of peanut butter do you eat? I happen to love Skippys Honey Nut but I know its not the healthiest and I hate natural peanut butter or almond butter consistency.
Also are your burritos from TJ’s?
Congratulations Miss S!! This is great motivation for a healthier me. Work Stress+Wedding Stress+Emotional Eating= No success at dieting. This post is really helpful for bringing the focus on health back. Thanks for posting!!
Wow, congrats on the weight loss! =) I’m going to try and get back in shape this fall with my fiance. Unfortunately, I don’t have as much control over my diet as I’d like, especially not supper (I live at home, and my mom makes a full meal at 6:00 every day, so). But I’m going to try to space out my lunch! One thing I am good at is always eating breakfast, at least….
You look beautiful! Your post is very inspirational and filled with great tips. Thanks so much for sharing and keep up the terrific work!!!
xoxo
Lori
You look awesome in your wedding dress, thanks for sharing the before and after, it’s really encouraging. I just started a “lifestyle change” 2 weeks ago, I’m monitoring food intake (calories) and workouts via http://www.caloriecount.about.com. It really made me aware of what I was eating and how many calories are right for me. So far I am down 4 pounds after 2 weeks and hoping to continue to drop a pound per week until Christmas then reevaluate if I want to switch from weight loss to maintaining. Would you mind sharing your recipe for wheat pizza dough, I have not been able to find a good one yet and know the white version is not good for my calories.
Wow! You look awesome Great job!!! I am on day three of doing two-a-days since your post really got me motivated. My FI and I have been going to a personal trainer 2-3 times a week for about a year and a half now….although last fall I stopped because I was finishing up nursing school, and subsequently gained 20lbs. So getting back into it in Feb. was slow - and I have only lost approx. 10lbs since then… but I have been trying boxing, pilates, keeping up with trainer and recently forced myself to start running. The key really is the right diet though… I eat mostly organic, white meats, lots of veggies - also start every day off with either an egg white omlete with alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, spinach and flax seed or flax seed oil and cayanne pepper (I add flax and pepper to everything), or kashi/optimum power cereal/oatmeal. This week we made skinny soup and added cilantro and habanero peppers and I add ground flax seed to each serving I have, this is the recipe:
6 lg grn onions
bunch of scallions’
large bottle of V-8 low sodium
1 or 2 28oz. cans of diced tomatoes
1 lg head of cabbage
2-4 grn bell peppers
1 bunch of celery
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
Dice all veggies - put all ingredients in pot, cover with water….cook and I am eating for lunch and dinner for as long as it lasts, so is FI.
We are also snacking on whole grain rice cakes with almond butter, almonds raw unsalted, yogurt, veggies, fiber bars, protein/fruit shakes. Hopefully start seeing some lbs dropping, I have 79 days till wedding - I have dropped 7% in body fat since a year and a half ago - they measure me as often as I want at the gym. Hope this helps!
I meant to say 6 large onions, then a bunch of scallions which are green onions….fyi
Wow, you look awesome! Congratulations on your weight loss AND getting healthy!
You look amazing! I’ve been going for the same kind of transformation (dropping about 30lbs) over the past year and hopefully I’ll look as good as you do by my wedding day.
Thanks for the added motivation!!
Thank you so much for the inspiration. I have decided not to do any “wedding diet” as I know that diets always turn out bad. Instead, my FI and I have promised to start being healthier. We already eat pretty healthy (and pack lunches like you do!) but we’re trying to incorporate little cardio activities into our daily routine. She he works with athletics, he works long hours and sometimes does not want to be anywhere near a gym or field so we’re finding other ways to stay healthy. (One of our favorites is walking through the neighborhood we want to buy our first house in and taking the “Grab one” sheets. We like to talk about how we’d decorate and what the house should really be sold for.)
It makes me feel good to know that in two years from now we will still be healthy! Thanks for the motivation, I hope I can look that good in a dress!
Congratulations!! All your hard work more than payed off- you look fabulous!
You look amazing, your going to be HAWT on your wedding day!! I wish I was keeping up with my exercise, but at 2.5 months to go, I haven’t exercised a lick. FI works in the heat all day, so he barely eats and sweats all the time so he’s actually lost about 10 lbs in the last 2 months. He’s got arms to die for since hes working tools all days (he’s a mechanic) so he gets his workout at work. I sit at a desk all day, don’t eat breakfast, and stuff my face when i get home from work. But I get to try one my 2nd (and hopefully only) dress today, so hopefully that will motivate me to start working my arse off to get in shape for the wedding and honeymoon! It helps that the FI thinks I look awesome right now, but I’d really like to tone and not lose any weight…
You look AMAZING, Miss S! Thanks for sharing your meal plan.
And for those looking for those frozen bean and rice burritos, I know Amy’s makes quite a few different variations that are yummy and organic
You look amazing!! Thanks for the inspiration. It is very important to make it a lifestyle change instead of a diet to look good for your wedding. I read a scary statistic (75% of married couple each gain 30 pounds in their first 3 years of marriage!!!) and I know that you will in the 25% who are motivated to stay healthy!!!
CONGRATS!
You should be so proud of yourself!!! And I agree whole-heartedly: a lifestyle change makes for permanent change and healthy habits! Crash dieting is no good GREAT JOB!!
Amazing! Seriously. I admire you so much. You’ve inspired me … I, too, love Spaghettios, mac ‘n’ cheese, and I’m guilty of Ramen, too! But clearly those are wearing on me - I currently look closer to your before picture and I really truly want to get ship-shape before wedding fun! It’s great to see that you’ve made that life change - and it sounds to me that you’ve taken it as you need to - slow and steady! Congrats!
omg girl! YOU ROCK! Seriously though, I think photos are the world’s best motivation. I don’t hide the fact that I had major surgery and couldn’t workout for almost 3 months. I do hide the tummy I’m not so proud of and my arms that are not-so toned. But, I feel good when I look at the 6-pack ab and tricep shots I’ve got taped to my fridge. Hey, it was only 6 months ago that I looked like that, and darnit I’m not going to stop until I’m there again!
You look FANTASTIC!!! WOW!
Oh, and I liked those sunglasses from the first pic! ::guilty::
@Miss Cloud: Amy’s makes some good burritos, but I favor the Whole Foods 365 brand bean and rice burritos…they’re yummy AND cheap
@BakerBride: That’s great! I’m never motivated enough to do Weight Watchers, but I hear there are great results!
@BeachyBride2010: That’s awesome!! And it IS work…if it’s “easy” and “weightloss” in the same sentence, it’s probably not gonna work…gotta really earn it
@beaninca: I love the 30 Day Shred, but we have downstairs neighbors who don’t appreciate us doing jumping jacks in our living room, so I don’t really get to do it! But I think it’s a great DVD, especially to work in with a cardio routine…totally go for it! We either buy just the regular Jiff peanutbutter or if we’re shopping at whole foods that week, their 365 brand organic pb…so yummy!! And the burritos are either the 365 brand or the Amy’s brand.
@Halloween09: Yummy!! Thanks for sharing
Thanks for the inspiration Stiletto. You and I seem to have the same taste in lunch. Btw, you look amazing!
congrats! you are an inspiration…keep the motivation coming
Stiletto you are some mega inspiration! WAY TO GO!
you are doing an unbelievable job maintaining..I’m still impressed at your work out regime.
Congrats! While I haven’t lost nearly as much as you (yet), I have been on my own ‘weight loss journey’ since about May, and have just passed the “one stone” mark and am feeling fabulous! You’re an inspiration for me to keep up the hard work… and you’re absolutely right, it’s all about the lifestyle change and not about ‘the diet’.
and to any other bees trying to make the change, stick with it - some weeks might be harder than others but as Miss Stiletto’s photos show, imagine how fabulous you’ll look in your dress (and in photos after the wedding and hopefully for a lifetime to come!) on your big day!
Oh so true, eating all day is the key, you have to take your food with you or you’ll end up eating bad stuff. For the oatmeal, I just buy the thick cut oatmeal from the bulk bin, pour a bit in a bowl with water, microwave for a minute and sprinkle on some sugar/cinnamon/nutmeg/ginger mix I keep at the office. That way it’s always there and I can monitor the amount of sugart that goes in it. The spices help you reduce the amount of sugar.
Miss Stiletto….seriously, you look different in each picture. I’m thinking it might be someone else cause your results are AMAZING! You look beautiful in your dress. Your discipline paid off not only for the wedding but for a healthier life style as well. I gotta give it up to you cause eating healthy and working out is painful for me. Its great you have such a good attitude towards it.
My inspiration!!! thanks for the breakdown too… I think I shall have to start
Way to go, Miss S! I’ve lost 17 pounds (hoping for 1-3 more by the wedding day) and I know what hard work it is to lose weight in a responsible fashion - and keep it off. Congratulations!
wow! congrats! keep up the awesome work, and you have inspired me for sure!
Wow, go you! Thanks for sharing this! And, it’s nice to find another “picker” out there…I feel like I eat TONS, but really, it’s just lots of small stuff throughout the day.
You look fantastic! Kudos to you for working hard at achieving this goal. So rewarding!
Wow! What a big difference! You look amazing and way to go to stick through with it. I’m completely inspired by you, you rock!
Wow wow wow. I’m so proud of you Stiletto. As a member of the 50 lb weight loss club, I know how much effort it takes to lose every single one of those lbs. Now don’t let it start to creep back on after the wedding like I did.
You look fabulous! You should be so proud of yourself!
what a great accomplishment! i am all about being healthier but your face looks so thin.
Wow! That is absolutely fantastic!!!! So many people don’t realize that losing weight/getting healthy is a lifestyle choice, and it really does take a shift in mindset to go to healthier food options, NOT starving yourself to death! Kudos to you for figuring that out! And, to top it off, just because you are on a “diet” you still get to have yummy foods! I never realized how much I loved fruits, veggies, etc, until I started eating them like crazy…and now I’d much rather munch on something like that than have a plate of french fries (ok, well, maybe SOMETIMES I want the fries…)!
@em: trust me when I say that I eat plenty and am very healthy
@KatieBug3017: Ha, luck you! I’m a complete picky eater so struggle to get those veggies eaten!!
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Mrs. Stiletto, Chicago
Age and Occupation: 26, Non-Profit/Fundraising
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Engineer and Photographer
Engagement Date: March 2, 2008
Wedding Date: September 2009
Venue: The 19th Century Club
About Me: My fiance and I love living in the city of Chicago with our cats Basil and Linus, and vow to never move to the suburbs if we can possibly avoid it! We’ve poured ourselves into planning a wedding that reflects our personal style - modern and high contrast with a vintage twist. Blogging keeps me creative, baking keeps me happy, and grande nonfat no foam sugar free vanilla lattes keep me sane.
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