Unhealthy Habits Out the Window

Maple glazed bacon apple. Lemon pistachio. Chocolate rosemary almond. Cornmeal blueberry. These are some of the donut flavors available at Dynamo Donuts, the premiere donut shop in San Francisco—and the donut shop that I happen to pass daily on my way to work.

For obvious reasons, Dynamo donuts are my weakness. The very thought of one makes me feel like a drug addict who needs a fix. But obviously when one is trying to lose weight before one's wedding, one must steer clear of such evil temptations.

The problem is that Dynamo Donuts also sells Four Barrel coffee. And that's my favorite coffee, and, as I mentioned, it's right on my way to work. So I sometimes find myself stopping at Dynamo in the mornings just to get a cup of delicious french pressed coffee. The intoxicating smells of donuts are always hard to resist, but I do a pretty good job.

Yesterday, I stopped at Dynamo for a cup of coffee on my way to work, and while I was there, I decided to buy a pound of coffee beans. What I didn't realize is that when you buy a pound of coffee beans, you get a free donut. Uh-oh. "Fine," I thought. "I can just give the donut to someone at work." I got my coffee and donut, got into my car, and proceeded to get on the freeway and head to work. As the donut sat on my passenger seat, it seemed to beckon to me. And in my head, I started to negotiate with myself:

"Okay, I'll just eat the donut, but then I'll skip lunch."
"No, then you'll feel like crap about yourself. Just be strong."
"But it's not even that many points. You can fit it in."
"It's not about the points, it's about being healthy and getting rid of bad habits."

This went on for about 10 minutes before I suddenly rolled down my window, grabbed the donut, and chucked it. Dramatic? Maybe. Litterbug? Definitely. But I did what I had to do.

Moral of the story? In dieting and nutrition, you can only be successful if you throw your unhealthy habits out the window. And sometimes that might mean literally.

Wearing a White Dress Means Waving a White Flag

I'm getting married in May, and I couldn't be more excited. We are now knee-deep into planning: we have perused hundreds of wedding blogs, sent out save the dates, found the perfect venue, booked a rockin' band, hired a fabulous caterer, chosen a classy color palette, started to handcraft DIY decorations... and yes, just last week, I found The Dress. It's strapless and simple and elegant and I love it.

But it also makes me panic.

My best friend Katie understands why. She is getting married three months after me, so wedding talk has dominated our conversations lately. The other day she called me and told me she had had a nightmare the night before. She had woken up that morning in a cold sweat, and hadn't been able to stop thinking about it all day.

"What was it?!" I asked.
"I dreamed that it was the day of my wedding..." she said, pausing, "and that I was the same weight I am now."

My stomach sank. I understood her nightmare because I have been having similar thoughts daily, and especially since finding The Dress. With six months left until the Big Day, the pressure is officially on: I need to lose weight.

And so about a month ago, I had to throw up my white flag and give in to a healthy lifestyle, punctuated by fresh fruits, vegetables and lots of fitness. In turn, I gave up on the just-sorta-watch-what-you-eat-but-really-just-eat-(and-drink)-whatever-you-want Diet (the JSWWYEBRJE(AD)WYW Diet, for short) that I had been embracing for the past year or so. I am now back to tracking obsessively. Moreover, I'm cutting down on processed foods and trying to choose more organic, whole foods. I'm also exercising six days a week, and three of those days involve getting up at the crack of dawn to attend boot camp in the park. I am drinking tons of water and spending my lunch breaks walking 3-4 miles... while pumping 5 pound weights in each hand. Yeah, I'm not messin' around.

The best part? It's working. In a month, I have lost 10 pounds. And I'm happy to wave my white flag and give up on my unhealthy habits, especially if it means being able to wear that perfect white dress in May.

After all, on my wedding day, I just want to feel comfortable and confident. And like the skinniest, prettiest girl on earth.