Photo: Courtesy of Amber Herring
Meet our latest real bride blogger Amber Herring, a New York City-based fitness and style editor! Over the next few weeks, Amber is chronicling every last detail of her wedding planning process — from getting into shape to managing a gigantic bridal party (she has 13 bridesmaids!).
Sometimes I feel like the ticker on my wedding website is taunting me: "47 days to go!" it says. I see, "47 days to go and you ate a piece of cake last night." It's true and that's always been my problem. I am a committed cardio queen with a weakness for indulging with good food and wine.
Knowing this about myself, when I got engaged last March 2013, I made a plan. I'll enjoy the rest of 2013, without doing any serious damage to the scale, and then start eating clean in 2014. That plan succeeded and with the help of the Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis eating plan I shed 12 pounds by June. I cut carbs, dairy and sugar, and drank lots of water and tea. My energy was high, which helped to log six hours of workouts a week, split between strength and cardio.
See More: Say Goodbye to Cellulite, Scars & More: How to Get Wedding-Ready Skin
But then the plague of the long engagement entered. It's easy to lose steam on a get-fit plan, especially when you have so far to go. I felt great at my early June bachelorette party in Charleston and decided to cut myself some slack for a few weeks since I still had three months to go and lots of events on my calendar including my 30th birthday, bridal shower and, of course, the much hyped food tasting at my venue.
I stuck with the plan during the week, but let myself indulge a little at these occasions — the key word is a little. I enjoyed my birthday dinner, had some sweets at my shower and tried small bites of everything at my tasting. I always kept up on my workouts, because once you get off that bandwagon, it's hard to get back on. On my recent vacation to Miami with my fiancé, I snuck in two workouts over the long weekend.
Now with the wedding ticker chirping in my ear, I'm starting up Tracy's eating plan again. While the strict eating plan might not be for everyone, it works for me as an all-or-nothing kind of gal. I can't eat one potato chip or just have a bite of aforementioned cake. It's much easier for me to plan out what I'm eating for the week and stick to it. This week, I'll be doing a food cleanse starting with a morning juice, followed by lots of vegetables, soup and a bit of protein.
See More: 4 Healthy Eating Changes Every Bride Can Make Before the Wedding
I eat lots of little meals throughout the day, which keeps me from getting hungry, and end the day with a treat. I typically have to make extra of this chocolate pudding since my fiancé regularly asks for a serving. (I oblige since it's too good not to share.)
As for working out, I alternate Tracy's strength DVD's with Barre, yoga and Pilates classes. I do my cardio at the gym — I run and do spinning classes like Flywheel. I'm adding dance classes this month to keep it fresh and avoid burning out. It's worth noting it's a Beyoncé-inspired dance class, so it doesn't even feel like workout.
When all is said and done, I have a plan, but I'm committed to cutting myself some slack. Being strict is tough and the stresses of life and planning a wedding can always get in the way. Every day I try and make healthy choices, not just for the number on the scale, but to feel my best. When I'm working out and eating clean, stress levels are down and energy is way up and that makes for a happy bride.