battling the grocery store - tips and hints to surviving shopping day.

There are really only two ways to approach grocery shopping - you either enjoy it, or you hate it. Most people I know loathe making their weekly shopping trips. From friends to family members, most of us say the same thing - we always end up spending a fortune. With rising food costs and the ever-increasing need to shop natural and organic foods, we often push our cart begrudgingly to the car, feeling like that God forsaken supermarket just sucked out our souls - and our savings accounts.

But it doesn't have to be that way. I'm no grocery shopping professional, and on weeks when Rob and I need shampoo, dog food or randoms like toothpaste and makeup remover, I walk out spending way more than usual. That being said, I've gotten much better. I live so dangerously close to a grocery store, I have to make an effort to plan ahead so I don't make daily trips - and sometimes I still find myself there 4 times a week. But I've had several people ask me how I grocery shop, meal plan and budget without clipping a single coupon, so I thought I'd share what I know about that habitual hour of shopping I do every weekend. Some of you may laugh, knowing you shop for well under what I spend a week - and if that's the case, I encourage you to share because I love saving money just as much as the next girl. Keep in mind that if you're already busting your butt to save at the grocery store, all of this will probably sound mundane and obvious to you. But if you're showing up at your local supermarket once a week with nothing but a shopping cart and a handful of ideas and wondering how you spent $125 when all is said and done, you may find this helpful. 

Here are the basics: I shop for two people, once a week. I budget between $75 - $100 per week for groceries. This includes breakfasts, lunches and dinners at home. If I spend less than $100, I usually take the rest out in cash and keep it aside for extras I forgot about and need to pick up through the week - and let's face it, you always forget something. 

Plan, plan, plan. I know meal planning sounds overrated and time consuming, but it is vital to saving money at the grocery store. I don't plan every single meal out, but I do plan dinners - not only does this keep me from veering off track with my eating and weight loss goals, it keeps me from buying random ingredients at the store and then never using them at home. 

All the cool kids make shopping lists. Once you have a plan for meals for the week, make a list. I break mine into four categories - produce, dairy, meat, aisles. Break down each meal by ingredient and list it where it belongs. Mine is broken out based on where things are in the store - I do a perimeter round first (as you should, because that's where all the fresh foods are), then hit up the aisles. Having everything broken down by area leaves no questions for me - and no thinking. And no thinking means fewer opportunities to look at those ice cream bars or something with brand spankin' new packaging and think ooooh, shiny - I could make something with that this week, right? Wrong. Stick to your list. Do not make eye contact with other things. 

Be realistic. When I first started meal planning, I'd plan for every night of the week. It sounded super ambitious - 7 days of home cooked meals? I must be the most disciplined 20-something on the planet! But realistically, I would always have food that went bad or didn't get used. Rob and I eat out, on average, about twice a week - and usually on weekends. Planning meals full of fresh ingredients that could go bad is a great goal, but not realistic for us. Once I gave up trying to be perfect and settled at planning a solid 4 meals a week, with at least one leftovers potential, I stopped throwing as much spoiled food out at the end of the week. 

Less is...well, less. I learned this the hard way, and still find myself learning. I buy lots of produce - we eat tons of fresh fruit and vegetables, but I often over estimate our needs. I'll buy three zucchinis, knowing I'm using them as a side one night, but we only ever end up using two - which means one always goes to waste. The same usually goes with tomatoes, avocados, and bags of fresh lettuce. It takes you some time to figure out what you typically use, but start paying attention. This also goes hand in hand with basing your weekly needs off your meal planning list. Also - I buy one or two fruits per week. If I buy grapes, strawberries, watermelon and bananas, half of it gets thrown out. I'll switch it up every week, but I buy 1-2 good fruits and we mix those up through the week. 

Reuse ingredients. Try to plan only 1, maybe 2, ingredient-heavy meals per week. Buying 5-6 ingredients for multiple  recipes gets pricey, and often times you don't need those ingredients afterwards, making it a total waste of money. Also - if you make any kind of meat in bulk, reuse the leftovers in different ways. I did this with buffalo chicken this week - do not even get me started on the hundreds of ways you can reuse shredded buffalo chicken. Tonight we made buffalo chicken rolls, and tomorrow the leftover chicken will go on top of a baked potato. 

Cut a side dish. The notion that we need to eat a meat, a starch and a vegetable is total horseshit, in my obviously unprofessional opinion. I eat pretty low carb, or at least focus my meals on whole, natural foods. We will make a good meat on the grill and a heaping pile of roasted vegetables or corn on the cob and be full. The starchy sides like rice, potatoes and pastas, albeit delicious, are often unnecessary. I'm all about fueling your body and I encourage you to do so in the best way possible, but not every single dinner needs to be a three course meal. 

Don't buy lunch food. This is really a personal preference. Since I only have to cook for two, we often have lots of leftovers, which makes for perfect lunches the next day. I stopped buying deli meats, sandwich stuff, soups and most snacks, and we typically eat last night's leftovers for lunch instead. Yeah, sometimes it gets repetitive and boring. But if we don't, we end up a) spending money on lunch food and b) throwing out our leftovers.

To put this into practice, here's what my grocery list looked like this week. Keep in mind that I'm going to be out of town this weekend, leaving Rob alone. I had to plan for meals that made leftovers for the weekend since, let's face it, he's probably not going to cook. I planned dinners out for the week, leaving enough for leftovers and purchasing the bare minimum for lunches, knowing in advance that Rob would have to eat out a few times this week due to his work schedule.

Sunday: (returned home from out of town) Garlic & herb chicken with corn on the cob
Monday: spaghetti squash with turkey meatballs and marinara
Tuesday: Crockpot buffalo chicken, made into buffalo chicken rolls, roasted zucchini/yellow squash
Wednesday: leftover buffalo chicken on baked potatoes, corn on the cob
Thursday: spicy sausage pasta from Emily Bites
Friday: leftover pasta from Thursday's dinner
Saturday: Rob on his own, Emily Bites pizza "logs" for lunch
Sunday: TBD - I have to send Rob to shop on his own this weekend. Lord help us all. 
Breakfasts: Southwestern scramble in a mug (Southwest Egg Beaters, Laughing Cow Queso cheese and Applegate chicken and maple sausage links)

Produce:

1 spaghetti squash

corn on the cob (pack of 5)

1 package broccoli slaw

2 baked potatoes

2 zucchini

1 yellow squash

1 bundle green onions

1 bag romaine lettuce, for lunch salads

Grapes

Bananas

Dairy

Land O'Lakes Saute Express - Garlic & Herb (this is the easiest "on hand" ingredient for last minute chicken recipes!)

1 block pepperjack cheese

Southwest Egg Beaters (usually 2/$5 at Kroger - I leave one at home for Rob, take one to work for me)

1 wheel Laughing Cow Queso cheese

Meat

Turkey meatballs

1 package chicken tenders

1 package chicken breasts

Johnsonville chipotle chicken sausages

Aisles

Marinara sauce

1 large bottle Frank's buffalo sauce

1 packet Hidden Valley ranch mix

Egg roll wrappers (to be used for buffalo chicken rolls, and EB pizza "logs")

1 box high fiber pasta

Applegate chicken & maple sausages

dish soap

Things we had at home that we needed for recipes this week: Rotel, blue cheese, pepperoni and reduced fat mozzarella string cheese for pizza logs, and low sodium chicken broth.

It's really not a perfect science - and sometimes I walk out of there spending a fortune after I feel like I've put adequate efforts into planning. Other times, I feel like I wing it and get away with only spending $50. I am a huge advocate for meal planning - both for health and weight loss reasons, and for budgetary purposes. You're less inclined to eat out when you know you've got chicken set out for that evening's recipe, and much less likely to eat out for lunch when you get to take yummy leftovers for lunch instead of a plain turkey sandwich.

Whatever you do, make a list. And if you're into couponing, I'd highly recommend it. I just have zero patience for hunting down coupons, printing them out or cutting them out of the papers.

And my number one tip for surviving the grocery store? Don't bring your husband. And make a Starbucks run beforehand - since drinking wine while grocery shopping is most likely frowned upon, nursing a giant iced coffee every time you're overwhelmed by soccer moms who let their kids run wild in the aisles will help push you through the hour.

Happy shopping, and happy Hump Day!

look good, feel good.

I'm not typically one to advocate fitness and health for vanity reasons. I work out in clearance running capris from Old Navy and my super simple running tanks from Reebok. I look like a hot mess when I work out - and firmly believe that if you don't, you're not doing it right. But let's face it - everyone loves feeling amazing in a brand spankin' new set of workout clothes. For some reason, new running or workout gear gives us motivation to run extra miles and gives us wings we didn't know we had. Funny, how much exercise and motivation are driven by the mind and not the body. But that's for another post.

So when Rob called me on the way home last night and suggested we make the 35 minute drive to the nearest lululemon store to pick out new workout gear, a belated birthday gift for me that we've been putting off until I got closer to my goal weight and to my half marathon, I got kind of giddy inside. Finally, I'd be purchasing their famous Ta Ta Tamer (yes, that's really what it's called) - a sports bra designed for those of us blessed with the bittersweet large rack - which totally benefits us at the bar when we're trying to get drinks, but can be a major pain in the ass during high intensity cardio sessions like running. I'd been putting off purchasing high end workout clothes until I knew I wouldn't rapidly shrink down sizes and no longer have use for them, but I think it's safe to say that the time had come. Goodbye Walmart sports bras I've been using since high school. Yes, seriously.

Here's the loot - two sports bras and a running tank later, I'm feeling like the biggest running badass on the planet. Today's message is this: if you're passionate about health, fitness and losing weight, sometimes it's worth it to splurge on new workout clothes instead of those killer heels. Rob turned to me after I said "thank you" and said, "I knew these would get used way more than anything else I'd buy you," and he's totally right. I live in my workout clothes, and there's no reason you shouldn't feel drop dead fabulous running down the street in something you're proud of. I seriously urge you to make new workout clothes one of your "rewards" for weight loss milestones and exercise goals met. You should reward yourself, and frequently, for committing to a healthy lifestyle and these guys are totally worth the investment. The truth is, when you look good, you feel good. And when you feel good, you look good. The two go hand in hand, and if $58 sports bras aren't your thing, that's totally cool - but find something that is your thing, embrace it, and treat yourself to it.

I busted out the ta ta tamer this morning for an unplanned run (see what new workout gear will do?!) and could not be happier with the support I got from this guy. The sales associate at lulu called it the "mac daddy" of sports bras, and if you're big-chested and into running or other high-intensity cardio, this is totally worth the initial cost. As a 38D, I've spent most of my life wearing two sports bras to make me feel "secure," and have yet to find a single bra that gives me the kind of support I need during workouts - until I tried these. The straps criss-cross in the back, giving you extra support, lift and that tight feeling we all want from a good sports bra. As an added bonus, they don't leave you with smashed boobs either - something I've always hated about my workout bras. Lifted, supported boobs that don't bounce and ache terribly during a run? Apparently it is possible, and it's a beautiful, beautiful thing. Couldn't recommend them highly enough, and they are the perfect reward for the hard work I've put in thus far.

They're also the motivational kick in the ass I needed as I gear up for the final 8 weeks of training before the Air Force Half Marathon. Happy happily-supported ta-ta's, friends!

Cheesy Turkey and Zucchini Lasagna

Adapted from: Skinnytaste's Zucchini Lasagna
Servings: 9 (you'll get more depending on the pan size you use)

One of the hardest parts about going low carb for me has always been giving up pasta. Things like macaroni and cheese, a giant bowl of spaghetti and my absolute favorite - lasagna - were staples in my home growing up, and the idea of living without them hurts my hungry little heart. I've also been making a valid attempt at limiting my red meat consumption. Since I don't like fish, sometimes I feel like all I cook are chicken and beef. I decided to switch it up and try my hand at zucchini lasagna with ground turkey and oh-so-much cheese. If you love lots of cheese and are willing to give zucchini a shot in place of traditional lasagna noodles, you will most likely fall in love with this. Even my "meat and potatoes" fiancé ate two big servings of it.

I will tell you up front that I ignored the original recipe's advice of grilling the zucchini for a few minutes before assembling the lasagna to help soak up some excess moisture. I did my best to soak it up with a paper towel, but both Rob and I agreed we'll grill the zucchini next time.

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 Tbsp olive oil

Sausage seasoning

1 monster sized zucchini (or 4-5 smaller ones), sliced thin

*if you use smaller ones, I suggest slicing them lengthwise - I got big guys, so I cut them into rounds*

2 cloves garlic, crushed

22 ounces low fat ricotta

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

1 tsp italian seasoning

116 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 cup marinara sauce (I used Ragu, because I am cheap)

1 1/2 cups part skin shredded mozzarella

I told you this guy was going to be cheesy.

Preheat oven to 350.

Drizzle 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a pan, and mix together your ground turkey and sausage seasoning. I buy the 99% fat free turkey and it tends to stick to the pan without some oil. Cook turkey until brown. If you love ground turkey on its own, you don't have to add the sausage seasoning, but I have a man in the house who could detect my "healthy" attempts from a mile away, and the seasoning was delicious.

Add 2 cloves of crushed garlic and your can of crushed tomatoes to your browned turkey, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.

Slice your zucchini thin (about 1/8 inch thick) and throw those babies on the grill on low for about a minute on each side. This is the step I totally bypassed, but won't make that mistake again. Listen to Gina at Skinnytaste - girl knows what she's talking about. When they're done, soak up any excess moisture with a paper towel.

In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, 1 egg, parmesan cheese and italian seasoning.

As you prepare to assemble, divide your mixtures up based on the number of layers you want to do. I got 3 layers out of my ingredients, with the final layer being zucchini, marinara and a topping of mozzarella. In a casserole dish, layer marinara sauce, zucchini, turkey mixture, ricotta mixture and mozzarella cheese. Top your final layer with remaining mozzarella cheese, and bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and starting to brown. If you like your top layer nice and browned, turn the broiler on for a minute or so at the very end.

Let it cool a few minutes before serving - I used a 9x9 pan and got 9 servings out of it, but definitely stacked it so high that it started overflowing so I'd recommend a 9x13.

Enjoy!

cookouts, bridal showers and keeping the momentum.

Happy Sunday, friends! This post comes to you mainly because I'm avoiding cleaning out some of my old kitchen gadgets and dishes to make room for the brand spankin' new goodies we received at my bridal shower this weekend. Blessed does not even begin to cover it.

But since we haven't chatted since my birthday, I guess I've got some ground to cover. Let's talk about the fact that I gained 3 pounds this week at my weigh-in, despite tackling several workouts this past week in a desperate attempt to make up for birthday weight gained over the weekend. Frustrated does not even begin to cover it, and after an hour circuit class last Tuesday in a room covered by mirrors, it's safe to say that I haven't felt this bad about myself since I was at my highest weight.

I could write a series of posts on body image and how important it is to come to terms with who you are aside from your physical appearance, but my recent hiatus from strength training to more actively pursue my running has reminded me that strong is better than skinny any day of the week. It's something that, deep down, I think I always knew, but let's face it - sometimes we're more excited by a loss on the scale than we are by arm muscles. But truth be told, I didn't realize how much I missed being strong until I stopped doing bootcamp a few months ago and lost virtually all the muscle I'd gained during that process. The constant soreness I experience from strength training is fantastic, but detrimental to my running (this is my personal opinion - more power to you if you can bust out 9 miles after leg day at the gym). But I miss strength training dearly, and vow to pursue it more habitually once I get these pesky 13.1 miles out of my system.

The highlight of the work week was a 3.1 mile hike in 90 degree weather with the fabulous Healthy Habits ladies, followed by a cookout with all our favorite recipes from Skinnytaste. Here are some samplings from our fantastic cookout. Don't worry, we didn't have leftovers.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you southwestern black bean salad and chicken pesto kabobs. The black bean salad is a fantastic cold salad on its own, but we devoured the entire bowl before dinner with a bag of tortilla chips from Trader Joe's - I would highly recommend it for any and all summer cookouts and even as a healthy football party dish this fall. I used frozen corn, because I am inherently lazy. And not even sorry about it. The pesto kabobs are a perfect appetizer or main course - we used them as our main course, and someone brought a delicious tomato, basil and mozzarella salad that paired perfectly with these guys. Gina at Skinnytaste makes her own pesto and after I made hers for the first time, I've never bought prepackaged pesto again. It's fabulous. Understatement of the year. 

On the breakfast front, my wonderful friend over at Fabulous Fit Foodie sent a recipe my way for a southwestern scramble in a mug. I'm not a big breakfast person, and struggle to find things that are low in points but fill me until my next feeding (seriously, I eat every two hours like some sort of sick animal). I heat one link of chicken sausage separately, cut it up and add it along with the Laughing Cow wedge once the egg is cooked. Breakfast. In. A. Coffee. Mug. I'm in love. 

I usually eat my breakfast at work, so these are perfect things to store in the office fridge and use when you get hungry mid-morning.

All food and running aside though. This past weekend was my bridal shower, thrown by the best cousin/maid of honor, best friend and family I could ever ask for. The attention to detail, thought and extra mile taken turned out to be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I cannot begin to tell you how blessed I feel. As I sit here staring at all our new goodies, every one of them reminds me of the person who gave them to us, and it's actually kind of a humbling experience to know that every time I use our new crockpot, Ninja blender or snuggly green throw, I'll be thinking of the people who love and support us. It's an added bonus to the gift-receiving process that I hadn't considered until it happened.

The shower was also my first "wedding festivity," making the entire experience way more real than it's felt so far. We have 70 days (yes, 70) until the big day and all the planning, weight loss, exercise and logistics have taken priority thus far - but this past weekend allowed me to stop and breathe in the moment, and realize how lucky Rob and I are to have everyone here to celebrate with us. So, in closing, I'll leave you with a few detail shots from the shower - you can thank my amazing cousin over at Shannon Barth Photography for the amazing shots of the smallest, most intricate and beautiful details from Saturday's festivities.

Happy Sunday, friends - may you not kill anyone at your offices this week!

another year closer to 30.

Happy birthday to me!

Twenty seven years ago, your lives were all changed for the better - I was brought into the world by two people who hopefully haven't regretted it since. No, but really. I like birthdays. If you couldn't tell.

I took today off work. People think it's crazy - it's just a birthday, and the older you get, the less they're celebrated. No one likes getting older after age 21, right? True, sort of. But I took today off. Because my birthday just so happened to fall on a Friday, giving me a 3 day weekend, and because it's my damn birthday and I'll do as I please.

I also packed my birthday "weekend" (because you shouldn't just get one day) full of stuff I wouldn't normally do. I'm writing to you from the comfort of my couch, feeling the warmth of the morning sun let in from the windows behind me. It's 8:41, and I just got back from a 9 mile run with my best friend in the most beautiful running weather this world has ever seen. I wanted to go write and drink the iced coffee that Rob surprised me with when I got home on a bakery patio somewhere, but couldn't bear to leave my dogs - they're sunning in front of the front door and soaking up not being left alone all day like usual. I opened the windows. It's not even 9 a.m., and this is the most perfect morning in the world.

I am going shopping later today. Months of weight loss have left my wardrobe hurting, and I can't wait to add some great pieces to it. I'm going to lunch, I scheduled a long overdue massage (courtesy of a gift card I've been hoarding since Christmas), and I have dinner plans with my future husband tonight. I'm getting drinks with my best friend and her brand new husband, and this is what birthdays are about. Tomorrow, I will act like I'm 22 and wear a fantastic pair of heels on a party bus like you'd do when someone turns 21. It will be glorious.

But what I'm trying to tell you is that I am in no way trying to play a "this is all about me" card in the typical, selfish sense that you're probably thinking about. What I'm trying to tell you is that everyone should do this. When you're young, you get birthday parties. There are dinosaur themes to explore, giant toys to be gifted and cake to be eaten (did I mention that the best fiancé ever is getting me a big fat German chocolate cake from my favorite bakery?) and new gadgets you MUST have. There are milestone birthdays - your first "double digit birthday," 16, 18 and 21. You're entitled to celebrate those because life hasn't hit you yet - there are no responsibilities to get in your way, no "real life" woes to be concerned about. Life is glorious during the early birthdays.

But the older you get, the more you're owned by other people. The government, your boss, your kids, your job, your mortgage, your debt, your bills. You spend so much of your adult life "playing the game" and birthdays often go unnoticed, or you find yourself not wanting to celebrate or not wanting anyone to go out of their way for you.

Take my advice: Go out of your way for someone's birthday. Send the card. Book the party bus. Make reservations. Don't act your birthday age. Take the day off work. Pull your kids out of school and go to the zoo. Write from the comfort of your couch. Sleep in, or enjoy being able to get a long run in without having to get up in the middle of the night to do it. Eat lots of calories and allow the entire day to be about you. Make it about you. Accept the free drink, make plans, invite everyone and take lots of pictures. Surround yourself with people who want to make it about you.

The other 364 days out of the year will not be about you. They will be about that mortgage, that boss, your kids, your significant other or, in my case, my dogs. They will be about the grind, the real world, the obligations, and other people's weddings, babies and birthdays. But one day is about you. It's okay to be selfish, to be excited about your birthday and to accept an offer when someone wants to take you out, buy you a drink or celebrate. You get a day. And anyone who tells you otherwise is just jealous they can't let go enough to do it too. In a world full of so much paperwork and bullshit, taking one major "personal" day a year isn't asking too much. Really, it should be a requirement.

So here's to the most beautiful day we've seen in Ohio in weeks - and to the very last birthday I'll have being a Mayberry (seriously, moment of silence for when I have to drop that last name, because while I love Rob, I'm slightly heartbroken). And when it's your birthday, remember that you are worth celebrating. You are worth taking the day off work, blasting the music loud and eating a big fat cupcake. You are worth the new dress, the fancy heels and the free drink. You're worth every damn bit of it, every damn year.

I Am Enough.

One of my dear friends over at Fabulous Fit Foodie posted a great read this morning as part of Jill Conyer's I Am Enough project. The notion is so simple, but yet we seem to all struggle with the concept of believing that we are, in fact, enough. The idea that we can constantly push our limits, set new goals and take on new challenges is what drives us, but it's so easy to get caught up in constantly pushing ourselves that we fail to recognize and embrace the fact that we are enough now, too.

Stumbling across this project couldn't have come at a better time for me. With 20 pounds left to lose and my wedding looming on the horizon, it's safe to say that I'm struggling just to keep my head above water. I've never considered myself a perfectionist (really, procrastinators at heart can never be perfectionists), but I've always struggled with taking on too much at one time. Leave it up to me to decide that a week before my wedding, I'm going to run a half marathon. A week after my wedding reception, I may run another one. Not only am I planning a destination wedding, I decided to take on a reception back here, too. I agree to host your event, not accept help from anyone else and then clean up afterwards. I decide to run 9 miles before a super busy weekend and then wonder why I'm exhausted. I meal plan, budget, clean (or at least plan to clean), run a thousand miles, walk the dogs, run errands and get ice cream, and then feel overwhelmed when I realize it won't all get done in one night.

More often than not, this leaves me feeling like a total idiot. Of course there are not enough hours in the day, Lauren. You'd think that with my college degree, I'd learn that spinning my wheels so much doesn't always result in optimum productivity. It's easy to be left feeling like I'm not doing enough, like I could push myself more to get it all done - watch one less SVU rerun, run one extra mile, get one more workout in, don't eat the french fries. There's always room for more. This has been the busiest year ever for both Rob and I, and as I constantly plan for what's to come - what I have to do, what needs to happen to get it all done - it's been way too easy for me to forget the now. In an effort to be simple and meaningful all at the same time (we'll see if that's actually possible), here's what I know about myself that makes me enough. In the midst of the craziness that is my life right now, it's important to remember the little things that define me, that make me who I am and push me to be who I want to be in the future.

I am a writer.

I am an animal lover and activist. 

I am a runner and an athlete.

I am a before and after picture.

I am an inspiration.

I am a German chocolate cake lover.

I am a best friend.

I am a horrible singer.

I am an iced coffee addict.

I am a go-with-the-flow bride.

I am a future wife.

I am a cook (a damn good one, according to Rob).

I am a planner.

I am a music lover.

I am a happy hour advocate.

I am a clumsy mess.

I am a homeowner.

I am an animal rescue supporter.

I am avid fan of froyo.

I am also borderline lactose intolerant.

I am a healthy lifestyle advocate.

I am a Zumba enthusiast. 

I am not competitive. At all.

I am a Harry Potter fanatic.

I am an awful example of proper financial budgeting. 

I. Am. Enough.

As these next few months unfold, I'm making it a point to not get caught up in what's going on, and more caught up in who I am, and who the people are around me. I lose touch with who I am as a person as life gets out of control, and it's easy to feel like the things I did or did not accomplish make me more or less of a person. But regardless of whether or not I run the extra 5 miles, the truth is that I will still be an inspiration, and I will still be a German chocolate cake lover. And that's pretty damn enough to me.

learning to embrace the impromptu.

 I have a confession. Yours truly, the queen of meal planning, logging miles and taking at least an hour to make my grocery list, exercise schedule and "life plan" for the week, is writing to you today with absolutely none of the above figured out. I am plan-less. [Enter famous SVU "dun dun!" here]

I've been complaining (who, me? never) nonstop lately about how I need a break. How I need to stop focusing so much on input versus output, calories, miles, points and bootcamps, and just take a moment to breathe and enjoy life. Fortunately, I was given that opportunity this weekend. My best friend got married (yay!), and in addition to all the wonderful things that come along with weddings, celebrating and the whirlwind that is "I do," it was also such a blessing to my obsessive compulsive exercise and eating tendencies. Food became secondhand to catching up with old friends and helping my best friend and her brand new husband celebrate in style, and I was given the ultimate test: implementing my healthy attitude WITHOUT planning ahead first.

I'm pleased to say that, despite the delicious cake and one macaroni and cheese mistake at Panera, I successfully made the right choices, got a 9-mile run in on Saturday morning and managed to come out of the weekend unscathed. I took yesterday to rest and recoup, and got back to my morning runs this morning. We ate relatively well last night, despite not having grocery shopped all weekend and having NO meal plan for the week, and I'm not recovering from a weekend-long hangover. Apparently miracles do really happen.

But I learned a lot this weekend, both from my friend's wedding and from my own experience with eating and exercise. Proper planning and preparation, paired with some flexibility and willingness to embrace the impromptu, will result in boatloads of success with a relatively sane frame of mine. Obsessing, worrying and trying to control the uncontrollable? You guessed it - gets you absolutely nowhere except rocking in the fetal position in the corner of a mental hospital. Seriously.

There were so many things that could have gone wrong this weekend - weather being the scariest of these - and the beautiful bride learned that there are bigger and more important things than whether or not it rained on her big day. No one was there to binge drink bottles of wine on a patio in the sun - they were there to watch their friends get married, and that can be done in rain, snow or shine. As it turned out, the weather was absolutely beautiful - sunny, and cool enough to make their outdoor wedding the perfect setting to start their new life together. And what would worrying about the rain have done? Sent her into a downward spiral of panicky emotions, of course.

She had a flower mishap that, given time to think about it ahead of time, would have made her crazy. But considering she faced the situation head on and couldn't take time to panic or obsess over what choice she'd make, she just acted. She made a decision, and made the best with what she was given - and ended up loving it better than her original arrangement. Sometimes, it's best to not sit back and predict any and every small thing that could go awry. Sometimes, all you can do is prepare and plan as best you can, and let the cards fall where they may.

The same can be said for your eating and exercise habits. I had panicked thinking about how I'd handle this weekend - how I'd get my exercise in, what choices I'd make at restaurants, how much alcohol I'd drink. But when put right in the moment, there was no time to think. I made the best decisions I could - chose things I knew to be good for me, including a super early morning wakeup call for a 9 mile run before our busy day started, and in the end, I came out on top, both mentally and physically. I also allowed myself to put MY healthy lifestyle second to celebrating my friend's big day. Moments like that don't come but once in a lifetime, and there was no way I was going to miss out just because I "couldn't eat there," or "had to go home and run." In doing so, though, it was a true test as to how I'd act in the moment. And I'm so proud to say that I still made the right choices.

For the past couple weeks, I've been worrying about how I'd handle the entire summer. With her wedding, my birthday, the Fourth of July, my bridal shower and bachelorette party, it's safe to say that wedding season is in full force, and with that comes so many delicious meals and celebrations. But this weekend was proof that you really can have your cake and eat it too - you just have to log some serious miles to do it. But the extra exercise I'll put in is more than worth it to enjoy the time spent with the people I care about - enjoying my life IN the moment and not worrying about what the scale will say the next day.

Here's to living, eating and running in this beautiful life that is, right now, full of so many wonderful changes and absolute perfections. And the biggest congratulations to my very best friend and her very best friend on the biggest and most important day of their lives :) Here are some of my favorites from this weekend's festivities!