Today’s guest post comes from the always adorable, Colleen. I was first introduced to Colleen’s blog a few months ago and I immediately fell in love with her upbeat attitude, positive take on life, and her mutual love of cereal combo bowls.
Colleen is preparing for a very important event in her life, and today she shares with you all her tips for staying on the healthy bandwagon when times get crazy! Take it away, Colleen…
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Hi everyone!! I’m Colleen and I blog over at The Lunchbox Diaries! Let me extend a huge thanks to Courtney for having me over to hang out with you all today! 
I like to classify myself as a healthy living blogger, but my life is certainly full of indulgences: Cupcakes, chocolate, happy hours – all of these are treats that I enjoy regularly.
Here’s something else you should know about me: I am a bride-to-be who is not on a diet.
I’ve noticed that when we, women, have a big event looming in the future, we tend to go into freak-out mode about our weight and appearance – as if those are the most important things about us!
Well, ladies (and gents?) I’m here to remind you that it’s okay to relax! Weddings, graduations, senior prom…these are events that come by once in a lifetime (hopefully ). Life is too short and these moments pass by too quickly for us to do anything else but enjoy them.
I’ve become aware of some trends in my life that have helped me maintain a healthy lifestyle, even though I’m planning a wedding! Here’s what works for me:
- Stop the stress! Did you know that stress can have the most insane effects on your body? Functioning under stress can actually cause your body to gain weight, among several other negative things (like rationalizing having a McFlurry for breakfast…) So really, take a deep breath!
- Indulge. If I tell myself “No more sweets until the wedding” I will without a doubt have a brownie sundae for dinner. Restricting has never worked for me – it only makes me crave the “treat” even more than normal. If you want a cookie – eat it! One snack, treat, or indulgence will not make or break your waistline.
- Maintain a normal, attainable workout schedule (that you enjoy!). I already had a fitness routine in place when I became engaged, but I did have a fleeting week of trying to up my workouts by unrealistic means. I wanted to change my 35 minutes of cardio to 60, and I wanted to lift more weights than ever before. You know what happened that week? My workouts bombed. I had set myself up for failure because I didn’t have the time to meet those goals, and I don’t enjoy running on the treadmill for 60 minutes. For me, shorter, more frequent workouts are what work. Find a routine that you like and will be able and willing to maintain even after the big event has passed.
- Keep perspective. People, myself included, have the tendency to get caught up in the unimportant things and fail to remember the actual event that got them in such a tizzy. If I spent all my time worrying about a number on the scale, I may very well miss the joy, love, and excitement that comes along with planning to marry my best friend.
These are some things that I keep in mind to help me stay healthy and sane when things around me seem to be going 100 miles an hour. I hope you enjoyed them!
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Thanks again for reminding us to keep it cool, Colleen!
Question for the Morning:
What are your tips for staying sane and maintaining your healthy lifestyle in the midst of a crazy/busy time in your life?
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