I’ve had long hair for most of my life (except for my adolescent bowl cut and post-Locks for Love donation). Most brides grow their hair out specifically for their wedding, and they’re usually ready to give their high-maintenance hair a good chop once the wedding festivities are over. I’m definitely getting a little tired of my current hair style, but instead of drastically changing my length, I’d rather change up the color. Check out my inspiration below, and tell me what you think!
Now for some great news if you live in the Omaha area: I was recently introduced to Ready or Knot {Wedding Chic} through my sister and the amazing Cather Circle Organization. Omaha has been needing a stylish and modern bridal boutique for a LONG time. I spent a lot of time and money traveling to Minneapolis to get my wedding gown (five trips in 14 months), and some of you might recall Brett’s dress hunt in Kansas City (it was a 14 hour trip). I was lucky enough to sit down with Jocelyn, the uber creative store owner, to talk about her vision for Ready or Knot. I’ll post the interview next week (once I have some free time after the wedding…). Then you’ll get another taste of Ready or Knot when I give you a recap of my sister’s visit to the store to find her wedding gown.
So spread the word! Ready or Knot should be your first stop when shopping for a bridal gown!
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it’s also my favorite meal of the day. I love sleeping in on Saturdays and making eggs and pancakes with Rich. Breakfast is the perfect meal to make with your significant other because the recipes are usually easy to execute, and it’s a great way to start the day together.
Rich and I have a tradition of making sweet corn pancakes on game days (for our CORNhuskers…) Other notable breakfast items include muesli from the Swissotel in Chicago and the simple, but always delicious, poached egg on toast.
Normally I feel a little sluggish on Mondays, but it’s wedding week! I had the most amazing bachelorette party this past weekend. I want to thank all of my friends and family members who were able to make it. I felt so loved!
So to get this week started off right, here is some great wedding inspiration from last week. Enjoy!
We only have one weekend left until Rich and I get married. It’s hard to believe it’s almost here. We’ve been engaged for about 20 months, so I am completely ready for our special day!
My sister and my mom are throwing me a bridal shower/bachelorette party this weekend, and it will be so nice to relax and catch up with friends. I’m incredibly lucky to have so many wonderful friends and family in my life.
I have AMAZING news to share with you next week. Expect a post on Wednesday or Thursday. See you on Monday!
Here’s a list of my favorite finds this week:
Calorie counting isn’t for everyone. It can be a very tedious process and add to the frustration of trying to lose weight. However, for analytical and detail-oriented personalities, keeping track of calories can be the key to weight loss success.
Dietitians most often use a scientifically-sound calculation called the Harris Benedict equation to determine energy needs because it takes into account many factors including height, weight, age and gender. It is not the most accurate method, but it’s the next best option short of using expensive metabolic testing machines. To calculate your basic calorie requirements or basal metabolic rate (BMR), fill in the equations with your information!
Females: 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years)
Males: 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) – (6.76 x age in years)
Your BMR is the amount of calories you need if you wanted to maintain your weight without taking into consideration exercise or physical activity. To more accurately calculate your calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the factor listed below that most agrees with your level of activity.
Little to no exercise
BMR x 1.2
Light exercise (1 – 3 days per week)
BMR x 1.375
Moderate exercise (3 – 5 days per week)
BMR x 1.55
Heavy exercise (6 – 7 days per week)
BMR x 1.725
Very Heavy exercise (2 times per day, high exertion); or your name is Armstrong
BMR x 1.9
Now that you’ve calculated your calorie needs, what does it mean? If you at an ideal weight, and you are looking to maintain your weight, focus on consistantly hitting that number. However, if you are looking to lose weight, subtract 500 from your number. If you need to gain weight, add 500 to your number. The reason why we chose the number 500 is because if you create a 500 calorie deficit or surplus every day, in a week you will have accumulated 3,500 calories (500 x 7 = 3,500) or one pound.
Now one pound a week may not seem like a lot, but dietitians recommend you aim for only 1 – 2 pounds of weight loss or gain per week. If you are losing or gaining more, you are most likely practicing eating habits that you cannot maintain. I would rather you make some small lifestyle changes to shave off or add on those 500 manageable calories in a way that you can continue for months to come. And think long term. If you lose 1 pound a week for 3 months, that is 12 pounds! And that’s something to be really proud of.
NOTE: Women should never eat less than 1200 calories per day and men never less than 1500 calories to ensure you do not compromise your metabolism. Doing so for a long period of time can create long term negative effects making it even harder to lose or maintain weight.
A note from Candace: Everyone knows that maintaining/loosing weight isn’t all about watching what you eat – you’ve got to move your body too, and that’s why I LOVE Nike commercials. They always include healthy and inspiring women, and they motivate you to get your workout on!
