You've heard of the "Freshmen Fifteen" what about post-wedding pounds?

I'll be honest I avoid scales and I'm the first to admit I work out, but I don't eat right. I skip lunch and I love chocolate. I've always been in decent shape. Here lately I wonder how long that will last.

There's this euphoric feeling post-wedding. You're not counting the number of push-ups, tricep dips, crunches and squats you did. The dress fit perfectly, the photos look beautiful and this feeling of utter calm washes over you.

But with that calm comes a catch. It's easy to be come lax about those extra trips to the pantry. I'll attest I've noticed I'm much more hungry married then I ever was before. (And no it's not because I'm working off extra calories in the bedroom!)

There's just these nights when we're all relaxed and I'll say, "Love, I could really go for some <fill in the blank with some calorie packed, unnecessary, but tastes so darn good item>." My adoring husband and enabler will say, "Me, too."

Just the other night I had one of these cravings. I discovered some chocolate chip cookie dough in the freezer just asking to be thawed and devoured.

Nick asked, "Can you defrost cookie dough?"

My response, "We'll find out!"

Now to get my chocolate fix, I could have made just a few chocolate chip cookies for each of us. But, they looked so small on the cookie sheets I decided to make 20. Ten for him and ten for me...seemed fair. I poured two glasses of milk and set all 20 out on a plate thinking we'd have some left over for when the cookie monster craving hit me again. About 15 minutes went by and I looked down at the plate. There was ONE cookie left amongst some crumbs. ONE!

I couldn't help but laugh out loud. What happened to the bride to be who went to the gym five days a week? Does my marital status suddenly give me carte blanche to eat like every day is Thanksgiving? I can barely finish a chicken breast and a side, but I can eat ten cookies and finish off a glass of milk?

Of course as a stereotypical woman I go into panic mode...is Nick going to have to start hearing me say, "Honey does this dress make my butt look big?" Knowing, no the dress didn't do it was the over consumption of chocolate chip cookies that were to blame.

Then I remember to breathe. Enjoy the time spent together. Overindulge once in a great while. Live a little! I can take the dog for an extra lap around the subdivision and stay at the gym a half hour longer...tomorrow.

© Nichole DeMario, 2010 – 2011. All rights reserved