So I just got married...

Today, I've been married for three weeks. Stefanie and I had a week-long destination wedding in South Florida. Have you any idea just how hard it is to stay on a clean-eating, and regular work-out schedule when you're at resort with all of your closest friends and family, and many other guests whom you either don't know or wish you didn't know? The answer is it's HARD!

From the moment you arrive friends are buying drinks, families are having dinners, room service is ordered, alcohol flows, and bar-snacks monopolize your pool-side field of view; well - bar snacks and BFB's (Big Fake Boobs). And allow me to point out that you'll never find me complaining about the latter. I should note that I'm grinning widely now, as I reminisce.

Even with access to a gym, the barrage of nachos, wraps, pizzas, beers, mojitos (a personal favorite), shots, burgers, fries, and wings, it's nearly impossible to stay clean. So...what do you do?

The answer is short - go for it. What? I've gone mad, quite mad. No, I've gone realistic. There are always going to be times that you just can't stick to your clean-diet. What you can do is minimize your exposure.

I'm not saying skip french fries, or chicken wings, I'm saying have a few. I'm not saying eat only Salads, I'm saying try to have one for lunch. I'm not saying skip the drinks, I'm just not that cruel. Just limit the times of day, rather than ALL day, to drink. Let's break it down. You can eat three relatively good meals each day, and then intersperse those healthy meals with the not so health stuff.

The easiest meal to "make healthy" is breakfast. Every hotel has a restaurant serving breakfast, and if you're in a downtown area you'll find at least half a dozen breakfast joints within a few blocks. Every breakfast menu will feature fruit, egg-whites, and oatmeal. If you're looking for high-protein options try Canadian Bacon that, while high is sodium, is high in protein, and low in fat. Also look for Yogurt (even full fat yogurt is no where near as bad for you as scrapple, bacon, sausage, or pancakes).

Lunch really isn't impossible, although it may be more challenging. By this point in the day, if you're anything like me, you've found yourself a nice spot by the pool or on the beach to ogle the various exhibits presenting themselves: from the pretty ladies in skimpy bikinis, to the overweight hairy men..in, well, skimpy bikinis...there's always good people watching. You're in your swim suit, wet, covered in sand, or both; an outfit that doesn't lend itself well to sitting down in a restaurant. This usually leaves you with limited options: the hotdog car, or the pool bar.

The pool bar is the mecca of all things mouthwateringly good. You'll find cheese-fries, nachos, fried chicken fingers, pizza, burgers...all the good stuff. But EVERY pool bar has a salad option...you will choose this. Try it was grilled chicken on top, maybe Tuna or Mahi-Mahi...whatever you might like. The pool bar may even have a sandwich option - shoot for whole wheat, or rye bread, avoid mayo and go crazy on the rest. See -- this really isn't so hard.

Dinner, this is where it gets tough. When you're at a wedding there are events, like rehearsal dinners, and friend dinners, and the wedding reception. You have no control over what you are given to eat. You do have control over how much you eat...but this is a wedding, and one night of gluttonous indulgence isn't going to kill you. Ok, I'll need to provide a little clarification, you might die...who knows from what cause, unlikely from the food, but I'm sure stranger things have happened.

My advice is go for it. Food is celebration to us. For centuries families and friends have celebrated with food. That is what a wedding reception is. Celebrate with those whom you love the most. Drink the wine, eat the cake, dance, and celebrate. I assure you no weight will be gained, no muscle lost, no fat added. You'll leave feeling good, may even rejuvenated.

I stayed in South Florida for about a week. I worked hard to make good choices, but I had a cheeseburger here and some french fries there. I'm no worse for it. I enjoyed a time in my life that I knew was fleeting...I encourage you to do the same.