Forty seven!

Wow! This last pound was hard-earned! Again, I know it's because I'm building a lot of muscle right now, but boy! It sure did take a long time to get this one off.

I had a great weekend. On Friday, I had drinks with a friend, then had my hair done on Saturday. I spent Saturday night letterpress printing the thank you cards for Adam & Erica (photo to follow). Then, Sunday, like a superstar :) I got up, ran 2 miles on the treadmill (!) and had brunch with Nadia and Erika (Erika with a "k" being a different friend than Erica with a "c").

Erika and I wound up wandering around Soho and the West Village after brunch, and saw part of the Gay Pride Parade, which is always fun to watch. We heard so much Michael Jackson -- from the floats, in stores, and playing on the radios of passing cars. While I have problems with how MJ lived his life, there is no denying that he had an incredible number of great songs and was a huge influence on music and my generation.

Point One

The scale FINALLY budged this morning! A big, whopping .1! I know it's not exactly anything to write home (blog?) about, but I'm at least happy that it moved in the right direction.

It took 17 days for me to get that off! 17 days of crazy killer exercise, I might add. In the last week, I ran on Sunday (20 minutes of constant running, 10 min. bike, plus abs) and went to Boot Camp three times. That is a lot for me.

I completely get it that the plateau is due to me building muscle. And, I do see that my body is looking better every day. The plateau isn't going to deter me from signing up for another session of Boot Camp, either. It's totally addictive (in an awesome way) and I really like it.

Also, before I got home last night and heard the news about this RSVP situation, I was in the best mood. The very cute guy from Boot Camp and I chatted a bit more before class, and that was a nice bonus. :) No clue if he is interested, or even single, but it's nice anyway!

Peter Pan is a Moron

A few posts ago, I mentioned that my ex-boyfriend RSVPd to the wedding I'm going to in July without a date. Well, it turns out that. . not only is he a complete idiot, but he's a complete idiot who doesn't know how to fill out a freaking RSVP card.

Erica had her fiance check with him to make sure he wasn't bringing this girl he has been seeing. (Yes, Mr. "I think I'm just meant to be alone. . despite that this is the greatest relationship I've seen in my entire life and I've never been so happy" started dating someone else 3 months after we broke up and is still seeing her.) Well, apparently, he IS bringing her. . he just forgot to list her on the RSVP card (moron).

It sure is a good thing A&E checked, since I told Erica that I would be her designated person-to-insulate-her-from-crises at the wedding. His date's unexpected appearance at the event not only would have been a rude surprise, but I also would have had to be the schmuck running around trying to find a chair for her, since she wouldn't be on the seating chart for the reception. Unbelievable.

You know, I get it that he's allowed to bring a date to this thing. We are broken up. Heck, I broke up with him! But, what sticks in my craw is, among other things, his incredibly bad taste of claiming to be someone who "is just meant to be alone," then immediately jumping into another longterm relationship (that is surely going nowhere). And, to add insult to injury, now I have to be at an event with them together. It's just gross.

Anyway, I'll be fine. I'm just annoyed and irritated and a little upset. Better get it out of my system now, since my mission is to exude fabulousness and light at this event. And, at least after this wedding, I never have to see him again. Hmph.

Scientific Ice Cream Experiment. . .

Mad Scientist. .

My scale still isn't budging, so I decided to take the advice I've received to up my calorie intake for a day or two. Of course, if I'm going to do that, you know I'm going to do it in a very enjoyable way! Last night, I bought a pint of Haagen Dazs ice cream. . Vanilla Swiss Almond (with chocolate covered almond bits) and enjoyed a reasonable-sized bowl (then went back to the freezer for an extra spoonful. . . three times).


The results? The scale is up a pound today! YIKES!!! I just put the rest of the ice cream in the sink and ran water over the carton until it all melted! People, don't try this at home! :)

Er, maybe I was supposed to up the calories with protein? You think? :)

Welcome Back, Sushi

Sushi is one of my favorite things to eat but, for some reason, I haven't had any since I had my surgery. This is a pretty big change, since I used to have sushi about once a week. . and would have had it more if I hadn't been worried about mercury!

So, today during lunch, I ordered from a Japanese restaurant. . . 2 pieces of hamachi sashimi, one piece of tuna sushi (but I didn't eat the rice), a California roll, and some green tea. I chewed carefully, and it went down just fine. Actually, it dawned on me that sashimi is a really great pro-band meal. . it's mainly protein, is easy to chew up, and is delicious. Sushi, I'm back!!

Tonight, I started week 5 of Boot Camp. I was SO TIRED after work . . it's been raining for days and days here, and the weather has been sapping my energy (not to mention the Max wake-up plan...). BUT, even though I really wanted to cancel, I went anyway. I'm glad that I did. . . there is a really cute guy in my class, and we've been chatting before class here and there, but tonight we got to talk a bit more than other times. :) So, that was a nice bonus, and I got a great workout to boot!

Little Miss Crankypants Takes a Whine Break!

OK, I admit it. I am a crankpot this morning, despite that I'm in for a really fun day and am bound to get in a better mood soon.

I thought I'd sleep in today, since I've been really tired all week. Of course, Max (my cat) had other ideas. As usual, his M.O. is to get me out of bed as close to 7 a.m. as he possibly can so that I will feed him. He does this by being as annoying as humanly (felinely?) possible. . pawing me, scampering on the bed, sitting on my back, meowing. . I love him, but it is so IRRITATING. I actually endure this because I REFUSE to get out of bed and feed him while he is acting up. So, I basically sat there for an extra 30 minutes after I was awake in order to avoid rewarding his bad behavior. It's uncanny -- he has a perfect grasp of the time . . or maybe can read my alarm clock. . who knows?! :) So, I've been up since about 8 a.m., despite that I was awake until about 2. Grrrrrreat. And, I don't want to go back to sleep, since I have things to do this morning.

No. 1 on my S. List today

Other than that, today should be a really good one. I'm going to take two new dresses to be tailored, then will head out to Long Island to visit some very good friends and their adorable children. I am really looking forward to spending time with them, and always have a fantastic time when I see them, so the crank is bound to lift before I even get there!

BUT, while I'm still on the crankwagon, let me get something else off my chest (other than the 1.5 inches I've lost since May . . WTF?!). My scale is STILL stuck at the same weight. Thank God I took my measurements, or I'd be really upset about this, given how hard and how regularly I am working out and how well I've been sticking to my diet.

Seriously, I have been busting my butt at Boot Camp -- literally, doing the hardest workout of my entire life -- and have done it 3x a week for 4 weeks in a row. That makes 12 ridiculously hard sessions where I have spent a full hour working out to capacity, drenched in sweat. AND, I have been very reasonable in my diet on the whole. So, how much weight have I lost? 2.2 measely pounds. IN FOUR WEEKS.

To anyone else in my position, I would say "Don't worry about it. You are losing inches and toning, and that is more important than the number on the scale." And that advice is sound, and I remind myself of it every day when I get on the scale and see the same number. And, I do see that my body is improving and looking better. AND, I'm even reminding myself that this slow period is giving my body a chance to adjust to the weight loss and for my skin to shrink.

I know I should not fixate so much on the number and that it will move eventually when I am not building so much muscle, but darn it!! I just want to hit the 50 pound mark. (And then the 60 . .and then the 70.)

OK, time to stop whining and start showering! :)

Thanks! And 21.6 Inches Down! (Measuring Up Part IV)

In the past week or so, I've received a bunch of messages through lapbandtalk.com from fellow bandsters who read this blog. I was very happy and honored to hear that people really like it, and (!) one person told me that I (me! Traditionally lazy gym girl!!) had motivated her to get back to working out! That is just amazing to me, and makes me so happy. So, thank you for letting me know!

Tonight I complete week 4 of boot camp. Here's the weird thing. . . (well, maybe not so weird, since muscle weighs more than fat). I have not lost any weight at all during the last 10 days. However, since May 6, 2009 (last time I took my measurements), I've had a few changes. Weirdly, the inches are not coming off evenly right now.

Waist: -1 inch (Yay!)
Hips: -1 inch (Yay!)
Chest: -1.5 inches (wha??)
Wrist: -.2 inch (whatever)
Forearm: No change
Thigh: No change
Calf: up .2 inch (! No!)
Ankle: No change
Upper Arm: No change (bummer)

Kind of surprising, right? I'm happy for the change in my hips and waist, but no loss from my thighs?! And a lot from my chest? Seems weird to me. I'm guessing that my body is just moving stuff around and things will equal out at some point, but this was a little weird!

Just to put this in context, here are my inch losses from day one:

Waist: -6 inches
Hips: -6.25 inches
Chest: -4.5 inches
Wrist: -.75 inch
Forearm: -.7 inch
Thigh: 1.5 inch
Calf: .8 inch
Ankle: .3 inch
Upper Arm: .8 inch

That's a total of 21.6 inches down! Wow. Go, Band!

Date Update. . .

Most surprisingly, my blind date last night was the first non-horrible date I've had since I broke up with my old boyfriend! It was just a short meeting before I headed off to dinner with Erica and J, the girl who set up the blind date. But, it was a lot of fun, the guy was attractive, nice and interesting, and I felt like we both had a good time!

In other news, Erica told me that my ex (of the Peter Pan Avoidance Tour) has RSVPd for the wedding and it looks like he won't be bringing a date. So, apparently, I've been torturing myself thinking about this for months for no reason. That really is a load off of my mind, and now I'm actually looking forward to the wedding 100%. Before it was more like 60% dread, 40% excitement for my friends. This is a much better balance!

Catching up!

I never did post anything about the bachelorette weekend in Shelter Island (the weekend before last). It really was a very fun weekend, and pretty tame as far as bachelorette parties go! Here is a photo of our group at The Frisky Oyster in Greenport -- a great spot!

It was really good for me to go to this and to bond a bit with the other women who will be at the wedding (given that I have to see my former boyfriend there. . . possibly with this girl he has been dating). At least I feel like I have a bit of a possy who will have my back at the event! :) E (who is on the far left) has offered to step on my ex's foot in stilettos if he is causing me any grief whatsoever. :) Doubt we'll need that backup measure, but I sure do appreciate the solidarity!!

At Sunset Beach on Shelter Island, after dinner

Weekend Fun

I had a really enjoyable weekend, but avoided the scale this morning because I thought it might be up, after all of the good food and wine I had over the last two days. I'll hop on it in the morning.

Not too much to report tonight, but I did want to check in. Tomorrow begins Week 4 of Boot Camp. Even though the scale has barely moved since I started, I noticed that I've already lost about 1/2 an inch from my waist and hips, and my body looks better to me.

At some point in the next week or so, I'm supposed to be going on a blind date with a friend of a friend. . . I haven't done one of those for a long time, but I think it's important for me to get out there. . . will let you know how it goes!

Reflection. .

This morning, I took out a storage bin of clothing I'd put away a year ago because it no longer fit (all too small). I was really surprised to see how much of it now fits -- or is very close to fitting. One of the things I tried on is this great Ralph Lauren dress that I wore to my friend Philipp's wedding in Germany in 2000 or 2001. It didn't fit perfectly, but it's close.

I actually got a bit choked up doing this, since I had the thought that "wow. . I am getting my self back." Does that make sense? It's as though I was living under some kind of cloud for the past several years. Not that I didn't enjoy myself, and not that I wasn't engaged in my life. It's more that I was just ignoring my body, whereas now I'm paying a lot of attention to being healthy and am really using my body and working it out hard. This feels so, so much better than what I was doing before.

Landmark SV & NSV

Today was a great day for me. By finally breaking the 46 pound mark, I got my BMI into the "overweight" range. . .the last range before the "ideal weight" range! Well, at least according to the NYU site. This is major. I mean, it's no Onederland, but it feels really good. I feel like I just passed a major milestone on the marathon to goal.

I went to Boot Camp tonight -- can you believe that I've already finished my 8th class (out of 24)? I'm probably going to sign up for another session as soon as this one ends. I can't believe it, but I really love the workout. Also, yesterday was the first time that I wasn't put in the beginner's group when they broke up the class. They actually broke into 3 groups (usually it's only 2), but for the first time, I wasn't in the worst one! That feels like a landmark to me too!

Another nice thing that happened to me was that, on my way in to the office, I went in via the entrance I always used to use. It's not the closest one -- but it was the one on the way after I picked up my former breakfast. . a bagel with butter. The security guard on that side looked at me and said "Wow! I almost didn't recognize you! You look like a movie star!! You look great -- how much did you lose?" And, on a total high from today's SV, I said. . "Forty-six as of this morning! Thanks!!" He totally made my day. :)

Forty-Six!!

FINALLY!!!! Some movement on the scale! I am down 46.4 lbs as of this morning!! Thank you, Boot Camp and my band! :)

Catching up!

I've been MIA all week because I've had a ton of things going on! When last I left off, I was about to have a dinner party for my friend Don. We had a great time, and everything turned out really well. Most of the guests went to college with us, except for the guy (see below) at the head of the table, who is married to L, a close friend of Don's from college.

Here is a shot of us at the table.

So, that dinner was on Wednesday of last week. On Thursday, I went to Boot Camp, came home to change, and headed out for the birthday party of my friend Nadia (who is one of my best friends). This was a big group get together at a bar on the upper east side, and one of her other friends brought lots of Hello Kitty paraphenalia. Check out her Hello Kitty tiara and candy necklace. SASSY!

Then, the next morning (Friday), I got an early jitney out to Shelter Island for Erica's bachelorette party weekend. I had a great time -- low key but really fun and relaxing -- and will post about that next! Don is still in town, so we hung out last night after I got back from Boot Camp. So, there has not been much time for posting!

The one thing I will say is that my weight loss is totally stalled. I know that it's because I am putting on muscle, but it's still frustrating. I've been at 44 lbs down for quite a while now. Haven't stepped on the scale yet today, but I'll update if there is any good news.

Dinner Party Deluge!

My friend Don, who is one of my two best friends from college (not to mention life in general!), is coming into town tonight. He just successfully defended his thesis for his Ph.D. in linguistics (with highest honors, I might add!) and we're going to celebrate! Instead of getting everyone together at a restaurant, I thought I'd have a small dinner party. Here is how I set the table:

I used this really pretty Japanese paper (leftover from the bellybands for my best friend's wedding invitations . . you can see that in an earlier post) as placemats. I saw that idea in a magazine recently (Martha?) and loved it. The lighting in my livingroom isn't that great, so the photo doesn't really show the color. Here is a closeup:

I'm just (shhhh. . . ) going to do the same menu that I did for Erica's shower last week, since I love the recipes and they are easy to do for company, because you can do almost all of the prep in advance. I don't like being stuck in the kitchen while everyone else is having fun! The only thing I am changing is . . . no bacon (so sad!) because Don doesn't eat red meat. We will, however, be having some celebratory bubbly!

Boot Camp Update

I had my fourth day of boot camp last night, and it's getting better -- I am actually really loving it! I can already tell that I'm getting stronger, and I really enjoy pushing myself and the whole group setting of the class. People are very supportive and great. I even went running on Sunday night on my own because (a) I've been loving that working out feeling; and (b) I need to get better at running for boot camp!

There is a great video showing the course at the link below. BTW, the cargo net is where I got most of my bruises! I've figured out how not to get as bruised, and I don't think I have any new bruises from my last two classes. WHEW!
http://purepowerbootcamp.com/media/video/ (the Fox News Channel clip is a really good one)

Shower Power!

With all of the reflection I've been doing on my pre-op journal, I completely forgot to post about the shower I threw on Thursday! It turned out to be a lot of fun, and people didn't start leaving until after midnight (it started at 7), which I take to be a good sign!

Here is the invitation I made . . with the square brown envelope (to match the brown & blue of the wedding invitations). I drew this caricature of the bride & think it turned out to be a decent likeness!

Here is a better image of the file I printed from. . .

The food turned out really well (and I had no trouble eating, which was good, since I didn't know everyone there that well and only the bride knows about my band). I made my favorite salad (arugula with dates, Fuji apple, caramelized walnuts, shallots and manchego) and. . . a Paula Dean recipe for shrimp with cheese grits that is so delicious (it involves a lot of butter and cheese. . and bacon. . hmm. . wonder why I didn't lose weight last week. . . ). Then, we had cupcakes (from Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery . . so much better than Magnolia!) for dessert. Yum yum!

The bride-to-be! I love the shirt!

Four friends, laughing their heads off (not sure at what)! Check out the cute cupcake stand on the table (which you can kind of see. . .) . . a friend at work lent it to me!

We only did one game -- I had the groom come to my office before the shower and videotaped him answering some Newlywed Game-type questions. Then, the bride had to guess what he answered. . and the guest who correctly guessed how many the bride got right won a cute travel package of yummy L'Occitaine body products. I was able to hook my camera up to my TV, so after she answered, I could play back his answers. It was a big hit, and a lot of fun! I would definitely do that again if I throw another shower.

And, on another note, here is a photo of me with my youngest cutie pie nephew from the weekend before last, after we saw The Lion King (which was amazing)!