OK, finally, this little hold-out is giving some scoop!

Beautiful candles and fireplace at a friends' house in Wainscott (the Hamptons) last weekend... S and I were there with a few friends and had a great time!

Soooooooo.... I've been M.I.A. lately, but not for the usual bandster reason! I'm still on track, holding fast at 147, which is where my body seems to want to stay. I'm still going to spin class and yoga regularly, too. That seems to be very key to my maintenance, since I tend to eat some kind of cr*p every single day... nothing huge, but I do tend to have some kind of chocolate or a cookie every day.

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In Wainscott, I went outside to get a photo of outside, but the scene inside really made for the best photo.

When summer gets a little closer, I'm planning to cut out the treat (read: not have one every single day... just occasionally) and to try to get in an extra workout (a solid 4, instead of 3-4... with 3 being the usual number). I'd like to drop three or so more pounds, just to get in fighting shape for bikini season. What a freaking luxury. I can't believe that I am at a place where I actually think losing five pounds might make me look just a little too thin. Bizarreness. And I'm actually excited about going bikini shopping. And I have a boyfriend who is thrilled at the prospect of me being by his side at the beach in said bikini. --Somebody pinch me. I didn't think this could be my life.

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S, playing guitar in the sun out in Wainscott this past weekend.

Sooooooo.... speaking of S, things are going really well!! I am absolutely crazy about him, he is a complete sweetheart, and we get along like a house on fire (why is that an expression?!)! I'm trying hard not to put all the personal details on my blog out of respect for his privacy, but I think I can tell you this one thing.... The "L" word was spoken last weekend!! Aaa!! :) Exciting stuff, and I'm really happy about it!!

Shout-Out to One of My Super Fit Bandster Friends!

I'm bursting with pride for one of my oldest bandster friends, and wanted to share it with you. You may remember me mentioning my bandster friend, Peter, in earlier posts (like this one), and a few have met him at early bandster brunches here in NYC. Well.... guess what he did this weekend?!? He ran the New York Half Marathon!

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Peter has lost more than 80 pounds since he was banded about 2 1/2 years ago, and he's the first bandster I know who did the C25K (Couch to 5K) running program. That program got him started on a course that he's been following ever since, and he is now a real runner. It's amazing to see so many fellow bandsters go from being obese to being in the best shape of our lives. So, a big congratulations to Peter on this incredible accomplishment!

Comparison Shot!

A friend sent me some photos from a birthday party I went to last weekend, and I was really surprised to see how I looked in them. In particular, there was one of me with a group of friends -- all of whom are thin, and I looked like they did. I was actually surprised to see myself in relation to them and to see that I didn't look any bigger than they did. I'm not sure why I didn't have that realization with other photos before now, but I didn't, for whatever reason. Anyway, that inspired me to do another comparison shot.

Here is the photo I was talking about. The girl directly to my left is the tiniest of all four of us, probably a size zero or two. I am shocked that I look of a comparable size (at a size 8) next to her.

What Next?

At the start of this third year of banded life, I wrote that I thought this year would be about living my life to the fullest. So far, so good! I'm still going strong on the workout front, have been having a blast in my personal life, and I'm excited to be in a new relationship with someone who I am crazy about and who makes me very happy. And, with the Adirondack trip, I already hit my goal of doing a trip that was physically demanding enough that I wouldn't have done it at my start weight!

At a wine tasting event in Brooklyn on Thursday. My friend Jonny is on my left.

I'm definitely in the maintenance phase now. My scale still bounces around a little from day to day, but as long as I'm under 150 (which I have been consistently for a few months), I don't stress about it. And yes, I do still weigh myself every morning -- post-loo, pre-shower. That keeps me on top of my weight and keeps me accountable. If the scale is up a little, I try to make better choices, if it's fine, I don't worry too much about it. Working out a lot definitely makes it so that I can eat what I want within reason, and within my band's limitations.

OK, so the weird part?? Don't get me wrong -- I am THRILLED to be at goal. Seriously, I absolutely love it and wouldn't want it any other way. But.. I kind of miss the thrill of losing! That was such an awesome part of years one and two. I especially loved the feeling when I finally hit a new 10 pound marker (not to mention searching on-line for things that weighed that much.... my all-time favorite was Snooki!)

I do think... so, what next?? I've been moving to this place where I am now, slowly but surely for more than two years, and was focused on my weight-related goals every day during that time. It's kind of weird to have that part of the journey be over. It feels kind of like finishing a great book. So, I'm psyched to have read and enjoyed it, but it's a little bittersweet that it's over.

So, what next?? There isn't too much more for me to do on the weight loss/body front, beyond what I'm doing. I could stand to forgo some chocolate (seriously, I have a treat every day -- but a small one), but other than that, I feel like I have a very respectable workout schedule, and decent eating habits. I generally do 2-3 spin classes (which includes an upper-body workout with weights and an ab workout) and a yoga class. I don't feel like I need to do more than that, or want to make time for more than that. And, slowly but surely, my body is tightening up, and my legs, butt and arms are looking better all the time. It seems like the next phase is really just what I thought it would be -- it's about enjoying the benefit of the first two years' work, continuing to follow the bandster rules more often than not, and just living life to the fullest.


I love this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt and wanted to share it...