Shhh... Want to Know the Secret to Getting to Goal??

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... it's a big secret!!! Do you promise not to tell anyone?? Seriously? Like cross-your-heart-and-hope-to-die-stick-a-needle-in-the-eye serious? OK. I'll tell you. Brace yourself for the shocking revelation. . .

(If you think I look completely loca in this picture, you should have seen the rejects!! LOL!! )

OK. Here goes. . . .


GET YOUR CUTE A$$ INTO THE GYM!!!!!

OK... OK... so that's not really a secret. But it really IS the secret to getting to goal and staying there. And, it doesn't have to be a gym.. but you'd better get some type of exercise program in place if you want to go all the way with your band and stay there.

Let's talk numbers. On October 23, 2011 -- just three months from now -- I will hit my THIRD bandiversary. I hit goal more than a year ago, on April 5, 2010. Since then, I dropped nearly ten more pounds for an all-time low of 145.2. Guess what? It's hard for me to stay at that weight, so my scale tends to bounce between 148 and 151-point-something. This morning, I weighed -- within 2/10ths of a pound -- what I weighed on July 1, 2010. I feel really good about that. For the first time -- EVER -- I have some confidence that the clothes I bought for this summer are going to fit me next summer.

(Plus, if you work out, you get to wear cute gym outfits, like this Lululemon situation that I wore to my spin class earlier tonight. Yes, this is post-gym. But I did take out the ponytail especially for you...)

It hasn't felt like hard work through this past year to maintain my weight. Why do I say that? Well, even though I've been working out consistently, and I do pay attention to what I eat .. especially when the scale gives me a number in the 150s, all of this has become pretty normal to me. It's not hard anymore. I also have been very fortunate not to have any problems with my band, thank God. I still weigh myself every day, pre-shower and post-loo. It still keeps me on the straight and narrow.

I never thought I'd get to this point, but exercise has become a part of my life. If you want proof that this didn't come easily for me, flip back through my first six months of posts and see how many talk about how badly I feel that I can't seem to motivate to go to the gym. At some point, that changed, and I stick with it because it makes me feel good, the workouts I do are ton of fun (spinning at S-o-u-l-c-y--c-l--e and yoga, mainly), and I like how working out makes my body look.

I've been at goal for long enough that I sometimes wonder if people read my blog and think I was never fat, or never really struggled with my weight. That's not the case at all. I struggled with it every single day from as long as I can remember until I got my band. And, I started this process at 230 pounds, with a BMI of 37.

Here is a photo of me from September of 2007, just about a year before I got banded. And trust me, the fact that I didn't delete this photo or crop out everything but my face means it's a really flattering one. Check out my arm.

Here is a photo that I took of myself after my workout tonight. Check out my arm. ... And... Welcome to the Gun Show! If I can do it, you can do it. Heck, a bunch of you already have.

With this post, I am sending out lots of positive energy and some metaphysical kicks-in-the-butt to every bandster who is struggling with finding the motivation to workout. My advice is to start small -- but START. Don't set unrealistic goals for yourself, like working out 5 times a week (Disclosure: I try for 4 and am happy if I get in 3). Maybe you need to start with 30 minute walks 3 times a week. But don't stop there indefinitely. Try new things -- the sheer number of bandsters who fell in love with Zumba speaks volumes for how much fun it is -- others, like me, tried out boot camps, yoga, spinning and more. Just find something -- anything -- that appeals to you and give it a chance.

If you live in NYC and need support, send me an e-mail or a blog comment. If we can work out logistics, I will go with you to your first class to make sure you don't have to go alone and feel like the awkward new kid.

The most important thing to remember is that you CAN do this. There are a lot of inspiring blogging bandsters out there who have overcome the exercise hurdle. I don't want to leave anyone out so I won't even try to name them all. But, I'm giving special shout outs to Amy, Jessica from Island Bandit, LapBandGal and Cindylew, all of whom keep me inspired and motivated on the exercise front with their own success and determination.