It Occurs To Me....

It occurs to me that, when I started this blog 3 years and 8 months ago, I was obese, suffering from a heartbreak, and suffering in numerous other ways because of my weight (foot pain, back pain, compartmental syndrome, inability to enjoy shopping, feeling bad about myself every single day because I couldn't control my weight, etc.).

Me, after cleaning the blood off my heel from a bike accident I had on Block Island. I thought the pose was great for this post! P.S. It was just a scratch.... P.P.S. I'd had two glasses of wine before this was taken. P.P.P.S. I probably wouldn't have wiped out on that steep grassy hill if I hadn't! :)

If you would have told me in October 2008 that in under four years, I would have transformed into an athletic, fit, person -- and would be engaged to a guy who I'm crazy about, I would have crossed my fingers and said a prayer that there was some chance you'd be right. If you would have told me how much enjoyment, satisfaction, joy, friendship and support I would receive through that time, it would have been hard for me to comprehend that that could be possible.

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The changes through the last several years have really been amazing. These days, I am out in Amagansett (the Hamptons) with friends for much of the summer, and I don't give much thought to tossing on a bikini and laying out in front of them. I don't worry about looking fat, and I also don't feel bad about how I look or what I eat. Part of that has to do with the band, and part of it has to do with the fact that I make a real effort to get in to the gym and not to sabotage myself with bad food choices (not that I'm perfect -- FAR from it). It also doesn't hurt that I've been talking to my trusty therapist every other week through this entire process.

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Anyway, I am really counting my blessings right now, and feel so grateful for everything that has happened since I began this process. Thank all of you for your sweet messages on my engagement post! I loved reading them all, and it was so nice to get to share that wonderful news with you! I'm seriously on Cloud Nine. Not a bad time to take a minute to appreciate what a great journey this has been so far, and how grateful I am for finding a way to change the one thing -- my weight -- that was holding me back from really enjoying my life as much as I could.

BIG NEWS!!!

I got back last night from the best weekend ever! Steve and I had decided last weekend to take off work on Friday and to head out to Block Island, Rhode Island. I'd never been, and absoluely loved that charming, beautiful place!

And, adding to the wonderfulness of the whole weekend . . . STEVE PROPOSED ON FRIDAY!!! :) :) I am so incredibly happy and excited to know that I am going to get to marry this wonderful, caring, thoughtful, loving, fun and ridiculously attractive man!!

Steve somehow managed to keep a bottle of Veuve Clicot not only hidden, but chilled! I love that man!!

More details to follow! I just wanted to share the news! We're keeping the happy news under wraps until we can personally tell our families and most of our friends, but I thought it would be safe to share it here!

At dinner the night of our engagement. I'm totally red from smiling so big and crying tears of joy!!

Addendum: I just realized that this very happy development will round out me completing my list of doing every single thing I was looking forward to about losing weight with the band. Assuming all goes well between now and then (and I don't have any reason to believe it won't), I'm going to get to look fit and trim at my wedding!

Oops! ... I Did It Again

Oops! I did it again... I got my a$$ up and into the gym.... OH baby baby....

(Help!!! Endorphins make me super dorky this early in the morning!!! Who knew?!)

I feel surprisingly great and am psyched that I got up for spin again this morning. Meanwhile, it's so competitive to get in these classes that the Thursday class was booked solid by 12:03 on Monday morning (registration opens at 12) and I couldn't get in. So, that's my last morning spin for the week. I feel really good about getting up though -- that is two workouts that I absolutely would not have been able to get in (due to plans at night) if I hadn't rallied both mornings. Woo hooo!!! (Pats self on back.) ....I think my cat just rolled his eyes at me! :D

I Did It!!

You did it! You did it!

You said that you would do it, And indeed you did.

I thought that you would rue it; I doubted you'd do it.

But now I must admit it That succeed you did.

You should get a medal Or be even made a knight.

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I am laughing so hard right now because I am patting myself on the back for something that most people would think is nothing at all. You see, my friends, I am the antithesis of a morning person. I would sell my own grandmother down the river (slight exaggeration...SLIGHT) for 10 extra minutes of sleep on any given weekday morning. I just do NOT want to get out of bed. It's not in my DNA to be a morning person, and I've been like this for my entire life, as far as I can tell.

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So, why do I feel like I'm going to get a medal and a ticker-tape parade today?? Wellllll...... today, for the first time EVER (there are a lot of first times EVER on this blog), I got my bee-hind out of bed 1 1/2 hours early and went to spin class.

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It was hard! I had given myself 15 minutes to get ready... and then snoozed for 5 ... and then spent the next 3 debating "Am I going?" "Should I go back to sleep?" "If I go back to sleep, I'll get another 1 1/2 hours in..." "If I don't go, I'm not going to get my workouts in this week." Etc. Thank goodness the devil didn't show up ... I don't even know what bargain I might have made! Hee hee...

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I would like to thank my cat, Max, for helping me with the decision. Max is seriously the most freaking annoying cat ever, and if he even SENSES that he might be fed two seconds early, it's going to be a meow-fest. I usually grab earplugs, turn over, and say "I don't negotiate with terrorists." But today, I dragged my tired self out of bed, said "Don't get used to this, Maxer" fed him, pulling on my workout gear all the while, and I made it to the gym.

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How do I feel? Like a marathon-winning champion. I may even do it again tomorrow. (Gasp!) Major, major props to those of you who do this every day.

Summer in the Sun

With Steve (and a few other friends) at a restaurant in Montauk.  I am LOVING that beard he has going on!  I wouldn't have expected to, but it looks so good with his tan!

I've been a bad little blogger... but only because I've been out and about having fun!  My weight is holding at 154.6 (just .4 below goal) though I'd really rather see it about 4-5 pounds less than that.  Steve and I are sharing a house out in the Hamptons with a few other friends this summer, and between that and other weekend trips we have planned, as well as work, it's proving difficult for me to get in to do 3-4 workouts.  I've been more on the 2-3 front.  And, that is exactly why I'm on the high end of my "safe" weight zone.  Exercise is absolutely the key to maintenance for me, just as it was the key to getting to goal.

So, I'm trying to make sure I don't get off track this summer.  The weekend before last, I'd scoped out a spin studio and a yoga one near our house in the Hamptons, and got the schedules for both.  On Saturday, I rode my bike over to spin for the 9:30 class.  I didn't love the class.... the bikes move from side to side (So-u-l C--ycl-e has stationary bikes), and I found these ones hard to manage.  Whenever I'd pedal, the seat would hit my thigh as the bike rocked from side to side.  It was annoying, and I had a hard time keeping up my cadence with the bike moving so much.  I also was a little concerned that I'd get some weird bruise on my thigh!  (I didn't.)  It was still a good workout, so even if it wasn't my favorite, I'll go back again next time I'm there.  We also went on a bike ride to hit the shops in East Hampton, and I bought... for the first time, EVER, a pair of white jeans at Tory Burch.  (I'm wearing them in the photo, but you can't see them.)

So, why did I buy those white jeans?   Wellllll, because they fit great and were really cute ... and because I may have completely forgotten to pack anything to wear to cover my bottom half for Saturday night.  Oops! :)

I have to run, but just wanted to say hi and post a quick update.  I've been reading everyone's blogs and posting here and there.  But, with being out of town so often on the weekend, it's a challenge to find time to blog!  Will try to do better!