ELEVENTH BANDIVERSARY!

My eleventh bandiversary came and went on October 23rd, and I've been meaning to do a post to commemorate it.  I can hardly believe it's been eleven years since my lap band surgery.  More shocking is that I just turned 49 (and yet EVEN MORE shocking is that I'm turning 50 next year)!

In Ireland this fall.

You know what is great?  I've gotten to live through the past ten years free from being fat, feeling like sh*t about my body, and associating guilt with enjoying food.  That has been such a gift, and while it's a regular part of my life now, I remind myself periodically not to take it for granted.  I also still take good care of myself -- I pay attention to what I eat more often than not (without stressing about it), and I work out.  The only downsides to being banded (which are minor and so worth it) is that I have reflux sometimes during the night and can still get stuck, which means I can't eat just anything (e.g. it would be hard to tell you the last time I had pizza, for example -- not a food that's going to go down for me unless the crust is perfectly thin and crisp). 

Harbour Island, Bahamas

What a year it's been!  My husband and I renovated our apartment (in NYC), which meant that we had to move out and sublet another apartment for more than six months while the work was being done.  The workers just finished the punch list -- YESTERDAY -- and it's beautiful!  Now, on to the decorating phase! :)  

Hilton Head, SC

The renovation has taken an incredible amount of my focus, and has also messed up my workout schedule a bit during the last 6-7 months.  However, I haven't completely fallen off the wagon, I just haven't been getting as much exercise in as I'd like.  Nonetheless, I am committed to getting back into my usual groove of 3-4 workouts a week.  Funny enough, my weight is down 5 pounds (i.e. the "pesky 5" I've been moaning about for a few years), though I seriously think it's more to do with lost muscle mass than me eating less.

I hope all of you are doing well, and would love to hear from you!  Wishing you all much happiness and on today of all days, I am thinking about how thankful I am to have had your support and friendship on this journey.  Happy Thanksgiving!