Fifty-six!

About time! The scale finally moved in the right direction this morning! I am down 56.4. YAY!

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I had a fun weekend. On Saturday night, I went out with my friend Hayley to a great restaurant called The Spotted Pig. It is a very cute gastropub that is partly owned by Jay-Z and tends to attract a lot of celebrities. Hayley and I got a spot at the bar downstairs, and wound up talking to a very cute guy who was there by himself, grabbing a burger and a beer.

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We actually wound up deciding to have dinner at the bar because we were having such a great time, and were talking to this guy all the while. He was very interesting, attractive, we had a ton of things in common, and he was making lots of eye contact and being a bit flirty. About an hour after dinner, Hayley headed home because she thought he liked me and wanted to give him a chance to ask for my phone number.

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Long story short, I hung out with this guy for another two hours (so that makes about 5 1/2 hours of great conversation where we covered a bunch of personal topics), and he finally breaks out that he "should probably have mentioned this earlier, but. ." he has a girlfriend. Kind of uncool, no? I certainly thought so, especially since he actually referenced the girl (without saying they were in a relationship) pretty early on in the night. Lame!!

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In other news, I'm going to update my "Sisterhood" post from a few days ago with a new photo from Angie that is really cute! Take a look.

Cooking with Catherine Part V

I haven't posted a recipe since April, and thought it was high time I do another one! Yesterday, I made a really delicious soup, based on a recipe from Rancho La Puerta that a friend had given to me. I made a few changes, including adding in chicken breast, since it is so important to get enough protein.

Delicious Spicy Soup with Chicken and Vegetables

Olive oil (about a tablespoon)

1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 medium boiling potato, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 fresh jalapeno chili, cut lengthwise into fourths (use a small one or half of a medium sized one if you don't want it to be really spicy)

2 tbsp minced fresh oregano leaves

2 medium zucchinis, cut into 1/4 in slices (or 1 zucchini and 1 yellow squash)

6 c chicken broth (6 cups = 1 1/2 of the containers shown in the photo)

1 c fresh corn (cut from about 2 ears)

1 c fresh cilantro, minced
1 chicken breast, sliced

Put a bit of salt and pepper on the chicken breast and sauté it in some olive oil for about 5 minutes (you don't want it to be raw inside). Then, put the chicken aside and, later on while the other ingredients are cooking, cut or shred the chicken into bite sized pieces.
In 4-quart pot (I used my big wok), heat the rest of the olive oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté onion, celery, carrot and potato, stirring until onion is golden. Add bell peppers, garlic, jalapeno, oregano, zucchini and yellow squash and sauté, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add broth and heat it to a simmer. Let it simmer until the potato and carrot are tender, about 5 minutes.

Puree the soup for a few seconds (maybe 5-10) in a blender – remember to leave the lid open a bit (otherwise, it will pop off and hot soup will go all over). Just pulse until the soup is a coarse puree, then return it to the pot. Stir in the corn, chicken and salt and pepper to taste. Then, simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in the cilantro after you take the soup off the heat.

Not sure how appetizing this looks, but it smells and tastes wonderful!

Great Movie -- The September Issue

The movie The September Issue opened yesterday, and my friend Marjorie and I went to see it last night. If you saw The Devil Wears Prada, this is essentially the real life version -- a documentary about the making of the September 2007 issue of Vogue. Here is a link to the trailer.

I've been reading Vogue since my early teens and really love fashion. . I read WWD every single day, without fail. And, while my size has limited my access to serious designer clothing for the past several years, I really admire beautiful clothes and great style. With that said, I loved this look into the creative process at Vogue and the business of fashion. And, it was fascinating to get such a close look at the impenetrable Anna Wintour!

An added treat was that André Leon Talley (larger than life editor-at-large of Vogue) and R.J. Cutler (the director) were at the screening, and took questions afterwards. We didn't realize that this was going on until after we got to the theater, and it was such an unexpected surprise. Really made our night, and it was a lot of fun to be a part of this!

I know the movie is coming out in limited release, but if it's playing near you and you are at all interested, it's definitely worth seeing.

The Sisterhood Strikes Again!

I was so happy yesterday because I was catching up on Mary's blog and saw that she posted photos of herself in a dress that I sent her! This is such a cute dress, and I never actually wore it, so I am especially thrilled that it looks so great on her and is something that she likes!

Mary's New Dress

This makes me so happy! Thanks for sharing, Mary!

I'm also going to include a link to Angie's blog and the post she put up several months ago when she received the first bandster care package that I ever sent. I love this post. :) I hope this motivates everyone to share their old clothes with other bandsters!

Update. . Angie just sent me this great photo of her wearing the dress! I thought it was so cute that I had to include it in this post.

In clothing-related news, I was thinking about what to pack for my trip to Palm Springs (CA) next weekend and realized that many of my summer dresses are too big! So, I took two of them to the tailor for quick alterations so that I can wear them on the trip. That should hold me over just fine.

*October 2009 Update*

I wanted to include some more links to others wearing clothing that I sent to them, so here goes. . . Here is. .

Mary in a pair of black pants from me!

Sarah sporting denim Gap capri pants, which she got via Amy, who got them from Angie, who got them from me! These may be the best-traveled pants of the bunch, so far!

Sarah getting ready to work out in some Adidas workout clothes that I sent to her

Jen looking fab in some jeans and a sweater from me, after our fun day together of shopping in my closet!

And -- one of my very favorites because this piece of clothing finally got to have a shining moment in a major accomplishment of physical fitness!! Here is Sarah, looking amazing doing her first ever 5K (!!) in an Adidas top that I sent to her.

I love it that so many of you are sharing your clothes with other bandsters, and that a few things I've sent out have made it to two or three people already. This really is such an incredible network of support and positivity, and the traveling clothes is just another aspect of that!

Dating in the Internet Age

Now that I finally have the whole PP/wedding situation behind me, I've been thinking that it is high time for me to kick dating-mode into high gear. So, earlier this week, I joined Match.com. Despite some reservations I have, this really is an easy way to get back into the whole dating thing.


The first day, I was really encouraged because a REALLY gorgeous guy e-mailed me saying "You are beautiful. Let's make a plan to get together." Wow! I was like -- I am so on the right track! And then I read his profile, which made much ado about him being "Ivy League educated" (whatevs, I have some fancy credentials of my own) . . and THEN, mentioned that he's been told many times that he has a great @$$ and also said something about getting compliments on his "package" (yes, it was mentioned just like that. . in quotes and all), and how only certain types of girls need apply. Barf. Clearly, I shut that guido down and put an end to that.


Since then, I've received so many messages -- it's very flattering. Heck, that alone was worth the sign-up fee. Well, until I see who they are from, at least! 99.9% of these guys are not anyone I'd be interested in dating. Lest you think I am a snob (not that you'd be wrong. . hee hee), I was IMed by someone named "SuperSoaker69" earlier this evening. He asked "if your life was a movie, would it be a drama, a horror movie or a porno." I was like, "you had me at 'SuperSoaker69,' when can we meet?!" NOT!! Gosh. I can't understand why he's single. (Meanwhile, he's probably married with children. . . quelle cochon.)

There are some cute, nice-seeming guys on there though. And, God knows I'm not meeting them on my own, so I'm willing to give this some time. What happened to the whole Prince-Charming-Riding-Up-On-White-Horse strategy?? Whoever sold me that line was totally full of it (sorry, Mom -- I love you anyway!). :)

But, I do remember how amazing it is to be in love with someone who you just can't wait to be around. And, I want that again. I know there isn't just one person for everyone -- and, especially with all of the hope and positiveness that my great experience with the band has left me feeling -- I am feeling like it is possible that I might feel all of this again. And, I'm hopeful that it will happen before long.

Dinner and (unrelated) Dilemma

I had a great time at dinner with Linda the other night. It was so nice to catch up with her -- it had been six years. Not sure if I mentioned this before, but I'm actually heavier NOW than I was when I last saw her, darn it! Only by about 10 pounds, but still!

I still struggle with my decision to keep being banded private from people at work. Actually, it's not a struggle in a global sense -- I really don't want everyone gossiping about this. But, there is a woman there who I really like who has been struggling with her weight for a long time. She and I talk about it sometimes, and she has been very positive about my progress and how I am doing. Yesterday, she was telling me how she wants to go back to the gym, and that she's been feeling badly about her weight.

On some levels, I really wanted to tell her about my surgery and to encourage her to get the band. BUT, I also know that a juicy piece of information like that doesn't stand much of a chance of staying private at the office. I have to put my privacy first here and remember that there is plenty of information about the band out there that she could find on her own. Although the decision about whether to tell her or not is clear to me, I do feel badly about not being able to share this information and possibly help her. :(

Fun with OCD . .

Just kidding about the title -- but I did go to town on my linen closet today! Not the most thrilling way I've ever spent a Sunday afternoon, but it has gone from disorganized to neat & tidy.

I may not have lived out an episode of SATC today,
but that closet looks gooooood! :)

I also made time to get in a 2 mile run at the gym. No problems with my hip this time, happily! I also finally went over and picked up 50 lbs worth of dumbells -- a 20 and a 30. I could not believe how heavy it felt!! It is hard to understand how my body was able to walk around carrying that much extra every day, since I would not have been able to walk far with those weights in my hands. Interesting. . .

Now I am waiting for my friend and former client/boss Linda to get in from the Bahamas. Should be a fun dinner tonight!

Thoughts and Comparison Shots (Before. . During. . and Still During. . .)

The first photo was taken in Germany in May 2008, five months before I was banded. I am wearing size 20 jeans, which I kept for comparison/archival purposes.

The second was taken here in NYC on April 18, 2009, about six months post-op. I am 36.8 pounds down, wearing size 18 jeans (which I have since sent to another bandster -- these may be the ones I sent to Mary this week).

The third is the photo from yesterday, also taken in NYC. I am just over 10 months post-op, down 55 pounds, and have lost nearly 30 inches (29.65 . . I finally counted my inches from my arms and legs twice, since I have two of each after all. . .). The jeans are a size 12! (I know. . I know. . . I posted this already, but I'm still thrilled!) BTW, if you click on the photo, it gets bigger.

As of right now, I have about 20 pounds to get to my goal and to get me to the high range of the "ideal" BMI for my height. I also realize, looking at the photos on my blog, that I have definitely gotten plenty of use out of my YSL Muse bag, since it's pretty much in every photo! :) I swear. . I really do have other handbags. . .

This change has been so gradual to me that it's hard for me to understand how big of a difference there is in my appearance, unless I put photos next to one another or try on my old pants. I also don't feel like it's been especially difficult to make the changes that I've made so far or to adjust to eating like a bandster. I don't feel deprived of food, have any problem going to any restaurant I want to go to, and I am more comfortable in my skin then I can ever remember being.

Another thing that I noticed is that the last 20-25 pounds I have lost made a bigger difference than the first 30-35. For example, during the first 6 months post-op, my pants changed only from a 20 to an 18. But during the last 4 months, I've gone from an 18 to a 12. As I mentioned earlier, my number of inches lost during the first 30 pounds was nearly the same amount that I lost in the following 20.

I am not perfect at following the rules of eating for bandsters. I have never gotten the hang of not drinking during meals. I also let myself have wine on a regular basis, despite the calories (some things I enjoy enough that I don't mind if I lose slower than others). And, once in a while, I even let myself have things like ice cream or chocolate -- though I don't see any reason not to do that with the band, as long as it's not a regular thing. A girl has got to live, after all!

Quick Update

Today I went to have my hair done, then had brunch with my friend Marjorie, followed by shopping in Soho. And, I could fit into things! I was able to ask for my size without being embarrassed or knowing not to ask because there was no way they would have it! I bought the cutest shirt at The New York Look (great store. . terrible name). Will post a photo soon.

On my way home, I had a tourist take my photo so that I could show you the size 12 (!!) jeans! Here they are. . . (I wish I'd let go of my shirt before the photo was taken!). . .

NSV and Seeing Old Friends

I mentioned earlier that we had a jeans day at work on Friday. Well, I put on the size 14 jeans that I'd been so happy to get on the day I hit 50 and. . guess what? They are too big already! They still are wearable, but they are definitely on the baggy side. Sooooo. . . I popped over to The Gap during lunch and bought a new pair. . in a TWELVE! And, they fit! I also bought a pair of grey pants in a 12 (in view of my shortage of work clothes). They are a little snug, but should be fine in a pound or two (if the scale would ever move again. . )! :)

I went back to see if I could find an old photo on my Shutterfly account from 2000 or 2001, but I don't have any that old on there. I did find my favorite photo of me with my niece, Grace, from August 2004! She has the sweetest look on her cute little face! :)


On Sunday, my friend and client who I worked with every day from September 2000 to October 2001 (in the Bahamas! Best assignment ever!) will be in town. Her name is Linda. Linda and I have plans to have dinner that night. I've been back to Nassau a few times since I lived there, but once I got very uncomfortable about my weight, I stopped going. There were just too many people who I didn't want to see me that way.


Funny thing . . I can't remember for the life of me what I weighed the last time I saw Linda (who is built like a model/athlete . . tall and thin, wears gorgeous clothing and accessorizes like a dream). I wonder if I will look the same to her, or if she'll think I've put on weight! This time last year, I would have probably made up an excuse not to see her because I would not have wanted her to see me at my then-current size. Or, I would have been really stressed and dreading it. But now, I just feel good and am excited to catch up with my old friend. This is a huge NSV, and I feel very free from the burden of feeling bad about my weight! In fact, I feel pretty darned good!

Fashion Emergency Follow-up!

Again, I have some seriously unflattering lighting in my apartment! I promise that the circles under my eyes don't look like this in real life! :)

Fashion Emergency.

This morning, I went about the business of getting ready for work, as usual. So far this week, I've already worn the dress I posted photos of yesterday, the size 14 dress from Tahari that I posted a photo of on July 2nd, and a grey and white pinstriped skirt from 2004 that is a bit big, but is still wearable.

I only bought one outfit during the shopping trip last week, and my office dress code is business attire (read: suits or dresses of similar formality). So, this morning, I tried on about 30 outfits to see if there was anything else I could wear. My lighter-weight suits are all huge on me at this point, and I'm trying to wait to get them tailored until I get to goal. I also tried on some old pants from the 2003-2004 era when I was wearing 12s and 14s, but the skirt lengths and pants styles are outdated and do not look polished enough for the office.

I must have tried on 20 different outfits. And every single one of them was either hopelessly huge, horribly dowdy, or too casual. I literally did not have one thing that I would have been comfortable wearing to the office. That is a first.

I am so frustrated and annoyed with myself for not realizing that I was so short on wearable things for work. I just went shopping last weekend and thought the one dress I bought would tide me through this period. But, I hadn't factored on all of my staple work clothing suddenly going from a bit loose to unwearably baggy. I guess that last 5 pounds was the turning point.

So, today I am taking a personal day. Tomorrow we have a jeans day (we do this from time to time to raise money for various charities -- you can wear jeans if you donate $5), so I'm all set with an outfit. But this weekend, I am going to get a few things to tide me over.

While, on the one hand, I'm thrilled about what this says about my progress, I am upset, frustrated and annoyed to find myself in this position, especially since I expressly went shopping to avoid this exact problem. Well, this is the last time that I'm letting that happen. I've been conservative in shopping because I don't want to waste money (particularly in this economy) on things I will only wear a few times, but it's clear that I've been a little too conservative. I'm going to try to find one or two more dresses this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes.

New Outfit!

I am so happy with the dress I got this weekend that I took a quick photo before work. I have a grey knit shrug to wear over it so that I'm not too arm-y (or freezing) in the office. . . Here it is with the shrug. These are hugely oversized (Banana Republic is selling them right now), so I had to buy a small. While I know it doesn't mean anything given how these sweaters are cut, it was a total novelty to me to buy a "small"!
A year ago, it would not have occurred to me that I'd be able to wear an outfit like this today. Go, band!

Awwww!

I have a bunch of posts up lately about my mom, but none of my dad! That just isn't right! :) Nicely enough, my dad just called last night to let me know that he'd caught up on my blog and to say how blown away he was by my Jared-from-Subway shot (me in the big pants)! It was great to hear how impressed and surprised he was by my progress. :) I'm really looking forward to seeing the family at Thanksgiving. I am pretty sure that they will be even more surprised to see me in person!

I talk to my dad on the phone all the time, but I don't have any photos of him from this year on my computer. So, I thought I'd post my all-time favorite photo of him. It's just such a cool shot! I am pretty sure that this was taken during our Christmas vacation in Italy in 1983.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Clothes!

I got such a thrill tonight when I caught up on some of my favorite bandster blogs! I tuned in to Linda's blog and saw (!) a photo of her in the jeans I sent her a while ago! And, they totally fit her and (despite what she may say) look great!! How awesome is that?!? Here is a link: http://lindasbandwidth.blogspot.com/2009/08/things-i-did-right-things-i-did-wrong.html

Honestly, I'm totally thrilled! I wanted to invite anyone who has (or will later) received clothing from me (whether from me directly or from another bandster who received from me) to put a link to a photo of yourself in the comments to this post -- or to send me a photo at chroniclesfrombandland@gmail.com so that I can post it!

Linda, thank you so much for this unexpected wonderful treat, and thank you to anyone else who responds to this shout out to members of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Clothes! :)

Peace out, Plus Sizes. . .

Since my mom is here, I thought I'd try on a few things and get her take on what I should get rid of (BTW if you need size 18, e-mail me at chroniclesfrombandland@gmail.com -- I won't be able to send to everyone, but if you include a photo and I have things that I think would look good on you, I will send them).

These photos are of me in the pants that were getting tight when I started this process. I can't believe that they ever fit. I just bought a dress today that is EIGHT sizes smaller than these pants. Thank you, God! (And Dr. Rumbaut. . and Dr. Ren. . .and my family and friends. . . and my Boot Camp Instructors. . . and hell, while I'm at it, thank me too!!) :) :)

What a difference 10 months makes. . . .

Holy you-know-what, Batman! Check out the difference. Here is a photo of my mother and me last night. . .

Versus this photo of us the day after my surgery . . . October 24, 2008. Hm. . . something is different about these photos. Did I change my hair or something?? :) Hee hee. . .

My mom looks pretty darned great, too! Since the October photo, not only has she lost a few pounds that she wanted to get off, but she also stopped smoking more than two months ago and has really stuck with it! I am so proud of her!!

Weekend, Shopping & Such

Just a quick post today! My mom is in town for the weekend, and we're going to do a bit of shopping. In the past week or so, it seems that most of my work clothes are just WAAAAY too big. So, I need a few pieces to get me through the next 20 lbs.

Most of my suits are from St. John (read: knit suits, very expensive, but very forgiving when you gain/lose weight because the knit shapes to your body). So, I'm planning to have them tailored down. In fact, I already had one tailored a bit, but with it being knit. . it's not exactly what I want to wear on a sweltering subway platform on my way to work.

I also don't want to pay a kazillion dollars to have the suits brought down to a 14, only to have to do the same thing again in a few months. So, I'm trying to hold off until we're AT LEAST in the cooler weather of the fall.

Fingers crossed for our excursion today! Hopefully we'll find some good things. Am going to try not to go crazy because I'm heading to Palm Springs over Labor Day and plan to invade the St. John's outlet while I'm there (and Jimmy Choo. . and Gucci. . .and, and. . . OMG, I can't believe the outlets they have there!!)!

NSV Update From The Weekend

I know I'm going crazy with posting today, but since I missed a few days, I am making up for lost time!

Someone else took this photo at Adam & Erica's rehearsal dinner, just a few seconds after the one I posted earlier was taken. I thought this was a better one and wanted to post it, since I don't think I've ever seen a better photo of my body! Who knew that (with my band's help) I would see the day where I didn't feel the need to crop a photo that showed my stomach and hips! Fantastic!
Also, I had a big NSV this past weekend. I was with my friend Maria, going in and out of little boutiques and cute shops in Montclair, NJ, which is near where she lives. For the past many years, there hasn't been a thing in any boutique that I could hope to fit into -- but on a whim, I tried on a dress. And it fit! It totally fit!! (It was too short for my tastes, so I didn't buy it, but it fit!!!) I couldn't believe it. Major NSV!!

CATHERINE55 HITS 55!!!!!

WOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
FIFTY-FIVE!!!!!!

People, I am only about 20 lbs overweight at this point! I am back in 2004, weight-wise. This is so great. I'd really been looking forward to hitting the big 55 down mark, since I do love the number 5!

WOO-HOO!!!