Catching Up!

Life in general has been busy lately, but filled with fun things, too. Two weeks ago, Steve and I participated in New York C-a-re-s Day with his company, and we spent that Saturday painting at a school on the Lower East Side. It was a LOT of fun. Not sure if you've picked up that I love anything arts & crafts-y, but I do, so I was pretty much in heaven the whole day!

Steve painted a classroom or two while I had fun with the murals!

Admittedly, this was my least favorite of the murals I worked on, but it's the only one I got a photo with!

Another mural I worked on...

Last week was crazy busy, both at work and socially. I actually didn't get in a single workout, which scared me a bit (I'm not going back!!!)! So, I committed to working out 3 or more times this week and have already done that (I took spin classes on Monday, Tuesady and Wednesday). But back to last week.... we had two black tie events. One was a benefit on Tuesday night for the M--y-s-t--i-c S-e-a--p-or-t, at which we were the guests of friends who had gotten a table. It was a really nice event -- the speeches were surprisingly good, the dinner was good, and the company even better.

The other black tie event was on Friday -- a very opulent 40th birthday party for a friend and ... 500 of his closest friends! It was so extravagant -- I've been to weddings that weren't even close to as nice. The decorations were cool (white sofas, hanging chandeliers, beautiful plants.. all in an old church that is now a party space), the food was amazing (lobster, crab, oysters, sliders, a million different tiny desserts, etc.), and they had a fantastic 10 piece band and an amazing DJ. We danced a ton and had a fantastic time! (I can't believe I have no photos!!)

We actually left that party to get home by midnight because Saturday was another big day. There is a steeplechase race that takes place every year out by where Steve grew up, and he has a longstanding tradition of doing a big tailgate. So, we were up bright and early to catch a 9 a.m. train out to the races to get everything set up!

At the races...

The races was an all-day event. We had about 40 or so friends come by, enjoyed a ton (too much on my part..) of food, had some bloody Marys and wine, and did a little informal wagering on the races! The event went from about noon until 5 or so, and then we went to Steve's lake club with a group of about 10 friends to see the sun set over the gorgeous lake. It was so picturesque -- changing leaves, geese landing in the lake, the works. THEN, after that, we had 12 people over to his parents' house for a casual dinner. It was freezing out, so we lit a fire, heated up the dinner, and all sat around eating and talking. It was a great group, and I think it's safe to say that everyone had a great time! People left in small groups as the night went on. Eventually, only a few of us were left, and Steve and another friend were playing, respectively, guitar and banjo together.... I was listening on a sofa near the fire and fell fast asleep. I missed the last hour or so of fun! (But thankfully, Steve tells me that I was NOT snoring.... 'cause you never know.... It has been known to happen....!)

OK, one more update. Last night, Steve and I were having dinner and heard a crowd shouting in the street. It sounded like a riot. It turns out that a big group of the O--c--c-u-p-y W-a--l-l S-t-r--ee-t people were coming down my street. The p*lice had blocked off the street with a line of motorcycles (the lights you see in the photos). And, as the crowd got to them, there were punches thrown, protesters trying to push over the bikes, and a whole bunch of arrests. We watched the whole thing from my window -- and I took the photo shown below. It was wild -- and a bit scary. I am very ready for this protest to end.

That's all my news for now! I hope everyone is having a great week!

Happy THIRD Bandiversary to me!

Today is my third bandiversary. Today marks three years since I took a well-researched, calculated risk. It marks just about three years since I was able to stop feeling like sh*t about my weight every single day and since I first started breaking free from the food prison.

So, how has my life changed? Well, I went from weighing 230 pounds to holding steady right around the 150 pound mark -- five pounds under my goal. I've become someone who looks forward to exercising and who talks about her workout at cocktail parties (OK, I know that's not necessarily a good thing, but I've bonded with a lot of other women about it..)!


I also understand that working out is the key to maintenance for me. Over the past year, my weight hasn't changed that much. I've been able to easily maintain within a range of about five pounds, and as long as I'm able to hit the gym 3-4 times a week, it's no issue at all to maintain on the lower end of that spectrum. This year, I did three trips -- all to the Adirondacks -- that involved serious hikes that I would never have even attempted at my start weight, and I enjoyed all three, though even at my current level of fitness, they were challenging.


In addition to fitness and maintenance, this year also has been a lot about being in love and enjoying my relationship with Steve. It feels so incredible to be with someone who appreciates me so much, and I love not having to worry if I look fat .. or if he thinks I'm fat... or if ... blah blah blah, anything having to do with fat. It's just not a worry anymore. I can't believe how lucky I am to have found a tool that would make it possible to let that type of negativity go. I never imagined that would be possible -- or that it was part of what banded life would offer to me.


I'm a lucky bandster, for many reasons -- including that Lap Band Girl always has her bandiversary just before me, and she always posts something interesting and thought provoking that gets me thinking. For example, her post last year led to me figuring out that I'd spent $120.25 per pound to get to goal. (It was worth every penny.) This year, she wrote a letter to her "fat self" that inspired me to write a letter to the version of myself who was thinking about having this surgery, but still had a lot of doubts. Here is my letter:




Dear Me c. 2008,

Don't be scared about this decision. This is going to be the right thing for you. The surgery doesn't turn out to be that big of a deal, and the payoff is going to be so good that you would have gladly suffered through ten times worse if you could see how this is going to turn out three years down the road. The best news I can give you is that you are going to get to your goal. You are going to get to be thin, fit and healthy. Believe it or not, you're going to become someone who other people ask for advice on staying in shape -- even people who don't know you were ever overweight. You're going to be one of the fittest people in your trendy spin class, and you'll get to wear super cute outfits there... and everywhere else.

It's a FACT that you are going to get to feel good about your weight, your body, and what you eat. Your relationship with food is going to change quite a bit, but only in ways that you are going to like. You'll still enjoy flavors just as much. You'll still love going out to nice dinners, brunch, cooking and entertaining at home. It's just that you'll get to enjoy all of those feelings without feeling guilty -- or disgusting -- or sick to your stomach from overeating afterwards. You'll get to eat ice cream in public, shame-free. You'll get to shop absolutely EVERYWHERE, and they will have clothing in your size, and you won't have to make due with things that are just OK because they fit you -- you'll be able to do much better than that.

You will never have to worry if a guy thinks you are fat. (Because you'll know that if he does, the problem is all his because you are definitely NOT fat.) In fact, your 40-year old bootie is going to look so much better than its teen-aged iteration that you're actually going to LIKE it for the first time ever!! You are going to get to wear bikinis in the summer! And, shopping for them won't even leave you with post-traumatic stress-disorder!!

You will be able to wear heels without being in undue pain the whole time!! Also, your feet won't hurt all the time -- your heels won't crack -- and you won't have to stretch out your back after you've been walking around for a while. Also, your legs won't rub together when you walk. I don't want you to get too far ahead of yourself, but I can tell you that CORDUROY is in your future! (No, you don't start a fire. I know -- I'm as shocked as you are!!)

You'll get to go to foreign countries and feel like a sexy jet setter, instead of a fat American. You'll get ushered in with a smile and great service at the Hotel C*stes in Paris, among other spots. It will actually feel GOOD to be hot in the summer, and you won't have to be nervous about wearing your swimsuit. Bumping into old friends will be a pleasure. You won't look ridiculous dancing (well... as long as you don't break out the robot... AGAIN. Seriously, you're 40 for crying out loud -- no one needs to see that)!

You're going to get to feel lovely -- and healthy -- physically strong, mentally strong, attractive, admired, and proud of yourself for finding a way to solve this lifelong struggle with your weight.

Also, you know that @$$hole saying "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels"? I know -- totally obnoxious, right? Well, it turns out that it's true.

So, my dear self, circa 2008, please don't be afraid. Don't worry about the surgery -- you're doing the right thing, and all of the things you are so worried about really don't turn out to be a problem. I know that not everyone gets lucky like this, but you fall in the right percentages during at least your first three years.

Go ahead with confidence. There are so many good things waiting for you.

Love,

Catherine

BYOC!

1. What's your most favorite noise and your least favorite noise?

Most fave > I love the *POP* of a champagne cork!

Least fave > Hearing the "clip" noise of fingernail clippers IN THE OFFICE. Seriously!! Raised. By. WOLVES!!!

2. If you were a character in the movie Grease – who would you be?

For sure Sandy.

3. What was the name of your best friend in elementary school? Are you still friends?

My best friend was this girl named Patty, who I thought was The Bomb. Her parents had the sickest house, and she had the best birthday parties. Plus, we lived in Holland at that time, and her parents always had VCR (or VHS?) tapes of American TV shows and would let us stay up till all hours watching tv when we had sleepovers. We snuck our first cigarettes together (and pretended we burried a dead bird when we burried the butts), tortured the guys we had crushes on a bit (my favorite was a note "Do you like [guy's name?] Yes No." We'd check "NO" and then "let" the guy get the note from us... Terrible!!). We also invented a ton of secret code languages and would write out elaborate keys to them and send each other notes in code -- totally awesome stuff. After I moved back to the states, she turned out to be a rotten pen pal, and we fell out of contact. Years later, I found her through the Internet and we e-mailed a few times --- she was an architect, living in London, and I'd just started my first job as an attorney in NYC. She was still as bad as ever about keeping in touch though, and the acquaintance fell off. Earlier this year, I saw that my big brother friended her older sister on FB, and I found her and sent her a friend request.... which she ignored. WTH, Patty?!?!

4. Who is your current celebrity crush?

Ryan Gosling. Ryan Gosling. Ryan Gosling.

5. Repeat question: How was your week in real life and in blog land?

I'm not going to sugar coat it. This week was stressful in real life and I've been feeling cranky, sick, tired and fed up as a result. I am dealing with some seriously annoying bullsh*t at the place where I go (as Dinnerland calls it), and I've been engaged in some irritating apartment lease renegotiation -- and, while I've talked the apartment folks down from the INSANE increase they proposed, this has forced the issue of Should-We-Be-Talking-About-Moving-In-Imminently ... and I'm left with the fact that my boyfriend isn't ready to move things forward yet, though we've been together constantly through the past 10 months and have been really happy. So, I'm left wondering whether this is another PP situation and I should just run for the hills right now, or whether I should be patient and give him some more time. And I'm turning 41 next month and I want to have kids. .. so tickety-freaking-tock. And, to add to the sh*tstorm that was this week, I have a miserable cold. AND I had to go to the OBGYN this week for my 6 month check-up, which I'd forgotten or I would have moved it. And the OBGYN kept me waiting for over an hour. And I can not even tell you how f-ing sick I am of those stupid freaking "Occupy Wall Street" protesters. AND, waaaaaaaaaaaaah.

Aren't you so glad you asked?? But seriously, I would totally be Sandy. (Because in spite of all of this stuff, I can't help thinking that I did get in an awesome workout last night, my weight is good, there is a Sidecar with my name on it at a restaurant that I'm going to be at within the hour, and even with all this bullsh*t I have going on, life is still pretty good.)

Chicago! (Post 2 of 3)

Sooooo! Finally, I'm going to put up some more Chicago trip news! On Saturday, after Jazzercise and brunch with Joey, Nicole and Susan, we did a bit of shopping, then head back to the hotel. I took an hour or so to just rest and relax, then decided to invite some of the girls over for a little pre-game glass of wine! Ten or so of us congregated in my room, where we enjoyed the lovely bottle of wine that Joey made beautiful commemorative labels for -- a great way to unwind!

And, at some point, we all realized that it was time to get dressed and head over to dinner! Again, I have to hand it to the organizers! This year's venue was even better than last year's, the food was delicious, and the company was even better!!

With Krystal, who I got to hang out with quite a bit on Friday night -- so great to finally meet her in person!

With Beth Ann (link to her blog in my earlier Chicago post), who introduced me to Jazzercise, and who looked stunning in that red dress!

With the adorable Angela! I had such a great time hanging out with her, Fluffy, Maria and so many others at the ice cream and PJs after party! (Donna, I'm so curious about henna now!!)

With Barbara, Thelma and Louise!!
Amanda and Maria -- I loved seeing those girls!

Angela, Dawnya and Jessica!
What a fantastic trip!! I loved the whole thing, from start to finish, and I was so happy to see so many bandsters who I've met before and to meet so many others for the first time. The entire weekend was so positive and so much fun, and I'm really glad that I went. I feel like it helped remind me of how far I've come during the past nearly-three-years, which I sometimes forget now than I've been holding steady just below my goal for more than a year.

Summer Weather!

Before I finish posting my Chicago pictures, I have to tell you guys that it was in the high 70s and low 80s here this weekend! On Saturday, Steve and I went out to a friend's house in Wainscot (the Hamptons) to spend the rest of the weekend, along with several other friends. We lounged on the beach, soaking in that last bit of summer sun (so nice after a few chilly weeks), cooked some really good meals, and felt very lucky that we were somehow given one last summer weekend! The cold, rainy weather starts again on Wednesday.... am very thankful that we got to hit the beach before then...

Great Time In Chicago! (Post 1 of 3)

Chicago was really fantastic! I'd had a ton going on in my personal life and at work right before the trip, and I was really not sure that I wanted to go because I remembered how overwhelming last year was (in a good way, but it was a lot to take in)! Then I looked at the "cheat sheet" of everyone coming, saw so many familiar faces, and decided to go. -- And I'm so glad I did!!

I got in a little late on Friday -- the party had been going on for a while -- so I went right up to my room to quickly drop off my bag. But -- guess who I saw in the hall as I got to my room?! Joey and Gilly, two of my favorite bandsters! It was so fantastic to bump into them... and we got to hang out (and have a little wine -- thanks, ladies!) while I put down my bag and freshened up a little!

Joey and Nicole at the meet & greet!

With Tessie Rose, who had a fantastic new hair style!I have to hand it to the organizers. The conference was put together so well, everything went so seamlessly. The gift bags were AMAZING, thanks to their efforts to find sponsors and put together really great treats for us (I've already worn my blue pashmina twice)! Also, they put together door prizes and awarded them on Friday night, which was a lot of fun! I won an awesome Hydros water bottle, which not only filters water -- but part of the profits go to sustainable water projects and to provide clean water to people who need it most.

I was so happy to see my favorite old bandster friends -- everyone I'd met last year, and others who I've met in New York through the year, like Tina and Justine.

Here is a photo of me with Kristen, who I really loved meeting! She told me that something I wrote motivated her into blogging again and getting back in action with her band -- and she's lost 50 pounds since then! We were both standing there crying when she told me! It was one of the best moments of the whole trip for me because it just made me so happy to hear this.

Check out these bandster beauties I'm posing with!! Lynda, Jessica and Amanda! (Amanda, can you comment with a link to your blog? I need to start following you!)

With Tina at the Friday night meet & greet!

With Justine, who had done so amazingly well with her band since I last saw her that I couldn't spot her at the meet & greet at first! One thing that I really noticed was how people had physically changed since last year! A few of us older bandsters hadn't changed much since last year (which is great!) but some of the newbies had done so incredibly!! I want to give a big shout out on that front to Maria (down over 100 pounds!!), Jessica (who looks like a model, see above -- I love that striped dress!) and Justine! I'll also include Fluffy (she is six years out -- looks AMAZING) in that too, even though I hadn't seen her before! She's so tiny, trim and fit that she said that she would send me my First Ever (!!!) Sisterhood package! I know I've sent out a ton of them, but since I'm nearly three years post-op, I've never been able to receive one! I'm totally psyched! (Er, but no pressure Fluff, if you can't find anything!!) :) :)

On Saturday morning, the awesomely motivated and fun Beth got a group of us together at 8:45 A.M. (yes, a.m.!) and we went and did a Jazzercise class together!! It was Beth, me, Dawnya, Debi, and Becky -- what a great group of women! The most awesome part of that was that we actually got up and did it. Actually, during the workout, I started thiking about how amazing it was that we'd all changed so much that we actually were the kind of people who would get up for an 8:45 workout on a trip -- and I totally got choked up.... right in the middle of some move where I had to skip back and forth toward the instructor. AWKWARD!! (But kind of wonderful .. er, and I just pretended to have allergies...!) LOL

After that, I joined Joey, Nicole and Susan for brunch at this great restaurant near Millennium Park, which was awesome. I love those girls!! We did a little shopping after that, then headed back to the hotel for a little R&R before dinner!

Brunch pics!

Walking to the shops!

More on the rest of the weekend soon!!

WHEW!

I have good news!! I heard from my doctor's office yesterday afternoon, and the CAT Scan didn't show anything wrong with me. They looked at the whole thing, and my stomach, esophagus, ovaries, etc. all look good, and there was no fluid collected in my abdomen. WHEW!!!!

It seems that this may just have been a pulled muscle. Thank God!! Funny enough, yesterday is the first day in a week that I woke up feeling good, without any pain. Maybe the CAT Scan has medicinal effects?? Maybe the thing that was wrong was in my intestines and the barium (er, sorry.... gross) flushed it out?? Who knows? Not me, and not my doctor.

Regardless, I'm glad that I got in to the doctor for the scan -- even if choking down a quart of barium (seriously, it was so much .. and it was just SO SO SO gross) was one of the most unpleasant things I've done in recent memory. It's just comforting to know that they were able to take a look at my guts (!) and see that all is well.

Thanks for all of your concern and well-wishes!! Am so happy to report that this seems to have been less serious than anticipated!

Baby Steps...

I finally got my CAT Scan yesterday. The actual procedure was nothing -- I just had to lie down on a very comfortable moving plank, and it slid me in and out of a doughnut-shaped scanner (it wasn't the full-body-type scanner shown in the photo in my last post).

The worst part of the whole thing was having to drink two GIANT containers of "berry smoothie" flavored barium. The containers were each bigger than a container of Gatoraid, and the texture and flavor of the drink were just disgusting. It took me a good 35 minutes to get both of them down (oh, how I wish my band would have let me chug them to get it over with). I seriously almost hurled several times. And then, (sorry ... TMI...) the barium actually gave me an upset stomach, so I couldn't go back to the office afterwards due to that, er, side-effect. Lovely!

The results are supposed to be sent to my doctor today. I am going to do my best to find out what they are TODAY. I don't want to wait through another weekend feeling like this. I just want to get patched up and back in action. I can not let this derail me from my gym plan. I will not let this mess up the really good routine that I've had in place for so long. It freaks me out a bit not to know exactly what is going on and how long it's going to take to get back to normal. Hopefully I'll get some more clarity today.

Time for a CAT Scan... Meow!

For as much as I'm not looking forward to having to be in one of these machines, I'm psyched to be getting a CAT scan of my abdomen today. I am SO ready to figure out exactly what is going wrong in there and get it fixed!! I am frustrated that this process is taking so long. I wanted to be patched up by now and back on the road to recovery!

The other annoying thing is that my insurance won't let me get the scan at NYU, where my doctor is. Instead, I have to go to some random spot on the other side of town that is pre-approved by the insurance company. This just seems so inefficient.... but since it will save me about $1,500 by following the insurance company's rules, I'll suck it up and do it how they want. But I don't have to like it! :P

Oh the joys of dealing with insurance....

Soooooooooo.... I spent two hours at the doctor's office yesterday so that they could get me authorization to get a CAT Scan. Of course, my insurance wouldn't jump through whatever hoops there were fast enough that I could get it done that day, so I have to go back again...

So, I still don't have confirmation of what is going on with me, and have to spend more time away from the office to get it sorted out. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. And, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

In brighter news, this weekend ... for the FIRST TIME EVER IN MY ADULT LIFE, I bought a type of clothing that I thought was permanently off limits to me..... Cordoroy pants! I got a pair of black J Brand cords in size 29. (And I'm not even at risk of starting a fire with them when I walk -- wonder of wonders!) I was pretty thrilled to get them. This is as big a deal to me as when I first got white pants!

Now, if I could only get this pain situation fixed....

Hi.. and Hernia??

Hi! I've been a little bit missing in action lately because I've been swamped! I was out in Seattle for part of last week for work. It was my first time in that city, and I loved it! It was actually very sunny and warm, so I feel like I saw the city at its best.

At Pike Place Market in Seattle

Dinner for one, overlooking the water in Seattle

In other news.... I've had a pain just under my ribs on the left side of the front of my body for the past several days... I was hoping it would go away, but no dice. I am about 85% sure that it's a hernia because if I feel the area, I can sort of push something in that feels like a hernia (not that I've ever felt one before). I'm doing my best to get in to my band doctor today to get it checked out. She's at NYU, so they have all the equipment in the world to figure out what this thing is, and if it's not band-related, they can send me somewhere else. I just figured that it would make the most sense to go to a band specialist, in case this is related.

Out in NYC with friends this past Saturday night

With S, one of my oldest friends, who was visiting from London over the weekend.

I'm a little bit disconcerted (not freaked out... just disconcerted) about this. I had to cancel my Saturday, Sunday and Monday workouts, which makes me concerned about the impact this thing has the potential to have. But, my band seems to be working perfectly, so I'm not as worried as I'd be if I was having problems with it, too. I just want this thing fixed -- whatever it is -- so that I can get back to my usual routine. I really, really hope they can fit me in for an appointment this afternoon. Fingers crossed.

(Update: Whew -- got an appointment for 2:45!)

Mis-steak

I do a pretty decent job of eating things that work well with my band. I'm one of those bandsters who can eat steak sometimes -- but generally can't eat hamburger. With hamburger, I usually get stuck, so I virtually never eat it out, and very rarely eat it at all. It's just not worth the trouble.

When I really crave red meat, which happens about every two or so months, I will typically order filet mignon the next time I'm out. (While I love to cook, I almost never cook red meat at home.) Well, last weekend was one of those craving times. I ordered filet mignon when I was out with two girl friends on Thursday night. It was SO delicious!! But, I got stuck and .... long story involving one bathroom visit later, was not able to get much of it down.
Ah... but I still was really, really craving steak! I was able to carefully eat a few tiny bites when I came back to the table, but the next day, I still had that Must-Eat-Red-Meat feeling. I figure that my body must be telling me that I need iron when I feel like that, so I try to answer the call. Soooooo.... the next night, Steve and I were having dinner with a few friends at a steak house in Tribeca. We arrange to split the filet mignon. Once AGAIN, despite that I was being really careful, I got stuck. Mind you, I'm in the middle seat in a booth, so the fact that I had to get out twice made me feel a bit self-conscious... but it had to happen.

In retrospect, I realize that I was being stupid trying for steak two nights in a row. I should have given my band a break and ordered something easier to eat on the second night. Maybe I could have satisfied the meat craving with spinach on the second night. In any event, I'm not going to do that again. While it's easy enough to handle the situation if I get stuck in a restaurant (I have more than enough warning .. it's no trouble to get to the loo in time), I don't want to BE stuck in the first place, and it does take away from my enjoyment of the experience. Plus, it makes Steve worry, and I don't want him to feel like that.

I'm (lightly) kicking myself over this one. I know better than to try a problem food the day after a stuck episode, since I know my stomach might be irritated. Darn it. I just wanted red meat! Chalking it up to a lesson learned....

The Questionnaire!

Less than a month til Chicago! Here is my answer to the questionnaire...

1. How did you pick your blog name? It just popped into my head when I decided to start my blog. I typed it in without too much thought about it, but it seems to fit pretty well.

2. When did you start blogging? October 11, 2008 … 12 days before my surgery!

3. Theme of blog? It's really just a journal of my experiences with the band. I guess now, looking at it in its current form, the theme has turned out to be that the band really works -- that it's not always easy, it doesn't happen overnight, but it DOES work. Oh, and to get off your a$$ and exercise because, in all likelihood, you're not getting to goal without doing that.

4. Did you go to BOOBs 2010? Yes -- and it was amazing, overwhelming and incredible. It was also a really, really bizarre experience. It was like having a dream where all your favorite characters from the TV shows you watch are all there, in person. Except it was with bloggers. Very surreal. And every time someone cried, I cried too… (I'm such an easy-cry when it comes to positive, heartfelt things! Don't be surprised if you see me with tears running down my face at this one either!

5. When were you banded? October 23, 2008.

6. How much have you lost? At my lowest weight, I was 84 pounds down, but I tend to stay right around 80 pounds down… somewhere between 148 and 152.

7. What are you most looking forward to at BOOBs? Seeing all of my favorite blogging bandsters, catching up with everyone, seeing how incredible all of you look, to talking "band" with you guys, and to meeting some more incredible bandsters!

8. What/who do you hope to find/see/accomplish at BOOBs 2011? I just want to keep on feeling connected to our bandster community -- it keeps me on track, and I get a lot of positivity out of it. I also am dying to catch up with so many of you who I just freaking adore.

9. Children? Pets? Man-- this answer makes me sound so LAME!!! Ok, OK… so I'm 40 and I don't have any kids…. And I have a cat. FINE!! Thanks for bringing it up!! LOL

10. Who is your roomie? I have my own room. Last year, I did the same thing. It was just really overwhelming to be in Chicago, and I liked having a spot all to myself where I could be calm and regroup between awesomely fun events!

11. What day do you arrive? Friday evening -- around 6:30. Can't wait!!

12. What airport/flight/time? O'Hare, see above.

13. What events are you signed up for? Agh -- I don't know what to sign up for!! Clearly, I'll be at the Friday night and Saturday night shindigs. I'd like to do something fun on Saturday -- maybe one of the city tours?? Any suggestions? What are you doing?

14. Hobbies? Cooking, letterpress printing (I print cards… generally wedding invitations or Christmas cards), traveling … and … now that it's actually fun again, shopping. J

15. Career? I am a trademark and copyright attorney.

16. Single? Married? In a relationship? I'm single and in a relationship with the wonderful, adorable and handsome Steve.

17. Your birthday month? November! SCORPIOS RULE!!!!!!!!!!

18. What do you want other BOOBs to know about you? Nothing in particular… well, except maybe for the easy-cry thing I mentioned above so that no one freaks out if they see me with tears running down my face! What?!? This whole weight loss thing is really emotional!! When I think about how grateful I am not to feel like sh*t anymore about my weight and my body, I do tend to get a little verklempt!!!

Guess Where I'm Going??? :)

After much hemming & hawing, due to the amount of other trips I have in September, I finally broke down today after reading Stephanie's post... and booked my flight and hotel to the B.O.O.B.S. conference in Chicago!!

Part of me was hesitating to go because I'm nearly three years post-surgery. I don't have many new things to report on the band front, and I'm in the maintenance phase, and it's been going smoothly. But, part of me recognizes just how much support I have received -- and continue to benefit from -- through my blog, and it's important to me to take an active part in our community. Plus, if I could do or say anything during the weekend that might help one other bandster, I'll be giving back a small part of all of the wonderful things that you all have given to me.

Anyway, I can't wait to see all of you, and to meet those of you who I only know on-line so far. Really, really looking forward to it. :)

Much Ado About Nothing

Happily, we're two-for-two on the natural disaster front here in NYC. The earthquake was pretty much a non-event, and the Hurricane Irene turned out not to do much, either. Fine with me! I'd rather have all that hype for nothing... than to have it for something awful.

My dad and step-mom escaped back home a day early, missing the hurricane. However, my mother had a trip to Boston planned with her boyfriend for last weekend and a few days this week. So, she came in on the Friday to see me before meeting him here and driving to Mass. Her boyfriend's flight wound up being cancelled though, so mom and I were here together for the hurricane, which added to my fun considerably!

The "real" danger of the hurricane.... a fully stocked kitchen and the most delicious blackberry and blueberry crumble I've ever made!

We were basically stuck in the house for two whole days, so we watched a lot of movies, did some cooking, played some Scrabble and just enjoyed one another's company. I have to admit -- I would have been bored out of my mind if my mom wasn't here, so I'm grateful that it all worked out like this!

And yes, the crumble is gone. . . every last morsel. . . (But my scale is fine, shockingly. Thank goodness I made it to spin on Saturday and we went for walks the other two days. NYC was like a ghost town, with all the stores and restaurants closed!)

I hope that all of you who were in the earthquake and hurricane zones fared well and that you didn't suffer any damage or power outages! Do bad things happen (or in this case, "kinda happen") in threes? What's next? Locusts??

Earthquake!!

Wow! It was so weird to feel the earthquake yesterday! I was in my office (on a high floor in a high rise.. the one that sways when it's windy...) and suddenly felt my chair bounce up and down. It was doing a light boing-boing-boing.... Then, I realized -- that's not my chair! It's the WHOLE BUILDING!! It stopped pretty quickly, and I went out into the hallway. My colleagues were all kind of excited and a little concerned, and my firm told everyone to go home for the day. (Of course, I couldn't really leave because I was on a deadline... but I figured that I would be safer in the office than in the subway, so I stayed put and was completely fine.) Still, it was a little freaky and interesting! I'm just glad there wasn't any damage in NYC, and hope elsewhere fared as well, too. Must check out the news today.

Oh.. and with everyone asking "Did you feel it?!?" yesterday, I got Markey Mark stuck in my head! "Yeaaaah... Do you feel it baby?? I can too!" LOL

NJ Weekend Family Fun

Last week, my dad and stepmom were in town for a visit. They spent three nights in the city with me, and then we all went to the beach in New Jersey to visit with my aunt, uncle and cousins who live there. Both parts of the trip were a lot of fun! They did sight-seeing during the day and at night, we either had dinner together or.. on one of the nights, went to see Cirque du Soleil, which was actually pretty incredible!

Steve had been out in Amagansett all week for a vacation arranged months ago, but he volunteered to give up the final weekend there so that he could get to meet and spend time with my dad and his wife -- so so nice. We all drove out to the beach together on Friday, and had a seriously fantastic time catching up with the family out there. Happily (and unsurprisingly), Steve hit it off really well with everyone! By the end of the weekend, he'd been invited to join my uncle and cousin in a sailboat race, and they and their team came in first place. :)

My adorable boyfriend.... I cut myself out of this photo because it was terrible of me... that's my hair on the left!

Here is my dad, enjoying a margarita at a waterside restaurantMy step-mom and aunt, having a little gossip session on the boat...
Sitting with Steve at the front of the boat

There were a few band-related things worth noting about the weekend. First, I hadn't seen my aunt, uncle and cousins since I got banded. So, I was down 80 or so pounds from my last visit, four years ago (I'm not sure what I weighed then, since I was in scale-avoidance mode). Thank goodness for Facebook... my cousin's wife had seen my photos through the last few years, and showed a few to the family before I got there, so it wasn't a big surprise to see how I looked. Actually, they didn't make a big deal about it at all. I think people just don't know what the right thing to say is, and would rather not say anything than risk saying the wrong thing.

Second, my uncle has a huge family, and several of his siblings and their children have homes in the area. They are a great bunch, and I've gotten to know them through the years. We actually ran into two of the uncles when we were at the beach. I was wearing my Lilly Pulitzer bikini and actually was feeling really embarassed to have so little on when I saw them for the first time. Not that I was inappropriately dressed (it was the beach, after all). It was more the feeling of showing up 80 pounds lighter, in a bikini. I just felt a little weird for the first 20 seconds, and then it was fine.

Third, I actually enjoyed going to the beach with the family and wasn't dreading having to be in a bathing suit! That really added to my fun and has been a constant bonus for the last two summers. :)

Mini-Bandster Reunion!

Last week, Sarah was in town with her adorable, very well-behaved, cutie pie daughter, Lucia! Jen and I were able to meet up with her, along with my friend Marjorie, for dinner before her return to D.C. The ladies are all doing very well and are looking good! :)

This just reminds me of how lucky I've been to meet such warm, nice, interesting and incredible people through my blog. I'm not sure that I'm going to make it to Chicago this year, but even if I don't, I'll look forward to more mini-reunions like this here in NYC and elsewhere.

Saratoga Springs Spectating

Last weekend, for the first time in my life, I went to a horse race! Steve and I went up to Saratoga Springs, NY, because a friend's cousin had a horse in one of the races this weekend. Saratoga is absolutely beautiful, and it was an incredible treat to be able to see the races through the eyes of friends who are in that business, and to get to watch a race that we felt some personal connection to, aside from the small bets we placed.

We were able to watch the races from our friend's private box in the clubhouse, and also got to have an incredible brunch at a private club near the track, where we hobnobbed with other horse owners and their guests. It was really a very different experience than I imagined going to the races would be, and I did manage to control myself from channeling Eliza Doolittle and yelling "Dover, move your bloomin' arse!!!!"

With Steve at our B&B in Saratoga before dinner on Friday night.

I don't know if I've ever mentioned it before, but I'm a huge bath-taker. I take baths as often as -- if not more than -- I take showers. I've just always loved them, ever since I was a kid. In our B&B, at the end of the hall, I saw an open door and... through it, saw this incredible bathroom with a ginormous tub. I was dying to get in there for a bath! In fact, we even asked the owners if I could use it, but it turned out to be part of another room and guests were about to check in to it. What a bummer! Also, we found out that the bath had been especially made for Lillian Russell, who had stayed at the house with Diamond Jim Brady in the late 1800s or early 1900s.

Le tub!

Here we are at the races... I'm wearing a dress by Milly that I got from R--e-n-t t-h--e R-un--wa--y. That site is actually working out pretty well for me!

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.