BOOBS Hit New York

I had an amazing whirlwind weekend with some of the band girls. Gilly and Joey came from far, far away for a shopping trip meaningful visit with friends. They spoiled my children with totally awesome gifts, and my boys asked this morning when they were coming back to play Legos.

We gallivanted all over Manhattan and took in some of the booze sights the city has to offer. We found delicious, band-friendly food in (relatively) small portions - Cuban, Mexican, Greek and Starbucks. We walked through Central Park and Rockefeller Center and Washington Square Park and the Union Square Greenmarket. Times Square met Gilly and honestly I don't know who was more excited. We swanned through Bergdorf's and gaped at the mob scene in the Apple store. We went to the thee-uh-tah and saw a horror show called Play Dead that nearly killed me and hilarious improv at Upright Citizens Brigade. In one of my favorite moments, a Tiffany employee complimented my silver necklace and asked if I'd bought it there. He flinched a little but took it like a man when I told him the necklace was from Target.

Also, we chatted a bit.

Because years ago I swore I would "live the experience," rather than racing to record every moment, I took virtually no pictures of any of this. So you'll have to take my word for it.

We ended up with 19 BOOBS at the NYC blogger brunch on Sunday, which lasted for nearly three and a half hours. Awesome guacamole, fab margaritas and waiters who seemed slightly puzzled when they cleared plates that were still mostly full of food. I FINALLY was able to meet Dinnerland, who had her surgery the same day I had mine. People, she is even hotter in person than she looks on her blog. And super fun to talk with.

Thanks to everyone who came to the brunch, and especially to those of you who traveled from far and wide by car, bus and train just to spend a few hours with us. It was great.

Finally, I have a couple questions for the wise women (and men) of blogworld:

1. Do you take Biotin for your hair and nails? Have you found that it helps? What dosage do you take each day? I've seen 500 mcg, 1000 mcg and 5000 mcg tablets. No idea which one to take.

2. Do any of you read any great interior design blogs? I'm looking for inspiration.

Weight Watchin' and Green Wearin'

The scale has been stuckety stuck stuck for weeks and months now, and has inched back up to 209 this week (see CHOCOLATE post). I weighed 209 in August, people. Not a lot of movement here.

A couple friends have been telling me how much they like the Weight Watchers Points Plus program. I know it's time for me to start better monitoring what I'm eating. I'm doing pretty well with exercise and I'm not losing, so the problem must be with my eating.

Well, guess what? IT IS the problem. I'm allowed to have 30 points and all the fruit I can eat every day (plus activity points and weekly bonus points). Yesterday I slavishly documented everything I ate and guess what? Fifty-two (52) points. Much of that involved sugar.

So. We've identified the problem and a possible solution. Now I just need to stay focused.


In other news, HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! If you have a minute, check out this New York Times story from a few years ago about an Irish teacher who shows her Bronx students how to do Irish step dance. Be sure to watch the video - it makes me tear up every time.

Wedding Bells - Please Help!

A couple years ago my friend Jessica's grandfather shot and stabbed her mom to death in their yard. I didn't know Jess at the time, but she joined my book club last year and I really adore her. She's a funny, sweet girl who is so positive and upbeat despite a shitty childhood and then this nightmare.

Jess just got engaged and is trying to figure out how to pay for her wedding. (The local paper wrote a story about her the other day.)

She and her fiance entered a Crate & Barrel contest, and if you have time, I'd love it if you could vote for them. Here's the link. Contest ends March 31, and the leaders have more than 3,000 votes.

Thanks a million!

CHOCOLATE (And NYC Bandster Brunch Update)

I knew that would hook you in.

Let me tell you: When you check into the Hotel Hershey, they ask whether you prefer milk or dark, and hand you a chocolate bar. As you swan through the lobby and browse the shops, you have your pick from bowls filled with Hershey Kisses. Arriving at your cottage? Here's an ENORMOUS basket of kisses and peanut butter cups and miniatures... you get the idea.

Chocolate Immersion treatment or cocoa bean rubdown at the spa? Choices, choices. And while you're pondering, have a seat next to yet another bowl of Kisses to help you make up your mind.

Forgive me, bandsters, for I have sinned.

I went to Hershey with my two besties from college to celebrate 20 years of friendship. We drank wine, ate chocolate and cheese, talked, looked at ridiculous pictures of us in college (I was seriously fugly), drank more wine, ate more chocolate, dined on cheese and crackers. Rinse and repeat.

The good news in this scenario (I guess) is that my band has been pretty tight since Saturday. So I haven't done as much damage as I could have, and I definitely haven't come close to the damage I would have done preband.

I started my penance today with a gloriously tough workout at the gym. I have three additional workouts scheduled for this week.

Finally, and most importantly: NYC Bandster Brunch is THIS Sunday, March 20th!! Details on right of my blog page. I think we're about 20 for brunch. Looking forward to seeing you all!

Do You Know Where My Energy Is?

I'm so lethargic today, and have been for the last several days. I've made sure to get plenty of sleep, but yesterday I actually went back to bed at 11 am and slept for two hours. I haven't done that since I was pregnant or getting up all night with a newborn.

This is all coming as my energy should be on the upswing with my increased exercise. I've not been crazy with the workouts, it's not like I'm spending hours and hours exercising - just three times this week. But here I am again this afternoon feeling like I could totally put my head down and be out cold in minutes.

I'm getting enough protein, I think. I haven't cut caffeine. I am just so, so tired.

Tomorrow kicks off a girls' weekend with my two best friends from college. We're going to the chocolate spa at the Hotel Hershey. I. Can't. Wait.

Jillian Has Nothing on My Children

I didn't have a chance to get to the gym today, so after the kids finished dinner I decided to make my maiden voyage into Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred territory.

I did Level 1, which consists of three six-minute interval circuits, plus a warmup and cooldown. I was worried 20 minutes wouldn't be enough, but worry not, friends. It was enough. Two hours later, my legs feel like I really exercised. They're a little jelly-ish.

And through the whole thing, my boys kept correcting my form ("Bend deeper, Mom. Do you see how she's doing it?"). I tried to get them to join me, but they weren't interested. The toddler has impressive pushup form, though.

Food-wise, I ordered Indian and once again my band snapped shut after a single bite. I'm starting to find this suspicious - my band has been wide open for several days but Indian food doesn't seem to agree with me. I put the Indian away, and now I can't even get my artichoke down.

Which is kind of funny, since I was planning to post about how I think I need a fill but I have a lot of travel coming up and I'm afraid to do it because once you have one bad PB, it starts a cycle of inflammation that doesn't let anything through, so you end up vomiting liquids and get dehydrated and then need an unfill. (At least, that's my experience.) I really don't want to need an unfill when I'm not close to my surgeon. So I'm going to stick with what I've got and see how it goes.

Strong. Like Ox.

I finished my workout week pretty well for a rookie. Four workouts this week - I ended up canceling Thursday because I was so fatigued from the previous three days. That ended up being a good idea and I felt good and strong at this morning's interval workout.

I really need to get my cardio up, though. Today my average heart rate was 144, which was pretty good. But if I don't tell the trainer I really need to keep the heart rate up, I can finish with an average heart rate of 121 and a puny calorie burn. Not so great on the fat-burning but at least I'm still building muscle.

Which may be why I weighed 207.8 this morning. I am not freaking out about this, though. Do you see how calm I am? So not freaking out.

I'm going to keep plugging away. Wish me luck.

The Dark Side of the Gym, Oscar Roundup & More

So much to say, so much to say, so much to say. First of all, did anyone see the Jennifer Aniston movie? Was anyone else totally stunned that Dave Matthews played Nicole Kidman's husband? I know it was meant to be a mismatch, but still. I kept squinting at the screen, saying, "Is that Dave Matthews? Do you think it's him?" to my husband, who wouldn't know Dave Matthews if he handed him a bong and smacked him upside the head with a guitar.

My takeaway from the Oscars: The spray tan is on the wane. I didn't spot any Oompa Loompas at the Academy Awards this year. Sure, glamazons are still misting themselves, but it's nothing like it was a few years ago when a tangerine Charlize Theron showed up on the red carpet and I snorted pinot noir through my nose.

Moving right along, I've fallen victim to Gym Syndrome: Start working out and experience a scale stall for a little while (please, let it be just a little while). I've gained a few pounds since going back to regular workouts. My eating hasn't changed; in fact, I think it's not bad.

I know this has happened to a bunch of bandsters in the past (Catherine and Jenny both come to mind), so I'm trying to be all zen about it and just keep plugging away because I know these workouts are making a difference in my body. I'm feeling it every day.

I will have to kick up the cardio and make sure I'm keeping my heart rate up through my workouts to maximize calorie burn. I bought a new heart-rate monitor and that already has been a help in gauging how hard I'm working and how many calories I'm burning.

And now I must bid you a fond farewell, since a 5.30 am wakeup call beckons.

OSCAR OSCAR! (And, My Thighs Are Burning)

***NYC BRUNCH UPDATE AT RIGHT.***


It's my favorite night of the year - Oscar red carpet night. We're hosting 16 of my husband's relatives for dinner, followed by a red carpet viewing party. Door prize to the first guest who spots cellulite or forehead movement on any presenter or nominee.

Please let me know in the comments what your favorite parts are. What do you think of James Franco and Anne Hathaway? Whose dress is awesome? Which star is most obviously under the influence of an illegal substance? These are the things we must discuss.

So I'm cooking, cooking, cooking and getting ready for the onslaught tonight. But in a good way.

In other news, I'm feeling better, mostly because of the kindness and rationality and compassion from your comments. You really know how to give a girl hope. Thank you.

I'm continuing my gym visits (but going at 11 am tomorrow because I want to watch the Oscars wtihout having to wake up at 5.30 am), and I have five workouts scheduled for this week. I'm not sure I'll be able to make it to all of them. My thighs are KILLING me from yesterday's session. I woke up this morning and as I walked downstairs I had a flashback to the day after I ran 26.2 miles in 1999. My thighs were just as sore, even though I didn't run at all yesterday. Must discuss with trainer.

Anyway, I went for a beautiful walk at the beach this morning, cut a little short by a recalcitrant toddler. It's a good day.

Debbie Downer, and NYC Brunch

****** NYC BRUNCH: Please see brunch update at right. *********

In looking through my recent posts, there's virtually no substance. I'm not writing about feelings or much about where I am with my band, just a sentence here or quip there with little insight.

Here's where I am: At a standstill, as I have been for six+ months, in a four-pound range between 204 and 208. My measurements are the same as they've been for a few months, although I do think that will change as I continue working out.

Here's what I think about it: It sucks. I am failing at this.

Here's how I feel about it: Depressed. Disappointed. Resigned. Hopeless.

Here's what I'm doing about it: Going to the gym, which is a start but not doing much on the scale. I'm eating way too much sugar, in the form of chocolate. On the upside, my body is sore from good workouts yesterday and this morning, so that's good.

I am seeing so many of you with much success, and I'm thrilled for you. At the same time, I'm so disappointed that I'm just not doing well with this. I'm surprised, I really thought the band would be just what I needed to get myself on track.

When I took that glorious drug Phen-Fen (or was it Fen-Phen?) in the late 90s, I rocked it. I lost 75 pounds in nine months, started running, ran lots of 5ks and 10ks and eventually a full marathon. Food was a nonissue for me during much of that time. I ate, I enjoyed my meals, and that was it. No thinking about food, no inner battles, none of that. It was like the medicine flipped a switch and put me into the 'normal' category with regard to my relationship with food.

One of the frustrations I'm feeling is that right now I have 5.6 cc's in my band. It's tight enough that there are plenty of times when I simply cannot eat anymore, and I stop. I'm disappointed, but I get over it within an hour and then I'm relieved that I didn't overeat.

Sometimes, though, I'm hungry. And when I can't eat it is maddening.

So I don't want to get a fill. 5.75 cc's has twice been wayyy too tight for me, and I've gotten weak and dehydrated.

Where I am now, I can eat solids. I definitely can eat sliders.

I know the things I can do to make this better: Try a five-day pouch test. Cut chocolate out altogether. Focus more on solid protein (I've done okay on this).

Oh, blah. I'm just tired of thinking about this.