How I'm Doing So Far

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

In Chi-Town

I landed on time here in Chi-Town. Was a solid half hour ride from the airport to the hotel, but the car service was fantastic. Great idea ladies!!!!
Got checked in, dumped my stuff and headed to the sushi restaurant right downstairs. Now am just finishing up a few things before hitting the sack. Got some stuff I want to knock out before everyone else arrives!
Oh.... and I brought my swim stuff thinking I might get some swimming in since there is a heated pool. I'd push off, stroke once and be at the other end! but i can see my bikini coming in handy with the hot tub......
see many of you tomorrow!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

I'm an athlete.... oh and BOOBS bound!

What a week and a half it's been.
Started the new job and am LOVING it. I'm so busy I don't know what end's up, but i THRIVE in that kind of situation!
On Sunday 11 of my fellow bootcampers and I participated in a sprint triathlon. We put together 4 relay teams and it was an INCREDIBLE experience. I haven't swum competitively in about 20 years.... but on Sunday morning I donned my racer speedo, swim cap and goggles and actually was the first of our four women out of the water. In fact, my time of 15:20 for the 750m swim help up really well against the entire field.
Sunday was one of the most fun days I've ever had. In addition to the 12 of us participating, all five of our trainers came out to support. One is a chiropractor and he brought his table and was adjusting and massaging us before the event.
We also had a few of the other bootcampers out there to cheer us on. We were a heck of a presence out there and it was amazing to be part of something so positive!
The weather was AWFUL all day Saturday and early Sunday, but cleared in time for the event to start. A rainbow formed, but the end was wayyyyy beyond the course buoys!

That's me. I actually look like a freakin athlete! I don't know how my chest got so puffed up or where i got the massive arms, but wow..... i didn't feel uncomfortable RUNNING out of the water, through the sand, up hill to the bike transition area!



This is erin. She lost a leg 7 years ago to bone cancer and is one of the most inspiring women I've ever met! She is in boot camp and she was one of the bikers on one of our 4 teams!

I beat Heather by just 9 seconds! we pushed each other the whole way!

My team came second among our bootcamp teams and third in the women's relays. Considering Nadia (right) was up until Friday night supposed to be the RUNNER on another team and was a great sport to offer to BIKE on my team when my original biker got sick, we did awesome. Bianca (middle) is a HELLUVA runner.
My flight is at 1:45 tomorrow and I haven't even started to think about what I'm packing - haven't had a moment to think about it!!!! I'm not going into the office tomorrow, but have work to do so I guess I'd better get my butt off of here and start getting sorted.
To all those who are also Chicago-bound --- I think I'm first in town so I'll get the city ready for the BOOBS. To those who aren't able to join us, you'll be missed!


Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Not long now smurfs!

I have a feeeling BOOBS is gonna be here faster than i ever imagined now that I've started the new job and and hitting the floor running!

Had two days of orientation. Parts very interesting. others not so much. Every key department speaker who addressed us commented that they were excited to hear the new marketing person (me) was onboard as they have lots for me to do! Join the line peoples. Join the line!!!!

I ducked out of the final session this afternoon a bit early to go meet with the president fo the hospital to go over a few critical needs things. Tomorrow I'm gonna be on the go from 8am till God knows when as I have a 6pm meeting to attend!!!! It's all good. I'm excited about the challenges!

OK...... well I typed all that last night and that was as far as I got.

It's almost 5 on Wednesday and it's been a very full, but exciting day. Going to be juggling LOTS of balls, but have a good team to work with so that's great to know.

Have located a file that might/should help me at this meeting so going to sit back and do some reading before that happens!

Goodness.... this time next week I'll be on a plane, getting ready to soon land in Chi-Town!!!!!!

I WILL post tomorrow as it's my BANDIVERSARY! HOLY CRAPOLA it's been a year since Betsy and I became one! What a long, GREAT trip it's been.

And, just confirmed today that I'm going to Chicago again on October 24 for a week for work. Unfortunately the conference is about a half hour drive outside of downtown Chicago.... WHY do they do that? WHY? Went to a conference in Austin last year and we were at this lovely golf resort out in the middle of no where. great for deer spotting in the surrounding woods, but not for anything else. I guess this is where the grown up in me interjects that i'm going there for work and don't need any distractions..... blah blah blah

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Playing Catch Up

Where does the time fly?

Can you believe this time in two weeks so many of us will be together in Chicago! Holy smokes!!!!!
I am so excited and can't wait to meet my roomies for the weekend - Stacey and Paige. And there are SOOOOOOO many other BOOBS rock stars I'm gonna be looking out for.

I get in the Wednesday evening @6 and have booked a town car from Midway. If anyone else is getting in @that time, you're welcome to get a ride.

So after my last post, I ended up spending TWO WHOLE WEEKS with a completely empty band!!!! It was good to have internal relief, but even though I didn't eat as much as 'normal people' and did try to eat pretty well, I packed on 8lbs! Actually earlier this week I was up 11lbs but thank goodness Bootcamp started again and the exercise helped. Even my surgeon commented on how quickly I gain weight!!! Ah well.
He put me back up to 5cc - just a smidge shy of where I was and I can feel such a difference. While it was nice to have a bit of a break from the restrictions the band places on me, I am relieved to be back in a good place!

What else.

Bootcamp. Started again Tuesday and we have another awesome group of newbies and so many incredible women from cycles one and two came back. It really is like a big, extended family. So much positive energy.... it's incredible.

I've also signed up to be the swimmer on a sprint triathlon relay team next sunday (25th). Yup.... Haven't swum competitively in oh, I dunno, 10-15 years, but yours truly coerced Nakera (bike) and Bianca (swim) - two lovely bootcampers - to be on my team. Well that has now multiplied and we officially registered FOUR teams from G-Fit including one with an amazing lady Erin Brown who lost a leg to bone cancer 7 years ago and uses a prosthetic. She'll be biking for one of our teams.

Of course I got this idea, signed up and then thought hmmmmmm.... should probably get in the water since I haven't swum in decades.... Dad and I went to a pool Wednesday morning and swam solid for half an hour. It felt really good! So there's hope. I cancelled the Medivac ambulance I was going to have on standby! lol

Speaking of ambulances.... well not really..... needed a transition.....
tomorrow is my last day on the job at the newspaper and radio station. On Monday I start my new job as Director of Marketing at Doctors Hospital. Am really excited about the change. I have orientation for two days then I'm in my department Wednesday. The following Wednesday I head to Chicago to meet the BOOBS.... hey... these things happen... adn they preferred to get me in for a week to get started than have me wait until the following week when I get home!

Ok... I am going swimming with Dad again at 6:30 tomorrow morning and am still tired from not getting to bed early enough last night when I had 4am wake up for Boot Camp!

Laters!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

shards of glass?! and running on empty

As I mentioned in my last post, Betsy has been tight tight tight for a while now... essentially i've eaten or kept down no food for going on 2 weeks. i was holding out, doing liquids only, in hopes that things would settle down. i'd been at a really good place with restriction (haven't touched my band since JANUARY) and didn't want to get into that guessing game again of where the sweet spot might be.

But I'm headed to Florida on Saturday and my biggest fear is being away and getting so tight that I can't get liquids down.

SO this morning I ate two peanut m&m's out of a bag in the office.... Usually slider foods.... wanted to see how my system would handle solids.

WELL...... I could swear I picked up a handful of shards of glass and tried to ingest that instead. Those little buggers tore up my innards. All day I was in miserable pain. Hours and hours later, I was driving my dog home from her 'salon' and had one hand on the steering wheel, the other holding a cup as I upchucked the rest of those two m&m's and the water I'd been drinking.

I'd called and asked this morning if I could get in for an unfill.... and my surgeon heard my tales of woe and decided not to take out a little bit, but to COMPLETELY unfill Betsy.

Yeah I'm scared. But I have 10 days of no band to help me..... hope I don't do too much damage. Really excited to be able to eat something tomorrow!!!!


A whole new low

I've been bouncing around between 155 and 159 for sooooo long that I pretty much figured this was where my body had decided I should be.

And then it jumped back on the weight loss train. I guess a super tight band that's barely letting anything through coupled with 2x a day bootcamp sessions mwf for this final week of cycle 2 will do that.

Weighed in officially yesterday afternoon at 149.2lbs. That's UNDER my revised goal weight of 150 so I'm here! But I don't quite feel done yet. Anyone else who's gotten to their actual goal weight decided to keep going rather than hop into maintenance? I think part of it has to do with the stupid BMI scale. I am still technically overweight and I desperately want to be normal. Only a few more pounds to get me there.
But how ridiculous that I can be overweight when i'm sporting small tops and size 4/6 pants??????? Ugh!

Ok.... I'm determined to post frequently until we get to BOOBS.... which I can't believe is now THIS MONTH!