catchin up.... bad blogger

I've been terribly delinquent and for that, I apologise. No good reason... just life getting in the way of blogging! So to try and catch up, BULLET points post!

• Bootcamp ended a week ago. But I'm signed up for the next cycle which starts Tuesday at 5am. Lots of the women who did this one are coming back so they're going to create two sessions.... one for us and one for newbies.
• Those of us who completed the first cycle now have brown shirts. Five of us also got special tan shirts because we're the ones who the trainers feel gave it our all and truly committed! Wow!
• I lost 2lbs and at least an inch all over since starting this extreme exercise, but my body is so much tighter and more toned than ever before. I still have lots of work, but it's getting there.
• Have been thinking about having a consult with a plastic surgeon. i have NO interest in having surgery, but would like his honest opinion on whether my arms, inner thighs and lower tummy can be 'fixed' with exercise and diet. I guess i just want to be able to set realistic expectations for myself.
• Here's a link to an article I wrote on the whole experience for my newspaper. The trainers' phones were RINGING off the hook for days with people wanting in the next cycle! 
• Tried on a pair of size medium linen shorts yesterday and was swimming in them. even the size smalls were a bit looser than looked right!
• I went to Florida last weekend for a much needed wardrobe shopping excursion. Pants comfortably in a size 6, tops ALL size small. Very daunting trying to build an entire wardrobe from scratch!!!
• Of course I get home, proud that I now have clothes that fit me, only to be told that at least 2 of the size 6 pairs of pants are too loose and I should have gone down a size. WTH!
• Jeans shopping is OF THE DEVIL regardless of your size. I FINALLY found a pair that I liked and that fit well (I think) and left it at that for the time being!!!!
• went to a baby shower yesterday and since i couldn't volunteer to be the 'baby' in the blindfolded feed the baby game, i did volunteer to be the baby in the dress the baby relay.... pre lapband would NEVER have volunteered to be front and centre like that. Oh... and I won a prize because I was able to identify the most melted chocolate bars in diapers...... nice one!
• spent the afternoon with friends and their kids at the pool in my neighbourhood. rockin a bikini and not in the least bit self conscious!
• going to spend some serious time this weekend catching up on blogs and reading all the lovely intros Draz has been doing for Boobs.... can't believe how quickly that's approaching. can't wait!!!!!!!!
• 
  

Make up your FREAKIN' MIND!

So....... I was supposed to get a wee fill last Thursday afternoon, but my doc had an emergency crop up and I was rescheduled until yesterday morning.
I've put on about 5lbs since starting boot camp and have been struggling with hunger. The weight doesnt bother me so much because i'm definitely getting leaner and stronger.
Good lord was this weekend rough though with the hunger thing. Sunday morning even my dbf, who usually hates my band when it's really tight and eating is uncomfortable, said 'you really need a fill. i can't remember seeing you be able to eat like this!'
We were at a breakfast beach party and I scarfed down a whole bowl of stew conch and yellow grits and even nibbled on some johnny cake. I then sat in the ocean picking at boiled garlic crab legs.
When I got home that evening a neighbour called out of the blue and invited me over for turkey tacos.... i ate two... then a sliver of dense, rich chocolate cake. oh and a scoop of ice cream.
Admittedly, it was a lot of food for me, but not by pre-band or normal people standards. Still. I couldn't wait for Monday morning's fill appointment.
Then, I was around the corner from my surgeon's office when I got the call saying they had to reschedule for Thursday afternoon. ARGHHHHHHH!!!! I jokingly (kinda sorta) told the patient advocate who called to tell my surgeon that if i'd put on 10lbs by the time I got to see him it was his fault.
WELL......
Betsy must have been listening all this time because after I got that call, the fickle band bitch clamped down.
Yesterday I barely ate a few forkfuls of tuna and grits all day. I nibbled on some sausage (i know, not the best option) when i was making some jalapeno dip last night and that came back up... so dinner was not even an option....
This morning I brought in some left over stew conch and although I'm hungry and feeling a bit weak, I just have this sense that nothing's gonna go down even though it's already 1:15pm.
What the HELL!
Soooooo.... I'm just going to see how today and tomorrow pan out and determine if I do actually need this fill after all.

66 steps and olympic competition!

More boot camp stories for you :)

But before that, I've been toying with the idea of a wee fill because I'm finding that since starting boot camp i'm hungrier and more often than before, but I'm really trying to manage it on my own by following the rules and limiting my ice cream consumption..... (not doing the best job there).
Well yesterday i was craving sushi so a friend and i went for lunch..... let's just say i had one of those 'i love sushi but sushi don't love me' kinds of lunches! It went down better for dinner.

this morning we were at the Queen's Staircase - 66 steps carved out of limestone once upon a time by slaves. It's a popular tourist destination by day, torture chamber for locals by early morning and night!

Here is the staircase from the ground. There's no longer a functioning waterfall along the left side. that would have been nice and zen like at 5 this morning!

Here's what it looks like from the top.

We worked in our small teams this morning. On my team is a former Olympian!!!! While she's not in Olympic (swimming) shape, she's fit. She's good. pushes the rest of us to do more. We have a great team..... and our weakest link has ability and is willing to be pushed so we'll do well. 

Today we were up and down those bloody steps countless times, then jogged over to another station where it was non-stop jumping jacks, jump squats, hops, mountain climbers, shuffles, etc etc.....all lower body. all non stop!

We did this cycle a few times, always jogging from one station to the next. And then we had to meet up at the top of the stairs and line up in our teams and sprint only the lord knows what distance up a slight incline. twice.

when i got home i realised for the first time:

a) just how many stairs there are to get into my house

b) just how fast my little dog likes to go on our morning walks!

i just keep thinking bikini. bikini. bikini.

my spare tire (pics)

So the other day our boot camp leaders instructed us to go to a local garage to pick out a used tire. we'll be using this for the first time at boot camp tomorrow. i call it 'bring your own torture device'.  Monday morning they also advised that 'prettiest tire' wins a prize.
My friend and I had already gotten some spray paint and just didn't have time this weekend to decorate, so she, another boot camper we've gotten friendly with, her friend and I met up at my place last night and turned my car port into spray paint central.

Saki gets hers started. We each had to coat our tire first with a solid colour in the spray paint that said it would adhere to rubber. She did aqua, I did pink and Leah did yellow

Nicholas managed to spray paint his hand lavender

Leah is a real trooper - she's washing her tire AND one for her friend Tessa who couldn't make it

Thank goodness I had the foresight to pick up extra drop cloths to cover my car port

the real trooper was Tura who came to help Leah. She's not even in boot camp

Leah gets creative

This one is mine - pink, black and silver

the paint finally came off my hands and arms when i was scrubbing dishes this morning!!!

You look Stunning!

That was the best of many amazing compliments I received on the new haircut.

Yup. One year to the day after I first walked into Dr D's office for my initial consult for lap band surgery, I continued with the incredible transformation with a haircut. Here's the photo diary depicting where I started and where I ended up!

I've been pulling my hair up in a ponytail most of the time - a sure sign it was time for a change

Ponytail from another angle -- in the salon waiting. A bit nervous for sure!

This is what it looked like out with no styling.

No turning back now!

There was more that I couldn't capture in this shot!!!

the adorable cap - the colour had been done, but now it was time for strategically placed highlights

the finished product. And yes.... I took hoop earrings with me so I didn't walk out looking like a boy!

snapped this one last night before heading out

Boot Camp cancelled

We've been praying for rain for months on our little rock in the middle of the ocean. It's finally come.

Last night one of the bootcamp leaders sent out a message telling us that if we get up at 4am and it's raining, stay home. If not, be there for 5am sharp. Well 2 things.
1. if i am going to wake up at 4am, I might as well go exercise.
2. i live 1/2 hour drive from bootcamp so chances are it could have been pouring at my house and dry at the site and i'd be paying heavily come monday.

So I got up and it was bone dry at my house. 2 minutes away it was pouring. just drizzling at Fort Charlotte where boot camp is, but getting heavier. 23 of us showed up so I'm not the only fool.

The trainers were concerned about injuries because the ground was really wet and slippery so we headed to the Queen's Staircase (66 steps cut by slaves out of limestone). More sheltered there, but the floor and steps were really slippery because of fallen poinciana tree flowers.

Most are going to try for a 6pm workout, but my friend and I can't because we're joining another friend for dinner to start discussing our 40th bday trip to vietnam next year.

So 5 of us joined 2 trainers at a gym they go to. Wasn't quite bootcamp, but I got a decent workout in.

Oh... and my massage at the vocational college last night was really good. they'd just finished their course on sports massage so it was perfect for what my aching muscles needed. I told the instructor afterwards that my massage was better than many i've actually paid for.

apparantly I have a lap band

You wouldn't think it the way I just scarfed down some of that bbq chicken breast. I was hungry. ravenous. so i scarfed. only ate about 1/3 of the meat on it. and with a nice chunk of it still in my hand i realised that yes, i was indeed stuck. because, you see, i have this lap band thing.
somehow i forgot about betsy so she made a raging appearance.
into the bathroom.
let's just say bbq chicken is quite nasty coming back up.