Ten things Thursday!!!

addicted to instagram! 

Yes - the first flipflop beach pic of the year - not too scared of the size of my legs this year - I kinda like them!

1. - Did you notice I skipped weigh in yesterday???? --smerk.


2. I did not get to do my road ride because it was pissing rain here in the morning - so yesterday was a day of rest for me - gasp - but isn't it work out wednesday you ask? - yes but I had worked out 8 days in a row and was due for a recovery day - my scehd is dictated more by weather than anything else.


2a - this is my anthem - enjoy and love it!

3. Went and watched Mo play softball last night - so much fun!  His team is the worst in the league and the umpire is not afraid to heckle the players ...crazy!


4. I'm working like a dog this week - but I love it - having another open house event tomorrow - Chair Massages and Prosecco for all!  - Booyah!


5. Tonight is boot camp!  - It took me 4 days to recover from the last one


6 - psudo weigh in - on tuesday I was 158.4 - just sayin....:)


7.  How did I function - without the iphone?  Its like I just turned the light on...


8. Taking yellow dog running again this morning - i think he likes it as much as I do - in fact there he is now by the door, with his wrist bands on doing stretches and checking his heart monitor..teehee


9.  Still Juicing - I will admit that with the warm weather my frozen yogurt addiction is back...so....today I'm just gonna say no and keep
 with the program


10.  Linkedin ...I'm on it...I have connections....no clue what it does for me or what I'm supposed to do with it....any thoughts?
10a.  Have a great thursday!

Note the hydration method....on the bench...love it

This is the umpire for the softball league...just sayin'

Weekend wrap up ~ and NSV

Memorial day weekend here was pretty crazy ~ I ran around working on Saturday and fought the crowds then ended with a great MTB with the boys.

Sunday morning  ~ met up with my one of my best friends for a MTB ride over some seriously technical terrain - rode 9.5 miles and it felt like 20. 

Walked around one of the villages that night with Mo ~ ate some FroYo - but it was worth it ~ We sat on the warf and looked at the boats - I mean giant yachts.  Listening to some of the conversations from the boats (yes - voices carry over the water) - my theory that yes money can't buy you class - was confirmed!

This is the Carpe Diem - it rents for 325,000 a week 

Sunday ~ MTB with girls out in Montauk and dinner out at the Dock - my new favorite restaurant - if they see you using a cell phone the bartender uses a bull horn to shame you into hanging up!  And they will throw out screaming kids!  My kinda place ~ 

NSV - I bought a little dress back in 07 in Mexico - it was tight then but I worked it - its been hanging in my closet ever since - and I wore it last night - it might have even been too big~ gasp!

Hot pink 2$  Flip flops = summer!

Please Pardon the Eddie butt in the photo - he is such a camera hog! 

Off for a run this morning in the steamy fog~ - gotta get my sweat on!

Oh and tomorrow morning is my very first road bike ride ~ Going out at 5am to avoid cars....stay tuned for the recap...

Juicing still going well - I did eat a regular dinner last night when we were out for dinner but I'm going to sweat it out now!

Would you like some plastic with your juice?

 I was juicing tonight and I had a straw to test the flavor of my Kale, Broccoli, lemon, celery, pear apple cilantro juice.  Then I misplaced that straw and grabbed a new one.
Fast Forward a few hours - cleaning out said juicer after I drank up all the green yummy goodness - and hmmmm the remnants of my straw......doh!!!!


The juice front is awesome - I am definitely under my calorie goal each day (if I was one to count that nonsense).  I have little to no hunger and no sugar cravings!  Crazy! 

Went mountain biking with the boys tonight - 15 miles - 1.5 hours -yay - crushed it and inhaled an entire forest of pollen - only had 6 ticks on me.


I feel really great eating clean.  Its not that scary I swear....

V is for Vegan Vibrance Vixen Vanessa Vivacious!

I am the goddess of green juice - seriously - who knew squished veggies could make you feel so good!
Yesterday ~ I had a kale/cilantro/pineapple/ginger/cucumber/lime juice for breakfast - that held me to lunch
which was sesame tofu and watermelon
Afternoon Snack - another awesome juice 
Boot camp - God Damn I love waking up in pain and all sore!  
Dinner - lentil mushroom soup with a touch of truffle oil...oh hell yes!


This morning - off for a run! - I'm doing this 10K race on June 15th so I have to get my ass in gear...


In Juice I trust!

ITs Here!!! TTT!!!! Woop Wooop!

1.  I was just wondering what the hell I was going to write about and then I remembered its 10 Things Thursday!  oh - hells yes!


2.  My house is trashed - still no maid and the damn dogs keep shedding - been vacuuming every other day and I'm just about over it.  


3. Boot Camp tonight!  yes Outside at the beach tonight then some paddle boarding after - Cant wait!  I am finally able to walk normal after the Sunday class.  


4. Back on track and feeling right!  - Cleansing is the key - Juicing - I love and it keeps things simple.  
I forgot how good I feel when I eat clean - adios sugar dependency!  


5.  Memorial Day Weekend - in the Hamptons its the season kick off and all the Renters and New Yorkers head for the beach - Not looking forward to the cluster fuck of Range Rovers, Bentleys, and Porsches.  


6.  Last night Mo and I went for a walk down to the beach from our house ~ I am a lucky lucky lady...It was beautiful...some days I feel like I am living in a dream.


7. You know how when you get up, you have a news channel that you throw on in the morning?  I used to be an NBC kinda girl...now I'm a CBSer - so much better - (sorry Matt and Anne)


8. After mowing the lawn last night - I am considering cementing the whole thing and painting it green. :)


9.  Wish I had a bigger house b/c it would be super cool to have a bandster summer bbq weekend here....


10. mental note *buy lotto ticket so #9 can happen

Work out Wednesday and Weigh in

Last Week 162.2
This Week 160.4 
Loss of 1.8 - I'll take it!
=================


Ran 5K this morning on the road - and already took the the dogs to the beach.
This afternoon - mow lawn and MTB - I think that covers all the exercise for one day.


Its a beautiful day - sun dress anyone?  Hells yes!

Change..she is a comin'

Rainy Tuesday - AGAIN!  How in the flip am I supposed to wear my snappy new flip flops in this crap?
Balls.


So yes...I am here to admit that I have drank the cool aid and am now the proud new owner of an iphone 4s.   What was I waiting for?  My Bberry was making it impossible  to work at a reasonable pace...so yesterday I made the switch.....Dare I say I am fully mac now. ...
The only think I hate about apple is that once you have one their devices - they come out with the next version and then your current model becomes really slow and crappy.. ipad 1 anyone???


I am also the proud owner of a juicer - its a hand me down from a good friend who just got a vitamix (one day..one day I'll own one).
Also in even better news...Whole Foods has opened a small (pop up) store in my 'hood! Here I come for organic kale/cucumbers/wheat grass and fruit!  
Yup I'm starting my crazy sexy diet tomorrow!  I am loving this book by Kris Carr and really needed to reignite my healthy warrior goddess .  So buh bye dairy, processed crap, still no animal products and sugar..and even possibly caffeine...Make Juice not War!


On the exercise front - TRXbox/bootcamp on Sunday was epic!  My friend just opened his gym in East Hampton - he has one in NYC (Exceed Fitness)  and we had been using another space for bootcamp or going outside - now we are @ "the Shed" in a commercial warehouse - super cool -there is even 60 feet of monkey bars - and I am totally sore all over - could barely walk yesterday - and I love it!  sore in all the right places!


On the scale front - tomorrow is weigh in - and I'll just say that I saw 159.8 a day ago - down from 162.2 last week...but I'm not convinced it will stick...

Its a mental Journey...

I got to thinking the yesterday about how I perceive other people and how they perceive me.  Thanks Ronnie for this post because this is what got me thinking.

A friend of mine has a beautiful wife - who I have never met - she is skinny and blond and just gorgeous and a sweetheart.  We were all supposed to get together the other day and I immediately was dreading meeting her...

Why?  Well because I thought right off the bat she would look down at me b/c I am the big girl.  And then my next thought was I already don't like her.  Then I went "Wait Stop!" to my crazy fat girl brain.

I am no longer that person.  I am not that girl that will just sit back in the corner and crack jokes about my weight before someone else does.  And who knows, maybe this blond beauty - who has never met me and would never know the Fat me - would be intimidated by my beauty and sunshiny personality.  

Its crazy when you realize that you no longer have that "Fat" wall to hide behind or use as an excuse as to why people don't like you.  Now if they don't like me - its because they just don't like me not because they are repulsed by my girth - now thats a scary thought!

I had an insecure fat girl moment yesterday.  I stopped into the horse farm to visit some friends in between appointments and I ran into some of the more famous customers there.  Immediately I got totally insecure and figured they wouldn't remember who I was - because after all, I am gross and invisible.  Of course they recognized me and we chatted for a while - then when one of the guys said "Vanessa - you know my partner, S-----  right?  I said yes and did the dumbest thing (he is pretty famous and fabulous) I shook his hand and said "so nice to meet you"  DUH! Then they were like you've met him before- remember you were at our party - double duh - of course I've met him - I'm just so insecure that I figured he wouldn't  have remembered me so it was easier to act like it was our first time meeting...

I felt like a dork after...

Its hard adjusting to this new life - where people treat me differently and I don't have to act defensively and pretend that people don't know who I am...

Whew!  Long Blog today - had to get that out...

This weekend - still kicking ass - doing two-a-days - running in the morning with the dogs and then Mountain Biking at night - Crushed it last night - with a personal best - 6 miles in 30 minutes up hills and through the sand - I love my bike - I think I'll try and get paid to "do me" and give tours on my bike...

Have a great sunday - off to Boot Camp!

BYOC - oh yeah

BYOC!!! Bring Your Own Crazy!! Brought to us by Draz!

Anyone know what day it is? I don’t have to tell you – do I? Fine. Fine. It’s FRIDAY!!! That means it’s time for BYOC – Bring Your Own Crazy! We answer five little questions to get to know each other better and to give our blogging brains a break. Copy to your own blog and enjoy!!


1. What religion were you raised as a child, if any, and are you still a member of that faith today? Why or why not?

I was raised Methodist...but barely - my father is a recovering Catholic, who, when ever I asked why he didn't come to church with us would say "I did my time".  I went to Catholic High School - because of the education.   Now I identify more with Buddhism and common sense with a touch of mother earth rolled in.  I just never understood why people pay $$ to go to a large corporation to feel better about their place on the planet...when it is all right in front of us in nature....but to each his own.

2. Do you have an all time favorite candy or do you change favorites often?
REECE'S CUPS and Fierier Roche's

3. Are you a green thumb? Do you landscape your yard or plant any flowers or a garden? Do you pay someone to do it for you? Do you not plant a single thing?

I used to but now I'm too busy Mountain Biking/Running to garden - i did mow the lawn this morning before work...

4. Let’s just say you were a tattoo junkie and you were planning your next tat and it had to be words only. What words would you choose? A quote? Phrase? One word? Would you do it in English or a different language?

"Ride it like you stole it" or "it is what is"  or  "Vote for Pedro" Or "Property of Myself" - on my ass....

5. Repeat question: Summarize your week.

This week has been good.  I'm back on track - biking, running - eating much slower...

Bloglife - I'm loving all the positivity that going on this week!

Stress Release

Yesterday was the best of days...it was the worst of days....
My open house was a success!  Yippy - lots of fun and a good turnout of brokers.  
For some reason...the other areas of my biz are crappy - people are behaving badly and NOT doing what I want them to..and things I thought were working out are not... pooh.  
Yesterday - food was not a prob...but I did eat candy b/c I was so pissed off - now that makes no sense!  I'm mad at others and so I punish my self..is that not an obvious lack of self worth? Crazy!


So right after that I went balls out on MTB ride with a friend - crushed it in the big ring for an hour an half!  I was spent - definitely burned off those m&ms and then some.
I'm sore today - and I like it!


Going for  a run in a bit and maybe a spin later on...
I am most myself when I am on the bike, covered in mud and bug spray.  When the only sound is my heart pounding and the peepers chirping in the woods...I am defined by riding.
I really don't enjoy putting on nice clothes and going to work..there I said it.  I'd rather be outside getting my sweat on...
I attribute my stress eating to a horse that cribs or weaves from stress due to being kept in a stall and not able to run...


I got my book yesterday - Crazy Sexy Diet!  Love that Kris Carr!  It all makes sense and its all things I already knew - just renewing my knowledge...
Happy Friday - I leave you with a picture of my Sammy - who has decided she sits where she wants when I'm not looking...

Ten Things Thursday! and weigh in

162.2


1. I had the worst stuck situation ever yesterday!  I was out for a birthday lunch - It ended up being an After School Special w/ me running to the bathroom to PB.  Holy Painful and embarrassing...
Whatev .. at least I was with good friends who understood.  


2. I now know I can not eat croissants with cheese...Good to know. 


3.  Went running yesterday after the rain...felt pretty good!


4.  I am starting the Crazy Sexy Cleanse tomorrow when the book gets here.  Green Juice and back to my Vegan Ways!  Kris Carr is the Shit!


5.  Holding a major open house today at one of our listings - Free Tennis/Croquet/Wine - I'm a bit nervous but think it should be fun


6.  Roll on Summer - I want to start open water swimming!


7. Going MTB today after work..woop whoop!


8. Dear Diary...if I could get paid (good $) to mountain bike..I would be living the dream...someday...someday


9. I am wondering if I am too tight...


10.  Get outside and enjoy the spring air!  

101 Followers! yay!

How cool is that!  101 people care enough to read my rambling adventure through WLS and the journey to change my life for good!


Its a stormy nasty morning here on the end of Long Island...I was about to bounce out of the house and go for a run and then all hell broke loose.  


So work out wednesday will start in about 20 minutes when the rain and lightening subsides.  


Ok ..still thundering and lightening out...waiting...waiting...


With all this time to kill I figured I'd do something constructive...a.k.a - pay some bills.... 
I hate money. I hate bills. I really hate not having money to pay bills....
When all else is right with the world...love...exercise..food...friends...flowers blooming..there is still this money thing that is always a problem...I know it shouldn't be a focus, but frig! I just want a break...I'm still struggling like back 10 years ago when I thought it was just temporary.  I know there are others that are way worse off and I am grateful for everything we have but it would be nice not to have to juggle bills and roll pennies to buy gas and food...


There is my rant for the day. oh and rain rain go away!

Monday - Game ON!

Its Monday Morning....guess what... I'm going running...no excuses.
Hangover is over and its a new week...Bring it!

Wedding - Photos

Here you go!  Highlights of the day 

This is where the ceremony was held - awesome! 

Party favors - Jam that the bride made

I did not have any - I drank my calories instead...

There is so much awesome in this picture...

Love this one

The reception

Yes - those are lady bug knee highs for bowling!

After party - the bride bowling at the legion hall!

NSV and Epic Journey

NSV - I said no to my favorite Carrot Cake..... ridiculous! 


The ride today was awesome - made it 22.64 miles - you can see the whole ride HERE 

EPIC DAY AHEAD

Have I told you how much the I guy I work with ROCKS? - well he does...

He has taken the weekend off to have an underground race with 3 friends - yesterday they kayaked 4 miles to camp - today they are mountain biking 16 miles and then kayaking another 5 to the next campsite and then on saturday doing the same thing and sunday hiking 10 miles to the Montauk lighthouse!  EPIC! 

This morning my friend Kevin and I are going to be the MTB guides since the racers don't really know the trails...it will be a 30 mile mountain bike ride for us today - out and back~!

I can't wait - trying to fuel up right now with Carbs....

It should take 4 hours - I hope - as I have to be dressed and presentable for a work appointment by 1!!  EEK!

I'll update you all on the adventure later..

PS - still off the sugar - feeling great! 

Ten Things Thursday

1. I still have 99 followers....Oprah where u at?


2. Rain Rain go away 


3. Going to my best friend's wedding on Saturday!  I'm super psyched for her.  I'm also super psyched for my dress...I love having two options in the closet and not sweating getting dressed the day of....Years past I would have been shopping in a panic the night before just to find something to cover my girth....no so much now!


4. We started construction on our bathroom ...life is about to get turned upside down...b/c next we are expanding our bedroom and making our three bedroom into a two! gasp - but mama wants a king size bed and its the only way!


5.  Yesterday was a good food day! - Today will be even better!


6.  Going MTB later today ...will be clock watching until then


7. This fill is working - I was on liquids/mushies all day yesterday too.. today's plan is more soup and soft foods then beans and rice for dinner.


8.  Why is Juicing so expensive?  One plan I looked into is 75$ a day?  I'm thinking about buying a juicer but then I just don't know if I'd be religious about using it...hmmmm....anyone else out there juice? - Like green juices? Kale?  Thoughts?


9.  I'm taking yellow dog for a run this morning...he is looking chubby....shhhh he is sleeping on the couch and doesn't know my plan yet.


10.  I have made it 2 days without refined sugar....(I'm not counting honey) - I already feel happier and better ---that sugar really is a drug.   I've said it a million times but I never "get it" until it is out of my system and I start to feel normal again.  

99 Followers and a Fill!

I have 99 Followers!  This for some reason had made me think of this little ditty - your welcome - I'm just keepin it Gangsta and Doin me 

But I digress - this post is all about my fill:


I love my surgeon - She is the Shit - Payaal Mehta - AKA Pinky 
Such a sweetheart - she loves her patients and is always the one doing the fill so she can see how we are.  Every time she does one I have to drink the barium and we get to look at the band together.


Today we saw it go in and sit then trickle down oh so slowly - She said, "Now Vanessa ...can we both agree that you are very tight?"
I nodded.  She said even if I had 10cc and could hardly get a pin to pass through the opening I would still be able to eat tons of chocolate....so unfair.  She told me to stop eating cookies and crap - no duh...but it is like a cold fist in face when you hear it from the woman who spent an hour wrapping a piece of plastic around your gut!


I ended up with a .25 fill (yay!) - I'm now at 8.5cc I think...I was on liquids all day today and I totally notice a difference as I slurp my soup  (btw - Pacific Organic - new flavors - Thai Sweet Potato - off the hizay!)


She also gave me a stern What For - I am up 6# since my last visit two months ago.  Urgh! Did you know thatI am going to be a featured before and after in the 2013 Calendar? (Woohoo) and that she already put my name down...so she gave me double shit.  This gave me the kick in the ass I need.  Determination Domination and Bikini Nation~ going Balls Out/ Balls In now!


I had to run the gauntlet of the grocery store tonight - I had to have tunnel vision b/c man ...everything shiny and sugary was beckoning to me...and I've been known to cut a bitch over some creme filling and butter cream frosting....but to my great joy - nothing came home with me....


So I got 99 followers......I wonder who will be #100.....maybe someone famous......or maybe even Oprah...hmmm how do we make that happen....


Peace out - oh and I'm still crushin on TT....I love me a southern cowboy who wants to save the planet!

I am worth it!

I am worth it.  Cat keeps pounding this into my head.  Thanks for all of your support and positivity.  I'm feeling better.  

Been out biking and taking it back to the simple things.  Getting a Fill this afternoon - woo hoo!  I'm hoping it will help this hunger.  

I love this community of banded chicks!  Thanks for picking me up off the floor and believing in me even when I don't/can't!  

I'm reminded today to be thankful.

I'll leave you with a quote from Miss Lorie: "Today I am

 thankful for a loving Father in Heaven. I know that his

answers to prayers are a blessing, even when we aren't

 sure how yet."

- I tried to link back to her blog here but my stupit computer is behaving badly and won't let me -will try again later..

Yesterday - me n mo out for an evening spin

PS - I happened to catch Oprah's Master Class - Ted Turner was on - I'm totally crushing on him!

Check out his Voluntary Initiatives - HERE

Monday - Sunshiny Awesomeness

That title is a ploy ....

I am feeling like a sack of pooh.   Almost wondering if I have a touch of the Lyme.  For those of you not in the North East, Lymes disease is a tick borne illness that makes you tired and achey.  I don't recall being bitten by a tick but boy do I feel like road kill so I'm off to get a blood test today.

Good news - I have my fill scheduled tomorrow - I can't wait.

I'm wishing I never tested the band....I know that I can eat 3 boxes of girl scout cookies, m&ms and tots.  

I am in the same mental place that I was pre-op.   I know this blog has become debbie downer, but thats just the truth.  

I stumbled upon Banditstephanie on youtube - holy weightloss champion - she is a rock star!  After watching her I feel like a failure.

BYOC

1. Do you have any Mother’s Day traditions? 

Nope - I'm usually working, but really wish the dogs would book me


 into a spa for the day....


2. Do you take a daily vitamin? Why or why not?

Flintstones chewable and a b-12 because I have more energy when I


 take them
3. Do you wear perfume every day? If yes, what kind?


Coco mademoiselle - because I am WASPY diva...and I like the 


way it smells..


4. When you walk or run or work out outside – what do you take with you?

my Road ID - ever since Andrew died and it took the police 3 hours


 to figure out who he was,  I always wear mine, and I usually have


 my Garmin 305, and if I'm MTB I have my tools, cell phone, gu and


 a spare tube.

5. Repeat question. Summarize your week.


Not gonna lie - this week has been a struggle!  But I think its getting 


better.   I've been blogging a ton and am totally caught up on all of


my reading.

Ten Things Thursday!

My most Favorite day of the week!


1. Woke up to rain...yesh, this will put a damper on the open houses I am holding today


2.  Mo came home late last night. :) 


3.  I had a flippin killer headache yesterday....which sucked and amazed me at the same time..it was two days earlier I was thinking it had been a while since I had one...and look what happened. 


4.  Did not let said pounding headache stop me from MTB - went out with my buddy Kevin and rode 11 miles - I stayed on his wheel and pushed through it...it wasn't a super fast ride and it hurt like hell.


5.  I love waking up and reading blogs...I love that this is the most untarnished part of my day and I am perfect at this hour. 


6. New points system...every time I turn down a temptation or make the right choice, I am going to give myself a reward. I'll post at the end of the day what my rewards were...
6a. I once worked with a brilliant horse trainer - his motto was "make the wrong thing difficult and the right thing easy"  - this works for dogs, men and horses....will it work for me too?


7. If I can manifest a headache just by thinking about it...then my brian is super powerful.  If picture myself loosing weight and being successful at this and in a really happy, strong place...then it will be


8.  Going MTB again tonight- looking forward to it.  


9. Boot Camp tomorrow - whoop whoop!  Its been months! So excited about it.  As soon as the cash starts flowing my way, I'll do 2-3 classes a week.


10.  Focus on the positive...Its been 5 years since I quit smoking.  I was at least a pack a day smoker...I went cold turkey when it dawned on me  that I was paying "the man" a fuckwad of $$ each week to kill myself.  And yes, I am smug when I see those anti smoking ads on TV.  This victory is a small insight on how my brain works -my decision had nothing to do with health and beating myself up but it was about deciding not to line the pockets of "the Man aka a large evil corporation" with a reward for doing the wrong thing.  Hmmm- can I use this line of thought in my battle of the food monster?


10a.  Using the previous line of thought- I should not buy crap food from corporations because I am rewarding them - giving them money-to create a poor outcome on my body....hmmm - 
I always say - you vote with your dollar - every time you buy something you are voting for that company and sending a message to them that, yes you approve of their values and products....


10b.   I'm going to Stick it to the MAN today and only eat food that is in line with my values.  
10b1 - I am eating Chobani yogurt as I write this - so I did a little research to see if it is in line with my values and... yep as a company it seems great - read about it here . Pretty inspiring.  The only think that irks me is dairy and the dairy industry - but one battle at a time...I'm considering getting back to my vegan ways. 


10. c - Does this rant make sense to anyone or am I having an aneurism from my headache yesterday.

Coming Clean

So...The Good -
Monday - I ran that 5K (hill course) first thing in the morning - then went to meetings for work and then..
It was so nice and sunny I decided to take my Single Speed for a little spin - I meant to do a short out and back but got carried away...20 miles out and back...oops!  It was a magical kind of day, I shut the phone off and just rode for the hell of it.  It is exactly 10 miles from my driveway to the Chimes we hung in the woods in honor of my friend Andrew.  It was an ass kicker of a ride..particularly the last 5 miles home....yesh. 


The Bad....
I didn't do my strength training yesterday...was a tad pooped from my MTB adventure.


The Really bad - tracking calories and points has thrown me into a tailspin of epic proportions...Rebellious eating and not giving a fuck.
Yes, I bought and ate an entire bag (the big family size - must have had 8 servings) of peanut m&ms and then had frozen yogurt after cheese enchiladas.....I'm terrified, did my band dissolve and go away?  I'm starving and so out of control.  
Tuesday I have an appointment for a fill, I hope everything is okay.


So I'm done counting calories and tracking points - it always goes to shit after 1pm...
Looking into doing another 21 day cleanse....


Today - going MTB this afternoon - after I get the house all cleaned and dogs washed - Mo is due back late tonight and I have been reluctant to do any cleaning and have been super tired.