This weeks weigh in: 174.6lbs A NEW LOW! I can almost taste 90lbs lost. 2lbs away. I lost a full lb this week and I really wasn't anticipating any loss at all. Last weekend was besties weekend at the cabin (I'll get more in to that later ) and I only went to Zumba once this week. I did not workout on the elliptical, I didn't walk the dog and to add a cherry ontop - TOM! I also got drunk for the 2nd Saturday in a row. I've been stressed and really did have allot of fun! I did maintain my pre-portioned meals like a champ this week. I packed healthy protein and high-fiber lunches and snacks all week and didn't stray at all. I drank my water too. The evenings were busy with work and life so I was able to avoid being bored hungry in the evenings. It's funny how one week like this can seem so easy and then the next I feel like I'm on the verge of falling off.

The Besties weekend was AMAZEBALLS! Mama G tells a good version of the story here: Musings of a Manic Mama. That would be me that bruised her ass off. We knitted, played games, drove around on the frozen lake, ate, drank, danced and shared some deep **** between the 4 of us. I love these ladies!

Friday night, we all stayed up until the crazy hour of 11pm. WOOT WOOT wild girls I tell ya. Saturday, 3... maybe 4 am. I dunno, I was DEERUNK! The evening started out with a lovely dinner. We have this restaurant chain in Western Canada (Colorado and Washington in the US have a few too) called EARLS. It's trendy and reasonably priced but it's not the most amazing food ever except for one menu item:

Grilled Chicken and Baked Brie Ciabatta grilled chicken, melted brie, roasted apples, spinach, sweet fig jam, garlic mayonnaise, house baked ciabatta. Photocredit: Foodosophy

Sweet Mama Jama. This is like crack to me. We did a fabo job of recreating it since anytime the besties go there we all order the same thing. We had it all planned out, made it from scratch and nailed the fig jam too!

Soon, after dinner the drinking began. Shortly after was the kitchen dance party. Then the 20 year old neighbors invited us over. We debated and even warned them that we were 10+years older than them but they were game and we showed em how to win like a boss! We hitched up the kayak to the back of a quad, crammed 4 bodies on it and went whipping around the frozen lake at 60km/h at 1am. I screamed and laughed my ass off! AWESOME. Then we played some cards and consumed a few more bevies before draggin our butts and the kayak home. I was feeling it the next morning but it was well worth it. A 10 out of 10. Sigh, I wish I could spend every weekend at the lake. Some pictures for you all. Yes, I am wearing a housecoat on the kayak. Smells wore a blue one. Man, we are too cool.

Winston our snowman - the only man allowed to join us.

SCRIBBLISH!

Imagine whipping hand-break turns all around a frozen lake - while blasting this song:

The new Bestie Theme Song. MIA - Bad Girls Do It Well.

I feel badass. I'm so not. lol

Yesterday the besties went for brunch in celebration of MamaG's Bday. It was loverly! Later in the afternoon Smells and I headed off to the ski hill. She hadn't bee skiing in years either but ruled the hill! The weather was fabulous on top of it all. 8 degrees Celsius... in February. What!?!??! I swear that I heard a goose yesterday evening. Those feathered friends never dare show up here before April it seems. Spring may be on the way to Alberta! Sweet jeebus I am ready.

I read a blog from Stephanie at Dreams of Skinny High Heels. She was introducing a friend of hers Jen.

Jen has been through a long weight loss journey and had just started blogging. She is not a bandster. It doesn't matter to me at all. This gal has lost and kept off over 100lbs. She's another hero to me just like any other person who has committed to lifestyle change, had successes and struggles and is honest enough to share them both with me. I appreciate all of you bloggers and so appreciate the individuality of each of your journeys. I am on page with some of you and not at all with others but all of the tips, tricks, advice, laughs and support has been a big part of my journey and success. THANK YOU!

The longer that I have my band, the more that I feel like it is a shock collar. That it is more of a mental thing than a physical thing for me. Yes, I have had things get stuck and I do not eat and drink at the same time (mostly) but that is about all that my band changes for me. I rarely feel restriction and can eat just about anything that I want in whatever quantities that I want. The fact that I went through surgery in the first place has been the driver for me. Why would I do that to myself if I wasn't 100% in? I committed to changing my lifestyle. Saying all of this also makes me feel like I am discrediting the band itself and I certainly do not want to seem ungrateful at all but I feel that it is me that makes food choices, me that kicks my ass in to working out and me that struggles mentally with moving forward and not backwards. All of these things are why I choose to selectively tell people about my band. I do not shout it from the rooftop because honestly, I do not want MY hard work and progress to be attributed strictly to my band. I want the credit dammit! Is that selfish? I do believe that if I hadn't gone through the surgery and hadn't had check-ins with my nurse, surgeon and dietitian that I wouldn't be near as successful as I am today. So I am thankful for all of the experience and knowledge that this whole banding process has given me and because of that, I love my band.

Take Care All!