Back In London-- and PBing on PB

Ladies, I landed in London this morning and have spent some of today catching up on Blogland.  I feel that I have missed so much, pathetic!
 
My trip back to the states was, as expected, great.  We stayed at The Palace, which is a lovely hotel.  The rooms are nicely appointed and the service is first rate.  The hotel is also conveniently situated on 50th & Madison (right behind St. Patrick's Cathedral), so we can easily get around town.  Because so much of my week revolved around food and drink, I made sure to walk just about everywhere.  I had enough time to walk, and it made sense to burn off those extra pieces of bread and bottles of wine that I refused to do without.  I also made it to the hotel gym twice.  I had hoped that I would have at least 3 proper workouts, but I was active enough that I was fine.  After eight days and nights of eating out and drinking more than usual, I weighed what I did before checking in on September 8th:) 
  
In reading some of your blogs, I see that many bandsters are anxiety-ridden when it comes to travel.  You are afraid of being tight after flying and of being stuck at a restaurant.  Many even go to the doctor to have an un-fill before a trip.  I don't understand the pre-travel un-fill, but maybe I am in the minority.  Given that I travel more than twenty times a year (I don't remember the exact figure, but my band had flown around 50,000 miles between December 2010 and April 2011), I could never be successful if I were constantly going for un-fills and re-fills.  I also haven't seen the need.  Even in Budapest, the land of tough meats, I was able to find band-friendly dishes.  Now that I am sated with smaller portions, I would never have fluid taken out of my band so that I could get my money's worth at a Las Vegas buffet. 
  

EAT ME- you know you want to!

 
When it comes to eating during travel, I try to make sure I consume the same things I would eat were I cooking at home.  I look for fish options for both my starter and my main course (confession time, I still love starters and just accept that I won't eat all of my main).  If I am craving beef, I order a rare filet mignon.  If the steak comes with salad and fries, I ask for more salad and no fries.  I avoid pasta and mashed potatoes.  I avoid heavy sauces.  I avoid things that are breaded and fried.  I focus on lean protein and veggies.  I only allow myself the occasional dessert.  Period.  These guidelines work for me and have given me the flexibility of eating out for approximately 25 of the last 35 nights WITHOUT fear of being stuck in public and WITHOUT fear of coming home with an extra 5-10 lbs.  Oh, and I chew the hell of absolutely anything I eat.  I'd love to hear how others handle travel and whether you do the whole un-fill/re-fill thing.  
      
I spent enough time in NYC to catch up with friends I haven't seen since this time last year.  It was funny to see how many people mentioned that I looked 'great' or that I looked 'fantastic' but that none would acknowledge the big (but much less fat) elephant pirouetting around the restaurant in a pink tutu!
  

Hi, I am an elephant in a tutu, and yes, I am dancing in a restaurant...
But seriously, DON'T LOOK AT ME!!!

  
With all of this going out, I really see how far I have come in 9 months.  I like how I carry myself now and love being able to walk in high heels.  It is so comforting to now know that I can squeeze into the inside chair or banquette at a restaurant without causing too much of a scene.  Even better, I know that the best is yet to come... and won't that be fine.
  
Kenny and I had a date night one evening followed by listening to some of our favorite jazz musicians.  I have been friendly with the guys for years, and it was just so wonderful to sit with Kenny, lean back with a drink and listen to them play.  Being in NY is just so comfortable and easy, but I digress.  One of the band members has been seriously overweight for as long as I have known him.  Like so many people, he is a really nice guy who just battles a serious issue.  During one of the set breaks, I mentioned to him that he had obviously lost weight and looked great.
   
**See, this is the benefit of being part of the fat/weight loss club.  I understand how important these compliments are and how discouraged we can all get when we are working hard towards a goal without receiving any recognition.**
 
His face lit up, and he thanked me for noticing.  He said that one of his regulars (a doctor who was out of town over the summer) had been in to see the band play the prior evening, that the regular came up to the musician with some friends, tapped him in the gut and said to my friend something along the line of "hey, weren't you supposed to lose weight this summer?".  My heart broke when I heard this!  He was still upset by the comment, so my words of encouragement came at exactly the right time.  I was upset for him and really disappointed by this doctor.  If the doctor's concern was related to health, he could have found a more productive and positive way to approach this guy.  It seemed to me that the doctor was just being a bully, especially because he brought his friends along to up the embarrassment factor significantly.  We were talking about how struggling with weight is one of the worst afflictions (for lack of a better term) to have because it is such a public battle.  Not like I'd want to be a drug addict or an alcoholic, but at least those are problems that can sometimes be kept private- employers find out you are an alcoholic after hiring you and try to send you for counseling or rehab.  They hold your position until you are well enough to return to work.  If you are fat, you probably won't even get the job to begin with, because you are fat and people don't like the appearance of fat people in their place of business, don't want fat people representing their office or brand and don't want any of the negative implications of having a fat staff.  If you become fat while in a role, you might be passed over for promotions or other career opportunities.  It is really unfortunate and very sad!  Regardless of the countless issues associated with obesity, I am happy that I felt comfortable enough with him to say something nice and encouraging.   
  
I saw Dr. Kurian for my monthly visit on Monday.  She was very pleased to see that I am down 90 lbs in 9 months:)  My first consultation with her was September 17, 2010, so it was just about a year ago that I made one of the most important decisions of my life!  She only gave me a 0.1cc fill, and that is fine with me.  I would rather get little fills every month or two rather than have 0.5ccs at once and risk complications.  I will fly back in November for my one year check up.
  
So now onto the PB issue.  I had absolutely no food in the flat this morning but thought I should eat something before going to the market.  I had peanut butter, so I mixed about a tablespoon with some raspberry jam and ate.  I am on mushies today, and I assumed this would be fine.  I was wrong.  I somehow forgot that 10am London time is a mere 5am in NJ and that my body was still on the earlier time.  Well, my body reminded me that 5am is an inappropriate time to be consuming anything other than water and that I should try again later.  Not quite the welcome home I had expected, but it could have been worse.