Dim sum and then sum...silly NSV, and WORK CLOTHES UP FOR GRABS!

A long post, cause I'm in a babbling mood...

I had dim sum today, and it was amazing...for those not in the know, it is a huge hall, where Chinese waiters roll little steam carts around with hot, fresh dumplings and little yummies. You choose what you want, and they stamp your card...tally up at the end, and we spent $120 on 6 adults and 5 kids.

I don't remember everything I ate, but lets say two har gao, steamed shrimp dumplings, two steamed seafood and veggies dumplings, one pan friend chive and shrimp dumpling that I dabbed the grease off with my napkin, one steamed shrimp in rice crepe, a fried shrimp ball, a small beef rib, half a fried sesame ball, half an egg custard tart, a custard filled light fried donuts, tofu skin and shrimp, half a piece of eggplant stuffed with shrimp...I think that's about all...oh yeah, and some "healthy" Chinese broccoli, stir fried with garlic and deliciousness...we were there for a while, but I didn't try to eat around the band. I did eat slowly, chew carefully, and avoided liquid during more of the meal. Toward the end, after a break, I tried a little tea and it was perfect, so I had some tea with a little nibble of sweet...it was definitely a big meal for me with the band, but I never felt uncomfortable. Kinda full, but it a good way, not in a "I wanna lie on the couch and rub my belly way"! Keep in mind that these are little bite size nibbles, so it wasn't a massive amount of food, and I definitely loved every bite! It was mindful eating, enjoying the different flavors and textures. I wasn't counting calories at all, so I can't report on that. Nothing good, I imagine, but this in not a diet, right?

All of the adults there knew about the band, which made me comfortable. It  was my BF's best friend and his wife and their two kids, and my friend M and her hubs and their three kids. M has a band as well, and was one of the people I talked to in preparation for making my decision. She went from over 300 lbs to 170 or so, and she is tall, so I think she was in a size 8 or so...then she got pregnant, had #3, and is already down to within ten lbs of her lowest weight six months after the baby...amazing! It was nice to talk to her in person, cause we usually email - a mom of three with a full time job is pretty busy, I guess.

I felt very comfortable with this crew...totally the opposite of how I was prepared to feel last night. They aren't sappy, and M has funny lines that she taught her kids like "Mama isn't an octopus" when they ask her to hold stuff, and "Mama is not a restaurant", which resulted in her 4 year old eating chicken feet! I guess the having fun minus booze is nice, although they will all have a drink if the occasion warrants. I dunno, maybe I am just broody and ready to be in a more family focused place in my life...which I better hold off on, cause I committed to waiting two years after WLS before getting pregnant. Well, I'm a month down, so BF has 23 months to get a ring, propose, plan a wedding and get married...;)

Then the fun part, the clothes!!!

My mom came over with some clothes that I had at her place that were too small for the past several years. So many things fit!  A few things went into a box to be tried on again in two weeks. 22s are too big, 20s, some fit and some don't, and I am fitting into a few 18s already! I dunno if it is because they are my old 18s and already stretched out!  The sixteens are not ready to wear, but I tried some on, and while some don't even close, others do, but just are way to tight to wear. Some 18s in this category too! I was a total nerd, and made outfits for next week! I learned I don't have to wear a suit every day, just when the client is on site, but I do have to be business casual +, whatever that means...let me tell you, I had fun...I'm going to try to take pictures and post them this week!
Day 1 - My Calvin Klein size 20 suit jacket - is roomy now, but still looks nice. The matching pants are an 18, and they need to be taken in, so I found a pair of Michael Kors pants in a size 20 that go with it really well. I have another pair of Michael Kors size 20 pants that are falling off me, so they will be taken in!
Day 2 - A very structured dark denim pencil skirt from Abby Z with either Lane Bryant red twin set or a fuchsia silk twin set...
Day 3 - A charcoal grey Jones New York skirt of raw silk, and a white cotton blouse, Jones New York, I think.
Day 4 - Full legged black LB pants with a cool red sweater from Anthropologie. It's a bit long, probably meant to be a tunic on a smaller girl, but I wear it bunched at the waist, with buttons going down one shoulder.
Day 5 - A black lace LB skirt that looks amazing on, and a green cashmere sweater from Isaac Mizrachi for Target.
I'm also going to be able to wear tights again, which just wasn't happening for a while!

Also, and this is a really silly NSV, but when I put on my panties, I stand up, hold out my panties, and just put one leg and then another in...for the longest time, I had to sit down or bend over all the way or lean against the wall to put them on, but now, I can lift my legs up high...

I am so excited about these options that I could cry right now! I haven't been able to wear these clothes in years! I had saved my favorites, while I gave away most of my stuff that was too small, so I am really happy to be able to pull these things out of storage and use them again. It's really very emotional for me. I am feeling so good about myself...highlight is that I pulled out a beautiful pair of Kenneth Cole slingback heels that I hadn't been able to wear for a long time. Now, don't get carried away, I'm still 250 +, and I'm not gonna wear them for my commute. But I put them on, and they felt great - I wasn't cramming my foot in. I could imagine wearing them around the office! The last time I wore them to Daniel, a week before I started pre-op, I hobbled into the restaurant in them, and had to change into my flats outside, cause I thought my feet were going to go numb and fall off!

Anyway, a bunch of my stuff doesn't fit anymore. I would love to share it with you, but to be honest, it really isn't in great condition...as I lose more weight, and move out of more sizes, I have nicer stuff that I hope you will be able to use. Of the stuff I have been able to wear the last two years, I just have very little, and it's worn hard, especially the winter stuff. When spring and summer come round, I hope to have a few nice pretties! Or some of the above in a few month, or maybe sooner...

Unfortunately, in just one week since I got it, some of the stuff that Jenn gave me just doesn't fit...my mom and I tried to see if it could be altered, but it just wasn't happening! So here's what I have up for grabs...

Size 22 Anne Klein Suit. Grey trousers and jacket, with one button.

Size 22 black blazer.

I will try to put up some pics, but I'm having problems...if you are interested, please email me at yanahelps@gmail.com. It may be easier to email pics to you directly, cause I've been trying to put them up and failing miserably. If no one claims them, they will go to Dress for Success.

Oh, and when my folks came over, I nibbled about 5-6 pecan halves, a few very small slices of truffled goat cheese, and about a tablespoon of dried cranberries. And 1/4 of a pear. I think I'm good for the day, except a chocolate pudding or something tonight during the Golden Globes...they are being DVRed for viewing when BF gets home from work.