1.) I was in Orlando this week… for one night for work. I got VIP treatment all the way.

It was amazing weather

and I stayed at a beautiful resort

But I am so ready to stop traveling for a bit!

2.) Speaking of not traveling, I am going to Peru on June 21! When I first booked the trip, it felt SO far away, but now it’s just over a month away! Within the last few weeks, Stacy (my travel buddy) and I have booked everything we need to – including our internal flights in Peru, a 6 night/7 day Amazon Jungle Tour (!!!), and all our accommodations outside of the tour (hostels in Lima and Cusco and an apartment in Cusco for 5 days after the jungle tour). It feels so good to have all those details taken care of!

3.) I had my third (and final!) consult with a plastic surgeon last Thursday, and I cannot believe what a hard decision it is to pick a surgeon! I’ve been going so back and forth between the first and third, but think I am getting very close to making a decision. It feels so adult – I almost wish I could call my mom and make her choose for me. That said, hopefully I will finalize everything in the next week or so and set a surgery date. I’ll be posting about my consults and background research into tummy tucks in the next week, so stay tuned!

4.) I haven’t been counting WW Points for a few weeks now. I’ve actually been maintaining my weight and losing a little (still am a daily weigher), which makes me feel like I am getting closer to being able to eat intuitively. I do still want to lose a few more pounds before said surgery, so I know I need to get back to counting sooner rather than later, but for right now I’m enjoying the break.

5.) This is the first weekend in I can’t remember how long where I have no set in stone plans, and I could not be more excited.

Yesterday Beth’s Journey DietBet: Take 3 started, and it’s not too late to sign up if you’re still interested!

Recently I came across this quote that really struck a cord with me.

“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” – Jim Rohn

I am a champion at coming up with excuses. I’ve been traveling to different states weekly for the last several weeks; work has been crazy recently; and I’ve just had a lot going on outside of work too. I know we can all fill our own blanks in with what’s going in our lives and why we can’t make time to prioritize healthy eating and exercising.

Sunday night I got home late from Woodstock with my fam, so I basically melted into the couch upon my return and didn’t do much else. Enter Monday, and I looked at all my suitcases, bags, and the cooler from the weekend (you would have thought I was gone for weeks) on my way out the door to work, but grabbed my gym bag anyway just in case.

After work, all I could think about was needing to come home, unpack, do laundry, go grocery shopping, figure out what to eat this week, and plan my Weight Watchers meeting for this morning. It would have been easy to just head home and start tackling that to-do list, but instead I made myself get on the treadmill and run, and I ended up busting out 4.14 miles in 40 minutes (very good for me lately!) and feeling SO great during the run.

I came home, unpacked, and decided to make do with what was in my kitchen for food for the next day or so and hold off on laundry until tonight. After a quick (very random) dinner, I sat down to plan my WW meeting and write this post, and realized how proud I was of myself for prioritizing exercise today over the many other things I could have let myself get into post work.

I even managed to come up with a decent meal plan, though most of that is because I ordered a Blue Apron box that comes on Wednesday so takes care of the latter half of the week…

What I need to get from the grocery store (tonight!):

• Eggs
• English Muffins
• Bananas
• Fruit (whatever is on sale)
• Skim Milk

That’s it! It feels so good to have a plan in place and be done with making excuses, for now at least.

Thank you SO MUCH for your supportive comments on yesterday’s post announcing my decision to move forward with plastic surgery on my abdomen. It was a little terrifying to write, but also oddly freeing to put it all out there. You guys are the best.

Personal accounts of the process were one of the main things that helped me make this decision, and unfortunately it’s a very under discussed topic, so I am happy to be able to contribute another first hand account of it all for people contemplating the procedure. I plan to document much of the process of going through the entire procedure from start to finish. This will include everything from the consultations, to the preparation, to the procedure itself, to the recovery. And really, please feel free to let me know if you have any specific questions. Nothing is off limits.

And in other news – I am really trying hard to get myself back to my goal weight prior to moving forward with surgery for the best results. Because of that (and many requests from you guys!), I’m hosting another DietBet for May which will start Monday, May 6, and will run through June 2!

For a description of how it works, you can read this post, but basically, everyone pays $25 to play and has the same goal of losing 4% of their starting weight during the 4 weeks that the game runs. Everyone who hits that goal splits the total pot, so in theory you will make back your money if you hit the 4% goal, and likely more than $25 because not everyone will hit it (like yours truly in Round 2). For Round 1, everyone who hit 4% got paid $43.25 and results are still being calculated for Round 2 so I don’t have the exact figures yet.

Hope to see you over at Beth’s Journey DietBet: Take 3!

For as long as I remember, I’ve been unhappy with my body. As an adolescent, I considered myself too chubby to look cute in the clothes my friends wore, too out of shape keep up with the other kids in gym class, and too unattractive for boys to be interested in me. As I got older, being overweight transitioned into being obese. My already low self esteem got even worse and caused my weight and health to spiral out of control. I could never shop at the same stores as my friends, took what I could get as far as romantic interests were concerned and always sold myself short because I was scared of putting myself out there.

Fast forward to the present, and I’ve completely transformed my life. Besides having lost almost 90 pounds, I’ve found confidence and learned to recognize that I have no reason to underestimate myself and what I can accomplish. I’ve made bold career moves, learned the importance of putting myself first and being an active player in my own life, and have made great strides toward finding balance in my life.

I am extremely proud of myself for how far I’ve come and how much I’ve changed myself, both inside and out. However, there’s still one big thing that is holding me back which is strictly physical, but affects me very much mentally — the extra skin and fat around my abdomen from losing almost 90 pounds.

With clothes on, I look like an average-sized person who is healthy and normal. Without them, you would have a very different impression of my lifestyle. I feel like I’ve worked way too hard to get where I am and still be so uncomfortable in my own skin.

I am self-conscious to the point that thinking about changing in a room full of my girlfriends literally makes me cringe. I am constantly pulling my shirt down for fear of someone getting a glimpse of my stomach. I wear a larger pant size than I’d like to and I shy far away from anything that clings to my body. And, I’m still wearing the same size underwear that I always did, even at 250 pounds.

These issues are things that I’ve been thinking about for a LONG time – pretty much since I hit my goal weight almost 2 years ago. I’ve stayed within the same 10-15 pounds of my goal for the whole time and even when at my goal, my stomach is still very unsightly and a source of extreme anxiety for me.

After hundreds of hours of research and poring over YouTube videos, online forums, blog posts, before and after pictures, and plastic surgeon websites, I’ve decided to move forward with getting plastic surgery on my abdomen to remove the excess skin and fat.

While still in the beginning stages, I’ve had two consultations with plastic surgeons, and have a third set up for next week. The first doctor I saw I loved, but the second one I hated. We’ll see how it goes with the third. This is a major surgery so it will involve a large investment of time, money, and courage. But, in the end, I am confident it will all be worth it.

Hello long lost friends! What a whirlwind life has been lately. Here’s some random highlights to get you up to speed with my life lately.

Two weekends ago, I went to San Diego for a work conference. The view from my hotel room looked like a postcard!

It was absolutely gorgeous outside, so I laid out for 45 minutes before exploring the town and going out for dinner.

My body totally forgot how to process sun, and I woke up in a lot of pain the next day. Whoops.

I ended up coming back a day early because I got finished with everything for work I had to get done, and it was cheaper to change my flight than to stay an extra night in the hotel. It was a fun and productive trip, but weird staying just one night in a hotel on the other side of the country!

Then I got back to DC and left again a few days later for New Orleans for one of my best friend’s bachelorette’s. It was AMAZING. Here’s the bachelorette, Lianne, and me:

9 girls, and somehow NO DRAMA.

We ate, drank, danced, and made Lianne do a lot of embarrassing things. It was so much fun, but I am definitely not 21 anymore. By the last day, we were all ready to come back home, and not eat or drink again.

And then this past weekend, we had a baby shower for one of our best friend’s from college, Rachel. She’ll be 37 weeks this Friday, and it is so crazy to think that my friends are now having babies and that no one is concerned because we’re old enough that it’s perfectly acceptable.

She looks SO cute and you can’t even tell she’s pregnant from the back or the front. I can only dream that I’ll look anything like that at almost full term! Lianne and Jess came with, and it was so fun to see a lot of the women in Rachel’s life that we hadn’t seen since the wedding.

The set-up was really cute, with baby-themed décor everywhere.

We played a bunch of games, ate food and delicious oreo-filled cake, and watched Rachel open a ton of gifts to get ready for Ethan’s arrival. Such a fun afternoon.

Other random updates:

• The Beth’s Journey DietBet ends today!
• I am traveling to Woodstock, NY to see my sister and the kiddos this coming weekend for the first time since Christmas!
• I leave for Peru in less than 2 months
• I have a big (for my life) weightloss journey related announcement coming tomorrow

See you soon!

Would you guys be interested in me hosting another DietBet for May? I was thinking of having another one start Monday, May 6, but only if you guys want me to!

I was planning to come and update you all on what’s been going on in my life lately, but in light of the horrific tragedy that took place in Boston this afternoon, it seems inappropriate to discuss anything else.

It’s not only devastating that so many innocent people were deeply affected during a day that would surely be the highlight of many of their lives otherwise, but it’s also tragic how the spirit of the day and the race was changed so drastically. Races are a time when runners come together, supported on the sidelines by runners and non-runners alike, and the amount of energy, comradery, and excitement that surrounds the race is unlike anything else. It’s so sad that someone intentionally robbed that uplifting spirit from those involved, and instilled fear in so many beyond those in Boston today.

Here is a list of some concrete ways that we can all come together to help in the aftermath of this terrible tragedy:

• Reach out with tips by calling 800-494-TIPS.
• Donate blood in the future. The Red Cross has said the shelves are stocked to capacity at the moment, but to schedule a time to donate to make sure there is enough going forward.
• Offer housing to those displaced from the tragedy if you are local to Boston.
• The Salvation Army is offering food, beverages and crisis counseling to survivors and first responders. Find out how you can get involved here.

My heart goes out to everyone and their families who were affected today.

Here is a link to an article from the Washington Post that’s worth a read.

And another one from the New Yorker.

Round 1 of the Beth’s Journey DietBet ended this past Sunday, and the results are in!

The numbers are as follows:

• 405 players
• $25 buy in, so $10,125 total pot
• 2,554 total pounds lost
• 6.2 pounds per person on average
• 199 players hit the 4% goal
• $43.25 was paid to each of those who made the goal

I am so excited with these results! It’s insane to think that over 2,500 pounds were lost in just those 4 weeks. I think the money aspect keeps people a little more dedicated than they would be otherwise, and I absolutely LOVED how supportive the conversation in the game was. People would share their meals, photos, struggles and frustrations, and get tons of support from everyone else in the group. I also think it’s very telling that 6.2 pounds was the average loss per person – that is a HUGE number for 4 weeks! So even people who didn’t hit the 4% still made a lot of progress, which is really exciting. It added a new level of community to weight loss, and I loved organizing and participating in the game.

Today marks the start of Round 2 of the Beth’s Journey DietBet. Head over to www.dietbet.com/bethsjourney to sign up to participate if you’re interested! It runs through April 30 (4 weeks from today) and everyone who signs up will aim to lose 4% of their starting weight. Starting and ending are verified by DietBet staff, though you can weigh in unofficially as often as you’d like during those 4 weeks. The buy-in is $25, and so far there are 186 participants and the pot is at $4,650!

Hope to see you there!

Below is a guest post from my dear friend Amber about the process of organizing a race for a cause you’re passionate about and some of the logistical hurdles that come up along the way. You can read her first guest post here, which talks about everything that went into planning her first race! The race will take place next Saturday, April 13, at 8am. Details below!

This year marks the second annual Run for Parkinson’s. Over a decade ago, my mom was diagnosed with Parkinson ’s disease, an extremely debilitating neurodegenerative disorder. After going through the difficult journey that comes with such a scary diagnosis, my mom and I felt channeling our experience into something productive for the cause would be the best way to focus our energy.

The story really begins with a run Beth and I did a few years back on the Capital Crescent Trail Towpath. After the run, while we were engaging in all that post-run good stuff (photos and free bananas!) I struck up a conversation with the run’s organizer, John Brathwaite. John has a non-profit called DC Running Club which partners with organizations looking to host active events and helps them plan and execute their event from start to finish (pun intended).

His business model is to take half of the registration fee to cover the cost of the race and his personnel who handle all of the logistics. The other half is donated to the partner organization’s cause. It seemed like fate as I had been dying to plan a run but had absolutely no clue where to start.

We met a few months later to start planning the first Run for Parkinson’s, which was held last April on Hains Point. John took the reins organizing the event while I followed him around trying to absorb all of the details that go into the planning process. The first step was filing for the permit with National Park Service and learning how much police detail is required per number of runners anticipated at the event. We had to carefully choose the start and end times based on the distance of the run and requirements of NPS. Then we had to figure out all of the other nitty-gritty details – such as accessibility via public transportation and parking, placement of trash receptacles, and how many volunteers we’d need to set up on time and hand out bibs.

Marketing the event was up next. John has an account with Active.com, which is very helpful for registration. We had a really tiny budget for marketing, so we had to get creative! Many of last year’s participants were from our various networks, and I have to say it was a very powerful feeling to have that kind of support from so many people. Friends, family and colleagues were quick to sign up and get involved. So out went the mass email blasts, Facebook invites, blog articles, and any other free advertising opportunities we could get our hands on, such as a digital ad donated by Bisnow.com (thanks, guys!).

This is always the most stressful aspect for me because so much goes in to the organization of the event, to the point sometimes you forget you actually have to get people there! Our first event came and went with great success. We attracted close to 500 runners and raised almost $10,000!!

I anticipated the second time around would be easier after the know-how I had gained from the first event. However, it has proven to be full of new challenges on top of the same marketing dilemmas and logistical mishaps. Just when we thought we had things under control, we got a call from National Park Service last week saying that our location was double-booked with another run and we would have to change the location, even though our permit was filed almost a year ago.

Alas, having the backing of DC Running Club has saved us again. John scrambled to work his connections with the Capital Crescent Trail Towpath and we were confirmed two days later at the new location. Now the run is just a couple weeks away and we’re working hard to get everything ready for the big day. We hope that with some help from the race Gods all will go smoothly, and of course we would love to see you there! April 13th at 8am at the Capital Crescent Trail Towpath.

Register at RunForParkinsons.com.

I had such a great visit with my parents this weekend, which ended up being a culinary experience all over the city, wrapping up in my apartment with the first holiday I’ve ever hosted (though my mom helped a ton, obv).

Major victory getting my mom to smile in a photo. Score!

Highlights of the weekend included:

1.) Union Market

On Saturday late morning, we ventured to the newly (ish) opened Union Market in DC. I thought it would be a fun activity to do since my parents are as into food as I am, and we also wanted to pick up ingredients for Easter brunch the next day.

It was really cool to walk around and there were tons of different local vendors selling everything from tea to meat to wine to vegetables. We ended up getting the lamb there and I also got some chicken to make for this week, but the veggies were really expensive and nothing else really caught our eye from the vendors. There were several places selling food to eat, but I had my eye on something specific…

2.) Lambs and Clams from Rappanannock Oyster Bar

This dish made the list of 40 dishes every Washingtonian must try in 2013 according to the Washington Post, and it did not disappoint. The place itself was really cute, with communal seating in the middle of the market as well as up along the bar, and the kitchen right there for everyone to see.

I couldn’t picture what it would be like from the description, and was pleasantly surprised when it came out.

Totally genuine pre-food coma bliss.

The dish was basically a stew that had ground lamb and whole clams in the shell, and it came with two huge pieces of crusty bread that were doused in butter, which makes everything better. It was super flavorful, delicious, and complex. Highly recommend.

I also had a pineapple soda from Buffalo Bergen, which also made the top 40 list, but I was less impressed with that. It was good, but not worth the $5.50 it cost in my opinion.

I clearly didn’t hate it though.

3.) Medium Rare

Saturday night, we headed to Medium Rare for dinner, which is a place I’d heard a lot about but didn’t have a chance to try until now. The concept is simple – it’s a price fixed menu with bread, salad, and steak frites with “secret sauce” (sketch) that is $19.50 a person. All you have to do is tell them how you want your steak cooked, and they bring it out in two portions so that it’s perfectly cooked the entire time you’re eating it. I like that the menu is pre decided because I always gush over big menus and have so much trouble figuring out what to get, and almost always end up with meal envy. Obviously you want to be in the mood for steak to go here, but if you are, I’d highly recommend it. The secret sauce was also really good, though no one, not even the waiters, know exactly what is in it, which makes me cringe a little.

4.) Easter Brunch

This was definitely one of the top parts of the weekend! My mom and I cooked everything and it all came together pretty quickly and without too much stress, which is a big win for my family. We even had a little time for a goofy photo shoot.

I think we all got different messages about what face to make for that one.

First up, we set the table and made it a bit festive.

It was fun getting it set up, which is something I have literally not done since living in my apartment for a year a half.

First course was a delicious salad.

Mixed butter lettuce with toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, and goat cheese, tossed with a homemade honey balsamic vinaigrette (by yours truly).

The main event was rack of lamb, roasted purple potatoes, steamed asparagus, and creamed baby spinach.

I tackled the potatoes, the asparagus, and the plating, while my mom handled the lamb and the creamed spinach. Everything turned out perfect and was delicious, but also not super heavy, which was nice since we had to save room.

Dessert was definitely in competition for my favorite part of the weekend.

French macarons from Macaron Bee! These were incredible, melt-in-your-mouth, sweet-but-not-too-sweet macarons. The meringue was so light and slightly crunchy and the ratio of creamy filling made for a perfect balance. We ended up getting four flavors – salted caramel (OMG), green tea (eh), Pistachio (good), and Toasted Almond (amazing). In case you couldn’t gather from my commentary, the salted caramel was my favorite with the toasted almond a close second. I could have eaten the whole box but stopped at 4, so I’m going to consider that a win as well. What a fun weekend!

Do you ever host holidays, or mostly go to other family members/friends for them?

PS: My first DietBet game ended yesterday, but I’m hosting a second DietBet game that starts this Wednesday, April 3, and runs through the whole month! Last game ended up having 405 participants for a total of a $10,125 pot and 2065 POUNDS LOST (as of this morning)!!! Holy crap!! You can read about the way it works in this post.

I am excited to report that yesterday’s presentation went REALLY well. It was supposed to be about 45 minutes but ended up being a little over an hour because everyone was really engaged, asking lots of questions, and contributing ideas. I ran it very much like a Weight Watchers meeting – asking lots of questions, moving around the room, and facilitating more than giving a presentation. I thought I’d share a little overview of what we discussed and see if you guys have any additional ideas to contribute.

Best Bet: Bringing Your Own

It’s only when you make and pack your own food that you truly know what goes into it. A lot of people struggle with having (or making) the time to pack lunch and meal plan, so we came up with a list of ideas to make that easier and streamline the process.

• Make time to plan your meals on the weekend before you go grocery shopping, or whenever it works for you to fit in.
• Cook big batches of food and separate into single serving containers right away so you can just grab and go.
• If you’re making a casserole or soup, double the recipe. Cooking twice as much of the same thing does not take twice the time with prep.
• Freeze extras that you can’t eat within time (or you might get bored of) so that you have a quick option down the road for a day when you don’t have something in mind.
• Pack lunch the night before while you’re putting away or making dinner rather than trying to make time to do it during a hectic morning.
• Bring a lot of food in on a Monday or early in the week if you have a fridge to use. This way you don’t have to bring things in every day and you have a few options to choose from.
• Make simple foods that you can use in a lot of ways throughout the week. Some examples are a big batch of whole grains, plain grilled chicken, or a pot of beans. If I grill a pound of chicken, I can use it for salads, sandwiches, chicken salad, burritos, tacos, or quesadillas throughout the week so I’m not eating the same thing every day.

Restaurant Surprises

Any idea how many calories are in the tortilla at Chipotle (JUST the wrap)? 290! And 9 grams of fat. So you save almost 300 calories for opting for a burrito bowl over a burrito.

A standard chicken burrito with white rice, black beans, tomato salsa, corn salsa, cheese, sour cream, and lettuce rings in at 1055 calories and 40 grams of fat! If you just hold back on the cheese, sour cream, and tortilla, plus switch the rice from white to brown, you knock it down to 535 calories and 12 grams of fat – almost half! And that’s even having steak instead of chicken.

Another option right by my office is Chop’t, which is one of my favorite places to go. The honey wheat wrap there has even more calories than the one at Chipotle – 300 calories and 8 grams of fat, which is crazy because a lot of people assume that since it’s whole wheat it’s good for you. If you go with a Cobb Salad Wrap with Ranch Dressing there, you’re looking at 1110 calories and 65 grams of fat. If you opt for the Palm Beach Salad with Spa Sesame Dressing, which has avocado, shrimp, and hearts of palm, you’re only looking at 270 calories, 12.5 grams of fat, and a really delicious and healthy lunch.

One other thing that came up is that a lot of people tend to steer towards the vegetarian options on the menu, which can be really good options. But at Potbelly, the vegetarian sandwich is the second worst sandwich for you (after the PB&J) because it has three kinds of cheese plus mushrooms and sauce, so it also isn’t that filling. A lot of times restaurants will load up on cheese and other heavy additions to make up for the lack of meat in those options, so it’s just important to be careful.

Tips for Eating Out for Lunch

• Look at the menu for the restaurant before you go and pick out what you want.
• Choose a restaurant that you know has healthy options.
• Have a few go-to options around you that you know are safe bets. Make sure there’s a variety so you have different ideas when you’re craving different things.
• Stay hydrated throughout the day so you are eating because you’re hungry and not thirsty.
• Don’t let yourself get ravenous, because then you’re more likely to overeat and make a worse choice.
• Realize that not every time we eat out in a celebration. Sometimes it’s just a regular meal. Pick your indulgences wisely.
• Bring healthy snacks from home to supplement what you buy out – think fruits and veggies!
• Ask for heavy items on the side so you can control how much goes on them (think cheese, dressings, sour cream, etc)
• Better yet, bring some condiments you like from home and keep them in your fridge at work if you have one.

The other big takeaway is that lunch is just one meal. I think sometimes we put a ton of pressure on ourselves and feel really disappointed if we overdo it on a meal or get carried away if we’re dining with others, and one meal is NOT going to break your day or your week. If you make a bad choice, just get back on track as soon as you can, and it’ll be alright.

What’s your biggest tip for making sure you bring lunch to work? If you’re not a lunch packer, what’s your biggest tip for making healthy choices while you’re out?