A very special day!!

Yesterday was FAN-freakin-TASTIC!! I can't even put into words how much I enjoyed myself and enjoyed the people around me yesterday. A couple of months ago, my friend Nicole that I have mentioned here a bazillion times and have been friends with through the Weight Watchers community and FB since the beginning of my journey, contacted me asking what I thought about doing a specialty Weight Watchers meeting in NY for the online community.

Duh. You know my answer.

What a great idea! So she proceeded to ask me to be a guest speaker as well as my friend Daphne (who I have also mentioned on here a bazillion times! LOL!) These two have been my back bone through this journey so to have an opportunity to hug these ladies for the first time when I feel like I have known them a lifetime, was a chance that I would definitely not be passing up!!! And so the meeting came to be:

So yesterday I woke up at 4:30am to catch the bus to NY (long story with why I didn't get on the bus until 7 but anyway...I got there!!!) The girls were already waiting for me and let me tell you....when I popped up in the window of their car, there were so many screams and hugs and "oh my God!"s and "Look at you!!"s. People on the street probably thought we were nuts!!! We were too excited to be together finally!!

They already had planned to go get cupcakes from Baked by Melissa. These little to-die-for cupcakes are only 50 calories each and we decided they were 1 point each.

But they were our dessert after breakfast ;)

I could talk all day about how much I adore these ladies but let me get to the point of the day!!:

This meeting went so well! I definitely feel like lives were changed and people left inspired and motivated. Nicole first spoke and told her story, then Daphne, then myself. All of us having lost 100lbs or more. Our combined weight loss is 317lbs!!

We spoke, we cried, we answered questions, we had conversations, we had a raffle, we had a REALLY REALLY GOOD TIME!!!! 

Some of the highlights:

Nicole telling her story. She keeps it REAL! 

Daphne showing everybody one of her favorite (and one of mine!) Non Scale Victories: Sitting like a LADY!

telling my story :) 

The Charlies Angels of Weight Watchers (That's what Daphne's boo nicknamed us!) 

Nicole raffling off prizes! 

The meeting room. 

My friend Yoav won the pedometer!! Congratulations Yoav! 

Some moments that really touched me:

• We met the sweetest woman whom I won't disclose her name but we will call her "L". I'm sure if she is reading she knows who she is. L would give her shirt off of her back for a stranger and could find beauty in a leaf on the ground but has a hard time finding beauty and worth in herself. She talked to Daphne and I for a while after the meeting and she really touched my heart. She has an incredible husband who thinks she is beautiful no matter what she looks like but she doesn't see it. She told us prior how she hated taking pictures and she never allowed photos of herself. Well, after talking to her she decided she was going to take a picture with Daphne for her birthday and the three of us agreed that for the next 7 days, she is going to tell herself something GREAT about herself and after those 7 days, she is going to publicly post the photo of her and Daphne. L, if you're reading this, you are a beautiful woman both inside and out and I hope that you continue to practice self affirmations and learn to adore the woman that you are because I'm sure I can speak for Daphne and Nicole as well when I say WE ADORE YOU!!!!! 
• After telling my story, I spoke with a woman named Jackie who told me how she felt like I was speaking HER own story. I had mentioned things about the emotional scars of being an overweight young girl and she told me how she experienced some of the same situations. It's always inspiring to hear someone come to you and say that they have experience the same exact thing but would never disclose that information to anybody. That is WHY I am so open about my life and my journey. Someone else has always been through the same thing! 
• A friend Tiny came to the meeting that I have known online through FB and I had seen his posts online prior about working out, going to the gym, and how he lost 105lbs and he is an incredibly fit man. When he walked in the room and I saw that he walked with a cane, I was completely inspired. I think many people would use that or any other disability as an excuse but not Tiny! He is fit and healthy and proud of it!! Thank you Tiny for inspiring me!!

I could go on and on. Let me just sum it up by saying people left that room CHANGED, INSPIRED, and MOTIVATED, including myself!!! Being surrounded by all new people with the same goals as you, going through the same struggles, celebrating the same victories, and along the same journey yet each having their own unique story is just incredible.

I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for coming out and making yesterday GREAT!! And a special THANK YOU to Nicole for making it happen!!! 

Here are some more pictures from the day:

Tiny! 

Nicole gave me this book for reaching -100lbs! And Daphne gave me the scarf that I have on in the 1st pic!

Sad to say goodbye!!! 

Thank you all for reading!! Wishing my girlfriend Daphne a VERY VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY!!!!!! 41 never looked SO GOOD!!!!!!!

Love yas!