I'm attending a Sparkpeople Convention tomorrow in Cincy. I use Sparkpeople website to track calorie, exercise, read health articles and meet people. The day starts with a morning walk, presentations from the founder of sparkpeople, nutritionist, and coaches. We get lunch and several exercise breaks including some yoga.

I came down early and am staying in a very nice hotel. I think it may be the nicest I've ever stayed in. I got the convention price of $105.00. I'm use to travelling a lot but I usually travel on a very low budget. For example, when I go to the races with Paula (my BFF), we stay at Comfort inn. She has a rewards card. So we often earn free nights. When we go to Charlotte in October we are staying 3 night...2 of which are free. The night we are paying for is $40.00 each.

This room has a living room area with it's own plasma TV, couch and chair, dining table, fridge, microwave. Then you have a nice sized bathroom. And then the bedroom with another plasma TV and my huge king sized bed. My only complaint......why do nice hotels not have vending machines with snacks in it? Their is a pop machine but no snacks. I didn't really eat supper. Had lunch about 3:00. So, I'm a little hungry. There's a restraunt in the lobby but I don't feel like eating alone. Guess I'll survive until the free breakfast tomorrow. I won't starve.

Guess, I'm not the kind of person that can stand "tight". I went to the doctor today. I was hoping for a tiny unfill. But he took the whole 1/4 fill that I got in August out. Guess, he only does quarters. The first two weeks of fill was okay. But right before my period 3 weeks ago, I tightened up and never lossened up again. I've thrown up 3-4 times a week, had heartburn for the first time since surgery, and I haven't been able to eat anything before noon. I haven't been able to eat solids before about 2-3 in the afternoon. I haven't had solid protein for weeks. Anyway, I just couldn't hack it anymore. The good news is I lost 9 pounds according to the doc's scales. I've learned to eat less along with following the rules better....I just hope I can keep doing that after this unfill. At least, I should have a little more energy now.

If this doesn't work the doctor wants me to call him back and will do a fill under floroscope.

See...I am updating more than once a month. LOL!
I'm going to the doctor on Tuesday. My fill I got 5 weeks ago has really tightened up on me. I spent the 2 weeks around my period bearly eating liquids and mushies. I haven't been able to eat solid protein since i got my fill. It's been shredded chicken, peanut butter, cheese and whey protein. I can't eat in the morning so I've been drinking ensure. And even that pools in the back of my throat. So, I'll probably be getting an unfill on Tuesday.

This week has been very emotional. My step-dad asked my mom for a divorce on Sunday. He moved out this weekend. And they are going to a laywer tomorrow. It's happening so fast. My step-dad is an acholic that has been sober for 20years but overthe last year he's started again. I guess now he just wants his freedom to drink as much as he wants away from my mom's judgement. I just don't understand. I know about addiction. But there is nothing I would ever do to jeapordize my family. There would be nothing that would make me throw away my family. But maybe I'm too idealistic.

It's been really hard on all of us. But especially on my sister. She's worried about telling my niece and her baby not having a grandpa. My sister doesn't remember my dad..so it's really the only dad she's ever know. It's also hit me harder than I thought. I don't tend to let people close. But over the years he has became the closest thing I've had to a dad since I was little.

Can't remember if I mentioned that my sister is pregnant. She's the due the day before I go to Bristol next year. I told her she has to have it early. She insists on not finding out what she's having. My mom and I are trying to convince her to let us find out so we can start shopping for pink or blue. She had sold all her baby stuff last year.

Well...more later

Back again...but with good news now.

I finally got a fill. I spent so much time think that I wanted to do this with the bare minimum fill. Well, after going 10 months without a fill, I only lost 4 pounds. Actually I fluctuated about 10 pounds. Anyway, I bite the bull and got a .25 cc fill on August 11th. It'll be 3 weeks tomorrow and I've lost 10 pounds. YEAH!!

I've also been so active lately. Hiking, walking, biking. I took a small vacation to Bristol to see the night race. Here are some of my "firsts" this summer: parasailed, rode in a helicopter, joined a hiking club, and bought a pair of size 14 pants that fit! I'm wearing 16's in most pants but they are all getting looser.

Also, I'm on a serious hunt for a man. I seen my ex-boyfriend with a girl about a week ago and it finally gave me the nudge to get over it. Suprisingly, it didn't hurt. I was sincerely happy for him. I've known for a long time that he wasn't good for me. We never wanted the same things. No real prospects yet. But I renewed my eharmony account, have the word out that I'm up for being introducted, and I'm stepping out of the box--meeting new people. I went to a dance Saturday night where I didn't know anyone but my sister. Seen a lot of eye candy but most were either married or under 25. Also, Sunday I met 11 new people in the hiking club.

So,......you see I've been busy. I'm not even going to say I will try to update more. I'm not making promises I may not keep.

Back again....from another vacation. This time I was in Ft. Myers, FL for 4 days. Can you say, "HOT". But it was great to get away. I did things on this trip that I never would have 40 pounds ago. I para-sailed. I wore tank tops in public. And I wore a sleeveless sundress in public. Shopped in many regulart shops and found things that fit.

That being said my weight in the last month has hopped back up between 213-216. So, I'm not out of the 210's after all. I'm feeling so confident lately. The exercise is a part of it. I didn't skip a day of exercise on the trip...even in 90 degree weather. I walked on the beach every morning, even when I wanted to sleep in.

I'm try to blog more.

Here's a pix I took this morning. I wish I could compare this to my before pix. My laptop crashed and I got a new one but I still need to take my old one in to see if I can get my pictures off it. At my support group tonight I was the spotlight. So, I had to talk a little about mu backgroup, why I had surgery, successes and struggles. I created a four scrapbook pages worth of photos and took my half-marathon medals in.

Long time ...no post.

I've gone on another vacation since the last post. Went to Charlotte for the annual NASCAR weekend free for all. It was so much fun. Saturday was our frist whole day in Charlotte. Paula and I met up with our friend Scott from Florida. Scott drove us around from race shop to race shop, stopped at Lake Norman to dip our toes in, he took us out from Breakfast and Dinner. And we ended the night at Whiskey River ( Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s bar). The next day we sat through a rained out race. And then monday we sat through a rained delayed and shortened race. Drove all the way home and got home at 2 AM Tuesday. Then I had to be at work at 7:00. It took me all week to recover. I think I'm getting old! I did get exercise in on 2 of the 4 day I was away. The eating wasn't bad but I consumed to many liquid calories.

Seems like life is never normal. Just when I get going on a good schedule, I have something else going on. Tomorrow, I'm leaving for Memphis with my mom and sister. My mom really needed a vacation and we've never done the girl's vacation. So, my sister and I sprang for a trip to Memphis. We're going to Graceland, a cruise on the mississippi and a night on Beale St. It's a short trip. I'll be back Saturday night/Sunday morning. Should be a lot of fun.

I don't know when I'm going to get a long run/walk in. Maybe Sunday.

Signed up for the biggest loser at work and a new session at the Y. We had a banquet for last sessions Biggest Loser and I lost 8 pounds since the first of the year and improved on my cardiac endurance test.

I'll try to update after vacay

Okay..I looked and the last time I was this weight was over 5 years ago.....December 2003. It's signficant because my niece was born then. I remember feeling so fat when she was born and thinking I didn't want Lucy to ever remember me as her fat aunt. She's 5 now and starting to form memories that she will remember so I better get cracking. Even if she doesn't remember her fat aunt there are plenty of pictures out there for her to see.

For some reason I couldn't get this very big but you can click on it and see the details. You can also create you own at http://www.wordle.net/