I’m not changing the title of this blog because this is what I started today with. I’m usually not one to feel sorry for myself, but let’s be honest here, as far as the “Family” and “Friends” department goes, I’ve been let down a lot lately.

I don’t talk much about Family drama, it’s something that has been a part of my life since I was a little girl, but lately I have decided that my family are the people I choose to surround myself with and that I choose to love. It’s been a long journey for me coming to that realization, but I’ve gotten there.

I am a firm believe that when you put good and positive energy into your life good and positive energy come out of it. It just seems like the moment I committed to what I wanted to do and what I was going to do right now, things just started happening and moving so fast and I am so excited.

So let me tell you a little about my Day. It wasn’t that I hadn’t heard of the OAC Convention up until yesterday or anything, I just really didn’t think that me going was in the cards. Just the hotel room, flight and registration are costing nearly $1200. But as usual, things just sort of fall into place for me sometimes and Tom decided to help me fund part of the trip and I’m currently talking to SWMC to see if they will consider Sponsoring part of the cost of me going, so we’ll see what happens. I have a month to figure the rest out. LOL!

What I do know is that after my friend Ashli was through speaking with Stephanie at the OAC she was completely convinced that I needed to attend this Convention, so we’re moving things around to make it happen.

Next thing I know I’ve got hotel reservations, a plane reservation and my OAC registration is complete and I’m going to be gone for an entire MONTH between going to Dallas and going to Oakland… WHAT?!? It’s all good though, I’m totally excited about this and I feel like it’s a door opening for me in a direction that I want to go.

One of the things I have found myself passionate about this year during the Presidential Election is how my vote is going to affect Health Care and how whoever I put in office is going to decide to treat obesity in health care. This is a pretty big deal to me as a voter this year. So part of the OAC conference is going to be an advocacy program where they teach you how to advocate for obesity issues with your state legislature and such, and that coupled with a bunch of AMAZING lectures on topic so close to home for me, I’m just  so ready for this.

I’m so excited to meet other WLS people and I just sort of feel in a way like this is a little bit of my coming out party. I am so close to my Goal weight, this convention is literally a week after my 2 year anniversary of my Gastric Bypass on 10-19-2010.

I think I need to head over to the TT Forums and peak my head in and see if anyone else there is going. Might be an opportunity for me to make new friends!  Today was one of those days where I was having to remind myself that I’m not alone and that I am surrounded by alot of people that love and care about me, it just sucks sometimes that they are so far away. Ashli being in Kansas City and Debby being in San Jose just sucks, my two best friends in the entire world and I don’t see them nearly enough. But today just when I was struggling with that feeling, here comes this great news about this great opportunity to meet  bunch of new people! I am sooOOOO excited about this Convention!

Exercise: I left the house today intending to take a nice long walk and spend some time with my Father. It just seemed like there has been a lot I hadn’t got to share with him yet since I hadn’t been outdoors exercising yet since my last skin removal surgery on 8-2-12. I got about a mile and half out and I just couldn’t take it anymore, I had to run a bit. So I let myself run the Loop in the center of town here which is about 1.5 miles doing interval runs where I ran for one song and walked for another. My total for the day was 5.39 miles with an average pace of 15:30 min/mi and a max pace for 4:59min/mi during my run times. For those interested in distance that’s an average pace of 3.87mi/hr and a max pace of 12.03 mi/hr when I’m actually running. This is a far cry from my 5 hour miles I was getting pre skin removal Op #2 but I’ll get back there. Likely just in time to have surgery #3 but that’s okay, it’s in the plan. I will say that running post skin removal is amazing and I really just can’t wait to see what my body feels like after I get this skin of my thighs now.

Food:

  • Breakfast: Coffee & Protein Bar
  • Lunch: Multigrain Lean Pocket
  • Dinner: Red Lobster!
  • Snack: Popchips & Humus
Please remember this probably would not be a good food selection at all if you are a post bariatric surgery patient who avoids carbs and breads. I added some whole and multigrains back into my diet per the suggestion of my Nutritionist based on how much I exercise.

Red Lobster Dinning Tip! When I eat at Red Lobster I never order a meal! I always pick a protein that I can add on to someone else’s meal, like tonight I chose the $8.99 Snow Crab Leg addition to Jason’s Steak and Shrimp.  I ordered a Garden Salad with their lowcal raspberry vinaigrette dressing along with some blue cheese dressing on the side. I mix about ½ Tablespoon of both together and use that on my salad along with some ground pepper. I stole a bite or two of Jason’s steak, passed on his way too buttery looking shrimp, and snagged a couple of the bacon wrapped scallops off the appetizer he ordered. Oh, I also brought home the leftovers, about 2 crab legs, and the other to scallops that were left on the appetizer plate. Lunch tomorrow sounds like a crab and scallop taco! Gotta use those leftovers post WLS!