2018 SEW Retreat

It's a few days AFTER Thanksgiving. I hope you had a great time...and, mostly, I'm thinking we're all glad that it's over...lol...

As you read this post -- I am AT THE S.E.W RETREAT...and, with any luck, I'm enjoying some healthy meals cooked BY SOMEBODY OTHER THAN ME...and maybe I'm even learning something about Yoga.

I wrote this post (below) two years ago...and it is a good reminder for me. About why I'm doing this. Every year....Hummm...

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November 2016

 THANKS again for all the emails of encouragement!! It seems like nobody was surprised I went away for a Fitness Retreat. (Conn, my trainer, hates it when I call it Fat Camp). It seems that most of my friends and ALL OF MY FAMILY were secretly hoping I would do exactly that!!

So, Rita -- Why Now??

Weight has always been my issue.

The thing is -- I don't care who you are or what you do -- you're dealing with some issue in your life. That's just the way it works. Everybody deals with pain and/or problems. Some people are born into terrible families, or maybe they have a physical disability. Other people struggle in school, or can't find the right job or the right mate. Maybe your issue is an addiction to gambling or Marlboro's...you see what I mean.

In my life, I've dealt with the weight the best way I knew how. Mostly, I decided to accept my imperfect, very large body and just be the best person I could be...and do whatever I could do...and not make it a big deal. (yes, that's a pun...they're all bad). That's why I wrote the book, Life Is Not A Dress Size.

I LOVED WRITING THIS BOOK...and I stand by every word of it.

My entire philosophy is that your life should be about MUCH MORE THAN THAT NUMBER ON THE SCALE. Holy Cow!! Women are soo hard on themselves. We think if we aren't perfect, we are somehow "less than"...and I refuse to be judged by what size dress I'm wearing.

Like everybody else who has an issue with weight, I've yo-yo-ed up and down over the years. In 2009-11, I went from 325 pounds down to 230. ALMOST 100 pounds!! Wow. What an accomplishment, eh? And I enjoyed my new energy, and being able to buy clothes off the rack was quite a treat. Blue Jeans became a part of my wardrobe again!! IT WAS AWESOME.

But, then, I slowly gained the weight back. About 20 pounds a year... And there I was again. At 300 pounds. DAMMIT...

The people in my life are loving and polite. Nobody ever says anything to me about my weight. I just make bigger clothes...and I still get out there and have a very full life.

But, who are we kidding?

It's a chore for me to climb a flight of stairs...I'm snoring at night -- AGAIN -- and I'm sitting in my Lazy-boy about 12 hours a day now. (yes, sitting IS THE NEW SMOKING)...once again, I need a seat belt extender on an airplane...

Then, this happened. My friend Rhonda Pierce told me she was going to a fitness retreat in Florida. I could share a condo with her...hummm...

Maybe THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEED TO DO -- to honestly assess the bad habits I've fallen into.

Maybe this was exactly what I need to push the reset button in my life...I only had one day to decide...

 I SIGNED UP and put myself into training...so I would be able to keep up (kinda)...

I was terrified. What if I can't do the exercise? I've never been in a gym in my life. Am I too old? Will I be able to do anything? Am I too fat? IS IT TOO LATE?? Can I give up BBQ Chips and Snickers??

HEY -- There's only one way to find out!!

LET'S DO THIS THING!!
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And, yes, Rhonda is also attending the Iowa S.E.W. Retreat...she has a big pile of projects to sew -- and we are excited about adding this creative element to our week of RESET...