What is the S.E.W. RETREAT??

To review -- I have always been fat. Hell -- I even wrote a book about it...remember??

HOW TO DRESS WITH STYLE WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE CHER BUT LOOK LIKE ROSEANNE...

Hey -- we all have our problems.  And, long ago, I realized being fat was NOT the end of the world...and I've always been determined to make the most of my life, no matter what size I am.

But, obviously, when I weighed over 300 pounds, every day was a struggle. I had no energy, and just going up and down my stairs was a trip I dreaded.

Thanks to my friend Rhonda -- two years ago -- I went to a Fitness Camp in Florida. And it changed my life...

Here are a few "before" pictures...

After that week at Fat Camp (everybody hates it when I call it that)...I slowly lost 80 pounds over the course of a year.

I was a different person when Rhonda and I went back to WeightCrafters in Florida last November...

I blogged about it...I bragged about it...and I kinda thought I had this thing under control.

But, if you've always been fat, there is no such thing as control!!  Years of dieting has ruined my metabolism...and if I even look at a Ritz cracker, I gain 5 pounds.  (okay, there may have been some peanut butter involved).

The thing is, I can't afford to go to Florida every year...And I'm not interested in another week of grueling 6 hour daily workouts... But I do need to put myself into "food jail".  It was so magical to NOT think about food for a whole week.  I didn't have to buy it, or prepare it, or clean up after a meal....I didn't worry even a little bit...I savored every bite they gave me...but, when a meal was done, it was done.  There were no tempting snacks anywhere in that Florida condo...

But -- maybe I don't have to go all the way to Florida to put myself into food jail??  Hummm...

WHY CAN'T WE SET ONE UP RIGHT HERE IN IOWA??   Hummm...Rhonda could drive here from Chicago...I have a few other friends who are interested...We could do our own S.E.W. RETREAT..!!  (Sewing.Eating.WorkingOut)

I have the perfect location -- remember the TMBC Sewing Retreat last summer?  For less than $80 a day, we get a comfortable, private sleeping room...and three nutritious meals...(we'll request a healthy menu, with NO HOMEMADE CINNAMON ROLLS this time)

It would be magnificent to be able to actually SEW for uninterrupted days. We could set up our sewing machines and work on projects....

For the working out element, the grounds have beautiful nature walks -- even an official labyrinth!! 

HOLY COW...THIS IS BRILLIANT.

Maybe we could hire a yoga instructor!!

THIS IS GONNA BE SO MUCH FUN..(literally -- SEW much fun!!).

Maybe the fascinating sewing projects will keep me from remembering that I'm not eating any junk food...

Can you guess who's going to be at the first Iowa S.E.W. Retreat??