WOW Kerri!! A 1/2 marathon! You're awesome!!! I'm not doing anything that big. When I'm in intense mode, I workout 5-6 times a week. 2, 1 hour sessions with my personal trainer. And for my cardio days, I do a 40 minute hill workout on the treadmill and I jog the plateaus. I walk at 3.2 MPH (short legs) and jog at 4.5 mph. Then I bike for 20 minutes. If it's a weekend and I'm not under time constrains, then I also swim 1/2 mile. Before the hernia started acting up I was about to start training for a triathlon. Now it will have to wait until next year - maybe longer. It just depends upon when the 2ndd stage of my plastics will be. I guess I should switch to walking more since that's all I'll be able to do during recovery. Good luck w/your 1/2 marathon!! Sharyn

Hi Sharyn~ Thanks for the response. You know, there are times I just get so frustrated because you think you're doing everything right, and you don't lose. Then you loosen up a bit and it drops! Go figure! Hey, what are you doing for intense exercise? I'm still trying to prep for my first 1/2 marathon. I am going to try to do 9 miles tonight. I can't run yet, but I'm bound and determined to be able to fini**** in the 4 hour requirement. Congratulations on being at 166!!! That's wonderful! Hugs, Kerri

heehee... interesting topic! All the new attention i've been getting has my hubby acting funny too. He actually notices guys checking me out more than I do. I have a tendency to not look people in the eye - probably because when i was pre-op people didn't look at me anyway or when they did, they gave a "sorry for me" or "disgusted" look... and i didn't want to see it. But anyway - most of the time Mike and I yuk it up. We get goofy. I'll smile back at whoever it is and Mike just laughs and laughs - then he comes over to me and gives me a big hug and a kiss and we strut out together giggling. Mike goes through phases on how it affects him though. You know how when you've been with someone for a long time - you open your own doors, carry your own heavy stuff, open your own jars or whatever... now he's back to "let me get that for you" - or texting me "I'm thinking of you" and calling just to say "I love you" - which I LOVE! Then goes through the "honey, do I still do it for you?" "Do you still love me even though I've gained weight?" insecure phase. As far as flirting goes - I don't know. It just depends I think. Most of the time, if a guy flirts with me, in the back of my mind - I'm smirking and thinking he's a shallow idiot because a year ago, he wouldn't have flirted with me. So flirting with me NOW is just pathetic. And I walk away feeling sorry for the stupid shallow schmucker....giggling because it's almost cute how stupid he is. (I know, that's awful isn't it?) I think harmless flirting is okay - by that i mean with people that you KNOW aren't serious. People I feel safe with. Just goofing off. Although, I will confess to wearing a tight t-shirt and tight capri pants with my new rack fluffed up - and flirting with the cable guy because he first told me that he would have to dig under my driveway to run the line and I was afraid he would screw up our driveway. So I LOWERED myself to a little smiling and eye batting and dumb blondeness - asking lots of stupid girly questions in my best girly flirty voice until he agreed to dig down the edge of the yard (and leave my driveway alone) to bury the cable and run it to the house. AND then, to convince him to not drill the hole on the closest end of the house, but to dig all the way around the house and bring the cable up on the opposite side of the house. It worked. Eh, what's a girl to do?! Mike was proud of me. I don't even think of other men as prospects. Mike is my man. I don't want anyone but him. Everytime someone flirts with me or I flirt back - I have this firmly set in my mind. So it's no problem for me. I can be quite the smart-azz comedian when someone puts the moves on. It' just too funny to me. I was out at the bar with the OH gang in Richmond and when I turned around from the bar, this guy was standing there smiling and seriously raped me up and down with his eyes. My jaw dropped at just how RUDE that was and i said really loud "ARE YOU CHECKING ME OUT?" and he said "Yes, is that okay?" I said, "Well, you can LOOK" and I tossed my hair over my shoulder and walked away. (maybe you had to be there - but it was funny) Is this long enough? Anyway, I think harmless flirting is okay - as long as you make your hubby know he's your #1 and only. Hugs, Pam

Hi Kerri I think it's changing things up. When I'm exercising intensely, like this week, I need more carbs, especially if my calories are low. When I'm taking it "easy" I can cut back on carbs and loose. I just try to do different stuff. I've been stuck at 166 for awhile and am still hoping to get 6 lbs off before 8/25. Sharyn

Hi Wendy~ I think you're right. It seems like everytime I break out of my normal eating patterns and eat more, like at Christmas or when I'm at home, it seems to kick in my weight loss again. I guess I just am confused because I know that my normal caloric intake is between 1100 and 1600 daily. Maybe it's just adding back in carbs, or mixing things up that's the reason. Thanks for your imput. I will definitely be back on track now. I don't want anything to derail what I've done so far. Plus, I still have about 32 lbs. to go to be where I want. Have a great day!! Hugs, Kerri