**Day 94**

In July of 2006 I went to a Bon Jovi concert in Chicago with my sister, my mom, my two aunts and my uncle, and it should have been a great experience, but, unfortunately, it wasn't....because I was huge!  I was at my highest weight - 282 pounds.  Below is a pic of my sister and I on that day.

I knew that we'd be walking around downtown before the concert, but I wore some cute, not so comfortable sandals anyway.  Big mistake!  My feet started hurting, horribly, almost immediately, so I had to go into a Walgreens and buy some cheap, flat, ugly flip flops.

Once we got to the concert we had to take some stairs to our seats, and those stairs were a killer for me!  And once we got to the seats my big butt barely fit into the seats. :(  But the real trouble started once the concert was over...

We didn't drive to the concert, and when the concert ended all pedestrian traffic had to walk way outside the stadium to some Chicago city street.  It was probably a 20 min. walk, and it was so hard for me to try to keep up with everyone.  Before long, we lost my two aunts and my uncle.  My sister stayed w/ me, and my poor mom was trying to keep track of where my aunts and uncle were way up ahead, but she was trying to keep my sister and I in view, too.  Well, my mom ended up losing all of us, so she was all alone and lost w/ no phone!  Eventually, we all found each other again, but for awhile it was such a mess.....and all because I was too fat and too out of shape to walk at a normal pace with everyone else, but I just couldn't do it.  I remember the pain I had in my feet, ankles, and calves, and I was sweating and panting, as if I was running a marathon - it was so hard not to cry.

So, obviously, much of the day was a humiliating experience.  I was embarrassed, and vowed that I would do something about it, but I didn't.......until this year.  And, now, I know I will never have an experience like that again.  When we were in St. Louis last week we went to a sculpture park and there was alot of walking paths with some inclines, but I didn't have any trouble keeping up with everyone, and I wasn't even panting, at all!  It felt good to feel "normal", and to know that people didn't need to slow their pace for me.  I love knowing that I am getting healthier!

Today, I took a 1 mile walk w/ my girls.  We had planned on taking a 2 mile walk, but once we got outside it was alot colder and windier than we thought, so we just went the mile.  Also, today, I did my 5K training.

I stuck to my WW points plus - I'm allowed 32, and I used every one of them!  And I drank 128oz of water today!!