WW Clubs and Groups - Turtle Club #24

Hi, Turtle Buddies,

Here it is - my "official" version of the fable:

The Hare and the Tortoise

A hare met a tortoise one day and made fun of him for the slow and clumsy way in which he walked.

The tortoise laughed and said, "I will run a race with you any time that you choose."

"Very well," replied the hare, "we will start at once."

The tortoise immediately set off in his slow and steady way without waiting a moment or looking back. The hare, on the other hand, treated the matter as a joke and decided to take a little nap before starting, for she thought that it would be an easy matter to overtake her rival.

The tortoise plodded on, and meanwhile the hare overslept herself, with the result that she arrived at the winning-post only to see that the tortoise had got in before her.

Moral: Slow and steady wins the race.

This comes from a book handed down from my grandmother to my mother to me. The book is so old it doesn't have a copyright date or an author/editor's credit.

That fable has been the motivation for us turtles for somewhere between 2-3 years. I've forgotten exactly when we started this thread. Someone on the ancient WW forum mentioned the fable and I discovered it was very motivational for me. I talked about it in posts and other people said that the tortoise philosophy worked for them, too. So, I started a thread for us turtle types.

We work toward accepting that our bodies have a natural speed of weight loss when we choose to live a healthy life, instead of "going on a diet". Many of us have experienced "the diets" as go on/lose weight-- go off/ gain the weight plus more back.

We choose to perservere with each choice we make throughout the day. We believe that choosing to be slow, steady turtles helps us to learn the skills we need to learn in order to not only lose the weight, but keep it off and become the healthiest people we can be.

So, welcome to all who realize that losing and maintaining a weight loss is a lifestyle change. And who want support as we all learn the skills we need to successfully make the changes that will allow us to reach our goals.

Happy turtlin', everyone!

Lin

Hi, Turtles,

It's Saturday morning. Last night was a real washout for me. The day before yesterday the muscle just above my right knee was really achy. When I woke up yesterday, it was a lot better. So, I decided to stay off of my feet for a day to see if rest helped. It did, but I was up a creek when it came to dinner. We went to the store and the only thing that was cheap enough for our current budget did NOT fit into WW at all. Well, I decided to go ahead and make that choice so that I'd have more money available to help me to eat OP the rest of the time. It's probably not as bad as I'm thinking it is because it was only one meal and I had banked points plus unused activity points available. I'm OK with it. I find that it's easier for me to move on if I 'fess up to myself and this is a good place to do that.

Anyway, I'm back to my regular routine this morning. I've been thinking about that word a bit lately. Routine. Routine is what we usually do. I'm discovering that creating some usual routines make it easier over time to remain OP. It gives me something to go back to. When I go way off program, I used to have trouble figuring out what, exactly, getting back OP meant. Start over with tallying points? Wait until the beginning of my next day? I tried different methods. But since I've started with this new plan that has some routines built in, it's really easy to get back from the over point meal. I just followed the routine with my very next meal.

I also realized that routines can become the foundation of habits. I'm not a person who adores sameness. I hate strict schedules. I abhor feeling as if I must do anything one way and one way only. But I've discovered that routine is flexible. It's the way I usually do it, but it's not written in stone. I can flex routines to accommodate life. I can live with that.

Also, the routines I'm talking about are designed to have some flexibility built in. I stopped making a breakfast, lunck, dinner, and snack plan. I write Meals 1-5 and switch them around as I need to. For example, sometimes I stay up late and get hungry. I have a milk serving in the form of hot chocolate planned for that eventuality. But if I don't use it, I have it at midmorning with my fruit, which gets in those milk servings.

Another part of my routine is the soup/salad thing. It works because I don't eat the same soup and I don't use the same salad ingredients day after day. I read something interesting in a magazine last night. It said that in a study that took place over a year's time, people who wanted to lose weight lost more weight and stuck with it better if they began their meal with soup. They specifically mentioned hot soups, but I made Gazpacho, a cold soup the other day and it was just as filling and satisfying as the hot soups. I figure that regardless of how scientific the study was, since there wasn't enough information given about the specifics of the study to evaluate it well, the soup can't hurt and since they're all fruit/veggie soups, they certainly are healthful.

Happy turtlin'! :D

Lin
272/233/lower

Lin, I think there were cosmic forces yesterday that collided and sent us all off the deep end a bit! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I haven't overeaten in ages, but I sure did yesterday. Two foods: chex mix and popcorn. Both sit in huge barrels next to my desk at work, and usually they're no problem. But yesterday I just munched and munched and munched. No idea how many points, but it wasn't pretty.

I think during the week before TOM, I should just pour a can of salt into my mouth or something. Carbs and salt; that's what I crave. How helpful! NOT.

It didn't help that I was very frustrated with my company and my "I just don't care" attitude unfortunately spread to my eating. What I should've done is gone for a long walk instead.

I've had the munchies today, too, though I finally seem to have stopped them by coming up to the computer and typing. Next I'm going to go do my workout to try to undo some of the damage.

Lin, routine helps me as well. For me, routine means writing it down, no matter what's actually happening in my life. It's like a lifeboat for me. I believe I will always have to write down what I eat, even after I've reached my goal weight (whatever that is). It just keeps me from going too far off the deep end for too long.

It's expensive to eat right, isn't it? That's one reason why low-income people in this country tend to be heavier. And this leads me to one of my personal hobby horses ...

I believe that attractiveness in any culture is defined by wealth. In our country, it's the wealthier people who have the money to buy healthier food and hire personal trainers and gym memberships in order to achieve a svelte, toned appearance that our culture prizes.

But in India and Sierra Leone (two places I've been), where poor people are emaciated and being pudgy is a sign of wealth, a bit of roundness is considered beautiful. I remember going to a "health food store" in Calcutta, and finding fat clerks who just knew they were gorgeous, surrounded by brownies and cakes! That was health food in Calcutta. And in Sierra Leone, where I lost weight down to a size 8, I had perfect strangers walk up to me and tell me I needed to gain weight. Fat was definitely beautiful there.

So there are my reflections for today.

Onward and downward,

Lauren

NOw I know I belong here. For some inexplicable reason I too had a few eating choices that are going to get me nowhere. Thanks for talking about it, Lin and Lauren. Just maybe it's the tailend (I hope) of winter or maybe it's just time to break out a little. Who knows, but I'm back OP today and I've got some hefty planning to do so I don't backslide. Those pounds come off slowly and I sure want them to stay off.
Good luck to all of us. I feel right at home here.
Judy

Hi, Turtles,

Well, I guess we got it out of our system yesterday. I'm back OP, too.

I know what you mean about carbs and salt! What's interesting is that until this past year or so, I never craved salty stuff. But I cannot have potato chips in my house during PMS. Sometimes it's chocolate. This time I'm somewhat prepared. I have popcorn for salty stuff and Hershey's chocolate tastations for chocolate stuff. The only problem is that my microwave popcorn popper was one of the items that didn't make it from San Jose to Salinas, so I have to use the pan on the stove method. Anyone know of a less fatty way to do popcorn that doesn't require the expense of purchasing a new popcorn popper? (I don't do packaged microwave popcorn. I've never found a brand that I can stand the taste of and it's way too expensive.) If not, I'll just use the oil and count the points because no matter what method I use to pop it, popcorn is healthier and satisfies the craving better than potato chips! One other possibility is to cook brown rice. It helps with the carb cravings for few points.

Lauren, I have to write it down, too. It's weird, though. If I write it down, I'm careful about portion sizes. If I don't write it down, they start to creep up slowly.

I agree with your little rant and I'm sorry the wealthy have discovered fresh food. In California, especially the SF Bay Area, foodies abound and the price of really good food is abominable. I used to be able to afford yogurt, fresh fish, fresh fruits and vegetables. Chicken, even boneless, skinless breasts, did not used to cost as much as steak! The affordable cuts of meat and poultry seem to be the ones in which you throw away a lot of bone and fat, getting not much edible meat for the price.

The frustrating thing is that one of the gourmet food markets in the San Jose area is significantly cheaper than the national supermarkets with their club cards or best buy sales. I did a price comparison of food items between the two stores shorty before we moved. However, it costs as much in gas to get there from here as I'd save in food costs. So, I'm spending more money here than I did in San Jose, which wouldn't bother me if it weren't for the fact that the quality of food I'm buying is not as good.

What I find difficult about the situation you discussed is that I could manage to eat within my points using the food products that are on sale or that I have coupons for. But my overall diet wouldn't be nearly as healthful, which means that I wouldn't be moving toward my primary goal of eating a more healthy diet.

Judy, congrats for being back OP. Backsliding is a part of the learning process. Then we just pick ouselves up, dust ourselves off, and get back on the horse.

Today is going OK. I need to go start dinner, though. I want to get done with the majority of the prep early. There's a movie I want to watch. It's on one of those channels that runs on an Eastern Time feed, so instead of 8 pm it's on at 5 pm, right in the middle of when I usually cook!

Happy turtlin'! :D

Lin
272/233/lower

Well, you gals hit the nail on the head as far as "healthy" foods and cultural appearances. I remember when shops would almost give fish away because it was so cheap. I love scallops and right now they're close to $14.00 a pound. Now, that's a little silly.
Other fish is expensive here too. Luckily in NY we have a lot of competition and that helps a little. I keep thinking of you stretching your food dollar and staying OP. Good for you. It's all worth it. Here's some extra good vibes.
I stepped on the scale this morning to make sure I hadn't done anything too horrendous and I'm just up a pound. I know I can knock that off by staying OP and I guess I just needed to veg (or fat) out a little.
Take care, have a good Monday everybody--mostly Lin and Lauren because that's who I know so far.
Judy

235/208/slimmer

Hi, Turtles,

Good morning!

The first thing I'd like to discuss is that I'd really like some opinions on favorite features of weight-loss support web sites. As I mentioned earlier, I've been thinking of adding weight loss support to my web site. The following is an observation, not a criticism. I applaud anything people do that helps them succeed in this venture. I've been surfing some of the other sites and many of them seem to be aimed at whatever the web site author needs to support him/herself. I enjoy their sites, but I want to focus my site a bit differently.

I want to design a site that meets the needs of the people who visit the site. I get plenty of support in my weight loss efforts, so supporting myself is a secondary, but important goal. My primary goal is to reach out and help other people succeed in reaching their goals.

Another thing I noticed in my surfing is that a lot of the sites have a lot of different features. I want to target my site by including (at least at first) the features that help people the most. So, the first question is--what features attract you to a weight-loss support site? What helps you the most? I'd love to have a list of 3-5 features, along with any comments you wish to make.

The second question--how can I find out what other people besides the turtles think? I thought of posting a thread asking people for their opinions, but I haven't a clue where would be the best place to post it. Or should I post it in several threads? Opinions, please?

I noticed that this thread gets a lot of people reading, but not posting. I'd appreciate it if any of you who don't usually post would help me out with my little survey of opinions re: the most important features of a weight-loss support site.

Thanks in advance--

Judy, I'm glad your damages weren't too bad. It's been my experience that a whole pound in that short of a time is usually water and it goes away quickly.

But, I have a different dilemma regarding my weight loss. I'm not turtlin' right now. I weighed myself yesterday, expecting to be up because I'm starting to retain water. But I'm down three pounds. Yea! But that's too fast for my preference. One of the reasons I started this thread is not only to be there for people who lose slowly, but because I didn't want to lose weight quickly. In my past history, when the weight comes off faster than an average of 1-2 pounds per week, I've had problems. First I find that I start to get truly hungry, as if I'm not eating enough. Then the weight loss slows or stops completely and I end up starting the yo-yo cyle. I think I can avoid the yo-yo's, but I still would rather keep turtlin'.

The decision I'm trying to make is whether I ought to add back the 2 points WW took away from our points range now, and maybe another 2 points if the weight loss doesn't slow down a little. Or should I wait a few weeks and see if this is a fluke and I'm actually averaging the amount of weight that works best for me.

Maybe I should just see if I get hungry and eat the extra points if that happens. Or just start eating all of my points. I've been maintaining a bank of 2-6 points. I haven't been hungry so far, so maybe I ought to let my hunger dictate what to do. Any opinions?

Have a great day!

Happy turtlin'! :cool:

Lin
272/230/lower

Originally posted by Lin S

I want to design a site that meets the needs of the people who visit the site.

Preach it, sister! :) My entire career right now is focused on that exact thing. It's refreshing to see that it's a major goal for you in designing your site. It so rarely is!

As to where you'd want to ask the question ... while you'll no doubt get great feedback at this site or at Dotti's, I wonder if it's not entirely politick to solicit suggestions for your weight-loss site on another weight-loss site. It certainly doesn't bother me at all, but I don't run this site. :)

That said, here's what I've found helpful: Number one, by far, has been the discussion groups like this one. I don't think you can have too many of those on the web. Second would be probably recipes. (Especially your recipes! :)) Both of these are so valuable to me because they're so interactive -- lots of input from lots of people. Essentially, it's an e-community.

Third would be points for restaurants, though Dotti's pretty well got that covered. (And it's a TON of work, I imagine.)

Those are the main ones for me. Down the list would be things like success stories and links to health/fitness/nutrition/weight loss resources.

An interesting addition, Lin, that your site could cover that I don't see here or at Dotti's (the two sites I regularly visit) would be a section on not just recipes but actually learning to cook lighter and yet still produce delicious food. I could easily see you heading something like that up, then opening it up for discussion and additional tips from people. Maybe a weekly or monthly column by you, fleshed out with posts and tips and comments from others.

Also, it would be great if people could anonymously rate recipes and provide comments. I'd love that.

As to wanting to not lose so quickly -- my advice would be to just keep doing what you're doing for now, so long as you're listening to your body and eating when you get hungry. As long as you're not abnormally hungry or tired, you're probably fine and your weight loss will slow down of its own accord. In any case, I'd give it another couple weeks before I changed anything. I lost quickly the first couple weeks I went back on the program last August.

And in the meantime, I personally would ENJOY THE HECK OUT OF IT. Ahem.

Judy, I loved your thread elsewhere on why WW is working for you this time. Very thoughtfully said.

--Lauren

Lin,
The things I find most interesting on a site are:
a chance to support and be supported
a list of ingenious, LF, easy to make recipes
a strong point of view
Good luck with your site and make it happen!
As far as your quick weight loss, doesn't this happen to Slo Turtles every once in a while? That is exactly what happens to me. No loss or tiny losses for weeks, and then a nice drop in weight. It is unsettling, but I am starting to get used to it happening to me. Let us know what you figured out to do. I'd be real tempted to let it ride and keep on doing what I was doing.

Lauren,
Glad you got a chance to read what I posted on
....About a year ago. I was hoping more people would respond, but it is fun to see how many people read it.
This new forum is interesting in that way.
Slo Turtles--good luck to us all.

Hi, Turtles,

Thanks for your input. It's really helpful.

Lauren, I thought a lot about whether or not it was a good idea to solicit suggestions about my site on another weight loss site. I don't see this as a competition. Maybe I'm being naive and idealistic. It's a common failing of mine. But I view this whole thing as a community in which each site contributes a different slant on the subject. I think that's why all of the sites I've visited have places where people can post the URL's of their own sites. I also think web rings are another way of fostering a sense of community among web sites that provide support, a service, or information. I guess I feel that this isn't a business venture and no one, including me, is trying to woo people away from someone else's site. I see my site as just another choice people can use to help themselves get to their goal. Like you, I visit both Dotti's site and this one. I have also found another site --Getting 2 Goal-- that's a good one. I can't remember the URL, but there's a link on Dotti's thread to that site. You also might be able to find it via ezboard, since her forum is run by them.

The other issue that I thought about is if I can't solicit suggestions on a weight-loss support site, how in the heck am I supposed to find out what people are most interested in? Where else could I ask this question? I had considered posting a query thread in a forum like the one on Dotti's site where people post links to their own sites. My thinking was that people who post there or look there are people who want to be able to have more than one support place or are curious about what's going on in other people's lives. What do you think? I could e-mail the 3 F C's and Dotti and ask if it's OK with them if I post such a survey before I post anywhere other than here in our little group.

Things are going pretty well for me. I had a small slip last night, but it was a special circumstance that is unlikely to be repeated. So, I'm just moving on this morning.

I discovered something yesterday. On the weekend I eat breakfast later than I do during the week and I usually fix something different since I'm eating with my family. There's less time between breakfast and lunch, so I never thought about how hungry I was or wasn't. Yesterday I ate some leftovers from my Sunday brunch instead of my usual weekday breakfast of oatmeal and was surprised that the quiche in crepes and fruit didn't keep me full as long, even though it's more protein. (Same point count.) So, I'm definitely sticking with the oatmeal during the week! That experience causes me to wonder about the virtues of "high protein" vs. "high carb" plans. I've always been a high carb person and since I've altered my food pattern so that most of the carbs I eat are complex, it's really made a difference. I think that many of the high protein folks might find that the problem isn't carbohydrates per se, but refined carbs. Just an opinion, though.

As for the slow vs. fast weight loss issue, I'm not doing anything different until after PMS, at least. Actually, I plan to use up every point I have during the next couple of weeks. I'm starting to feel that water building up. And I plan to drink extra water and walk a little more. I had a little bit of a problem even bringing up that issue because so many of you never have that problem. But, it can become an issue for me and I needed some input. The thing is that the quick loss has lasted longer than the water weight loss of beginning again. And, while it may seem like an ideal thing to lose quickly, it has been my personal experience that for me, long term, if I don't go slowly enough along the way, my weight loss eventually stops completely. I don't want that to happen. I'd rather go slow and keep losing than go fast and stop. That's why I'm trying to adjust so that I don't keep going that fast, but I realize that I do need to wait until after PMS before I make any adjustments.

Have a great day!

Happy turtlin'! :)

Lin
272/230/lower

Lin, I think your idea of sending a note to the owners of the two sites before soliciting ideas is a great one.

I realize *you* wouldn't see it as competition, *you* see it as just creating more of an opportunity for community, etc. Writing to the site owners would be a great way of finding out what *they* think. They may (and probably will) completely agree with you and support your efforts. And you'll have done the ethical thing and checked with them first. (3fatchicks does, I believe, make some money with banner ads.)

Another way to get input would be to actually start your site, include stuff you think people will want, and then ask visitors for input.

I'm up about a half pound to a pound this week, and I should get TOM within a day or two. I sure do want to eat. (And eat. And eat. And eat.)

One thing I've found that's interesting -- whenever I'm holding a lot of water weight, the scales vary a LOT when I stand on them. Because they're digital, I usually stand on them several times until I get a consistent reading. When I'm holding a lot of water, the results are wildly different from one attempt to the next. This morning I went as low as 212 and as high as 216.5. I wonder if the scale is just sensitive to how I'm carrying the weight, or what?? Heh -- I should probably just invest in a more expensive scale. Not anytime soon, though -- big rumors are flying that my company is about to have major layoffs this week or next. :(

Onward and downward,

Lauren
274/216/down

Hi, Turtles,

Lauren, I did take my advice and send notes. I haven't heard back yet, but I didn't expect to. I'm sure they get a lot of email. So, I'll just wait. I agree that I can just do my site and see what happens. At least I can get started on the graphics and general site architecture.

I have a suggestion about your scale. Mine is a strain guage scale with a digital readout. I discovered that to get an accurate reading I have to stand with my feet on either side of the readout and my toes pointing to the corners. I need to place my toes near the back of the scale. It looks like all of the photos of people standing on a scale that you see in the ads. You might try standing that way every time and see what happens.

I'm really sorry to hear about your company's probable layoffs. I remember how difficult a time you had just deciding to move to that company. It must make it doubly difficult to be facing layoffs so soon after making such a hard decision and getting adjusted to the new environment. I hope if you do get laid off, that you find a new job really soon. I know job hunting is very stressful, so I wish you the best, especially since you're facing TOM right now, as well.

I'm doing fine. I'm still OP. I'm also facing TOM in the next week or so. I'm doing OK so far. I've been using the Hershey's Tastations in the afternoon when I start to get weird. I suck on 3 of them, 1 point, and it seems to be enough, so far, to fend off the feeling of wanting to eat everything in sight. I also find that 5 mini meals, instead of three larger ones helps me get through PMS more easily. If I can keep my energy level up, I'll get through it OK. What usually happens is that I get really tired and don't want to make an effort to make those mini meals or cook my soup or do a lot of the other things that help the rest of the month. It's the one time I wish I had an extra freezer so I could freeze stuff to get me through TOM by the stick it in the microwave method! :LOL:

Have a great day! Happy turtlin'! :D

Lin
272/230/lower

Hi all,

You have been going through a lot since I last checked in. Lin, I hope things pick up for you -- you know, there is another possibility -- maybe it is allergies. I have been really suffering from headaches lately and they have put me in a down mood.

I think your idea about a web page is excellent. You've received more than enough good advise so I'll shut up and say, "you go girl!"

Lauren, I'm really sorry to hear about the possibly layoffs. Gee. I know you really struggled when you decided to finally take that job. And now this. But rumors are rumors. At least you are not this poor man they profiled in the Post this week. He went to work for a dot.com and on his first day, after filling out the paperwork, the company went bankrupt and he was let go! Can you imagine? I know you will be successful wherever you go. Thanks for the tip on adding a picture. I may do that (someday!).

Judy, it's good to hear from you.

Like all of you, I've been struggling. One good loss and another good weight GAIN and slowly I'm going down. I have no idea about this week. With my headaches, I've not been to the gym once but I hope to tomorrow. I bought another swimsuit b/c last year's suit is too small. I'd like to say it's the chlorine but let's face it! :-(

I'm just generally down and tired and exhausted. I have no reason to be this tired but I know that it's allergy season and being tired is a part of it. My joke around work is "Oh it's spring, when a nose turns to thoughts of Claritin."

That's about it. I'm just checking in and I apologize for not writing or really having anything new to say.

Lori W.

Hi, Turtles,

Lori, it's so good to hear from you. We don't care if you don't have anything new to say. I noticed you said you're going back down. Yippee! Great going. Keep at it. I hope your allergies get better and you can get back to the gym. BTW--Allergies could be a factor for me, but spring hasn't sprung enough to be a problem yet. Thanks for the suggestion.

I'm in a down mood again today. I apologize. I also must thank you all for bearing with me as I try to get through this very difficult time in my life. It's partly the gloomy weather. But mainly it's that my family cannot survive on one income unless Paul works at least 16 hours of overtime every paycheck.

I talked with a recruiter for a contract agency about web jobs. The essence of what he said is that I have to know someone who can help me get my first job and to call him back after I've had a year's experience. (I didn't succumb to the temptation to ask him why I'd need to call him if I already had found my own job!)

So, I'm going tomorrow to San Jose to talk about getting back into temping as an admin assistant. I feel as if the last year of my life was a great way to learn about something I can do as a hobby, but, because I cannot finish the degree, it was pretty much useless for changing careers.

I've looked into admin work here in Salinas. Paul has been surfing that subject, too, because he doesn't want both of us commuting. But most of the jobs here require bilingual Spanish. Most of the people who live here are either migrant farm workers from Mexico or commuters from the Silicon Valley.

Staying OP will be a great challenge. I'll be getting up about 4:30 am (NOT looking forward to daylight savings time!) and not getting home until sometime between 6 and 7 pm, depending on where I'm working and the traffic. I really don't like the idea of eating dinner so late because I will be eating and pretty much going straight to bed. It's not the best way to manage food if you want to lose weight. If I didn't have kids to feed and I was earning enough money, I'd just eat dinner in San Jose and leave for home after the worst of the traffic had passed through. I will figure out a way to stay OP, though. I don't want to give up, just when I've gotten going again.

This really is the cap on the stresses that I've faced since we got our 30-day notice to move out of our old place. The only thing that's good about this move is that the apartment is really nice and our old one was a total dump. All of the other changes we've made have not worked out really well.

I'm really worried that this will not work out well, either. It's managing the day to day chores in the time we have left after commuting that worries me. I know that my family will end up way too stressed out if we can't manage some down time. All we'll get out of it is money. It will be great to have a more reasonable budget, but I fear the price may be too much with regard to added stresses in my family life.

But I have no other options right now. I'm trying to find the positive side in this. I've been so negative since we moved. It's hard, though, because I feel as if nothing I've done lately, except restarting Weight Watchers, has been my choice. Doctors say that one of the biggest stressors, long term, is lack of autonomy. I guess that's why I've been having such a difficult time lately. I definitely do not feel autonomous.

Well, I've got to go resurrect my resume and get a bunch of stuff done before tomorrow. I'll keep you posted about how it goes. I'm hoping for more long-term work, rather than a day here and a day there.

Happy turtlin'! :)

Lin
272/230/lower

Lin,
I read what you wrote very carefully and then I looked at your weight loss. Wow! You are doing great.in the weight loss area. Times look pretty tough right now, but you're giving this a lot of thought and will work something out. I hope things ease up for you real soon.
Lori,
Good to hear from you and glad you are losing weight.
Lauren,
Yes, many thanks for printing out directions about how to post a picture with email. You have a lot of patience to do that!
I am having a few rough times, but luckily I am keeping a running total of points and I am making more good choices than poor ones. I weighed in today at lunchtime because I couldn't get to my meeting last night. I'm up a pound, but that's okay because I'm working through some things right now.
I got a nice message from someone who liked what I wrote about what I get from WW. Today is my one year anniversay of being back on WW. It's a good program for me and one that doesn't make me nuts.
Good luck everyone. Sorry I'm so wordy today!
Judy

Lori, hello! Wonderful to hear from you. My allergies have gotten worse every year for the past 10 years or so. They're just starting to kick in again, even though it's still below freezing most days. There's some sort of tree pollen in the air, apparently. Hang in there.

I really feel for you, Lin. I agree -- when we feel like we have no control over a situation, we can get very depressed and start seeing everything in a negative light.

You do have control over one area, however -- how you react to your circumstances and challenges. I can say from long experience that life is MUCH easier when you can manage a positive outlook. And boy, do I know how hard that can sometimes be. Remind me of this if I get laid off!

But doing admin temp work definitely doesn't need to mean writing off web work except as a hobby. When I moved to Michigan, I signed up with a temp agency to do secretarial work. (This was with a BA and 12 years professional experience in a variety of fields. Ask me how my attitude was!) I also told them I had certain skills, among them writing.

Lo and behold, they found me a tech writing temp job. (Not right away; I did the secretarial thing for about 6 months first.) Apparently they got a call from a small electric machine repair company who needed someone to write software documentation for them. I'd never written software documentation in my life, but I figured it couldn't be too hard. The pay was maybe $10 an hour, like my other temp jobs.

I did that job for about 9 more months. I wrote a bunch of manuals. It was that experience that got me into a consulting company doing tech writing full time, which eventually led to web work, which eventually led to what I'm doing now.

What I'm saying is this -- your temp jobs could take some interesting turns, especially if you let your employers know you can help them out in web-related areas. (And for a lot cheaper than a web design firm would.) Tell the temp agency that you know HTML and Javascript and whatever else you can think of. List the classes you've taken. Tell them you'd prefer web work, but would accept admin work. (Or a combination thereof, which is probably most likely at first.) I'll bet you it won't be too long before you'll get your break, and eventually you'll start building up the experience you need.

Anyway, a very big congratulations on sticking with your program. I've had a terrible time staying OP the past few days due to the hormonal monster. Yesterday I finally ran out of banked points and am now in the red. And I'm bloated city! GACK!! I've got to break out of this cycle, because it really sets me back for the whole month when I overeat like this, even just for a few days. I also haven't exercised this week due to early mornings and late nights.

But this evening is a new evening, and tomorrow is another day.

Onward and downward,

Lauren

Lauren,
What sound advice to Lin. I know she can do it too and I know it sounds hackneyed, but when a door closes, a window opens and things do go on.
Take care, have a good weekend everyone. I'm struggling with program, but I'll be in control soon. A lot of my stressors are easing up.
Judy

Dear Turtles,
Glad to have a place to go in this site and 3fatchicks. Tough days and nights, but I am OP today. It's so strange because when I joined this group I had been OP and just not losing. Then I went off program for a bit and now I am back on. All happened very quickly.
Today I'm celebrating St. Patty's Day in a WW way and plan to get through it. I think I'll borrow a few points from tomorrow if I need them. I'll feel in control.
Had some stressing stuff going on this week, so now it's time to recoup and do the right thing for myself.
Good luck to you all with all that's going on in your lives right now. It sounds tough to handle, but I know you can do it.
Take care,
Judy

I'm still struggling, too, Judy, though I suspect that'll turn around now -- TOM FINALLY arrived. I hope to see the carb cravings subside now. I do this every month -- stay OP for days, weeks on end, until the week and a half or so before my period, and then I undo all the good I've done. It's so tough for me to get weight off in the first place, it's discouraging to do this to myself. But during that week, I feel practically driven -- it's like my body is saying "eat! eat! eat!"

So today is yet another day. I think one solution for me would be to just take the time out to cook interesting vegetables in interesting ways and eat a ton of those during that Week From **** every month. Maybe even pre-cook them and freeze them or something, so I don't even have to wait to eat them. Hmmm. I'm open to good veggie recipes if anyone has them. Anything but broccoli; I love the stuff, but it makes me very sick.

Work is getting weirder. A couple of people have requested me to take a job in a different department in the company. It would be a step backwards in that I'd be doing marketing and technical writing again, and that's not what I want to do. But there are no projects coming in for the work that I DO want to do, so my boss thinks I should take a look at it. It's hard giving up a dream here, and that's what this feels like. (Hey, Lin, I'll bet you can relate on that level ...)

Maybe if I look at it instead as just a bump in the road and then keep pursuing my dream in other ways, like keeping my skills up to date and constantly being on the lookout for another job in this same field ...

Well, hang in there everyone. Hope you're having a relaxing weekend.

--Lauren, in cramp city

Hi, Turtles,

It's really great to come back and read so many supportive posts. Thank you all.

Lauren--Try making my veggie soup using vegetable stock (If your stores don't have any canned veggie stock, let me know and I'll post a recipe.). Make the following changes--omit the evaporated skim milk, since I know you've omitted dairy for Lent. Put in a can of drained and well-rinsed beans and 4 oz. dry orzo or tiny star pasta or 1 cup cooked brown rice. When you puree it, don't puree all of it. The beans and pasta or rice make it very thick and creamy. I use a 6 cup can of stock and 2 packages of frozen vegetables. Anyway, it makes a really filling, quick meal or a great snack to take the edge off your hunger when you're tired and waiting for dinner to cook. It's 3 points for a cup of soup and only 1 1/2 points if you eat a 1/2 cup as a snack. It saved us last night after a very long, tiring day.

I've heard a lot of tales about how admin work can turn into something better. I'm doing all that I can to promote my web skills. I did put it on my resume and I pointed it out to the recruiter. I am also going to call the four other Adecco offices in Sunnyvale, Mt. View, and Palo Alto. I can let them know I'm seriously looking for work and have a much broader base of places to choose from. I was very glad to hear that the different offices work together to help people find work.

I have a bit of advice for you, too. If you cannot get work in your company doing what you want to do, take the other job. That can buy you time while you look for work in your chosen field. It's a lot better than being laid off and there is still a chance that this is temporary. If jobs in what you do pick up again, you'll be right there to step back into place. Meantime, I think that your idea to keep your skills up to date and keep looking for work in your preferred field is a good plan.

Judy, congratulations on your one year anniversary. And it's good to hear that you're getting through your tough times without going crazy. That's a real success.

Have we all been drinking from some well contaminated by aliens from outer space? It seems as if all of us have been facing stressors right now. It's great to have buddies who know what it's like to face stress and be working on losing weight at the same time.

I had an on/off day yesterday. I made some good choices and some not so good, but I don't think I did any serious damage. I did the best I could under difficult circumstances. That's really my goal, because I know that sometimes life happens.

My interview and job tests went well. I thought it was funny that I scored well in the beginning Excel and the advanced Excel, but forget the intermediate stuff. Well, I've never used the mathematical formulas in Excel. Most of what I've done is to use it as a mini data base because people don't know how to use Access. I scored very well in Power Point, which is really funny because I used it for a graphics tool, not to create presentations. They're a little slow right now, though, so it may be a while before I get anything. That's the other reason I'm calling their other offices.

I've decided that as long as I don't stay depressed for too many days in a row, I have to let myself feel what's really going on. When I don't, I eat. I did that on Thursday. I just made some not great choices, one of which was definitely PMS related. But, once I picked up that journal and wrote about it and let myself have a good cry, I was OK. And I stopped eating. I'm constantly learning about what I need to do.

Have a great weekend! Happy turtlin'! :D

Lin
272/230/lower

Hi, Turtles,

Checking in on Monday, now that the forum is working. I think the problem was with AOL. We're now in a small service area and our service isn't that good. But my kids are linked to all their buddies, so we're sticking with it for now.

This past weekend was a mixture of doing well, followed by PMS munchies. I noticed a pattern recently that may help me to deal with this issue a little better. First, now that I've been getting enough calcium, PMS seems to strike later in my cycle, so I only seem to be dealing with it for about a week, instead of for 2 - 2 1/2 weeks. Second, getting in the water and some extra exercise really does seem to make a difference. Third, I find that my usual habit of eating 5-6 mini meals seems to go away and I slip back into eating three large meals, then I get hungry and crave stuff between those three meals. Fourth, I seem to slip on getting all of the milk, fruits, and veggies during that time, focusing on carbs and protein. The closer to TOM I get, the fewer fruits and veggies I eat.

So, I see what I need to do. I need to continue to walk more and drink an extra WW mug of water during this time. I need to make sure that I plan and eat my meals in mini meals. I need to make sure that before I eat extra stuff, I have my 2 milks and at least 2 fruits and 3 vegetable servings. To take care of the need for more food, I plan to add 2-6 points for complex carbs. Somehow, a couple of extra servings of complex carbs seems to take away the craving for chocolate candy and potato chips, which is what I'm craving this month.

The hard part, though, isn't planning what to do. It's following through when Mrs. Hyde takes over. She doesn't care whether I reach my goals. She just cares about feeling better. I know there has to be a way to accomplish both goals--feeling OK through this time each month and reaching toward my goals. I have to be consistent about following my plan for a few months and see if it helps.

BTW--I read a small blurb in a magazine recently about calcium supplements. Appearntly some of them contain small amounts of lead. The article recommended looking for "virtually lead free" on the label. Manufacturers are working on lead free supplements. It's worth checking out, anyway. I sure would hate to try to do something good for my body, only to do something bad, along with it. I know there are safe recommended levels, but I though lead builds up in the body? I can't remember for sure. Anyone know anything about this?

That's how I'm doing. I'm staying off the scale until after TOM, though. It gets too discouraging to weight my bloated self and wonder how much of the gain, if any, is fat. I'd rather wait and get an accurate reading without all the excess water.

Hope you're all doing well. Happy turtlin'! :)

Lin
272/230/lower

Way to go, Lin, for analyzing what changes you see during TOM and for figuring out how to fix them. When you wanted to keep Mrs. Hyde away, you reminded me of a book I read called THe Beast Within (something like that, I'll find it and give correct info) that talks specifically about how a part of us does not want to lose weight and is in conflict with the part of us that wants to get this weight off! I'll find it with author in case anyone wants to read it. It's good.
I got on the treadmill last night and I'm back OP. I hesitate to say that, but I feel I should to keep myself on track. Treadmill was slow, but I felt it was major just to be there and walking.
Good luck everyone and take care.
Judy

Lin, I love the "Mrs. Hyde" comparison. That's exactly how she looks in my world, too!

About the calcium -- I've heard about the lead, too; it's impossible to avoid in calcium right now. It's also very low levels, and no one has yet reacted to the lead in calcium pills, so I'm not concerned. We ingest lead in all sorts of ways; a small amount of it doesn't appear to hurt us. If I run across any studies to reference, I'll post them.

Judy, way to go in getting back on the treadmill. I'm with you; last Saturday and again today I did my aerobics tapes. Today I did Richard Simmons. I can't stand the man normally, but his exercise tapes really make me smile. I love the people in them, and the music is a lot of fun. A huge change from doing the FIRM tapes, which are very effective but also very robotic.

TOM is winding down for me now, and I'm pretty sure my weight will be up a bit. That's very disheartening, because this is one of the only two weeks out of the month that I actually lose any substantial weight. I did the same thing to myself last month. Mrs. Hyde is NOT my friend, and I've got to find a way to tell her to go **** herself. (Ahem.) Lin, I like your ideas, but as you say -- how do we do those things when Mrs. Hyde takes over?? I'm really going to work on this one.

Anyway, I'm back OP and feeling the hormones settling down.

Happy spring, everyone! We have crocuses and robins!

--Lauren

Hi, Turtles,

Sometimes, ladies, it can seem really discouraging because life seems to be against us. First, PMS keeps us going up and down and up and down. Then we get rid of PMS by going through menopause, but that slows weight loss to a total crawl. As much as I want to be at a proper weight, if that was my only goal I'd never do this. So, I keep going to try to just be as healthy as I can.

I walked for a long time yesterday. I'm over in points, but it's not the frantic munchies right now. I've been eating my planned meals and making sure to get in the calcium. I've been eating larger portions, but not overstuffing. I'm feeling more in control than I did over the weekend. So, we'll see how it goes. My clothes do not fit as if I've been gaining more than the usual water retention. It seems as if keeping my blood sugar fairly level is one key to reining in Mrs. Hyde. At least for this month. What makes it more difficult to deal with is that every month is a little bit different from the month before.

Other than that, things are going just fine for me right now. I'm at home because the temp business is slow. It may be the tight economy. Life in California is a real roller coaster ride these days. Jobs are uncertain. Housing is a mess. PG&E turns off the power for two-four hours periodically in various areas throughout the state, with no advance warning. It's always in the residential areas. And it's extra annoying because when you read the history of this, it becomes clear that we're paying the price for their mismanagement. I often wish I could move out of the state. There are other places I'd like to live, but so far, Paul hasn't found work in any of them that pays enough to cover the cost of living there. Basically, the wages are a higher percentage lower than the cost of living. If I didn't have a family to worry about, I'd just go.

We got some good news yesterday. Chris went and talked to his counselor about what he has to do to make up the credits and graduate on time. His counselor is working on getting the work he finished at Prospect to count toward his graduation credits and to make sure he has all of the classes he needs. If Chris passes his classes he will not have to go to summer school and will only have to take five classes next year. He will be able to take advanced Drama, which is really important to him. I don't know whether he will be able to add an art class in that sixth slot or not. But he's feeling a lot better about this than he was.

David is planning to move to southern California. His ex-girlfriend and her fiance are moving and I think they need help paying the rent on their new place. So, he's planning to move down there in June. Apparently there's a lot of jobs in the area. The only thing is, he'll have to learn to drive, acquire an automobile, and figure out how to pay for it. He's planning to continue to pursue photography, but I wonder if he might get back into music if he's in So. Ca.

So, at least some things are getting better. Happy turtlin'! :D

Lin
272/230/lower

Hi,

Lauren, I was taking a tour of Dotti's site and noticed your post on the thread about the Meyers-Briggs personality test and dieting. Just had to say that we really must be long-lost twins, as we've so long maintained. You're the introverted one and I'm the extrovert. Other than that, we have the same personality type--an INFP and an ENFP!
Thought it was humorous. :)

Lin

Lin, you've lost so much weight that you're an inspiration. Warmest congratulations to you. I hope you won't find me impertinent if I ask why, in post #2 of this thread, you say you couldn't find a single thing in the grocery store that would allow you to stay on program. You see, I'm constantly coming up with reasons why I just "can't" stay within my points range, and I'm slowly learning to deal with the fact that it's ALWAYS possible to stay on program if I really want to.

Believe me when I say I've come up with every rationalization under the sun to avoid staying within my points range. Here are a few suggestions that might help with your budget:

--A 40-cent package of 1-point-each corn tortillas and a 50-cent can of fat-free refried beans. Got salsa, peppers and/or onions? So much the better.
--A $1 bag of rice and $2 worth of veggies to go on it. Pam or otherwise oil-spray the pan, and use any herbs you got, girl.
--A $1.79 (on sale) Lean Cuisine (in my area, one of the three most expensive in the country, these are normally priced at about $2.50-$2.75).
--A 50-cent apple and a $1 bag of salt-free or low-salt pretzels.
--A 75-cent carton of lowfat yogurt and a 50-cent sliced cucumber (with fat-free vinaigrette, if you have it, or plain vinegar if you don't).
--$1-1.50 worth of deli or Carl Buddig Lean Slices turkey ($1-1.25) on crackers or bread you may have around. This is about 2 oz. of turkey--very filling.
--A can of water-packed light tuna--75 cents or so--mixed with a little mustard and/or light (not full-fat) mayo you may have. I like it with minced pickle and onion on either lowfat crackers or bell pepper halves.
--3 cups of air-popped corn. You can buy an air popper for $12-15, and it's well worth it, because you can get a pound of unpopped corn for less than $1, and it makes myriad servings. Try lightly spraying the popped corn with Pam or an aerosol oil container, and sprinkling cajun spice, garlic powder or lemon pepper on it.

...and so on and so on. I'm sure you know all this, but it always helps me to be reminded of the ways through false obstacles I'm creating for myself.

I certainly commiserate on the high price of fruits and veggies, but the nice thing about them, I'm finally discovering, is that when we eat the proper amounts they don't cost a fortune! And there's ALWAYS a way to stay on program, whatever excuses we may make for ourselves. I've gotten through innumerable bad days by improvising, and it feels so damn good to go to bed knowing you did everything you could to move yourself forward!

Best of luck,
STH

Hi Shake your hips and Lin and Lauren,
Still struggling. Sorry--I'd love to be upbeat. I've had a couple of good days and a few small slips. Today I am totally disorganized. Overslept. Now I'll redeem the day by getting OUT of my building where I work even though it's rainy and treat myself to a low point lunch and read my paper. It's always good for me to write down a plan and then do it.
Hope your jobs are secure and you handle the stress of these possible upsets well. Take it easy, keep searching for low cost foods, and know I'm thinking about you all.
Judy

Hi,

Welcome STH! It's great to have a new person posting.

I don't think your're impertinent. You made some good points. I love your suggestions and do use some of them, mainly when I'm eating alone. Except for the bean burritos, my family won't eat any of it. I also do not use frozen prepared dinners much. I prefer to cook fresh food. I'm a gourmet cook who now cooks healthy gourmet. (Which is not the oxymoron that it sounds like.)

My complaint really isn't about not being able to find affordable food. It's about having to move when I didn't want to, and ending up in a place where I can't find many of the ingredients I like to cook with. It's about paying more for food that's not as high in quality as I used to buy. I love fish, for example. The fresh fish I bought in San Jose cost about the same amount that frozen fish (or worse, previously frozen, thawed fish) does here. The closest place to get fresh fish is 45 minutes away in Monterey and it costs more than the fish at my store in San Jose. It's more about my struggle to accept the changes this move has brought to my life, including the limited supply of ingredients many people might consider exotic, but I consider normal. I haven't found a balsamic vinegar I'd spend the money on here, for example. I'm going to have to buy a lot of products online, but when you add the shipping, it can end up costing more than in a retail store, even if the original cost of the item is less.

However, I want to clarify something because I didn't mean to imply that I was looking for reasons to go off program or having a motivational issue with staying OP. Except for dealing with Mrs. Hyde every month, I'm not. Your statement about fresh fruits and veggies not costing much if we eat them in the right amounts is a good point--if I were eating alone. But I have three adult males to feed. My 16 year old eats more than the other two combined, which is normal for a sixteen year old boy. It's my need to feed their appetites that causes the grocery budget to be so hard to manage. For example, I roasted two 5 pound chickens, expecting to get two dinners out of them. (Three if I took the meat and made a casserole or similar dish). Both were eaten before dinnertime the next day. I make 2 pounds of spaghetti, cook it with meatballs and sauce, and I might get two dinners from that amount of food. They aren't overeating, either. They need that much food because they're skinny and active. So, because I need so much food for dinners, it can make it difficult to stretch the budget around fresh fruit and vegetables, plus keeping food around for breakfast, lunches, snacks, and the occasional meals they cook if they hate what's for dinner. It's a case of what one loves the other hates, so sometimes I cook what one loves and the other fends for himself and vice versa.

Anyway, that's what was behind the rant. You kind of came into the middle of all of this stuff.

Judy, you seem pretty upbeat, with your plan for how to manage despite the inauspicious beginning of your day. It's great and I hope your day goes well.

Mrs. Hyde really took over last night, but I still consider this a successful month. I wrote down everything and in looking over it, I've found that she only took over here and there, not every day, every meal for a week straight. She'll be gone by Saturday. I'm OP so far today, but mornings aren't usually when things get crazy. I'm doing what I need to do to take care of myself. That's the best I can do.

I've been reading some interesting stuff about calcium lately. Not only does it help a lot of people with PMS, it also helps to decrease fat storage. Basically, when your diet is low in calcium, the hormones that maintain your metabolism and blood circulation stop your body from breaking down fat. Calcium also helps reduce the risk of colon cancer and hypertension. So, while too much can endanger our health, we all probably ought to make sure to get in the 1200 mg that's recommended each day. I also read that the body can absorb no more than 500 mg at a time, so it needs to be spread out over the day. (The study quoted was conducted at the University of Tennessee.)

Well, I need to start my bread. We're almost out so I need to bake some today and some tomorrow. I learned that with the cement slab floor I cannot do two batches in one day. Then, since I'm not working, I'm taking today and tomorrow off. It's Motrin time. I get klutzy and incompetent so I'm going to indulge myself by playing a new computer game. Chris bought an expansion pack for one of his games. I never finished the original, so I'm starting anew and looking forward to seeing what they changed.

Happy turtlin'! :D

Lin
272/230/lower

Hey, Hips, welcome! Nice to see you here. Great suggestions there. Thanks. And thanks, too, for the reminder that we can do this if we truly put our minds to it, no matter what the obstacles. You're right; and that hit me in the face in a big way today.

This morning I weighed in, and I've lost nothing. That's not good, because this is usually the one week of the month that I *do* lose something. I'm still exactly where I was at the beginning of March, and it's getting very old. So I got very ticked off and disgusted and decided to blow off my morning workout.

Then I thought for a while and said "You know, if I'm going to be a fat person for the rest of my life, at least I can be a *fit, active* fat person!" And I went and did the workout anyway. I ended up quite late for work, but work is a joke at the moment so that's not a problem.

So I feel good about how I coped with my attitude problem this morning. And the workout felt good, too, once I got into it.

Judy, why do you think you're really struggling right now?

Lin, good for you taking some time off. Why does the cement slab floor affect your breadmaking?

Onward and ... well, onward,

Lauren
274/216/fit and active

Oh, I meant to add -- Lin, that's very interesting news about calcium. Where did you find it? Sources would be great. I've started taking calcium again, though I take it all in the evening. I should try taking one pill mid-day and one at night. (Mornings I devote to my multi-vitamin with iron, and I don't want the calcium to block absorption of the iron.) I'd love it if the calcium could make the difference. Have you been taking yours all along? I stopped for a while.

--Lauren

Hi, Turtles,

Lauren, congratulations on shifting your attitude to deal with your scale. Exercise is a great way to give an attitude lift, too. You know what? I've been reading recently that exercise is more important than eating right or even what the numbers on the scale say. Did it occur to you, though, that your exercise program is fairly new and you may be replacing fat with muscle? Maybe the scale isn't the best measuring tool for you right now. How do your clothes fit?

The slab floor affects my breadmaking because I have varicose veins and my legs really hurt if I stand on slab floors for too long. It makes it really hard to do a lot of cooking. :( It's one of the main reasons I worked so hard to get out of retail. The thing is that if I didn't have to stand on my feet for hours on end; work nights, weekends and holidays; and the pay was better, I really like retail work.

It also affects my lower back, but that can be helped by using a trick I learned when I was pregnant, all those many years ago. Open the cupboard door and put one foot inside the cupboard. It changes the alignment of your back and makes it easier to stand in one place longer. If you get tired, you switch feet.

When I worked retail, I wore the old lady super support pantyhose. It's like pulling on rubber bands, and it's very uncomfortable, until you get the hose stretched out over your leg. I don't want to wear support hose every day. I've been looking for some mats I can put down on my kitchen floor. I'm thinking about heading to a restaurant supply store and getting those thick mats they use in restaurant kitchens.

The other bad thing about slab floors is that it's hard to do aerobic tapes. My knees take too much of a hit dancing on this floor at this weight, even low impact tapes. So, I'm sticking to walking for the moment. (Sigh)

The calcium information came from diet articles in a couple of the women's magazines I've read recently. I get them from my mother at least a month past the issue date, so they're not current. The problem is that today's magazines don't do in depth reporting. It's all blurbs. I guess they think today's generation is stuck in toddlerhood with it's Sesame Street attention spans! So, there's no real details, just the "headlines".

Anyway, I figure that as long as I don't take too much, it can't hurt and it may help. I'm sporadic with taking the calcium supplements, though. It takes me a while to get into a routine with pills because I hate taking them. I have to make a real effort to remember to take medicine on those rare occasions I've needed to.

However, over the last couple of months, I've managed to get in the two recommended servings of milk that WW requires almost every day. I'm considering adding a third serving, even though I'm not yet over 50, since osteoperosis runs rampant in my family. My mother, at 68, is at least an inch shorter than she was when she was my age. If I do that, I would only need to take one supplement pill to get up to the recommended 1200 mg. It would be a lot easier for me to do it that way than to try to remember to take more pills. Currently I'm also taking a multivitamin. I only forget to take it about once a week. It has some calcium in it, but it also has iron. I couldn't find one that didn't have both. Any suggestions?

Things are going about normal for TOM. I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning when life will be normal again. The pattern every month is so predictable that it would seem like it ought to be simple to deal with it. But the severity is different each month, so I never know exactly what will help. I feel good about how I've done and I'm ready to move on past this. We'll see how it goes when I weigh in on Sunday, provided I don't forget to do it. Sometimes I do that, too.

Happy turtlin'! :)

Lin
272/230/lower

Lin, a multivitamin with both calcium and iron in it isn't a problem if you're only concerned about getting the calcium. It's the iron that doesn't get absorbed. If you're concerned about iron, take an iron supplement at a different time during the day.

I take a multivitamin in the morning that doesn't have calcium in it ("Hair Nutrients" -- I get it at my local health food store), then I take my calcium in the evening.

About the slab floor ... I've been doing my workouts in the basement. We've got a rug on the floor, but it's just cement underneath. It certainly isn't ideal. Occasionally it does bother my knees; then I have to modify my workout considerably. But walking, for me, just takes place on cement or asphalt, so it's not an improvement. That's one of the things I like about doing weight training or Pilates -- no impact on the knees.

Here's kind of an off-the-wall question, but what colors do you all decorate with? What styles do you like? How do you feather your nest? I'm trying to personalize this online experience a bit more, and I love to find out how people live. Do you like a homey, country style with rose and blues? Are you a minimalist, with chromes and black and white with a splash of intense color here and there? Are you into southwestern themes, with turquoise and earth tones? Do you just go with whatever got thrown together -- a mishmash of colors and styles that have nothing to do with each other, but you don't have the time or inclination to care?

--Lauren

Hi all,

Welcome STH -- those were great ideas and although you addressed them to Lin, I found many of them useful for me. And Judy, you have a great attitude -- just keep sticking to it.

Well, folks, I went in last week and had a gain. Now I'm at the end of my little BCPs but it's not quite TOM yet. So this past week, I decided to do one thing really well and that was to write down every thing I ate. So I went in on Friday morning around noon and was up again 1.8#. Now I could be discouraged but I'm another week closer to TOM and I went to a meeting at 12:30 instead of 8:00 on an empty stomach. I'm thinking of switching my meeting times and so whatever I do, there will be probably a gain for at least a week or two because I'm going to an evening meeting.

I am switching because a) I want to do things on a pretty spring/summer Saturday morning and b) I'm in a rut and the people on my Saturday meetings are incredibly upbeat, etc. Not that there's anything wrong with it but when you say something negative, you sort of get a tidal wave of "bliss", "happiness", and a form of "just turn that rock over and you'll be doing great!" Well, that's good for newcomers but I've been doing this now for 3 years. And after the last meeting, several of the old-timers came up to me and said, "Thanks for mentioning that -- I was sitting there getting irritated at our needs not being discussed." I sound curmudgeonly but it's one thing to be happy with the program if you just started and have lost 10# right away.

Lin, I know that things are a bit rough for now. Is the weather good out there for you to do more than walking? Are there any kind of civic/town classes available for exercises? I know that in a dinky town I lived in 15 years before, they had a lady's night at the weightlifting room. And it only cost (then) $1.50. Maybe there is something there for you. I know how hard concrete slabs can be on the feet and legs.

Lauren, I do admire your perserverance. I just know that the job situation will be okay for you; you're a talented lady with many good skills and traits. You'll be in demand! You, Lin and Judy just keep plugging away.

I hope to get to exercise again. I've been very lax about it. I do walk my dog but not very far and that's not good for either of us. It's getting to be very spring like weather here on the East Coast. The hyacinths are in bloom, the daffodils have been up and just the other day I saw a tulip or two. It's amazing and the sunset takes longer now. So I have no excuses! I have not been keeping up with things but how is Beth? I thought of her the other day b/c we have started our cycles of running/walking marathons. One of these days, I will be in one (the walking kind -- let's be realistic about all of this! LOL!). Beth, if you are reading, drop us a line and say howdy.

Hey Shakes, drop us a line and tell us how you are doing! Don't be a stranger (like me!)

Take care everyone,

Lori W.

Hello turtles, remember me?

I'm glad to see you are still here! I've finally given up trying to lose weight on my own and went to my first WW meeting yesterday since two summers ago. It's about time, too - apparently gaining weight is not something I'm a turtle at!

According to the WW scale in the summer of 99, I was down to 241. My avatar pic is from that summer. As you can imagine, I've been avoiding the camera lately. I was shocked to see my weight yesterday - a new all-time high. What's amazing is how fast I put the weight on - 91 pounds in 21 months. It's just about a pound a week gain. Unbelievable!

I'm going to work hard this week and reverse this trend - wish me luck!

Thanks,
Kimmers
332/332/299 (10% goal)

Hi, Turtles,

Kimmers, it's really great to have you back. I'm sorry to hear that doing it on your own didn't work out well for you.
Even though Lauren and I don't attend WW meetings, we do believe in support. So we come here. And we're glad you've come back to go through this with us.

Lori, Beth hasn't posted lately. I've been wondering about how she's doing, too. So I hope she reads this and checks in. We miss the folks who sort of disappear for a while. Mousie hasn't posted lately and we've been wondering how her wedding went.

As far as my exercise goes, right now the weather is absolutely wonderful for walking, not too hot and the sun is shining. They're supposedly heating the pool so we can swim, but my son says the water is freezing. I'm hoping for a little warmer temperature than that before I start swimming, but that's one of my favorite types of exercise. I'm planning to start in a week or so, weather permitting. It's a bit breezy, which makes it a little cold for swimming, at least until they actually get the pool warmed up.

I don't kow why, Lauren, but walking doesn't seem to bother my knees as much as dancing, even low impact. I'd love to get a tape of Pilates. It's a form of exercise that really intrigues me. I used to have a Callenetics tape and it was a bit different, but it seemed to work in toning more than in aerobics.

I like your question about decorating. I don't really know how to answer it, though, because there are so many rules about what we can and cannot do in our apartment complex that I feel really constrained. So, I don't do much of anything. I have some ideas about what I'd like to do to make it more mine, but the basic style doesn't thrill me. It's your basic, boring white walls, beige carpet, white vinyl squares in the kitchen and bathroom. Vinyl vertical blinds and mini-blinds on the windows. The most interesting thing in the place is the imitation marble tile inside the door and on the fireplace. It's a gas fireplace that works like a furnace, not a real fireplace.

So, we've decorated with family knick knacks, pictures and calendars on the walls. My son put up some fabric maps from a bunch of computer games we've played. Our decorating is really personal. That's something I'd keep. I tend to surround myself with things I enjoy. The last thing I want is a house that looks like a model or a magazine article on decorating. The main thing that people see when they first come in is the wall of bookcases with my cookbook collection. By the time we're unpacked, it will look like we live in a combination library/computer room. Once the kids move out, we will be able to move the computer and computer books into the extra bedroom (They are NOT moving back in! :lol: and we wil be able to do more with the front of the place.

If I could, I'd paint, put in wallpaper, moldings and new light fixtures. The ones in here are really ugly. I love color, but not too bright, especially in a small space. I also change my mind frequently, so if I could, I'd change my surroundings every few years. Maybe if I could afford to redecorate, I'd quit moving so often! :lol: My one indulgence, if I had the space to store it and the money to indulge would be to buy 2 place settings of all of the china patterns I couldn't decide between. Then I'd mix and match them on the table. That's about how I decorate, mix and match whatever I like. I decorate very personally. If I don't like it, I don't care how well it "fits". Out it goes. If I love it, I don't care if it matches anything else.

Happy turtlin! :)

Lin
272/230/lower

Hi gals!
It's a new week and I'm ready to slay that dragon. Wait a minute--the dragon is me. Guess I'm gonna have to work on baby steps and journaling and water and everything I know how to do and am resisting major big time.
You asked me what's bothering me:
1. I'm involved in a lawsuit that is very important to me.
2. My son married someone he loves, and I'm having trouble seeing her with his eyes.
So, I'm letting my control freak self out of the closet too often and that leads to a conflict inside myself. Then I eat to lessen the bad feelings the conflict produces.
Well, we all know how well that works. So I'm up a few pounds and that worries me. So--time to do what I have to do each day. That will get me back on track.
Good luck to us all. I love this site.
To Kimmers, I'm here to support you and I'm sorry trying on your own allowed weight back. To Lori and Lin, good luck with everything that is going on.
Gotta run to work, but it's good to know the slo turtles are keeping on keeping on.
Judy

Hi,

Turtles, this thread is getting really long. Time to hit the quarter century of threads. Starting #25. See you all there.

:D

Lin