WW Clubs and Groups - Turtle Club #26

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 about two years. 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! :D

Lin

Hi, Turtles,

Thanks for all of your supportive words. It does help me to feel better about all of this.

Judy, I hope you and your daughter have fun imitation good old Martha. And that your holiday is super!

Lauren, enjoy your day off this Easter. I'm glad you're resisting the temptation to slip back into the "diet mode." PMS can cause weird thoughts to go through our head. That's when I start thinking "diet", too. I'm sorry that your job situation is so difficult right now. I'm with you about wishing I could find a way to make money in spite of corporate America. I don't fit into the system very well, either.

I made it through one week, but I'm super tired and still facing a lot of work to get ready for next week, plus finish our taxes. I'm seriously thinking that this is an impossible situation. We do need the money, but I really don't know if I can live this way. It seems as if I have no time for myself and I'm always tired. I know that part of it is that I"m not used to the schedule, but how can I get used to it if I'm only working a few days or a week or two here and there?

I weighed myself this morning, just to check, but not an official weigh in because it's PMS time. I'm exactly the same. That's a surprise because I feel so bloated. So, I think I've actually lost some, but it's not showing up due to water weight gain. My jeans feel loser, too. We'll see when it's over.

I'm doing fine. I'm OP. I'm not planning to count points for Easter dinner. I'll count for the rest of the day. I haven't planned a super high point meal, anyway, except for dessert. It's pretty rich, so I never eat more than a small piece of this tart.

Gotta go.

Happy Easter! Happy turtlin'! :D

Lin
272/229/lower

LIn,
Congrats on the 26th. thread. Good for us. We've got plenty to say. It looks good for you for a weight loss this week. I just reread the fable to get myself in gear. Afraid I was napping through program for more parts of this week than I should have been. Festivities are over and I'm ready to be OP and do what I need to do for myself.
Holidays were really good. My daughter and I did a good Martha Stewart impersonation and made our own Easter candy. The food was great for Easter. Funny story--I thought I'd make WW style foods for Easter because I feel they are so great no one would know the difference. Well, my hubby vetoed that because two of our friends really look forward to fattening foods. Lo and behold my daughter (the Martha Stewart cutie) brought creamed spinach, stir fried asparagus, and a wild rice mushroom dish that were all on WW, all delicious, and enjoyed by everyone. Not once did we mention that they were lower in fat, etc. and no one knew. Next year I am definitely going that route and eliminating the ridiculous calorie-laden foods that get me in trouble. It's all out of the house now and today is going to be a terrific day.
You all take care and be well and healthy.
Judy

Lin, give it time. You'll readjust to the working life. I'm always amazed when I go back to work after a period of time of either unemployment or part-time self employment. I'm amazed by how little time to myself I have and wonder how I ever managed to have a life when I was employed before. Then after a while I adjust and find some of that time again.

Hopefully you'll get a long-term temp situation soon, so your schedule will be more regular. I know a lot of temp companies start you out on short-term, less pleasant stuff until you "prove" yourself a bit.

Glad people had good Easter holidays. Mine was wonderful, just marvelous. But oh, the food! I'm having some trouble getting back on track. Didn't count on Sunday or Monday, and today has been pretty high in points already. But I did exercise this morning -- just pumped one arm and kept the other in its sling.

Work will be very busy this week; I'll check in when I can.

--Lauren

Lauren,
Hi! Glad you're back to counting real soon. I'm having trouble myself, but am OP today. Albeit I'm a little hungry, but busy. I'm back at work after a nice vacation and that does help me keep more on track.
Good luck to everyone. Lin, HI! Annie and Kimmers and everyone who's turtlin' along.
Judy

Hey turtle buds!

Sorry I haven't been around lately - I've been crazy busy. I don't know if I mentioned it , but I'm going to graduate school for Interactive Multimedia Development along with working full time. Usually it's manageable, but my home computer died the weekend before I had a huge project due and I had to spend time fixing it. So I ended up staying up for almost 72 hours straight working on it at night and going to work at my job during the day. Absolutely ridculous. I finished it Easter weekend and I'm only now feeling normal again.

Hope everyone had a nice Easter - I received way too much candy, (my family is SOOO supportive - LOL - my husband even gave me a small box of Godiva, which I shared) but I'm only eating it a little bit at a time. I've had good losses the past two weeks, but I wouldn't be suprised to maintain or maybe even (gulp!) gain this week. I've been only a couple of points over for a few days, but it's TOM, too.

I'm reading the last thread to catch up with everyone - sounds like there's been some challenges in your lives. Good luck with everything and I'm glad to see everyone here.

Kimmers
332/314.5/299 (10% Goal)

Kimmers,
Great to see your smiling face. You've really been busy. Glad to hear you were OP for that time. Sorry your family felt compelled to give you candy. Tell them flowers are much nicer!
I have an observation to make. For some reason Easter seems to have been harder for lots of us than Christmas. It really doesn't make sense to me and I'm not sure that I am right.
What I do know is that with the program changes here in January and a feeling that I was losing my click at the beginning of March, I've not done what I want to do. Right now I am OP, had a nice chat with my lecturer at WW, know I am committed to a lifetime of eating healthier (like all of us turtles), and want to do this. So, I'm back to doing what I need to do and I am going to make a real effort to not detour as much.
Good luck to everyone who's got the click and to all of us trying to remember what that felt like.

234/209/thinner

Hi, Turtles,

Lauren, thanks for the encouraging words about work. I don't mind going back to work. But Paul and I cannot handle the commute unless we're both working the same hours. With him working at 7 am and me getting off at 5 pm, we have to get up at 4 and we don't get home until at least 6:30 pm. If there's more traffic than usual or an accident the time stretches to 7 pm and last night we didn't get home until about 7:45 pm! That's too long and we're not getting enough sleep. That worries me because Paul gets these awful migraine-like headaches when he doesn't get enough sleep over an extended period of time. So, I'm not taking work in San Jose unless the company is willing to let me start at 7 or 7:30. A half hour makes a huge difference in the commute times here.

I'm glad to hear that you're getting back on track and managing to get in some exercise, despite your injury.

Kimmers, I envy you your being able to continue with your education. Boy do I empathize with you about the computer. Mine always seemed to go down when a major project was due, too. Hope you let your family enjoy the Easter gifts they gave you. I'm sure they were hoping you'd share. LOL! I adore Godiva and I save points for it when someone in my family gets some!

Judy, I think your observation may have merit. We prepare more for Christmas because we see this whole holiday season looming. Easter seems like just one day. But sometimes those one day holidays can trip us up more because we don't get back on track right away. Some of that old diet mentality gets to us, maybe.

I found staying OP to be easy in some respects these past two weeks, but difficult in others. I spent my exercise time sitting in the car. I don't want to live with a schedule that makes it impossible to get any regular exercise. Food was pretty easy, but by the end of the week I was so tired and getting home so late that I found it hard to get time to plan. I'm back OP now and TOM is almost over. I have no idea how I did this month, but I'd be happy with staying the same because I did have some challenges. But, my calcium may be helping with PMS. It was easier this month than it has been lately. One month isn't a pattern, though, so I'll keep doing it and see how it goes.

I don't have a job for next week. But, I may be able to work here in Salinas after all. Paul may have a line on a car pool. If that works out and I can have the car, I can register with a local agency and look for work here. I can live with that. OTOH, David is planning to move out in June, which is only a few weeks away. With what we save by not having a fourth person living here, I may be able to manage a budget that will allow me to stay home and write without feeling guilty about money. I was amazed at how much we saved on groceries the week he was in San Jose!

Gotta go! Happy turtlin'! :cool:

Lin
272/229/lower

Hey turtle friends!

Well, I surprised myself and lost 1.5 this week, but my big news is that my husband came with me to the WW meeting and didn't mock it once! He said he even learned a few things. One of the women there has lost 142 pounds - amazing! I was dying to ask her if she had any before pictures, because she must be very close to goal now and looks like she was never heavy. Maybe next time.

Judy, that click is important, but so is just taking the program day by day and doing your best. How did the progrm change in January? Is that when the Winning Points program was introduced? I was on 123 before and I like many of the changes they've made - especially with the fiber. I'm a little math nerd, and I was using the WW formula to eat too many calories in high-fiber foods. Now I'm sticking with the new points finder and it helps. It's going to be hard in the lower point ranges, though. I'm glad to hear you're refocusing and sticking to your plan. Good for you!

Lin, I too adore Godiva. DH got me, among others, four scallop shells with the hazelnut filling. I gave one each to my sister-in-law and skinny mother-in-law and we all were in a trance eating them, they were so good. I've been saving points for them and have not been tempted by other treats, because I know they are truly worth it.

My firm is paying for my classes, otherwise I wouldn't be able to go. They have a limit per year, but it really helps. Doing homework has been a real adjustment!

I know what you mean about commuting and working time eating into exercise time. My goal this week is to ride my bike right after dinner. I get home after an hour on the bus, whip up a quick meal, and we usually just sit in our chairs. But now that it's light longer, I'm going to get out there and ride. DH can come with me, we each have retro-style one speed cruising bikes - comfy and lots of fun. They do give you a workout, especially up those hills!
I used to lift weights in the morning when I was OP a couple of years ago, but I have to get up even earlier now to ride the bus to work and am not ready to commit to it. Maybe in a few weeks. I suppose I could always lift in the evening...but riding my bike is more fun right now. Gotta start somewhere.

Have a great week, everyone!
Kimmers
332/313/299 (10% goal)

Hi, Turtles,

Congratulations, Kimmers, on that 1.5 pounds. Super!!

I understand about getting up earlier to ride the bus. I did that for six months. The kicker about that was that it took an hour to get to work on the bus, but if we had owned two cars so that I could drive, I could have gotten there in 15 - 20 minutes, depending on how many stoplights I had to wait for.

Since I haven't been called for a job this week, I'm going to enjoy my time by making sure I get in the things I missed the last two weeks while I was commuting. Exercise, writing, some work on my web site, catching up on the chores, and some time just for fun. The last two weeks really made me appreciate the time I have when I'm not working outside of the home. I'm going to try really hard to remember that time whenever I'm tempted to procrastinate.

I lost a pound since the last time I officially weighed in. I don't know if it's been three or four weeks. But, whatever it was, I'll take the pound. It lets me know that I'm on the right track. I have 14 more pounds to reach that 10% goal. At this rate, it will be next April before I get there! That's OK, but I do hope it picks up a little.

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to getting back to the projects I'm working on. I just wish there were fewer chores to catch up on. My family did their best, but I have a lot of work to do to get things back in shape. So, I'd better get going.

Happy turtlin'! :)

Lin
272/228/lower

Hi, everyone. I've been swamped at work, doing lots of overtime, so I haven't checked in. (Four of us designed and mocked up 50 web screens in two weeks! Yowsa.) I've got a lull now.

The bad news: I've put on five pounds in the past two weeks. I'm having a hard time believing it. Yes, it's TOM, so a couple of those may be hormonal, but still -- I've definitely put on some weight. I'm amazed at how quickly that happened. And no, I wasn't tracking consistently. And yes, I was overeating. It was a double whammy -- coming off of Lent, combined with PMS. Lethal. (Actually a triple whammy, since I also haven't been able to exercise as much due to my arm.)

I've definitely gotten back into sugar mode, too.

So yesterday I tracked, and I was a point or two over. I also worked out. Today I'll track, too. One step at a time.

The good news: I'm not getting laid off this Friday. (We're having yet another round of layoffs -- our third since January.)

So ... I'd love to say something upbeat here, but it'll have to wait.

--Lauren
274/219/down

Good Morning, Turtles,

Wow, Lauren! 50 web screens in two weeks! I bet you're tired!

You know, that 5 pounds may be more hormonal than you think. Last month I put on 4 pounds and was feeling depressed. I shouldn't have weighed myself at that time. I learned my lesson and this month I waited. But the end result of that was that I lost 5 pounds, the four I had gained plus one, in the week after TOM started. I usually average a two pound gain, but I had a weird month. Anyway, keep tracking. Do watever exercise you can. I think it will come back off. You've been doing great, in general.

The Discovery Channel had a TV program about how our bodies work that was really to the point. It showed a man who wanted to lose weight. His first effort followed the "diet" stuff we all know doesn't work. Starve yourself. Deprive yourself of your favorite foods. Lose a lot of water, but little fat. Etc. His second effort focused more on exercise. He ate a more balanced diet and stopped depriving himself. He lost weight and it was fat he was losing. But they said that if he stopped exercising, it would come back fairly quickly. So, when life causes us, due to illness or injury, to decrease or stop our exercise program, we should expect to gain back a little of the weight. The problem comes in when we react by giving up. Lauren, you're doing the right thing by doing what you can. Your arm will heal and you will get back to your regular workout. And the weight will start coming off again.

I'm so glad that you're not getting laid off. I'm sure that's one less stressful thing in your life right now. I hope this is the last of the layoffs.

I'm doing OK. I'm back on track after last night. I didn't go crazy, just had a brain slip. I slipped back and put a portion of food on my plate that reflects what I used to eat. I didn't need all of that food and I was really stuffed after I ate it. I almost left half of it, but I didn't.

I'm wondering if I'm feeling a bit more stressed out about David's impending move to Southern California than I thought I was. My first child is moving out. He doesn't have a definite job, but the company where his friend works needs people and the pay is enough for him to live on as long as he doesn't live alone. It's an ideal schedule for my kid who loves to stay up all night--it's a graveyard shift. I'm feeling encouraged because he's not just running from living with his parents. He has plans for the future. He can be difficult to live with, so I'm kind of glad he's moving out on his own. I just wish he'd be close enough to visit once a month or so.

This is one more change in a year of many changes. Maybe I need to simply accept that I'm going to be stressed and just do the best I can. Forgive myself my slips and realize that as things settle down, so will my eating patterns. I'm not bingeing or out of control. Just slipping a bit here and there. It's better than I used to do with managing stress. So, I guess I'm making progress. That's the turle motto: Progress, not perfection. Right?

Talk to you all later.

Happy turtlin'! :)

Lin
272/228/lower

Kimmers and Lin,
congratulations on your weight losses. It looks like I'll be down a couple of those pounds I just put on.
I weigh in today, so I'll know for sure.
Kimmers, when the program in WW went from 10% difference to Winning Points, they knocked off two top points from the ranges. I was annoyed because I found it very difficult to bank points and it was the banking points that allowed me the flexibility to eat out and still lose weight, albeit slowly. So--I felt like a spoiled brat.
I wanted my points back. I also knew that WW had changed for a good reason and my weight loss was VERY slow, so it made sense to cut back. I just couldn't get on top of it these last few months and I lost incentive to work the program, I had my year anniversary and was down almost 30 pounds. Then I started putting weight back on. It wasn't fun.
Now I am keeping with the Winning Points, getting the exercise in more often and am determined to get a weight loss somehow. We eat out a lot (Subway, diners, Italian food or Chinese food takeout) and I am figuring out ways to eat this way and still lose weight. For the first time I feel good to be back OP this week. I'm putting it all together. I think I scared myself at the last WI because I was up to a weight that meant I had gained back almost 8 pounds from my lowest weight this year. That was NOT the way I wanted to go. After feeling sorry for myself and yucky, I got myself back OP by doing all the things I tell other people to do. That's another aspect--feeling like an expert because I've figured out things that work, give advice freely, share tips and recipes, etc. But guess what? I needed to do it too!
So long answer--but it's stuff I've been thinking about for a while. I want desperately to be successful. I will do this! It's just not that bad. Some days it's very hard, but other days are doable and I can keep going down that road.
KImmers--good for you for pursuing your graduate degree.. I think it's great that you and your husband are making time for bike riding. What fun! I also think it's great that he went to a meeting with you. There's so much to learn there.
Lin--hope the carpool works out for you dh and that you can get some work you like in Salinas. I checked out your weight loss and it's fabulous. Are you giving yourself a new 10% goal throughout your weight losss trip?
Lauren--feel better, heal well. Good for you for exercising with your good arm.
Let's all do this!

Judy

234/209/thinner

Hi, Turtles,

Judy, it sounds as if you're getting things back in focus. I'm glad things are working for you. I know that eating out can be a real challenge, but it's fun and worth making the effort to learn how to fit it into the program. I also know what you mean about banking points being a challenge at times. I find that some days I eat every point I'm allowed and other days I bank up to 4 points. I never bank more than that and usually it's only 1 or 2. I use them to bake desserts or eat treats like the Cadbury Creme Eggs my oldest son loves. He thinks they're the best candy in the world, so he always buys them for everyone at Easter time.

About the 10% goal: I took a break from trying to lose weight and worked to maintain the loss I had up to that point. So, when I started again, I decided to work toward a 10% loss. Then I may decide to take another (shorter) break and then do another 10%. Or I may do another 10 % then take a break. This time, though, when I take a break I plan to continue to track points. It was the one thing I didn't do and I should have. I discovered that my body seems to prefer to lose weight in increments. I'd probably have gotten to goal if I had known that in the past. I could have then chosen to maintain after the first time I lost 50 pounds, then when I lost the next 50 I'd have been closer to goal, rather than starting overand just treading over the same ground. And this time would have been the final stretch. Instead, it's the middle of the race.

I'm doing fine and am back OP after my weird glitch the day before yesterday. I'm looking forward to hearing how the rest of you are doing when you get a chance to post.

Happy turtlin'! :D

Lin
272/228/lower

Thanks for the encouraging words, Lin and Judy. And congrats for being OP.

I'm still not quite OP, still a few points over the past couple of days. But I'm writing it down and counting it. I feel like I'm hanging on by my fingernails; I guess sometimes that's just what you have to do!

I woke up this morning sounding like Lauren Bacall; as the day has progressed, I've begun to sound like Barry White. Someone here at work asked me if I was auditioning for late-night radio. :D This might also explain why I've been tired the past couple of days (that and all that overtime) -- I'm developing a nasty case of bronchitis. Here's hoping it doesn't get worse. Fortunately, my current workload is very light, and I'm taking Friday off anyway.

Anyone heard much about the glycemic index? It tells you which carbs break down quickly into sugar and which ones take longer. Countries other than the US use it to manage diabetes (the US doesn't think enough studies have been done yet). I'm thinking I may take a closer look at that and start managing my carbs accordingly.

Onward and ... onward,

Lauren

Hi, Turtle Buds,

I hope you get well soon, Lauren. And I'm glad to see that you're getting back on track. It's really hard when you don't feel well. Make yourself a big pot of soup and buy some really good bread to eat with it. It will help you feel better and perhaps make staying OP easier.

I'm following my own advice these next few days. I think I'm coming down with whatever my supervisor had while I was working the last couple of weeks. I'm taking it a little easy and trying to get some extra rest.

I went way over my usual dinner points last night. I ate a pickup meal because I didn't feel well. So, I'm making some soup to get through the weekend.

However, the damage wasn't as bad as it seemed. I'd eaten the minimum number of points the day before, so I had some to play with. I'm back on track now and feel better about things.

I haven't read much about the glycemic index. It sounds interesting, though.

Talk to you later. Happy turtlin'! :)

Lin
272/228/lower

Just a quicky--
Lin,
Thanks for your info about the 10% difference. I like your attitude and I know you've learned a lot about yourself using this philosophy.
Lauren,
So glad you've still got your job. The weight gain is temporary, and I know you'll pull the right strings to get yourself where you want to be.
Kimmers,
I can see you out there, red hair flaring behind you on that bike! Sounds like so much fun.
Good news for me!
I weighed in yesterday and was down 2.2 pounds and this morning I knocked off another pound. So the bloating weight from eating incorrectly for two weeks is disappearing. I have a new goal for myself. I am going to really try to get below 200 # in the next couple months. I'd have to be 196# in the morning sans clothing to WI at WW. I've just got to do it! I really want this. There have been times when I've been perfect and haven't gotten a weight loss for about a month, therefore the joining of this great turtle group.
But--this is where I have to be scrupiously honest with myself--sometimes I am close to program, maintain and whine. That's not going to get me anywhere! It's fine to maintain like that, but I'm not there yet.
So--I wish everyone well. And let's kick this weight loss thing in the b....!
Judy

234/208/thinner

Good attitude, Judy! Thanks for the pep talk. I'm probably just having a memory lapse here, but why do you need to be 196 to weigh in at WW? Or did I miss something? And way to go on losing that bloat!

Lin, thanks for the suggestion re: soup. I'm not a big soup eater (especially in the summer), but I think that should change. It really does fill me up and keep my points down. Good for you in making better choices today. Hope you're not coming down with something.

My chest cold is MUCH improved today. I've never recovered this quickly before. I'm still not 100 percent, but I can't get over the difference. Last night I went home and soaked in a bathtub with camphor, eucalyptus, and menthol salts. I also took ecinachea (sp) and have been popping zinc and vitamin C lozenges. And -- last but certainly not least -- I went to bed early. Whatever, it seems to be working.

I was over points by about 2 yesterday, which is OK right now. Today will probably be similar, but I also worked out this a.m. so that should help. In general, I feel like I'm getting back into control. Tomorrow I'm going to aim to stay within my points. Baby steps, baby steps ...

Once I'm back within my point range, my next goal is going to be to drop sugar and flour for a couple weeks. (We go on vacation in the middle of May, so I'll eat sugar and flour then.) It really seems to affect my weight loss.

Hey, do any of you know how to use Flash? I'm starting to teach myself.

Onward and thinnerward,

Lauren

Lauren,
Glad to see you've got your points where you want them. I have a feeling if I gave up sugar and flour my weight loss would be much better. Good for you for having the courage!
What I tried to say about the 200# and WW196# is that I have this need to get under 200# on the scale. I am really tired of my weight and I want to make a real push to accomplish this breakthrough. The convolutions start in when I tried to explain that to break 200# at WW WI, since I weigh in at dinnertime(up two pounds from morning) and since I wear an outfit that weighs 1#, and since I want to see 199# on the WW scale, I'll have to be three pounds under the 199# to actually see that on the WW scale.
Someday I'll make you all laugh about how this past summer I kept on getting on the scale with different outfits until I found the one that weighed the least. It consists of a pair of navy pinstriped shorts and a fuschia, yes, I said fuschia, lightweight polyester shirt!
I wear easy to slip off shoes and there I am. I literally wore shorts until mid-December which is mighty chilly here in NY. I'd bring a pair of pants to pop over my shorts after I weighed in. When I was able to buy new clothes in a size smaller, I found a pair of capri pants in a real lightweight stretchy rayon, so I wear them now. I
don't ever think I've worn a decent outfit to WW yet. Maybe when I hit lifetime membership I can do that.
Hope this is clear, and Lauren, I am so glad that you're taking baby steps and making this work.

Judy

234/208/thinner

Hi, Turtles,

It's so good to hear how well you all are doing. Congrats, Judy, on the loss. That's super. I know that you will reach that below 200 #'s.

Lauren, I'm glad to hear that you're feeling better. I seem to be OK. Paul thinks my problem may have been a flareup of allergies. I wonder if it may have been partly due to the change back to my regular sleep schedule. It's so nice to kiss him goodbye at 4:30 am and go back to sleep until 6!

I wouldn't worry about 2 points over, especially since you're working out. Maybe your body just needs that fuel for the workout.

I had another weird day of part on and part off program eating. I went for comfort food, carbs with a bit of fat like crackers and butter. Not huge portions of anything, but it added up. I'm still working in my journal to figure out what's going on here. I'm back OP again. What's really odd here is that I'm getting off just for a bit of the day, but staying with my plan the rest of the time. Yesterday it wasn't hunger fueled. I wasn't hungry. And that's really weird, too, because I almost never eat if I'm not hungry. Thinking back, I wonder if I was just overtired. I often find that I eat when I'm tired. I think I should have taken a nap, but I didn't think of it at the time. One more lesson learned.

And today is going just fine. Happy turtlin'! ;)

Lin
272/228/lower

Man, Lin! Your message triggered a response that I haven't thought about in a while. When I was in my mid-thirties I joined OA. They had a saying that held true to me ALL the time. It was to remember HALT:
Never eat because your are really too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. It helps a lot. Sometimes I do what you did and walk around craving food, when it's really that I'm exhausted, or bored, etc.
Thanks for reminding me. I think you'll get a handle on this soon. You've had a lot of stress and changes and change is tough to handle.

Judy
234/208/thinner

Hey turtle friends,

I did pretty good this week and lost 7lbs. I got a 20-ld star and a 25-lb magnet. Only 7 lbs to go to get the 10% keychain. I love getting prizes.

I'm very surprised to be losing weight this quickly. The first time I did WW, starting at 303, it took three months to lose this much weight, and this time it's only taken five weeks. Maybe since I started higher, I lose proportionally more. I think it might also have something to do with the fact that I've stopped taking birth control pills. I cross my fingers every month, but at least I'm not bloating up like I used to. At any rate, I'm sure things will slow down soon. I did buy myself a new outfit last week at my favorite boutique, Target (pronounced Tar-shay) and I was having a lot less trouble fitting into things. My own clothes are so stretched out that it's hard to tell, but I remember shopping a few months ago and I couldn't get anything around my middle!

Thanks for the support everyone - You guys are the best! I'm still trying to get more activity - only rode my bike twice this week. Hopefully I can double that this week. One step at a time.

I was having a hard time with hunger this week (HALT - I love it!). A coulple of days I ate too many points during the day and couldn't eat much at dinner. The worst was when I had to fix dinner for the boys and couldn't eat any of it. Any suggestions? I know if I ate more veggies, I'd do better, but what are some good ones to bring to work (besides carrots - I'm carroted out).

Thanks,
Kimmers
332/306/299 (10% goal)

Kimmers,
Congratulations on your amazing and wonderful success. What a terrific weight loss! That's fabulous! You must be thrilled. At work I bring a green or red pepper sliced up instead of carrots all the time. I bring an individual V-8. I love Lin's ideas of low or no point soups and just made a taco soup today that's yummy and very filling. I also make a mix of veggies that I can eat cold although that may not appeal to everyone. I stir fry or saute mushrooms, onions, and peppers together. It's great with beef or pork and it's also good with a Boca burger or veggie burger.
And glad you like HALT, but I had another senior moment and should have said: Never let yourself get too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. Of course that refers to skipping breakfast or being so stingy with points that you arrive at the next meal much too hungry and eat too much too quickly.
Everybody--have a great weekend. My dh is really watching what he eats now and that is a tremendous help to me. Last night we got ourselves Subway sandwiches and had a picnic at the park of the beach near us. Then we went for a walk on the boardwalk. It was heavenly. Today we got some work done around the yard and house and I hope to get out tomorrow and walk in another park.
Everyone do well and keep on turtlin' along.
Judy

234/207/thinner

Kimmers, you're really making progress! You're going to be below that centennial marker before you know it. Who knows why it's going so quickly this time? Are you doing anything differently?

Judy, it sounds like you're doing great, too. The picnic sounds fun. I need to get more creative with vegetables.

Lin, if you figure out why you're overeating, let me know. I've had the same problem for the past three weeks (since I sprained my arm, basically). Today is my first day I didn't go over my points. In fact, I'm below the bottom of my range. I'm not terribly concerned, since yesterday I had 46 points!! We went out to eat at a dinner play ("Tony 'n Tina's Wedding," which is a riot) and had munchies beforehand with a group of people. I didn't go overboard, but wow does that stuff add up.

Today I actually looked up the points of a restaurant we were going to *before* we went there. Am I ever glad I did! Whenever we go to Panera's, I usually get the asiago beef sandwich. I've been guessing at the points. Today I found out what they actually are -- and I've been WAY off! The actual points are 18! For a sandwich! And that was one of their LIGHTER ones!! Count me incredulous. I've obviously been way underestimating my points when I eat out. Say, think this could be yet another reason why I haven't lost weight?

Anyway, I survived by eating just half of one of their lighter sandwiches and a bowl of one of their lighter soups. (Thanks for that idea, Lin.) I was perfectly satisfied. I've got to remember to plan ahead more often.

I dodged our third round of layoffs on Friday, but a bunch of people I knew got laid off. :( I wish these would end. Morale is going to be scraping on the ground Monday.

Have a good Monday anyway, everyone.

Oh, almost forgot to mention -- I lost three of the five pounds I gained, so I actually only gained two fat pounds. But in spite of my working out, I can see a change in my waistline that isn't for the better. Doing the weight training really was helping. Maybe I can try doing it with just one arm??

Lauren
274/216/down

Hi, Turtles,

Kimmers, I must add my congrats for your great loss.

My best suggetion for dealing with the no points for dinner is to start counting your points at dinner. I find it much easier to do it that way. Dinner is the meal that (in my life) more often gets changed at the last minute. I adjust my points up or down, depending on what happened. Then, the rest of my meals are easy to adjust to fit into my point range because I eat them by myself. Usually I just eat smaller portions of what I planned and add a few veggies for bulk, if I need it.

Judy, I have a question about the HALT thing. I get the angry, lonely, and tired, but hungry? It seems as if you're truly hungry, food is just the thing to do the trick. Or are they referring to letting yourself get so super hungry that you eat more than you actually need to rid your body of the hunger?

I found something really terrific at the grocery store. Ziploc has come out with small round bowls that hold exactly one cup. (I tested them.) I took soup in them and they didn't leak. They're disposable, so if you leave them at work or accidentallly toss them, it's not a huge financial outlay to replace them. And you can microwave them. Since so many of the things I eat are in 1 cup portions, these are perfect. I also use them to measure out ingredients into when I'm cooking. Then I don't use up all of my bowls when I'm prepping a meal.

Lauren, congrats on losing that three pounds! It's kind of funny that you put it as an afterthought in your letter. ;) That's great because it shows that you're focusing on the lifestyle changes, not the scale numbers. That attitude change bodes well for your ability to keep it off once you get to goal.

I remember you were asking about cold soups. Well, I found that I have a cookbook with a whole chapter of them. As I try them, I'll e-mail the good ones to you or post any that are my own work. If anyone else wants the published recipes, send me your e-mail address and I'll send them to you, too. (I prefer not to post other people's recipes on the Internet. I feel that it technically violates copyright laws to do so without permission. I know I've done it in the past, but I've changed my mind on the ethics of that issue.)

I applaud you for checking the restaurant points ahead of time. I rarely eat more than half of a serving at a restaurant. I've been to restaurants where a quarter portion is enough. Something you might think about if you eat out frequently is choosing a meal as close to what you would make at home and saving really special, higher point foods for special occasions like anniversaries or birthdays. I guess the question I ask before I decide what to eat is whether I am going out just so I don't have to cook (or for a similar, pedestrian reason) or whether I am celebrating a special time or event?

I doubt that my overeating problem will help you with yours. I think yours is directly related to being forced to cut back on your workout. Maybe you're just eating the way you did when you could do full workouts, but you need less fuel right now, so it's showing up on the scale and the waistline. It is true that when you stop working out, those muscles you've developed go back to the way they were. So, be patient with yourself while you recuperate. Do the best you can with your workouts and try to eat maybe at the middle of your range? I think I'd go for maintenance until my body has healed. That feels like a setback, but in the long run, it's better than an uncontrolled gain because of frustration.

My problem, I've discovered, is mostly emotional. I was writing my journal this morning and twelve pages of stuff poured out of my pen. Stuff I must deal with if I am to be successful with my weight loss efforts and if I am to write my stories. I have discovered a bunch of personal issues that are affecting my eating because I wasn't facing them. And I discovered a bunch of fears and other issues related to writing that are affecting my writing time. I was procrastinating and I didn't know why. That was affecting my eating because I was feeling guilty about not using this gift of time I've been given to do the writing I want to do. I feel so much better after my long session with my journal. I know that the issues aren't finished, but by facing up to their existence, I feel that I can work them out. I'm back OP and I'm writing again, too.

Have a great day! Happy turtlin'! :cool:

Lin
272/228/lower

Hi!
Lin,
Your inference about HALT is correct. The idea behind it is to never let yourself get TOO hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. The too hungry would occur when you simply hadn't spent enough points for that part of the day or didn't supplement with soup or veggies or low-point foods. The danger there was to overindulge at the next meal. I guess that's about the best I can explain it. It was helpful to me at the time and continues to be helpful when I walk around aching to graze when it's really that I am very tired or bored. So this little saying helps me. Hope it helps others too.
Speaking of which, I have been famished today. I think this is happening because I am trying very hard to fit in exercise and keep a strong control over my points.
I think I'll head for a can of tomatoes when I get home and that will hold off hunger until dinner.
Thanks for letting me join this group. You all give me insight into your lives which helps me to know you better and also get to know myself better.
I also discovered the Ziploc and Gladware containers and love them. Last night I made Diet Jello and FF pudding and poured a couple of containers full as I made the desserts. Then I had them ready to throw into my lunch bag today. They help a lot.
Lin--I'm so glad you wrote your journal today to help you get to the bottom of the way you've been feeling. Isn't it amazing how much pours out when you are willing to let it? Good for you. Glad you're back OP
and glad you're starting to write. The writing you do here is certainly indicative of talent and I wish you the very best!
:cool:

Hmmm .... sounds like I could use a good journaling session myself. I haven't journaled in ages. I do think my overeating was more than just not exercising as much, and I need to take a look at that. Lin, I also hadn't realized, but you're right -- the weight is almost an afterthought. I think the biggest contributor to my shifting attitudes is exercise. More than any other component of this program, that gives me a sense of well-being.

I'm supposed to go to another meeting here, so I'll make this brief. I've been OP the past couple days, and I've been doing my two-mile walk both of those days. Even though writing down those 46 points on Saturday was painful, it was helpful in getting me back on track.

I'm contemplating going back on the old 123 plan for a while, just for a change.

Gotta go -- will write more soon.

--Lauren

Hi, Turtles,

Lauren, I hope your journaling session helps. I'm starting to use the old 123 plan again toady. I noticed that after the initial large loss that almost everyone has, I'm not doing as well with winning points as I did with 123. So, I'm going to go back to that program. Like a lot of people say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Judy, don't forget that if you're exercising a lot your body needs more fuel. There's a reason WW tells us to add points when we're active. We need that food for our health and to improve our weight loss. If you're really famished, perhaps you ought to eat a little more. You shouldn't be that hungry on this program.

I started a new story yesterday. It's really different from anything I've written before. I'm really excited to get back to it and find out where it goes. That's all I'm going to say about it. I've discovered that I cannot talk specifically about a story or I lose the momentum and don't finish it. I've found a thread for writers of romance who support each other in their efforts to write the same waythat we do in our efforts to be healthy. But I'm still looking. I'm not really writing a series romance and I'd like to find a more general support group. Maybe I'll have to start my own, but that's a lot of work and I don't want to take that time away from my writing. Sigh!

Happy turtlin'! :D

Lin
272/228/lower

You guys are the best! Good turtlin'.
Love,
Judy





234/207/thinner

Lin, if you find a general writers' support group, I'm interested. Not that I'm making much time to write these days, but that may change soon.

And I don't really need to journal after all. I know why I'm overeating. Today the CEO of our company casually mentioned that they would be cutting ANOTHER 10 percent of the workforce within the next week. This was news to our managers, apparently. This will be our fourth layoff this year. Guess what I'm going to start doing in earnest? Monsterboard!

As soon as I heard that news, I came back to my desk and ate the bagel I was saving for dinner, plus a piece of chocolate rum cake. Hey, spot the connection.

We need to change that "HALT" acronym to "HALTS" -- hungry, angry, lonely, tired, and STRESSED!

So tonight I'll eat vegetable soup and work on my resume. I DESPISE corporate America. (Oh, did I mention our CEO then regaled us with a description of his golf outing yesterday with Clint Eastwood?)

--Lauren

Lauren,
this is terrible news. It stinks. I think you are super smart to perk up your resume and get it out there. Sounds like your company is in the downsizing mode for real. I am sooooooo glad your CEO had a chance to work out HIS stress on the golf course. Hey--I don't mean to feed into your anger and stress. And yes--I love the new HALTS. Odd that 25 years ago stress wasn't considered enough of a factor to include. Today I would guess that most eating is done out of stress.
Good luck at your job, brush up your resume, and let's see what other windows may open up for you.
Major turtlin' everyone!
Judy

234/207/thinner

Hi,

Boy, are we long again! Starting #27. See you there.

Happy Turtlin'! :)

Lin
272/228/lower