We are the Turtle Group here at www.3fatchicks.com. We welcome you to join us as we work toward good health and fitness in a persistent manner. As our inspiration, we use the race between the turtle and the hare where the turtle was the victor because he didnt' give up. We believe in keepin' on by using the skills and techniques we have learned from experience to keep us on track. We belive in giving each other support. Good luck to us all!
Judy
Itryharder
(for Lin and Lauren)

Hi Turtle Friends,
I can't get to my WW meeting today because it is snowing hard. Much earlier than predicted. Ugh. I miss my WW pals.

Princess, I am sending : and prayers for your grandbaby. Back in the hospital the staff should be able to keep the baby under lights and solve that high count quickly.

Princess has the right idea. This January has been tough for so many of us. I'm going to put something in the slow cooker right now to have ready. Then I'm going to baby step my way through today. One step at a time, one bite of good proper food at a time.

Best to all of us!
JUdy

As the end of January arrives, I find I am no closer to losing 10 pounds than I was at the first of the year. However, I have maintained my 150ish weight, and have been diligent about daily weighing and vigorous exercise. Good things.

Hope everyone had a good day. I was going to try zumba later at the gym but my eyes decided they have had enough of my contacts for the day. So that is out. So it doesn't look like we are going to get snow.

@Princess my thoughts are with you. I agree with Itryharder about the lights solving the count problem.

4xcharm, congrats on your weight loss accomplishments! We'd like to hear more.
Judy

today has been a much better day for me. I've got chicken cacciatore in my crockpot and also made a veggie soup. I had a bigger lunch than usual (2 slices of whole grain bread, hard boiled egg and the whites from two other hard boiled eggs, a bit of ff cottage cheese instead of mayo to bind it together, lettuce and some mustard + half an orange). I felt full longer and didn't go on the hunt quite so early. Now I'm ready to have dinner. I'll have to watch the late night eating and remember that if I don't really want an apple, I'm probably not hungry.

Good luck to all of us with the stress of the cold and the snow.
Judy

Hi all! Just took advantage of a break in the snowfall to get to Weight Watchers for my weigh-in. I'm surprised that the center was open, but I was able to check my weight and stock up on some smoothie mix before the snow began again an hour later. We expect another 8-12 inches on the ground by morning (on top of about 4 inches already in place after this morning's snowfall), so I anticipate that I'll be at home for a few days because I'm a "non-essential employee".

Non-essential??? I'm the CHAPLAIN! And the KNITTING INSTRUCTOR too! 8)

Anyways, my first week's weight loss was 2 pounds exactly, almost all of which can be explained by comparing my work clothes to my casual stuff. (But black clericals are SOOOOO slimming, right??) Nonetheless, there's probably a few ounces of real weight loss in there, so I am happy enough. I know that because of the medications I take for lupus, and the fact that I have to limit the intensity of exercise due to heart issues, this is going to be a long, slow process.

But here in the turtle pond, we all understand this. And I'd like to take this opportunity to make a gratitude list for my first week in Weight Watchers:

1. My sweet tooth and fat tooth are starting to lessen their constant begging and pleading for more goodies.
2. I'm taking lower doses of anti-inflammatory and pain medications already!
3. I don't wonder what I should eat. I know how to measure Points and have learned a lot of useful foods already. Today when I got stuck at work for awhile and was feeling fragile physically, I was able to go to my little stash of Nutrigrain and Propel, and know that I was still well within my Points range for the day.
4. I'm learning to enjoy fruits and vegetables again (and my digestive issues are resolving nicely after a rocky first few days). And my residents are happy because "my" fruit tastes better than the plastic-y commercial stuff, so I'm welcome at any lunch table in the building.
5. I feel very clean and clear-headed, with no sugar hangover in the morning.
6. I know that I'm on a mission from God, not to get thin but to become healthier and more physically capable. And in this way (which can't be measured on a scale), I can see progress everywhere.
7. I'm well-hydrated and my skin looks lovely.
8. My 100-year-old nutritionist is very satisfied with my progress.
9. I have more energy and emotional stability. I feel well-balanced inside.
10. When my hubby told his proctologist that he's starting to follow Weight Watchers with me (which is stretching things a bit, but he is making progress toward that goal), the proctologist decided to put off his hemorrhoid surgery for a few more months in favor of stronger topical painkillers to see if the extra fiber helps things.

So all in all, the scale was less than exciting, but I'm much better off than I was only seven days ago. Which is good enough for me.

Life4evr, oooh, I know the contacts feeling! Here's to a great day tomorrow! :

Aunt Loopy,
what a positive and thoughtful e-mail. I love it and share a lot of your gratitude.

Today has been good so far. Eating heavier at meals has been a big help. I was trying to be too stingy with my points + and then ate anything I saw. (That's what they call the "Seafood Diet". Yeah, I eat anything I see.) LOL. Okay, I'll stop . Cabin Fever is approaching.
Love,
Judy

Lost .5 lbs. Yeah Me I can eat decently (not like a rabbit) and loose weight too! I believe the key is excercise/ counting points and tracking everything! This does work we can do it!

Hope everyone else is doing great, I am so trying to have a positive attiude it is very hard with this blah, cold, snowy, no sun January we are having! We all see to be back to good health in my house so that is good.

Aunt Loopy I love your list! When I have more time I will make a list
If we didn't have to work boy the things we could accomplish!!

Terri

Terri, : weigh to go. :carrots:
Yay! Glad you're working the program!
Judy

Good morning everyone and happy Thursday to you all! For those in the snow belt I am thinking of you all! We have had more than our fair share this year also but it has been managable. The baby came home from the hospital last night and his levels are down, he needs some follow up visits and such but should be just fine... I am so very grateful for that.

I am working at staying on track and so far so good, nothing major and I need to get into the routine of getting to the gym which I will start again on Sunday with a cycling class. I have my TOPS meeting tonight although I am not expecting anything other than a gain at W/I - but will keep moving forward.

Looks like we are all chuggin along in one form or another. Congrats to those with a loss at the scales!

I have to run, long day ahead!

Hello Everyone.

I'm Shay. I feel like a turtle in this race so I thought I would pop in and say "hello".

I dont weigh in until Monday and I'm trying to resist the urge to hop on a scale at home. Its like I want the surprise of weight loss at the weigh in but I dont want to share the disappointment if I havent loss any weight or even gained without knowing ahead of time so I dont look sad or cry.

Morning turtles:

Hope you are all coping with winter weather - we have lots of snow but the roads are good, so that makes me happy.

Terri - I probably already you this but where in Ontario are you? I am just outside Toronto (Oshawa) & congrats on your weight loss this week!

AuntLoopy - great list, we all need to make one of those for sure. Keep up the good work being focussed and heres to another great week for you.

Judy - Sounds like you have things under control, keep it going!

Princess - Glad all is well with your family & that you are getting back on
schedule. I also have weigh in tonight & just hoping not to be up after overeating on the weekend. Good luck!

As for myself, I have been good since Monday but doesn't make up for my previous weekend and haven't been walking at all this week, so that will probably make a difference as well. But I did do some shovelling 2 nights this week, but still if I can squeak by not gaining I will be truly happy.

Shay - welcome to our group!

All - good luck at the scales!

Shay, to you! Yeah, we're all tired of yo-yoing and I know I want this new program to work. We're a nice group of gals. I'm retired and the other gals are all working. Cherry is a stay at home Mom, but she works really hard with her three kids. Let us know a bit about you, and welcome again.

Princess, what wonderful news that the baby is back home. Yay! Glad the doctors were up to snuff on this! As far as the weight gain, it's wonderful that you're doing better and getting ready to exercise again. You have been very successful, you've stopped smoking. I'm taking a deep breath for you and then I know you'll be and and to put WW's all together for yourself again. TOPS WI right now makes lots of sense.

Bandit, glad you're doing better. Shoveling snow has to count as somthing. I hope your WI is fine. Onward and downward!


I'm doing better. Having more substantial meals yesterday helped keep me on track. Now if an apple doesn't sound good, I know I'm not hungry. LOL. Here's a recipe you might like:

UNSTUFFED CABBAGE

1 # ground beef
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
28oz. stewed tomatoes
6oz. tomato paste (I used 4T ketchup for fewer points+)
1 1/2t. dried parsley
1 1/4t. salt1t. dried oregano
1t. sugar
1/4t. black pepper
1 small head cabbage, shredded, about 8 cups

1. Heat a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add beef and cook for 6 min. until no longer pink. Drain fat. Stir in onion and cook 4 min. Add garlic, cook 1 min.

2. Add tomatoes and paste. Break up tomatoes w/potato masher. Stir in 1 1/4c. water, parsley, salt, oregano, sugar and black pepper. Simmer 5 min.

3. Add half the cabbage and cook covered, for 5 min. Add the remaining cabbage and simmer, covered for 90 min. stirring occasionally.

Six servings 6points plus per serving.

Gotta run----
Judy

I'm a stay at home mom too but I share my kids with their dad. They spend the school year with him and I take the summers. I'm in Canada. They are in Florida. I am a teacher by trade and took some time off to see if I would miss teaching (2 years so far). I did at first but not much after that. I miss the paycheck though.

Recently found out I'm Fructose Malabsorbant and I'm trying to cope with that and try to figure out how to eat healthily and avoid my trigger foods.

Hope everyone is having a good day. Welcome Shay.

Today has been pretty good so far but it's still early. Still feeling drained and having chocolate cravings. I am going to try to do some form of physical exercise later. Umm that's about it.