[Lin S]

Hi, Turtles,

Here's my "official" version of Aesop's 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 several 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 in order to lose and keep off the weight. Our main focus is to 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.

Lin

[Lin S]

Hi, Turtles,

Hey, Judy, it's so good to have you posting again. I missed your encouragement. Thanks!

Yes, I will be happy if we get the apartment. Even if it turns out not to be "ideal" in some ways, we will be living in a place where we have options and can work toward making postitve changes that will get us where we want to be. However, it won' t be for several months, yet. So, we'll see what happens. It's just great that there may be an end to living in this town in sight.

I'm glad you're doing well, Judy. This time of year when it's cold is a great time to eat soups and stews that can easily be made lower in points. I made a lentil soup last night that's really filling and only 1 point per cup.

Lauren, good luck with PMS. I think it's likely that 3 pounds can be PMS, even if you're overeating. You wouldn't believe what I ate in terms of one extra meal during my last battle with the monthly hormones and all of that weight disappeared in a few days. It was weird, but encouraging because it helps me to see that writing it down and keeping some measure of control can help keep it from totally derailing my efforts. I hope you can keep it in perspective because that seems to be the key.

Torty, I'm seeing early strawberries and asparagus in the grocery stores, but they're not really ready. It's so cool that you found good ones this time of year. I hope things are going well for you.

I'm doing fine. Staying in my range. I'm really enjoying this and I'm glad I decided to experiment. I don't get to eat everything I want, but it's much easier to fit in reasonable portions of the kinds of foods I want. I'm not banking points, though. So I'm considering giving myself an occasional "meal off" when I can choose a particular high-point food that doesn't usually fit into my regular plan. I'm thinking particularly when my kids visit or on holidays or times like that. The rest of the time it doesn't really matter to me if I splurge or not. I was thinking about that because we're getting one of those three paycheck months in April so we're planning to take a trip to San Jose for a day. That day, I probably won't worry about points for whatever meal we eat out, but I'll still stick with good choices.

Happy turtlin'!

Lin

[LaurenH]

Hi, tortoises. Not much time to post; got to finish writing another article so I can get outside in the sunshine and relative warmth (in the 30s today! Woo-hoo!). I plan to take a nice long walk to the used book store and then downtown.

Lin, what's the recipe for the lentil soup? I could use some good non-meat, low-point recipes right now.

Turns out half of the 3-pound gain was the Thai food I'd eaten the night before. I'm only up 1.5 now. But I've got awful PMS. I finally bought some herbal supplements yesterday to see if they'll help (calming herbs and diuretic herbs). Incidentally, many of the PMS formulas I saw contained -- guess what? -- calcium and magnesium. They obviously do have an effect. Like Lin, I need to be more regular in taking them.

Have a swell day, everyone!

--Lauren

[torty]

Hello turtles (tortoises) ,

Little factoid on the difference: Turtles are water babies and swim and can stay submerged- have webbed feet- though they enjoy daily basking in the sun. Tortoises are land animals, don't swim- but do like a nice soak in still warm puddles (the spa treatment- our Tommy gets one every weekend-he stretches out all the way and just relaxes)

Lauren- glad to hear part of the poundage was Thai induced water weight-- that fish sauce is salty but tasty. I do a simple lentil soup/porridge in the crock pot. Just dump the washed & picked over bag of lentils in the pot and add a chopped onion, little salt & pepper & a good pinch of curry powder and mustard powder. The curry in small amount seems to add a "meaty" substance to the taste. Vary it with maybe chopped celery, carrots, bell pepper. Cover with water adding more water as needed to get consistancy I like. Addition of chopped mushroom or eggplant also really adds some dimension. Very simple but hearty and is a flash to set up and leave to simmer. Freeze in individual portions. I even have it for breakfast sometimes (I'm weird....) Also great with some greens like spinach or swiss chard shreds added near end of cooking. (course some feta cheese crumbled on top to melt doesn't hurt either)

Lin- I had great success when I was much younger with sticking to what would be low points all week (counted calories then) and then ate whatever I wanted on weekends. Since weekdays are busy with work, etc and the temptations are minimal as long as a stick to real food in the evening instead of grazing (so dangerous), and the weekends are the "let loose" time- it was great and I maintained my weight. Found when I knew could have stuff in just a few days it was easier and also sinceI knew I could have again the next wekend I did not do that "last supper" thing. Of course I let life interfere and got back into the diet mentality (afraid to eat and then end up eating too much).... maybe with all the "experience" I have now I will incorporate the concept again. I would love not to have to "worry" about food- just enjoy it in moderation. That's the goal at least.

Found a great take-out chicken salad today at a Hawaiian place with those baby lettuces and just white meat chicken, and a light interesting dressing on the side. Nice to have points friendly "treat" to pick up when the "same old" won't cut it or the bag lunch is at home on the counter...

Keep on keepin on......

[Itryharder]

hi Guys,
Torty,
thanks for the lentil soup in a crockpot idea. I'll print it out and try it. Also, Lin--please send the lentil soup 1 point 1 cup recipe to the club. Sounds wonderful.
Yesterday we had more snow. This really is getting old! I brought home a pizza today and hubby brought in chocolate, so here I go again. I'm nice and full now and I have signed off eating for the night.
Everybody--take care--do well and let's do this!
Judy

[Lin S]

Hi, Turtles,

I wrote a post a couple of days ago, but it disappeared.

Lauren, I'm glad most of your extra weight was from the Thai food. Hang in there. You will get where you want to be.

Torty, thanks for the turtle facts. It's great to have a turtle/tortoise expert on the thread. Your take-out salad sounds good.

Judy, it's always great to hear from you. I'm glad you posted and that things are going well.

I'll send you all the soup recipe soon.

Things are weird here. I've gone over my food choices and where I was eating in my range. I've examined my food plan journal very carefully, but I have no idea why my weight is so strange these days. I've been gaining and losing, but pretty much averaging the same. I'm going to hang in with this range for a few more weeks, though. I'm thinking that my wild hormones may have an effect in that my body wants to be stable for a while. I'll give it a month or so, then if I'm still averaging the same as I am now, I'll drop a couple of points.

My dying monitor got really weird today. First it went totally black, then everything turned green, then it stabilized at a better color than it has for a while. If I disappear for more than a few days, please keep the thread going. I won't be able to buy a monitor until mid-April, when we have a month with 2 paychecks that don't have to go to cover the rent. Thanks!!

Happy turtlin'!

Lin

[LaurenH]

Hello, tortoisean yet turtle-like beings. ( to Torty)

Another cold, somewhat sunny day here. It got down to 6 degrees last night. Day before yesterday, though, it got into the 40s and we had thunderstorms! I went out for an hour-long walk before it started to rain; good thing I brought an umbrella. It was strange to see lightning again. Of course, then the temps really dropped and our world turned into an ice-skating rink! I hear that next week temps will climb into the 50s. I am SO ready for that to happen!

Today is our first day of Great Lent. I really do love this time of year, in spite of my kvetching about the food. I'm picking up lentils today; thanks for the tip, Torty.

My weight is up due to TOM. Tomorrow is my official weigh-in, which I'm NOT looking forward to. I snuck a peek this morning and saw the highest number I've seen in about a year. So today also marks the beginning of my return to writing everything down religiously. So easy for me to fall away from that, even after all this time.

Torty, thanks for the turtle/tortoise info. I actually passed it along to someone else this past weekend; I felt so smug and knowledgeable.

Judy, I hear you about the snow. March is the hardest month for us northerners, I think. We get these spring teasers, and then -- WHOMP, another blizzard! Sorry to hear about the pizza/chocolate fest. NGAMO.

Lin, we will certainly keep the thread alive. Hopefully your monitor will hold out. Have you checked ebay or the paper for used ones? They're a lot cheaper, and people are getting rid of them as they move to laptops or fancier/larger monitors. Sorry we missed your earlier message -- bummer!

Well, I'd best get to the grocery store. Have a swell Monday, everyone.

--Lauren

[Itryharder]

Hi all!
Torty, is that short for tortoise? Very cute either way. Thanks for the reptile update.
Lin, we'll keep things going. But mostly I've got fingers crossed that your monitor can hold out for another month. Smart of you to keep close watch on your points, etc. I know this will work for you.
Lauren, yes, the weather is about to break here. I'm really hoping for no more snow. I'm glad this season is so spiritual for you. I'm keeping a lot of thoughts balancing right now and am having Lent help keep me where I want to be.
Yesterday we went out to dinner and I had fish broiled. It was absolutely delicious. I had a side of pasta, but ate about two bites. I was feeling virtuous and also thinking how silly I am. fish is always available. I don't eat it often because my husband can't stand the smell of it in the house, but in a restaurant he's not happy about it, but can tolerate it. It's just the best bargain in the world as far as points and I enjoy it so much. So--I'll try to incorporate it into more of my meals.
Have had a perfect day today following a very good yesterday. Putting a few more days like this together will equal a drop of a pound or so. I can do this!
Looking forward to retirement and the end of stress at work. I would like to aim for a 6 pound weight loss by June 1st. Anyone else want to aim long term?
Good luck to us all.
Mousie and Miata, hi there. Take care of yourselves.
Love,
Judy

[Lin S]

Hi, Turtles,

You know, Lauren, even though we've had pretty good weather lately, I'm ready for spring, too. I want it to warm up enough so I can open the windows and let some fresh air in here.

Thanks for the suggestions about cheaper monitors. I've had several people make suggestions like that. But, no matter what monitor I end up with, I will have to wait until mid-April to buy it. My budget right now is $0.

Hang in there. PMS will pass and things will get better. That's my mantra for that time every month. It's coming up in about a week or so for me, too.

Judy, if you buy your fish carefully and cook it right away (or freeze it as soon as you get home), you shouldn't get that strong fishy smell when you cook it. Don't buy fish from fish markets that smell fishy. Make sure that the fish doesn't smell, either. If it's previously frozen, don't refreeze it. Cook it the day you buy it or the day after. If it's fresh, you can freeze it for later. You won't get rid of all the smell. It will still smell like you cooked. But that strong, obnoxious odor is from fish that wasn't really fresh enough. The other alternative is to buy raw fish that's frozen when you buy it. They flash freeze it on the boat, so it's almost as good as fresh, cooked the day you bought it. In any case, fish is really good for you and I wish I could afford more of it. Enjoy!!

I'm doing about the same. OP and keeping track. I think I'm going to have to reduce my points a bit, but I'm not doing it until after TOM. I'm also going to increase my exercise by walking more consistently, since the weather has gotten better. That may do the trick. I'm pretty much staying the same right now. I'll see what happens as I add more walking before I decide what to do.

Happy turtlin'!

Lin

[LaurenH]

Hi, turtles. Just a quick note here ...

Judy, we grill our fish outdoors, even in the dead of winter. That keeps the smell out of the house entirely. We have a little grill on our back deck that we use.

Lin, I'm a fresh air fiend, too. I keep our bedroom windows a tiny bit cracked even all through winter; it's worth the extra heating bill to me. It's a rare night that I've had to close them completely (usually sub zero and windy). I'm looking forward to being able to open the downstairs windows for our kitties; they love it.

Good for both of you, checking those points and modifying your plans as needed. I've been writing mine down; I should finally be back in my WW range today. Unfortunately, I've been extremely tense lately for a variety of reasons, at least some of which must be hormonal. I made the mistake of checking my blood pressure yesterday a.m. (you may remember I have a bit of a phobia about that), and it was well above hypertensive level. I took it numbers of times after that and today, but it has stayed quite high. So I may have to go on BP medication if this continues. I figure I'll see how it goes after TOM ends. GACK.

Hope you're all having a MUCH less neurotic week than I am.

--Lauren

[Itryharder]

DEar All.
Well, I certainly complain when I'm not doing well, so I'll share nice stuff now. I've had 4 perfect days. I've lost the top pound again and I plan for keeping this going. I had had a few weeks that were tough and not great as far as points==to the ridiculous point of even buying an egg/sausage/cheese croissant at BK. Now, that 's not what I want to do!
Anyway-=I' m counting and writing down at least the points, if not the foods. Made lots of veggies laast night and ate them when I got hungry. Am below points right now and am easing into the right number of WW points this week. Have Friday and Sat. nights planned when we're going out with friends. I can do this.
Lauren, thanks for the grill tip. I have to admit I never thought to do that because my hubby is the barbecuer here and he couldn't do fish, but I could do that. Lin, thanks for the fish tips. Always good to hear more ideas.
Lin, glad you're doing well. Lauren, glad you're into the swing. I must admit that one of the reasons I'm watching my food is that my doc thought my blood pressure was higher than he liked. I'm going back for a monthly check-up next Wed. and he'll need to adjust my meds upward if I can't bring my BP down by myself. So--Im' trying to cook more for myself (less salt) and I'm watching points to see if I can knock off some pounds by then.
So far, so good.
BP is miserable to have it creep up. Don't be worried if you have to go on meds, you can get off them if you lower your stress level and keep on losing weight. Good luck to you
Good luck to us all.
Love and good wishes,
Judy

[torty]

Howdy Turtles,

Lin & Lauren- great fish tips for Judy. I agree it should never smell ammonia-like- there are some "fancy" grocery stores where I have to hold my nose around the fish counter- awful considering the prices. The flash frozen option is a good one Lin, and Laurne's outdoor Q idea also adds flavor. The heavy Asian population here with a penchant for fresh fish makes seafood a readily available cost effective item, and I am trying to incorporate more into not just my eating, but my husband and son's as well. I had my son taste some baked orange roughy in a bit of a curry sauce the other day- he said he had to admit it was good!!

Judy- congrats on racking up some good days- I read somewhere else on the site the notion of "stringing together good days" like a pearl necklace (something along those lines)- go girl! - oh and did you say retirement soon? - congrats and what great plans do you have?

I am with those of you getting seriously into journaling- my best success has been that way- I've got my spiral notebook and my colored sticky stars and I'm psyched to journal at least until Easter to see how that impacts my weight loss. I am also trying to stick to what some call the "pant-o-meter" as scale weight can be so deceptive (you PMS wracked girls are prime examples)- plus with the weight training and adding of muscle things get skewed as well.

Another "Tommy inspirational story"- the critter was absoluteley determined to get out of the raised bed veggie garden on Sunday (he was spending the day there to snack and cruise). Keep in mind the danger of a turtle flipping on its back and being unable to right itself. The garden is at least 8" off the ground. I know he has exited before but saw him do it for the first time. He paced (yes- no lollygagging) up and down, finally got his front end over the edge, dropped the front end on ground, pulled forward, dropped rear end, pulled whole self forward and motored all over the yard on some sort of mission ("spring is in the air"- and maybe tortoise mating time????) Anyway- he was just so determined it was inspirational to a nut like me (maybe I should preface these stories with a "skip this if you are not an animal nut"....) When things got in his way he just kept pushing, and if they would not budge he slowly climbed over them.

Hang in there all

[Lin S]

Hi, Turtles,

Torty--check your private messages, please.

Journaling is the only thing that really keeps me on track. When I don't write it down, little things gradually start slipping.

I like your Tommy story. It's particularly inspiring that he doesn't let obstacles stop him. And that he keeps going.

It's PMS again. Not as bad as last month, but I'm starting to retain water and stuff.

Everything else is going along about the same. My youngest son has a week off at the end of the month. It will be great to have him home for a while.

Lauren, good luck with your blood pressure. I hope you don't have to go on BP medications.

Yay, Judy. I hope you get the scale results you're expecting. Great job!

Have a great day, everyone!

Lin

[mousie]

Just a quick note, Turtles. I have 64 days til Commencement! I have to take 3 units in the summer session, but I get to walk at this summer's commencement ceremony anyway. So right now I'm focused on actually passing my classes and qualifying for graduation!

I'm also waiting to hear back from Project Walk about my internship. Keep fingers crossed for me!

Gotta run, but I'm still here!

Bye Turtles!

[Lin S]

Hi, Turtles,

I'll try to get those soup recipes to you sometime today or tomorrow. (Just letting you all know I didn't forget.)

Good to hear from you, Erin. Congrats on finally making it to graduation. Good luck with the internship.

I hope everyone had a great weekend.

I'm doing OK. Not great because the Hormone Monster hit like a switch being turned on a few days ago. I'm mostly going with it and doing my best. But I'm not worrying about losing weight. It's kind of useless when I'm retaining water and can't get an accurate measurement no matter what measuring system I use. It's not as bad as last month, but I am seeing the effects.

Happy turtlin'!

Lin