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.
Mousie, "Overcoming Overeating" is a really good book. I read it a while back. When I read it and did what they talked about, I thought I'd wouldn't get enough to eat because I got full so fast. After a while, I realized that my stomach was tensed up because I was worrying about it too much. As I got more proficient at it and relaxed more, that ceased to be a problem. Anyway, it takes time for your mind and body to get used to you trusting them. The feeling you're experiencing will pass in time as you get used to acting this way.
I think your anti-resolutions are a riot!
Lauren, bean soup sounds so good right now! Especially since it's cold and wet here today. I'm going to add some veggies and beans to the soup leftover from yesterday and have it for lunch.
Congratulations on the pants. Misses 18. Wow!
It is tough to focus when you have company. I learned that it's also tough to focus when you're doing two special meals really close together. I'm staying off the scale for a while because I've turned into that tick Lauren talks about. I don't want the numbers caused by water retention to discourage me. Anyway, I'm tracking again today.
I have a refrigerator full of food, so the advantages of making two big meals is that I don't have to cook for a day or so. But, I need to watch my portion sizes. It's easy to let them creep up when I'm in "holiday" mode.
My dinner went really well. Everyone liked the food. One of my nephews complimented me on the soup, especially. The kid is 6, I think, so it was really cute. He's the one who's the spittin' image of my brother. It's like deja vu when I look at him.
My mother was super. She kept telling everyone she wasn't allowed in the kitchen. And she complimented me, too. YAY! She keeps saying she won't do it again because she's too tired. Which cracked me up because my sister-in-law, me, and the rest of the 'guests' did all the work. Until time came to clean up. Then we couldn't get her to sit down and let us do it. I think she wants to be sure everything ends up exactly where it was before we got there and rearranged it.
I need to get some walking in today. I've been on my feet for three days, but mostly standing. I feel the difference. And even though my legs and feet hurt, I know the best thing is to get them moving.
I feel really good about how the holidays went. I wasn't perfect. My weight for the whole period is down, even if it's up a pound or two this week. I'm still lower than when the holidays started. It's time to go back to tracking points and doing my daily walks. I'm looking forward to it. I miss those walks when I can't get them in.
Hi, tortoises. Although I'm tracking and exercising, I'm having a tough time staying within points. (Read: I'm not staying within points.) I did go to another WW meeting on Thursday; they had me up 1.5#, too. Not entirely sure why I'm having a tough time getting back on the wagon, but I suspect it has a lot to do with sugar. I'm craving it constantly.
However, I've decided to focus again on my successes, since that's what turns me around. So yesterday I added up my points right after dinner, realized I was over, so I went upstairs and brushed my teeth to stop me from eating anything else. I'm glad I did, because Mom and my brother made popcorn right after that. If I hadn't brushed my teeth, I would've had some. So there's a success.
This morning for exercise, I shoveled snow. It was nice. I enjoy it when the snow is powdery and I can basically just push it around. I don't know if I got much of a workout, but it was enjoyable and good to be outdoors. Then I came inside and did my back exercises!
Lin, your mom's response is great. Sounds like you're good at letting these things roll off your back. That's a great approach when dealing with family, I find. Good for you getting quickly back into tracking.
I actually do want to have a New Year's resolution or two. My last year's resolution -- to make exercise part of my life -- really paid off in spades. My next New Year's resolution will be threefold:
1. To keep exercise as part of my life
2. To keep tracking what I eat, no matter what
3. To make creative writing part of my life by writing at least 3 times a week.
So 1 and 2 are continuation resolutions, and 3 is a new one.
Lin,
I loved that you reminded me that you're thinner now than when the *holidays* started. So am I. So you're helping me work through my feelings of failure for being two pounds up on the scale. I know about cooking good and big, especially more than once during the holidays.
Lauren,
I love your anti-resolutions, but your resolutions are more inspiring. So I'm going to set another weight loss goal since that's what helped me make progress this past year.
Mousie,
Always good to hear from you. I'm glad we can be helpful as you go through this first year with your dh.
These holidays haven't been what I wished. I thought all I wanted was to have everyone get along. Well, they did all get along, but that wasn't enough. We let too many traditions slide.
My dh's being sick was huge because I didn't get his physical help or any support from him and I needed it. I tried too hard to stay on program rather than doing it. So, it was a double whammy--I tried and failed, but I still thought about it, didn't do it, and had guilt from that. Egads. That's not fun.
After all kids left on Thursday I fully needed the next two days to recuperate, read, veg out. Unfortunately I also ate some cookies, etc. that I should have thrown out. I'm up two pounds on the scale, am doing very well today, but am going out to dinner at friends' tonight. I have a lot of leftover emotion from the Christmas that really wasn't. I have to work that through somehow. One good thing did come from this~I got on the treadmill and it felt good. I think I'll do the same right now. It seems that my family thought I was too rough with my grandson and it hurts my feelings. Especially since I think they're right.
We sure are complicated beings.
Love,
Judy
Lauren,
I love your new picture. You look great! I do think you'll always be the smiling bride in my mind because that's the picture I'm used to. Hooray for you for getting into size 18 pants. that's fabulous!
Lin,
I finally opened my mind to your continued reference to walking and got on the treadmill for another mile yesterday. Don't ask me why I don't do this more often. It's a habit I have a hard time establishing. Silly me.
All goes much better here. I stayed off the scale this morning. I talked with my son about my treatment of his stepson and he hadn't noticed anything. I hope the rest of my family was being oversensitive. We're awfully nice people and are gracious and kind almost all the time. My daughters felt some tension which was real with me toward my step-grandson and they wanted me to see it and improve it somehow for next year. I told my dh that I'd give him a sign when the child was getting too much for me, and he could distract and take over--even get the youngster outside for awhile. So, I feel much better.
I also feel better about weight. I had lots to eat at my friend's house last night, but I had planned and prepared. You'll never guess what I did. I had eaten very lightly all day long. On the way there I realized I was very hungry and that's never a good thing for me. When we stopped to get gas, I ran inside the mini-mart and bought Lay's Baked Chips and a banana and ate them both in the car on the way. Boy, I could have used some of Lin's soup then! But the big snack filled me in and I made much better choices. I am going to get on the treadmill today and eat lightly, journal and see how I do.
All my best to all of you.
234/209?/199soon
Lauren, your resolutions are terrific! And reminding us to focus on our successes is so helpful. It's so easy to get stuck on the mistakes and slips and forget all of the things we've been doing right. Not just with weight loss, either. In all aspects of our lives.
Love your new pic!
Judy, my family has one main tradition--except for the caroling party we attend, we don't have any. My creative children do not like to do the same thing year after year. Plus, some years I've been working retail, with those crazy hours or in the middle of finals, when I've been lucky enough to pursue my degree.
So, I learned that I don't have to drive myself crazy providing the "perfect" holiday because my family doesn't have any particular expectations about what that is. It's so much more relaxed. I've learned to enjoy whatever I have time, energy, and financial resources to do to make it special and let the rest go.
I feel bad that you messed up with your grandson. That's hard. But, you're human and humans make mistakes. I'd apologize and agree to try to lighten up a bit in the future. It's the sort of thing that happens because you get stressed and it just slips out. Hope you can get this worked out.
Just saw your later post! Glad you got this worked out! It's also good to see that you're feeling better about how WW is going. Hang in there! It can only continue to get better.
A long time ago I resolved not to make resolutions because I never followed through, which made me feel like a total failure. We humans tend to view the start of a new year as a magical time when the newness of the year can change our behavior. So, people make resolutions that aren't doable. Like the ones I used to make. Now, I make small changes, when I'm ready to make them, during the year and sometimes at New Year's and success seems to follow.
That said, there is one thing that's fairly new to my life that I'm working on right now. I'm continuing, of course, with staying OP and doing my writing. But here in Northern California, especially in Silicon Valley, there is an attitude that focuses on the future. Frantically filling today with "productive" tasks, things that will "produce" something later. With tasks that will get you whatever "goals" you've set. They do this at work, of course, but also at home. They treat their kids as projects, with the goal of having super "successful" kids. Kids who "produce", making their parents proud. I saw an interview with a woman who said she has to have her cell phone when she's driving because every minute has to be "productive".
I want off that hamster wheel. I want to focus on what I'm doing now, regardless of it's effect on tomorrow. I want to find the joy in the present. See the sunsets. Smell the roses. Be flexible enough to stop what I'm doing and help a friend, without being resentful because that time interferes with what I'm "supposed" to get done today. Let go of what can't be done and enjoy doing the rest.
I think this is a response to having my whole life taken away last year. I couldn't live where I wanted. Finish school. And so on. You all know the story. So, I realized how ephemeral plans are. It's fine to make them and to have hopes and dreams for the future. But they cannot be counted upon. All you can do is the best you can do right now and when the future gets here, you see what you get. So, my resolution is to enjoy right now, whatever I'm doing.
I've been totally ignoring WW for the past few days. I don't know why. But I'm starting to get past that and feeling a need to get back under control. I suspect it's partly PMS, since I'm retaining water. And being exhausted. I've slept ten hours each night the last two nights and taken an afternoon nap, too, for the past two days. I'm feeling more like my normal self and that's making me feel as if I'm ready to get back on track.
Anyway, tomorrow David is throwing a small New Year's Eve party. So, all of my guys got busy and cleaned most of the house. There's a little bit left to do today. He and his friends are taking care of the food and everything. We get to be guests. That will be fun! They're making sushi, which is really low in points.
That's about all that's going on with me. Gotta go. My dh and I are going out to breakfast today and to pick up some stuff to go with the chicken for dinner.
Judy, I'm sorry you felt uncomfortable with your treatment of your son's stepson (what is that? A stepgrandchild? Or just a grandchild?) but I'm glad it really wasn't an issue. I'm sure things will get better. Don't worry about your weight bouncing up, just keep it from bouncing any higher!
Lauren, you go girl! 18W! I'm impressed.
Lin, I know exactly what you mean about the mentality in Silicon Valley--it's here, too. I always tell people that Californians play hard, yes, but they work even harder to get the chance to play that way! After the accident it took me a long time to accept that the "work hard/play hard" thing wasn't something I was capable of anymore. Good for you for getting off the hamster wheel. It recently has become clear to me that some of the most enjoyable, beautiful things that make me the happiest are also the ones that other people would scoff at as unproductive--naps every afternoon, baths, time playing my piano, randomly laying and relaying and relaying (and never gluing) a mosaic.
To that end, I have decided to make real resolutions this year! Yes, anti-resolutions are fun, but this year I'd like to:
*lay (and glue!) at least one new mosaic a month.
*take cardio kickboxing every wednesday night.
*at least *try* a Spinning class.
Notice these aren't really "I MUST do this" but rather "I want to make sure I do these enjoyable things". Seems sane to me, anyway.
As for food/eating, in another book (French Toast for Breakfast) there is an extensive quiz that "qualifies" the problems you are having with food. From my answers, the analysis says that most likely my skewed eating is in reaction to something that has happened/is happening, and short term therapy is recommended, if at all. I'm comfortalbe with that. I was a sane, natural eater, until everything happened this year. I've just got to give myself time to face and work through it all, and start taking care of myself again. I'm feeeling much, much more sane already (it's been a month of working through this stuff).
Just for the heck of it I kept a mental tally on my points for the last two days. I'm not ready to record it or keep strict tabs, I still panic at the very idea. Anyway, I've discovered that I'm hovering right about 33-34 points a day. My range, if I were doing points, would be 24-31 (123 Success) and I've been exercising an hour a day. Very interesting. My body actually works!
Mousie, your mosaics sound like fun! Why do you feel obligated to glue them down, if it's the process of playing with the tiles that pleases you? Just wondering.
If I'm reading your post correctly, you seem to be saying that your food problem is pretty much related to the unbelievable stress you've faced this year. I went through the same thing, as you know if you've been reading my posts the whole year. I don't have any answers for you because we each have to find our own path, but I can say that you will get through it, as long as you don't give up. Which you obviously aren't doing.
What did help me was being kind to myself by recognizing that I had issues to work through and not beating myself up over gaining back some weight. Staying off the scale until I was ready to deal with it again. Doing my best to choose healthy food and to eat reasonable amounts. Writing in my journal. Eventually, things did come together for me and I've been able to work at losing the weight again. I'm sure that you'll get there, too. Let us know how we can help. 'K?
I love it that your body is working for you. Sometimes I think we're afraid to trust our bodies because they've seemed not to work for so long. But I think we often don't pay attention to them. And, I think that most of us have to learn what the signals our bodies give out mean. And, sometimes we ignore the signal for a lot of reasons. It's a long process, and I'm not sure we ever really finish learning how to read and trust our body's signals.
New Year's has always been a strange holiday for me. It doesn't really feel new to me. September feels more like a new beginning than January. Probably because of all those years of starting a new school year, with its more direct changes in my life. Yet, I sit each December 31 and wait for an anticlimactic moment when the time changes to a new year. And wake up on January 1 with things pretty much the way they were the day before. That sounds depressing, but it's not intended to be. It's just that the January 1 change seems to take longer to realize itself than the ones I remember in September, when one day I was enjoying the summer vacation and the next I was sitting in a new classroom with a new teacher (or six or seven).
But the new year changes often seem more profound becasue they're inner directed. I've successfully made some changes in my life during the winter. Maybe because nothing else is going on and I can focus more clearly on the changes I want to make. Anyway, December 31 always feels like it's a day of waiting. Weird, huh?
Things are OK with me here. I don't know if I'll get my walk in. The weather can't decide if it's going to stay dry or not. It's been raining most of the past week. I've managed to get some walks in when I could hitch a ride to the mall. When my family isn't around in the morning, I feel more comfortable substituting videotapes for my walks on days when the weather isn't cooperative. But for now, I just do my best to get as much walking as I can.
Gotta go. We're getting ready for David's party. He's working, so we're doing the last-minute stuff. Our kids are a little different from a lot of adolescents and young adults because they don't kick us out when they have friends over. I guess they and their friends think we're cool enough to converse with.
Happy New Year, tortoises. I'm spending New Year's Eve relishing the quiet and solitude -- I have almost exactly 24 hours between mothers! My mom left today around 11, and DH and his mom arrive tomorrow at about the same time. So today I have luxuriated with the cats, reading John le Carre' and eating junk. But it's pretty healthy junk, and I'm within points. I had a great visit with my mom and my brother (he stayed here while she was here, even though he lives nearby); I love them dearly. But it's so nice to have the house to myself!!
Yesterday was my first OP day in a while -- it felt great. I realized that I've gotten used to eating a lot early in the day, when I want it most, but that gets me in trouble when we go out to eat in the evening (which we did a few times while my mom was here). Otherwise, I mostly eat small dinners these days, which keeps me within my points. I kept exercising throughout, though, and no doubt that kept the damage down a bit.
Mousie, that's great that you're naturally eating well for your body! Good for you, learning to trust your body's signals. New marriage, new place to live, unemployed husband -- sounds like lots of big life-changing events to me. I think you're dealing marvelously.
Judy, I hear you about being disappointed in the way we handle our families sometimes. Every day I prayed for grace dealing with mine over the past two weeks. As I say, I deeply love them, but at times they also got on my last nerve! All that enforced togetherness, and all the silly family dynamics. Ah, well. At times I really let myself down, but most of the time it was just internally, in my thoughts -- God gave me the grace to keep my pettiness and frustration almost entirely to myself, except for an occasional lapse. I guess that's progress!
Lin, hope your party is lots of fun. I see New Year's Eve/Day as one of those little milestones, kind of like birthdays, where I can look back and say "Where was I on New Year's 1980?" (In the Ivory Coast, at the edge of the harbor, listening to all the boats blow their whistles and horns at once.) "New Year's 1988?" (On a train in Thailand, in a sleeper car with other sleeping westerners, with all the lights off and a Thai porter walking quietly through the car whispering "Happy New Year! Happy New Year!") Not all my New Years have been memorable, but enough of them stand out in my mind that make for good snapshots of my life.
As for new beginnings, New Year's is that for me, at least a bit. (I don't have kids, so September isn't so much a benchmark for me anymore.) It's time to take stock of where I am, what happened over the past year, and think about my hopes for the coming year. As you aptly point out, we are to a large degree at the mercy of circumstances, and this coming year will play itself out in ways we can't currently imagine. But I find it helpful to set goals for myself and work toward achieving them anyway, even if the result isn't what I think it will be. I'm finally learning the wisdom behind "progress, not perfection," I think. It's liberating.
Anyway, may we all share the gift of friendship in the coming year, and may 2002 be our best ever.
Lin--it pleases me MORE to have the boxes and tables that come of the effort, but getting from just playing with the tiles to a completed project involves quite a few steps! My resolution is a means of taking the extra steps to get me something that I know I want.
Sorry I didn't write my last post very clearly. Yes, I meant events in the last year. You and I have been in much the same situations this last year--unemployment, moving, family stress--and the answers you've found that work for you are the answers that are feeling comfortable to me, too. Thus I'm staying away from the scale until I can cope with it, and just trying to make healthy decisions that are good for my body. I'm not going to give up on my body because if I do, who will take care of it? Poor battered body needs a friend.
Lauren, WOW! The New Years' you have had! What incredible stories you must have. All my New Years' have been blah. But that's okay, I have other stories.
New Years to me, because they've (so far) been pretty dull and (so far) been smack in the middle of school breaks, is a time to just sleep and rest. Never has been much of a holiday to me. The last 5 years, my "new year" has been January 6th. I regard this as my "second birthday" because that's the day of the accident, and thus the day of my brain injury and the birth of my new personality. One year I went to Disneyland; last year we went to San Francisco. Trying to decide what to do this year. It's sunday, better get on it!
The gym closed early today, much to my chagrin. I only discovered this about an hour ago, when I went over to try out a different kickboxing instructor. Bummer. Next week though! And obviously wednesday. Spent most of the morning with DH at the doctor's--FINALLY convinced him to go! HE's got the British "stiff upper lip" thing in spades, and he's been very very sick for 5 days. I finally just said "Fine, you're going to the doctor if I have to drag you in," and got him there. Verdict? Strep throat and ear infection! *sigh* What WILL we do with them!!
Dear All,
I read all your messages and wish you all a wonder 2002.
Let's keep supporting each other with all these terrific ideas. It's neat that we are in different places in our weight loss journey because as we progress or digress there's always someone who has been there, done that and has advice to offer.
New Year's day is a day for me to look back and ahead. A day to reflect on what I want and how I want to get it.
New Year's Eve has been many things over the years--house party here, a couple or two in to open the new year--but mostly my dh and kids ringing in the New Year with noisemakers and party hats, snacks and sparkling wine. This eve dh and I spent alone. I was tired and he lovingly suggested I just go to bed and try to catch up on sleep. I did so, but woke up at 12:30a.m. and was able to wish him a Happy New Year. At 1:30a.m. my dd and her dh came in. They had been to a big party and decided they will spend next year alone because that's more fun for them.
So, we chatted for over an hour, had a lot of laughs and all fell asleep. New Year's Eve has never been a favorite holiday of mine. But it does mark the passing of time and that's always a good reminder for me to get back on track and do what I most want to do.
This year losing weight is my biggest goal. I want to be 185# by June 22nd. I know I can do it and I intend to keep this goal. Christmas finds me still up 2 pounds, but it could have been much worse. I have had two perfect days of low points following the Sat. night where I planned and prepared but still ate high points. So--today will be a challenge as having my dd and her dh here is a surprise. My dh is going to cook steaks on the fire and I have to plan and prepare for those points. It will be a great day and I am going to commit to getting back on the treadmill.
I like what you all have to say--forgive me if I mix up anecdotes with names--I've just been very tired lately. I'm visiting my doctor on next Wed. and I'll have a blood workup to make sure my thyroid is functioning okay.
Lauren, I sure wish I had prayed for patience on those four days when my grandson (stepgrandson) was here. I needed that kind of help and didn't avail myself of it. As a positive note, he spent four days with his other grandparents and said he had a lot more fun with us--he thinks we know how to have a good time. And he's right!
So, I am going to make 2002 a year in which I eat my way to good health, get on top of all my personal relationships at home and at work, and find more ways to be happy and content.
I wish the same for all of you.
Love,
Judy
I wasn't able to check in yesterday because my dh was getting all of the time he could on Civilizations III before he went back to work today. I'm sneaking in some time this morning before my youngest son wakes up and commandeers the computer. He has a late vacation this year. He doesn't go back to school until Monday, Jan. 7. He's working on an animation to illustrate some music David wrote. It takes about a half hour to render one second of animation time, so the computer gets tied up for hours while he's working.
You all have been busy posting long, thoughtful, post-holiday posts. We all seem to have survived with minimum damage and are ready to move forward as life gets back to whatever "normal" is.
Our party was fun. My son and his friends camped out on the living room floor and they cleaned up their whole mess before they went back to SJ. They can party here anytime! They made sushi, and made more for breakfast! (At about 11 am.) It was really good sushi and they left most of the ingredients here. So, we'll make some more when David gets back from San Jose.
Lauren, I'm glad to hear that you're OP and happy about it. And that your family visits went well.
Mousie, I hope your dh is feeling better, now that you've finally got him to a doctor.
Thanks for the clarification about your mosaics. I think it sounds like a super way to express your artistic and creative side.
I've been working on knitting an afghan for a while. I like to knit while we watch TV in the evenings. This is a kind of patchwork pattern and I keep looking for new colors of yarn to add to the mix. It's a lot of fun to mix and match the colors and patterns. I'm following the pattern, but not the color scheme. I'm planning to do different patterns and create a patchwork of my own design for the next one.
Judy, you're forgiven for anything you worry about. We're pretty easygoing here. We don't expect people to never make a mistake with names, etc. We all do that occasionally.
Glad to hear about your commitment to the treadmill. I remember you said earlier that you wanted to add more exercise to your life.
I'm back OP, with regard to food. I learned a lot between Christmas and New Year's about what I need to do so that that week goes better next year. Mainly, I need to plan a little farther in advance, so I don't get too tired to stick to my plan. And I need to plan some activities that will help keep my family from driving each other crazy. We were stuck in the house most of the time because of our ailing car, financial situation, and the weather keeping us from our walks. All of us except my dh walk daily. The walks help keep us from getting stressed out over being cooped up with no private places of our own in this apartment.
The closest thing to a real resolution I have for this year is to set up a place, even if it's a TV tray and chair, in our bedroom corner where I can go to write when everyone is home. I can close the door and they won't interrupt me. I've discovered that on weekends, vacations, and holidays I don't get enough quiet time to write in my journal. That makes me stressed out because my journal and my walks are my main stress relievers. This past week, I've been getting less time for both, and I suspect that's been behind some of the problems I've had staying OP.
Hope all of you lurkers have had a great holiday season, too.
So Mousie, figured out yet what you'll do for your January 6th New Year? That's a great time of year to go on trips (if you're not going to school) because rates are really low in January. What a great idea.
Judy, you're absolutely right -- 2 pounds over the holidays is livable. Your steaks for New Year's sound great, and so do your plans for getting on the treadmill. Let's help each other reach those summer goals!
Lin, good idea about finding your own personal spot in a corner of a bedroom so you can write. I haven't written a thing in weeks. Too many guests! MIL will be here until Friday, and we have another friend arriving next Thursday. Somehow in the middle of all this, I need to find a job! Ah, well. After this month, our revolving door should stop revolving for a little while.
I LOVE sushi! What a great thing to have leftovers of! I just picked up some sushi at the grocery store today for lunch. I'm sure it was nowhere near as delicious as yours was. It's also a low-point meal, which sure doesn't hurt!
I went ahead and ordered some new videos, two through eBay and two through a catalog. I need more of a challenge, but my more challenging videos hurt my knees and back. I'm hoping these new ones won't do that. I'm getting to the point where if I don't jump around, I can't get my heart rate up. These new videos are low-impact but are rated "advanced," so here's hoping.
I maintained this week, so I ended December at the same weight at which I began it. Well, today is a new day. I'm having Philippine food tonight -- a co-worker of my husband has made him some chicken curry to take home for our dinner. It won't be low in points -- good thing I had sushi for lunch!
Everyone:
Went to my WW mtg. and was up less than a pound over last week's early morning weigh in. Overall I'm up about two pounds and I've had a good day today. After I write this I'm heading for the treadmill because I said I'd increase my exercise, and I refuse to *try* to do that. I will do that!
Gems from this week's mtg. What one thing will you change this week to get you started or advance you're weight loss journey? For some girls it was planning and preparing for lunch, some gals needed ideas on slowing down eating (she puts her fork down inbetween bites) someone suggested counting the number of chews and going to 20 before swallowing. Other people wanted help in avoiding red light foods--suggestions were not to bring them into the house. Or bring in yellow light foods and package them right away in portion controlled pkgs. Another good idea--when you want something, put it on a plate and leave the kitchen to have it. Don't walk around with a box of something
and dip into it.
I'm sure you all know these things, but it doesn't hurt to have reinforcements of ideas and also to remind us of things that have made us successful.
Good luck to us all.
Lin
Smart to rig up a snack tray and chair for writing. Yes, smaller quarters than you'd like for the whole family is tough, but you've got lots of good ideas. I'm sure that the weather and lack of walking makes things just that much tougher. But look at how well you're doing.
Lauren,
You sure have had a lot of company for the holidays. You sound remarkably unbothered by the whole thing. I need to learn to handle family a little better although I know I'm much better than I have been in the past. Glad you set a summer solstice weight goal. I've set one too and in the immediate future I'm planning on breaking 200.
Mousie,
Hope your dh is feeling better and that all goes well with you.
Judy, I want your new goal. 299! Boy, would I have fun getting up there! Let's see, first I start with Godiva ice cream ... sorry, couldn't help picking on your typo. It made me chuckle.
Thanks for sharing those tips. I need to think about that. The thing that would help me the most would be to have no more company! I'll start that one tomorrow when MIL leaves -- and I'll have a week of nobody. But I think that once again, for me, the answer is to cut back on the sugar. Argh! I just don't lose well when I eat too much sugar, even if it's within my points. Hmmm. Maybe I'll try just eating sugar three days a week or something. I always eat so much better when I cut out the sugar -- more fruit, more veggies. Or maybe just one sugar item per day. I'll have to think about this.
As for handling company ... well, MIL is a dream to have around. She just finished cleaning our house from top to bottom! Not exactly a burden. If only I could get all our guests to clean our house. As for the others -- yes, that was tough. But I know that I only see my mom twice a year, and I know I won't have her around forever, so I try to let the little nigglety irritations go.
Was barely within points yesterday. Did well until MIL made DH one of his favorite treats (you don't want to know), of which I had a serving. That bumped me right up.
I go to WW tonight -- my last time to this particular meeting. Next week I go back to my Tuesday meetings again. Still haven't lost my 1.5 gain, but at least it hasn't gotten worse. We'll see what the scales say tonight.
Beautiful sunny winter's day outside. I may take a walk with MIL later, just to enjoy it.
Turtle Club #46
It was nice. I enjoy it when the snow is powdery and I can basically just push it around. I don't know if I got much of a workout, but it was enjoyable and good to be outdoors. Then I came inside and did my back exercises! 
Next week though! And obviously wednesday. 
