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've been reflecting on what the turtle philosophy means as we start our second hundred posts. The turtle philosophy was a difficult one for people to accept. People want the weight off--NOW!! But reality is that it took time to put it on and it will take time to take it off. People want it to be easy to take off the weight. But reality is that it's not easy. You can have a program that's easy to follow, but following it steadily--that's hard. People don't want to exercise much, if at all. But reality is that our bodies were designed to move. So, we're setting realistic goals that take the weight off at a healthy pace. We're setting goals that will keep us moving steadily toward the healthy weight we want to be. And we're just plain moving. We're setting realistic exercise goals that will move our bodies the way they were meant to be moved.
We've also noticed that our turtle philosophy has affected the rest of our lives. I've started writing fiction again. I realize that I can finish a novel, or two, or ten. All I have to do is to set realistic daily goals, work steadily toward achieving them, and they will build up into finished books. Turtle Power at work in my everyday life.
Anyone who wants to join us in steadily moving toward all of our goals is welcome. I've met some wonderful people on this thread. I hope to meet many more. I know the battle with our weight is a difficult one. Having such supportive people come and post regularly keeps it from getting overwhelming. I hope to see many more people join us as we move forward on our journey.
Lauren, I hate it when it does that. I hope you get some time to rewrite your post and let us know how it's going.
Judy, I always add a point or two to anything I eat in a restaurant that I don't order plain. So, here's how I would count what you ate and why.
shrimp--3-4 points because they brush oil on it before they grill it. How much I add for the oil would depend on how many shrimp I ate.
potato-5-6 points because the potatoes in restaurants are up to twice the size of what I see on my scale when
I weigh them at home. I eat half for the 3 points.
veggeis in marinade--3-4 points, depending on how much I ate. The main ingredient in restaurant marinades is some kind of oil.
bread & butter I'd estimate about an ounce of bread and no more than a teaspoon of butter and count that as 2 points.
Salad with dressing on the side-1-2 points, depending on how much dressing I ate. If you ate the cheese and croutons on the salad, I'd add an additional 4-5 points, depending on how much cheese they put on it. The croutons are cooked in oil, so that adds points, too.
Restaurant points always surprise me. If I know I'm going out, I save a ton of flexpoints because there are always hidden fats and points. I go out so seldom that I don't want to limit myself just to the "point-friendly" foods, which often aren't very good because the cooks don't know how to prepare them well. Or they're foods like pasta with veggies and tomato sauce. No protein of any kind and I'm hungry an hour later, eating more points than if I ate the chicken pasta in the first place. So, my plan is to order what I want and eat no more than half of anything. Sometimes a quarter or a third, depending on how huge the portions are. Then I count the points as honestly as possible. I enjoy myself and move on. Even if I end up eating too many points, one meal isn't going to cause problems unless I let that meal mess me up because I'm letting diet mentality, good/bad foods, etc. derail my efforts.
Hey, bandit and choosewell. I hope things are going well for you.
I lost another pound this week. Which is weird because it's PMS week. I'm not complaining, mind you. Just noticing an unusual occurrance. I did my toning tape yesterday. It's making a difference. When I carried my stuff back from the store, it was easier than it used to be. I got tired, but my arms didn't ache as much as they used to when I carried heavy stuff like I did.
I'm at 17,273 on my NaNo novel. I wrote 2198 yesterday. It's the first day this week that I managed to get up to my 2K goal. I'm ahead of schedule. The 2K is my personal goal.
Hi, little turtle-leanies (that is a special something for our world traveler Lauren).
Lauren, are you going to Firenze...Florence, right? If so I am officially jealous. Have you been before?
Outback grilled shrimp. I am so disappointed to hear they are that high! I think the coconut shrimp are 12 points each! I think I looked at a box of them at the Sam's Club and figured it out once. No wonder my weight was spiraling out of sight in an earlier life.
Lin, to remind you, I'm Tessa over at nano...my dog. So you can see how I'm doing. I think I'm in the 14K range now. I must update.
I have had certain...errrr...distractions here. Parents came to town. For the Great Garage Sale, I think I mentioned. Yes, I did, because I also mentioned dad is snoopy and restless, mom is calm and the best houseguest in the world, very low maintenance. He doesn't read, and requires activities to distract him. Hub is very good at this, but he abandoned me for work today.
Also, I keep fridge full of dad-type food, which doesn't tempt me, but the additional time it takes to take care of this monster created by his upbringing is really a drag. You should see his face when he realizes every morning that YES I am going to just SIT here and type for three hours. And that John absolutely just appreciates that I need the time and asks for nothing from me anytime he sees a computer or a notebook anywhere near my person.
They leave in the morning, and my week of quiet will begin. I am practicing eaking/eking/eeking? out 15 minute windows of opportunity in the meantime, for words and walks. I am also practicing not eating to 'resolve' stress.
I'm just b****ing, please forgive me. You know I love them and I'll miss them the second they pull out of the driveway. Which is tomorrow morning, but no hurry.
AND I plan to finally lose 2 pounds of water weight today. Like I said in an earlier post, perimenopause is almost as hormonally challenging as puberty was!
Sounds like everyone is doing well & keeping busy.
Today we have elections up here again and bf does alot of stuff with this so we have been very busy with social functions for the past month & I will be glad this is over later tonight. Have my ww meeting then right afterward meeting for hopefully a victory party.
Weekend was great but very busy - ate a few things I didn't need and a couple of drinks but it was fun.
Anyway got to run & talk to everyone soon.
Have a great OP day.
I'm personifying the turtle way these days. Still playing with the same half pound. Bleah. I'm not using all my flex points (I'm eating about 20 of them), and I'm not eating sugar or processed carbs, and I'm not losing weight. I really don't want to go back to eating low-carb, but it seems to be the only way my body will release poundage right now. Well, we'll give this another week, and if nothing budges, I'm going to have to give some serious thought to some other approach. Like MASSIVE LIPOSUCTION.
Other than that, my allergies have been amazingly horrible. So I'm in a SWELL mood.
So let's talk about you instead.
Judy, eating out really is a bear. I always take in more calories than I think I did. I definitely lose best when I don't eat out. Which is why Italy should be a real bust in that department. Hope your DH's birthday was fun.
Lin, WOO-HOO on the pound down this week!!! All that speed-writing must really be setting the metabolism on high.
Choosewell, yup, we'll be spending three nights in Florence. No, I've never been to Italy before. Here's our itinerary:
Venice (2 nights)
Ravenna (1 night) (We want to see the Byzantine mosaics there)
Florence (3 nights)
Siena (2 nights) (Medieval walled city in Tuscany)
Verona (4 nights) (The conference is here)
So we'll have to pack light, since we'll be moving around so much. Hard to believe it's just a few weeks away.
Way to go with handling the stress of parental visits! I know how those can go. Good for you, not eating to relax.
Judy, I hope you had fun celebrating your dh's birthday. Wish him a happy birthday from us.
Choosewell, I'm still at 17,334. I discovered that three days of taking ibuprofin to manage TOM are not conducive to writing. So, I'm going to have to get some extra words the rest of the week and go for 10K on the upcoming marathon. We're doing two again, the regular word count and the NaNo. They'll be overlapping on the weekend days. Should be fun.
I agree about perimenopause. It stinks! And I'm likely to be stuck in it for a while. My mom was 55 when she had a hysterectomy. At that time, she hadn't started menopause yet. And I still have one pound of water left to lose, too. As soon as I lost that last pound I reported, 2 pounds of PMS water disguised it.
Good luck, Bandit. I hope you enjoyed your party.
Lauren, that's so discouraging. The problem with super low-carb is that it's difficult to do long-term. Have you tried WW lower carb pie thingie? Maybe it can help because it's more doable. You've been stuck on this plateau for such a long time. Maybe you need to pick one thing and do it for a month or six weeks. Just settle things down a bit. You will find something that will work. Meantime, you're not gaining and that's a real victory in itself.
I want your trip. (Insert ENVY emoticon here. ) Italy is on my permanent list of places I want to visit. But I want to take in Southern Italy, where my family's from. And Tuscany. Have a great time!
I used some flex points over the weekend to deal with some high carb cravings. TOM. But not to an excess. And I've lost half of the water weight I gained. So, things are fine for me. I haven't exercised for a couple of days. But I'll be back on track with exercise this morning.
I'm at 20k now, taking a break from writing by...writing! No wonder people can write for a living, I get lost in there when it's really cooking. What a wonderful low calorie addiction.
Lauren, when I look at all our pics of a 3week Britain trip my mom, brother and I took (absolutely only the bare minimum of planning, it was a blast), I only see two outfits. I remember I packed light so I could fill my second suitcase with stuff to bring home! Arrivaderci, baby! (We'll be getting ready for your trip for weeks.) I wonder what tiramisu tastes like on its home turf? I've never had it here, it just looks like such a dangerous taste to develop.
WI tonight. I am not looking forward to this. Parents left this morning. Now I'm sad, you probably knew that was coming. PITA but still, oh well, they're parents what can you do?
Bandit if your bf runs for governor someday just think of the influence you'll have! I know you didn't say he's IN govt, but it could happen.
Lin, you're amazing. Losing serious weight while this other insanity continues is really something. I have to tell you, the Way of the Turtle is really serving me well. When I panic alternately that I either ONLY have 30K words left to get this story in or that I have a devastating amount of words left to write, I just go with the mantra, 'just put down a paragraph, one step at a time, honey'...and it quells the panic.
Judy. I am eating edamame salad. Just thought you would like to know.
Mom said this morning, "You are so good for me. I weighed 200 this morning, less than I have weighed in 3 years." She usually is a 210 girl, like me! Is that the nicest thing to hear from someone you care about? Maybe I should say it to myself...
Love ya, you bunch of turtle-hooligans. Make some noise!
Had my w/i last night & stayed the same which was OK considering my weekend over-indulgences. Then afterward met bf at the club but it was not a victory party. The person he was running the campaign for did not get re-elected - so it was kind of sad but she will survive. I think bf was more upset since this is the 1st time he has had a delegate lose. Anyway, I am glad it is over and he can focus on his own business and we can finish getting his house organized. Had some pizza, wings, and only 1 drink at the party then went home. BF stayed until everyone had left so he will be tired today.
Choosewell - bf helps run campaigns but in the future he will probably run for some type of public office - who knows? In the meantime he is tax specialist & has accounting firm that keeps him busy.
Everyone sounds like the are doing fine, so keep up the good work & get some exercise & drink some water.
Bandit, IOU an apology...I had forgotten you were writing from ONT...and then I go and put you in a state governor's seat! Please, forgive that chauvinistic slip.
I am drinking water to make up for a weekend where I got hardly any. I guess I better stop now or my WI tonight will be high, due to real water weight!
Hi Turtles,
Well, this is sad news. My Dear Dad passed away on Monday. He was 85 years old and looking at his 86th. birthday in early December. He had a wonderful and adventurous life. I'm glad I knew him. He had a fatal heart attack while driving to work. Yes, I said work. He was born in PA on a farm in a mining community.
He left PA with ten bucks in his pocket resolving never to put a foot in the mine. He married my mom in NY, had four wonderful daughters, was successful in business and never looked back. He also never spoke badly of anyone and that's something for me to act on. He had had heart problems in the past and in driving to work found the only pasture in his busy FL community filled with strip malls and restaurants. He crashed into the fence, drove into the pasture and the car careened into a second fence which finally caught him. This escapade was watched by people (and cows) in the pasture. The people ripped open the car door and tried to revive him, to no avail. They called the EMT's, etc. and got him to the hospital, but he had passed over. I just feel his Mom called him and said, "Charlie, it's time for you and the cows to come home." He led an exciting and interesting life and made his presence felt. I'll miss him and I pray for him.
Life is complicated and my sisters are busy trying to make arrangements from the Carolinas while Dad is in Florida. I'm sure this will all settle out eventually, but I must say it was unexpected news since I had just seen my Dad and he looked well and happy. I am so thrilled that he did not linger only to be in a nursing home, etc. and I'm happy for him. I wish I had had a chance to say goodbye.
As far as everything else, I'm glad I have you Turtles. I'm going to sign off now. And Yes, I am going to my WI tonight. You all take care.
Love,
Judy
Judy - your dad sounds like such a wonderful person & you are
very lucky to have him in your life for as long as you did - celebrate his life. My thoughts are with you - take care.
It sounds like your dad was a great person and you had a wonderful relationship. I'm sorry you didn't get to say goodbye, too. It's going to be hard for a while. Feel free to vent here, if you need to. If you're a journaler, write. It can help.
Thank you for telling us your father's story. It sounds like he lived his whole life on his own terms, from deciding against a life in the mining industry to finding just the right field full of cows.
Your dad was no doubt proud of you and his other girls. I'm glad your last visit with him was a good one. He was probably glad to see you as happy and well as he was.
You Guys are the best. Thanks for your kind thoughts. I headed to WI and was up 2.4 pounds. That's perfectly okay. Thanks for the kind words, prayers, and offers to vent. My Dad was great and a lot of fun. I sure hope people can say that about me someday.
Love,
Judy
Turtle Club #114
All that speed-writing must really be setting the metabolism on high.
And I still have one pound of water left to lose, too. As soon as I lost that last pound I reported, 2 pounds of PMS water disguised it. 
You will find something that will work. Meantime, you're not gaining and that's a real victory in itself. 
) Italy is on my permanent list of places I want to visit. But I want to take in Southern Italy, where my family's from. And Tuscany. Have a great time!
No wonder people can write for a living, I get lost in there when it's really cooking. What a wonderful low calorie addiction. 
s
