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.
You asked about the Meyers-Briggs profile. Mine's really accurate, too.
Good luck conquering the "moderation" problem. One thing that always helped me was to make sure I included my favorite foods as much as possible. Otherwise, I get to craving them and overindulge. Good luck.
Lauren, the food is so flavorful that you don't need big portions. (Hmmm, there's a lesson in there somewhere.). Snicker Yeah--learn to use fresh ingredients, herbs, spices, etc. Then it tastes really good and you don't need as much. Unfortunately, I've been eating a lot of stuff that isn't the fresh, good stuff I love. It's hard because the price of fresh has gone up and it's hard with my current budget. That, at least, should get better.
And congratulations on your anniversary! I'm glad you enjoyed that dinner.
The best support anyone can give me is to simply leave me alone, whether I'm following a weight loss program or not, let it be completely my decision. If you notice my weight loss, I don't mind a brief comment, but don't gush. I have a friend who drives me nuts because she gushes so much that I feel she's almost trying to control my behavior with praise. You guys don't count, BTW. I expect you to discuss weight loss with me and all that or I wouldn't have started and kept the Turtles going. I'm referring to the people I interact with on a day-to-day basis.
I'm doing OK. I really, really, need to start packing and cleaning and I really, really don't want to give up writing time to do it. I have three guys living here who could do a lot of it, but they won't start unless I'm working, too. None of them are working or doing anything all that productive and they have time. But if I suggest that they do the cleaning and let me focus on my writing and packing everything except their personal stuff, they'll just say I'm trying to get out of the dirty work. It's frustrating, but if I clean and let them pack, I'll never find anything at the other end. We'll work that out, too, but I'm afraid I'm going to lose the momentum I've built up with my writing. It's hard to rebuild it, too, just like it's hard to rebuild momentum if you go off program. The thing is that the writing is going really well. I don't want to lose that. Oh, well. I'll get it worked out. Just venting a bit this morning.
Hi Turtles,
Lin, good luck in the motivation department with the three guys! I'm with you in the support department. The Turtles messages are all well-meaning, no hidden agendas, just straight out thoughtful opinions about what might work and what has worked for the so-mentioned turtle and might be helpful.
Where other support comes in, I really like to be left alone. If I know I've done well and someone notices, I perceive that as a pleasant reward. If no one gushes, I feel that they aren't looking and are dealing with their own lives at the moment. That's also fine with me. I would never want anyone to offer me suggestions on eating the way they do because then I would look like them. I'm afraid that's really ignorant. We're still in the dark ages as far as weight loss understanding, so probably eating exactly like my neighbor would make me gain weight twice as fast! So--as far as support--I like an understanding husband who will hide the goodies he needs and are so tempting to me. I would like him not to mention what his cravings are because then I think about those foods much too much and my resolve weakens. I would like fewer social occasions, because I find them difficult especially when I am weak like right now. I would like to be my own best supporter because in the long run it's what I do that counts.
And n2aswan, if I had a garage attendant and neighbors like yours, I'd probably move!!!!! LOL They really take the cake. So good luck to all of us. It's been a whirlwind around here and my weight is reflecting that. I need to get my life back in a normal swing and put healthy eating at the top of the list.
Love,
Judy
Hope everyone is having a great day. At my ww mtg last night I was down 3.2# so I was very happy about that especially being in a hotel all weekend. But I really focussed & planned and stayed pretty OP the whole time. Did my curves last night as well & next time I get measured there, so I will see how that goes.
Just popped for a quick one, so keep up the good work everyone & bye for now.
Lin, when you mention packing, do you mean that you're moving to your mother's house now? I knew that was an option; didn't know if it was actually happening. Good luck with that. One of my favorite sayings is that three moves are as good as a house fire. I hope this goes smoothly for everyone and that you and your mother don't drive each other nuts. May it also be temporary.
Judy, I hear you about wanting to limit social occasions. I just don't lose well when I have a lot of them.
I'll be at a conference this weekend (on faith and writing) with three other friends. We're sharing a hotel room. It'll be fun and exhausting. Food will be a challenge. I'm going to bring my Atkins protein bars, which hold me very well, and aim for small portions. I may also walk from the hotel to the conference once or twice, which is a distance of a couple of miles.
I'm down 2 pounds this week, and it's TOM. So I'm back in onederland, if by the skin of my teeth (again). Still, yesterday I had a good 24-point day, which pleased me very much.
Hi Turtles,
Bandit, weigh to go! Losing that weight in a week that included being away for the weekend is extraordinary. This proves you can do it! This is fabulous!!!!
Lauren,
You too are deserving and It is fabulous to be back in onederland. I've got to get there myself! Congrats on your hard work. It paid off. 24 points is a major accomplishment. Yay!
Lin and n2aswan, :
Believe it or not this has to be another quicky from me:
I went to WW's this morning. I have gained 9 pounds since my last attendance at a WW mtg. Shows what I do when I lose track of time and points. Ugh. Yes, I am mentally determined--that simply wasn't connected to what I was eating at the time.
These last 4 pounds came on in four days, but they are here and that's awful. I know I can take them off, but this is a miserable block in the road towards my getting under 200 pounds and getting to where I want to be. These are the things I need to work on.
1. Have good foods on hand.
2. Attend WW mtgs.
3. Eat at home instead of restaurants.
4. Exercise 5 out of 7 days.
5. Put myself back on my "things to do" list.
6. Clear my head, shake myself off, declare myself human, and just do it!
Good luck to us all. I'm having a mini get together with my sisters, so I am planning and I'll let you know how I made out.
Congrats again to Lauren and Bandit. Nothing feels better than success!
Love,
Judy
234/218/thinner
Lauren - nice job on the 2# loss - YAH! Good luck this weekend. Have fun and stay focussed.
Judy - Thanks for the encouraging words and good for you for getting
"mentally determined" I think that is the key to success for us all and your #5
for sure. Sometimes what we do for ourselves is at the very bottom of our
priority list and we suffer for it. I know I feel so much better when I get to curves and eat properly.
I had a great week - was down 3.8# at ww last night & got to curves 5 times last week. That is the most I have gone & I really stayed OP all week & I was rewarded at the scales.
Hope everyone is doing well & talk to you soon. Bye for now.
Bandit, you're on a roll. You've lost 7 pounds since I last posted. Here are some celebration balloons. Way to go!!
Thanks, Lauren. Yes, we're moving at the end of May. I'm not looking forward to moving, but, that's the way life goes sometimes. I am looking forward to getting back in San Jose and we're hopeful that having a local address will help with the job hunt.
for being back in onederland, Lauren. Congratulations.
Good luck with your list, Judy. It's a wonderful list, especially the part about putting yourself back on your to do list.
I'm deep in the throes of a bad PMS time. But after it's over, I'm counting points and making an extra effort to exercise. I had stopped gaining, but since we've been so stressed about moving in with my mom, I now cannot fit into my jeans comfortably and I cannot afford, nor will I buy, larger clothes. So, that's some motivation.
My writing is going great. I'm going to be deep in nefarious plots these days, since both books are at the plotting stage. Plotting is hard for me, but I'm getting better at it, which is a good thing.
My son's photography business is going really well. He did a job a little while ago. He's trying not to get business, which is kind of humorous. But he's not going to be ready to get his business license and be "officicially" in business until the end of May. I think he's going to do well.
My other son has to decide what combination of things he wants to do once we move. He either needs to go to school full-time, work as much as he can, or do a combination of both. I'm hoping he'll opt for taking a class or two, so he can really focus on them, and work part-time. Unlike here, the community colleges in the San Jose area have good programs, so it's worth it for him to give it a shot. We'll see how that goes.
I hope to hear from you all soon. I apologize for not posting as often, but I'm just super busy with trying to move and still keep the momentum going on my writing. And, I do get some walking in when I can.
I'm Sarah Jane, and I'm new to the forum; actually, I'm new to 3FC.com altogether. I've used it for fast food Points counts in the past, but I've only recently decided to become further involved, and I'm ready to chat it up on the forums!
Anyway, I was just browsing through the different communities and noticed this group... I was struck by the motto of "slow and steady wins the race," because that is always something I've tried to keep in mind on my dieting journey. I've been on WW many times in the past and I'm really having success this time around, and I found a motto that I like a lot that I've posted on my bulletin board that reads: "Be patient. Benefits won't show overnight. But they WILL come." (this was from a book of WW Secrets for Success). I found this to be inspirational because I'm the kind of person who got on the diet and wanted to see results immidiatley, and found that it didn't work that way. Now, after 11 weeks, I've lost 21 pounds, (I'm more than 2/3 of the way to my goal of 30 pounds), and I'm excited about getting to goal weight and staying on the plan as a Lifetime member.
So! I'd love to make this community my new posting home. Just saying hello, and hoping to hear from the fellow turtles!
In other news, bought a new bikini yesterday, and I don't mind saying that I look fabulous in it!
Welcome, Sarah Jane. We're honored to be your first post to 3FC. Congratulations on being nearly to goal -- that's terrific! And congrats on the bikini, too. I can't even imagine how that must feel, but I'm very happy for you. When you get a chance, tell us a little more about what you're doing that's working so well for you.
Well, I was gone for several days at a fantastic conference last week on faith and writing -- really, really outstanding. Inspirational on every level. The eating wasn't great, though, so I'm back in twoterville. Gack. Ping, pong, ping, pong ... stress levels are definitely up due to family health problems (DH's mother in particular; she's going to be staying with us for a while, starting this weekend) and personal stuff. So I'm craving sugar in particular. Tonight we're having fried chicken with a priest (long story), so I'm aiming to get back within points tomorrow. And exercise! At least I did get lots of walking in during the conference.
Lin, good luck with that move. I'm glad you'll be in San Jose.
Judy, how are you doing?
Bandit, WOO-HOO on the pounds down! That's terrific! You're an inspiration.
Hi Turtles,
Sarah Jane,
Welcome! I hope you find this community as valuable as I do. You're doing great and I love your philosophy.
Bandit2,
You are amazing! Curves and WW's has been fantastic for you and you're putting everything into play to get where you want to be! Weigh to go!
Lin,
This has got to be a tough time, but my thoughts and prayers are with you. Somehow a door closing and a window opening keeps going through my mind with your relocation to San Jose. Congrats on your son's success. Also love to hear that you will not buy larger clothes. Very smart! Good luck
Lauren,
Priest and fried chicken? You've got to explain. LOL. Glad your conference was so inspirational. That's got to feel good.
Everybody,
Well, I'm back from my long weekend in Charleston, SC. Actually my sisters and I stayed on the water at Folly Beach and had a wonderful time. It was so much nicer weather there than here that I bought a bathing suit without trying it on and hopped into the ocean. It was invigorating and although we're all older, being in the ocean with my sisters brought back childhood memories of delight. Our rental unit was great--I flew a kite, saw dolphins and pelicans, and enjoyed my sisters' differences. We are a great bunch of 4 sisters--as alike and different as people can be. I love 'em all!
Weight worked out great LOL because I had the great idea of take-out on the deck for our last night's dinner. Unfortunately the place I picked gave us food poisoning. I am not kidding. Ugh. I never thought I could be so sick. I got back home last night and slept and still ache all over. I won't go into the grim details, but I lost 5 pounds. WW definitely has a better plan than this!
I hope to have the strength to get to my meeting tomorrow morning and WI. I want to put myself on the list and keep on doing the right thing for myself. I'm encouraged by what you all are writing. Let's help each other.
Oooh, poor baby, Judy! I'm so glad you had such a good time -- I loved your description -- and so sorry you got food poisoning. Hope you're drinking lots of liquids and feeling better.
Charleston is one of my favorite places on earth. Did you fly down? That would be one monster drive. This time of year is just about perfect there -- all the roses! I'm completely jealous.
Last night the "priest and fried chicken" event turned into the "priest and fried chicken and ice cream and scotch" event. We had a long (5 hours), difficult talk that we had to get through, and we all felt that lots of comfort food and scotch would be just the ticket. I did a bunch of stress eating beforehand, too. NOT a good day for points, though the talk ultimately went well.
Then today I learned a new (not so) fun fact: A maple oat scone from Starbucks is TEN POINTS. Naturally I learned this after the fact. SIGH. Well, I've got to keep on, because I have got to get this weight off. I'm going to rejoin WW; just have to pick which night to go. I simply don't do as well when I don't go.
Thank you, Lauren and Judy, for your kind words of welcome! As for the key to my success... I often used to watch my calorie/fat intake, but when I limited my food too much I would end up binging because I would get so hungry, and I never exercised. Since I've been following the plan and running in the park, I feel really energized and I get enough food to be happy with my eating plan.
Ugh, I'm sorry about the food poisoning, Judy, that must have been awful. There's nothing I hate more in the world than being sick, especially being sick to my stomach. Hope you're feeling better soon!
Anyway, my eating has been really good lately. Today I discovered the greatness that is "Wow" brand Dorito chips. I've had the Ruffles kind before, and they're very good, but these Dorito chips taste exactly like the real thing, and they're filling, unlike the Ruffles version. I've had a day full of junk food, as I had a Butterfinger bar before, (a monstrous 6 points), and now just had 2 ounces of Dorito chips, but I'm well within Points range, and that's all I can hope for. Tonight I'm going out to dinner with the family as it is my mom's birthday!
Eek, so much work to do. Guess I'd better get to it.
Hi Turtles,
It's taking me longer than I thought to feel well, so this will be short. I flew down to Charleston, SC. Thank goodness because I had gotten routing information to drive but had much too much to do beforehand and felt driving at this time would have stressed me out. If I had had to drive back, I'd still be in SC. Spring was in the air and it was beautiful, but I have to tell you that I think it will be a while before I dare eat out again.
Lauren,
so glad you found out now that that scone at Starbucks is 10 points. Egads, I hate finding out stuff like that, but what's worse is continuing to eat them and having that slow up a weight loss. Glad you had a successful meeting with your priest. And hearing that you'll be going to WW mtgs. again is a very good sign. Good luck--ever vigilent!
Sarah Jane,
You're saying all the things I need to hear. Yes, too strong limits of the foods I love only leads to binge eating for me. Glad you're so successful. You're doing great! Keep up the good work! I think and Lin keeps telling us that exercise is the key. :
Turtle Club #127
for you!!
Yeah--learn to use fresh ingredients, herbs, spices, etc. Then it tastes really good and you don't need as much. Unfortunately, I've been eating a lot of stuff that isn't the fresh, good stuff I love. It's hard because the price of fresh has gone up and it's hard with my current budget. That, at least, should get better.
I hope this goes smoothly for everyone and that you and your mother don't drive each other nuts. May it also be temporary.
Losing that weight in a week that included being away for the weekend is extraordinary. This proves you can do it! This is fabulous!!!! 
:
Naturally I learned this after the fact. SIGH. Well, I've got to keep on, because I have got to get this weight off. I'm going to rejoin WW; just have to pick which night to go. I simply don't do as well when I don't go.
