Hi, Turtle Buddies,

Here it is - my "official" version of the 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 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.

Happy turtlin', everyone!

Lin

Hi, Turtles,

Lauren, I also like the flame-grilled hamburger-type Gardenburgers. I don't like the chicken. And I don't agree with the manufacturer that they're better microwaved. I prefer them cooked over medium heat in a nonstick skillet. I don't like the Boca burger version.

Anyway, I hope things go well during your fast this year.

You mentioned that your cat is getting you up earlier. Blackie, through some mystical cat communication, is designated the cat who reminds the humans it's time to eat. She is permanently stuck on daylight savings time. So, all winter she crawls on my dh at 2:30 am, expecting him to get up. And she sits and stares at me starting at 2:30 in the afternoon. Smokie, OTOH, ingores us until Blackie gets a response that resembles food being served.

Erin, it would be much easier to set up and use Messenger if they had instructions that were better written. If you have any problems, email me and I'll try to help.

Your impromptu party sounds like it was fun.

I'm still doing fine. Things are right on track. I'm starting to retain water due to hormones, but it's not too bad yet. I've been doing fine with following my plan to try to keep the effects of hormones as minimal as possible. That's all I can do, so I'm content with that. I'm going to go for a walk as soon as I finish writing this post.

Then it's back to work on my book. I ordered some helpful (I hope) books from Amazon. I'm only keeping the ones that turn out to be truly helpful. I'm finding that some or the information I'm looking for is really difficult to find. I'm hoping these books, designed for SF and fantasy writers, will fill in those gaps, especially the one about science for SF writers. If they don't answer the questions in particular, I'm hoping that they will help me to narrow my focus so future research is targeted more specifically toward what my book needs.

Have a great day!! Happy turtlin'!

Lin
272/236/230/135 or so

Mousie,
Happy Happy Birthday. How wonderful that you have good people to celebrate with. Kudos on figuring out the food--not easy on these very special occasions.

Lauren,
My chickpea recipe couldn't be simpler. Dice one potato and steam it for about 5 minutes. Slice one onion and 2 garlic cloves
and place in Pam sprayed saute pan with 1T. curry, 1t. cumin--
Saute for about 5 minutes. Add 2 chopped zucchini and 1 large can of tomatoes, crushed. Add the steamed potato pieces and a can of chickpeas, drained. When the veggies are the hardness that you like, throw in a cup of froz. peas and heat for 2 min.
If you serve this over brown rice, you'll have a complete protein because the rice and chickpeas combine to provide the amino acids needed to be considered a complete protein. I hope you like this--not hard to do and it holds nicely in the fridge in Glad containers for lunches or a quick heat up dinner.

Lin,
Wow, it's great that I know a real life author. You really sound on a roll. Good for you.

I'm off and on and doing the best I can right now. My resolve is easily tempted, but I did not eat a candy bar at work today and that's a very good thing.

I'm taking it easy tomorrow because I really need to.

My love and good vibes to you all,
Judy
234/ugh/199

Hi Turtles!

I'm trying to get my brain kicked into gear to write something for my African American Studies class, and it's just not working. I have to write a dialogue between Langston Hughes and Claude McKay regarding accepting/refusing patronage from white sponsors, and my brain is just not functioning. This is a project you're supposed to do with a partner, but my partner flaked out on me and skipped class for two weeks--so I'm left writing the whole thing (it's okay, I get all the points too). I'm wanting to get this done before Spinning tonight (in 2 hours) but at this rate I'll be lucky to get it done at all!

Had a lovely birthday party, even though, unfortunately, my family had to cancel. My DB and SIL were both dreadfully sick last night and my dad was taking them to Urgent Care; DM was staying at home with Nephew and didn't want to take him out in the cold (in case he was carrying whatever his parents have). So, no family. But friends came, and we had a lovely evening.

DH has TOTALLY changed his tune since we had that conversation on Saturday. I have an extremely long fuse on my temper, you have to push me really far, really hard, and for a really long time before I snap. DH had actually never been shouted at by me before... ...anyway, since then he's been encouraging and helpful and understanding. He* prefers me heavier than I am comfortable being, but he finally accepts that I am unhappy this way and things need to change. Because you know, if mama ain't happy, ain't NOBODY happy...

Life is good.

Hi Turtles,
I'm starting to feel human again. I got to WW this morning and I'm down 1/4# from Sat. This is a very good thing because it proves that I have stopped gaining and I'm ready to turn this around again.
As promised, here's the scoop from WW:
We talked about the upcoming holidays and how we're going to handle them. Then these tips were handed out:
31Days to a more positive you....
In any order read one positive message or motivational saying to yourself every day. Write some on a calendar, post your favorites on the refrigerator or anyplace where they'll do the most good.

1. Feel pride in how far you've come and confidence in where you are going.
2. We move towards what we picture in our minds.
3. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.
4. Life is ten percent what happens to me and ninety percent how I react to it.--Coach Lou Holtz
5. Instead of using the words "if only", try substituting the words,
"next time."
6. I CAN DO ANYTHING I SET MY MIND TO DO!
8.I saw a star--I reached for it. I missed, so I accepted the sky.
9.Don't exchange what you want most for what you want at the moment. Lynne Greenling
10. Great works are perfomed not by strength, but by perseverance. Samuel Johnson
11. If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken beter care of myself. Eubie Blake.
12. Weight loss in not unlike a slot machine. The more you put into it, the bigger the JACKPOT. Vito Aiello
13.Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. John Heywood
14. Learning to lose is like basic training, but maintaining the desired weight is the real battleground. Jean Nidetch
15. Don't eye the top of the ladder, eye the next rung. Colin Powell
16.It is often the last key on the ring that opens the door.
17. Persistence is far more important than perfection! Helen Ashdown
18. You can't get much done by starting tomorrow.
19. I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul. William Ernest Henly
20. The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm.
21. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.
22. If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere.
23. We can't reach our goals if we are standing in our own way.
24. The road to success is always under construction.
25. Act the way you'd like to be, and soon you'll be the way you act.
26. Success comes in "cans," not in "can'ts".
27. Satisfaction does not come in indulgence, it comes from achievement.
28. The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.
29.When you are at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.
30. This is my time!..... Vito Aiello
31. What are you willing to do this week in order to lose weight?
Do it!........Dorothy Young

That's it! Hope you like it and that you can grab a line or two here and there to help you keep on this fascinating journey.
Judy
234/ugh/199

Hi, Turtles,

Judy, your recipe sounds wonderful. I'm saving it.

Thanks for the meeting report. I'm saving that, too.

It's so good to read that you're feeling better and that you lost a little bit of weight this week. Keep going. You can do this, one little meal at a time.

Erin, it's so great to hear that your dh understands you a little better and is willing to support you in becoming who you want to be. That will make your journey so much easier!! Glad your birthday party was great!! Hope your family gets well soon.

I'm doing fine. I was over a lot in points today because I was just plain hungry. So, I used banked points and I'm still on track. I went for a long walk with my son today. We're going on a picnic tomorrow. He was going to make the tuna salad, but he was worried he'd make it with too much mayo and it wouldn't fit into my program well. That's considerate of him, but it does leave me doing most of the work!!

My book is going fine, too. I worked on it a little this morning, but then I took some time off because I needed to make some difficult decisions that will severely affect what I write next. I needed to think about it.

Thanks for the compliment, Judy, but authors are published writers. I'm still just a scribbler. But it's so much fun. And a lot harder work than most people think.

Gotta go. Have a great day!! Happy turtlin'!

Lin
272/236/230/135 or so

Hi, tortoises.

Judy, thanks for the recipe; it looks good! I'll give it a try. Also, thanks for those quotations. Some of those are definite keepers. I'm glad you saw a weight loss this week and that it encouraged you.

Mousie, that's too bad your family got so sick on your birthday! I'm glad it was a fun party anyway. Hope they're all doing better now.

Lin, you're right -- writing is harder than it looks. I'm glad yours is going so well and that you're having so much fun doing it. A picnic tomorrow! Wow, I'm officially envious. We're having flurries this week with lows in the teens. March is a yucky month in Michigan. You get a few glimpses of spring, then winter comes back. The first day of spring may have been yesterday, but in Michigan we aren't *truly* in spring for sure until the end of April!

At our meeting this week, we talked about portion sizes. I figured I knew all there was to know about that, but I was wrong. Pam brought samples and asked us to guess which was the true serving size. For example, she brought three apples and we were supposed to guess which was the 4-ounce apple (which is one point, according to WW). I guessed the middle-sized apple, which was pretty dinky. Guess what? Even the teeniest apple she could find, which was very small, was 5 ounces! The apples I've been eating are more like 8 ounces, and are therefore 2 points. Who knew?

I was only up a half pound at WW, but I'm up 1.5# at home, and that's the figure I use, so ... there you go. TOM finally arrived, so I'm hoping it's all water -- but realistically, I did overeat last week. So I'm sure some of it is plain old fat. On the bright side, I do seem to be getting back to normal and am finding it easier not to overeat again.

My little department at work has decided to make Wednesdays our go-out-to-lunch day. Yesterday my co-worker -- whose turn it was to pick the restaurant -- decided we should go to Macaroni Grill, a place I detest. (I love Italian food, but not when it's swimming in oil.) However, I found a good way to eat there. I ordered the vongole (clams in a white sauce on pasta), and they brought the sauce on the side for me. I could add as little as I wanted. A few spoonfuls were plenty. I still wish the sauce could've had more broth, less oil, but at least I didn't have to eat a dish that was dripping in it. (It still ended up being a high-point meal, largely due to the piece of tiramisu I split with someone else. Lent? What Lent? It takes me a while to get into the swing of Lent.)

Onward and downward,

Lauren
274/192/189 by April 17

Hi turtles! I have been reading your posts and I think this is the perfect group for me! I am interested in maintaining my wieght (I have finally reached my goal wieght) and living a healthy lifestyle. I need some advice on how to keep the wieght off and how I should eat to accomplish this. Is there a certain number of calories for example? I am 5'2 and 110 pounds...I love the way that eating healthy makes me feel, but I still crave chocolate and bagels and hamburgers...all those forbidden foods ha ha. Do yall have any suggestions?
Thank you!

Hi Christy! Welcome to the Turtles--a small but devoted group. We're dedicated to the idea that you CAN eat the foods you love and maintain/lose weight, you've just got to be...judicious...about it. Lin's a gourmet cook who's constantly changing recipes to make them more healthy; Lauren's blazing a trail and showing us what we can do right now; Judy's showing us what persistence is about. oh, and I'm the slightly bonkers college student who lends spice to the mix (right guys? Right? ).

Until we get to know you more, this is the most important bit of advice I know: you can NEVER give up. Never stop watching it. It'll become natural and reflexive with time, but there will never be a time when you can eat all of everything and maintain your weight. It's about making the choice--your new body, or that extra bagel/cookie/cake/portion of whatever? I learned this the hard way! But I'm getting better.

Lauren, I would bet money your gain is water. Considering the timing of it, gotta be. Take comfort in knowing that you overate last week most likely because your body needs extra calories each day for the week before TOM. As long as you weren't dipping into the Godivas THAT much, it's probably water.

Lin, I can't wait to read your book!

Judy, thank you for writing that out. Some of those quotes really hit me--I especially like 15, 22, and 25. Kudos to you for seeing a loss. Thank goodness life is turning around for you now.

It's hot and humid today, something that normally doesn't bother me but for some reason really is today. Probably dehydrated. I'll drink some water and see about Spinning tonight . Two weeks ago it was so hot in the room I almost passed out, I had to actually leave the room twice. Hot day + no air conditioning (someone forgot to turn it on) + 15 heavily exercising bodies = NOT A GOOD THING. So we'll see what happens.

I'm feeling so comfortable and so happy with how this is going. DH is helping me, not complaining anymore when I eat something different from him and not teasing me about my choices ("Broccoli is just perverted bonsai trees." "But I LIKE broccoli." "Yeah, and I've always said you're strange. This is just one more reason..."). I'm on day 6 of my week. I've decided to just go by Total Points for the week, so I have 210 to spend over 7 days. Right now (halfway through day 6) my total is at 161. Have 8 planned for dinner. If I end up at Spinning this evening I'll eat a bit of carbs before I go. But otherwise, life is going well!

Have a good day, Turtles!

Hi, Turtles,

Welcome, Christy. First, I'd like to warn you, most of us tend to be long-winded, with me the "worst" of the bunch!! Hope you don't mind reading!

You asked about calories, which makes me think that you're not following WW. So, let me explain a bit. I'm not trying to 'pitch WW' to you. I'm trying to explain what we do so you'll understand what we're talking about. Then I have a suggestion for a way you could adapt the idea to what you're doing.

Since we're all following WW, we don't really count calories. Each point is actually a range of calories, so our daily points also are a range. I don't know what that range is in calories, though, because I don't worry about it. I just follow my points.

As for "forbidden foods", I get pretty emotional about this issue because until I had a plan that taught me how to eat the formerly forbidden foods and still be healthy and lose weight, I wasn't able to stick with any weight loss program long enough to lose and keep off a significant amount of weight. The problem I have with the current admonition among health experts to eat those foods "in moderation" is that they never really define what "in moderation" means for oour day-to-day lives.

WW built a guide for what "in moderation" means into their program. We have a minimum number of points we must eat each day. The rest we can eat or "bank". Banking points means saving them for later. There are some rules about how that works, but the essence is that we can use them to give us extra points for a serving of those formerly forbidden foods or larger servings of our regular foods on days when we're hungrier than normal. The end result is that we can, and do, eat the formerly forbidden, but not as frequently and we often take smaller portions than we used to.

If you're doing calorie counting, you might be able to work out a similar way to deal with this. For example: you could figure out how many calories you need to maintain your weight. To do that, add a 100 calories a day to what you ate while you lost the weight. If your weight continues to fall, add 100 calories more each week until you start to gain. Then go back to the last level and that should be approximately the amount that will maintain your weight loss.

Use that as the top number of your range. Pick a reasonable level below that number for your basic nutrtion. Then use the rest of the calories between that level and the top for larger portions, extra treats, etc. Or save them for special occasions. I'd limit the amount of 'saved' calories I spend in a day to, maybe 500-550. I'd also subtract some of the saved calories each week so I don't end up with a huge amount that would be tempting to use to have a super binge. I hope that answers your question. (I also hope that if you already knew all of that, you will bear with me since I tend to be thorough in trying to explain myself.)

About keeping the weight off, well, you essentially use the same skills you used to take it off. That's not easy, as all of us know, because we've all spent time struggling to maintain a loss while we dealt with things that kept us from being able to work on losing for a time.

Hope you stick around and give us tips on how you reached your goal. We'll do our best to support you in staying there.

Lauren, thanks for the report form your meeting. I guess I should start weighing my fruit, too. I don't eat a lot of it, but those extra points that you don't realize you're eating do add up. One of my pet peeves is how large everything has gotten, from restaurant portions to fruits and veggies. And then they advertise it with teeny tiny people who would be as big as I am if they really ate that stuff!!

Great job in how you handled that difficult lunch. I'm sure your weight loss will show up soon. You know that you retain water, so that's a lot of the gain. And, since a lot of women need a little more food to maintain their weight during TOM, you may find that your overeating wasn't as damaging as you fear. I hope so, anyway.

Erin, glad to hear that you're doing so well. Your method of point counting is really interesting. I'm interested to see how well it works for you. I'd be afraid that I'd end up with two days and no points left or be so worried about having some at the end of the week that I'd eat too little food at the beginning. Super glad to hear that you and your dh worked things out so well. He sounds like a real sweetheart!!

I'm doing great today. As I said, yesterday I used a lot of banked points, but today I'm back within my range. I don't know why, but I was craving protein. I ate some extra and I'm back to normal. Except that I'm retaining water. PMS. But my weight is still the same, so I probably lost a bit. That will show up when the extra water goes away.

I ended up not doing my picnic today. My ds got up after noon, and I had already eaten by that time. He's going by himself today. But he said it's OK if I get him up early enough to go tomorrow instead. (He's the only person I know who is grouchier than I am when they first wake up, so I don't like to wake him up unless he knows I'm going to do it. )

My book is going about as well as it can right now. (It's a fantasy, so I'm creating the world in which it takes place, Christy) I'm at the question stage. Everything I create for this world has an effect on everything else. So, I keep asking tons of questions about what those effects are so it stays consistent enough to be believable. (Not that the "real" world is all that consistent. )

Anyway, I'm seeing that writing a book uses many of the same skills I've learned in my weight loss journey. It's especially noticable because creating a whole world before I can really write the story is a daunting task in itself. Then I have to write a manuscript that takes place in THAT world, not this one. That means paying closer attention to the words so they reflect that world, not this one.

So I need patience. Persistence. Working every day. Taking it one day at a time. Worrying about only this writing session. Applauding progress, pages piling up. Not expecting perfection. In writing, you just rewrite, edit, and revise. In weight loss, you figure out what to do differently next time (rewrite, edit, and revise) and move on. In weight loss, "paying closer attention" relates to having to deal with food, exercise, etc. differently from the people who just eat what they want, etc. Those skills I've developed over time write the book. Using them in following WW takes (and keeps) the weight off.

Have a great day, everyone!! Again, welcome, Christy.

Happy turtlin'!

Lin
272/236/230/135 or so

I've got just enough time to welcome Christy. Hi! Tell us a little about yourself. Glad you're at goal and glad you're chiming in.

I'll really write tomorrow, but wanted to greet you.

Hi guys==you all sound great.
Judy
234/ugh/199

Okay, Turtles, how amazing is this? I cannot begin to really make you see how happy I am with the way this week is going!

I've switched to counting Total Points for the week, just so I don't feel so "limited" in my choices. I decided to limit myself to 30 points a day (I'm on 26-33, by the 123 Success range) so I've got 210 points for the week, and I'm just ignoring those extra 3 daily. I've read repeatedly that 1,500 calories a day seems to be ideal for weight loss, and since each point equals roughly 50 calories, I decided on a theorethical 30 per day. Anyway, so there's my logic there. I'm at the beginning of day 7 and I have 169 points--so I can have up to 41 points today. I will of course hit 182 (minimum) so that's not a problem. We're going to a movie tonight (it's payday) so I plan on a dinner out. I'll eat lighter during the day.

With Spinning last night (yes, I did go ) I've had 5 hours of cardio exercise this week. Didn't make Pilates either night, I'm going to have to reevaluate that goal. The new jeans I bought a couple of weeks ago are loose and comfy, and I'm starting to wear my "little" tops again--the tighter tshirts and sweaters that actually fit. I've been told several times this week (okay, a couple of times was DH, but not all the times!) that I look really cute. So I'm happy, and that must be coming out!

The most amazing thing is the difference between me and DH, though. He's not fighting me anymore, and I feel like we're actually on the same side again. He actually looked at my journal last night and was HAPPY for me, that I've done so well this week. He says also that he's been giving himself a lot of thought, and he doesn't like the parts of him that have been coming out. He's under a great deal of stress at work right now and needs a break (he's got the week of Spring Break off with me, the first week of April), and he says he feels like that is bringing out the worst in him. He's also said that he REALLY doesn't like the way he's been treating me, and he's going to value me "as you deserve to be valued". Awwwww. I understand, and understood at the time, that it wasn't about me, but it's still nice to hear that he's aware of it and will change it.

Anyway, just wanted to glow for a bit, Turtles! Have a great day, I'm off to the lab!

Mousie,
What a lovely post! So glad you and dh are seeing eye to eye
on your weight loss efforts. It's so much nicer that way. Also glad people are noticing that you're cute and that you're fitting into clothing so much better. Also I like the way you've figured out your points on a weekly basis. Good luck with all you're doing.

Christy,
Welcome again. I love this group and know that even though my WW group and leader are both tops, that it's been the consistent posting with the turtles that has kept me wanting to keep on. Right now I'm having a tough time of it, but life is often like that. So, I'm journaling, etc. and doing the very best I can.
We don't *try* any more since Yoda thinks trying doesn't work!

Lauren,
Weigh to go on eating out. I wouldn't have thought of having the sauce on the side and it's really a great idea! Glad things are going well with you.

Lin,
What a thoughtful post. I like the analogy of eating correctly and writing persistently. Very true--

Hey,
You know what? I'm going to look for a metal or stone turtle to put in my backyard. I think it might be a good anchor during summer barbecues or just when I'm looking out the window. It'll be another reminder to keep on track.
Tonight my dh is making a fire in the fireplace and he's going to grill steaks over it. I can't wait. I have been ravenously hungry all week. I know lots of it is emotional, and I've been eating well, but it doesn't stop the hunger. This will pass.

Good luck and God Bless,
Judy
234/212(I checked my scale this morning)/199

Thank you everybody for replying to my post and being so welcoming! I am really looking forward to getting to know you all.
Lin-I also enjoy writing and reading. So far your book sounds really interesting. I would love to hear more about it and read it in the future .
Mousie-Thank you for your encouragement! I am also a college student so you are no longer alone in that ha ha. What are the spinning classes like exactly? I have heard alot about it and the gym that I am a member of has a class every day. Could you explain it to me please? thank you!

I am not having a very good weekend unfortunately. I feel like a cow to put it mildly. I just feel bloated or something. Last night my aunt cooked a really good meal, It was pretty healthy-grilled chicken, corn on the cob, and a roll. I ate everything on my plate because I was so hungry. I usually only eat about half and so my boyfriend commented that he "hasn't seen me eat that much in a long time" That set me off into guilt and paranoia that I am going to gain weight and that I am eating too much. You would think that I would then stay away from the brownies on the stove...HA! I ate the biggest one! It was reduced fat, made with egg whites and apple sauce but there is still all that sugar... I am trying to get up the energy now to go running lol. Maybe that will assuage my guilt some! I have a question for everyone, about how much excersize do yall do a day or week? I am just curious to see if I am doing enough. On Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays I eiether swim laps for half an hour or I use the ski machine or treadmill for 15-20 minutes and then the bicycle for 15 minutes. On Tuesdays and Thursday mornings I run two miles. Sometimes I take Fridays off. Wow, this post is long. Lin I may start giving you some competition on longwindedness! ha ha ha

Howdy, tortoise beings.

Welcome, Christy! Good to see you here. Lin had some good advice there. A little history about me, so you know where I'm coming from: I've lost weight in the past -- lots of it. One year, I lost more than 100 pounds (on a very restrictive diet plan called The Diet Center). But I gained it all back, plus more. Why? I learned how to diet, but I never learned how to eat. Maintaining your weight is about learning how to eat.

That's why I'm now a turtle. I believe in eating *now* like I plan to eat forever. For me, that means eating things like brownies -- lowfat or otherwise. I'm learning how to incorporate them into my life, in moderation, and in a healthy way. NO FORBIDDEN FOODS. We get pretty emotional about that around here, in case you couldn't tell. There are times I need to steer clear from certain foods, because they act as triggers for me to overeat when I'm stressed or vulnerable. But I work toward getting them back into my life when I feel stronger.

You've lost weight -- good for you! Now you're trying to figure out how to maintain your loss. We're here to cheer you on, but you should know -- we WON'T beat you up for eating a brownie or eating all the food on your plate. (You seem to be doing a good job of beating yourself up, though.) Don't panic, no matter what your boyfriend says. Just take it one hour, one meal at a time, and you'll learn what your body needs, no matter what anyone else says.

You asked about exercise. I do aerobic and dance workouts mostly, and as the weather gets better I plan to walk outside more.

Judy, I love the yard turtle idea! I just may steal it. I keep a turtle right next to my computer, and I have a turtle magnet on the refrigerator. I think I'm going to get one to put on my desk at work, too, since that's a trouble spot for me. (I eat to procrastinate; I eat when I'm bored. My job is boring.) And GOOD FOR YOU, doing that journaling. You're going to contain that gain and take it right back off again, I can tell.

Erin, sounds like things are really going great! I'm glad the weekly counting is working out for you, and that you're losing well at that point range. I'll try not to get jealous. I'm especially glad at your sweet DH's turnaround. How wonderful. He sounds like a keeper.

Lin, you were right -- my gain was water. I'm back down today. Now to lose 1.5 before the middle of April, which I believe I can do. (Turtle that I am, it'll probably take me that long. ) I'm really enjoying setting these little weight-loss goals; they motivate me to stay on track.

I LOVE your comparison between writing and weight loss. That's a keeper.

Your building this world reminds me of Tolkein. He spent literally years building Middle Earth before he ever wrote "Lord of the Rings" or "The Hobbitt." He started writing when he was recuperating from wounds from World War I (he lost every friend he had in that war except one). He didn't have any goal in mind; he just found himself creating a world. He jotted down notes, mostly. He didn't write "The Hobbitt" until the '30s, and that was only because he wanted to give his kids a story. "Lord of the Rings" didn't follow for almost another 20 years, during which he spent lots of time honing and refining his world. All that depth comes through in his books; there's so much about that world that he never put in the stories. His son collected his notes about Middle Earth and compiled them in "Silmarillion" (I think I spelled that correctly) after Tolkein's death. The breadth of his imagination and the care he put into creating that world is astonishing.

Anyway. It's a lovely day outside, though cold. My brother is coming over; we'll probably hang out at Barnes and Noble for a while and then hit the Thai restaurant. So I'm saving up my points and will get in a good workout!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Onward and downward,

Lauren
274/190.5/189 by April 17 83.5 pounds down!