We are the Turtle Group here at www.3fatchicks.com. We welcome you to join us as we work toward good health and fitness in a persistent manner. As our inspiration we use the race between the turtle and the hare where the turtle was the victor because he didn't give up. We believe in keepin' on even when the odds are against us. We believe in giving each other support. Good luck to us all!
Judy
Itryharder
(for Lin and Lauren)

Hi Turtles,
Yesterday was a great day and I'm back OP. My WW leader says we are all Weight Watchers. Not that we are on Weight Watchers. We commit and keep on keepin' on, even if we get sidetracked we still keep so many valuable attitudes toward food that have become routine and habit.

I've got a great question. Since you've started your weight loss journey, what is a good habit you've established? I'll start. I never eat a full serving of dessert. I eat a sliver, enjoy it, and move on! What's yours?

Hey Princess, yep--a reliable walking partner is a blessing, but you are your own best company at times. Walking the track is a great idea and will make that dress fit just fine. Weigh to go!

Bandit, good luck on your WI. : I think we still have about six weeks to go on our challenge for the summer. I backslid a little, but I can still be on track and that's my intention.

Lin, good food choices. Thanks for the inspiration for my eating out escapade taking place next week. Love that you're getting in so much exercise.

MsMeri, you're doing great. And thanks for the food tips. I love the steel cut oats as well, but usually settle for the Quaker Oats brand .

Lin, good label comparison. I didn't realize steel cut oats had more protein--very interesting!

Lauren, I loved reading about your get together with Dotti's group. The links you sent us to are wonderful and thoughtful. Thanks.

I'm going to have a great day even though my dfriend is taking my dh and me out to dinner. A big salad with grilled chicken or shrimp on top sounds like the thing to do!

and to everyone!
Judy
234.6/207/204 to 30# down!

I am still reading everyones posts. I am just trying to get in the right mind frame after my pregnancy. That is the tough part for me right now. Plus lack of sleep really takes away my motivaion.

It sounds like everyone else is doing well with their plans.

Hi Cherry,
You did beautifully during your pregnancy. It's good to read the posts here. Some of the Turtles are doing amazing good work and everyone has wonderful tips.
Have you thought about doing just one new thing for yourself this week? Maybe drink two more glasses of water, or journal all your breakfasts, or get more fruits and veggies into your plan? I know you can do this and we know how tiring a newborn can make you. and for you.
Judy

Morning all and happy Friday to everyone! Today is my cleaning day and laundry day, ugh =) I also need to run to the library as I am out of reading material. Food was pretty good yesterday but I never did get out for a walk... I put it off too long and then it rained in the afternoon. DH and I went to Applebee's last night for supper, I had the WW chili lime chicken salad... I did not like it very much as the whole thing was made of spinich and I am just not a big fan and was still hungry when I was done with it but it was nice to get out for a meal that I did not prepare.

Cherry: I agree with Judy! Also, just a thought here, but as we all know the more weight we carry the worse we feel and the more tired we get... now, granted, you have a baby keeping you awake but maybe just a few short walks with the baby/kids a week, up and down the block to start, and that may help you to feel a bit better and some fresh air may help the baby sleep just a bit longer from time to time. Again, just my thoughts as I don't know your situtation but I sure wish you the very best in getting on track and finding a balance that will work for you.

Judy: How are you doing? I can not remember, do you have plans this weekend or are you home this weekend? You have done sooooo well with all of your company and activities so far this summer, you are an inspiration!

Bandit: How about you? Are you going to the lake this weekend? I am really trying to talk DH into taking a few days off next month so that we can take a small trip up to Lake Michigan, even if just for a day... DS wants us to look into getting a cabin up on the UP of Michigan for a week next year... just a thought here but how close is that to you?

msmeri: What is going on in your neck of the woods? Wow, I think that we have like three turtle in your state now? I know it is a very big state though... LOL.

Lin: How are you doing? Try any new recipes lately?

Have to run but will check back in later on!

#220 I think that's my new goal. At weigh in Wednesday, I was down 4.8 Bringing me out of the 230's! woohoo

This will be my last post for about a week, we are going to the Union Conference in San Jose. It's a 7 hour drive. I have my meals semi-planned (see pic) and hope to make use of the hotel gym. We are not dismissed every night till between 9-10pm (ridiculous) And I am not even staying on the same floor as my DH. As he is representing a different school district.

Went to the beach with most of my WW group, for our last summer huraah. Will post a pict tomorrow, if they get fwd to me.

Lin ~ Thnx a bunch for the steal cut info. I am looking for it today cuz it's payday. (hate 31 day months) Now for the crock pot, is there direction on it for the measurements? Like how much water?

Princess ~ 3 is a great start. That's how we started with our home group. Last Wed we added a new girl in her 40's with 2 grown kids, and she is on the heart transplant list! Her Dr recommended WW. So now we are up to 7 and it is fantastic! I am excited to host the meeting on the 12th when I get back. We are "going" to Australia. I have been researching recipes and cuisine of their culture. So far I wanna make Lamb and stuffed eggplant (none of us have ever had) Maybe a special potato casserole. Still need to put ingredients in Recipe Builder to get Point Values. Did I tell you, last Wed we did Jamaica? So fun. One gal is doing Breakfast Night.


CherryAutumn ~ I just love when you are here. I love your cute lil pic and even your ticker is cute. I imagine your home to be just lovely.

Hi, Everyone,

I'm just posting my weighin results. I'll do a reply to everyone's posts later. I have a deadline for delivering grant information to the city, so I need to go soon.

Today I'm down another 2.5 and the WW online said I'm losing weight too fast. I lost 2.5 last week and this week. Next week I'm going to do what I've been doing this week and if it's still more than two pounds down next Friday, I'll add a couple of points to my daily total and see how that goes. This week I ate every weekly point and a half of an activity point. But I walked so much I needed the fuel. Next week my walks for work will be down to the level for concert season and I'm actually going to have to figure out what to do for a workout on the days I'm not walking as part of my regular life.

Keep on turtlin'!

Judy, great questio about healthy habits. I love yours! I'd say one of the best habits I've developed is to always eat at the same place -- the kitchen table. It has made it so much easier to forget about food whenever I'm anywhere else in the house. I literally don't think about it when I'm out of the kitchen! That's a huge change for me.

WOW, Lin! That is fantastic progress! How do you calculate activity points? I still haven't figured that out.

Meri, look at you go, too!! Wow! You ladies are very motivating.

Princess, I hope you can get that trip to Lake Michigan. I'm a firm believer that everybody needs to get on the water at some point during the summer! Lake Michigan is just beautiful. What part are you hoping to visit? (I can't remember -- are you in Michigan? Or on the western side?)

Cherry, {{HUGS}}.

Earlier this week, my book group (6 ladies) went to a chautauqua on the shores of Lake Erie for an overnight. We stayed in an old Victorian hotel right on the water and had a blast. It was such a fun thing to do in the middle of the week -- made me feel like I've got two weekends this week. My major NSV: I climbed all the way to the top of a lighthouse and wasn't even winded! My legs started to hurt, but my lungs didn't. That made me feel so good!

We're having the most beautiful summer we've ever had. The temps today are in the high 70s, the sun is shining, a breeze is blowing ... we must've sent all our heat to the West Coast this year. Sorry, guys!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Princess, I didn't have plans for this weekend-----until my dd sold her apt. and needs a place to stay by 9/1! Egads. So we'll be out with a real estate agent on Sat. afternoon.
I plan to keep my food real tight because I'll be in Chicago with my friends for three days---eating all meals out. A challenge, but I know how to pull it off! The temptation will be to eat more food than I need since I won't be able to have the extra food packed up and taken home. Thanks for your nice comments. Last night I was a champion if I must say so myself. I had a salad topped with grilled portobello mushroom for dinner. I also had a little bread dipped in olive oil====and that was it! I was hungry about nine o'clock and had a piece of fruit and a few almonds and the scale was very good this morning. I'm definitely in a size smaller pants.

Msmeri, you are flying with your weight loss! : I love the way you tackle all you're doing. The WW dinner meeting sounds like so much fun.

Lin, you go girl! Your weight loss is wonderful. That exercise is really paying off.

Lauren, I love the idea of eating in one spot only. Very smart! I have gotten into a poor habit of eating or at least drinking at my computer and that doesn't make sense. I'll do better.

Cherry

Bandit, how was your WI? :

Okay--I've gotta run and figure a few things out.
Take care and be well.
Judy
234.6/207/204 and down to 30# down!

Hi, Everyone,

I'm back for that promised reply to everyone's posts.

Thanks for the good question, Judy. I think my best new habit is to go for the produce first. I've always loved fresh fruits and veggies, but now I'm actively working to plan my meals around produce, instead of meat. If I eat enough fruit, I don't crave desserts as much. If I eat enough veggies, I'm satisfied with smaller servings of the higher fat meat dishes. And nice job with your last night's meal choices.

The other cooking thing I'm working on is to learn to cook tofu properly and to add new whole grains to my repertoire.

Cherry, I don't know if anyone has told you this, but the best thing I did when I had tiny babies and sleepless nights was to take a nap when the baby sleeps. I don't do well when I'm overly fatigued and that saved me. Yeah, the house wasn't as clean and not all the stuff got done, but this stage is fairly brief-usually only a few months. Then your child will sleep through the night and you'll be able to get enough sleep regularly. That's when you start catching up on the stuff.

Ms. Meri, you asked about proportions for the oatmeal in the crock pot. You use the amounts on the package. Just double or triple or quadruple or...you get the idea...depending on how much your crock pot holds and how much you want to make. Enjoy!!

Princess, No new recipies but I was looking at P. F. Chang's web site. They publish their nutritional information and it's amazingly easy to eat well without having points issues, if you're careful to note how many servings each dish has and only eat one portion.

Lauren, activity points are a nightmare because when I use the online activity tracker and put in the activity and the time I get more points than if I just use the pedometer. I've decided I'm not using the pedometer until I get a more reliable one. So, what I've been doing is using the "walking, brisk" or "walking, leisurely" on the online tracker. I keep track of my time and just input it and let the calculator decide how many points it is. I adjusted my points for a sedentary lifestyle, so all the walking goes toward activity points because I don't walk the same amount every day. Some days I don't get out of my chair and other days I don't sit down.

I don't know where there's a lot of heat. I'm here in San Jose and it's been a fairly mild summer, temperature-wise. We've had a lot more humidity than we used to, and a bit of rain. But it's been a wonderful summer for walking.

I think my biggest challenge right now is with the hunger/satisfaction vs. eating all my required points thing. I've been noticing, as I've been trying to eat a bit more slowly, that I sometimes am full before I've eaten the points I'm supposed to eat for the day. I can't figure out whether to stop eating and let the points go, or make sure to finish the daily points no matter what. It's a dilemma and so I'm trying to figure out an experiment I can try to help me figure out the best way to deal with that issue. Suggestions anyone?

Keep on turtlin'!

LIn,
This is what I found. W hen I was short points, I'd eat to make sure I had them all in. I would eat toast with butter and other choices that weren't great. I think it makes more sense to stop eating when you're full. My WW leader says that no one should eat fewer than 20 points a day, so that might be a guide for you. I know this is all personal. I'm losing nicely right now because I am avoiding bread and all white flour products.
What does everyone else think?
Judy

I think if you're not hungry, stop eating. The body will be hungrier some days/weeks than others, and it will even out. If the scale stops moving, or you start losing a pound a day, or you feel bad, then maybe there's reason for concern. Otherwise, I'd just listen to your inner signals. That's what naturally thin people do, I've noticed -- they eat tons some days and little on others. I remember having trouble getting my points in during the early days of Weight Watchers. It passes!

Judy, woo-HOO on the smaller pants size!!!

Lin, how did you manage to earn 25 activity points in a day?? How long did you walk? Or did I misread your post from the previous thread?

Morning all and happy Saturday to everyone! I was down 3.6 at W/I this morning so was very happy about that... I am getting closer to fitting into that dress!

Hope all is well with everyone, I have to run but will stop back later on.

Princess, weigh to go! :

Wow! What a wonderful weight loss! Keep up the good work! Here's to the most beautiful mother of the groom ever!!!!!!

All goes well here. I'm concentrating on eating the foods that will help me lose weight. What a novel concept.
Judy
234.6/207/204 and close to 30# down!

Hi, Everyone,

Thanks for the advice. I think it's good advice and I'm going to stop when I'm full. However, Judy, it's interesting that your WW leader says you shouldn't eat fewer than 20 per day, since when you calculate your daily points allowance, the range is 18-44.

: Re: the bread and white flour products. The main reason that omitting those products makes most people lose weight, at least for a while, is that a lot of the white flour products are the cookies, cakes, etc. that are high in fat and calories, but lower in nutrition. So, when you substitute other things for those products, you're usually substituting lower fat, lower calorie, better nutrition. It's not that not eating them does something to your body chemistry that promotes weight loss. It's that the substitutes are better choices. Better choices are always a good thing.

OTOH, if you start feeling deprived or craving something you've decided to omit, have a small serving. One small serving, and then back to your regularly scheduled program, won't stop your weight loss. But sticking to it, feeling deprived, and then overeating something you've said you won't eat might.

That said, you should know that I have a bias. I believe that omitting one particular food, food group, etc. sets us up for failure over time. The exceptions to this are cutting out things for medical reasons like allergies that can cause anaphylactic shock or salt if it messes up your blood pressure and so on.

Lauren, I think I was talking about 25 for the week, up to that point. If I typed day, I must have been temporarily brain dead. I ended up with 29 for the whole week. I think the most I did in one day was either 5 or 7. I hope that clears it up.

Keep on turtlin'!