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 by using the skills and techniques we have learned from experience to keep us on track. We believe in giving each other support. Good luck to us all!
Judy
Itryharder
(for Lin and Lauren)

Hi Turtles,
I changed our introduction just a little because I think we have all been referring lately to how we have put into practice what we have learned over time. We are all talking about not worrying about being perfect, but using our past experience and knowing what works for us to help us maintain during this season.

For those of you who didn't have a chance to check out #225 over the last day or two, go back and read the posts because they are terrific!

Have a great weekend. I'm heading to my dd's gingerbread decorating party. I've made a turkey meatloaf and I'm bringing that and a salad to help me get past whatever other goodies she might have.
Judy
234.6/195/190 and deeper into onederland

Nice job, Judy. You got off 2# and discovered a technique that works for you.

Last night's party went well. I ate a couple more points than I'd hoped, but well within my available point range. Tonight is our choir concert, with a cookie reception after. I don't forsee a problem with that. I often don't eat any, or only one of an unusual cookie that I've never tried. I'll save a few points, just in case. And if I don't use them tonight, there's always the wine tasting party on Wednesday.

I hope everyone is doing well and you'll post again soon.

Keep on turtlin'!

Lin, Weigh to go! You are so close to onederland
Judy
Enjoy your parties.

Morning, turtles:

Sounds like everyone is enjoying their parties & also planning ahead - thats great, keep it up.

Busy time for all of us - this past weekend I met my dd in Toronto for the day & that was fun shopping & then we got our hair done & had quick dinner before I had to leave to get to my singles dance. Then dd left the next morning for a week in the Dominican with one of her roommates - so nice to spend the day with her. Then I relaxed on Sun & did abit more inside decorating. I haven't put as much stuff out as usual, but looks nice and not too cluttered.

I have my company dinner Wed evening & that will be a really nice fancy dinner & on Sat afternoon my ladies group is going on a tour of a local mansion (RS McLaughlins house) and as part of that we have a formal tea/scones seating. Then off to another dance Sat night.

I want to congratulate everyone on all their weight losses & goal planning throught the year. I think as a group we have really supported one another & I think that is key for our success. Even though we sometimes lose our way, if we can find it back here we will succeed with the help of our weight loss buddies.

Thanks, everyone for helping me in 2009!

Oh Bandit,
What a lovely thing to say. I agree completely with how this group has been supportive and picks us up when we need a helping hand.
You have so many activities going on and you're really enjoying the season!

To all the Turtles,
You are the best. I stayed OP yesterday and counted my points online.
Today I did my toning tape. The scale was cooperating for the first time this week, so it's up to me to make today great and have a good WI tomorrow morning.
and to us all!
Judy
234.6/194/190 and deeper into onederland

Wow, you're all doing great! Very impressive and inspirational.

I, on the other hand, have not been doing so well! Overindulging at two parties and dinner out this past weekend, plus a collision with a box of chocolates, have resulted in a whopping 5# weight gain in the past few days. I've lost one of those pounds, but my pants are tight, and I'm not a happy camper.

I've decided one of the big reasons I put on weight so quickly these days is because I haven't exercised regularly while I've lost weight. In particular, I haven't re-built lost muscle, which means my metabolism is lower. So that's my new focus in the new year. I'm going to re-join Curves and also have DH teach me some yoga.

Anyway. Parents arrive tonight for a two-week stay , followed by brother arriving on Friday for about 10 days. It's about to get very crazy at our household! Will check in when I can.

Here's and and and for dealing with all the craziness we're all about to encounter.

Lauren, that's not fun. I encountered some banana bread dough that was much too yummy, but I did put a box of yummy Christmas cookies a neighbor dropped off (very kindly, I might add) into the freezer. I had tried one, declared them deadly at 3 points a cooky, and they're living and breathing very nicely in my freezer right now.
Gotta run. Good luck to us all!
Judy

Hi!

It's so nice to see all of your posts.

Thank you, Bandit. Your kind words are very much appreciated. It sounds like you're having a lot of fun these days.

You go, Judy. I hope your weigh in rewards your hard work. I love your story about the cookies. I have a batch of cookie dough sitting in my fridge. I need to bake them for the party on Saturday. They're 3 points each, but way worth those points. Because they're rich, one is enough, so it's easy to plan them in, occasionally.

, Lauren. Good luck with the last few weeks of this year. I'm sure your renewed commitment to exercise will help. Have fun with your family.

Keep on turtiln'! You all rock!

Hi Turtles,
I'm up a tiny bit. I need to get on a roll, and it may be a little unrealistic right now. Exercise will help and I'll work on my food better this week.
Judy
234.6/193.2/190 and deeper into onederland

Stayed away from sugar all day today -- hooray! Ate a little extra fruit to make up for it. I need to lose 3 more pounds just to weigh what my signature says. Ha! Well, I'll update it this weekend regardless.

Parents arrived safely. Pop looks much older, thanks to chemo, which has still made his lungs weak. Hard not to worry about parents as they get older. It's good to see them.

Have a great day, everyone.

Weigh to go Lauren!

I had a tough day. I'm going to point it out now and record it. I think the easiest thing to do is to devote my 35 points to today and then stay OP for the rest of the week. I can do this! It's tiring staying the same or going up or down .2# of a pound. I can't let my mind go bonko on me now. I've been too successful.
Judy
234.6/193.2/190 and deeper into onederland

Judy! You're doing fine, overall. You post regularly and those posts are full of motivation, attention to your plan, and recognition of your success. Plus your super supportive of the rest of us. You keep things going around here when the rest of us are busy or can't get in to post. You're going to be fine and you are heading further into onderland.

for you, too, Lauren. You've been struggling, too. But like Judy, you keep posting, you stay motivated, and you keep tweaking your plan. You're going to get there, too. Have a good time with your family. It seems like you're getting through this busy time of year mostly staying the same. That's a huge success.

Last night was the holiday party for my new job. I had no idea what to expect, so I couldn't really plan. I ate my normal daytime food and had weekly points available. Good thing because the choices weren't point friendly. I did my best and enjoyed sharing dessert after with my dh. I think I'm going to finish my week within my point range, which makes me happy. I have two more parties this weekend and then it all starts to wind down. Personally, I'm ready for some winding down.

Keep on turtlin'!

Judy, going up and down .2 of a pound counts as maintaining, which is AWESOME for this time of year. Pat yourself on the back and keep going!

Lin, that's excellent! You did great at that party. Way to go. And thanks for that pep talk, too; I really appreciate it. At this point, if I begin the new year in the 160s, I'll be thrilled.

Saw the scale inch downwards this morning; that's the good news. Today, though, I went nuts at the potluck! Which has been going on all day! Shoot. Soooo ... I'll eat my usual light dinner and go on from here. On the bright side, this is the last party of the season for me. HALLELUJAH! Now I just need to be careful around all the goodies my family brought. It's hard to see, actually, since they're diabetic and really shouldn't be eating this stuff.

Brother arrives tomorrow night, so we'll have a full house.

Have a great day, everyone, and keep on turtling.

Just a quick followup here -- I did indeed eat a light dinner last night, which felt good. Back at work today, surrounded by leftover goodies -- I must say, I'm really looking forward to the weekend and getting away from all this FOOD. Weight is back up again today, which is expected but NOT welcome.

My parents are probably putting in a bid on a condo today. They found one they liked, in their price range, in the development they want to live in. We'll see if they get it. They're offering the full asking price, but they're also asking for a 90-day delay so they can sell their place down South and move out. (The condo development in North Carolina will buy their place from them, but they get no money until they've completely cleared out. The process takes a while.)

It's going to be a bit tense here, because before they came up, we told them we would be happy to help them move in May, because that's when DH can get the time off to pack them, drive the truck, etc. But they've decided to go ahead and move now, and that's fine -- they'll just have to move themselves or pay someone else to help them. But now my mother is talking about how overwhelming it will be to pack, how she doesn't want to pay anyone, how she wants DH to do it, etc. Gack. Here we go. How do you decide where to draw boundaries, where to try to flex, etc.? And how to not get resentful? (Or eat too much chocolate!)

ANYWAY. Just a little venting there. Thanks for listening.