Hi, all. Just starting a new thread, since we seem to need one.

Lin's kickoff post:

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Here's 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 three 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 in order to lose and keep off the weight. Our main focus is to 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.

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Hi, everyone.

Well, if anyone was feeling somewhat lax lately, somewhat uninterested in eating moderately and healthfully ... if anyone is finding it hard to stick with exercise ... if anyone is eating a tad too much these days ... I have a suggestion.

Think of my brother.

I had been concerned about his health for a while now, so I finally told him that what I wanted most for Christmas was for him to get a physical. So he got one, bless him. And guess what? After years of drinking Coke, eating pizza and ice cream, and lying on the couch, my brother now has a whopping case of diabetes.

At the age of 45. (My mom waited to develop it in her late 50s. Her mother and brother waited until their 60s.)

I have been lacking motivation lately, playing with the same stupid few pounds, eating way too much sugar (which I always crave). When my brother told me yesterday about his diabetes, it kicked me hard. There's my future unless I exercise regularly and get this weight off.

It made me remember why I started doing this in the first place. It wasn't for the new clothes, though those have been fun. It wasn't for the admiring comments, though that's been nice, too. It was for my life.

So if you're struggling with eating right or exercising lately, just tell yourself do it as though your life depends on it. Because it does.

Onward and downward,

Lauren
274/183.5/down

Lauren, good grief, what a kick in the teeth. I'm glad you could turn that dreadful news into something that can bring some good to your life. My father is also a type 2 diabetic, and it's constantly in the back of my mind that that fate awaits me unless I take care of myself. I know that you know how to take care of yourself, and I know you have the drive and determination. You know we'll always be here for you, you just have to ask.

I want to say hi to anyone new that I have missed greeting. I'm sorry, I've been buried in classes and not come out to play much. Welcome to the turtles!

Speaking of classes, I'm in the middle of finals week. Well, that's technically correct because it is the middle of the week, but I only have one final left to take (thursday). I've taken Anatomy and I think I did well; as of friday I will know if I did well enough to pull off an A in the class!

Oh, Turtles, I completely forgot to tell you--TOBY IS HOME! On saturday, she came home. More than two weeks after she went missing, someone called my grandfather with a tip, and my grandpa went around and found her. I am soooo happy about this, you have no idea. She's slightly thinner, hurting (no arthritis drugs for 2 weeks), and sunbleached, but happy to be home. She's a bit clingy and tends to cry when she loses sight of us, but I trust in time she'll be okay. I took her round and got her washed (took a couple of times, she was filthy) and clipped her nails, and she's back to her tidy self.

We're going to see the midnight showing of Lord of the Rings: Two Towers tonight, so I must be off and take a nap! Bye Turtles!

Mousie,
I'm so glad you dear Toby is back. Good luck on your last final for this semester. Always glad to hear from you.

Lauren,
So sorry about your brother. He can turn his diabetes around if he does the right things. I am glad this turn of events has you
rededicating yourself to your health program. Good luck. You've come so far and done so well.

I'm not doing well. Got to get hold of myself, read this site more, and spare some time to myself to get my center back. Glad to see we are still attracking new members. Always interesting to get new insights.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.
Love,
Judy

Hi, Turtles,

It's funny, Lauren. I came on today to start a new thread. Your new thread didn't show up when I first accessed the site. Then when I opened a new window, there it was. Strange things happen! Anyway, thanks.

My computer is all loaded and working, but now I'm having connection issues. I ordered DSL and I'm pretty sure that when SBC gets around to turning it on and we get it set up, those issues will go away.

Kaylets--your story about office goodies makes me glad I don't have to face that every year. I have in the past and usually end up maintaining over the holidays. Guess that's good.

Don't worry about the 1.5 pounds. If you continue to stay OP, it will come off. Remember that the scale isn't always about what you did or didn't do this week. Sometimes it's about what you did two weeks ago. Or hormones. Or too much salt. Or it's own flakiness. I decided that I'm going to continue to deal with the scale by using the averaging method in the Carbo Addict's diet. It makes more sense than any other method I've seen. I'd continue with the diet, but I cannot afford all of that meat.

Kathy, it sounds like you really focus when you do your quilting. That's a good thing. But maybe you need to set a timer to remind you when you need to stop to go to Curves or to prepare a meal that's in your plan. I sympathize because I tend to focus that way whenever I'm doing anything that I enjoy. The timer can really help remind you that your quilts aren't the only goals you are working on. Don't know if this is helpful, but it has worked for me.

Lauren, I'm so sorry to hear about your brother. It's difficult, I know. We have it in our family, too. So far, only my grandfather and one aunt have gotten it. I hope we all can keep your reminder in mind as we make our daily choices.

Erin, it's so good to hear that school is going well for you. It's such a relief to hear that your dog is back. What a cool Christmas gift! We're going to see LOTR this Sunday. It's not playing in Salinas, so we're going to San Jose. I'm so looking forward to it, especailly since I just finished watching the special extended edition DVD that was an early Christmas gift from my son. It filled in a lot of the story details that were missing in the original. It's a much more satisfying tale and they should have run it that way in the theater. People sat that long in theaters waiting for a ship to sink. I'm sure the LOTR fans would have had no problem, either.

Judy, I think we all feel a bit like you this time of year. It's so hard to get that time to ourselves that we need to keep our focus. I try to get here because I know that I need to, but I find myself reading but not posting because I have so much to do. Thanks for the reminder.

My family is coming to my house for brunch. Then, sometime between Christmas and New Year's we'll be going to my mom's. I wish my brother would give us a little bit more notice about exactly which day he's coming, though. But we always make time because it's the only time we see them all year.

So, I decided that what I want for Christmas is a job for my son. And a job for me. And for my dh's boss to recognize that just because a person was hired with a particular job title and salary range, doesn't mean he stays there no matter what he's actually doirg. When you give him higher levels of responsibility, you give him a new title and a raise. The buyer wants to steal him from production. It's interesting that my phone phobic hubby is even considering taking a position that requires that you weld a phone to your ear. lol

I'm doing OK. I'm getting ready for Christmas, like the rest of you are. I'm also working on background material for my book. I need to work out a little more detail in the invented world before I can move forward with the story.

Happy turtlin'!

Lin

Hi, tortoises.

Thanks for the kind words about my brother. He is taking this seriously right now, for which I'm very grateful. My mom arrives today; she has been diabetic for years now and will no doubt have lots of helpful advice for him. (She was skidding off the rails a bit of late, and this has been a wake-up call for her, too.) She's going to help me with menu planning. Should be interesting preparing meals for two weeks for diabetics.

Erin -- HOORAY!!!!!! I'm so glad Toby is home!! What happened to him, do you know? Did he just wander off, or what? Also, how did you like LOTR? I'm dying to see it, but my mom isn't into that kind of thing so I'll probably wait until she leaves.

Judy, it really is tough to make that time for ourselves this time of year. Let's work on that together.

Lin, I hope you get your Christmas presents, if not in time for the holidays then early in the new year. Have fun at the movie! I can't wait to see the extended DVD version, too. I haven't had a DVD player until yesterday, though, which brings me to my next point --

I have a new laptop! Did I tell you guys this already? I used my first freelance paycheck to buy one (ordered it from Dell). One of its many fab features is a DVD player, so I'll finally join the digital age. Now if our TV were just new enough so I could hook it up to it ... otherwise we'll be watching the LOTR DVD on my laptop!

I have to transfer files, etc., over to the new laptop at some point; no idea when I'll get to that. I've wanted on of these for years. I had one at my last job, and I loved it -- love the portability. Now I can do my writing assignments anywhere I want, including the coffee shop downtown. I'm totally geeked.

Well, gotta go dust the house and clean bathrooms before my mom's flight arrives. I'll try to keep in touch while she's here.

Onward and downward,

Lauren
274/183.5/170s in January

Hi, Turtles,

Lauren, what kind of things will you have to do differently from a low-fat, WW-type plan for your mom and your brother? My knowledge of how diabetics need to eat is so outdated! I'm curious about it.

Congrats on your laptop!! If I do find a job and have to commute, I plan to do the same thing so I can write during the commute. I won't have to do the driving, so that will give me a minimum of two hours every day to write. I'll have more time if there is a lot of traffic in the afternoon.

I love our DVD player. My oldest son got it as a gift from a friend last year for Christmas, but he also had gotten a computer with a DVD-ROM drive. So, he gave us the one to hook up to the TV as a Christmas gift. I've noticed that we buy movies more on DVD than we did for our VCR. We mainly use the VCR to record TV shows we like that are on after my early-rising hubby goes to bed.

Transferring files--that's an icky chore. I have somewhere between 25 and 30 floppies and 5-6 zip disks of files I backed up when I redid our hard drive. I decided that I would transfer them to the new drive when I needed to use them. I wonder how many will never get transferred? LOL

I'm not looking forward to trying to get my housecleaning done before Christmas. It's not in bad shape, but it needs some spiffing up. We will be gone all weekend. so that takes care of the major block of time I had to do the stuff I need to do. I'm planning to enlist the help of my son, who will be home from college this week. I'll have to do some arm-twisting, but I think I can coerce at least a little work out of him.

Today's a little depressing, but I'll survive. We have to go and sign the papers for our lease for next year. I really had hoped that circumstances would have enabled us to be doing something else next year. But, it was not to be. So, we'll do our best to get through it and to change it before 2004.

Have a great day! Happy turtlin'!

Lin

Hello all!!

Tick Tick Tick-- Is it my imagination or is it getting louder ??


Was doing ok cookie wise until the Secret Santa party at the boss's house. And someone brought Home Made fudge, made just that morning. --
And then the leftovers were brought to work the next day.
And guess where they put them again- in my cubicle again as I am there alone and there's plenty of room.

The good news is that the fudge is now gone- I also can say it really was worth ALMOST every bite. Took me almost all day today to rid that thick, coated tongue feeling and I am still very draggy-- Sugar hangover for sure.
But I tell you, it was good.

So, I am just putting up the tree tonight, the smaller artificial as my computer desk is in the corner the big tree fits. No big deal really, as I only have Christmas Day off so there really isnt time to decorate the bigger one anyway. Did treat myself to a baby holly bush hoping I can keep it alive to put in the yard. Birds love them so I'm hoping.

Lin- I know the feeling well about not living where you'd like-
It's frustrating. Took me too long to realize I was also missing out on some wonderful people living here. We are still looking for our "change" in location too but I am not as standoffish as I was.
I see now how my "why bother? " attitude made me miss getting to know folks.

Erin- I can imagine how excited you are on your dog's return. We thought twice one of our dogs had gotten out and were panicked because she's a little loppy. The first time, after 4 hrs of looking everywhere, we found her under the headboard of our bed, sound asleep. When we got her out of there, she just looked at us like "What?" The second time, even though we had been calling and calling for her, turned out she had gotten herself behind the lawn mower and couldnt figure out how to get back out. Never answered our calls but finally, as I turned the light off to go upstairs, I heard little tiny whiny noises.

We laugh now but both experiences have proven to us, she woudnt do well out in the world alone.

My DH is diabetic as well-- Type 2-- If his weight is down, he needs less medication, and the more excercise he gets, the less medication and his tolerance for problem foods is greater. But its not a one size fit all disease. Everyone has to see which foods their bodies can tolerate and work around those foods.
Carbohydrates need to be monitored carefully but the no carb diets are not the answer-- again, every person has to see what works for him-- Very much like losing weight!!

We have a DVD player and burned some DVD's but cant get them to play! Need a 10 yr old in here I guess!!


My house is looking pretty good finally-- just in time for the accountant to visit and for the holidays too. We had so much stuff piled by category-- the piles got overwhelming and those piles never resolved. Well, the boxes have now been moved elsewhere and I just kept on from there. I am a big Flylady fan and have reclaimed the dining room table as well as a few other places and renamed them all "hot spots" -- Still have lots of things to sort by save, sell or toss but its great to see progress.

Already see a few friends stressing over family logistics for the holidays- One was telling me of a family quarrel which has spilled over to innocent bystanders-- We are so driven to share the holidays with blood relatives even if it literally ruins our holiday.
Seems like we just keep doing the same thing expecting different results and then are frustrated and angry when the same tensions and/or problems arise. I personally, feel that some family situations are beyond redemption. Especially, if great stress is created -- it spoils everyone's holiday. Its supposed to be a time to remember, not to dread. I'm not talking about boring stories or late arrivals-- I'm talking about toxic situations that have everyone wondering who is going to snap first.

I think wherever you find support and love is where your family is anyway- sometimes, blood has nothing to do with it.

I'll step down from the soapbox now.

In case you don't stop by till after the holiday, here's to a wonderful day!!

Till next time!

And to the best choices!

Hi, Turtles,

I hope you have fun putting up the tree and decorating it, Kaylets. We're not putting up a tree this year. We'd rather spend the money on gifts, since our budget is tight after all of the car repairs and the vet bill. But I am going to dig out our decorations on Monday and put lights around the window and decorate the house. My son doesn't know it, but he's helping. It's a lot easier for his 6' plus to reach the top of the window.

Good news! My dh got a small raise this year. It will be used to offset the increase in deductibles on our taxes, since we are no longer supporting two children and to help our youngest stay in college. He's still job-hunting. He says that the students who are bilingual have managed to find jobs. He keeps being told that he needs unlimited availability if he's not bilingual. That's kind of difficult for a college student who must attend classes, but they block schedule his classes so he has 3 or 4 days off every week where he could work. My other son ran into that attitude, too. That's why he rarely got more than 8 hours a week when he lived here.

Your bit about being standoffish made me laugh. I am so the opposite. My freindliness drives my kids crazy because they complain that the store clerks know all of our business. (Not true, but they might know about the recipe I'm buying special ingredients for. ) However, our apartment management has given up trying to get the people here to meet and get to know each other. Very few people attended the parties they have planned. So they've announced that they're not doing any more of them. My husband and I went for a walk through some of the neighborhoods and there were no people anywhere. That's one of the main reasons we hate it here so much. People aren't interested in meeting and making new friends. It's very frustrating and lonely. When I've tried to start short, friendly conversations with my neighbors, they act like they can't wait to get away to more important things. I've about given up, just like the apartment management has.

It's too bad that so many people have to deal with such bad situations over their holidays. I'm very glad my mom and her boyfriend split up. She is a different person and she's fun again. She's also a lot more mellow. So many of the problems we had since she got together with him were caused by having to accommodate him, no matter who else might have been hurt in the process. This year will be better, except that my mother will not get her wish that we sit around and talk about my brother. He did his best to alienate my family, so we don't have fond memories to share.

I don't know if I will have much time to be online until after Christmas. So, if I don't get a chance closer to the holiday, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas. And everyone who celebrates a different winter holiday, will have a great one, too. I wish the best for you all.

Happy turtlin'!

Lin

Yes, we lived in a complex the same way-- everyone was working, dealing w/ more than one schedule, etc- We didnt join anything for nearly the 1st 4yrs and then when we did, began to realize that we had only hurt ourselves. Now we own a house, but again, its very difficult to even be home the same time the neighbors are--
I began to actively "network" friendships, and have been rewarded. 6 mos ago I had to change jobs due to a downsizing and had to start again with an entirely new group of folks. Its ongoing and I am reminded often that I'm new to the group but have met with some success. What I did do right away was join the company sponsored Toastmaster Club through which I 've met other employees outside of my "sphere". I'm starting to see the domino effects there too. The other thing I 've tried to do is network w/ other newcomers to the company-- not as a formal club, but I make a point of going by their desk to say a quick "Hi" or inviting them to sit beside me during staff meetings etc.
For me, its an ongoing excercise in battling shyness.

If I wasn't working, I'd have to do the same at the gym, the library, and etc. Like you, our children are grown so its way beyond sharing carpooling or school activities.

Our DS just admitted he had been layed off on Friday. He is not the most motivated individual so we had suspected this or worse was due. He doesn't "get" that you cant collect if you havent worked a certain amount of time. He just keeps repeating " They told me that Unemployment would have the exact figure but it would be about 2/3 of my pay now" -- Doesnt have a clue that the Human Resource people won't tell you what you don't ask.

In the long run, this may be the life experience to finally get DS to step up to the plate but guess who he's expecting to pick up the slack ??

Merry Christmas to all and a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year!
Love,
Judy

Hi, tortoises. My family is all here (Mom, brother, DH, cats), which has been both wonderful and stressful. That's family! We've been helping my brother eat healthfully, though he's still in that scared-to-eat-anything mode. He has a lot to learn and a lot of hurdles to overcome. But he hasn't touched a sugary soft drink since his diagnosis, and that's a major feat right there.

As for me, I've been exercising again (even went to the club today with DH) and lost 2 pounds this week. See what the spector of diabetes can do for you? I'd much rather be tied to my journal and a treadmill for the rest of my life than be tied to an incurable disease.

Lin, to answer your question, the main thing in cooking for diabetics seems to be to downplay the carbs (without eliminating them), especially the refined ones. This would be easier if we weren't talking about my brother, who is a VERY picky eater (and hasn't met a vegetable or fruit that he likes). Potatoes are high in glycemic value, too. So we've been having things like whole-wheat couscous with salmon and chicken, along with salads and other green veggies that he doesn't care for. I got him to eat a half a pear a couple of days ago. Still haven't quite figured out what we're having for Christmas dinner, aside from turkey!

So glad to hear about your husband's raise. Good for him!

Kaylets, sorry to hear about DS's layoff. I hope things turn out well. These life lessons can be so tough, can't they? I also feel for you re: the fudge! I don't think I could've stood it. Unless I pictured syringes full of insulin, maybe ...

Judy, hope you're doing well.

Merry Christmas, everyone. I hope the day is bright and meaningful for each of you, and I look forward to sharing a healthy and happy New Year with you all.

Lauren
274/181.5/170s in January

Merry Christmas, Turtles. May you be happy and healthy, and surrounded by those you love.

Hi, Turtles,

Kaylets, I'm sorry about your ds. Good luck!!

I've known people who are shy. It can be a real problem. I applaud your efforts to deal with it in your life. I appreciate your attempts to help me, but you're discussing your solution as though shyness were also my problem. I assure you, it's not. My problem is isolation due to a combination of financial and transportation issues. I'm doing what I can and I have hope that eventually something will turn around in my life.

Thanks, Judy and Erin for the holiday wishes. We had a wonderful day yesterday. My brunch turned out fine. Everyone had a great time.

Lauren, thanks for the info. I'm sure you managed to make a great dinner for your family. Congrats on your rededication to exercise.

Well, we should have our DSL working soon. I've been offline for a couple of days because of connection problems. The emails are very confusing, though, so we'll have to connect the modem and see if they meant the 23rd or the 28th!!

Happy turtlin'!

Lin

Hello all!

Back to work for me! These middle of the week holidays can really keep you off balance! So many people on the roads Christmas Eve and this am, I guess lots us didnt get much time off.
Christmas got here before the tree got decorated so I'll just put it back in the box- -The priority was having the Nativity up and I'm glad I found the time for that.

Lin- You're right -- I was too general when comparing our "move" situations -- and went on way too long too! Even I was bored rereading it.

Mousie- Thanks for the greeting- I have been reading " A Daybook of Comfort and Joy" and found a chapter that begins with " Two men look up, one see the bars, the second the stars". Your message reminded me of that quote as soon as I read it.

Lauren- 2lbs down is great during the holidays! In a way, its a relief to have the holidays almost behind us -- At least, for me, the temptations in the stores, every magazine cover, etc will be gone.

I have gone on too long again!

To all the best choices!