Hi, Turtles,

Here's my "official" version of Aesop's 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 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 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.

Lin

Hi, Turtles,

Erin, thanks for the kudos. I love the new smilies, too. Glad to hear that everything's going fine with you, too.

It's so good to hear from you, Lauren. Busy must mean, at least partly, that you're still working. Great!!

Computer games are one of my downfalls, too. I've been going back and forth between Wizardry 8 and Arcanum lately. One of my friends said her husband had to stop playing Myst III for the same reason--motion sickness. I haven't loaded it, yet. I need to finish something else and make space on the partition we set aside for games. I'm not prone to motion sickness, though, so I'm hoping it will work out OK for me.

Sorry to hear about the hissy fit. I can understand it. You know, the old "been there, done that". I'm glad it's over and you're back on track, minus the mysterious pounds.

I'd love to be able to get contacts again. I need better insurance before that will happen, though.

I'm still doing well. My weight seems to be stable at this lower level for the moment. I'm not expecting to see a loss again for a while. I'm getting to the water retention part of the month. I have to keep reminding myself of that because if I don't, the numbers will get to me. I have my journal from last month to help me keep it all in perspective.

Hope the rest of you are doing fine. Happy turtlin'!

Lin

Hi, Turtles,

Things are going fine with me these days. I'm still OP. Things are pretty much the same in the rest of my life. Except for the unusually warm, sunny weather, life is pretty much the same for this after-the-holiday season--routine and a bit boring. But I'll take that over crisis after crisis any day.

I hope that you all are doing well. Happy turtlin'!

Lin

Hi, Turtles,

I hope you all are doing well. I see people are reading, but not having time to post these days. I'll keep it going because I know you all will be here when you can.

Things are emotionally difficult for me right now, but it's not that my life has new crises. It's PMS and water retention. I can get through it but I'm not having an easy time this month. I'm making an extra effort to get in the supplements, but I know I missed some this month. For some unknown reason, I have trouble remembering to take the calcium in the morning. It's easy to remember the rest of the day. I think I'm going to write a reminder note on every page in my journal. That should help.

Everything else is going the same way it did before. I'm not complaining, mind you. I like not having crises. But I'd love to get some real good news, too. I found a job that I'd really have loved working for a photo lab. I called the guy and lost out because you need a car to do the job. You don't go to just one lab and work all day. It sounded like a really cool job. I was disappointed that my life circumstances have yet again cost me a job, but I was especially disappointed because this one would have been one I wanted to do, not merely a way to earn extra money. (sigh)

Well, I've got to go. I hope you all will find a couple of minutes to check in soon.

Happy turtlin'!

Lin

Hi Lin, I'm sorry you've had to post all alone for so long! Life is getting really hectic but then...well, I'll tell the whole story.

This is my final semester in school, and I'm carrying a heavy load. 35 hours a week on campus, PLUS one online class. Which I really should check on, but anyway. I saw a sign at school that was advertising for interns for Project Walk, an innovative program here in San Diego county that is trying the impossible--helping paraplegics walk again. And it's working! Project Walk is turning the industry on its head through their methods, and I want to be a part of it. So I called and told them my interest, and I passed interview #1, now I have to do interview #2. I'm SO into this! I'm hoping they will accept that I can only be there friday afternoons til the end of school (they are absolutely desperate for trainers, and every trainer must intern before they're hired). I want to be a part of this so much, I'm willing to postpone graduation to free up more hours if that's what they want!

So I'm running around busy and stressed, right? Then...DH's grandmother died, and he left for the UK this morning. And suddenly, I have SO much free time! I'm doing laundry, and reading, and going to the gym, and studying, and I STILL have free time! I'm sure this will come back to reality for me sometime, but it's very odd, nonetheless.

This week should be great for taking care of me, though--I bought all the stuff I need for large salads with chicken, steamed veggies and potatoes, high fiber cereals, lots of fruit for snacks...I'm going to have a great week!

Except for missing DH intensely, or course. This is our first time apart since we've been married (2 years on the 24th). I'm sure it doesn't seem that tragic to all of you, but it's strange not having him here!

Oh well. I've been to the gym, now I need a bath. Bye Turtles!

Hi, Turtles,

Erin, I hope you get the internship. I sounds like a great opportunity.

Missing your dh may not be tragic, but it sure is a pain. I hated it when Paul had to work out of town. The money was good, but I missed him a lot.

It sounds like you have a great plan for your week. I hope you get the results you hope for.

I've been eating a little under my points the past couple of days, which is so weird because it's PMS. My weight shows it, too. I'm up about 4 pounds, but I can tell it's water retention. The hard part is dealing with the emotions that go along with PMS and weight gain. I'm doing OK so far.

Not much news. Our car wouldn't start so my dh is home today. When the car repair shop opens, he'll take it in. It's probably the starter, since the electrical system works and we have a new battery. We didn't need the extra expense, but that's not unusual.

Happy turtlin'!

Lin

Hi, Turtles,

Well, I seem to be talking to myself a lot these days. This is becoming a journal of Lin's progress, with occasional comments from my friends.

Things are so-so this week. I'm doing mostly OK, but had a PMS meltdown yesterday afternoon. It was a relatively healthy meltdown because I ate brown rice, but the amount put me over points for the day. I've noticed that when I have PMS food issues it's always in the afternoon, between 2 and 3 pm. I need to plan a little meal, including some carbs, for that time. Maybe that will help.

Everything else is going about the same. I've changed my writing schedule a bit. I'm working on writing the mystery novel. The writing on the fantasy has come to a dead stop because I need to do more world building and character development. So, that's what I'm working on when I've completed the goal on the mystery for the day.

This is the longest stretch I've ever seen on this thread with no one but me posting. Is this valuable for you all, still? If it's outlived its usefulness as a support for you all, I'll let it go. But I'll sure miss you all, should you decide not to continue this little club.

Happy Turtlin'!

Lin

Lin- you got me out of "lurkdom"- I am quite the tortoise but believe that this slow and steady is the way as it is a learning experience for a lifestyle (versus the here today gone tomorrow diet mentality) Please continue to post. I'll try to join in as time permits.

Lin--PLEASE KEEP TURTLES GOING! I'm sure everyone is just really busy, I'm sure they're not abandoning us. They'll be back soon.

As for me, I'm going by the theory that "if you eat right 90% of the time, you can indulge 10% of the time". Going by the idea that there are 21 meals in a week, 2 meals is 10%, so roughly every 9 meals (3 days worth) I get an indulge meal. I've only been doing this this week, so it's WAY early to say if it'll have a long term effect, but it looks good--weighed in this morning, and from last saturday's number I'm down 3.0 pounds! So we'll see what saturday's official weigh in says. My indulge meals work out to be on wednesday and saturday. I'm planning to have mexican food tonight for dinner, but then back on the path tomorrow! I used my George Foreman grill on sunday and grilled up a bunch of chicken breasts, and have been having chicken with spaghetti and sauce (today's lunch) or on top of really big salads. YUM! I like this "be prepared" method--maybe the Boy Scouts are onto something!

I've also been getting up at 5 to go to the gym. It's because DH is in the UK. I can do whatever I want, and live entirely by my body's personal rythyms. That, and there's no warm body in the bed next to me to seduce me into staying!

It's raining hard here, National Weather advised a flash flood warning for Southern CA. That's like a drought in Hawaii--we NEVER have floods! We're a desert, for goodness' sake!

Welcome Torty, tell us about yourself. We're always happy to get to know someone new.

Anyway. Let's keep Turtles going! Even if nothing's changed for you, guys, CHECK IN!

Hi Turtles,
Thanks for the welcome. Mousie- I am also in So Cal and dealing with the rain. A little about myself: I am 45, married almost 18 years with an 11 y.o. son. I have struggled with my weight since I can remember. My Mom had me on "Sego"- the Slimfast of the 60's when I was around 8.....and it went on from there...anorexia at 14 (95 pounds at 5'-5") and then just kept my weight in the sort of normal range by starving most of the time, till about 8 years ago when I couldn't take it anymore and started to eat. Joined WW in '97 and lost 60 pounds and was maybe 25 pounds from goaL- but I let stress and other emotions get the better of me and am back up. Just recommitted to healthy eating and exercise and am on my way permanently (YES!!!) down. I follow WW points but at a higher point level than designated, and keep the protein, carbs, fat in the range my trainer suggests. Have the luxury of a wonderful trainer I have worked out with for years in classes, who gives me a great rate for weight training twice a week, and general advice on cardio and nutrition. I have lurked for some time on these boards, but maybe it was fate that Lin was all alone and drew me out. I think I need the connection. The points of view of the Turtles seems well in line with my own. Mousie- I had great success with a "free day" when I lost before. I learned that when I know I can eat I don't obscess about food (talk about relief from a life-long burden) and I actually don't "pig-out" much at all. I love good food and experiment with new recipes all the time and enjoy the ethnic markets we have here. Anyway- nice to "meet " you all and look forward to joining in as I can (I'm my own boss but it is usually very hectic and I stay off the puter at home) Oh- we also have one real tortoise, 2 red eared slider babies, and turtle collectibles everywhere- our house is known as the Turtle Place.

Hi, Turtles,

Welcome, torty! I'm glad you came out of lurkdom. With your turtle collection, I guess you have found the right place. I have a small turtle collection. But I'm not that much of a collector, so people don't get me turtles. They get me books!

Wow! It's interesting that you and Erin both need to eat at a higher level than WW's official range because of how much you exercise. I guess WW doesn't really accommodate heavy exercisers well because they assume that it's difficult to get people to exercise. They don't expect heavy exercisers to need their program, either. It's a prejudice, I think.

I'm eating at a level that's higher than what WW suggests, too. I decided to personalize the program. I experimented and found what point range maintained the weight I was back then. Once I figured that out, I cut a few points and started using that range. And I'm losing weight, slowly, but it's coming off. The best thing about it is that now when I walk I don't get physically exhausted like I did when I was eating within the "official" range. If I go for a month or 6 weeks without losing, I plan to cut a few more points until I start losing again.

We'd better watch ourselves, Torty. I can see us writing long posts about good food and recipes. People call me a "gourmet cook", which just means that I enjoy cooking and am not afraid to try making more exotic food, including the traditional French stuff or super complicated recipes people think of when they think "gourmet". That's why I put the little chef smilie in my signature.

One of the things I challenge myself with is making good food that's healthy. I like to fix recipes and to create my own. Pulling food out of the fridge and pantry and just throwing it together is fun. I'm not a fanatic about not ever eating foods that aren't as healthy, though. I still make the full-fat, blowout versions of some of my favorite foods on special occasions. I don't make the whole meal that way, though. I have healthy recipes that I like better than the originals. But, dessert is another matter. There I usually do the blowout!

But I miss the availability of ethnic ingredients. You'd think I could get lots of the harder to find Mexican stuff (like a wider variety of chili peppers) here in Salinas, but they just have the same stuff that's available everywhere. I end up treating myself to online stores once in a while. The shipping costs make it too expensive to keep stocked up.

Erin, your 90%/10% idea is interesting. It's appealing and it makes sense. I might try it in a couple of months. Right now, though, I want to be as strict in this range as I can be, just to be certain that it's the right one for me once the first easy pounds have come off.

"Be prepared" is definitely one of the Boy Scout mottos that I took with me into the rest of my life when my sons moved on to other things. The other one is to "always have a plan B". We Scout leaders used to joke that when plan B didn't work, there was always plan C and plan D and on through the alphabet. That is the method I try to use to deal with challenges--having more than one plan.

Flash floods are common to desert regions because what little rain they get, they get all at once. I've lived in CA all my life and I remember many years when there has been flooding in So. CA. What I always find amusing is horror films or thrillers set in San Francisco with the cliche thunderstorm to heighten the fear. San Francisco gets rain, lots of it. But the San Francisco Bay Area almost never gets thunderstorms. I think there has been one in the last three years. I can't remember when there was one before that.

This week has been a struggle. I'm having a difficult time with PMS. I've gone over, but mainly by adding extra snacks, not by eating too much in general. I've just been hungry. So, I'm doing the best I can and we'll see how it goes once this has past and the excess water is gone. I think that I'm just going to have to accept that there will be months like this one, deal with it, and move on.

Happy Turtlin'!

Lin

Hello Turtles:
Its been a good day eating-wise. My assistant and I indulged in fish soup from the Mexican seafood place around the corner- but is just a great broth with veggies and fish chunks, and a few corn tortillas to dip in so it was very points friendly yet was a treat.
I do believe that the WW points can be a bit low for active folks, and also that a body adjusts to calorie levels so if you keep it fueled on a higher level it works best that way as opposed to a minimal level. I know I spent years eating super low cal and would gain at the drop of a hat, and now it takes alot more to cause a gain even accounting for the higher body weight.
Mousie- I think your talk of school commitments actually invaded my dreams last night- dreamt I had committed to go back to law school and take some sort of medical ethics series of courses and I missed the first class.......but it turned out o.k. in the dream so I think that is a sign that I'm on a good mental plane. Hope you're hanging in there with your assignments and are able to look forward to some free time on the weekend??
I don't know if one can access past L.A. Times articles on line (hope so).. but there was a great article that I think went along with the Turtle way and the reality way of eating that I have taken to heart. I recomend checking it out if you are able. (keep it in my briefcase): from the Wednesday March 13, 2002 Food Section (one of the reasons I look forward to Wednesdays!!!) entitled "the Low-Fat-Free, Diet-Food-Free Diet" by Emily Green.
Wow just realized - I have made NO Valentine's plans..........we don't usually make a big deal and dh's b-day is the 16th so we kinda combine it at some point- but he is a sugar hound- so I think I better pick up some sweets. Luckily I can take or leave ordinary sweets- more of a foody. I used to make him peanut brittle- maybe try that this weekend- it has been 10 years and I hope I still have the "feel" for the optimal consistency..... any special Valentine plans for your guys??

Torty, sorry it took so long for me to reply! Life's been crazy. I had a "We have valentines but they're far away" party with a friend of mine, whose boyfriend is in Arkansas. We went to Souplantation and sat around and talked...and that was the extent of my valentine's day. Yesterday I spent the day hanging out with my parents because I didn't want to be alone in the house all day. I got another charm for my bracelet, a red and pink butterfly. I am "becoming".

And on that note, my 90/10 approach had me losing 3.0 pounds last week! WOO me! I'm really liking this way of thinking about things. I'm doing well with finding time for the gym, too, so I'm on a roll! Now to just keep things going!

DH is back tonight from the UK. It's about time, too--I miss him lots. I'm trying to do all my work this afternoon so I'll be free this evening. I have a paper on ulnar nerve damage to write, and a test on sports injury to study for. Hence up and researching at 7:30am on a sunday morning!

Best get back to it. Bye turtles!

Hi, turtles. Sorry for the silence -- I've been in a bit of a funk. Not sure why. I think I'm coming out of it.

Work is picking up again; I'll be busy on that front.

On the food/exercise front, I've been pretty lax, and it shows. I think I've been mildly stressed (that's when I eat the most), and I'm not sure why.

Anyway, I don't have time to write much right now -- got to make myself go outside and walk (in 21 degrees). I'll try to touch base later.

Welcome to Torty! Wonderful to have you here!

--Lauren

Hello Turtles,
Enjoy the return of your DH mousie, and congrats on the poundage loss last week.
Lauren- hope the funk is passing and congrats on even thinking about walking in the COLD weather. I'm a Southern California native and honestly can't fathom the amount of sheer effort it takes just to do daily activities in cold weather, let alone voluntarily go for a walk. I was tempted to use the "it's too muddy" excuse when I went to hike with the dog yesterday- but thinking about all you cold weather gals make me suck it up and it really was lovely and the mud was manageable.
Today feels like a "progress not perfection" day - but hey that's better than a backslide. Plan to cut out of work early since it is so quiet and hit the trail with the dog again (he comes to work with me and gives me that "look" that is hard to resist as we drive by the entrance to the hiking trails on the way home.

Bye for now.