Hi, Turtles,

Here's the fable that started it all:

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've been reflecting on what the turtle philosophy means as we start our second hundred posts. The turtle philosophy was a difficult one for people to accept. People want the weight off--NOW!! But reality is that it took time to put it on and it will take time to take it off. People want it to be easy to take off the weight. But reality is that it's not easy. You can have a program that's easy to follow, but following it steadily--that's hard. People don't want to exercise much, if at all. But reality is that our bodies were designed to move. So, we're setting realistic goals that take the weight off at a healthy pace. We're setting goals that will keep us moving steadily toward the healthy weight we want to be. And we're just plain moving. We're setting realistic exercise goals that will move our bodies the way they were meant to be moved.

We've also noticed that our turtle philosophy has affected the rest of our lives. I've started writing fiction again. I realize that I can finish a novel, or two, or ten. All I have to do is to set realistic daily goals, work steadily toward achieving them, and they will build up into finished books. Turtle Power at work in my everyday life.

Anyone who wants to join us in steadily moving toward all of our goals is welcome. I've met some wonderful people on this thread. I hope to meet many more. I know the battle with our weight is a difficult one. Having such supportive people come and post regularly keeps it from getting overwhelming. I hope to see many more people join us as we move forward on our journey.

Let's Get Moving!!

Hi, Turtles,

Judy, I'm glad I made a point of thread #100, too. It seemed to give us that kick we needed to reevaluate what we really want and what we need to do to get it.

For me, there were two things that got me motivated again--thread #100 and the posts we all made in response to it. And the new Flex Points system. It made so much sense. It seemed like it would fit much better into real life. I wanted to give it a shot and see what happened. I'm glad I did.

Your Halloween costume sounds great. I hope you had fun with it.

I love reading about how well you're planning things and how well you're following your plan. Good going!!

Choosewell, I'm glad you're back. I'm glad your trip was a success. YAY on the new, low poundage.

I know what you mean about snoopy people. I have an old story about my mother reading my journal, then telling my aunt what I wrote. She couldn't understand why I was so mad when it was years later that she told me. That's a betrayal of privacy that's hard to get over. But no one in my immediate family would read anything I write, not even my fiction, without my permission. I married well and raised good kids.

And I agree that it makes it easier to write what you want, not only in the personal journal, but in the stories, too. Sometimes my stories take me into very personal places and it takes me a while before I'm willing to share that with people who know me well endough to recognize those places. It's easier to share with strangers, sometimes.

You have a great plan for your weekend. Enjoy your time with your mother.

We're going to San Jose tomorrow to do some apartment hunting. I saved a bunch of flex points for the restaurants because no matter what you order, it's always higher in points than when you make it at home. I also am not expecting a loss on Sunday because the sodium in restaurant food always makes me retain water and PMS is looming. So, no matter what, I'm probably going to have an up week. We'll see what happens. But, I expect that we'll get a lot of walking done. We always do when we're in San Jose. So I won't miss my exercise for the day.

I need to do a tape this afternoon. This morning I'm making good progress with this plot. I'm still learning what method will coax the plot from my brain. It's a process and I'm getting there. The main thing I'm trying to do is to get enough prewriting done to be able to write 50K during November without getting so stuck that I can't finish. I think I'm accomplishing that goal. YAY!

Have a great weekend! Happy Turtlin'! Are you moving?

DEar Turtles,
First of all, *congratulations Lauren*.
What great news getting yourself out of the 190's and into the 180's. Oh, I am so happy for you. I'm trying to follow in your path, so I'm thinking ahead for myself as well.
I know you're in the Adirondacks already and your plans as far as cereal for breakfast and good bars will hold you in good stead.
This is all great news!!!!

Lin,
Enjoy yourself in San Jose. In apartment hunting, you'll be walking plenty. I hope you find a great place to rent and that you'll be so happy. The flexpoints seem made for you. It's amazing to me that WW is able to tweak the points program and keep on improving the system. Flexpoints seems to be very good for me as well. Good luck on your writing. Prep for 50K sounds like a very good idea. You put a lot of thought into your writing.

Choosewell,
Glad your working visit worked out well. Enjoy the time you have with your mom. You've got good plans and that's a major part of this lifestyle change. My leader repeats like a mantra: Plan and Prepare. She's absolutely right. I'm so glad about your weight loss. Let's all keep up the good work!!!!

I'm back on track and feeling great. Wed., Thursday and Friday were all good eating days. I didn't get anything done that I said I would but today is another day. So, perhaps I shouldn't have quite so much on my plate LOL as far as activities and plan more realistic activities for myself. So now I really am going to make my costume. Next I'll make a cake for tonight. We're heading to friends for dinner. I'll make a 3point dessert. In the past I've blamed these people in my head for distracting me from my healthy eating goals. Well, grow up Judy! At the most we see them eight times a year. Certainly those few times are not responsible for my weighing over 200 pounds. So today I have a new attitude. I'm bringing a dessert (angelfood cake with light cherries in the mix) that I can point out. I'll eat a salad first the way I did when we attended the wedding, and I'll have a great attititude about how much fun we're having and the game we'll play and put food in its proper place. How does that sound?
Gotta run or I won't get my costume done again!
Love and good vibes,
Keep up the good work!
Love,
Judy
234/222.2/thinner

Hi Turtles,
Just a quicky. Had a great weekend. Stayed within points. Just had to go into one Flexpoints while at our friends for dinner. Can you believe she had shrimp for appetizer and turkey breast for dinner. I brought dessert and the whole thing worked out very well. Also got on treadmill yesterday and today. Will start looking for my other exercise tapes to add some variety, but right now I'm happy with what I'm doing.
Hope you all had a great weekend.
Love,
Judy

Hi, Turtles!

Well, Judy, it looks like the stars lined up with your intentions to eat healthy. I picked up an angel food cake this weekend, too...Central Market has the most wonderful afc I've had. Do you have it there? It's an HEB offshoot. Anyway, congratulations on your successes.

We (Mom and I) are having fun and keeping each other in line. She's mentioned that she thinks she's at her lowest weight in 5 years, and that this weekend has helped. That really inspired me to keep making healthy choices.

I've been having a little trouble journaling this week. I'm going to renew my vigor after my weigh in tomorrow night, and in the meantime just do my best to get it down.

Lin, things are gearing up at NaNo! It's inspired me to write something else I've been putting off in the meantime, which is getting me in shape for November.

I am off to get some water...choosewell.

Hi, Turtles,

Well, I'm glad to see that you're back on track and following your plan. I'm sure it will result in great success for you, Judy. You're on a roll.

Hey, Choosewell, isn't it great that you and your mom can work together on this? That's so cool. I'm sure you'll get back to your journaling. It's so helpful.

I haven't had time to check out the NaNo site recently. I plan to do that today. I'm certainly getting geared up for it, although with my trip to San Jose on Saturday, I didn't get time to do any writing this weekend.

We found a complex in a really good location that we're hoping will have a vacancy when our lease is up. Otherwise, we'll try to hang in there here on a month-to-month lease until they do because it's too perfect. They've remodeled it to put in a bit more storage than most apartments. When they put in the dishwasher, they moved the sink down from the middle of the counter, making a decent-sized counter for cooking. They took out half of one wall in the kitchen, making a breakfast bar and pass-through. It also means that when I'm in the kitchen, I'm not isolated from the rest of the apartment, which I like. They also put in new cabinets, instead of putting the 10th coat of paint and new hardware, like we'd seen in other "remodeled" complexes. The rooms are pretty big, so there's wall space where we can put bookshelves and storage bins. I wish there were 2 bathrooms, but we'll live with one. They remodeled it, too, so it's nice. Not much storage in there, and I don't know where we'll put the cat box, but we'll manage. I'll miss the laundry room. Not only does it save money on the laundry, it also gives us an out-of-the-way place for the kitty box, which they prefer. The price is good. A tiny bit less than what we're paying here. I'll miss the garage and other amenities we have here, but I can't afford similar places in San Jose. Move 50 miles and the rent for a place comparable to ours goes up by $400-500 a month.

I'm up a pound from my last weighin. I'm not surprised because it's PMS and I'm retaining water. So, I'm glad it's one pound and not five, as has happened on occasion. But, I did well over the weekend with my food. I used my activity points and all but 3.5 flex points, but I was within my range for the week. I got in a lot of walking.

Lately, I've been working my way through my videotape collection. I have one that I really like that's a Denise Austin tape. It's a low-impact aerobics tape to Big Band Swing music. It's a bit more challenging than Richard Simmons. The other people in her tape were ordinary people, including her mom. I like it when they do a group and it doesn't look like you walked into a personal trainer's convention. It makes the exercises seem doable, if you just stick with it long enough. My only complaint is that they forgot to instruct the camera operator that when they change steps or start a new routine is not the time to do a head shot. It makes it harder to learn the routines, but they repeat the steps often enough that you do get it. I have a couple of Richard Simmons tapes that I haven't tried yet. My son's girlfriend gave me RS's food mover program because she wasn't using it. I was only kept the videos because I don't like selection-type food plans. We'll see how they are. His tapes seem to stay in the beginner-intermediate level, which is perfect for me right now.

Have a great turtlin' day!! Are you moving?

Hi, Turtles,

Just checking in today. It's going well. I did a low-impact aerobic tape yesterday and one of the toning tapes today. I learned something about the tonig tapes. They can be deceptive. The tape I've been doing seems to focus on the arms because you don't use the resistance bands in any way other than arm movements. It also tones the legs because you're moving the whole time. What surprised me was that I could feel it in my abdomen, too. When you use the correct posture and form, it's a more complete workout than you would think. That's pretty cool. Maybe when I get so this one is easy with all three bands, I'll be ready for the harder tape.

I'm doing fine with points, too. I eat my activity points. This week, I'm spreading out the flex points and using a few each day. It's PMS week and I'm a bit hungrier than usual. It doesn't look as though I'm going to end up using them all, though. We'll see how it goes.

The plot is coming along. It's a slow process for me. I know what the story is. I have some scenes that I know have to be in there. But it takes me a while to fill in the rest. I'm getting there. I think I'll have a decent outline by Nov. 1.

I hope you're all doing well.

Happy turtlin'! Are you moving?

Hi Turtles,
Lin, I am so glad that you f

Judy! lol...heavy on the trigger finger!

Had a weigh in of .....da da! down .4 pounds AGAIN! I'm basically on the fast track of down .4 pounds for no apparent reason. That's ok, I'll take it. Considering the business travel and mom visit I'm pretty happy.

So, I'm down 5 pounds in 6 weeks. Yay! Where is that dancing banana? Hold on.... You can never have too many dancing bananas, right?

Mom leaves in the morning, then it's back to the old grind. Ugh.

Chug that agua!

choosewell.

Hi Turtles,
I know what I posted last time was profound and awe-inspiring. Too bad it got erased by my hitting the wrong command. And don't ask me what I said because awe-inspiring and profound remarks come not that often!

Anyway,
Choosewell, that's great that you're down this week at your WI after being on a business trip and having your mom for company.
Your overall weight loss is great. Keep on keepin' on.

Lin,
I know I wrote about how wonderful it is that you found a place that you'd like to rent in San Jose. I also think it's great that with PMS you're only up a little. That should translate into another good weight loss next week.

Lauren,
Hope you're enjoying your trip to the Adirondacks.

all goes well here. Tonight is my WI. It looks like I'm down a new pound, so I hope that shows up at my WI. If so, I've lost 15 pounds this time around. I started July 1st. and with vacations and challenges, I'm still doing great! I'm optimistic again. Going to my friends house and having her prepare a dinner and appetizers I could point out easily was terrific. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Going food shopping and then treadmill and then WW. Good luck to us all!
Love,
Judy

Just a quickie here, turtles--I'm back, had a wonderful time, perfect weather, peak color. I hiked. I journaled. I went slightly over flex points for the week, but not enough to account for the THREE-POUND GAIN. Gaaaahhh ...

Well, nothing for it but to keep at it.

Personal responses later; got to run.

--Lauren

Hi, Turtles,

Checking in for today.

YAY, Choosewell! Another .4 gone. It adds up, doesn't it?

Judy, I hope your weighin goes as well as you expect, or better. You're doing great!

Lauren, I'm so glad you had a great trip. I wonder if you've retained a bit of water. I always do when I'm not at home because of restaurant food and because I often have trouble getting in all of the water I usually drink. I'm sure you'll break this up and down thing. Discouraging as it is, you're still better off than you were when we met on the old WW forum. You also might check your scale and see if it's calibrated right or needs a fresh battery. Your weight is really fluctuating weirdly these days.

I'm doing fine. I did my videotape, even though I didn't want to exercise today. I'm just a little tired, like I usually am during PMS week. But the exercise helps keep the symptoms at bay, so I try to make myself do it. My food is going fine, too. But I tell you, whenever I exercise, I'm hungry about 10 minutes after I finish. I always have a snack, but it's the reason I eat my activity points.

I lost that pound I gained. I hope it stays gone this week. This weekend will be one where my weight is going to be flaky because of TOM. But I know that's what it is, so I can deal with it.

I'm doing another marathon this week. I need to push getting the plot out without being so darn picky. I keep censoring my thoughts about possible scenes. The marathon will force me to just write down whatever comes into my head and sort the best ones out later.

Happy turtlin'! I hope you're moving!

Hi Turtles!

Lauren, I hear you about the three pounds up. Like Lin, I am sure that's dopey water gain from restaurant salt, etc. I'm sure those pounds will be down soon. Glad your trip was good and glad you're back. Let's just at those extra pounds and count on the fact that they're going away ASAP.

Choosewell,
I love the total weight you've lost. Isn't it weird how WW gets inside your head and you just do the right thing for yourself? I'm loving this program. I know you'll get back into journaling.
I like the checkbook that WW hands out, but I still journal into a spiral notebook because I need more room to write and it's easier for me to see the day at a glance. I use the checkbook for the flexpoints.

Lin,
I am so impressed to read that you didn't want to exercise because you're tired (I'm like that almost all the time--no interest in exercising) and you exercised anyway. That's what is going to keep your weight loss going. And it makes perfect sense to me why you eat your exercise points because exercise makes you hungry. You go girl!

Now for my big news! Yesterday at my WI I lost three pounds. I got rid of the .8 I had gained the week before and I lost an additional 2.2#. I knew I had had a good week with exercise and with only barely dipping into flexpoints. This seems to be what my body can handle right now and still lose weight. This is the least I have been in a long time. In June without WW, I couldn't get a pound to come off even though I was counting points. Now I am down 14.8# and I'm running through hallways rejoicing! And at last I'm starting to feel not quite so guilty about regaining the thirty pounds I had worked so hard to get off. About two Christmasses ago I was down to 206 at home nekked on my scale. Now I'm only 12 pounds or so above that and I know I can knock this off.
On another note, I mentioned to my hubby that I'd like to hand out bagged pretzels for Halloween and he didn't look too excited about that idea. (We always get at least 125 kids each year for trick or treating). So I said, okay, then you get what you want to give out. Just keep it out of my sight. That's fair to me and this way I'll not give Halloween candy another thought. This is the first of the triumpherant: (I know the spelling is wrong but that's as close as I'm going to get this morning). Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas (not to mention New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and our anniversary. ) Egads. But I have always had my head on right digging deep into my resolve at this time of year. I do not want this last quarter of the year to go by without losing weight. Just maintaining is not my aim. I want a real weight loss because I've got a way to go.
So, my resolve is to lose another four pounds by November 16th. I know I can do it. By the way, I've almost lost the six pounds I wanted to lose from Labor Day to Halloween and I have two more weeks on that self-challenge! Enough about me. I'm just very excited--especially about the fact that I don't have to knock off that old guilty thirty pounds anymore. Now it's more like that old guilty 12 pounds. LOL

Everybody take care and keep on keepin' on.
Love,
Judy
234/219.2/thinner

Dear Dears!

Lauren, welcome back. You were missed around here, and we were vicariously enjoying your time away from it all, even if it included time away from us.

We are all convinced (and we're an Expert Triumvirate) that the weight is due to secret sodium sources and less agua to wash it away. I bet a week of glug glug (water) and chug chug (activity) and you'll have a big drop like...

JUDY!!!!

dancing banana... for you. Congratulations! Let's all dream of what Judy feels like, 3 pounds down! Maybe we will be blessed with similar results.

A triumpherant (Judy's spelling, and I looked this up in the Turtle Intellectual Dictionary of Nonsense and Made Up Words) is "a pachyderm weight watcher who successfully navigates the Holiday Horror Trilogy composed of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Religious Winter Celebration." So, Judy, you were right on with your spelling.

Lin, a pound is a big deal! Even little deals are big deals in our world, I know...and you're right, they do add up. As do words...when we let them flow. I am really enjoying the practice I'm getting at turning my editor OFF as I practice write for the nano. Now I'm wondering if I edit my weight loss efforts, too, and slow them down?

Oh! Here's good news. I submitted two articles to my neighborhood newsletter, and they were both accepted. One was about homestead exemptions (zzzzzzzzzz.....) and the other about an uncommon hawk that visited our feeder. I am proud, and can't wait to see my name in print. I hope they spell "choosewell" right! Just joking, I wanted to see if you were paying attention.

Seeing my work in print again will be the same feeling I get when I read in my little ww folder that my weight went down. I must learn to anchor the two occasions and build on that feeling.

allllll hugs for all turtles...choosewell.
And, Welcome back, Iroquois Princess! Or is it Algonquin Princess? You pick one.

Dear Turtles,
Choosewell, bless you, bless you. I knew my spelling was weigh wrong, but nothing was coming to me. Besides I was correct in the dictionary that really counts! Too funny.

Everybody keep on keepin' on. Choosewell, congrats on your literary pieces being published. What a thrill!


Dh and I are off to my niece's tonight to celebrate some family birthdays. I've got it pointed out. She's picking up Greek food and I'm having a gyro. I'm also bringing dessert--that chocolate cake made with a Diet Coke. Too funny, but it really tastes good. With a gyro and a banana that I just had as a snack, I'll still have 2 points left before I go into Flexpoints. I think that's great. I took a break from exercise today and will be back in the swing tomorrow.
Take care,
Good vibes to all,
Love,
Judy