Hi, Everyone,

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.

Lin

Hi, Turtles,

Lauren-- The joke's on us. You challenged us and we're all posting that we made choices we might not have made if we weren't trying to meet this challenge. This cracks me up!!

We all can do this. We all know it because we've all done it.

I'd like to propose that we set up a new challenge every 2 weeks or every month. We can choose to accept the challenge for that period or not. If we want to maintain during that period, for whatever reason, we can take the challenge, but add a few points to accommodate that goal. We could vary it by doing different challenges--points or exercise or whatever. Tell me what you think. If you want to try it when the current two weeks are up, I'll set up a Turtle Challenge thread where we can post quick posts about our daily progress.

We can continue to use this thread for the long, rambling, inspirational posts we all find so helpful.

Lauren, we watched Pops Goes the Fourth on A&E. They interviewed a couple of people from Britain and Australia who said that they think America throws great parties and they're celebrating as friends of our country. It was cool.

Kathy, it's great to hear how well you're doing. I'm envious. I miss that Fiat Spyder convertible we have, even though it's been 23 years. (That's how old the son who's birth caused us to trade it in is)

I'm still OP, too. I made raspberry shortcakes for dessert. I'm testing the recipe to see if I can cut some of the fat in the biscuits, but I cut too much and they were dry. So, back to the drawing board for another try.

Have a great weekend. Happy Turtlin'!

Lin

Hi Turtles...WEll this turtle went 1 lb up, and I am so upset..Oh i am sure it was my fault...I am not giving up though. I will just work the program faitfully, no extra food, no beer, no pizza, and I will make sure I drink my water and I willalso go to the gym tomorrow after breakfast, I will prob just do 30 to 45 min of areobic machines and wait to do the weight training till we get the bow flex. I am going to enjoy using it at home. I will write every thing that touches my mouth down. I will get that 1 lb off plus more.

Things going well other wise..Oh I have 100 loads of laundry to fold but besides that!!. One of my quilts is with 9 other quilts from my group is in a judgee show in Tenessee. I am very proud. WE are going agains other quilt groups. The prize for the group is 5,000. If anyone lives in Tenessee, that is where the quilt wil be. Paducka I think the name is.

I have another challange to do this week. I have 16 blocks that I got from members of the group. My job is to get them tog with sashing and then stuff them by next Fri since we are going to have an old fashing quilting bee, no that is notcorrect. Actully we are going to work on our own quilts. We will stay all day, and some of us will stay the night. She has a pool and hot tub and so we are allowed to go swimming or hot tub any time we want. I am very excited. The quilt will go into a show at the college. This is a wild quilt group I am in. I will plan on eating well while I am there, I mean no pigging out like I normally would.

Well go to get to the store, take care and see you all later..

Kathy

Hi, Turtles,

Checking in with a post on my progress with the challenge.

I'm OP. I have a ton of banked points this week. I haven't been trying to bank them, but it's just ended up that way. It's so weird, too, because PMS is looming.

I need to focus on exercise this week. That's the challenge for me. I'm doing great with food, water, journaling, etc. But not exercising as much as I'd like.

Kathy, you go girl. You can do this, too.

Looking forward to hearing from the rest of you after the holiday weekend.

I'm working hard to save those banked points for Tuesday. It's our 25th wedding anniversary. We're going out to dinner and I want to feel comfortable eating what I want. You only have one 25th anniversary in your whole life and I intend to celebrate mine.

Happy turtlin'!

Lin
Time to fess up--(272/251/246/ final- )

Hi, tortoises.

Erin, how are you doing? I've been thinking about you.

Kathy, WTG on the quilting. I love quilts. Do you have any photos posted online?

Lin, good for you banking those points, in spite of PMS! Wow! And happy anniversary in advance. 25 years is quite a milestone. May you have 50 more.

Sure, I'm up for additional challenges. As far as I'm concerned, they can stay part of this thread for now. This one sure has motivated me. I stayed OP the whole time at MIL's, which is a first for me. Yesterday we walked 5.5 miles together, too -- it was a lovely walk by a lake. I did get a bit hypoglycemic, but other than that I didn't have any problems.

Today we left MIL's at 4:50 a.m.! We wanted to avoid the Sunday Cottage Country traffic going back to Toronto, and the long lines at the border crossing in Windsor. We managed both -- it was the nicest trip we've ever had from her house. No waiting, no traffic. We were home by a little after 10 a.m. Of course, we took a LONG nap in the middle of the day and are still feeling kind of loopy. We plan to hit the club this evening and get a good swim in.

I hope to see a loss this week -- I'm so excited by the idea of getting off this three-month plateau. I really think I could hit the 90-pound mark by my birthday if I just stick with it. I want to give myself the 100-pound mark for Thanksgiving.

Onward and downward,

Lauren
274/188.5/184 by August 4

Hi, turtles. Just a quick note here -- I took a peek at the scale, and I'm down a pound for the week, which puts me into VIRGIN FAT TERRITORY at last!!! Just by the skin of my teeth, but I'll take it. Tomorrow is my official weigh-in for the week, so I'll wait to change my numbers then. I'm entering into PMS, so if the weight goes up tomorrow, I'll use today's numbers.

Measurements have gone down, too. Finally. I guess the program actually works when you work it. Duh.

Onward and downward,

Lauren

Hi, Turtles,

Wow, Lauren! OP at your MIL's and lost another pound!! Super.

"I guess the program actually works when you work it. Duh." That about sums it up.

I'm still OP. My challenge to myself is to follow my exercise plan. I want to make exercise the one thing that I don't ever stop doing because it's the hardest one to start doing again. (For me, anyway.) Besides, when I exercise, the food part is easier.

I watched a program on weight loss on CNN yesterday. It was mostly the same stuff you always see. There was a pretty interesting statistic, though. One woman studying women who weighed more than 250 pounds found two things they all had in common. One, they had been put on diets before the age of 13. Two, they had dieted 20+ times to lose the weight.

That causes me to wonder about the wisdom of trying to make children confom to specific weight standards, especially considering how normal it is for their weight to fluctuate. They don't grow little by little. They do spurt up over relatively short periods of time. I noticed that a growth spurt in my sons was always preceded by a huge increase in appetite and a weight gain. Then, when they actually started growing, their appetite would decrease and the excess weight turned into more inches. Now, they're both over 6' and normal weight.

They blame the problem of overweight on two things, genetics, a society that makes it hard to be active in your everyday life, and the prevalence of food choices that are unhealthy or presented in overly large portions. Most people live too far from work to walk. (I, OTOH, live too close. It's not much exercise from my bedroom to my computer in the living room. ) So, we have to take extra time from our busy schedules to do that activity. Most people won't do it. And unless you cook it yourself from scratch, it's difficult to get really healthy food.

A doctor has started a weight loss registry of people who have lost 30+ pounds and maintained it for at least a year. He surveyed these people and discovered that they had 7 things in common. I thought you'd find them interesting.

1. Keep trying.
They didn't give up.
2. Don't deny yourself.
They didn't cut any particular food or food group out of their life completely.
3. Weigh often.
They kept careful track of their weight. But they weren't clear on how often "often" was.
4. Exercise 1 hour/day.
That's the amount that they all seemed to find effective.
5. Add little bits of additional activity to your day.
That's the bit about taking the stairs, parking at the outside edge of the parking lot, etc.
6. Eat a high carb, low-fat diet.
They mean complex carbs with lots of fiber and they didn't say how low in fat they meant.
7. Eat 5 meals a day.
They brushed by this pretty fast, so I didn't catch the rationale behind it. (It does work well for me, though.)

FWIW, those tips were the crux of the program. It also included a useless segment on what drugs they might come up with in a decade or so. Some useless information about how genetics does play a part. Useless because we can't change our genes. And a stupid (see my mini rant above) about overweight children.

OTOH--"What goes around comes around." Check out this article in the NYT Sunday Magazine from yesterday:

http://partners.nytimes.com/2002/07/...ZEutttnNNul3eB

No wonder we're all confused!!

Happy turtlin'!

Lin
Time to fess up--(272/251/246/ final- )

Lin, I've seen that article several times in the last few days. I've been reading and considering, and combining with what I've been learning in class.

One of the most "duh" things they present is the idea that the obesity epidemic is concurrent with the "fat is bad, eat more bread" push by the authorities. Hmmmmmmmmmm. Anyway, it's worth reading and thinking about, instead of just rejecting it out-of-hand.

Otherwise, I'm doing okay. At about 2200 calories a day now, still exercising, still not losing. Bleh.

Hi Turtles...

Just a quick note to say hi...doing quite well yesterday and today..I am proud of me, and that is good. I have spent too many days being embarrased, ashamed, etc. With 2 good days under my belt, I am feeling good. I exercised today for the first time in months. Did the areorbic machines for 45 minutes..Am not planning to weight lifts till we get our bow flex. (I did buy one of thoes walking tapes where they give you these rubber band things and that will prob be like weight lifting. so I might do that before my bowflex comes..) Will end the gym Sept 1st. can not afford it any longer. I did not take advantage like I should have, and I have been a member a year..I plan on going 5 days a week doing between 45 minutes to an hour until the 1st of September

Water consumtion up too. That is a hard one for me..I just don't enjoy it like most people. I am on my 2nd bottle of a 24 oz'er. Trying to get lots of vegies in. Yesterday a gal from chruch told me gets frozen stir fried vegies and when she gets hungry or with her meal, she slaps them in the microwave for 4 minutes and she has a good vegie meal. I tried it and it was very good. I made a vegie soup but I kinda cheated. I have always like the taste of the beef stew mix, so i used that as my soup stock. Ijust didn't add the beef. I used what I had fresh on hand, zucchini, celery and carrots..and although I hate cournting carrot points..i did count the soup as 1 just incase I hate 1 cup of carrots which I doubt I did!! It was very good. Will not do that alot as thoes pkg's are expensive..I just wanted to try it.

Lin..I like thoes 7 points you made regarding how thoes people kept the weight off. All thoes are good meditiating material.

I don't have any quilts on the web yet, but I think I will get some pictures tog and have my daughter show me how you do that. I am very proud of my quilts..they are usually quilts that are for use and not for show only. I love usuable quilts.

Have a good day you turtleetts.

Kathy

Hi, tortoises.

I'm down 2# for the week, which puts me well into virgin fat territory! Had a good hard workout yesterday at the club. I'll go again tomorrow. Today I have a friend coming over for lunch, then I've got WW tonight.

Erin, didn't your nutritionist tell you you probably wouldn't lose initially? If you've upped your calories but not your weight, then I'd say you're on the right track. Also, have you been taking your measurements?

Lin, thanks for sharing that info. I had heard about the show and was interested in it, but we don't have cable. I'm pretty much doing what they tell you to do, except exercising 1 hour each day. Wow, that's 7 hours a week! I'm nowhere near that. Not sure if I'll aim for that either. I'm happy with 5. But it wouldn't surprise me if as I age, I'll have to up the exercise in order to maintain my weight. I figure those of us who are obese didn't win the genetic lottery, so we have to work harder at keeping our weight at a healthy level. I think I'm finally at a point where I can just accept that instead of deny it, like I used to.

That was also interesting about kids being on diets before age 13 and being on 20+ diets. I can't remember the first time I went on a diet, but I do know my parents were after me about my weight from about age 10. It's hard to know which comes first, kind of a chicken-and-egg thing. Are obese people obese because their parents put them on diets too young, or did their parents put the on diets too young because they're prone to obesity? I didn't have any big growth spurt like your sons, Lin; I was a chubby kid (though not more than about 5 pounds overweight until I hit puberty). But my parents getting after me definitely didn't help; it taught me how to hide my eating. I can remember hiding lumps of brown sugar in a paper towel under a chair. I somehow learned very early on to use food to salve emotions.

The article is also interesting. I was raised to think that carbs were bad, but I was also raised to think that fat was bad. And it's true that I lost weight quickest on the Diet Center program, which was high in protein and veggies and low in everything else. (Almost no carbs and very little fat.) The article has some loopholes, though -- it says that high-fiber carbs are OK because they slow down the glucose absorption process, but then disses anything made with flour or potatoes. Well, there are plenty of high-fiber products made with flour, and potatoes are also a good source of fiber.

The article also applauds being in the state of ketosis, ignoring what it does to your muscles -- including your heart -- and quotes some talking head as saying "It's normal [for our bodies] to starve." I've certainly lost weight when I was in a state of ketosis, but it was not a good place to be. And -- something this article doesn't seem to want to discuss -- it didn't lead to long-term weight loss the way plain old moderation has. In fact, I was surprised that NOWHERE in that article does it address keeping weight off long term. Any idiot can lose weight in the short term; just ask me. I'm an expert at it. But what are Dr. Atkins' patients' long-term prognosis? Are people sticking with a low-carb, high-fat diet for years?

I found the studies of people who have kept weight off over the long haul much more informative, and their results were much more along the lines of what Lin saw on CNN.

The bottom line? I'm going to use my common sense and aim for moderation in all things. What a concept.

Onward and downward,

Lauren
274/186.5/184 by August 4

Hi, Turtles,

Erin, it's good to hear from you. I've been wondering how you were doing. Don't get discouraged. It will take time for your body to adjust to not being starved. I'm so proud of you for doing this, hard as it is. You're doing great!

Kathy, I don't count carrot or onion points. I did just fine on 123 Success and I mostly follow that plan. I use the Winning Points for the activity points slider, because I think, used properly, it more accurately reflects the points we use. And I use WP for the information in the booklets. It's much more useful than the booklets in 123 Success.

Looking forward to seeing your quilts. I love doing projects like that, but don't because I don't have time right now.

Lauren--Woo Hoo!! Let's cheer. Another 2# gone. Great job!

My earliest memory of worrying about eating something was at around age 6 or 7. But I didn't get put on diets until I was 9 or so. I still resent that because my pictures show that I wasn't actually fat. I just didn't fit in "normal" clothes. I still don't because I'm not proportioned the same way as the "ideal" the designers make clothing for. Long torso and short legs in an era where short torsos and long legs are "in". I hate that we even HAVE "in" and "out" in terms of genetic things we have no control over. That's an old rant. I'll leave it at that.

Lauren, it's the high glycemic quality of flour and potatoes they're referring to when they put them on the 'bad' list. Carrots and onions go on that list, too, which is why WW started counting them.

I had some other issues with that article, Lauren. One problem I had is partly with semantics. People persist in saying "carbs" when they mean "refined carbs", which gives the impression that all carbohydrates are in this category. The problem, IMHO, isn't with "low fat, high carb" per se. It's that the response of the food industry has been to produce products very high in sugars and refined flour as the "carbs" we should eat instead of all that fat. Our bodies didn't evolve eating processed food.

A second problem I had is that it doesn't discuss vegetarianism. Vegetarians are a group who have less heart disease and they certainly don't follow Atkins-style recommendations.

The last problem I had is that early on in the article the author states that Dr. Atkins goes too far in eliminating carbs. Then proceeds to use his diet as the benchmark, even after he said it wasn't the best way to do a "high fat, low carb" plan.

I think the most telling statement in the whole piece is when he said that this is such a complex physiological process that we really don't understand how it works. That's so true, yet we still keep prescribing "things" for people to do that will make them thin. We're guessing and we're using ourselves as guinea pigs. I wonder if, in the end, they're going to decide that people simply come in all shapes and sizes. (Not that such a conclusion will cause anyone to simply accept human diversity. They'll still try to make everyone measure up to the current standard, whatever that may be.)

Regarding what to do with all of this information. Well, for my health, I'm working to up the calcium. Osteoporosis runs rampant in my family.

I'm also working to up my fat a little. I've been tracking my fat grams, just to see what percentage I've been eating at and it's way too low, which may be why I've been having trouble sticking with my range. I remember that on the first WW program, way back when two slices of bread or the equivalent was all the starchy food we were allowed each day, I was less hungry than on any plan except the fat and fiber one.

Well, in comparing the two plans, the fiber fills you up, which makes up for not eating 8-10 ounces of animal protein. They didn't have a vegetarian plan back then and they actually limited high fiber foods like beans, so you got your satiety from the fat in that animal protein. I remember eating something like three or four small pieces of chicken to get the minimum amount I was supposed to eat at dinner.

ICK! I really hated eating that way, which is why I didn't stick it out. I was't all that fat, either. A good exercise program is what I needed at that time. The ten or so pounds would have dropped off if I had spent the money I spent on WW on dance classes!!

As I've worked with the point system, and with my past experiences with different food plans, I've discovered that eating enough fiber, enough fat, enough protein, enough fruits and vegetables, and enough dairy is what works best. So, I'm right with you, Lauren, re: moderation. But I'd also add balance to the equation.

I don't believe that cutting out any food group or type of food is a magic key to losing weight. Nor do I believe it's healthy. People like Atkins-type plans because they can (theoretically) eat as much as they want. Well, it didn't work well for me and I hated it, besides. I'm not willing to give up my favorite foods to lose weight. But you all know that.

I'm still OP. Thanks for starting that challenge, Lauren. I needed a kick to get me going. I walked for an hour yesterday and I will be walking again today because I need to pick up some bread.

It's my 25th anniversary today. We're going to walk to the Olive Garden for dinner. I have a ton of banked points and I intend to eat what I want, but I won't eat all of it. Their portions are too huge! But, I did wish we could have afforded to throw a party. (My dh doesn't. He hates parties.) But our son's education is much more important, so that's where our money went.

My class is working me hard. Applying these concepts to my writing is not easy, but I can see that it's worthwhile. So, I'm working hard, meeting my dare challenges and getting a handle on this story so the book comes closer to what's in my head, which has been one major frustration I've had as a writer.

Happy turtlin'!

Lin
(272/251/242/ final- )

Hi turtles...

And how are all you turtleetts doing??? I had a wonderful eating, exercising, water drinking day yesterday. The exercise was the best ever...50 minutes of very intense areobic machines...I am going to miss them when I have to give it up. After picking up my vacation pictures from Walmart, I strarted to get this low blood sugar thing I get when I exercise for a long period. it wasn't as bad as when it hits me when I am still exercising, but I could tell I was bottoming out so I ran to this bbq place and got a 7 pt bbq tri tip sandwich I guess one of the owners or employees works there, and she figured out lots of foods that were on the menu with the point values. I had the small tri tip for 7 and boy is tht a wonderful thing to eat when you are really hungry. I also had coleslaw, I was feeling so content..went home and took a mini nap before work. Dinner was wonderful too. but then........

....dh came and woke me up at 2:30 and asked me to go on a ride with him..he suffers from insomnia cause of his pain, we ended up at a truck stop having coffee and pie alamode..So now i feel i sunk before I even start the day..Told him I was definetly going to the gym today. Will prob go at 4:30, work out with my machines and then take a water areobic class that has something to do with kick boxing. If it is as hot tomorrow as it was today, it will feel wonderful to do...
I really enjoyed the "breakfast" though...I willl write it down, and try to eat well the rest of the day.

Got picutres I took of my daughter in her bathing suit..She competed in this "galaxy fitness" program tht was all over the country, she competed in Dallas. In this you have to do an obsicle course, pose in a bikini and in an evening dress. I got her to put on her bikkini for me and we took pictures. I kept telling her I was going to put it on my frig...She is a knock out. She did not win, she infact fell on the obstical couse when her knee got cought on the hurdle but that didn't stop her, she kept going and ended up 3 sec better in time..Of course she had scraped up her face a bit, from the fall but makeup helped she said..(I did not get to see her!!!bummer) Anyway she is so gorgeous in the suit..It will be an inspiration to see it when I get into the frig..Do Iwant to look like her??Yes indeed!!!!

Sorry this so long, but It isjust so fun to be back.

good night all

Kathy

Hi, turtles. I got the results from my bloodwork yesterday, and it was a good news/bad news kind of thing. The good news was my thyroid is normal, I'm not anemic, I don't have cancer, and I'm not diabetic.

The bad news is that my cholesterol was 261. That's 20 points higher than it was when I started WW four years ago. Back then, I was a couch potato and morbidly obese. Wouldn't you think that after four years of healthy, lowfat eating and a year and a half of regular exercise -- not to mention losing 87 pounds -- I'd see that cholesterol level go down?

I was stunned, to put it midly. I knew that high cholesterol runs in my family, but I didn't think it would actually get WORSE as I lost weight, and I didn't think it would be a problem for me in my early 40s.

The doctor sent along a "heart smart" diet for me to follow for six months, then I'm supposed to get a fasting cholesterol test done where they separate out LDL vs. HDL, etc. I checked the diet; I'm doing all that stuff already and have been for four years. So I'm going to call them and suggest I just do the fasting test now; there's not much point in waiting.

I'm very bummed at the idea of having to go on some kind of cholesterol medication at this age. I'm open to other suggestions.

--Lauren

Oh, I forgot to add -- Lin, how did you register for this writing class, and what does it cost? I'd like to take one.

Thanks.

Hi, Turtles,

Kathy, the best suggestion I have for you is to take on our challenge. It has stopped both Lauren and I from making choices that would stop us from meeting our challenge goals.

Meantime, don't beat yourself up about the slip. One piece of pie a la mode isn't going to stop you, long term. It's when you let that slip turn into another and another. . .You know that, I know. But sometimes a reminder is helpful.

BTW--aim for your daughter's fitness level. That's a good goal. Take it one little step at a time and you can do it.

Lauren, I'm so sorry to hear about your cholesterol problem. It's one of those things that makes me wonder if the doctors and researchers really know exactly what they are talking about. Maybe it isn't as simple as low fat diet and lose weight. Maybe things like exercise, fiber, fat, balance in our diet, and just plain genetics have more of an effect than they want to admit because it's easier to tell people to eat low fat and lose weight. That's the cynic in me talking, the person that thinks humanity loves to believe they know everything, when, in fact they know very little. Almost makes you want to chuck this whole thing because you're not getting the benefits you expected after all the hard work. End of little rant.

There's a web site, which I lost the bookmark to, but a search on Google should turn it up. It talks about food pyramids that reflect eating styles of people in different parts of the world, emphasizing the diets of people who have a low rate of heart disease. Changing the makeup of your diet to reflect these things might help. The basics: add fiber--eat more beans, whole grains, etc.--don't eat a super low fat diet, but limit saturated fat--choose olive oil, canola oil, etc. Try a little olive oil with balsamic vinegar as a dip for bread instead of butter, for example. Use meat as a condiment-an ounce or two at most in a serving. I'm sure this sounds familiar. It's the real information behind the food pyramid the USDA came up with, not the simplified version the food industry promotes to get us to believe their version of "healthy food" is actually healthy. It's not, really. It's just that it's more expensive to make really healthy food and they can't sell it. People won't buy it. That marketing campaign caused people to scarf on white bread, heaping plates of pasta, and white rice.

Check out Graham Kerr's web site. He has a ton of information about helping potential heart disease victims eat properly. He's researched it to death because he totally changed his cooking style, and adjusted it to keep up with research over the years, when his wife suffered a heart attack.

Ask your doctor to send you to a registered dietician. Maybe she could help you to see why your cholesterol is so high despite the fact that you've been following a heart healthy food plan and exercising and losing weight.

About the writing class, I'll send you an email explaing the whole deal. It's unusual and really cool. My writing is going so much better right now. I've always been helped by deadlines, though. So having assignments helps. Plus, getting the information and having time to really absorb it between sessions is great.

I'm still OP. I ate too much last night, but I had plenty of banked points to cover it. We had a good time. Got some exercise, too. We walked to the restaurant. It was cool. But I'm not expecting to see a loss for a few weeks. It's PMS and I'm so bloated. That extra water is a royal pain, but I'm working to accept that this is the way it will be for a while.

Happy turtlin'!

Lin
272/251/246/ final--