Whoops; you and I were posting at the same time there, Judy! Sorry about that.

You all know the story of the tortoise and the hare, right?

Here's what Lin says about it (shortened):

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.

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.
------

-- Lauren

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS ON ENTERING ONEDERLAND, BANDIT!!!!! Woo-HOOOO!!! You ROCK! That's so exciting! I hope to be right there behind you!

Swania, hives! Eeep! I hope they pass quickly. Must be you reacted to something in your garden or somewhere. Every now and then DH gets them, just a few of them, and they don't last. That's great your BP runs nice and low. I think mine does too, for the most part. When I'm not freaking out, that is! Today I got a reading of 130/77, so it's definitely coming down (pulse still in the 90s, though). Little by little ...

Judy, I feel your 5-pounds-in-5-days pain. Boy, is that easy to do. One happy note: such quick gains usually also come off quickly if we jump back on the wagon. Sounds
like that's what you're doing.

I just rejoined WW for the umpteenth time. I haven't been since December, and I've packed on about 15 pounds. You'd think I'd learn at some point, wouldn't you? Anyway, I start back week after next. After all the company leave my house. The next batch arrives tomorrow and stays 10 days. This is the tough group -- my parents and brother. I love them and can't wait to see them, but they're not the easiest house guests.

I've been exercising regularly, which is good. I've been facing down my BP fears, which is great. I've been writing down my points, which is wonderful. Next step: staying within my points!

Onward and downward,

Lauren

Congratulations Bandit on entering onederland! You should be so proud.

Lauren, you also are making progress with exercise and your phobia. It's the small steps that will lead to us to our goals. Enjoy your family's visit.

Judy, I can relate to gaining weight in a short amount of time. Why is it so easy to do? Brush yourself off and begin anew. You can do it! Are you still on the challenge?

I plan to start tracking my food intake again. My continual challenge is to do everything at once. If I am exercising well, I am not tracking or drinking adequate water. No matter what, I will weigh myself on Labor Day. I'll be hoping to see a total in the 180's. Don't let me get out of weighing then. Thanks.

Off to help mom with a shower (oh what an exciting life I lead)!

Dear All,
Bandit, I see I misread your message and you *are* in onederland!!!! That is amazing. Keep up the good work.

Fast post again for me. Too many social occasions and I'm not doing what I should.
Having people in for dinner and somehow I'm getting through this! Have found myself very hungry lately and need to take a minute to think this all through. Finished a quilt for my daughter who's having a baby boy. I love it, but now I've got to get back to the business of doing the right thing for myself.

I love the encouragement here and here's a for all of us.

Love
Judy

Hi Turtles,
Lauren,
Good luck with your company. I'm so glad you rejoined WW's. It 's the thing that works the best.

About the challenge:
I am still on the challenge, but I'm letting myself slip too often. Today the scale was a little better and I don't have eating challenges until Friday--and even at that I am meeting a friend in a diner, and we both watch our weight so I should be fine making good choices!

Reason I'm writing is that WW website has a good article today about taking small steps to help reach goal. I thought it fit in so well with our challenge. Lots of good tips--just might be something new or inspiring for us. Good luck guys.

Today I promise myself that I will exercise.

Good day to all,
Judy

Hi Turtles,
Help! Where is everybody?
Love,
Judy

Hi everyone - thanks for all the encouraging words. Last week was on holidays & ate too much, drank too much but had a great time. Lots of relaxing. Won $900 at casino so that was bonus. Got in a few walks but probably not enough to off-set my extra treats. But am back OP today and feeling great. Hope everyone is doing well - bye for now & talk to you soon.

Hi Turtles,
Bandit! Wow! You won $900 at casino? Fabulous! Glad you're back OP and feeling great and also glad you had a good holiday.

I've had 2 days of great eating OP and actually and finally got myself back on the treadmill for both of these days. Things going well.

Hope to hear from turtles soon.
Love,
Judy

Hi, Turtles,

I'm sorry I've been disappeared, so to speak. Life with Mom is getting better, though, so maybe I'll be able to post more often. I've been walking and eating as healthy as I can and I've lost enough weight since we moved that I need to get a belt to keep my jeans on. Don't know how much, though. I haven't stepped on a scale.

I've been writing like mad. I have a little bit more character stuff to do, then I have to plot this novel. Then, finally, I can start writing. Woohoo! What I've been doing is taking my journal and writing in one of the local cafes. I print out anything I need from the computer and stick it in my backpack. It's the only way I'll get any writing done because my mom refuses to take it seriously and interrupts me constantly.

My dh may, finally, have a job. Our pastor's wife gave his resume to one of the managers she works for. He interviewed yesterday. He's supposed to hear "in a couple of days". It's a great job, doing what he likes doing best and what he's really good at. So, wish us luck, pray, cross digits, whatever. Thanks!!!

I hope you all are doing well. I enjoyed catching up with your posts. Congrats, Bandit, for getting into onederland!!!

Congrats, Lauren, on rejoining WW. I hope your leader is both fun and inspirational. Good luck.

Nice to see you're back OP and treadmilling, Judy.

Good to see you're tracking again, Swan.

I'll post again when I can. Meantime, Let's keep moving, folks. Moving our bodies and moving forward toward our goals and dreams.

Oh, Lin, I SO hope the job comes through for him. It does seem that you get most jobs through people you know; certainly that's been the case for me. Glad you're getting some writing in, and that's great that you're managing to lose some weight in the midst of all this.

Judy, good for you, sticking with it!

Bandit, glad you had such a good time.

Swania, the 180s! That would be terrific!

I did a little thinking and realized that if I stick with WW this time and stay consistent, I could lose most of the weight I've regained by January. That's incredibly exciting, because I'm SICK of being where I am. So far, I've gotten some exercise every day (today was just 40 minutes doing yardwork, but I did work up a good sweat), and I've tracked since rejoining WW on Thursday. I was at an all-time high that day, weighing something like 211. (All-time, that is, since getting down to 179 briefly.) Today I checked, and I'm down to 206.5, which means I was holding lots of water.

I realized, too, that just before we left for Italy last December, I weighed 189. That means I've put back on more than 20 pounds since then! I was truly shocked when I realized that. How insidiously it has come back on!

I will NOT weigh 274 again. I will hold firm in spite of having more houseguests arrive next week, in spite of going on vacation to Philadelphia/Cape May, and in spite of my own inclination to overeat when stressed or bored. I will remain active especially. I will track what I eat, even on days when I know I did poorly and don't want to face it! I WILL OVERCOME.

Onward and downward,

Lauren
274/211/190s in October

Hi everyone,

I've missed you all! I have been so busy that I haven't had time for much. Happy that everyone has checked in lately.

I am still exercising, but I haven't had time to write it down. So tomorrow I will start - AGAIN (what time is this?)! There are 5 weeks until Labor Day. Anyone have goals to accomplish by then?

I will weigh in on Labor Day and see how I have done. I hope to see 180 something by then. I have no idea what I'm weighing these days, but don't think that I'm near 200 based on the fit of my clothes. I will do my best to write down my food and exercise for the next 5 weeks.

I don't have time to address everyone personally (Lin, I'll pray about that job for your husband), but I want to post some things that I have found inspirational. Best wishes to you all and here goes:

1. Here’s a query for your day, today…

What is overeating and being overweight giving you?

Please think about this, in a very insightful, deep way.

You may learn a lot about yourself, and your motivations for continuing your old habits. I found that for me, being fat was a shield against having to be close or intimate with others. It was protection from possibly being hurt. That compounded my problems, though, I began to see over the long-term. I was overeating in the short-term moment of pain, to soothe my pain, but in the long-run, I was making my pain worse. This snowballed into a massive obesity problem (400 pounds of misery).

It’s not easy to look at yourself, and see your problems. It helps if others are doing this kind of self-analysis, too. You can gain a lot of previously unknown information by sharing yourself, and listening to others share their insights, too.

2. There's a familiar cycle in our culture: People over-indulge, gain a lot of weight, then starve themselves or devote themselves to punitive diets that don't allow a normal range of foods. There is a better way - which sounds too simple to be true. Just eat less - of everything.

When you're having a meal and picking what that one item, or one plate of food will be...

1.) Pick what your mind wants: logical and healthy food, perhaps a vegetable + protein + carbohydrate combination item such as a sandwich, soup or salad.
2.) Pick what your heart craves: something really delicious and satisfying.
3.) Pick what your soul needs: food that is a symbol of your self-love and care.

And make it a reasonable, normal serving size. You'll know it when it isn't!

Hi Turtles,
Glad to see us up and running in our turtle ways!
Lin, I'm praying for your dh and his job lead. Also glad you're figuring out a way to do the right things for yourself under trying circumstances.
Bandit, I'm still smiling about your $900 win at the casinos. Good luck with your weight journey.
Lauren, I hear you loud and clear. You've done so well. I'm glad you're exercising and keeping on with the hard stuff. You can do this. And yes, it comes back faster than we ever want to think about.
Swan, loved the message you had to us about choosing foods for the right reasons.
Your initial weight is gone!!!! Labor Day is coming and I would jump and scream for a successful WI for you.
As far as me, I have to eat correctly and then get to my doc because I think my meds may be off. I can't claim that, however, unless I eat the right way. I am on for Labor Day (and my dd's shower). I'd love to be 5 pounds thinner by then and I know I can do it.
to us all. Thanks all for chiming in even with your busy schedules.
Love,
Judy

Great thoughts, Swania. You were quoting someone, right? Or did you used to weigh 400 pounds?

Judy, so glad to see you're still at it. And good for you, getting your meds checked soon.

I had a great weekend OP. I even went below my point range a couple of days, which is VERY rare for me. I just wasn't hungry and didn't think I should force-feed myself. I usually eat more on days after low-point days.

The weekend itself was wonderful. So relaxing. I had the house to MYSELF for almost 4 days. After having houseguests for two months, this was fabulous! And I exercised each day, too.

Yesterday DH returned with his mom, who will be staying with us for the next three weeks. This weekend his brother's family arrive for two days. I'm so glad I had last weekend to attempt to restore my sanity. I wish my husband understood this better; he was upset that I didn't do any of my writing work over the weekend. It bothers him when I work in the evenings; he feels neglected. I don't really see any way past this particular impasse; we love each other, and sometimes we just have to disagree. I really, really needed this past weekend as a rest break, and I took it.

Onward and downward,

Lauren

Hi Turtles,
Lauren,
Don't worry about taking much needed time to help yourself. You've been inundated with company and needed that time to regroup and recharge. It's tricky with dear husbands. It's not always possible to think and react the way they do and that's what makes for an interesting relationship. He's probably feeling the stress of having continual company as well.
God Bless and take care everyone:
I'm trying real hard but the weight isn't budging. Perhaps tomorrow?

Love,
Judy
n2aswan~~That 400# comment intrigued me too.

Sorry I didn't make it clear. I was quoting from a daily e-mail that I get from Beliefnet. The author used to be 400 lbs and has maintained a 160 lb loss for over 15 years. My highest weight was 235.2 and I only hit it once. I knew that I was going to restart WW, so I gave myself a week or so to indulge. In subsequent starts my highest has been 208. I am now (strictly guessing here) about lower 190's with a goal weight of 135. Sorry to have confused you.

Incidentally, anyone can register for e-mail from Belief Net. There are newsletters for different topics. If you're interested, e-mail your address to [email protected] and ask to be included.

Here's the latest one:

Daily Message from Norris Chumley
8/5/04


Are your weight problems affecting your relationship with God?

If you look to food for comfort and satisfaction, instead of God, you may be missing an opportunity.

If you are isolated, lonely inside your house, avoiding an active and engaged life, you may be avoiding the plans God has for you.

If your health isn’t what it could be, because you just aren’t taking good care of yourself, you may be causing yourself discomfort, pain, and needless suffering.

There is a better way. A way of comfort, connection, health, and happiness is possible. That way is with God. Surrender your old ways, and ask God for help with what holds you back.