Turtle Group #143 into the fall
 

All welcome!
Turtles group has been around for a good long time. We are based on the idea that weight loss for us is slow but sure. The race between the rabbit and the turtle had the slow and steady turtle as the victor. We are all on a path to victory and would be happy to have you join us.
Itryharder (for Lin and Lauren) :cool:

Hi Turtles,
I figured out how to do this and our last thread had gotten verrrrrry long.
:grouphug: Have a great weekend.

Hi, Turtellinis!
 

Greetings from Texas!
Hi, Judy, Lauren, Bandit, Swannie? Whoever else stops by, too, hello!

Hub and I are starting SBD Phase I today, after success with it last year (before various stresses and inattentiveness to diet and exer). Frankly, it is a relief. My weight is at a nasty high, and it's uncomfortable. I caught sight of myself in the reflection in the living room window last night, and it was not pretty. Has that ever happened to you?

I'm going over to the SBD threads to pick up a grocery list and some tips. I hope this finds you all well and thin, thinning, or thinking. I'll come by and read some posts.

Love and hugs. Choosie. xo :cb:

:sp: OMG - 224.5/224.5/healthy size 14

Hi turtles:

Just popping in to say good morning & that I have been trying to keep on track.
Did OK over weekend had a few extra drinks but got in some extra walks. So hopefully will be fine at w/i - think I will change my day to Wed.

Anyway bye for now.

Hi turtles:

Just popping in to say good morning & that I have been trying to keep on track.
Did OK over weekend had a few extra drinks but got in some extra walks. So hopefully will be fine at w/i - think I will change my day to Wed.

Anyway bye for now.

Hi Turtles,
Choosie, sooooooo glad to hear from you. Guess what? Mousie is back too and we're so happy to have her here to join Bandit, Lauren, and me. Swannie is having trouble getting online with 3fatchicks, but she still stays in touch. I am so glad you're going to use SBD because I remember how well you did last year with it. Also kudos to you and your dh for doing this together. Yes, high weight is not fun. I also know what you mean about an unexpected vision in the mirror or window. Just happened to me.
I've been on a roll here and have knocked off a little weight. I feel good about my attempts and think they are showing. However, what I forgot is how much I do weigh and what that actually looks like. So, for now, I'll ignore the mirror as much as possible, use positive thoughts to keep going, and soon my vision in the mirror will come closer to that positive image in my head. Wow---to be 20 years younger and 90# thinner!!!!! :grouphug: Please chime in when you can because I love hearing from you. :cp:
Bandit, so glad you're changing your WI to Wednesdays. Then we'll both report back on the same schedule and that will be fun. Keep on keepin' on. Glad you're back on track. :bravo:
Love,
Judy :cool:

Hi Turtles. In Minnesota unexpectedly to help a friend through the death of her father. I'm not focusing on my plan right now. I bought some fruit to put in my room though. I should be home sunday.

HI TUrtles,
I've got good news. I had my WI this morning and I lost .4#. I really think I may have lost more than that because we ate out last night and the food was really salty.
So, this is my fourth consecutive week of losing weight for a grand total of 5.8#. :bravo: I am so thrilled. That's almost 1.5# a week. Even more thrilling is the fact that when I exercise and eat the right way, I can lose weight. This means the world to me. I'll check in tomorrow to see how everyone is doing, but I wanted to let you know my good news.
Love,
Judy :cool:

Hi Turtles,
Oh Mousie, this is so sad. I'll keep you and your friend in my thoughts and prayers.
Love,
Judy
We're here for you when you come back. :grouphug:

Hi turtles:

Judy - congrats on your continuing weight loss, that is great.

Hope everyone else is doing good too - keep up the good work.

I had my w/i last night & was down 2.2# so I was very happy about that. Went to movies last night then got in a 1/2 walk. Last week I got in 3 walks so I think the exercise is really me as well.

The weekends are always a challenge but with planning ahead and saving some points I can get through it.

Anyway, have a great day. Bye for now.

Phiew, Turtles, my goodness! Such drama.

When I got to Minnesota, sunday midnight, I walked into the house and my friend fell into my arms and cried. I gave her hugs and support and held her for awhile, then gave similar to her mom (who is also someone I care about). Her dad was dying, and was at home. He wasn't expected to make it through the night. My friend was taken home to sleep by her husband (they had taken an emergency international flight to get home from their honeymoon, and were jetlagged) and I stayed behind.

7 hours of wakefulness later, watching over him with mom2, mom2 decided to steal 2 hours of sleep on her bed (she had been dozing beside him in his hospice bed all night). I imbibed more caffeine and stayed up to watch over him for her. 20 minutes later, he died. I went to wake her and made the necessary phone calls while she gave him his last bath. 6 hours later, having given hugs round, made sure everything was in motion, and released the body to the coroners, I managed to sleep. I had been awake for 26 hours, by this point.

I feel rather cold-hearted for being so matter-of-fact about it. In all honesty, I didn't know the man. He was "Amy's dad", but he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's very shortly after Amy and I met and I never had any actual interaction with him. I grieve for Amy and her mom, though, because the grief I feel from them is nearly crippling. Mom2 has 8 years of the slow descent of her husband to mourn, too, and it nearly makes me cry just to be around her. I'm maintaining my strength, though, and supporting her. She leans on me, literally--she'll be walking by and she'll just stop and lean against me so I can hold her and stroke her hair, until she feels strong enough to continue on. I am a bit in awe of the amount of trust and faith they have put in me--to witness his last breath, and to trust in me to hold them up for this time.

Monday (the day he died) and tuesday (planning services, grieving) were extremely hard days. I know I ate on those days, and I know brownies were involved, but I honestly couldn't tell you more. We are all waiting, now, for the wake tomorrow night and the services at the church on saturday morning.

I feel alternately proud of myself and horrible for being proud of something so petty, but I planned ahead when I was packing and threw in two sets of gym clothes and my walking shoes. The last two days I have been back counting points and have gone walking at local malls (yesterday was Eden Prarie Center for 2 miles, Mall of America was this morning for 3 miles). I made reservations to stay at ExtendedStay America because they have small ensuite kitchens, and I've gone to the local grocery store and have light yogurt, fruit, and water in easy reach. At once it seems so petty and so important, to insist on taking care of myself this way. And to be proud of doing so.

I will not weigh-in this week--no scale--but my plan is to maintain my program and pick right up at weigh-in next friday.

Honestly, this all seems unreal. That long night will be with me, in my memory. 7 hours of listening to every breath...until there were no more.

Hi Turtles,
Bandit, what great news about your weight loss!!!! :bravo: Weigh to go. You must be so happy. It sure looks like the exercising you're doing is paying off. You're an inspiration to lose weight with all you're dealing with. :cp:

Mousie,
You must be very proud of yourself to come to the aid of your dear friend and her mom. This is a very emotional time for them and you're a lifesaver. I also have a comment about eating properly and getting in exercise while you're in the midst of someone's extreme sadness. What is wrong with showing some self control, taking care of yourself, and staying strong? Isn't that really the best you can do for someone else? Rather than diving into the depths of depression, you are controlling the one thing you can control right now: eating and exercising. If that felt good, well why shouldn't it? I applaud you for thinking clearly, being a marvelous help, and maintaining the vigil for this dying man. You are wonderful.

I'm just chiming in to stay in touch. I'm on track and will write again soon.
:grouphug:
Love,
Judy :cool:
234.6/213.4/thinner into onederland

I'm home, Turtles, and very glad to be here. Mom2 is planning to go to the woods (she's a naturalist) with her dog, find a big tree, and cry out her tears. Dear Friend has a husband to lean on, and other friends around her. It was a long, slow death, but hopefully now that that chapter is finished the family can move on.

I am a bit unsettled by the fact that Alzheimer's seems to be linked to circulatory issues, the two major ones being heart disease and diabetes, and traumatic brain injury. Ummm...well, my dad has heart disease and diabetes type II (which already was freaking me out) and I was in a car accident 8 years ago that almost killed me due to a massive, destructive blow to the head. Seeing a man die that way...wow, my resolve is solid!

I'm thinking in the direction of yogurt, fruit, veggies, and lean meats for the day. Need to check the cupboards and see what we have around. Since I've been gone for a week things are a bit of a tip around here, and I'll need to clean and go to the grocery. Ah, but I'm glad to be home anyway!

Hi Turtles,
Mousie, glad you're home safe and sound. Yeah, these medical things are really scary.
That's why we're working so hard to be thinner and healthier. You are certainly on the right track and I'm so glad you're back. :grouphug:

All goes well with me. I've been hitting the treadmill (well, actually I'm standing and walking fast on it) and I know it is what is contributing to my weight loss. My weight loss is slow (therefore I'm a Turtle), but it is gratifying to see that by watching what I eat, when and how often I eat, and getting in exercise that I can lose weight. It feels great. You all take care. Chime in when you can and keep on keepin' on!

Love,
Judy :cool:

:lol: I have to laugh, Judy, I have this image of you wielding a vengeful, petulant fist and punching your treadmill for 20 minutes while the motor runs and you complete your miles! :rofl:

I had a fantastic, back-on-program day. I've had nine servings of veggies/fruit, no simple carbs, low fat dairy, and good amounts of lean protein (chicken). I've puttered around and gotten loads of stuff done in the house, so our world is put back to rights and I feel safe and sheltered again. My body and mind are happy with me. :)

Everyone else, I hope you're doing well! Chime in when you can!

Weigh to go, Mousie! My WI is tomorrow and I'm hoping it's a good one. Everybody take care--and I promise not to punch out my treadmill.
Love,
Judy :cool:

Good morning Turtles! :) I wish we had a Turtle icon...that would rock. ;)

Anyway! I've planned my day and am content with what I have lined up. It's all within Points and healthy, "good" choices (veggies, protein, fruit) and I feel better knowing that I made these decisions ahead of time. I've walked to Panera Bread (about 1.25 miles away) and back this morning to get fresh bread for my hubby's lunch, and stopped at the grocery to get Kraft "Free" salad dressing for my lunch. I'm planning another long walk on my treadmill tonight while watching "The Biggest Loser". I didn't watch it last season, and I want to give it a try. Now that Celebrity Fit Club II is over, I need another series to follow and inspire me! :lol:

Right now I feel like I need a light snack--I'm extra hungry this morning! Then I'm going to go hop in the bath to get ready to go to volunteering this afternoon. Hmm, what to have...? :)

Hi Turtles,
Mousie, thanks for keeping us up to date on your activities. You're doing great. I think I may just check out Biggest Losers to see what it is all about. Right now I am glowing because at my WW WI this a.m. I lost 1.8#. In September I have lost 6.4# and I am very happy. My Halloween goal was 7# and I'm almost there. I have some big challenges coming up this week that I'll write about later. In the meantime, here's a :grouphug: and :bravo: for all of us for trying hard and getting it done.

Bandit and Mousie, I am ever grateful for your posts. They help me feel like I am not alone.

Love,
Judy :cool:

Whoops--In the spirit of accuracy, I made a mistake in calculating my weight loss. Since Labor DAy I have lost 5.6# and am well on my way to meeting my Halloween goal. This is great and I need to keep it going. Yay! I need to lose less than 2 pounds and that will be the least I have weighed since 2000. At that point I will be in virgin fat territory and chomping at the bit to break 200# Let's all do this!
Love,
Judy
234.6/211.2/thinner into onederland

Fantastic loss, Judy! It must be all that vengeful treadmill punching. :tread: ;)

You're so close to your Halloween goal, too, wow, virgin fat! You don't know HOW much I'd give to be in Virgin Fat territory...yipes! That's like...ow, since I was last here, 109 pounds from here! :faint:

I've had a good day again today...so far! I've still got dinner to get through. My best friend--who is notorious for bingeing on heavy, fattening foods--is on her way over to temporarily install her fishtank (her place is being exterminated). So dinner may be a challenge. I've got 10 points left. Wish me luck! :)

Tomorrow I'm planning to have another good day (I plan to have good days every day, right? ;)) and then friday is weigh-in. Fear me!

Turtles, you have to check this site out! http://www.sueandpaul.com/gmapPedometer/

It's great, you can set it to your city and zoom in, and map out any walks you take. It tells you distance between any points! I've mapped out my entire neighborhood, now...I've been plotting! :s:

Alright, Turtles, I gained 5 pounds :eek: during my week in Minnesota. I'm down 1.5 this week since I got back, so I'm up a net of 3.5. Okay. :) I learned a lot about myself and my habits while I was in MN, not to mention about my life in general. So it was worth it, and I will do better next time. :)

Hi everyone:

Sounds like you are all doing well so that is great. I have been really busy up here with bf problems and not knowing what to do, etc. Dating new people is exhausting and sometimes I don't feel up to all that is required to start up something new.

Anyway, I have gone out for a few drinks, dinners and I was up 1.4# at my ww mtg on Tuesday so I was disappointed with that. I have not had a good last few days with meals & actually had chinese last night.

I really will have to plan & focus for the rest of the weekend even though I have a birthday party this afternoon. Will have to behave. I hate this 2 steps forward & 1 step back all the time. As soon as I get in a few good weeks, then I seem to sabotage myself.

Anyway congratulations to everyone who has lost weight, drank their water, planned their meals, counted their points & got in some exercise!!!

Bye for now.

Dear Turtles,
Well, it looks like the recent week was tough on most of us. I went out to Montauk Point on LI for a family get together. Dh and our kids and their spouses and their kids were all there and I had a great time. Trying to juggle 11 personalities and work around kids' schedules and naps, etc. could have been a disaster, but although there were a few glitches, we really had a good time. Trying my very best and getting in a lot of walking still finds me up about 1 1/2-2#. I WI tomorrow, so I'm doing my best to eat right and get on the treadmill. It would be great if this was water weight and I lost it by tomorrow morning. It would also be interesting if pigs could fly. LOL

In any case, Mousie, good for you for analyzing the way and why you eat while you were in MN. You're right that these are all life's lessons and it's great when we can apply the learnings and incorporate that wisdom into our lives!!!! Wow--that sounded good. Glad you've knocked off 1 1/2# and by now I'm sure even more is gone. Good for you. :bravo:

Bandit, boy do I feel for you. First of all the two steps forward, one step backward is why we post at the Turtles site. For some of us the path is slow and steady and we still falter. Check out all our latest e-mails for that proof! In any case, keep on thinking of why you broke off your relationship with your boyfriend, keep your head on straight, and try and see the big picture. I'm sure that getting back into the dating game is tough (especially while trying to lose weight), but you can do it. You're right that having a plan will help you big time. I hope you made it through the weekend in a way that pleases you and we've got our Wed. WI coming up and that will start a new week. :cp:

Gals--I've gotta get on the treadmill. YOu all take care and keep on chiming in. I know this helps all of us.
Love,
Judy :cool: :grouphug:

Hi Turtles,
Today was my WW's WI. I gained .6# this week. This also broke my winning streak of losses every week. However, I am being a big girl and doing a lot of positive self talk. I was away on vacation and this was a very tiny gain--especially when I used to gain a pound per day whenever I was away. I am getting into the habit of the treadmill and am increasing my time on it. I am also enjoying yoga once a week. I am making a huge effort to lose 2+# this week to keep myself on track. I know I can do this and today was an excellent day as far as exercise and food.

Good luck to us all. Let's keep this going. :grouphug:
Bandit, how was your WI? I hope it was good. :cp:
Mousie, how are you doing? :bravo: for all our efforts.

Love,
Judy
234.6/211.8/thinner into onederland (I just realized that if I work real hard I can be in onederland by Christmas) :cool:

I'm struggling a bit right now, Turtles. Ironically I'm not struggling with limiting my eating--I'm struggling with eating enough. Something about the trip to MN and the regain, I guess, has swung me back into behaviors I have worked really hard to stomp this past year. I am seeing my therapist on monday, though. I figure that I have resources, and it's a strong thing to use them...right? Anyway, I am putting a lot of effort into holding on and not getting any deeper before monday.

So far this week I've dropped 1.5 pounds. It's not official til friday, though.

I'm really trying to focus on veggies and protein (a muscular body needs more protein) and on not exercising too much. Tonight I walked for 45 minutes and lifted weights for 20. :)

0.6 pounds is a tiny gain, Judy. It's...what...half a trip to the bathroom? :lol: I'm sure you'll get that right off. Remember to keep punching that treadmill! Show it who's boss! :lol:

Bandit, I agree with the idea to plan your weekend. When I'm planned (and stick to my plan!) everything is okay. It's when I'm flying by the seat of my pants that things go pear-shaped. :o

Dear Mousie,
Thanks for the encouragement. It's much appreciated.

As far as not eating enough, would it help if you commited to eating a certain amount of food each day and wrote it down beforehand? Once written down, the thought of what to eat and when would be off your shoulders. I remember your issues with exercise and how you are able to exercise for a very long time and expend a lot of energy. Take some deep breaths, think about your visit to your therapist which is coming up very shortly, and feel this :grouphug: to help you out. We're all pulling for you! :cp:

Ps. My treadmill doesn't like getting punched so often, but you should see my arms! Yahoo! Whoever thought treadmill punching could be so beneficial?

Bandit, good luck with your planning. I know you can do this.

As for me, I had a very good day yesterday with food and exercise and I dropped the weight I put on over vacation. I am aiming to lose 2+# this week to keep on track and I really am putting effort into doing that.

Let's keep on keepin' on!
Love,
Judy
234.6/211.8/thinner into onederland :cool:

Woohoo Judy! Talk about learning new and better habits! I knew you'd be right on top of it. :) And treadmill punching contributes to sexy arms...hmmmmmm, I'll have to try that! I wonder if it beats :wl: lifting? ;)

I'm trying to commit to eating something every 2 hours. Not much, things like light yogurt and applesauce, or half a sandwich, or a banana with peanut butter. I'm planning it out and it does help me stick to it...the problem is when I, like yesterday, miss a rotation. Then the mental voices start. :s: Those are the ones that tell me that it's okay, it was just 3 points, I can eat them later...next rotation comes around, how about we do X (generally exercise) first?...get to the next rotation and it's too much trouble to cook anything, why not wait til DH is home and then combine them all...next rotation and 12 Points at once is way too many, maybe just one or two...next rotation and there's virtue in being hungry, it's good to be hungry for a long time, let's see how long I can be hungry for...you get the picture.

You'd think, with such restrictions and limitations and so much exercise, I'd be thin. Doesn't work that way. I limit myself and work out hard, and expect my body to perform, and finally get so desperate that I binge on whatever I can grab, or I justify my cravings with "yeah, but I've only had 8 points today, and I've exercised, so I can eat everything I want". By this time I've set my body up to expect that it's not going to get more fuel for the work it's being required to do, so it better store everything I give it.

See, that's what bugs me when people have conversations about "starvation mode" and the fact that it doesn't kick in til you're at like 800 calories a day, and therefore I can have no experience with it. Starvation isn't so much about how many calories you're taking in, it's about how much you're expecting your body to do with the fuel you give it. You restrict, your metabolism turns down, you overeat relative to how much you were eating, and your body stores the excess. That's how you diet your way up to 300 pounds. Trust me, I've BTDT.

The real problems start when you begin attaching virtue to hunger (as I have done) and the little voices start plaguing you, and you start using food to avoid and deal with other things happening in your life. I'm getting help, though, and I'm really working hard at figuring out why I believe what I believe. I'm trying to learn new beliefs.

Wow, Turtles, didn't mean to dump on you! Let me know if it makes you uncomfortable to hear me talk about this, okay? :^:

Anyway. I'm up in the early morning because I woke up with a bad headache. I've taken some Excedrin and hope it kicks in soon! I'm going to go plan my day, and I'm going to do my best to stick to my plan. Fruit and veggies and protein, with a side order of guilt.

Nah, I think I'll leave the guilt out of it. :chin: Or at least I'll try! :dizzy:

Hi turtles - sounds like everyone is doing pretty good.

I missed my meeting this week - the weather was really bad & by the time I got home I was running late so thought I would go next day. But, mom & stepdad asked me to go to casino so I went & lost money, had buffet & felt guilty about overeating & missing my meeting. So, it has not been a good week.

I will definately have to do better. My problem, as you all know, is that when I falter I go overboard and when I am OP I am really good. So, right now I am trying to get my butt back on track. I don't do moderation very well, at all.

Anyway, keep up the good work & talk to you all later.

Alright, Turtles! I stuck to my plan the whole day yesterday, and I felt good. I had to take a snack to my volunteer position, which felt a bit awkward, but I just kept telling myself that this was something I needed to do for myself, it was part of taking care of myself, and I was okay. I knew that if I waited until I was home again to eat the voices would start again. (Wow, sound kinda psychotic, don't I? :dizzy: ) So I ate when I needed to eat, and I made it through the whole day. :)

For the record, 36 Points and 10 veggie servings (and yes I got dairy and water). I had 7 planned 'meals' that were about 2 hours apart. Right around the 3-hour point it starts being too much effort and too much hassle to eat anything, and right around 5 hours it starts being a game, a test of my strength and resolve of character. So I'm on an every-2-hours schedule right now.

I have tomorrow (today, friday) planned already. So I'm feeling comforted. I'm not feeling too optimistic about the weekend, but thankfully DH understands and I have no other commitments until I see Mike monday. So much of my life revolves around food...but I'm getting better. :) This is just a little glitch, when I've needed to draw back and focus for a couple of days. Then I can shift gears again, once I'm stable. :)

So anyway. Here's to a good friday! :)

Dear Turtles,
Mousie, I'm so proud of you. You're doing the right thing for yourself. Bringing food wherever is a must. My aunt used to eat food in church when she had to, so bringing a snack to your volunteer site is absolutely the right thing to do. You've got a complicated situation working for yourself right now and I'm sending :goodvibes: and a :grouphug: because I feel this is really tough for you. I also know you can do this.
:cp: I'll write more later. You can never reveal too much here. I know it helps to get our junk out so that we can be more peaceful and pursue the actions that will make us healthy and fit. You can do this and you are doing it. You just had a setback with the emotions out in MN and are readjusting to your life back home. Don't let those voices start! It is not virtuous to starve ourselves and eating a bit every couple of hours is the way to go. I am very proud of you. Keep it up Mousie.
Love,
Judy

I lost 2.0 pounds this week, Turtles! And it's right before TOM...whoa!

Today is planned, too. I have started eating today, too. Next time is in about an hour. So far, so good.

Thank you for your positive comments, Judy. I keep coming back and rereading them, as encouragement. :)

Keep on keepin' on, Turtles. :)

Hi Turtles,
Mousie, :cp: :bravo: :goodvibes: you're doing great. Two pounds down is definitely the way to go. You can do this. You're on your way to a healthier happier you.

Bandit, good luck this weekend. It's always good to hear from you. :grouphug:

Love,
Judy

Oi, it's been such an up-and-down few days, Turtles. Around midmorning today I realized that DH has given me his cold. BLEH. I'm about 8 hours behind him in symptoms, so it doesn't look like it's just the 24-hour kind (he's still sick). :(

I couldn't eat today. Not because I was not letting myself or playing games with it, just simply because I have a cold. I've spent a lot of the day sleeping. I've also been drinking water, to stave off dehydration.

But! When I am ready to eat again, when my body is healthy again, I will go back to the 2-hour thing. I'm not thinking this is over and dealt with just because I'm sick. I'll keep on...that's what makes me a Turtle, right? :)

Dear Mousie,
It's sure what makes us Turtles and we have to deal with colds, viruses, etc. Do you think you're up for some chicken soup or something hot to help keep you hydrated? Just a thought. Feel well real soon.
Love,
judy

I must have a really solid baseline health, because I'm basically okay this morning. :) I'm getting tired already--I've only been up for 3 hours!--so I'm probably going to wander back to bed here in a minute, but so far I've kicked the other symptoms. Of course, judicious (and generous) use of Airborne and Zicam have probably played a part in that, too. I'll take what I can get, whatever way I can get it.

I've eaten twice today, a homemade egg-mcmuffin-sandwich (egg, 2% cheese, canadian bacon, whole wheat english muffin) first and then a banana and 2 tablespoons peanut butter 2 hours later. Several people have suggested that for my body type (large but muscular) I need more protein and more good fats. So I'm having peanut butter and fish oil supplement every day. Huh. Or, I'm planning to, when I'm healthy! Whatever.

I woke up around 6:30 this morning and considered going out for a walk, but decided that it was probably not too bright to wander that far from home when I'm not entirely healthy yet. So I'll try walking on the treadmill later.

I was going through pictures--mom2 has offered to make us a scrapbook of our wedding--and I'm amazed at how small I was 5 years ago! We had 90 days after entering the country to get married (DH is British) so we didn't have much time to plan. I remember my dress being badly fit, and tight because I had started to put on weight between immigration hassles, moving stress, and school and work stress. I was 216 on my wedding day, which was 36 pounds heavier than my lowest. Obviously I hadn't gained 36 pounds in 90 days--I had gained about 20 of it in 90 days though! Anyway, I'm surprised by how small that was, when I remember feeling so gargantuan and uncomfortable. I guess 5 years gives you a lot of perspective.

Anyway. I hope all the Turtles are doing well. :)

Hi Turtles,
Well, we're wrapping up the weekend. Weather here in NY is beautiful. Crisp and sunny and a lovely fall day after such a hot and humid summer. Bandit, hope your weekend is going well. Mousie, you have gotten so introspective in your musings. You're doing great at discovering what makes you tick. I'm with you. I remember weighing 150# and being embarassed at my weight. So many pounds heavier now (and for a long time) I would give anything to be 150# again. All I can do is keep on exercising and pursuing a healthy life plan. Eating better and exercising is the way to go. Everybody enjoy the day and chime in when you can. Mousie, I hope the Zicam and Airborne chase away those cold germs. I've had good success using those products too. You all take care. :goodvibes: :grouphug:
Love,
Judy
ps--my birthday is tomorrow and I have to be super careful. As part of my celebration I ate out twice yesterday and my scale weight went up two pounds. I can't afford that, so back to basics today!
234.6/211.8/thinner onto onederland :cool:

HEEEEEEEEEEY Judy! Happy Birthday, birthday girl! Get in here so we can give you hugs and cheer and such! :) :hb: :gift: :woo:

I hope your birthday was wonderful, and I wish you all the best luck for the coming year! :dancer: :dance: :dancer:

Hi Turtles,
Mousie, what an adorable display met me on my computer this morning. Thank you so much. It makes me giggle and smile big with happiness. My birthday was very sweet.
I'm lucky to have such a good husband and my daughters and sisters remembered me, so all was well. Must admit this birthday crept up on me and the year flew by. Most years fly, but this was a direct non-stop deal! You all take care, have a great day, and keep on keepin' on. Bandit, stay with it. You can do this. Mousie can do this and I can do this! Yay. :grouphug:
I'm going to start a new thread.
Love,
Judy
234.6/ 211.8/thinner into onederland :cool: