#151 Turtles On the Run!
 

:carrot: :welcome3:
We welcome you to join us as we work toward good health and fitness in a persistent manner. As our inspiration we use the race between the turtles and the hare where the turtle as the victor because he didn't give up. We believe in keepin' on even when the odds are against us. We believe in giving each other support. Good luck to us all!
Judy
Itryharder
(for Lin and Lauren)

Hi Turtles,
Bandit, hope you're loving FL!
Arianna, so great to hear from you. Working hard pays off, but it's not easy to find time for ourselves in that mix. Good for you for chiming in here and taking care of yourself.
Mousie, thanks for the cabin fever tips. It makes me know that you really care what happens to me and it feels great. Thanks.
About me: Snow was about a foot here and the rain has washed it away since last weekend. I feel I've lost a lot of time. Watched grandbaby, then got sick and since it's a double ear infection, my balance isn't back yet. I'll keep on keepin' on, but weight is grim. I'm sending you all :goodvibes: and a :grouphug: and hope to be up to snuff real soon.
Judy

Hi Turtles!

I'm back & had a good time. Was abit cold when we first arrived but warmed up nicely.

Lots of eating but also lots of walking. I will probably be up a couple of lbs this Thurs but will wait & see before panicking.

Most days by the time we got back to room my legs were aching from walking/standing.

Mickey & Minnie are fine!

Anyway, back on programme today and back to Curves hopefully tonight, but if not tomorrow for sure.

Hi everyone!

Bandit,
Glad you got your walking in and had a great time in FL. :beach:

Ariana,
Are you still as busy as you were? :stress:

Mousie,
How are you doing? You seem on the right track. :tread:

Is it time to set some new goals? I am thinking that I may be able to undo some of the damage I've done so far if I keep my eyes on the prize. I'm aiming to lose 19 pounds between now and July 4th. That would average a pound a week which I have proved before that I can do. How will I do that?
I will exercise 3X a week and stay on Core. If I use non-core foods, I will track them on my tracker. :woo: and :cp: for me. Anybody got some good inspirational ideas for the short term?
Love,
Judy

I'm here now, though I'm confused about why you guys moved...but hey, at least I found you. :D As for skinny inspirations, the best one I know is something my leader used to say (when I went to meetings): "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels."

Sorry to hear it is so cold where many of you are. It is clody and cool here in AZ, but not cold.

Work has calmed down somewhat. Still a lot of pressure, but not as much, and I'm just too burned out on OT to do any more right now. I weighed in last night and I'm still the same weight. Considering that I had two horrible weeks, and then one week where I was out of town for two days, that is a good thing. I'm fully back on track now with working out and eating well (when I go home to my family, I often eat more.) I am eating this delicious corn chowder recipe that is about 4.x-5 points, and it is so tasty with FF sour cream. If you ladies want the recipe, I will bring it in and type it up. It takes probably 30 minutes to make, and a little longer than that to cook, but it freezes really well and it's quite tasty.

Hi Judy:

A little motovational thing I read somewhere today was something like:

If you really want it you will make it happen, if you don't then you will find excuses why you can't.

Also, I like - Just Do It

And Why Not?

And "If it is meant to be - it is up to me"

Have a good one!

Hi Turtles,
Ariana, we moved because the last thread was getting too long. We'll do this every time we get into long three or four pages of posts. I'd love the recipe for corn chowder. I make one and I'd love to see what yours looks like.
I must say that I agree you're doing well with so much going on. :cp:

Bandit, I love your inspirations. They'll be helpful. I finally got back to the doc because my balance isn't any better and it's interfering with my life. To cut to the chase, I'm back at square one and will see him again on Friday to make sure that these meds do the trick. :idea:

Take care. Be well, and keep on keepin' on!

Hi Turtles! I've been busy with school (first test yesterday and I ACED it!) and just keeping the house running, but so far things are going well. :)

Glad to hear you had a good trip, Bandit. And it's always a good thing to know Mickey and Minnie are fine. ;) After the hurricane season I was worried! :lol:

Judy, your July 4th goal sounds good to me. Now that you've got the distractions and the obligations of the holiday season over with, you can focus on yourself.

I'm glad to hear things have slowed down a wee bit, Ariana. I couldn't keep up with your schedule for long, that's for sure. Sometimes when we're under extreme stress out bodies hang on for dear life--burning fat is way too much effort when it's so much effort to just keep going! I'm sure when things settle down more you'll get off that plateau. :)

My body is changing, Turtles. I've been eating like this (it's strict, but once you get the hang of it it's actually pretty easy) for about 12 days now. I *feel* different. I feel like my body is just working better. I feel more awake, but not like...'not sleepy'. I feel more awake in my fingers and toes, in my arms and legs. I want to move around more. It's weird.

My jeans are falling off (seriously--when they're not fastened they don't hang on my hips, they just slide right off) and I need to go buy a new pair. For today I'm hitched up with a belt--that I had to pull tighter one notch. My abdomen seems smoother...I feel like my chest is sticking out more than usual. :o According to the scale this morning I'm down another 0.5. I'm not 'officially' counting it til friday, though.

An inspirational thought that I picked up somewhere:

Want something different? DO something different.

Have a good day, Turtles!

Hi turtles:

Arian - hope things get more settle for you, hang in there.

Judy - hope your meds work out for you.

Mousie - great job on those jeans!!! So much better than having to lie down to get them zipped up - hate that. My jeans are NOT getting an looser lately - too many treats this week.

Yesterday was good up until last night. I met a friend for coffee then ended up going through the drive-thr at McD and got Big Mac & Fries!! Anyway took it home & while I was eating it I remembered I had already had supper earlier - I couldn't believe it. Thank goodness no one was there - liked it matters. I had to count 19 flex points for that - which really cuts into my weeks worth.

Obvious I need to focus & smarten up.

Bye for now.

Ariana,
Glad you found us and that your work is a little less hectic and stressful right now. Weigh to go in doing your best!

Bandit,
Thanks for the inspirational messages. They were just what I needed to read.
It is true that we just have to do it. Wow! Wasn't that strange that you forgot you had had dinner? I think it's great you're counting the snack in as Flex points because that means you will lose weight again this week.

Mousie,
Always great to hear that jeans can fall off without a belt. Tell that to my black pair! I am so happy for you and that you have found an eating program that works. Weigh to go. You really have your eyes on the prize.
I also think it's interesting that you are feeling so much more alive. Keep up the good work. :woo:

I'm doing okay. The meds are starting to work, but my balance isn't quite here yet. I continue to be busy, but I'd rather rest. Got to WW and my mtg. yesterday. I was up 3.5 pounds, but I know that weight can come right off when I stay OP this week. The next 8 pounds I've put back on will come off in due time as I work my one pound a week magic from here to July 4th.
I'm so grateful for you guys because when I ask for help, it's here and I love being supportive of your efforts too. It's good to be in a group tthat doesn't just complain , but does something about it. Take care, be well , and chime in.
Love,
Judy
:cool:

Hmm, Judy, you just reminded me that I have a black pair of jeans that were just a bit tight...I should find them and try them on! :)

It's good to hear that you're feeling more stable, though 100% balance would be nice! :lol: It must be awful, balance is something you don't think about until you don't have it. I think you're wise to just keep your eye on your goal and focus on small steps to get there, rather than lamenting how far you have to go. I believe you will make it. :)

Everyone else, here's positive energy and all my hopes that things are going well. :)

Hi turtles:

Had my w/i last night - NOT good - was up 1.4# so really have to be good this weekend, even though I have a dinner/dance tomorrow for a wildlife fundraiser.

So, all my little treats have caught up with me. We all know, they eventually do. Anyway, stayed for my meeting then got in a curves workout.

Mousie - go find the black jeans. That is awessome older clothes are fitting again - good for you!

Judy & Ariana - hope all is well with you.

Everyone - have a great OP weekend!

Well, Turtles, it's friday and that's weigh-in day. No loss this week--I'm maintaining at 271.0. Considering the fact that I've eaten an average of about 1950 calories/day, I'll take it! Hopefully I'll have a big "woosh" next week. :)

Bandit, personally I'd be thrilled to go on vacation for a week and come back with not even a pound and a half gain. You stayed for your meeting, got in a workout--sounds good to me! Plan your workouts into your weekend and stick by the plan. I always eat better when I've got "workout" on my mind. I eat even better when I'm SORE from a workout! :lol:

Today is our 5th anniversary, and hubby has told me to go get "prettified" today. I'm going to get my nails done (fingers and toes), touch up the color in my hair (right now it's crayon red; it needs to be brightened), and buy a dress for tonight. Tonight, he's taking me to Il Fornaio, an Italian restaurant on Coronado Island. Our reservation is late-ish (8:30), so I've got all day to get gussied up!

Keeping this in mind, I have the morning to workout. I've got a 5k and a leg workout planned. Do that, have lunch, go to an appointment at 2, buy a dress, nails...mumble mumble...must get busy!

Keep Turtle-stepping, and you'll get there!

Good afternoon ladies. Things have been intense at work, but I'm still managing to workout. I'm up to 4x this week, 1 weights+cardio, 1 just weights, and 2 just cardio. I stayed late at work fixing a vexing problem, but I still went to the gym, I just did weights, instead of weights and cardio (I had told an old friend I'd call her at 7, so that's all I had time for.)

My point, and I do have one: I worked out 4x this week, and I'll do one more this weekend. So I'm making my goal of working out 5x this week. :D

I'm also doing my best to stick to my daily points target every day, no flex points (but I do county excercise points.) I am looking forward to this weekend, since I do not count points on the weekend and can indulge (but not go crazy.) (I usually don't use any flex points during the week, and then I indulge moderately on the weekend but don't count points -- I may have told you ladies this before...I'm just really looking forward to it. :D)

It's weird, my body is nearly aching for junk food. I keep craving all kinds of high-point things (I won't mention them and tempt you ladies.) Usually, that's a sign that I'm losing weight, so wish me luck. :D

Bandit -- you might want to try a regular burger and a small fry next time you find yourself at McD's. That will save you 8 points, but still allow you to have your burger and fries, in the instance that you have a mad craving. Like chocolate, the first few bites are usually the best, so a big burger's not as necessary. If you were hungry and had eaten earlier, your body may have just wanted a snack, in which case a small burger and small fries would also have been preferable.

Of course, I'm just trying to offer the tips and tricks I use, not meaning to lecture at all. The important thing is not to beat yourself up over something (you sounded upset up expending all those points at once), but to learn how to move forward from it, to avoid it in the future, if you want to...

Then again, sometimes you need an indulgence. When I have a terrible, terrible day at work, I eat Eegees (a local fast food joint), but never more than once a week, and only when I am *desperately* craving it.

I think I'm beginning to ramble, but I hope that was at least vaguely helpful. :D

Now I understand, Itryharder.

I will try and type up and post the Corn Chowder recipe this weekend. It is tasty and filling at 4.5 points.

Mousie -- congrats! What a wonderful feeling.

Hi Turtles,
Wow. This site is jumping! Good for us. Bandit, I concur that although being up on the scale is never fun, considering all your vacation time, etc. you have done remarkably well. Keep on keepin' on because you're doing great. :goodvibes:

Mousie,
Wow! I am so proud of you that you have been able to fit in the number of calories per day that you need to lose weight. :goodscale: I am sure that next week you'll have a nice loss.

Ariana,
I for one enjoy hearing your good tips and bits of advice because that's how I get good ideas to stay on track. Thanks! You're doing awesome on the exercise trail and that's great! :tread: Keep up the good work/

JDaughter and grandbaby here and I'll have to run, but I'm doing well even though there have been 3 social occasions already this week. I am keeping track of water, milk, fruit and veggies, and counting the WPA's I use so I don't get into 2007 with my points!!! LOL.
I really have to run, but everyone take care and enjoy the weekend the WW way.
Love,
Judy

Turtles I'm in such a flummox right now!

My parents (who live about 8 miles down the road from my husbad and I, in my childhood home) have decided to pull up roots and move on. They're putting the house on the market next month, and will be leaving when it sells. This guts me, partially because it's my childhood home and partially because they'll be moving to Texas! (We're in San Diego right now--1500 miles away.) It's the best choice for them--better jobs, cheaper cost of living, closer to the grandkids...so I'm in agreement that it's the best choice for them, so I'm trying really hard to feel okay about it.

BUT the hard part is that they're moving to Fort Worth. Now, my brother and his wife and two sons live there, so it's a good choice. BUT an internet friend, whom I have known for 10 years but have never met, lives there too. I forgot this fact and mentioned their moving to him, and he got all excited about meeting me when I visit them. Um...yeah. Never actually told him what I looked like because, well, it didn't matter. I was never going to meet him face to face, right? :shrug:

And THEN some of the weightlifter/fitness guys I know from another board, whom I have known for about 5 years, live in the area (Dallas). Ummm...yeah. I can talk the talk with the best of them, but do I look like I can walk the walk? :chin:

And THEN my parents just told me tonight that a couple they knew when we kids were young lives there, too. This couple has a son who was my first crush, and my first kiss--who subsequently never willingly talked to me again, and then went on to sleep with my best friend! They haven't seen me in probably 15 years, and the last time I saw their son was...hmm...maybe 7 years ago.

I was thin(ner) when I saw him last. The last time I saw him was when he was visiting my best friend, when I was her roommate in Chicago. She and I came in from an 8k run/walk on Thanksgiving day, and he was sitting at the kitchen table. I was wearing a black catsuit with a thin sweatshirt tied around my waist. Short hair, contacts, sunglasses--sleek and sophisticated, about 80 pounds lighter (I was a size 12, then), and not at all the girl he remembered kissing one long-ago night. All he could do was sit and stare at me. I pulled my stuff together and left, to drive to Minnesota for the weekend. That was the last time he saw me.

And WHY is this all an issue now? Why does it matter if all these people live there, when I live in San Diego still? Because we're having a family Christmas this year, and we're all going to have it at my parents' new house in Fort Worth! :faint: Imagine me spewing out a string of ugly words here, because mentally that's what I'm doing!

Oh, god, Turtles. Oh, gracious. I mean...it's...OW. Just...OW. I mean...to face all of those people, all at the same time (well, not the EXACT same time, but in the same week or so)...OW. There's always the option of not mentioning my trip out there to them, right? But then that would be like HIDING because I'm fat now...and...oh, god, shame. But to face them! To let them see me, to let them suddenly, wrenchingly reform all of their opinions about me, based on my appearance! And the fitness guys...to never, ever again be respected for anything I have to say, because of my weight...oh, ow. Ow ow ow.

This is like...this would be funny, in a macabre sort of way, if it wasn't so bloody painful. I mean, this is my worst nightmare come true. Old friends, weightlifter buddies, AND my old crush? Kill me now. :faint:

Freaking out a little here, Turtles, can you tell? I don't know how to hold onto myself right now. I've spent so much time and so much effort dealing with my issues and trying to make healthy, stable choices, and rebuild my body in a healthy and stable way. And this...I feel like a snowglobe that someone's just given a viscious shake to. :(

Hi TUrtles!
Mousie, can you feel me waking you up from your nightmare? Take a deep breath and look at your calendar. Now take another deep breath. You know all the things I'm going to say, just keep on saying them.
1. You will be considerably thinner then.
2. You are who you are, not what you look like.
3.You are an expert in fitness and exercise.
4. You know what you are talking about and you walk the walk.
5. You have been very successful since you rejoined this Turtle Site and have not wavered.
6. Relax, keep on doing what you have been doing.
7. Feel proud of your success.

Hey, I'm not saying for one minute that I haven't been where your head is now. It is never fun to feel like that. About 4 months ago I went to a party of people I knew over 40 years ago. I was the fattest person in the room among people who easily spoke in front of me about how others not at the party had gotten fat. Well! Talk about insensitivity! I almost said, "Yes, weight is a problem. Now tell me about how much you're drinking!" But my calmer self prevailed and I didn't ruin the party. So, gear up. Don't even think about December until it gets here and put your best efforts forward every minute of every day. You are doing that anyway. You are an accomplished young lady, you are back at school, and A'ced your test and you have a kind heart and a well developed brain! Keep venting here because we can all realize how disastrous all this news sounds, but there are ways around the dilemma and we'll help you figure it out.

In the meantime, keep on keepin' on. Your doctor is happy with your progress, your blood tests have been good, and you're on the right track.
Love,
Judy
To us all, :grouphug: and :cp: for all our efforts.

Oh, Judy, thank goodness for you. :love: I actually really did have nightmares last night about this--when I finally managed to fall asleep at 2am! I'm going to cut and paste your post to a private journal I have, so that I can keep referring back to it.

Taking a deep breath...okay. I'm focusing on today. I'll make today as excellent as I can. Breathing in...breathing out...okay.

Thanks again, Judy. Your level-headed words are a lifesaver. :hug:

Ladies, I don't have time to chat, but I managed to type this up on a break today...

Corn Chowder

1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter (Brummel and Brown Yogurt Butter – 1 Tbsp = .5 pt)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Medium Onions, Finely Diced (Frozen Works Well)
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Paprika
4 Cups Vegetable Stock
2 Large Potatoes, Peeled and Diced (About 2.5 c)
1 Celery Rib, very thinly sliced
1 Bay Leaf
½ Tsp salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper to taste (I do not use this, I dislike pepper)
4 cups frozen corn kernels
5 scallions, thinly sliced
1 c milk
¼ tsp dried thyme
A few dashes cayenne pepper (again, I skip this one)


1) In a large stockpot, combine the butter, olive oil, onions and garlic. Saute over medium heat until the onions are tender but not brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle on the paprika, toss and cook 1 minute
2) Add the stock, potatoes, celery, bay leaf, salt, sugar and pepper. Cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the corn and scallions, and cook 2 minutes more. Remove the bay leaf.
3) Scoop out 2 cups of the chowder and set it aside. Puree the remainder and return it to the pot. Stir in the reserved chowder, the milk, thyme and cayenne pepper. Cook 5 minutes more.

7 points if you divide this into 4 servings. I actually find that to be excessive, and usually divide this dish into 8 servings, making it 3.5 points each.

Fat free sour cream, mixed into the chowder makes a delicious, low point topping (not included in the points total.)

Hi TUrtles,
Bandit, here we are keepin' on! I admire your stick to it approach. :cp:

Ariana, Thanks so much for the chowder recipe. You're a doll to post it, especially because it is so long. It looks great and I'll be trying it very soon.
:chef:

Mousie,
You can do this. It'll be okay. You're fine. Breathe in, breathe out.
:love:

I love you all. Make each day count.
Judy

Mousie, Judy is right on all points. Christmas is a long time away still. You will definitely have a much harder time if you make yourself crazy trying to be a hare and "win." I believe that if you stick to it, you will be a much thinner individual then, and it will not be nearly so stressful. Also, keep in mind that these people you haven't seen in a long time or have never seen may not be exactly as you imagine them either. This guy, for instance, may be heavier than he was when you last saw him too.

And what's more important than Christmas this year, or the next, or even the one the year after that is that you will lose this weight, and keep it off, and that is invaluable, both to you, your social life (no more worrying about meeting people) and your health. It also shows people, that even if you are heavier than you were before, you are not letting it stand, and you are actively fighting (and winning) this war. You have the grit, the patience and the support to be succesful.

Also, and this may seem silly, but it would comfort me, is to find a way to bring up your new change to healthy eating habits and your weight loss. You may not be comfortable talking about numbers, but if you are, it may make you feel better.

Judy, you're welcome. This recipe is one of my all-time favorites. If you eat the serving size I suggest (8 servings per recipe), it is even relatively low point comfort food in the winter. It also freezes and reheats very well.

Yes, Mousie, Judy's right -- again -- deep breaths, and take it one step at a time, like a proud turtle. :cool: .

Hi turtles:

Ariana - your recipe sounds wonderful, definately have to try that one - thanks!

Hope everyone else is doing well & keeping OP & drinking their water.

I have had a few busy days - had a squirrel in my house - thought we got it out Mon night but last night when I got home he had eaten a bag of peanuts and an apple & made quite a big mess. My friend came over & we definately got it out - actually watched it go out front door. So that gave me lots of tidying/cleaning up last night.

I have been pretty OP for the last few days but didn't get to curves with all the squirrely confusion going on, so hopefully will get there tonight.

Have a good one!

Alright, Turtles! I've been focusing on what I can do today to reach my goals. My parents have said they "probably will" pursue rekindling the friendship with my old crush's parents, so I have a wide variety of times to "run into" them. Whoopee.

But anyway. I've really been thinking about what you all had to say, and it has steadied and calmed me. Thank you muchly for that. :) I particularly like the idea that Christmas is many months away, and there are a lot of days (299, about) between now and then. Which means 299 days to get me closer to my goal! :strong:

I have noticed that my weight has held steady for two weeks at 1900-2000 calories a day. My energy levels are fantastic, I'm getting so much done! Since my weight is holding steady, I'm going to try to drive my metabolism up a bit more. As of friday, my goal will be to eat 2200 calories/day for 2 weeks. We'll see what happens then. If I hold steady, I'll drive it up further. If I gain, I'll stay there for 2 weeks and see what happens.

Once my metabolism is driven up, then I'll start cutting calories and start burning this fat off. I'm doing it this way because I want to dramatically change my body composition. I don't want a smaller version of the body I'm in now. I want an athlete's body. That means, do what athletes do.

The way I figure it, if I "lose time" by taking 2-4-6 weeks to drive my metabolism up, I'm more than making up for that by changing my composition. So I may not lose as much weight on the scale, but I'll look so much more different if I do it this way! I'm really glad that I bought JB's program--it answered a lot of questions for me. :) I feel like I have the information, now, to get the body that I've always wanted.

And on that note, time to get off to my volunteering. Then home, eat, treadmill, eat, gym, eat, treadmill, eat...it never ends. ;)

I hope my grocery budget can handle this! :lol:

Bandit: You're welcome, the recipe is delicious. One of my all-time favorites. And a squirrel? Wow. Out here in AZ, a squirrel in the house is almost unheard of, unless you head up into our mountains (Flagstaff, Prescott, etc.) I'm glad you were able to get him out. Well, I guess cleaning is excercise too, right?

Mousie: Let me know if that works. I'm curious to hear. I know very little about professional athletic training, so this idea of eating more to raise your metabolism is new to me.

From my neck of the woods...I'm feeling cranky and a little blue. I'm not sure why. I'm moving onto a new project at work, and I always love digging my teeth into a new database. I start that project in a day or two. I'm going home next weekend to see my family. I have plans to go out for Saturday, so I'm not sure why I'm feeling kind of...out of sorts. I also feel a craving for fats and sugar that has become a bone-deep, every-fiber-of-your-being ache. I caved and ate eegee's (local fast food) sandwhich, french fries, ranch and a frozen drink. Now, I had 12 points still left for the day, so that wasn't quite as much of an overage as it sounds, but it still wasn't good. I should have followed my own advice and bought a small burger at burger king or something, but Eegees sounded so incredibly good. It's my comfort food when I've had an awful day, and Monday at work I was so tired I almost fell asleep at my desk, and I did sleep in my car on lunch.

Whew. That's my rant for the moment. I hope this post finds you ladies well, and happy.

Oh Ariana! My goodness, is there anything you can do about your work schedule?? Falling asleep in your car because you're working such long hours is not good! Is there anything you can do to help yourself?

If your work hours can't change, maybe you can change your (few, precious) sleeping hours? Buy yourself some cuddly sheets (or at least put clean, fresh sheets on your bed). Make sure you have enough blankets to be warm and comforted. My hubby bought me the best thing ever--an electric mattress pad. It's like an electric blanket, but it slides over your mattress and then you put sheets over it. Turn it on, then go do getting-ready-for-bed things (wash your face, brush your teeth, etc) and by the time you get back the bed is lovely and warm. And you can adjust it to the separate sides, too, so DH doesn't regret buying it for me! :lol: Lavendar (scent) is supposed to help you sleep, isn't it? I like vanilla so I use that. If you like quiet to sleep, buy some good earplugs at the drug store. If you like a bit of noise, try a white noise machine or a softly playing CD. You need to maximize your sleep and get as much out of it as possible!

I'll let you know how the eating thing goes. Background about me:

I did WW 123 Success when it first came out, in 1998. I was successful with that (lost the final 30 pounds to reach my goal of 180), and it stayed off for about a year. Then life went haywire--moved to England, moved back again, got married to a Brit, going through INS, unemployment, starting college again, DH getting diagnosed with Panic disorder, etc--and I gained back until I reached a horrific high of 294. I had tried many times to go back to WW, but couldn't make it work.

All this time I had been active. I have a Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science, and I'm about halfway through certification as a Physical Therapy Assistant. Exercise has never been a challenge for me--my problem has always been the eating side of the equation.

Unfortunately, I thought that I needed to "eat less and exercise more". Which, if you're just an average human, is good advice. But I was exercising--intensely--for hours a day, and feeding myself miniscule portions. Even on Points, even eating all my Flex, I was still way too low. I would earn 10+ activity points a day, but I was afraid to eat them.

I worked myself up into a mental state where food was bad, eating was bad, and if I ate the food my body needed then that meant that I was bad, too. I got help with that side of it, but it's still a struggle sometimes. :dizzy: Anyway, I was sleeping all day (except when I was awake and exercising) and weight loss had ground to a halt. Except for when I went over about 1,500 calories--then I'd GAIN!

In utter frustration, I came back to the Turtles (I had been a Turtle back at the very beginning of 3FC) and they encouraged me to do whatever I felt that I needed to do to be healthy. So I tried WW Points one more time.

Through diligence (and a lot of gritting my teeth) I managed to scrape off 19 pounds in 6 months. But I was always tired, always felt foggy and slow, never felt "on top of my game". Mid-January I decided that I'd force myself to eat more calories, and I lost 2.5 pounds between Jan 13 and Feb 10. I found a program that is designed for athletes (professional and amateur) and I ordered it, and started on Feb 11. The first thing it says is that you have to eat if you want your body to perform for you. Well...duh...but then it explained WHY and HOW, and things I had learned over the years all clicked into place. So I bought it, bought into it, and started trying to drive my metabolism up. I'm down 2 pounds from where I started on Feb 11. I'm still around 1900 calories/day, losing weight (very slowly, but still).

The quality of the food I am eating has skyrocketted. I don't eat things because "I have Points for it", I don't plan my meals around "how many Points can I save if I eat this processed snack?" Not saying that everyone does that, of course, but I did. And it got me in trouble. Now I eat chicken, lean beef, egg beaters, veggies or fruit every time I eat, protein shakes, skim-milk dairy products...food that grew that way. I've become very sensitive to salt :dizzy: so almost none of my foods are processed (I do eat some MorningStar Farms foods).

Wow, I just wrote an epic! I just wanted to kind of fill you in, sorry! I know you have very little time to read. I'll try to keep it brief next time!

Wow--from squirrels to sleeping in the car to working out. We rock!!
Good for us. Nothing much to add right now, but I am down more than a pound this week. I am hoping that now I am off meds, I'll be able to knock off even more than that next week. If not, I will truly be happy to knock off a pound a week and make my goal the turtle way.
Love,
Judy :grouphug:

Yay Judy! I knew you were on your way again after the holidays, and your loss proves it! Good for you! :cheer:

Hi turtles - what a group!!

Everyone sounds well, motivated & ready for anything - good for everyone.

I have stayed OP most of this week but have a "challenge" tonight. It is my birthday today & bf is taking me to casino for the buffett & some slot machine gambling. I am so looking forward to going - I love the slots.
My game-plan is to have beef/chicken/veggies/salad & stay away from the bread/creamy soup & cakes.

But, I always have good plans that sometimes for astray - so we shall see.

Judy - nice job on the weight loss.

Remember before I used to go to WW with some buddies, then cousin got sick so I have been going by myself. Anyway, they are starting back up this Mon so I wil be joining them again. So, again my ww day will be changed.
(can't go tonight anyway) But my new w/i day will be Monday again.
My cousin has gained 25# since last summer with all the meds,chemo she has been on - so now her doctor has given her the OK to re-join WW.
When we first all started we all did good - so hoping it will get us all back on track.

Anyway, bye for now & have a great day!

Happy birthday Bandit! :hb: Sounds like a good game plan to me for tonight. I think you're 'allowed' to have cake on your birthday! :lol:

And YAY for getting your meeting buddies back! It's always nice to have someone with you, someone to turn to to celebrate and to grumble. Sounds great to me. :)

Good morning Turtles! I trust everyone is fine this morning. :)

I'm up a pound this morning, but I'm frankly not surprised--I ate a large (for me) dinner very late last night, coupled with being awake for 3 hours (and drinking a lot of water) in the early morning when I was awake with a sick hubby. I'm pretty sure it's water/'body refuse', as I've been weight-stable this week. According to measurements, too, I've lost another inch off my underbust and another inch off my waist. So obviously SOMETHING is happening! :cheer:

I'm still planning to pursue my goal of 2200 calories/day in an attempt to drive my metabolism up. I'm also looking at changing my workout to Turbulence Training for Women, once I print out another copy. I can't find the one I have--I put it someplace 'safe' and now it's GONE! :dizzy:

Anyway. I'm down 22 pounds from where I started, as of this morning's weigh-in. I have about 42 weeks til Christmas, and I'm (right now) emotionally stable. I'm in a good mood, and I feel strong and positive about reaching (or getting very close to) goals this year. And I've got a lot of time, right? :)

Positive side effect: you're all going to be WELL aware that Christmas is coming this year, and possibly even get a jump on your holiday preparations! :lol:

I'm off to a haircut. Keep turtle-stepping!

Hi Mousie:

Thanks for the birthday wishes! I did good last night - had roast beef, mixed green/yellow beans with a few carrots & red cabbage. Had small piece of sugar free lemon cake & apple crisp and small piece of bread pudding with tiny sprinkling of carmel sauce. No cream soup, salads and NO bread whatsoever (that is biggie for me) & 1 vodka/soda. So overall - I think I was fine.

Got in a curves workout day - so feel pretty good.

Glad you are feeling good as well. Nice to hear all your positive outcomes.

Keep up the good work & have a great weekend.

Bye for now.

Bandit! You did terrific! I'll see you all on Turtles #152 because we're getting long here.
Love,
Judy

Happy Birthday, Bandit. Yes, I agree. A little fun must be had on one's birthday, guilt-free. :D

Mousie: I think my primary problem is two-fold:
1) Sunday night I always have trouble sleeping, probably because I wake up at 6 am M-F, but sleep in until 9:30 am on Saturday and Sunday. I usually spend Sunday nights (6:30-8:30) sewing and eating pizza hut (1 medium veggie lovers = 3-4 meals). Then at 8:30 I retire to bed to read and go to sleep. At that point, I always have trouble going to sleep.
2) I end up going to sleep later during the week.

I'm not working OT right now -- it would be worse if I was -- but my new goal is to take Monday night off and do my housework that I would normally have split up throughout the week, and to not stay up late "messing around", doing something or other.

Mousie, I can see how you might have trouble losing weight if you worked out that much and didn't use your excercise points. Your body was probably desperately trying to maintain its weight, when faced with so much exertion and so few calories. That is of course my unscientific and uneducated experience based on what I've read, but it seems like you are on the same path, so I'm probably not too far off. :D

It's very hard to lose weight and then regain it. That's the one thing I have not done, and I think it's simply because my eating habits were horrible before, and after months of WW, the newer habits had become simply that -- habit. Not to say that I'm a food saint. Not at all, or I'd be at goal now. But a lot of the junk food I used to eat didn't sound good anymore, and I couldn't look at many things without thinking about their point value.

I understand where you're coming from. The stress and chaos of life can encourage signficiant weight gain. I gained 60 pounds in 4 years when I move to college. I moved from a house with little junkfood and healthy meals prepared for me to a world where junkfood was readily available and more healthy food was harder to get. I also befriended a young woman who ate out 90% of the time, and 95% of that was junk food. Not that I can avoid personal responsibility here -- I ate the food, I made the choices...but, if I could go back in time and do it all over again, I would definitely do it differently.

My new strategy is to keep a general eye on points, to watch for excesses, and to work out more, and have a little freedom on the weekend. I am sad to say that I gained 1.5 pounds last week, but I know why -- too much junk food, too much excess. I was better behaved this weekend, so cross your fingers for me, ladies.

I can't say I'm ready for the kind of program you're describing, mousie, because I don't work out that much, but I hope it works wonders for you.

Happy Birthday, bandit!

And take care, Judy!

Ladies, I'll end this long thread before it turns into a novel. Take care!