Hi Turtles,
Hey welcome back to Lauren, my personal mentor!!!!! Oh my goodness, I was so happy to see your post again. I'm sorry for your past "challenges" (that's the new word for life sometimes sucks), but am glad to hear you're on your way and doing so much better now. I can't tell you how happy I am to see your avitar (remember the gorgeous Italian shoes in the gondola?) again and to hear from you. Please post when you can and : to you. This weight business is so tough. I sat at my WW's mtg. and heard that a young girl who came in about 3weeks after I did to WW mtgs. has now celebrated her 6th. year of joining and losing 85#. I am thrilled for her, but I wanted to kick myself in the pants. Of course if I were that flexible, I probably wouldn't be this chubby. To give myself credit, I have taken off 32# and been able to hang onto a 25# loss / I'm trying to chip away at the rest of my chubs. Well, enough about me. Isn't it fabulous how this site has come alive? Bandit and Mousie have been here through thick and thin and now we have these really cool newcomers that post really interesting stuff. Feels like a great club with Turtle ideology.

Princess,
I hope you get a : tomorrow. You certainly are working hard at this! Sorry about the poor weather coming in. I know these last few days in the sixties here in NY have been fabulously uplifting. I've been outside without a jacket and it's freeing to my spirit. Hey, on that other note about having a treadmill. I bought a crosstrainer at Sears--it was the treamill that was on sale that week--for $299 + $60 delivery and set-up. I love having it in the house. Yes, having it here doesn't guarantee that I'll use it, but it does make it so much easier. I don't like to walk on the street because I trip and that's really not a great idea at my age. Also in the house, I've got the treadmill set up with a little TV and a DVD/video player. I find the entertainment is distracting and I can put in more time. Right now I'm working up to an hour on the and it's more convenient than a gym. Curves is also a great way to go, I've heard from some of my friends.

Mousie,
I'm sorry to hear about your stress with DH and I have just said a prayer that you are able to think about all this very carefully and come up with a solution that will make sense and be beneficial. I'm really sending you : because all marriages go through rough times, and you know the situation best.

Ariana,
I hear you about the Wendie's Plan. It calls for strong discipline, and the days when you use high points are heavenly. I know it has worked for many people and I hope you're able to benefit from it. Those work temptations are tricky at best and I'm sending you to help you get past them.
Good luck!!!!

Bandit,
another weekend is coming up.. How does time fly so fast? Enjoy and keep on applying all your good ideas for planning and preparing to stack on track with food and exercise. You're a champ.

Well, gotta run. Everybody have a good weekend. I am going to a memorial service for a dear friend from long ago. I have been having difficulty dealing with her death, but through talking it out with a few friends, I'm coming to grips with it. It's important for me to make every day count and I know that being fit and healthy are extremely important. I'm doing it!
Love and : to all,
Judy Itry

LAUREN! HI!!!!!! Wow, I haven't seen you in such a long time, I'm so glad you're back! It sounds like things were rough for a little while, and now the strain has eased. I'm very glad to hear that things are looking up for you. You're ALWAYS welcome back here, struggling or not. I came back last summer with my tail between my legs and my head hung low, with a re-gain of 114 pounds from my low weight. I was welcomed with open arms, and the others have supported me through everything. We can support you, too.

Princess, can you send some of that rain here? We're dry this year, and it's hurting. I'm NOT looking forward to fire season this year. Three years ago it almost took my parents' house, and I'm really not looking for a repeat of that experience. I hope you have a magnificent weigh-in tomorrow, too. It's always nice when hard work pays off.

Judy, I'm sorry about the loss of your dear friend. Continue to turn to your other friends, and let them know how valuable they are to you. Every day, and every person in our lives counts. Thank you for the gentle reminder.

As for me, Turtles, this week (due to being unable to eat for most of it, I'd imagine) I've dropped my bloat AND another pound. So I'm down 4 pounds from last week, at 269.5. A total loss of 24.5 pounds. I'm 4.5 pounds from my 10% goal, which will be nice to see.

As for the unable to eat thing...

We sat down and had a couple of heavy conversations, started by me (ooooh, I HATE doing that!!). I was anticipating his reaction, I will admit this. I expected him to either be heartbroken or extremely angry, and if the extremely angry option had been chosen I couldn't see any way for us to move forward together. But I didn't get that reaction at all. What I got instead was, "Okay. My life is with you, and if things need to change, things need to change." What? That caught me off balance, and I'm still not feeling too terribly steady. BUT if things continue this way--if he meant what he said, and is willing to work with me to find a way that we can both be happy--then I forsee a bright, happy, exciting future. Send good thoughts my way, Turtles--we love each other very much, and I hope things continue on this path.

Well, ladies -- I lost a pound! ;D After two weeks of maintenance, I'm down a pound! My revised diet (more accountability, fewer points) and a revised exercise strategy (with generous help from mousie) seem to be paying off! It darn well should, since I feel hungry 85% of the time, and darn jealous of others around me who are eating tastier stuff. But I was strong enough to resist the brownies and homemade bread a coworker brought in (so he wouldn't eat it!) And if I play it right, I will have 10 points left tonight, for the Safeway Sub and Baked Lays that I have been drooling over for days.

Yes, food is on my mind. Sorry, I can't help it. I'm hoping it will get easier. I just feel so freaking hungry all the time!

Princess: a treadmill is not a bad idea. As long as you do not have back problems (sometimes the greater impact of the treadmill is hard on your back.) If your back does bother you, you might want to consider an elliptical instead. But mousie is the expert, of course.

Well, hello, Lauren. Nice to meet you! I hope things get better, and you're always welcome here, I'm sure.

Princess -- remember to cherish all accomplishments, and not think that you'd rather lose more...any weight loss is outstanding, and a step forward. Remember, turtles make it to the finish line!

Thanks for that warm welcome; it means a lot. {{HUGS}}

Mousie, I've regained 50 pounds from my lowest. I guess I can be grateful that I've kept off 44. Good for you, though, turning around and getting your butt back here! I still don't quite seem to be ready, and I don't know why. Maybe if I just keep coming here, I'll pick up steam again. I'm so glad about the discussion you had with your DH. A good marriage is hard, hard work sometimes, but it's worth it. Good for you, bringing up what needed to be said.

Judy, you're such a sweetheart. You're MY mentor! You just keep on keeping on, and that's what it takes. I'm so sorry about your friend. How very hard. I'm glad you have people with whom you can talk about it.

Princess, good luck with that weigh-in tomorrow! By the way, I call my car "Princess."

Ariana, congrats on that pound!

Worked until 8:30 p.m. tonight, a 12-hour day. The client bought us pizza for dinner, and I had ice cream after that. Bleah. Fortunately, breakfast and lunch were reasonable. And I parked about 10 minutes away from work, all uphill. Baby steps ... I have a friend arriving tomorrow from out of town, just for the weekend. Looking forward to it, even though it's short. Dear friends are worth their weight in gold.

Have a lovely weekend, all!

-- Lauren
274/230 (gasp!)/down

Hi Turtles,
Ariana, good for you for shaking up your weight loss and losing a pound. You have done a great job this week with tweaking your exercise and being mindful of your food and points. I do think you'll stop feeling hungry once you get into a groove with this. Also, if you're starving think about eating more veggies or fruit and having zero point foods near you so that you're not miserably hungry and want to chuck it all. If it's any help, I think about food all the time. Food has been a very important emotional element in my life. One way to deal with this is to substitute lower point foods for other foods. I'm sure you know this. You're doing great! I love your enthusiasm.

Mousie,
Okay, now this has been a good week for you! . You are so close to your 10% goal and you lost 4 pounds. WEigh to go and good for you.
And as far as you and your dh, I think it's wonderful that you opened up a dialogue with him. And look at his fabulous response! You two will be together because you want to be. Tweaking your marriage is the way to make it work. Much to you both.

Lauren,
I think you've done great to keep off as much weight as you have. If you're not ready to jump in with both feet, keep posting here and maybe you'll get a spark. In any case, I know I do baby steps all the time. My leader at my last WW mtg. said that fully 85% of the people weighing in at the scale (and we're a huge group--probably about 125 people or more) mentioned stress and if they could deal with stress other than eating, they'd be fine. I think that says something about the state we're in. So, welcome back. No pressure, check in when you can, and we're glad to hear from you.

Things go well here. I'm making some pretty good choices. Everyone have a great weekend.
Judy Itry

Hi everyone & welcome back Lauren!

Going out to Red Lobster tonight for dinner with friends - challenges, challenges! Oh well, that life isn't it?

Was up .4# at my w/i this week so wasn't thrilled with that, but I think it was because I had a pretty big lunch.

Anyway, bye for now.

Well I lost another 2 lbs on Saturday... and my husband lost 3... is down like almost 18 pounds and I am down 5... my son joined, I think it was a real shock when he got on the scale, he is a pretty big boy so it will take him a while but I am so happy that he is trying.

I have to run this morning but will be back to read and reply to everyone later on.

Princess

Lauren: Thank you, I am thrilled. Who'd think one pound could make anybody so happy? Except that it brings me to an all-time low so far.

Judy: Thank you! I'm hoping I do stop feeling so very hungry soon too. I do my best to space out the food I eat, and I'm trying to keep my lunches down to 4 or 5 points, so that I have a few extra points for a snack in the morning or afternoon (at worst, a 3 point granola bar, at best a 1 point bag of popcorn or some fruit.) It's funny you suggest veggies and fruit, I have specifically given myself some slack -- if I'm struggling with hunger pangs (which is often these days), and I've eaten everything in my regimen, I go for an extra piece of fruit or that 1 point popcorn. Yes, I know. It's hard sometimes to find recipes around 4 or 5 points. I've been thinking about joining the WW commercial site to get access to their recipes, but I hate to pay the $40 setup fee. <sigh>

Bandit -- good luck at Red Lobster. (I think that was Saturday.)

Congrats on the weight loss princess. Sometimes seeing how much we really weigh is a shock the galvanizes us to action, assuming that we are otherwise ready.

Well, ladies, back to recipe hunting. Take care and good day!

I just wanted to stop by and see how everyone is doing...

Not much new here really, went home sick with a tummy flu yesterday but am better today. The sun is shinning although it is still chilly out...

How is everyone doing today?

Princess

Glad you're better, Princess.

I had a 30-point day yesterday, which for me is progress. What's more, I wrote it down, which is nothing short of miraculous. Going to take a short walk now. Have a lovely Tuesday, all.

Oh Lauren,
A 30point day is (that's for journaling your foods).
Good for you. Sounds like someone wants to start losing weight again.

Princess, sorry you ended up with a flu, but hope it clears very soon. The sun's gotta help make you feel better. I took my grandson for a walk in his stroller today, but although sunny, it was too cold to stay out long. We're looking forward to good weather soon.

Everybody--take care, do well, and remember to remember what is most important. I'm doing well and hoping for a good WI tomorrow morning.
Love,
Judy Itry

well it is sunny again today and supposed to reach the low 60's but as always rain is on the way and Thursday and Friday are supposed to be wet... that's ok thought I will take what I can get and be grateful for it. DH and I took the three dogs and walked for over a mile last night and it felt wonderful! I slept very well and felt pretty good when I got up. The scale is morning in a downward trend so life it good right now.

Hope all is well with everyone!

Princess

Hi turtles:

Hope everyone is doing well. Just trying to behave myself up here.
It snowed yesterday (mini blizzard) but didn't stick - just kind of depressing for a few hours.

Got in a curves yesterday morning then last night my daughter (who is home til Sat) got me to join her & do the 3 Mile Walk Away The Pounds tape. Took 45 minutes to do that - so little stiff today. But was fun anyway.

Stayed OP so far this week - but weekend was not pretty. Hopefully didn't too much damage overall. Have my w/i tomorrow so will post then.

Hope everyone has a great OP, water drinking, exercising "Turtle Day"

Bye for now.

Will write later, but I just want to tell you that I lost 2.5# this week at my official WI. and now I'll work to lose another pound this week. anything is possible!!
Judy Itry

Itryharder: congrats! That is just too wondeful!

Not much new here... taking tomorrow off to spend that last day of spring break with my son. We are going to go to the movies or bowling or something inside since it is supposed to be rainy and gloomy.

Have to run but will check back later on.

Princess