continue and break frustration

[Glen Wheeler]

  Hello All.

  I've been coding in python for a reasonable amount of time now
(coding in total for approx. 20 years) and am writing a performance
intensive program in python.
  The problem I'm having is I want to use break and continue to get
out from more than one level of loop.  If I set a variable and then
check it my program will take too much of a performance hit.
  Are there any alternatives people can think of?

  Thanks,
  Glen