The Beck Diet Solution is a psychological program, not a food plan. It provides a step-by-step program to learn specific techniques to stay on our diet, lose weight, and maintain our weight loss for life. The program is based on Dr. Beck's clinical research in Cognitive Therapy (CT).
The Complete Beck Diet for Life expands the earlier work and includes a food plan with suggested menus. From the cover:
With The Complete Beck Diet for Life you'll discover the 5 stages of successful dieting and maintenance. You'll learn how to motivate yourself, give yourself credit for every change you make, create time and energy for dieting, and handle hunger and cravings. Dr. Beck eases you into changing one step at a time. You'll master one task before moving on to the next. And you'll learn techniques to deal with challenging situations, such as sticking with ou plan at celebrations and dealing with "food pushers." With Dr. Beck's skills, you'll achieve a lifetime of healthful eating and lifelong motivation.
This is a place to discuss the Beck strategies and our daily efforts, to receive and provide support, and, for some of us, is where we serve as on-line diet buddy (coach) to each other.
If you’ve arrived from a search engine, you've landed at the site of 3 Fat Chicks (3FC), a remarkable place for those interested in a healthy life style, including mindful eating, exercise, and weight loss. More about the site, including how to register so that you can post, can be found here.
The books are available on Amazon through the 3FC store by clicking their names above; buying through 3FC helps to cover the costs of running this site.
You can find the list of previous (or more current) monthly Beck threads here on 3 Fat Chicks via:
Wednesday - The Republic of Turkey ends the Ottoman Empire (1922)
Diet Coaches/Buddies – “My flamingo needs to pee!” Best sentence ever. The three-year-old girl, dressed in one elegant flamingo costume beak included, stood on our porch crossing her legs in the universal sign that “going” had to happen soon. Were delighted to let them use the convenient first floor powder room. Was one grateful mom. They were our third Halloween trick-or-treater's of about two dozen. When I told one little boy, dressed as a Policeman, he could have one choice from each bowl, I heard his mom quietly translating. Ooops – not all kids around here are English speaking. The last two teenage girls, costumed well, were offered to take as much as they wanted. We’re left with only eight mini-candy bars. We’ll give them to the guys rebuilding our back deck. Super CREDIT moi for having zero candy this Halloween period. None before; none on Halloween itself; and, if all goes as planned, none afterward. Will be a first.
Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner was interrupted several times as we serviced the front door. Trip to the supermarket after lunch was the good type of boring. Until I was in the middle of being checked out. Over the loudspeakers came, "All Halloween candy is Buy One Get One. Even the bags that are $4.99. Come get them while there's some left." I flinched. I could go grab some. Perhaps I could race over to the candy and get back before they were finished with my order. Or I could grab some as I was leaving and pay at the front service desk. Or, the thought finally arrived in my brain after the others didn't appeal, I could continue with my life since we didn't need any more Halloween candy. I was lusting for candy for myself. Left without falling for it, but annoyed that I was that tempted.
onebyone - Congrats for making it through leading your pottery course. Ouch for being midway toward a bathroom ceiling.
Silverbirch - Always Kudos for avoiding cake with your coffee at a cafe. Welcome to the world of electric cars; I haven't ridden in one of the Volkswagens yet. You're winning when the secondhand bookshop welcomes you as an old friend.
maryann – Smart to plan a low key Halloween. A bit boggling to me to be reminded what fourth graders can watch on their phones.
curlyjax - Letting your brain work over the idea of downsizing into a condo is smart. Let your brain know that this is a normal next step in life.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 8Stage 5 - The Motivation-for-Life Plan
Daily Motivation Plan The following shows you what do do throughout the day: . . . several times a day. . .
You should be giving yourself credit throughout the entire day - at least 15 to 20 times, whenever you: . . .
Eat slowly, while sitting down and enjoying every bite.
Exercise.
Think about your general eating plan for the day.
Follow your plan for each meal and snack, or make appropriate modifications.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 190.
Hi. Well I came home last night after class to DH telling me that the landlord has decided.to remodel the bathroom. What?! Why was my question to DH.
Both of us feel it's completely unnecessary. They are going to rip out and trash perfectly good materials for something not as good as the landlord means well, but is fundamentally cheap.
And did I say it's unnecessary?
DH said he had to make it clear that a bathtub is essential for me. And it is. They wanted to put in a shower only. Omg. Nightmare.
We will be 5 days without a shower. 2 days without a toilet. DH can't function without a shower in the morning. We will probably go stay at a hotel for a few days.
If I was feeling better I'd be excited about this. But I woke up at 5am with super sore lymph nodes that seem to be getting more tender as time passes. It's all very strange to me. Hopefully I can go see the dr today. I'm supposed to see the dentist at 11 to pick up my nightguard. I'd like to do that. At 8am I have woundcare so I guess I'd better go.
Lots going on and extra stress with this reno thing.
I did terrible with eating yesterday-I ate candy at work and then more at home. At least all the tootsie roll pops are gone now. I was feeling anxious and Grinch like about Halloween for some reason so I turned off the lights and didn't participate. This is the start of the holiday season and some birthdays as well which is hard for me, missing DH and my mom and our past celebrations. I'm resolved not to eat over occasional sadness. I did nothing productive last night and just spent the evening in bed watching comfort tv.
Thank goodness for my job which I love. I was helping a senior 88 years old who stated "I don't know what I would do without you"-she lost her daughter this year who would help her with things. I told her-Don't tell anyone but you're one of my favorites, and she looked quite smug about that. And we get to hug people
Onebyone- goodness, that's a bit abrupt for the landlord to decide to redo your bathroom. A lot of these upgrades are a waste indeed.
Bill-Big credit for not having any Halloween candy in October!
Silverbirch- that sounds like a nice morning. Big credit for being the only driver in your household.
Maryann-yay for avoiding trick or treating and for going to the gym.
So it’s a new month and I’m going to see if I can get back on the horse here. I had a whole morning routine set up and so now I’m trying again. Posting here was an important part of that so here I am. I’ve tracked my food and done my qi gong. Of course I’ve gained weight but it could have been a lot worse. So it feels good to start again.
The tooth was too deeply cracked for a root canal to save it. I made an appointment with an oral surgeon for next week, following maryann's path -- extraction and then something as yet to be determined.
Dear Niece is in crisis. A new thing is that she is directing some of her rage at me. Although since she refuses to communicate except through Messenger, that has a somewhat muted impact. Still stressful, though. Another advantage of Messenger is that I can be very slow and careful in composing my response. Also, I can close it down when I want to get something else done.
Exercise: 40, 1700/1700 minutes for October
eusebius: Sending warm hugs! (I just re-watched Frozen II, so that's said in Olaf's voice in my head). I deal so much better with physical things than emotional ones, so I wanted to make a special point of compassion for what you're going through right now.
Thanks for bringing us into November, Bill. My coach and I took it slowly at the gymn this morning, with a “maintenance” approach. Even so, it was challenging and I can feel it now, in a very good way. I’m confident that this will help iron out the tensed up parts of my body. Food has been OK in parts. No sweet things which is great but probably too much of everything else. The SO will be back later today and I’ll pick him up from the station.
Bill, so good you were able to help that flamingo out! Super credit for avoiding all Halloween candy this year. It really is fabulous to see that there are still firsts to be had, even when you’ve been on this trail for a number of years.
onebyone, good luck with navigating this unnecessary and unexpected bathroom renovation. Madness. Also good luck with your medical-appointment-heavy day.
curlyjax, your job brings these lovely moments. So good. I’m pretty unproductive lots of the time too. It’s one of my coping strategies.
eusebius, yes, another month! I can’t really believe it.
gardenerjoy, bad luck about the cracked tooth. I’m sorry to hear about DN but very helpful that you’re able to distance yourself when necessary.
Proof positive posting helps. I sat down after a long and emotional day at school. I roasted DH cauliflower or dinner and then set it outside. I cam here to post and thought I could eat the cauliflower which will help me break the cheesebread habit I have fallen into. So now I am eating and actually cooked meal and have started DH's to be ready when he gets home. TA DA. Intentional change.
The latest of the hour was due to a meeting of a depressed student. I myself was very depressed yesterday and became briefly suicidal. This is old thinking. The new thinking kicked in and I called DH and drove straight down to him. He was great, took me on a tour of the century home that might be ours in ten days now. We had a simple meal and the "black dog." moved on. I was a little too open in the meeting for the student - sharing that depression is an illness like diabetes, that she is a miracle to show up every day fighting the good fight even when she feels she has failed, and that it will not always be this hard. I don't know if it is right. Most of what I do I don't know if it is right. when I left the meeting I gave her a huge hug and told her I loved her. It just came out. Professional? I don't know but it was honest.
So no gym because I am beat. I commit to ten mins of stretching on my bed. All I am willing to do.
BBE: Love the flamingo. Can we all just be as honest everyday? Joy: The process isn't bad. The extraction will be the worst. The rest is easy. Erika / silverbirch: We all start over everyday whether it is food, exercise or some other feature defect of character. Progress not perfection.
OK! Day 1 in the books! I am feeling more human. Good news too, I had a very positive call with a potential website client yesterday. Seems like an awesome guy and was already talking about giving me access to his current site to make my job easier. I’m not popping the champagne until he accepts the proposal but it seems more positive than the therapist was.
Today is Thursday so a long day but I get to go home an hour early due to a cancellation so grateful for that.
BBE - lol at the flamingo emergency! Unreal that you escaped with no candy at all. Well done!
onebyone - ouch for cheap and not terribly considerate landlords. Seems like the last thing you need right now. Sending hugs.
gardenerjoy - thank you for the hugs and sending them back!! Dental issues are no fun and I definitely empathize about DN directing rage at you.
silverbirch - well done at the gym - the maintenance approach sounds great!
maryann - I applaud what you did for that student. She will never forget the love and compassion you showed her. Fabulous job with food and it sounds like DH is worth his weight in gold.
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Excitement was picking up the (8 yo) DGD from Second Grade. All the kids came out in pajamas. When asked, she told us, "We EARNED pajama day." Her teacher accumulates 'pumpkins' for good behavior of the whole class, good test scores, and other desirable behavior. When there's enough, the class gets to choose the reward. Pajama day is a favorite. We stood outside in 40 degree Fahrenheit cold watching the pajama clad kids running about as normal. Do miss having all those mitochondria generating heat in every cell in my body.
Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. The last Halloween candy was made to go away; I don't even have to think about it. But CREDIT moi, again, for a Halloween with no candy whatsoever. Obviously, proud of that. Dinner was soup made from 13 bean soup mix - with added carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and spices. We love it. Saw the vast trove of candy from the DGD's several excursions into trick-or-treating. Way too much. DD explained, "We let her choose a couple of pieces after dinner each night, for a few days." Then interest wanes and the candy 'disappears'. That's sheer magic in my book. Wouldn't have worked when I was a kid because each of us siblings counted our stash every day. We ate the whole thing.
onebyone - A remodeled bathroom is certainly an unneeded stress for you right now when what you need is some attention to the old plumbing work. Do insist on a toilet with modern flushing design; the old $69 toilets struggle moving solids away. Wish you well with your more serious issues.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Ouch that the simplest solution to your tooth problem wouldn't work. Continue to admire that you've found a way to support your DN without letting her issues suck you down. Do you skip NaNoWriMo this month because you're on another path?
Erika (eusebius) – Good fresh start in November, "So it feels good to start again."
Silverbirch - Sounds like your coach has a sane path in mind for you. Avoiding sweet things is always a victory.
maryann – Your student is so lucky to have a teacher who'll be honest with her. It must be hard these days to be a student in need when the whole system is in tension afraid of doing something that might be deemed wrong.
curlyjax - It's terrific that you have a job where you really matter. And that folks tell you so. Congrats for taking a Halloween off. I suspect that you've done several dozen in a row.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 8Stage 5 - The Motivation-for-Life Plan
Daily Motivation Plan The following shows you what do do throughout the day: . . . several times a day. . .
You should be giving yourself credit throughout the entire day - at least 15 to 20 times, whenever you: . . .
Use Resistance Techniques.
Tolerate hunger if it's not time to eat.
Say no to tempting foods that are not on your plan.
Contact your Diet Buddy.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 190.
I fixed my breakfast concoction this morning which makes today the first day all week that I can have an Ideal Food Day. I've been pretty close all week, but not quite there because I wasn't willing to fix my usual breakfast.
Last week was filled with hungry days and this week is not. That might have to do with the antibiotic I'm taking for the tooth or with this week's special doses of stress.
I have successfully been doing yoga this week. CREDIT. If I can't eliminate stressors, the yoga is a pretty good counter-measure. Some routines are really great for producing relaxed muscles. That has to help.
Exercise: 60, 60/1800 minutes for November
BillBlueEyes: Yes. I had several thoughts yesterday that I should be writing more words. But I'm not doing NaNoWriMo this year because it doesn't fit with the current plan.
I spent the morning working through comments on a draft piece and making it flow properly. The draft final went off this afternoon and I’m hoping that there’s nothing more to do on it. Food has been reasonable in quantity and delicious though my tummy complained after a small bowl of bought chicken soup for lunch. No bread and so no associated butter, honey etc. No sweet things. A rollmop (herring) to sort myself out in mid-afternoon after the soup.
maryann, well done for supporting that student so honestly. A big hug to you. Credit for sitting down to a proper cooked meal. Thanks for the reminder about going to bed hungry.
eusebius, good to read that you’re feeling more human. Exciting to hear about the positive call with the potential client. Fingers crossed.
Bill, 40F appears to be 4.4 recurring in C. And they were in pyjamas? But it’s so thrilling to be 8. Splendid work by you, seeing off that Halloween candy. This is your new modus operandi. No looking back.
gardenerjoy, well done in getting to an Ideal Food Day this week. And for yoga. Glad to hear about antibiotics too!
Friday - "SOS" (· · · – – – · · ·) selected as the worldwide signal for help (1906)
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Just loved feeling comfortable in my kitchen with no candy available. When DW had offered our Halloween candy to the construction guys rebuilding our deck, one had jumped for it. The boss, an odd guy, responded, "I don't do candy," in a tone that made it clear that being offered was offensive. He's a tad short in the human interaction arena. Dinner included udon noodles. They're new in our life and we love them. Good news is that they don't require butter; bad news is that they call for more salt.
Excitement was trying to decide whether I'd volunteer for a manned mission to Enceladus, a moon of Saturn. Its appeal is that it was surprisingly discovered to have a bunch of our assumed requirements to support life. Just this spring, some smart guys poring over the collected data determined that it has ample phosphorus, in addition to hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen which had already been known. And lots of organic molecules in its dense atmosphere. A drawback is that it's a seven year trip there and a seven year trip home. I'd miss my own bed.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Yay for starting an Ideal Food Day as a defense against tooth pain and stress. I'll miss your NaNoWriMo running tally of words.
Erika (eusebius) – Good news to have a second customer nibble already. An unexpected free hour is a pleasant surprise.
Silverbirch - You got me craving a Rollmops - even looking to where I can buy a jar of Rollmöpse to have a bunch. I bet there's a small corner in downtown Boston with a deli selling them. Congrats for getting a draft final of a piece of work into the mill.
maryann – Good luck taking over for your student teacher; I do hope he left you a lesson plan. Going to bed hungry is an achievement.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 8Stage 5 - The Motivation-for-Life Plan
Daily Motivation Plan The following shows you what do do throughout the day: . . . several times a day. . .
You should also give yourself credit for giving yourself credit; filling out a Cheat Sheet as needed; being assertive with food pushers; making special requests at restaurants; postponing a meal or snack if you are upset; comforting yourself without food; making the time for diet and exercise activities; staying in control during special events; reading this book; adding to your Advantages Deck or making new Response cards; writing cards for your Memory Box; and so on.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 190.
Doing a terrible job staying out of the candy and sweets.At least I ate my salad yesterday at lunch, and had some squash for dinner with ricotta and cheese to make it filling. Credit for measuring the bits of furniture I want out of here;the first step before calling a junk place to take them. They're mostly in the basement and it will free up lots of space in the family room there, so I can have a place to put things I want to get rid of. I have plans tonight with BFF to help her with her cupboard cabinet and she'll help me with demousing again, and maybe we'll hit the dump too.
It's going to be beautiful for November-happy friday all!
Beck Diet For Life/Solution – November 2023 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Wednesday - The Republic of Turkey ends the Ottoman Empire (1922)
