[Beverlyjoy]

Hi! Checking in. I've been struggling. Today a friend told me how she wrote down 198 reasons she needs/wants to get to a healthy weight. I thought to myself "What a good idea". Knock knock, Who's there? That's what Dr. Beck has us do right off the bat. I think I need to get down to basics. Perhaps even start at the beginning of the book. I do have an appoiontment with a Registered Dietician next week. I don't know if she'll have any 'magic notions', but - I wouldn't hurt. I just can't decide on a plan to use.

I've been feeling ashamed of my eating. That's bad.

We are going to my bil and sil's for dinner. I have a wonderful sister in law (dh's sister) However, his brother and sil are not nice people. They appear to be nice. But, when you hear their background comments about their actions... it's apparent it's not sincere. They were so unkind to dh's mom in her last years. But, we promised DH's mom right before she died we would still see them a couple times a year. Here' we go.

Thanks for listening. I will check in tomorrow. I promise this to myself.

[TeachMe]

Just a couple of quick technical questions: can anyone tell me how to add a tracker to my posts? What does the little egg-shaped thing with a red exclamation mark at the bottom left of my post mean?

Down 1.5 this week. Credit!

Why is it so easy for me to want to reassure others who are feeling ashamed that they are doing the best they can at any given moment, but not so easy to say that to myself? Credit to me for becoming aware of that.

[gardenerjoy]

Third day in a row of working a food plan! Woohoo! I really am feeling better, now. Not great, but within the bounds of normal for the autumn hayfever season.

WI: NA kgs, Exercise: +35 230/1600 minutes for October, Food: 90% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

Naturegirl: Yay for ONEDERLAND! That's a terrific place to be!

Beverlyjoy: hugs for struggling. Good for you for showing up today when you've got an unpleasant dinner hanging over your head. I'm very interested in what the Registered Dietitian has to say. Since you are having trouble choosing a plan, why not go with whatever s/he gives you?

TeachMe: To get a tracker, click on UserCP at the top left of the menu bar. Click Edit Signature. The top line of instructions has "click here to get started" for making a tracker. The egg with the red exclamation point is what you click to report bad behavior on 3FC -- usually it will be someone trying to sell a diet product.
I just read a blog post about self-compassion that you might like today: http://www.dietgirl.org/2012/09/ah-h...it-nicely.html

[TeachMe]

Got a tracker! Thank you, Joy!

[Woodland]

Hi Coaches,

Yes Bill, I'm shopping in my closet. I had maintained 130-133 lbs for a year, so I have those clothes ready to go. Yea! for your new jacket. I'm a thrift store shopper, happy to pay less for recycled clothes.

Have a great week everyone !

[HaleyJu]

I've missed a few days checking in and it's taken several minutes to go back and read your posts. Congrats to those of you with victories both on the scale and in the closet. Empathy and understanding to those of you that are struggling. I totally know where you are coming from. Today I am on both sides of the fence. The scale dropped a pound for the week, I tracked (as truthfully as I could) all the food that I ate, I made some good choices when we ate out yesterday and I have gone back to read my advantage cards as well as making myself a reminder of "the Beck rules" note card. Today I admit that I still have not increased my exercise. I know that the time will come that just cutting back won't be enough. I'm going to have to remind myself to "Just Do It".

Tomorrow may prove stressful. We are moving FIL to a skilled nursing facility. He has dementia and has been in a dementia/Alzheimer's facility since August. After two stays in the hospital in two weeks, we now need to up the care level. We are all hoping that this move is not as traumatic for him and us as the one was in August. I WILL NOT EAT MY WAY THROUGH THE DAY TOMORROW.

Teachme --- I got a ticker, too. I like having a visual to remind me where I among this journey.

Here's to a good week everyone. We deserve it.

[MaryContrary]

This evening, trying to plan my outfit for teaching tomorrow, I tried on two pairs of pants that used to fit 3-4 months ago. They didn't. Thus, you find me back here, after a long absence. Getting back on track and trying not to dwell too much on this ickiness.

Credits: Recorded food from today and noted that portions are too large; checked in here; made my plan for tomorrow. Pulled out my Beck books and put them in plain sight.

Goals: Exercise 4 times this week. Plan food all week. Try as much as possible to cook at home. Give myself credit. NO late-night munching.

Haven't had time to catch up with past posts, but I look forward to reading how y'all are doing.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - After several days of eating, talking, and no exercise, we leave for a six hour drive home this morning. I look forward to a place where I can get my routine back in order.

I did make a few sane choices when we purchased dinner components for a full table of multi-generations last night. DW and I were the only takers for the green salad and the sharp broccoli-rabe dish. CREDIT moi for avoiding the various pastas. And sorta half a CREDIT moi for having only one of the mini brownie things that were being passed around after dinner. Extra hours at the dinner table are a challenge.


Lexxiss - I need to borrow your "resist resist resist*" to get my head back from yielding to group pressure. Good luck with your business negotiations. Kudos for not planning to eat your way through them.

Beverlyjoy - Neat idea to get a dietitian's input to help your head work out a new eating plan. 198 is a lot of reasons; 20 suffices for me.

TeachMe - Yep, Kudos indeed for recognizing that you need the same compassion for yourself that you are so willing to give others. Congrats for getting your signature ticker installed. The 'egg' beneath your avatar turns yellow when you're on line - for example, as I type I can see that you're also logged in and you can see that I am as well.

Joy (gardenerjoy) - Yay for feeling within the bounds of normal. May you survive hay fever season.

Woodland - Yay for thrift store shopping - particularly when the weight is changing.

HaleyJu - Sending supportive thoughts for the challenges of moving your FIL to a different facility. This dementia business is ruthless. Now this is terrific planning, "I WILL NOT EAT MY WAY THROUGH THE DAY TOMORROW."

MaryContrary - Clothes are viscous at remembering our size. Kudos for recognizing that getting back on track is best done without dwelling on the iciness.

[Lexxiss]

Hi Coaches!

I completed day 3 back OP...feel much better. credit. weighed this morning and the scale moves down now. credit. My work strategy was a success yesterday, as I pledged to resist all work food and did. credit. The boss even waved the pumpkin bars under my nose. One was offered for me to take home and I said no, knowing even the small amount of sugar/fat/white flour often triggers more unplanned eating.

everyone. I must be to work in 5 min...wanted to check in.

[maryann]

Good Morning, Coaches.
Back from Tahoe. Interesting food experiences. Two of the gals I was with were on the boomerang side of having lost forty pounds and had now proceeded to put it all back on and then some. I was aware of how they ate, enormous portions with determination - steak and ribs at dinner, ice cream two different times in one day. I also saw the physical discomfort of clothes that didn't fit and their body's rebellion at the poor nutrition. I was moderate but not OP. I split entrees with the other gal there, had nutritious modest breakfasts and try to sit down to eat a few times. I came home two pounds above ticker which could really be sodium.

I feel like a prisoner released from a life sentence. I have so much compassion for compulsive overeaters and although I am not cured, I am certainly not the eater I was. I am checking in here, then I will look in the fridge and plan the day's food. Then I will LOG it into the computer. My plan is to sneak in 25 minutes in the stair master after I take MFA packet to the mailbox.

Some really good news: My short story has been accepted for publication in a literary Review which is sold on Amazon. What a trip! Credit to me for not giving up even though I am pretty disheartened right now in my program.

Chef Joona: self care for me is allowing myself to be alone in my house and putter with no agenda. That probably isn't available to you with a new baby. I have been there as well. When I had a newborn, sleep and a shower were the best things I could do for myself . . . and to get off my back. First things first - it doesn't matter what the house looks like, if you have the same meal three days in a row, if you forget bdays. The period you are in right now is precious and (believe me) fleeting. I think back and wish I could have a few of those days of me holding my baby son on the couch for hours.

Best to all.

[gardenerjoy]

Credit for weighing myself, working toward getting back on track with my exercise minutes, and writing a food plan for the fourth day in a row.

BillBlueEyes reminded me of another credit. At a meeting last night, the participants passed around a bowl of Halloween chocolates. I passed it twice without taking any, with the thought "It's not about me." It helped that the woman next to me did, too. Which makes me think that sometimes I help others when I make the best choice for myself.

WI: +0.65kgs, Exercise: +70 300/1600 minutes for October, Food: 90% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

maryann: Congratulations on your publication! That is so cool!

[onebyone]

Coaches

I feel as though I have been off in the woods licking my wounds. Too many things piled on me and I just slunk away for a bit. I'm back now. Things are improving, or I am more at peace and acceptance about them, and now I see that I need to pay attention to my body, my food, my eating, my choices with both eyes and all of my brain. *credit* for weighing in today at 256.2. Onederland is in the cards for me for 2013. I'm going there. I'm going to be there. I mean it *stomps foot*.

We went to my MIL's for Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. DH still has not told his mom about his recent diabetes diagnosis, but when she was wondering why he wasn't having any of the cola beverage she bought for him, I told her he'd given up sugary pop. Oh, he's on a diet, she said. And she never pushed it. Had she been told he has diabetes the questions and the worry would have been a big big talk, but a diet? No problem. No questions asked. I am not going to break his confidence though I do think his siblings should know for their own health. However. I have other fish to fry.

DH has been incredible about his diet changes. He walks at lunch now, 5x a week. He never has white carbs--well maybe never is too strong--90% of the time he is eating a protein and veggies: salad and green things. No wheat, potatoes, rice-though he never liked rice. His pants are hanging on him now. I estimate he's lost about 30lbs in about 3 months. It was good as he was at the top end of buying clothes. The 3x sizes were sometimes too tight. But, as if this wasn't motivation enough for me (it was, truthfully, irritating that he seemed to just make the swtich to this "ideal" way of eating so easily when I struggle with it daily/endlessly/for 4 decades now - insert envy here ______), and then something happened that has given me motivation to focus again on getting my weight down some more.

.... at this point in my story I will *take credit* for maintaining a 35-40lb loss so far this year. CREDIT

So, motivation #1: DH has had a large boil on his back that has persisted for 35 years. YEARS. It never healed completely. He had no hope of it healing. And yesterday he showed me the boil. The skin is healed. The boil is almost completely flat. Gone. I had a hunch that the boil was actually fuelled by yeast in his body, created from all that sugar that he ate every day for almost all of his years. Like every single day. He stopped that cold turkey three months ago and that boil is gone. If I ever needed proof, once more, of how destructive sugar is and of how much th body wants to be healthy and well, I need only think of my DH. I told him he has re-written his future and he has. It is no longer what it would have been had he not changed his diet.
I need to do the same, exactly the same, and persist in making these changes. I think I was waiting for DH to "fall off the wagon" or something. I believe the changes are real for him and I think I can trust that and I feel a freedom to be able to move forward for myself now too. There are foods I need to give up as well. I am committed to making the changes.

Motivation#2: had to get my blood pressure meds renewed yesterday. Had the almost-predictable blood-pressure-raising event of the doctor trying to take my bp with the regular cuff, it doesn't fit, they can't find the large cuff, they find it, it doesn't work right, they try again and then, my bp is high! Then I ask myself, did they do it right? was the cuff on wrong? and they look at me like you'd better do something about your blood pressure lady. DUH. I can't tell you how many times I have gone through the large cuff scenario. So my bp was fairly high, which caused me to be admonished by the dr and I held my tongue about the cuff thing cause I just wanted to go since I had the prescription (this wasn't my reg. dr since I was a walk-in yesterday), but on the way out, I vowed, once more, to do whatever I need to to get off this medication if it's possible,if only to lessen my interaction with doctors in general. I can't dismiss that fact thought that I may be *just that much heavier* that my bp has risen since it was last checked so I need to get that 6lbs off for sure. 250 really does seem to be a number that when I go over it I tip toward poor health. Time to move away from that number!

Ok that's my check-in.

BIG CREDIT to Naturegirl for reaching onederland!

maryann Awesome news about being published. Which review will you be in??? *credit* for all the work you did to see your name in print. It is neither an accident, nor luck, but a day after day peristence that got you there! SO GREAT.

[spanky]

Greetings,

Glad to have made it here today, kinda rough weekend. Our 6 yr old has been having a difficult time adjusting to Kindergarten and spent the entire weekend acting out. Seems like he tried one thing after another for 48 hours straight. At one point, DH and I just sat there dazed, staring at each other across the table after DS had gone to bed.

I responded to all of this in an adult, mature manner by not raising my voice or tossing him out the window. And followed up by wolfing down a lot of carbohydrates not originally included in my days' plans.

Argh!

Happily enough, today is a new Beck day and I am on plan. I did get in a lot of cooking for the week and don't face any "Whats-For-Dinner" panics at the end of the day. I've gotten in a 10 minute quick walk, and did a half hour of weights and situps.

It's Columbus day, so a slower day at work, given the bulk of our Monday specimens arrive by mail. I have time to clear my in-baskets and gulp some deep breaths for this evening's Kindergartner Kaos.

Thank Heaven for the refuge of work!

spanky

[Woodland]

Hi Coaches,

My days was good. The biggest credit was how strong I felt on the elliptical this afternoon. When my day at school (I am a teacher) goes well, I feel so much better. When I have discipline problems, I struggle to clear my head. Today was a good day.

Yeah for vegetable soup ! It feels like fall when I start making this for dinners.

Maryann - I'm impressed about your writing success. Very big credit for you !

Let's all have a successful next few months - those old habits are not match for this strong group of people !

[Nature Girl]

Brought my bike to home #2 yestereday - rode last night for just 15 minutes but it was almost dark. Today walked on the beach for 35 minutes. Exercise and therapy at the same time! Tomorrow, bike is going to work with me and I am riding right after school with a co worker, then going back in to finish my prep--I can work in the classroom as it gets dark, but if I wait to ride, I'm either too tired or it gets cold and/or dusky/dangerous.
Woodland: so many of us here are teachers; is there some reason Beck works for "typical" teachers? And I know what you mean about how important a calm, managed day with the kiddos is...makes a difference to mental health and motivation to stay on program.
Spanky: Trust me, many of the children in kindergarten are having a hard time adjusting, and showing that struggle either in the classroom or at home. Patience and consistency are about all I know to recommend! And try not to take his problems on yourself with huge quantities of yukky, unhealthy food...doesn't help either of you.
Maryann: Huge congratulations on getting published! What an accomplishment! Please give yourself all the credit you deserve.