I read my Beck Book earlier this morning, instead of leaving it to the evening. I ate my oatmeal and walnuts, separated off one third of it in my bowl and left it there, uneaten -- the Day 17 exercise. I have planned yoga this morning. It is interesting my resistance to exercise these last few weeks. I am usually very conscientious. But I'll continue to take my OP eating and just gently work back into my regular workout schedule.
I have the first of three holiday parties to go to tonite. This is not a big food challenge. I don't like the food usually served. I just need to remember food will not make the party fun. Food is not a solution for boredom. Take the time to just "be" with DH and DS with no judgment of others.
BBE: "For unto us a child was born..". and then three minutes of hiccup-like melody lines. I have sang the Messiah several times. I was burnt on it but now I think I might be ready to go back. I have my own score. Nationalparker: I am a WW surviver. I would eat 10 laughing cow ice cream sandwiches instead of one piece of salmon. Not good. Still, I am grateful for the knowledge it brought me. onebyone: I can relate to the feeling that the meeting doesn't bring much to you, that it is just a statement to yourself. I agree. For those of us who have dieted for 40 years it is difficult to remain open to learning something new. I was a child sitting in a WW meeting. It makes me sad to think how long I have suffered the pain of my complusive overeating. But I am grateful for the freedom I have experienced with Beck.
Diet Coaches/Buddies The scale reading continues steady which lifts my spirits to concentrate on my Beck Strategies. At dinner last night, baklava walked in with my DS and I had . . . NONE - CREDIT moi. Yep, I turned down baklava as if it were a dessert that I could have anytime. Just googled it to find that the 1 inch cubed size is some 334 calories. I only have to ignore such ten times for the equivalent of a pound of body fat. I knew that I had planned a California Navel Orange for my evening snack. It was a joy eating it knowing that it had saved me from the baklava.
Biggest CREDIT moi comes from de-boning the remainder of the whole chicken. I separated the remaining pieces, picked the carcass, and packaged into the fridge without a single byte. Not one. Nibbling while picking at a chicken is a lifelong favorite thing - especially those two secret chunks in the back that are sooooooo good. They went in the container for another meal.
onebyone Waving goodbye to those three pounds. I've never been to a WW meeting, but you nearly bring tears to my eyes thinking of a ten year old boy at one - instead of out playing soccer or something.
Joy (gardenerjoy) Honking Congrats for publishing in the Huffington Post. I enjoyed the article - you've got a knack for pulling out a jewel from each book.
maryann - Kudos for completing the Day 17 End Overeating exercise. Thanks for "Food is not a solution for boredom" - I need that often. Love the thought of hearing you sing "For unto us a child was born.." - another unforgettable part of the Messiah.
BigchiefDavid Kudos for "Credits abound!" including posting. Are you referring to Day 12 Practicing Hunger Tolerance?
nationalparker Nope, there's no chapter on "debits." Beck seems to be strong on getting right back on track - not getting back on track with a burden for past offenses. Kudos for eating in advance of the fun concert.
Readers -
Quote:
chapter 1 The Key to Success
No Lost Causes
The Beck Diet Solution is based on the same plan that I use with my patients who want to lose weight. It works, regardless of your unique psychological makeup, lifestyle, and family circumstances. Whether you're depressed or content, a stay-at-home or working parent, a binge eater or social eater, a dieting novice or dieting pro, the program can help you.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pgs 22-23.
HI coaches.... checking in. The first batch of goodies came in the door Friday night. DH said, "Don't throw these away!" Feeling like a caged animal - I did give in to the cookies at 10 pm. Yesterday was an awful food day. But, today I got up weighed (up) and planned for a healthy day. BTW - DH did take the cookies outside to share with the kids in the afternoon. I did, however, had my fill. *Sigh*
A quick check in...we're traveling today after pool AND church. I haven't been weighing since the scale is out of commission but I'll be back at it tomorrow morning. Food has been ok and I'm taking a tangerine to church in an attempt to avoid a celebratory crisco cake, which I know will be there as the church secretary is retiring. credit.
BBE, stellar resistance! I passed up several high cal treats yesterday, too. credit us both.
Happy Sunday! Enjoying a morning of getting oddball things done around the house that I've let accumulate through the workweek. DH is working this weekend and I really do enjoy some time to myself. (sounds terrible, i know, but as someone who married later in life, I got used to time alone).
I need to work harder finding things to credit because I'm busy beating myself up for the lapses. SO ... credit for tracking everything yesterday, even the darned 110 calorie toasted bagel thin that wasn't on my foodplan. Today's chapter for me is Changing my Definition of Full. I'm hopeful this is a key for me - when I was eating until just "not hungry" I did GREAT. I need to bring that back.
Goal for today is to get in more water and to add more to my plate and leave it (yesterday's task) ... I read it last night and so haven't practiced that.
Lexiss - what is a crisco cake (do i not want to know?) I've not heard of that before. The name doesn't sound too appealing, though!
I never wrote a plan yesterday, but credit for eating the way I would if I had written one.
Extra credit for dealing with a holiday sampling as if I'd thought it out beforehand, even though I hadn't. I kept them small, focused on the healthiest items, and made it take the place of one of my snacks instead of being an additional snack. Also, credit for walking there and back with a friend. And, credit for it being a store that specializes in local products. I can't tell you how happy I am to be within walking distance of this store especially now that my CSA has shut down for the winter. I think I'll be walking outside more this winter, heading over there for fresh lettuce grown in local greenhouses.
Credit for having a written plan for today.
WI: +0.05 in kgs, Exercise: +70 325/1400 minutes for December, Food: NA%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
maryann: I like this: food will not make the party fun. I hope you found something that did make it fun.
BigchiefDavid: I'm also a librarian not currently working in a library. It's kind of neat how you get to keep the librarian title in this profession even when you're applying the skills in a different context.
BillBlueEyes: Are the oranges good? I've been waiting for you to say so before I get my first of the season.
Thanks for your thoughts on the Huffington Post article. I'm so happy that they published it. It's the kind of material and conversation that I want to see out and about more in the world.
Beverlyjoy: you sure have generous family and friends with all the goodies that float about in your realm. But such a challenge! And it seems like the tactics that worked for you last year or the year before aren't going to cut it this year. Do you have new ideas? Need us to help you brainstorm?
Lexxiss: good luck fighting the urge for celebratory cake -- a tangerine sounds like an excellent plan.
nationalparker: my husband and I both work from home. I treasure the moments that I'm home alone!
Lexiss - what is a crisco cake (do i not want to know?) I've not heard of that before. The name doesn't sound too appealing, though!
It's my nickname for the commercial sheetcakes which come from the grocery stores. The yummy icings are quite simply crisco, sugar and food dyes. Pretty appealing ? Who would eat crisco with a spoon.....but color it and put it on top of a cake and we all dive in lol
I'm sitting in a quieter than usual living room as the fish tank and the fish are gone to their new home. *sigh* I did not want to give them up. DH finally said "please can you do that?" and I made it happen, overnight. They went to a guy with a 6' tank and he wanted the smaller tank for his 1" ciclids. I asked him if he'd send me a jpg of them in their new home and he did! There's not much more I could ask but I wish I could ahve them back, but not while we live in this place. The landlord demanded, by letter, that they be removed due to the potential damage a leak in our tank could cause. Future disasters. He operates on this level with many things here. I am growing to intensely dislike him. I look forward to writing the letter that states we are no longer legally responsible for any leaks as the fishtank is officially gone. It is important we put it in writing with this guy.
My food has been heavier than usual this weekend. I was afraid to track it, but then I did and I still come out ok. I made some chicken thing that was truly awful today so my dinner was small, and then I made up for it by consuming 200gr of cashews (40gr=1/4 cup). Unusual for me to have that on hand but they were on sale and so they were in the cupboard. I think the other unopened can will go with DH to the office tomorrow. I will stash it in his briefcase right after I post this to be sure that happens.
See you guys tomorrow. I have the potters' guild pot luck tomorrow and the not-so-silent auction event to attend. I am dipping fruit into chocolate. a first for me. I must be nuts 'tis the season
Sorry I show up only once a week - will try and do more, but truly I'm trying to spend less time @ computer these days and move more...like many of you I work at a desk/computer a lot and wow it impacts us!
I can report a mostly good week, flat scale but with a brief dip to a new low on this present journey. It was temporary but I know when I see dips on the scale, they portend more permanent lower numbers. I've been working hard to eat at a new calorie level instructed by my nutritionist (lower, natch). Just 100 cal less requires real planning. But it can be done! My workout regimen continues apace and I'm loving how strong and energetic I'm feeling, and how clothes are fitting bitter despite slow going on weight loss.
I made a gingerbread house with my 10 yr old son today. Not the best idea and I nibbled at little gingerbread men cookies and that lovely chemical frosting. However I'd always wanted to do this with my kids and this was the first yr I'd found a kit (Wilton) that was okay for my food-allergic kid. And it's probably the last year he would do it, too - older bro opted out (until it was time to lick down the leftover frosting on spatulas!). The house it beautiful and I'm done my little detour.
I'm also wrestling with "decide about alcohol" decisions, as well as the goodies. I do look forward to a good festive cocktail, champagne or wine at holiday parties. Okay, any party LOL. And my family's fave Mex place (they know us and just put the margaritas on the table for me and dh). My nutritionist said, ahem, you probably can have the margarita (probably 350 cal) or the dinner. I'm quick to run the "not fair!" tape in my head, and I'm constantly pulling out response cards for that. Visited Mex place this weekend. Pre-empted the margarita, tried a lower cal sangria, concluded it's just not worth it. Will start skipping it (focusing Beckwise on: is it really that bad? The pain is in the deciding. I can take it.) Staring down my firm's holiday party this week, will plan wine spritzer and limit that. If anyone has any new tricks on managing alcohol without eliminating it entirely, love to hear.
So many things to comment on and forgive me please if I don't have correct who said what:
Bill - picking a chicken a lifelong pleasure? Oh, I thought I was the only one! Congrats on no nibbling. Writer Joy (who I think is gardenerjoy but not sure if it's Beverlyjoy)...I LOVED your article and it is so on point for me right now with many holiday 'events' to attend. And congrats! HuffPo not small potatoes! Lexxis - "crisco" cake LOL! Yes, if I get tempted by those things, I can always try and find the ingredients! Read them, and you will most likely not eat! Haleyju - I just read the Beck anti-sabotage you posted on the 5th, about gee, I still wear my seatbelt and brush my teeth even when I'm stressed (or busy...or...fill in the blank)....thanks! That's going on a new card!
Nationalparker and Georgia, and BigChiefDavid, welcome. I'm new here too, though not new to the cause, nor to Beck. Georgia, I've seen your blog before...small world...
Chickbury, I'm another one who doesn't get around to writing on a daily basis...this past week especially because it was report card time and all the computer work left my shoulders aching. I do, however, follow everyone's posts everynight (that's one finger mouse work) and learn a lot from what others write.
Scale this weekend and down 1 more pound - that is 23 total. It is not fast but it is steady and this is a place I "defy" Beck: even if I had a scale at both houses, weighing daily just doesn't work for me. But hey - I've been weighing every week or every two weeks since June 27 and I've steadily lost 23 pounds without any gains (sometimes a plateau), so what I'm doing must be working!
Two things that are working particularly well: first, I live during the school week in a place with abundant local produce and healthy farm stands, etc. I'm figuring out that the routine is a) go to the farm stand, get what is in season and looks delicious and fits my superfoods plan, THEN go to the chain store and fill in the items not available fresh, organic, in season, etc. I've had some great meals lately this way and haven't ended up with canned kale or something in the process. No frozen "dinners" either!
Second, I was browsing 3FC and got intrigued by the 21 day challenge site. I decided not to get wrapped up in reporting every day online, but I started a four item 21 day challenge last Sunday to re-focus my four core goals that have brought me this far. I made a chart with colorful markers and with the exception of this past Friday, which was horrible in oh so many ways, I am on track with all four goals! This is a good time to do this because it will help me stay on track during the Holiday Eating Season--and I have proof because I lost since Thanksgiving! Lexxis: I like the Crisco cake idea! BBE's "factory made cookies" put that temptation in perspective, and Crisco cake will help, also Gardenerjoy: Loved your article and your photo - that's not at all how I pictured you! (How do we do that--get pictures of people in our mind???)
Diet Coaches/Buddies Terrific on plan eating day, CREDIT moi. Big deal that I ignored factory-made cookies at social hour in the morning, bigger that I also ignored some broken cookies in the kitchen. Broken cookies are usually a done deal for snacking off plan since they call me big time, being a noble service to mankind that Im eating them. Then, empowered by my resolve, I wandered through a crafts fair where every booth had a candy dish with foil wrapped chocolates I ignored EVERY SINGLE ONE, Not About Me, CREDIT moi. I felt so good about my day that when top shelf dark chocolate appeared at dinner, I happily accepted a small square and relished it. Good stuff. Savored. My regular evening snack was a California Navel Orange the first of the year to be that unbelievable quality. (Yesterdays was a disappointment.) Another minor CREDIT moi for leaving some pita chips on my plate at dinner last night - I rarely leave stuff like chips.
Exercise was lifting the Christmas tree from atop the station wagon to the back yard to rest in a pan of water till it goes inside next week. I looked weird limping with my leg in a cast carrying a seven foot tree on my back, but it wasnt difficult Ive done it for years without a cast.
onebyone Sending supportive thoughts for the sadness of your fish sent to a new home. Kudos for making that choice given the weirdness of your landlord. Cashews by the handful were a daily event for me before my journey - I'm not fond of them being in the house these days.
Joy (gardenerjoy) Lovely notion of dealing with a holiday sampling. Like being reminded that holiday foods can be enjoyed if we keep our perspective. [Finally a terrific California Navel Orange - the one bought on Saturday. The previous were bought earlier. Took longer this year.]
Debbie (Lexxiss) Kudos for a preemptive tangerine. I, too, relish your name, "crisco cake" - it helps me remember reality.
Nature Girl Congrats on those 23 pounds, especially since you did it the way that fits your style. Neat to think of you buying all those local, organic veggies.
Beverlyjoy Ouch for uninvited guest cookies. Yah for a DH who distributed them to the neighborhood kids.
Chickbury Such clear thinking, "The pain is in the deciding. I can take it." Methinks your statement encapsulates why Beck is so insistent about planning. Good luck with "decide about alcohol" - it's a challenging decision. Kudos for making the gingerbread house with your DS while he's still young enough to do that. They're never young again.
nationalparker Terrific memory to reinforce, "when I was eating until just "not hungry" I did GREAT." Yep, credits for the half-full trump beat-ups for the half-empty.
Readers -
Quote:
chapter 1 The Key to Success
No Lost Causes
In the past, you may have been able to make short-term changes in your eating habits to help you lose weight. But when the going got tough, you abandoned those changes because you didn't know how to talk back to such sabotaging thoughts as:
Dieting is too hard!
I have to eat this. I have no self-control.
I don't want to hurt her feelings, so I'll eat what she made.
I don't diet when I'm stressed.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 23.
Sunday - International Children's Day
everyone else!
'tis the season
