[CeeJay]

I also want to thank AZTricia for that response to stress eating. So many opportunities to practice that.

Today was just great, grateful for that. Off to the hotel tomorrow but have my food packed up and ready to go. I am taking my Diet Fix book to read a bit more and to refine the goals I have written.

Feeling strong and hopeful. Off to watch Survivor and then straight to bed. I do find being in bed by 10 really helps with the night time eating.

[onebyone]

Coaches

Since getting my teeth cleaned they've been acting up. They hurt here and there and in places they never did before. I have taken more care of them this past week than in months--which is why I am in this boat. Oh well. However, I am into accepting my reality these days and my reality is that on Day 7 Dr. Yoni says to indulge in some chocolate-but just the 100 calorie kind -unless you can't do that, then have more, but not too much... and it's ok if you overindulge just get right back on track. He also gives the example of buying a cookie, just one, and really enjoy it so you know it's not forbidden, just don't get the whole bag, and if you find you get the whole bag, well it's cause you do think they are forbidden and you have restricted your food and then you will binge eat. As gardenerjoy mentioned before he says there are primary and secondary bingers. I am a primary binge eater and with that I may need more help. Like from a professional. Not a Dr. like him. A psychologist type.



This is what I know is true for me today: no foods are forbidden but I have chosen to not eat sugar for many rational logical well thought out reasons, including seeing what it does to me/my behaviour, predictably I might add, over the many years I have been trying to control it. To add to the growing list of reasons not to eat it is the newest being the state of my teeth and gums and the state of my overall health. I am not in a position mentally to be able to cope with that stuff and with another binge or going offplan or feeling "less than" right now. A treat of chocolate or a cookie is just not very desirable.

I did decide to indulge by buying a Canadian Gardening magazine with articles on growing citrus trees in pots (I have a suffering Meyer Lemon.) and suggestions for container gardens which is what I will be doing this year. No community garden this time. So credit for modifying; bonus credit for indulging other interests besides food.

Tomorrow's task is to eat dinner out. Maybe. I really just want to stay home though. Maybe I'll switch days, make it Friday night, do Day 9 tomorrow if it makes sense. I didn't do my toothbrush level of exercise but I am not re-doing day 7. Onward.

CREDITS:
-read arcs
-posted here
-tracked my food
-made a plan and stuck to it
-focused on day 7 in DF and modified to suit my life
-did not eat over annoyance
-reached out for extra support
-had no sugar NO CHOICE
-cooked from scratch
-cooking ahead overnight in crockpot - turkey stock
-formulating a plan to automate meals
-did 15 min decluttering
-completed full new dental care routine

WORKING ON:
toothbrush level of exercise consistency

[GosfordGirl]

Coaches

I did personal training at gym today so credit for working hard and letting my PT know what I needed. I am still on day 2 of Diet plan - haven't had time to move to Day 3. I logged food and drinks today and am waiting to see if there is a pattern. But for the past 3 days I have reduced calories so maybe tracking and diarising makes a difference. The last 2 days I have dropped about 2 pounds and am under 190 for the first time in a long time. But not sure if it will be there tomorrow

I am trying to clear the decks so I can have a long weekend again. But I will have to do one document over the next 3 days to stay on top of things. My sister is coming up to Sydney tomorrow and will be here for 4 days so hopefully I get to see her a couple of times

Plan is to go to gym on Saturday and what ever day out of Fri, Sat, or Sunday is not full of family food will be my second fast day. Will try for tomorrow but not sure

Credits
-listened to motivation app
-checked in with coaches
-logged food and diarised circumstances
-planned and bought food for today
-weighed myself and logged it
-ate on plan
-ate sitting down (99%)

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies – An over packed day. I left to look for early migrating warblers before eating breakfast! It's been years since I've left home without eating. They're not here yet - only saw one Palm Warbler and an Eastern Towhee. (Actually, I used to leave for work without breakfast and eat a big grilled muffin at the cafeteria. Stopped that nonsense some eight years ago when I started my journey.) Had teeth cleaned and the yearly exam plus the five year new x-rays. All good enough with a warning that two teeth will need to be capped someday. Then a health fair to learn how to take care of the elderly (MIL is 95) where there were offerings of candy at every table. I grabbed a 100 calorie pack of Lorne Dunes and one of almonds for breakfast. Not up to snuff, but I felt self-righteous that I wasn't gobbling the chocolates. Then a grand opening of a Korean grocery store where I (as planned against morning snack) accepted the FREE samples of stuff I'd never had before. For lunch I bought a package of sushi rolls. Then a pot luck for dinner with my book club where I did good enough. CREDIT moi for doing 'good enough' through an unusual food day. Now I have to figure out how to cook the Korean sliced beef that I bought that was their super special.

Exercise was the walk to the library, CREDIT moi. Extra CREDIT moi for not bringing home any books since my stack is larger than any rational amount of reading time. At the health fair I took a test where I had to stand up from a chair as many times as I could in 30 seconds. The nurse was impressed that my performance put me in the 75th percentile for my age group. I, of course, was disappointed that I wasn't at least in the 90th, LOL.


onebyone – Now this is the kind of indulgence to strive for, "I did decide to indulge by buying a Canadian Gardening magazine."

CeeJay - Yep, the old flipping in and out of being on plan is a challenge to get past. I experience that, also. When the scale is singing for me, I find it easy to stay my path. When the scale is snorting, I want to walk away. Kudos for confronting sugar.

Cheryl (GosfordGirl) - Hope you get in a nice visit with your sister. Congrats for dropping into the 180's.

nationalparker – No movie suggestions - we're still talking about Particle Fever even though that's old hat now.

Tricia (AZtricia) - Thanks for Beck's reminder that the comfort from eating will be short lived.

6crowsgold - On plan despite chaotic is good; Kudos.

Readers -

day 15 Monitor Your Eating

The first thing you're going to do is weigh yourself. If you wear clothes when you weigh yourself, wear about the same weight clothing each morning that you get on the sale. Mark down your weight in your diet notebook.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 141.

[Lexxiss]

Hi Coaches!

Yesterday was a good Beck day, although it involved a spontaneous change in lunch plan when mom and I found ourselves in Denver longer than originally expected. I chose my automatic option at the mex.restaurant. Credit. I did have a sample at Costco….the vitamix guy was there and it was a small and frosty mix of banana/strawberry/coconut milk. I never make anything frosty in mine. It was yum and the guy went into his hard sell. I told him I already had two and had no room for another. Lol.

Planned exercise was in the yard, and planned. I had several jubilant moments. The first was getting the tiller tines off my mini tiller and replacing with edger tines. Major credit moi! It was barely light and a single hummingbird zoomed around, the first of the year, attracted to the bright red of the machine. I got my feeder out, weeded the new raspberry patch and edged the sidewalk. Whew it had been 3 years since I last accomplished that and it was quite worthy of exercise credits. My final joy was packing up the tools for the evening and seeing the little guy at the feeder. Credit!

BBE, I'm intrigued by the chair challenge….I may try later. Lol Kudos for being in the 75th percentile. Credit for good food choices during an over packed day!

Cheryl(GosfordGirl), yay for getting to the gym! You remembered lol! Kudos for under 190! I love the breakthroughs even though I often bounce in and out for awhile.

onebyone, great credits! Kudos for deciding not to eat the chocolate even though Dr. says eat. Even now, I still notice how a small bite of some stuff really turns the sugar craving back on. I hope you find a solution for your Meyer lemon!

CeeJay, "Today was just great, grateful for that." Credit! PS I recorded Survivor last night….will watch later today.

nationalparker, kudos for thinking ahead for your return home. I know for me, the "afterwards" is my most difficult food time. No movie suggestions, either.

6crowsgold, yay for OP during chaotic work days!

Aztricia, rotisserie chickens sounded way better than pizza. Credit for a better choice!( Perhaps it's that I'm coming out of hibernation and thinking of grill food.) Thanks for the FB Beck!

[gardenerjoy]

I didn't do well yesterday. Apparently, I find weddings stressful because I didn't do that well before the last one. I was starting to worry that I've lost all sense of romance. But it's not marriage that I'm cynical about, it's religion. Oh well. It will be over tomorrow night and even I can survive one mass every couple of years. It's worse for DH who is a lapsed Catholic (he did some research with his angst, lapsed Catholic is the third largest "religion" in the US behind Catholic and Baptist).

onebyone: buying a gardening magazine is a brilliant response to the indulgence chapter. That's exactly what I'm going to do when I get to Day 7 on my next round.

AZtricia: I printed that FB Beck quote -- I need to see that every day.

nationalparker: all my movie suggestions are on DVD -- Frozen (visually stunning and not your typical Disney princess story -- I liked it but DH fell asleep), Saving Mr. Banks, and Philomena were our winners of the recent releases. We also liked some older movies in the last few weeks: A Night at the Opera (Marx Brothers), She Done Him Wrong (Mae West), and Alice Adams (Katharine Hepburn). We've been exploring the Pre-Code era.

[maryann]

Good Evening, Coaches.

I am way out of sorts tonite. I am running on empty right now. I am an introvert. I recharge when I am alone. I have not been alone for long enough periods to fill up. Things like the Easter party, sponsoring woman in my AA meetings, my work as an intervention teacher for literacy in my poverty school all take a great tole on me because I am not very efficient screening out emotions. I actually screen out almost nothing. I joke I am a radio tower which picks up everybody's emotional signals. That is why I am a god teacher. I instantly understand what is going on inside kids. But it is bad because I accept excessive responsibility for things that are none of my business. This is especially difficult when I am tired or have not filled up with quiet.

I have a pretty big commitment in an hour in my AA meeting. It is only a big deal because I am overwhelmed. I am desperate for 8:15 to come because then I will be almost free. 1 more day at school (I usually don't work Fridays but I have to tomorrow) and maybe I can find some space for me. I have tracked my WW food - even the sugar I keep running toward to keep going. Still I am three pounds from ticker.

I hate this but it will pass. I hope I don't take it out on my loved ones. I am disappointed in myself and my inability to take care of myself.

What resonates with me from the posts I was reading to calm myself are AZtricia's stress eating "I will care tomorrow" and gardenerjoy's talking about the desire to give herself a free pass for eating during the wedding. This blog is always so helpful.

[nationalparker]

Today seemed like it was just busy from the get-go - appointments and "office" work and last-minute new appt from one doc for mom to get xrayed to check for fracture because of severe back/hip pain today ... I leave tomorrow and didn't get some things done that I wanted to. Funny thing is, mom keeps reminding me to do things that are completely unnecessary at this point ... like buying a spare flag because I"m going to use the last one to put out a fresh one on the flagpole. A spare flag? Not a critical errand now when I'm not wanting to leave dad home alone. I had to bite my tongue and just say, that'll wait until I'm back in a few weeks, not needed tomorrow morning.

Food has been okay today - a bigger lunch and smaller dinner, and I recognize that I always feel guilty about a larger meal.

Tomorrow night will start my challenge of staying on track when the trip is over. And then again on Saturday when I'm alone.

Thanks for the movie suggestions! I'm thinking of treating myself to one that appeals more to me on Saturday, while DH is working. To do NOTHING and just relax with the pets for two hours.

[AZtricia]

Hello Coaches!

Almost Friday
Enjoying the chicken still today and I did loose a pound, which was surprising since I ate at maintenance levels for 5 days. I think that either the crazy hunger faze is gone, or that upping my protein to 30% from 25% is helping tremendously. Anyway, I wasn't hungry except for meals today and no cravings - a HUGE relief! I actually had lowered my exercise to just walking Teddy to help with see if that was part of the problem (I think overexercising triggered it!) but today I added back in my exercise DVD and feel great. It wasn't difficult even after a week away, so that is nice

Had under 1800 cal today, so OP and back to "loose 1 lb/wk" levels. Exercise OP

nationalparker Wishing you safe travel tomorrow and a release of stress unrelated to food!

maryann So understand the introvert needing space/time alone - me too. Sympathising and sending you for dealing with life.

gardenerjoy I'm loving the Beck Facebook page. I subscribed a while ago, but someone is posting daily for the last week or so and they are great reminders. Sorry that the wedding was stressful.

Lexxiss LOL for two vitamixs derailing the salesman Kudos for good choices when your plan had to change. Hurray for hummingbirds! They are fewer here now that it is so hot, probably all moving north.

BillBlueEyes Hope you enjoyed your sushi. Kudos for being better at exercise than 75% of your group, that is Awesome!

GosfordGirl Great job for training at the gym and under 190! Hope it sticks for you

onebyone Ouch for sore teeth Hope they heal up soon. I am choosing no sugar also. My body doesn't need it, it is not healthy, and I feel better without it. (though I do eat 1 piece/day of very dark chocolate).

CeeJay Kudos for a great day. Great job with realizing on time to bed makes such a difference for you.

6crowsgold Hope your fast day went well.

[onebyone]

Coaches:

Hi. I spent the day furthering my experiments with my print materials. I'm making good progress. Credit for taking the time to lay the groundwork carefully.

Today was a good all round day. I got my exercise in and thensome walking the aisles of the Pacific Mall. It's supposed to be just like a mall in Asia. I find it confusing, interesting, odd and I can't help but think all the stores with all the glass look like aquariums to me.

Anyway we did eat out so I completed Day8-eat out. It wasn't so much that my food choices were brilliant. They were average given where we went.What was kudos worthy was the decisions made over and over after dinner as we walked the mall NOT to get sweet anything and not to buy/bring home "the meal I really wanted" as I had planned to eat some weird thing at the mall. We ate beforehand as DH was very hungry and he isn't into weird food like me so his choices at the mall are super limited.

Anyway a good.day on plan and an active day as well.

Have a good night.

[GosfordGirl]

Quick check in coaches - I am waiting for a grocery delivery which I had booked 3 to 6pm and of course I was hoping before 5 pm. Well it is now 5.30 and not here yet. I am meeting my sister for dinner and I was going to leave at 5pm - not now

I go out rarely so won't be too constrained in what I eat. But I am hoping that DF premise that one shouldn't get hungry is correct and that as I am not hungry I won't gorge on soup dumplings! It will be sad if I had all those calories as well as a huge dinner. Today I have finished Day 3 (Banish Hunger) and have read Day 4 (Cook!) for tomorrow - but given I usually make food from scratch and because of Beck try to have a plan / menu it shouldn't be too unfamiliar.

My weight went down a further .2 pound to stay under 190 so even if it goes up because of food and Asian salt tonight I can live with it

I finished the paper project of the weekend so that is all done! Today was a public holiday so no office which means no interferences to work sadly

The food just arrived and I have put away the perishables and get out of here. Have a good Friday coaches

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies – I'm ready to get back to mundane eating. For lunch I finished the pack of sushi roll from the Korean grocery store. Day-after sushi roll isn't my first recommendation, but I'm loathe to toss food. Dinner was the reception after a memorial event for a friend who died in January. Bad news is that the food included asparagus - that must be good for me. Each one was wrapped in filo crust - still not so bad. But seemed to contain uber oil. Unfortunately, killer good. Ouch for having more 'healthy' asparagus than I needed to fuel my day. CREDIT moi for avoiding the dessert table entirely since it contained an array as if designed for carb loading for the Boston Marathon. There were still some shortbread cookies dipped in dark chocolate left as we were walking out the door and my little brain wondered if anyone would notice if I just stuck a handful in my jacket pocket. Hard to believe such thoughts arrive in my brain that have to be fought. Fortunately the you-would-be-embarrassed-to-tears-if-caught part of my brain was still operating. I'm embarrassed here to write that I have to stoop to that level of defense to achieve normal socialized behavior in the face of food.

Amped Arms and Abs at the gym, CREDIT moi, worked me well. The plank position continues to be a challenge as the leader counts to fifty sooooo slowly. He does plank on each side that does have the benefit that one leg can drop for a semi-plank kind of pose that I use when I can't continue. Yay for being pushed.


onebyone – Had to google for pictures of a Pacific Mall - most of the pictures were of food! Kudos for a sane tour without getting sucked in.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – LOL at "I've lost all sense of romance." I share the aversion to "The happiest day in your life" syndrome - as if childbirth was one's happiest day as a parent. May you both survive without significant increase in cynicism.

Debbie (Lexxiss) – My take is that sampling a Vitamix demo at Costco is required for someone as dedicated to their Vitamix as you are. Love the hummingbird feeder success story.

Cheryl (GosfordGirl) – Hat off in respect for Anzac Day in Australia. Kudos for planning to not "gorge on soup dumplings" at dinner.

maryann - Ouch for over busy. I identify with the need for a buffer time between events for my brain to process what's happened and what's coming. May your feelings of self-disappointment also pass as you accept that you are taking care of yourself.

nationalparker – My mind boggles at the suggestion of buying a spare flag when you're full time busy chasing all that reality. Have a good flight home.

Tricia (AZtricia) - Yay for no cravings. Beck promises that they'll decrease - but it's always a surprise when they do.

Readers -

day 15 Monitor Your Eating

Next do the following:
Follow your food plan. Eat only what's on the plan you wrote for yourself last night. Eat everything on the plan, unless you become overly full before you've finished, and don't skip a meal.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 141.

[flnu]

After down 5.5 lbs last week, I am up 4 today. I prefer to think of it as losing .75 lbs each week. More distressingly, my behaviors have not bee stellar. So I am starting a 7 day exercise & op streak. Sat - Fri. And I will read my car daily and check in daily. Thank you for being here.

[AZtricia]

Happy Friday Coaches!

Doing well so far today, need to get dinner out of the freezer. The boys are going to airsoft tonight to shoot at their friends instead of swimming. Feeling much better still at 30% protein and lost another pound. Only 1 pound till halfway! Walked pup and did my DVD.

Update: Good OP day with fish for dinner, picked up Diet Fix at the library and scanned it. Lots of quotables which I'll have to take down before I return it (or buy my own!). I like his long term focus. The 10 day re-set is INTENSE and I could not do it in 10 days. I still think Beck is better in an overall get-you-going and in a weight loss readiness way. But I agree with Dr. Yani that there are times to thoughtfully indulge and at those times it is good to choose to eat at maintenance vs weight loss calories (or even above!) and just to keep those times both thoughtful and rare. Long term suffering and hardship will not lead to long term weight loss, but healthy liveable changes will get you to your goal and keep you there.

Today's Beck Facebook:
Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you encounter food pushers this weekend, remind yourself, “It’s NOT my responsibility to make my friends/family feel good about what they eat and drink, but it IS my responsibility to make healthy choices for me that make me feel good. When I give in to a food pusher, I don’t enjoy the food or drink that they push on me anyway because I feel really angry with myself (and them) for giving in--so it’s really not worth it, anyway.”

flnu Best wishes for your streak!

BillBlueEyes Kudos for gym workout and LOL "the you-would-be-embarrassed-to-tears-if-caught part of my brain was still operating."

GosfordGirl Hope you had a wonderful dinner with sis.

onebyone Great job for an OP and active day.

[6crowsgold]

Finally Friday!

Yesterday did the 2nd workout of 3 for the week. Tonight I hope to finish #3.
Yesterday = OP
Today = Fast Day, OP so far. Wondering how a workout and a Fast Day will go together.

Tomorrow is Weigh-In! Lots of incentive to stay OP and maybe hit the Half-Way point tomorrow.

everybody: Kudos for posting and continuing with the Beck Plan!