Guy comes in pacing back and forth. Im thinking he's either a nervous crack head or a seriously stressed out customer.
He hollers at me "How much are your shirts!"
"I need 100...how much?"
"I want dark blue....how much?"
(all while doing some very fast paced pacing)
"Total that up for me!"
"How much?"
"I'll be back with cash!"
....he came back within 1/2 hour with cash. Plunked several hundred down on the counter, barked out the sizes he wanted and what he wanted the shirts to say. Barked out his request for a receipt (I gave it to him) and he left!
Im very thankful Im not functioning on that level of stress!! (Id be in the looney bin)
Wow. I can feel the stress from here! I've met lots of people who function like that at times. They are both fascinating and scary-mostly depends how I'm feeling within myself. I am so glad you were there for him. I can only imagine what would have happened had he not found someone to do this work for him! Yikes! Hopefully what he wants is basic and he'll be easily pleased Yes, I am glad I am not him too.
I went out to our nearly abandoned cabin today to do a little cleaning. I wasn't prepared for the intensity of the craving I had for the donuts that I used to pick up on my way. They are really good -- I could practically taste and smell them as I was driving out. But, they could probably be described as trans fats stuffed into trans fats topped with chocolate-flavored trans fats. Since I packed my lunch, I was able to take a different exit and not visit the store, so I avoided that debacle.
And I had another first today. On the way home, I stopped at Whole Foods and didn't buy anything to eat immediately. WF had kind of been my last refuge for indulging in treats. The chocolate chip scone is definitely a better choice than donuts but with all its refined flour and too much sugar, it doesn't come close to representing the way that I eat now.
So, two deprivations. Although I feel much less deprived when I know I get to come here and take credit for it!
Here are two abundances to balance this post out. My packed lunch included Concord grapes from last night's Farmers Market. They are the perfect Beck food -- delicious and healthy and, with multiple seeds per grape, impossible to eat quickly! And a non-food related blessing: I saw 4 deer, 3 pileated woodpeckers, a box turtle, a lizard, and a wooly caterpillar today!
WI: -0.15kgs (new low), Exercise: +40, 124/1200 minutes for September, Food: op
Nuxmaga: Yay for walking while you're waiting for Zumba to start up again. I had to make rules to stop foraging behavior -- no eating in the car and no eating anything that is purchased at a drugstore, gas station, or the mall (the only exception is a sit-down meal at the mall, eaten with someone else!).
BillBlueEyes: the grilled veggies sound wonderful -- and great job at organizing things to make them work perfectly for you.
RobinW: yay for the good food and exercise, and even the planned wine. Several of the books I've been reading recommend a bit of wine even as part of a weight loss regimen.
ChinaMaine: credit for moderating your exercise to your body's desire for rest and for working on that resistance muscle! And yay for some of your size 12s fitting!
kuhljeanie: good for you for getting to the doctor -- cautious, while being aware that it might be nothing, is exactly the way to be at this time.
Kim in NH: Yay for getting started with the Beck book! As a long time allergy and chronic sinusitis survivor, here are three things that work for me. 1) Wearing a mask (or a dampened bandana bandit-style) any time that you can get away with it, but especially mowing the lawn or doing other dusty work outdoors. 2) Putting off outdoor activities until as late as possible (just like you did!). 3) Using a neti pot, especially after outdoor work.
JenGM: sounds like you did pretty well under stressful circumstances and yay for getting back on plan!
onebyone: Yeah. I would like to just sit with you and your frustration and your fear of the Yeti and your desire for getting your power back. There's an awful lot of optimism on this site and in Beck and it's all great, except when it isn't. I suppose optimism is a vital part of the journey (why would any of us being doing this if we couldn't find some optimism), but it's not the whole story by a long shot. And if we ignore the rest of it, it all drops into Shadow and comes back to bite us somwhere else (my interpretation of Carl Jung).
I love Steering by Starlight (in fact, I discovered Martha Beck before Judith Beck, so I'm still thinking of Judith as the "other" Beck).
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Quiet around here. DW declared an emergency since we were down to five blueberries, so I got to dedicate my walk to foraging for some more; CREDIT moi. Food OP; CREDIT moi. Got some stress stuff at work going on.
Had my quarterly teeth cleaning in the morning. I'd doing sorta OK in the flossing; hygienist wants more, as she always does. Some day I'm gonna floss six times a day and see if she still says the same thing, LOL. I signed up for a teeth whitening session. I hope that's a reasonable idea, it's pricey enough.
Jean (kuhljeanie) - Watermelon is a gift from the gods - go for it. Yep, I'm feeling the rush of being attentive to my eating. It's easy to drift away being mindful. Sending supportive thoughts for your blood tests.
onebyone - That's one powerful thought: "I want my power back." Kudos for taking the steps with the pool and the gym; that's a big deal. I join you in, "Many a new neural pathway to be formed in my future methinks." Good to be reminded that we're out to change the ruts in our brains.
Robin (RobinW) - Just amazing that you chose colors in 5 minutes and agree; I'm jealous. Hope that is a sign that the bathroom will be completed quickly also. And that your radiators will be revitalized before the first cold settles in. Kudos for good food and gym.
What a story about stress; think I'd feel the stress while printing those. Yay for the huge orders to pay for the bathroom.
ChinaMaine - Kudos for getting in your walking even while you're fighting tired and stiff. As for eyeballing portions I feel I leave myself vulnerable to emotional sizing. Yep, those one dish meals are difficult for me, also. I generally let my DW serve my dinner plate since she's about 120 pounds and been that forever. That sort of ducks the issue, but that was actually my plan from almost four years ago since I was in the habit of serving myself about twice what she was eating. I still have to solve this one.
Erika (eusebius) - Yay for naps; they are so obviously the only sane way to live and yet few of us ever take them. LMAO at your tombstone carved with Anne (wndranne)'s "I grow weary of my own nonsense."
Joy (gardenerjoy) - "3 pileated woodpeckers" in one day - I'm so jealous. So much good CBT stuff you're doing. Changing your exit to avoid going by the donut shop is a classic. And the Concord grapes with multiple seeds as speed bumps is just great. But really LOL at your Kesllering the donuts with, "trans fats stuffed into trans fats topped with chocolate-flavored trans fats." You're on a roll alright; Kudos.
Kim (Kim in NH) - Your bike ride along the river sounds fun; Kudos. LOL at "serious eye roll from DH" for the bounty from the farmer's market. I love those little tomatoes, yep taste like candy.
JenGM - Sending supportive thoughts for your DS's recovery. Kudos for being conscious of your food plan during an anxious time. And BIG Kudos for immediately recommitting.
Readers -
Quote:
Looking Forward
And, of course, you'll be able to enjoy other benefits, too.
Streak extended to Day 4. Credit for dealing with some emotional moments through NO CHOICE and positive thinking rather than eating. Had an unplanned glass of wine, but it was well within points limits and I didn't eat more as a result.
Robin - yay for staying OP! If you are interested in meditation I can recommend some good books & tapes ... PM me if interested. Unbelievable about the stressed out guy. Sounds like he's headed down the short road to a heart attack.
ChinaMaine - Sleep is so important - I am glad to hear you're conquering the tiredness. I went to bed early myself last night and it's making a big difference this morning. Great job getting into size 12!! Fabulous! I actually did get a couple of good deals at the Nike outlet in Freeport - it is nice to be run/walking in new outfits.
kuhljeanie - thanks for asking about the fatigue - it isn't so much eating OP that's tiring as just being back to work and thinking about the house, DD's school, etc. Nice work staying within 40 cals of your limit. Good thoughts and hoping that the spotting etc. is nothing serious (I had it too during my first trimester and went to emergency - everything was OK though).
Kim - Great job on the ARC's. Allergies can be so debilitating! I hope they don't keep you down for long. Love your avatar by the way - Hokusai?
JenGM - I don't think I got a chance to say Welcome!! Hope your 7yrold is OK and great job staying reasonable with eating while away.
onebyone - Big credit to you for reporting your emotions here and for all the good steps you're taking. Did you know Martha Beck (Steering by Starlight) has a diet book called The Four Day Win? I thought it was pretty interesting ...
gardenerjoy - Nice work avoiding donuts and Whole Foods temptations!! Would love to see all the local fauna you have in the area. Beautiful.
Bill - LOL, 5 blueberries is definitely an emergency situation. Kudos for staying OP despite work stress! I totally hear you on the flossing. I have a hygienist appointment in 2 wks and need to get going on it so I don't get the same lecture over again ...
OK, meditation and coffee time; cardio #3 for the week later this morning. Happy Friday and good thoughts for the long weekend.
this'll be short...more bleeding, nurse called back with very low HGC numbers and doc cancelled the ultrasound, wants another beta to see if things are going like they should be in a few days. doesn't look great at this point but am holding on to a thread of hope.
Still on Day 1, although I completed the ARC(s) I have not set up my reminder system to read them. I am determined that I will do all the tasks before moving on, and I really like that she drilled that importance into me.
No exercise today, as it was spent cutting and dry laying tile with a rented saw for woodstove hearth #2. Job went quick after the engineer (DH) and the retired draftsman (me) finally understood that tile tolerance will not be to the 1/32nd of an inch. Tomorrow I get to cement it in…my knees are not happy.
Can’t get Wndranne’s phrase out of my head. I like it too much. It replaced that hole in the bucket song that one of you reminded me of last week.
BillBlueEyes; blueberries are so worth any trip out to get. My favs are the little wild ones, but we had a poor crop in our picking spots here. Hygienists see every gum bleed are poor flossing, as they poke you with a metal stick. Gardenerjoy; I envy you seeing the Pileated – we had nothing here for wildlife in four years (since getting two dogs.) Love those Concord grapes too! As far as trans fat – I think of it as irreversible damage and that keeps me away from it. OnebyOne; Thank you for sharing that. Your struggles are so familiar. Lots of guilt over the photo thing myself. My kids will look back over the years and wonder if they had a mother at all. Doesn’t sound like you are ready to “get used to” any of that so good for you for wanting your power back and a great way to sum it up. Eusebius; Nice if you can have the wine and not let it lead to snacks, too! (my problem). I have a bead loom and have worked up a pattern for The Great Wave, so seeing it reminds me to get going on that. JenGM; Glad to see you’re back. Hope all is well with your son. Nice to only have had two so-so moments foodwise while traveling, that’s a tough test just starting out. RobinW; I have been grilling salmon a lot lately, it is so good this time of year.
And Kuhljeanie, thinking of you and hoping things are okay…
I was fretting over getting new work ready for my farmer's market tomorrow when my lift to the market called and canceled. I must say, my friend has the uncanny knack of canceling going out to sell and make $ on the weekends that are most probably the most lucrative. There I am trying to save money by not renting cars and instead I am just not making money at all. It was, probably, the wrong decision to make. If I do markets again next year I have to re-think it.
I do have plenty of work to do though so in that way I'll be busy. And it's a beautiful weekend forecast too so that's just good news. Very good news.
So credit moi for weighing in once this morning credit moi for planned exercise walking from the transit station to the management office for our large complex and picking up a copy of my lease and then walking home the long way credit moi for persisting in the chase to get a copy of my lease
but BOOOOOOO HISSSSS for the recreation complex, beside the rental office that had my copy of my lease, being CLOSED until Sept. 8th. Alas I cannot get that swimming pass until then nor can I sign up for the gym/weight room upstairs until then either. Again, another delay. But, as usual, I will persist and see it through. "Free" swimming is worth the wait as is the discount rate for the gym.
And as a bonus, while picking up my lease I heard myself inquire about teaching classes at the rec complex. My subconscious said it. I didn't plan it or think about it beforehand, the words just fell out of my mouth. "I'm an art teacher..." I heard myself say! Guess I believe that! So perhaps a little local painting class may be just right here... and further experience for me to take with me wherever I go.
Food-wise a much better day with better choices. yay.
kuhljeanie I'm thinking good thoughts for you... Try not to worry too much but I know this would be very tough to deal with still... being stressed out never helped fix anything. Big hugs to you today.
Kim in NH that you are working not only on a wood stove hearth but on wood stove hearth #2 fills me with longing for a place of my own, and wood stove and a sauna and a northern lake to jump into after the sauna... guess you can;t help me with much of that but you're right to spend time with the beginning stages of Beck. And thanks for the reminder for me to also get back to it.
RobinW good news on the good day!
eusebius I think I am getting into Martha Beck so thanks for the tip about the Four Day Win. I thought she had another book called The Joy Diet -- but I think that's for pessimists to learn how to turn over a shiny new happy leaf green leaf and drink in the sun... Kudos for not allowing a minor deviation to take away the FACT of a four day streak.
BillblueeyesCREDIT toi for sticking to your plan even though you've
Quote:
Got some stress stuff at work going on.
That kind of thing totally knocks me off my socks still. Thanks for the example that it doesn't have to. And hiphiphurray for blueberries still being around!
to everyone I've missed - thanks everyone for being around and checking in.
I've just finished my first week of 10 Minute Solution: Target Toning for Beginners (it's a DVD, but I've been streaming it through my Netflix account). And, I'm really pleased. No pain, but I'm already feeling stronger. I especially notice it walking up steps -- my thighs are doing the work instead of my knees. That seems like a lot of progress with only ten minutes a day for five days.
WI: -0.35kgs (new low), Exercise: +40, 164/1200 minutes for September, Food: op
BillBlueEyes: Good for you staying on program during a stressful time at work.
eusebius: Yay for Day 4. According to Martha Beck's book, 4 Day Win, that's about the time it takes to fully commit to something new. Oh, I see you've read it! Are you giving yourself rewards?
kuhljeanie: sending healing thoughts your way at this vulnerable time for you.
Kim in NH: Good for you for taking the Beck stuff slow. It feels to me like , with Beck, we're getting this right for the long haul. And that's a big difference from everything else that I've tried.
onebyone: yay for all the activity and the better food choices and for being persistent in all kinds of ways. You are right about The Joy Diet -- I'm guessing it's not the book you want at the moment. It hasn't been a book I wanted yet, either -- I just picked it up and looked at it once.
Hi coaches! Fell asleep putting my daughter to bed and just woke up to do this! Credit moi! Stayed OP; woke up too late for planned run but readjusted and did the elliptical later in the day after getting my youngest down for a nap. Watched my family down Baja Fresh nachos and quesadillas without too much pain! It's seeming easy to stay OP right now -- I doubt it'll last but it sure is nice!
kuhljeanie –I’ve been through that a few times myself. You’re in my thoughts.
Kim – I’m looking for a good reminder system for the ARC’s. Let me know if you find one! I initially set my cell phone to alarm 3 x a day as a reminder, but it always went off in the middle of a doctor’s appt or some other time that was inconvenient. And good for you for trying to do all the tasks. I’ve found it helpful to use her “priority” form (you can get it at her online site) to force myself to do the things that might not otherwise get done (exercise, in my case).
onebyone - Good for you getting your exercise in despite the lease frustrations!
gardenerjoy – Way to strengthen your resistance muscle in avoiding the donuts/scone! Maybe it’ll get easier next time? BTW, my fave bedtime treat is frozen grapes… yummy and goes a lot slower than icecream!
Bill – Good work staying OP!
Erika – glad you didn’t let the unplanned glass of wine derail you. Kudos for staying on plan!
Sorry I didn't check in yesterday. It was our 15 year wedding anniversary and dh surprised me by taking me to dinner right at 5 so we didn't get back home until late then I had to get little man to bed, homework done, etc. Anyway, he took me to Olive Garden. I hadn't planned for eating out that day as I figured on making something at the house for him. I had the salad and only 1 breadstick (I usually eat 3-4). I ordered the Whole Wheat Linguine (never done that before) and the meat sauce. I left 1/3 of the bowl. We had a glass of wine to toast too. I was pretty nervous about the calories by then so when the waitress came by and asked if we wanted dessert I was like NO! But she said you have to pick something as we have a surprise for you. DH and I got the Italian donuts with the chocolate sauce. OMG it was so freakin good!!! We split it but none the less it was costly in calories. I logged in all the calories from the website when I got home and it wasn't pretty. Even with all the modifications I made it was 1400 calories!! Needless to say, I about passed out on the couch. I don't think I'll be eating there anytime soon again. I thought I had done so well too! :-( Now normally we wouldn't have had the wine or the dessert so I can take off 600 calories off of that but still. That is a lot of freakin calories!!
Anyway, I did better today despite forgetting my lunch and having to get something while at work. I did really well. I just ordered something healthy and then ate 1/2 and gave the rest to a friend. I did have one moment of weakness and ate 1 graham cracker because I was hungry before dinner. Not that 1 graham cracker is a big deal calorie wise but it's the whole concept that Beck doesn't want us to eat if it's not planned. Tsk, tsk to me!
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Due to the convergence of what-happens-next, I took my car into the financial district of downtown Boston at morning rush hour on a workday. Would think that the world's worst idea, but it was an unexpectedly positive driving experience even though most streets are named Milk, State, or Federal and all are one-way the other way. I remembered that Winter Street is a terrific shortcut to Summer Street but, fortunately, also remembered that I walk on Winter Street because it's a pedestrian mall, so had to plan my drive around. The bicycle messengers on their one speed bikes dart about drawing my jealously for their lean, hard bodies. It's such a vibrant and attractive city. I really like living here.
Food OP; CREDIT moi. At gym I concentrated on feeling the muscles to distract myself from rushing; CREDIT moi. Watched the lunges form of a guy doing them slowly and well which helped me get them right. Then watched the same guy do the plank - a diabolically yoga-like pose that looks simple but seems to work every muscle in the body. Good reminder that I used to do those and should get back into them.
Jean (kuhljeanie) - Sending supportive thoughts.
onebyone - Ouch for the missed market day. Yep, Big Kudos for chasing down the paperwork to get into your pool and gym even thought the knuckleheads locked down the office just when you needed it. Maybe some outside time for this good weather weekend.
Yay for acknowledging "I'm an art teacher..." Are the classes going to happen?
Robin (RobinW) - Yay for being good. Yay for having stuff on which to be behind.
Erika (eusebius) - Kudos for deploying NO CHOICE and positive thinking rather than eating. Nice to be reminded that that's what we're striving to do with this CBT stuff. And good demo that a one glass of wine diversion doesn't need to be the start of a major off-plan indulgence.
Kara (Walking Princess) - Happy 15th, may you have many more. Ouch for being snookered by Olive Garden, but you've found the best strategy for them - bring most of it home. If you're going to indulge in a dessert, you can't do much better than profiteroles. I've had them in Milan and from Italian bakeries in the Boston Italian neighborhood. You've got me drooling. Kudos for a bounded excursion and for getting right back on track.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Neat that you can feel the results of toning already. Yay for emerging muscles. See your signature file; you're now an old hand on 3FC.
Kim (Kim in NH) - LOL that "that tile tolerance will not be to the 1/32nd of an inch." BTDT. Same holds for paving blocks in a driveway. Congrats for having the skills and courage to rent a tile saw and just Do It. Good luck with cementing them all down today. And Kudos for paying serious attention to completing all the tasks of Day 1; good start there.
We do love those small, wild, low-bush blueberries. They never show up in our stores. We consider them a treat only available when driving in NH or Maine. Wish you guys would ship more down this way.
JenGM - Kudos for ignoring "Baja Fresh nachos and quesadillas." LOL at falling asleep while putting your DD to sleep; I remember those times fondly.
Readers -
Quote:
Looking Forward
. . .
You'll also discover dozens of additional benefits as you lose weight and maintain your weight loss. All of these wonderful things were experienced by the dieters I've worked with - and they'll happen for you, too!
Feeling a bit better again; I did yoga plus a core workout. My shoulders felt pretty good, except for one spasm towards the end. DH finished the docks yesterday. We have a 12’ x 12’ floating dock now. Yesterday he added a ladder and dock cleats for function and fun. He also added some weight to stabilize the docks when people stand or walk around. I dragged our two most comfy outdoor chairs out there for DH and I to use. My shoulders and back ached yesterday evening, but feel great now.
It’s been an odd week for me Beck-wise. I’ve been working out less than usual by an average of 200 calories a day. Somehow that’s given me mental permission to eat a bit more than usual, by an average of 100 calories a day. My net calories per day put me in the weight loss zone, but by a much smaller amount than usual. I have a house full of guests for the weekend. So, I’ll try to move a lot and eat reasonably. But come next week, it’ll be time to get serious again.
The town next to ours has a nice big fair every year over Labor Day. We went last night so DH could enjoy bad fair food and so we could watch the horse pull. I’d never seen one before I moved to Maine, I don’t think they do them at the fairs in NY (where I grew up). Two horses pull large pallets of weights. The horse pull events draw huge crowds and it’s much more exciting than it sounds. I think it must be the focus and physical power the horses demonstrate that makes the horse pull so exciting. The winning team was a gorgeous pair of light brown horses, who pulled 7400 lbs over 12’!
For dinner I walked around trying to find something that looked like it was probably gluten-free and didn’t have too many calories. They have great fries at the fair that are GF, but I walked past them – too many calories! And I wasn’t really in the mood for tons of fat. I would have gotten greek chicken (aka souvlaki) but they had just run out – darn. So, I settled on baked potato with chili, broccoli, cheese and sour cream. I was thinking the cheese would be shredded cheese, but instead it was the foul, gloppy, liquid cheese. Oh well… I ate about half and then DH finished the rest after inhaling his gyro. Sometimes I feel like an enabler with DH, but I don’t encourage him to clean my plate…
We’ll head back to the fair on Sunday so our neices can visit all the barns, ride the rides, and play games of skill and chance. Can’t wait!
WI-up .2 lbs. Made a plan, read my cards. Food – op, Exercise – op (47m).
Kuhljeanie to you and that things get better. Try to relax this weekend…
I need to start prepping the house for everyone arriving soon, so have a great weekend everyone.
Quick flyby today as I slept in too long. Streak extended to Day 5, though I had an unplanned latte (3 pts) that was still within my limits. Oh Well. Wish me luck today ... dinner at the parents'. No idea what's on the menu, but mom knows I'm counting points, so there is hope.
Kuhljeanie - I continue to think of you and send good thoughts ...
(Id be in the looney bin
)
Yes, I am glad I am not him too.
Friday of the long weekend
I cannot get that swimming pass until then nor can I sign up for the gym/weight room upstairs until then either. Again, another delay. But, as usual, I will persist and see it through. "Free" 
swimming is worth the wait as is the discount rate for the 
gym. 
So perhaps a little local painting class may be just right here... and further experience for me to take with me wherever I go. 
Needless to say, I about passed out on the couch. I don't think I'll be eating there anytime soon again. I thought I had done so well too! :-( Now normally we wouldn't have had the wine or the dessert so I can take off 600 calories off of that but still. That is a lot of freakin calories!!
WI-up .2 lbs. Made a plan, read my cards. Food – op, Exercise – op (47m). 