Good Morning!!

Yesterday I was 100% on plan. So grateful that I have found the strength to start again.

Lexxiss- credit for staying on plan. What you said to pamtanga was really motivating for me- about being in pain and knowing that every 5 pounds would make a difference on the stress on your joints.

onebyone-I would also like to see your art bigger so I can see the detail. Huge credit for your onplan day. I know exactly how important getting through the first day is.

BillBlueEyes-laughed at your description of getting salvaged at hairdresser. Had to take my DH in for a mowdown on top of his head yesterday.

ChefJoona-yay for onplan eating and for a pound gone. Major credit for turning down ice cream.

gardenerjoy-I agree about the benefits of daily weigh ins. This taught me that pretty big fluctuations happen. When I weighed weekly I would be crushed about nonmovement of the numbers.

pamatga- 6.2 pounds in a week is amazing. Congratulations. Glad you acknowledged the accomplishment with a treat.

GardeningDeb- welcome to you.

MaryContrary-sending you warm thoughts as you help your mom.

Have a great day everyone. I am feeling so happy that I am back on track, that the sun is shining and the birds are singing, that I am lucky enough to be on my way to see Elton John tonight, that I have a DH who loves me no matter what, and that my kitchen renos are almost done!!

Good Morning,
I am on my way out the door to Tahoe for Mother's Day. Just my two boys and me. It will be lovely. Third day of juicing and I am excited at the prospect. When they say it cleans you system, they mean it. Whoa. I wasn't hungry the rest of the day. One glass a day and then my regular zone meals is my plan. That way I will keep blood sugar constant and fiber - although this juicer is a "masticator" and allegedly retains much of the fiber. I love eating fruit and vegis but I always have a hard time getting all the greens in. Late - more this week.
Hello to all.

My weigh-in was disappointing -- the same weight that scared me into not weighing for a month, about 4 pounds higher than my lowest weight. I know I've been following my plan well for the last month, so it's obvious that what I'm following is a maintenance plan not a weight loss plan.

I moved my ticker up from 176 to 179 so at least I'm working with facts. It's a good thing that I had a successful clothes shopping trip yesterday -- it's easier to not get hung up on a number on the scale when I have new clothes that I know looked good in a three-way mirror just yesterday.

So. I have options.
A. Sulk, give it all up, eat the way I used to, and gain all the weight back. I consider it a blessing that this has no appeal.
B. Accept that I am at a maintenance weight following a maintenance plan.
C. Change the plan with the idea of finding the next weight down that my body likes to weigh--probably 165 give or take 5 pounds.

I've thought a lot about it and I'm going with C, with B as my backup plan.

Then, there are a couple more questions.

What is the new plan? I'm going to go with the plan in Beck's green book. It worked for me last summer.

When do I start the new plan? The options here are:
1. as soon as I can get my hands on the book, or sooner from memory
2. June 1, after a May that includes two trips that might be unnecessarily stressful if I'm trying to follow a new food plan.

I've gone back and forth on that, but I'm going for option 2. So, I will be continuing with my current plan until June 1 with the expectation that I will maintain between 175 and 180 for the rest of the month.

Day 22: Oh Well
Not losing weight the last four weeks, making it clear that my current plan is good enough for maintenance but not restricted enough for weight loss, is a big "oh well" moment. I had really hoped that I was losing the last few weeks. "I don't like this but I'm going to accept it and move on." I'm always amazed how much easier life gets when I accept reality rather than resist it.

WI: NC in kgs, Exercise: +20* 280/1200 minutes for May, Food: 70%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

Hi all. I've been reading your thread for a few days. Are you all done with the book and just trying to follow the steps or are some of you still working through them. I have been listening to the audiobook, but I just got the actual book from the library, so I will be at step one, I suppose.

Hi Coaches!

Not such a great food day for me, but I haven't given up trying. I overate my bread at lunch which kind of goofed up the rest of my day. I tracked everything and ate light tonight. Oh well, moving on.

wife2abadge, we have all jumped on this thread in different stages . I have gone through the daily program in the pink book and am working on those skills daily. Some are quite natural now yet I still struggle with emotional eating.

BillBlueEyes, I had to look up mansard roof. It's just fascinating how many different roof styles there are. Interesting commentary on your mixed marriage. Us, too. I think DH doesn’t eat lunch unless I'm there to prepare it...then he can snack all night and never gain an ounce.

pamatga, just to let you know, for many moons I was posting when everyone else was sleeping. My patterns have only recently allowed me a full night of sleep. Great job getting rid of the marshmallows-yeah no one will eat them now. Hang in there, girl, you keep going and you will be up and down those stairs again, too. I had thought it would not happen for me.

onebyone, great that you notice that following a plan can make you happy. That sounds like card material to me.

ChefJoona, what an accomplishment, saying NO CHOICE to the ice cream without feeling resentful or cheated!

CeeJay, yay for gratitude and strength to start again. I looked it up at WebMD, it is 4 pounds less pressure for every pound of weight lost.

maryann, glad you're enjoying juicing...I'll bet you took your masticator to Tahoe, too. Have fun.

gardenerjoy, kudos for a very well thought out assessment of your situation along with a plan and alternates. Great that you are satisfied with your clothes from your recent shopping trip.

Take care everyone!

Hello Coaches

Today I stayed On Plan despite being In Crisis.

CREDIT

I haven't managed putting the two states together in months, could be years.

Basically we had an unexected money crisis and I didn't use food to cope with the feelings of panic. In the end all worked out-except one part but that will too-later-but I stayed OP all day.

I turned away from two distinct food challenges: a plate of snacky things and cheap sweet things in a store then in the car where DH offered me some. He used food to cope, not me.

I also woke up feeling happy. Not a coincidence given I was OP yesterday. And I do know, that no matter what comes of today, if I stay OP I have ONE THING I CAN BE PROUD OF IN THE MORNING. I think this is memory box material.

Additional credits for: committing my foodplan for tomorrow to my buddy
-walking around today despite painful leg now I am walking toward health though so it's all good...
-tracking/measuring my food
-buying new batteries for the scale weighed in and got 280.8 twice.
-checking in here

g'night 'all.

Susan (wife2abadge)

And in case you didn't get one of these 7 years ago!!!,

How did you hear about the books by Dr. Judith Beck?

And how did you find this thread on the 3 Fat Chicks site?

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Happy Mother's Day to all who have led kids into civilazation.

Exercise was riding my bike to a festival of sorts, CREDIT moi. Unfortunately, much FREE food was available. I turned down a blueberry muffin the size of a softball, bags of potato chips, and much, much more. I had an unplanned "granola bar" just because someone handed it to me - Ouch - but put the next one in my back pack along with a bagel and thereafter stayed on track. I arrived without a plan as if I didn't remember that FREE food was likely. I was looking forward to a FREE apple that I remember from a prior year, and it wasn't offered this year.

Dinner at a Greek restaurant with old friends was on plan - CREDIT moi. On plan means ignoring a stack of good pita bread and having extra salad instead of their to-die-for rice pilaf. And ignoring the baklava and liquid calories. And later ignoring the Italian biscotti that was served with coffee and tea.


onebyone - Major Kudos for staying the path during a crisis. And Yay for "walking toward health." Thanks for the tip about free comic books. You made me think of Mad Magazine which always makes me smile.

CeeJay - Kudos for a 100% day! [LOL at "mowdown on top of his head."]

Joy (gardenerjoy) - Sounds to me like you're thinking pretty clearly about your state - Kudos for remaining sane when the scale results could be driving you crazy.

Debbie (Lexxiss) - Ouch for getting sidetracked by good bread, with Kudos for adjusting dinner.

maryann - Such a positive report from the use of your "masticator" - sounds fun. Have fun at Tahoe.

ChefJoona - Turning down Ben and Jerry's is worthy of Kudos for sure. What goes in your quinoa salad?

Susan (wife2abadge) - Yep, step one is the place to start. You'll find different posters at different stages in the plan - there's a bunch at the beginning so you won't be alone. I've done the 42 days and am on the maintenance phase, although I have to go review stuff periodically because my brain is capable of forgetting.

Jump right in - there are no rules to learn. Glad you've joined us.


Readers -

Hi friends... I am still trying. I can't seem to get through a full day. I wake up thinking 'why bother' - I can't get through the day without going off my plan. I am not quite sure how to get through the day. I won't give up.

I get my new brace on Tuesday.

Happy Mother's Day to the moms, stepmoms, grandmas, aunts, special friends or any woman who had been important in the life of a child. It's your day.

A MOM is fantastic, even when it's spelled upside down she is a WOW!

Have a great day.

Good morning!!

maryann-enjoy your mother's day with your boys.

gardenerjoy-nice to be buying clothes without the feeling of despair. I am also eating now (ha=well eating for my third day LOL) using the green book plan. I am liking it alot. I photocopied the food plan pages so that I don't need to lug the book around and am using it to plan the day.

wife2abadge- welcome. I have found Dr. Beck's book to be the most helpful I have read and I have read alot of them.

Lexxiss-good for you for adjusting your food for the rest of the day after overdoing the bread at lunch. Beck skills in action. Thanks for looking up the pressure on the joints- Am making a new card saying: 'One pound gone is four pounds less pressure on my feet and knees."

onebyone-great efforts yesterday during your crisis. So glad you are feeling happy.

BillBlueEyes-credit for enjoying a night out dining and keeping it sane. A good lesson that we need to learn to enjoy socializing even as we are mindful of what we are putting in our bodies.

Beverlyjoy-you are sounding very discouraged. I know that feeling. Glad you are not giving up--you have come so far. How is the new brace working for you?

For me- yesterday was a good one. I did everything I told myself I was going to do- my weights and ate healthy and on plan. We went to see Elton John last night- which was 3 hours of absolute joy. There is just nothing like live music to lift my spirits. Just so emotional- in a good way. We stopped at Tim Horton's on the way home and all I got was decaf coffee. I am feeling so strong today. Haven't felt this way in awhile.

Have a great day and Happy Mother's Day!!

Yesterday defied planning, but I balanced it all out with a big salad for supper. Credit for developing the skill of modifying meals around unexpected plan changes. And today should go much better in that regard.

Day 23: Counter the Unfairness Syndrome
The unfairness syndrome was huge for me and remains a challenge. The most useful response for me must have been in the green book: This is the way that successful dieters and maintainers eat. By comparing myself to successful dieters and maintainers, instead of some amorphous "everyone," what seems fair is much more in line with what I need to be doing in order to achieve a healthy weight.

Also, it helps to direct some of this unfairness energy into anger at Big Food and other forces that have changed our notion of serving sizes beyond all reason, manufactured addictive hyperpalatable foods, and marketed to our lowest biological instincts.

3FC, particularly this thread, is very important to me on this issue. I can make good guesses about how some of you would face challenges on your best days. The unfairness aspect melts away when I imagine you making the same good choice that I do. Together, we are changing the cultural norm that Big Food has thrust upon us so that choosing a salad over french fries seems like the normal and natural thing rather than a strange counter-culture choice.

WI: -1.0kgs, Exercise: +20* 300/1200 minutes for May, Food: 70%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

Welcome, wife2abadge! I went through The Complete Beck Diet for Life (the green book) in the late summer of 2009. I've started but never completed The Beck Diet Solution (the pink book) several times --and I'm working my way through it now with the idea of finally finishing it. As a group, we're all over the place in our weight loss journies, so jump right in! You will find your place soon enough.

onebyone: love the huge pink credit! Hugs for the crisis, but I'm so glad you are finding your way through it without food.

CeeJay: so glad you enjoyed the Elton John concert -- I feel warm and happy inside just reading your description!

Happy Mother's Day to the moms and aunts and big sisters and teachers and everyone else who loves kids of all ages and makes a difference in their lives!

Hi Coaches!

Today went well. We took mom to brunch. I indulged a bit (having dessert) but balanced my meal with lots of veggies and salad. Dinner will be very simple, if anything. Exercise was NO CHOICE! 10 miles on my recumbent bike before brunch. *credit* ETA-I did alot of physical work last week but very little formal exercise. I need to get back into a routine, which started today.

Now for the miracle: *drum roll* and *credit* Debbie's First Beck Inspired Food Plan May 8-14 My snacks (if needed) aren't included nor are any serious details because I know exactly what it is. I'll report back next week. I'd just like to see if this would flow. Of course, life happens but it's a week I don't anticipate having to change.

BillBlueEyes, ouch for a festival with no apples. Great that you rode your bike there and great that you were able to resist most of the FREE offerings. BTW-I think the balsamic vinegar which Whole Foods sells in bulk is excellent! They have a "traditional" which is syrupy and a tad sweet-perfect for dribbling on salads or veggies. They have little cups for tasting, which I considered "legitimate". I don’t know if it's relatively new or I had just missed it. I find it near the bulk spices.

onebyone, yay for putting the two states together and sticking with your plan. I thought I'd mention….I explained to my DH that it would NOT be impolite NOT to offer me things that weren't on my plan and that I would always feel free to ASK if I wanted some. It was a Beck inspired strategy. It took several reminders but it is so much easier on me when we have that understanding and he doesn't ASK. Once in awhile I will ASK but usually I DON'T. (PS glad you got the new scale before the unexpected money crisis lol) I hope your worries pass soon.

Beverlyjoy, keep trying! It's always a pleasure to have you here with us. You know, I struggle, too. I try to remember that "it" matters....and I keep trying, too.

CeeJay, great that "I did everything I told myself I was going to do"! I love EJ but haven't seen him since college. BTW-I will make your muffins from the recipe section for DH this week.

gardenerjoy, you said, " The unfairness aspect melts away when I imagine you making the same good choice that I do. Together, we are changing the cultural norm that Big Food has thrust upon us so that choosing a salad over french fries seems like the normal and natural thing rather than a strange counter-culture choice." So true! All of you Whole Foods shoppers are right with me now when I shop! I thought of you as I passed by the pizza yesterday. I'm watching basketball right now and the majority of the ads that stand out are for junk food.

Thank you for the warm welcome. Hope all the mothers had a nice day. I was invited out for a Mother's Day dinner. Had a dab of potatoes which were white and a small piece of ham, asparagus. My dil made a dessert that was sugar free so I could have some so I did have a small piece of cheesecake with strawberries on it. I did eat some carrots sticks/cucumber slices before I left the house. I did my best to not overdo and enjoy the day.

I am going to read Chapter 3 of my book after I sign off. I have the pink book. I couldn't find the 8 essential things to do but maybe it is in the chapter. `I am looking forward to getting to know all of you. Thank you for letting me join the group.

GardeningDeb

Hi Coaches

credits
-weighed in: 283.8 (+3.8)
-checked in with coaches
-committed food plan
-made 1 reasonable switch
-walked around and rested
-said NO CHOICE to snacky off plan foods
-had "normal" servings
-tomorrow's food is planned
-exercise planned

going to rest now...

Hi everyone

Quick check in before bed:

Credit today for:

weighing in
reading cards
eating 3 healthy meals and 3 healthy snacks at 1600 calories
rearranging planned food a bit but staying in calorie range
Packing lunch for tomorrow and planning food
checking in here
read a bit of the Green Book
lots of outdoor time today and an active day

Have a good Monday