Beck Diet For Life/Solution – June 2017 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

BillBlueEyes · 06-01-2017, 06:13 AM

Welcome to the discussion group, support group, Diet Coach group, Diet Buddy group relating to the two books by Dr. Judith S. Beck:

The Complete Beck Diet for Life

and the first book

The Beck DIET solution: train your brain to think like a thin person.

The Beck Diet Solution is a psychological program, not a food plan. It provides a step-by-step program to learn specific techniques to stay on our diet, lose weight, and maintain our weight loss for life. The program is based on Dr. Beck's clinical research in Cognitive Therapy (CT).

The Complete Beck Diet for Life expands the earlier work and includes a food plan with suggested menus. From the cover:

With The Complete Beck Diet for Life you'll discover the 5 stages of successful dieting and maintenance. You'll learn how to motivate yourself, give yourself credit for every change you make, create time and energy for dieting, and handle hunger and cravings. Dr. Beck eases you into changing one step at a time. You'll master one task before moving on to the next. And you'll learn techniques to deal with challenging situations, such as sticking with ou plan at celebrations and dealing with "food pushers." With Dr. Beck's skills, you'll achieve a lifetime of healthful eating and lifelong motivation.

This is a place to discuss the Beck strategies and our daily efforts, to receive and provide support, and, for some of us, is where we serve as on-line diet buddy (coach) to each other.

If you’ve arrived from a search engine, you've landed at the site of 3 Fat Chicks (3FC), a remarkable place for those interested in a healthy life style, including mindful eating, exercise, and weight loss. More about the site, including how to register so that you can post, can be found here.

The books are available on Amazon through the 3FC store by clicking their names above; buying through 3FC helps to cover the costs of running this site.

You can find the list of previous (or more current) monthly Beck threads here on 3 Fat Chicks via:

List of Monthly Beck Threads for Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach

BillBlueEyes · 06-01-2017, 06:14 AM

Diet Coaches/Buddies – It was chase the DGD day, CREDIT moi. We were told that she hadn't slept much the night before so it wasn't a surprise that we had a wound up kid who moved constantly, spending only seconds on each book or activity. At naptime she just wiggled around her bed. So, we put her in the stroller and started walking down the street. As hoped, she fell asleep immediately and then continued to sleep for two hours when we got home and sat in the yard reading while she slept in the stroller undeterred by loud city sounds.

Food was on plan, CREDIT moi, possibly because there's no time to eat when tending a 20 month year old toddler. If I didn't read differently on 3FC I'd believe that all mothers lose weight after their kids become toddlers.

silverbirch – Kudos for "serious exercising." I wish I could get rid of sugar from my life.

maryann - Keep the faith - the end is in sight.

Karen (karenrn) - Not sure if I'm flexible enough for active yoga, but the Savasana resting pose is for me. Neat that you can go for a walk before breakfast.

curlyjax - Yay for cheaper cherries - what a treat. I'm having trouble thinking about fruit cake in warm weather.

Readers -

Quote:

chapter 1 The Key to Success

no more "cheating"

The word cheat doesn't appear again in this book outside of this box. I've omitted it intentionally because too many unsuccessful dieters have all-or-nothing thoughts about their eating: Either I'm perfect on this diet or I've cheated ... If I've cheated, I've blow it - I may as well continue to cheat for the rest of the [day/week/month/year]. I've found that people who view themselves as having cheated usually feel demoralized and even "bad," which makes it even more difficult for them to get back on track.

Instead of cheat, I've used the words unplanned eating and overeating. These terms are less negatively charged. People who use them are able to take a more benign view and say, Okay, so I ate something I didn't plan to eat or I ate more than I was supposed to. But they're also able to then add, it was just a mistake, no big deal .. I'll get back on track for the rest of the day.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 18.

silverbirch · 06-01-2017, 06:22 AM

Ah, yes, June!

"Subscribe to this thread."

maryann · 06-01-2017, 08:46 AM

Good Morning, Coaches.

For twenty seven years, I have spent the final school week tossing and turning. There is a companion week which comes the week before school. Oh well. It makes the first day of vacation seem sweeter. The students have their finals these last two days. I will spend time hunched over my desk for about 8 hours trying to get the grading done. Then on Saturday we pack up DS to go to boy scout camp. These are all emotional things for me. I'll go back into school Monday and Tuesday to submit grades and close up my classroom. None of these event will be avoided by extra food.

Weight is at ticker. I do not have to adjust up at the beginning of the month. Of course it also means I haven't adjusted down. But maintenance for the last month of school is too shabby. I stuck to my vow of a smoothie replacement meal and a green meal.

My goal is to get up and walk around every 45 minutes so my neck and back don't go out as they have in the past.

Wave to all.

karenrn · 06-01-2017, 10:08 AM

Good morning coaches,

Food on plan. Yesterday at the gym was great. There were only two of us in the class which seems like being with a personal trainer. I was so excited because my left shoulder had been bothering me for some time and I find I can now get a barbell over my head to rest on my shoulders. At the new gym we don't really do that because we lift them from a rack directly onto our shoulders, but the fact that whatever was going on has resolved pleases me. I was able to do squats with 55 pounds. I know that is nothing for many, but it was a good start. My nephew who is in the Crossfit regionals this weekend in Portland OR can lift 450 pounds.

Otis and I took our walk at 5:30 this morning and I'll go to yoga at 10:50 and then go 45 minutes north to visit my sister in law from WA who is here visiting her daughter. Before that happens I will pack a few more boxes. I packed 3 yesterday and if I do that every day, it will be great. I also was contacted by another neighbor (via Nextdoor.com) and can pick up some boxes from him this evening.

Maryann I just hate when I toss and turn at night. I've done a bit of it considering the kitchen remodel. Do you sleep better in the summer when you're off work?

Bill It's been a long time since I've had a little one around. I used to put mine in the stroller for a walk when he needed sleep too. The car also worked.

Silverbirch Glad the low carb plan is working well. I do have a fairly high carb breakfast, but after that mine leans that way too or at least it is high protein.

Well, I think I'll get the few dishes done, a little laundry and pack those boxes.
Have a great day everybody!

KyraPal · 06-01-2017, 09:20 PM

Hello. I have been a "Beck dieter" on an off since the first book came out and have decided to dust off my copy after a month of minimal progress "on my own". My ultimate goal is to get back to my pre-fertility weight (I gained many pounds even before getting pregnant from many years of hormone treatments) now that my family is complete with two darling girls, aged 2.5 and 6 weeks.

To introduce myself, I wanted to post my Advantages List:

To be physically fit.
To feel accomplished and in control.
To be stylish and enjoy picking out clothes from my closet and stores.
To feel comfortable having my picture taken, especially with my family.
To feel sexy and better enjoy intimacy.
To wear my wedding ring again.
To prevent a destiny of hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes. (I am at higher risk for all from having PCOS and preeclampsia)
I look like the person my husband fell in love with.

My initial goals are to track everything I eat on a calorie counting app in order to stay mindful and to get in purposeful activity whenever possible. With an infant and breastfeeding, I am starting small and trying to focus on consistency and making healthy choices.

My credit for today - I took a 45 minute walk with the dog, pushing a stroller with the toddler, and wearing the infant!

Areas of growth - unplanned eating when out running errands, eating standing up in the kitchen (not mindful)

I look forward to a month with this community!

silverbirch · 06-02-2017, 05:00 AM

Morning all!

Yesterday was not a bad day. The high fat / low carb way of eating is so good. I didn't eat that much and I felt OK. And last night I managed to cram in 9 hours sleep so I'll soon be out of sleep deficit, I hope. I've weighed myself this morning so I also hope that I'll be doing that daily, as this helps me with keeping on track.

**My main task for this morning is to work out what we're eating for the evening meal and to put it on the chalkboard. **

KyraPal! Starting small sounds so sensible with two darling girls around!

karenrn, that's great news about your L shoulder! Mine can be troublesome and when it's OK I feel so good. I don't know whether you write much but my physio suggested that I write using a lever-arch file as a surface so it's at an angle and I don't curve forward from the L shoulder. It's an amazing difference.

maryann, I'll walk around with you every 45 minutes. Sometimes I get up every 20 minutes, if it's going to be a long session and I feel myself tensing up.

Bill, I think mothers in particular don't have time to eat and then, when they do, shove in whatever they can find because they know that the merry-go-round is going to start up again any minute. Some research has shown that they also put off going to the loo which can cause problems. Glad DGD has topped up her sleep reservoir, a particular interest of mine (see above).

BillBlueEyes · 06-02-2017, 05:38 AM

KyraPal

And, on the occasion of your first posts,

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

And how did you find our forum here on 3 Fat Chicks?

BillBlueEyes · 06-02-2017, 05:40 AM

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Walk, CREDIT moi, included a stop at the library to return two books. It wasn't that much of a success; two different books came home with me. I have two stacks of books dismantled and sorted into: keep, give, and currently being read. Unfortunately, the 'give' stack is the shortest of the three.

Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, including a planned small slice of blueberry cake for evening snack served by DW. I am well aware that more remains; it doesn't leave my mind. I like to tell myself it's about the blueberries but methinks it's about the sugar. Evil substance, that.

silverbirch – Congrats on nine hours of sleep in a single, consecutive night. I can't remember when that last happened to me. Kudos for feeling OK without eating too much.

maryann - Yep, it would seem that merely surviving the last month of school would be a success - with maintaining a bonus above that. Happy Boy Scout Camp to your DS.

Karen (karenrn) - Congrats on those gains in lifting weights. Good luck packing those boxes.

KyraPal - Thanks for sharing your Advantages List. I particularly note "To feel accomplished and in control" - it's just amazing how our body image hits us everywhere. Eating standing up is such a challenge. I'm glad that you've joined us.

Readers -

Quote:

chapter 1 The Key to Success

why weight matters - for everyone

If you're ambivalent about starting the Beck Diet Solution, consider this: Many people gain a few pounds every year due to a natural age-related slowing of the metabolism. Add to this the fact that it takes only 20 or so extra calories a day to gain 2 pounds a year. This means that if you're 10 pounds overweight today and do nothing about it, a year from now you may be 12 or 13 pounds overweight ... the year after that, perhaps 14 or 15 pounds ... and so on and so on. But instead of gaining, you can lose weight and maintain your weight loss by practicing the principles you'll learn in The Beck Diet Solution.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 19.

maryann · 06-02-2017, 08:51 AM

Good Morning, Coaches.

Loved BBE's quote. Most people gain a couple of pounds a year. On this last official day of school (I won't count cleanup next week) I looked back in my calendar to last year's last day and compare myself to today:
I weigh two pounds less.
I have stopped two medications.
I turned the calendar page and saw that by the following week I was turning the corner from terrible depression I was in and stopped having self harm thoughts.

I am grateful for the habits that allow me to persevere through difficult times. I continue to tell the truth of how I am feeling. I continue to check in with my friends, my sponsor, here. I continue to be willing to learn new healthy tools. I also firmly believe that there is no situation that a compulsive bite won't make worse.

Silverbirch: I am interested if you are using a food list for your high fat low carb eating? Do you have a reference I could look up?

Karen: I signed up for Meetup with the Sierra Club. Now I just have to commit to a few events.

Welcome Kyra pal: I have been over 200 twice in my life. the last time was with the birth of my son 15 years ago. Slowly but surely, 30 pounds came off. the last ten came off with Beck.

nationalparker · 06-02-2017, 10:56 AM

Hello, coaches! I've written a few check-ins this week and then reopened my laptop to find them unfinished and of course, unposted. I've adjusted my ticker UP several pounds to 156 ... and suspect it might be higher after our trip, but will handle. I find comfort in the knowledge that when I'm regularly following that FMD plan, I'm rarely hungry, have ample food choices - all natural and healthy with no artificial junk - and just need to wrap my head around the benefits and not be swayed by too much "fun" food. Lunch out today with office staff - wanted to treat our intern as a thank you and he picked a place where i can adjust a salad to completely on plan and it sounds great, to boot.

Goal: by July - to be back under 153. I see a challenge in this because I'm only going to be home nine of those days.

Welcome, Kyra pal! Your list of goals is similar to one I wrote out, with just a few differences. I'm looking forward to reading your notes and hearing your challenges/solutions. I love the honesty, support and community of this group.

Maryann - That's great to look back at where you were last year at this time. I do that with our financials but now you have me wanting to check my old journal.

Bill - Ahhh, I'm not the only one tempted by that evil sugar. Once I got off it, I didn't miss it at all. But adding it in here and there has been a struggle. Natural sugars in certain fruits are included in the eating plan, just not the "white stuff" ... and I can tell a difference in focus. I wouldn't have believed it. I waver between "life's short - enjoy in moderation!" and "just stick to my plan!"

Methinks (as you say) the life's short has been winning out a lot here lately. Then I speak with my brother and think, it COULD be.

Silverbirch - Interesting on moms not hitting the bathroom as often ... I found that I drank less water and went to the restroom less while at my event. There were portapotties next to us, but I preferred the "real" restroom that you had room to move in, so shorted myself without even being conscious of it at first. Any resolution to the disagreeable neighbor situation? I might have missed it. Hope that has calmed down. Someone turned us in to our homeowners community about our siding and the stink is we've been diligently working on getting that replaced. By the time the "courtesy letter" arrived in our postbox, it'd been replaced and looked fine. I still got aggravated and called the company to say the three-week turnaround you gave would come nowhere close for someone starting out now. With the business they have following winter and spring storms, good luck with that timeline. When I hung up, I realized I could have just thrown out the letter and not aggravated myself nor the person having to listen to my voicemail. Next time.

Karen - Sounds like getting a trip back in to Washington is a good plan. I've always lived where it was warm/hot in the summers but not scorching hot like you have it. So for me, summers have been wonderful time to get in yardwork, swimming, beach, reading, socializing ... but when you're facing temps like yours, I can see why getting out for a bit is definitely something you'd look forward to. How is Otis in the car?

silverbirch · 06-02-2017, 11:25 AM

Quick reply in case I don't get here tomorrow.

Maryann, I don't have a food list. I have stopped eating muesli for breakfast and am eating Greek yogurt, walnuts and berries. I don't even consider a snack after this breakfast. Lunch is lettuce, tomatoes, whatever veg are around + protein (it's been either feta cheese, mashed tinned sardines and paprika or tuna). With a tsp of apple cider vinegar and a dsp of olive oil. Tea is whatever the others are having but no rice, pasta, bread, potatoes. That's the gist of it. I really like it but we'll see how I get on with it after a little while.

ETA that I think onebyone is doing something similar but also with some fasting.

nationalparker, our solicitor has sent a letter. No reply as yet. The immediate aggravation has stopped but the fence remains. Not sure about where this is going to lead, if anywhere. There are other things going on in our life which we have to deal with.

karenrn · 06-02-2017, 04:49 PM

Good afternoon coaches,

Busy day so far for me. Otis and I walked at 5:30, then breakfast, then some backing of things to prepare for remodel, then gym. I still love my new class at the gym. There was a new couple in my class today and it was only the 3 of us.
I also did Yoga yesterday before heading a little north to visit my sister in law. Oh, and food is on plan.

Today Otis had his first swimming lessons. Now he is exhausted sleeping in the chair in the office near me. He did well, but it was a little nerve wracking for me at first. The trainer seems to think we will swim him 2 or 3 times a day . . . well, no there is the matter of getting him all dry and brushed after wards. I'm thinking a walk in the morning and a swim in the afternoon will be plenty.

Welcome KyraPal My weight has yoyo'd over the years, but the older I get the narrower the range. I'm 63 now and just a few pounds over, if that. My biggest challenge lately has been that my exercise (hiking) has diminished due to a new puppy and I needed to scale down my portion sizes appropriately. I remain pretty active, but not like I used to be. Good luck to you. That sounds like quite a walk with the stroller and a baby and the dog too.

Silverbirch Sounds like your current plan will having you drop pounds quickly.

Nationalparker One of the things that makes summer the hardest for me is that my friends leave the area. They either travel all summer or have second homes and go there. I'm getting a good regimen going though with the gym every day . . . at least it helps to see people. I will go to Washington at some point though.

Maryann You have done very well this last year I would say. Good for you for signing up for the Sierra Club meet-up. I belong and did do one overnight and hike with them, but turns out the ones I went with were not serious hikers. I may have mentioned it a couple years ago. I met up with them up north in Flagstaff and we stayed in yurts. When I arrived I saw they had all the food and wine ready for a party. Most of them didn't do the hike the next day. I know they have all sorts of events though.

Bill I've got to start reading again. I was listening to so many books when I spent more time hiking, now it is minimal. I got so used to listening rather than reading.

Reporting in that I have seven boxes packed and stored in the bedroom. I have a whole stack of boxes that I got from another neighbor. It may even be enough for the whole job. I'm actually kind of enjoying it. I'm looking critically at the items I'm packing and I've got a full box for the Goodwill too. I'm sure there are many more for them as well.

No big plans for the weekend for me. How about the rest of you?

onebyone · 06-02-2017, 06:26 PM

Coaches:

Lots on my mind today. So much that I feel weighted down and overwhelmed and so have had a rather unproductive day.

My artist collective, formed last year when our Artrepreneur classes ended (ie. the business of art for artists). There were six of us and now we are seven. I haven't even met #7 so that tells you how active/in touch we are. But I digress. Well, 4 of the 7, maybe 5 of the 7, are at an event at a mid level gallery. I am one of the 4 or 5. We proposed this project in January and then the thing got so overwritten/overblown/incomprehensible that 4 of the 7 zoned out on it. I was one of the 4 zoned out. Now we are "performing/producing/delivering on" our proposal for the one place who said great! Let's do it! and the details and the arrangements have been really haphazard and frustrating. Until a day ago I had no clear idea what we/I were doing then I proposed something, and was given a go ahead and now the small but essential details: materials needed, parking passes, arrival times, do we need a tent etc., are all unclear. Thankfully I am well-trained performance seal and once I am there, no problem. I also remind msyelf the event is only 4 hours. At most I am there 6 hrs and they should be busy hours. If there is a next time I know I and the other 2 artists will insist on better communication and clearer timelines etc. Super annoying for nothing.

I am about to unload the kiln tonight to see if my three vases survived the first firing. Cross your fingers for me.

I am also looking ahead to next Wednesday. I have my yearly super-thorough medical exam. I am anxious about what the bloodwork will show and what the "bodpod" readout will be. This machine is a big egg shaped thing that you sit inside and it measures your bodyfat oercentage. I've always been 49something %. Maybe it's less this time with 20lbs down?
My clinician will look at my results with a fine tooth comb which is great. Happy for the scrutiny.

And, because of the impending medical exam, I have been following my plan to a T. I am back at 257 from my high of 264 earlier this week. The challenge is to stay the course this weekend. Always tough. The kitchen for me is already closed today. Sunday though! Oy vey! It's the weekend of the Cheese Festival. I have wanted to go to this for almost a year, when I missed it last year. Can't go tomorrow due to art thing. But Sunday? I could go. Writing the previous stuff here makes me re-think this. I will overindulge. Guaranteed. perhaps I should stay away another year. I might. I have been on the cusp of -257 a few times now and never go below. I want to go below and to go below when I have Dr. exam day would be perfect. I bet the feeling of that would be fa more delightful than the feeling I would get from mere cheese. I will ponder this.

Time to go open the kiln.

silverbirch, maryann Yes, I am following a high fat, low carb, moderate protein foodplan. My primary goal is twofold, both equally important 1) not to engage insulin production to the best of my ability and 2) to refrain from eating between meals always, and to implement intermittent fasting to the best of my ability. The rationale/reasoning can be found on this website here https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/ You can also google Butter Bob. I'm happy to discuss this with you if you want to ask me stuff in private emails. I recommend the book Obesity Code as an eye opener. The author, Dr. Fung, practices about a 40 min drive from me so I am in their program. For me this is a life changer. BUT... without Beck I would not have the discipline or the self-knowledge or the practice of sticking to a program, ANY program, long enough to see the results. Beck, for me, is an essential puzzle piece and I am so glad she doesn't force any diet style on us. Smart.

karenrn Otis continues to captivate me. I was very sad to read hiking Suzanne leaves for the summer. I thought she was a local. My sister in KW also has many friends who leave for the summer. In KW they get lots of deals for locals over the summertime. Does that happen where you are too?

nationalparker Just reading about someone complaining about siding makes me roll my eyes. That kind of thing drives me bonkers. I know you know you need to do x and y and others as well to keep where you live up to par but it bothers me nonetheless. Happy you are traveling though. Your weight will come down too. I have no doubt.

Kyrapal You sound like an experienced Beckster! welcome. We are a very supportive group and very diverse. I like that. I look forward to reading what you have to say.

Billblueeyes Blueberry cake. Suspicious that. Blueberries are not filled with leavening ingredients so they are therefore the colour, the filling, the topping but not the "cake". A reason for a cake, yes. I am already obsessed with it and I dare not even see a picture of the thing! That's how addictive and food alert I am. I had thought I would be at the books stage of decluttering but, alaas, I am back at the beginning once more. What is this, Box Mountain IV or V? The last version until I need to deal with the studio stuff which I hope is never. Perhaps with your mention of it and karenrn's example of three boxes a day packed I will find the energy and drive to get back at it once again. I stopped altogether since the last push to clear out my locker.

KyraPal · 06-02-2017, 10:28 PM

So apparently today is National Donut Day. My husband is a sucker for national food days... and donuts. He had suggested we go for a walk/hike at our nearby park (40 minutes with an extra 10 lbs of wearing the infant!), but then added in stopping at the donut shop afterwards. This is was unplanned and I really need to work on being better with "food pushers" as Beck calls them. Alas, I am people pleaser at heart so this is difficult. On a positive note, I did not use this as an excuse to throw away the day and continued to log everything I ate, including the donut. In the past (and as recently as last week), I would use such set-backs as a reason to KEEP eating off plan and "start over tomorrow" and then tomorrow would turn into next week, etc.

How I got here (to answer your questions, Billblueeyes): I am actually a psychologist myself and a huge follower and proponent of Judith's father - Aaron Beck, the founder of Cognitive Therapy, which was initially developed as a treatment for anxiety and depression and is currently one of the most researched and effective therapies for these and many other conditions. I think I actually knew of J. Beck's book before it came out and was eagerly awaiting to see how they applied this therapy approach to weight loss/maintenance. I was not disappointed. I followed the first book (Beck Diet Solution) closely but didn't purchase the second book (Beck Diet for Life) because it seemed too similar to the first. However, I have bought the third book - The Diet Trap Solution, and I think this is actually my favorite book yet.

I got to 3FC through a simple google search, looking for a community and support. I wasn't specifically searching for other's following Beck, but so glad I did! So many of the other sites/forums I found were overly focused on specific diets and WHAT to eat. This isn't what I needed because, in general, I know what I SHOULD be eating/doing. I always said that if I could lose weight by taking a paper/pencil test of weight loss knowledge, I would have no trouble staying in the healthy range! The issue is actually following the advice and staying consistent. Hence, the books and my excitement for finding this group!

Bill - Great job sticking to your plan with the blueberry cake, especially with the remainder hanging around. I love the piece about building up your resistance muscle and this is likely a great opportunity for this.

maryann - Those are huge accomplishments since last year - congratulations! It is great you kept track because so often the day-to-day movement can seem glacier slow.

nationaparker - Traveling makes it so difficult to stick to plan, but it sounds like you have a long list of helpful responses of how you can do it. I wonder if re-reading your last post each morning will help you stick to your resolve.

Karenrn What kind of puppy did you get? Hopefully eventually he will help you to be more active. We have a cavalier king charles spaniel (~20 lbs) and he's just 1.5 years old so still very active but small so good for short bursts. I ran into a new neighbor and the end of our 2 mile walk and they commented how well behaved he was and I just laughed to myself because I knew he was just exhausted.

onebyone Weekends are hard - there is always something that seems like a plausible exception. I loved your thought "I bet the feeling of that would be far more delightful than the feeling I would get from mere cheese." If only you can ingrain this is your mind as a mantra for the weekend.