[BillBlueEyes]

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, 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]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Encountered unexpected FREE cookies at an afternoon meeting - specifically fresh baked, oatmeal raisin cookies. Even more challenging, there was a tempting "crumb" of about a quarter cookie. (Note today's quote, "Calories don't count if I eat crumbs.") So, as I ran through all the reasons that I could have a cookie - the most compelling was the resentment that I didn't want to be at the meeting because I had work to do - and countered those, the "just a crumb" Sabotaging Thought built up. Finally, just said NO CHOICE and went about my business. CREDIT moi. Interesting that the FREE Coke's didn't play in my thinking - I don't drink Coke anymore. Hoping that kind of freedom extends to oatmeal raisin cookies some day.

Exercise time after work was spent cleaning the hard disk on DW's computer which had ground down to unusably slow. That wasn't on my plan. By the time that was done and dinner finished, it was dark when we went to our community garden to harvest tomatoes. I recommend harvesting in daylight if you want to distinguish red from green, LOL. CREDIT moi for laughing it off.


maryblu - Waving back; anticipating a tale.

onebyone - Yay for arms and legs and torsos! And many Kudos for all the credits you've accepted. Your head is certainly in a good, solid place to be so comfortable that you didn't gain 5+ pounds overnight.

Joy (gardenerjoy) - Neat choice of the grilled veggies at the Southwestern themed restaurant. Thanks for the reminder that renovation comes with sticker shock; that's in our near-term future and I'm worried that we're letting our dreams grow beyond my willingness to invest too much in the house.

Shepherdess - Good work helping your DH take those walks that help the healing of replaced ACL. Those "hunger" thoughts do have a tendency to try to creep back into our brains.

Beverlyjoy - As always, Kudos for your "willingness." Good job juggling your plan to face the changing realities of your day.

Debbie (Lexxiss) - Ya' did good to avoid getting emotionally involved in your DH's second dinner. Kudos for that as well as Kudos for not having a second dinner yourself. We can't let other people's stuff affect our journey.

Donna (new2me2) - Ouch for the root canal and Ouch again for another 5 days of liquid diet. Sending supportive thoughts that you weather the pain and get your mojo back.

Woodland - Yay for outing the Sabotaging Thought, "That tasted so good, I want more !!" Once you're on to it, it hasn't a chance to get you.

Houston2Command - Yep, you are certainly not a failure. Kudos for recognizing your successes. And more Kudos for making the remarkable decision to upgrade your friend from being a too-friendly Diet Coach to a helpful one by paying her! What a constructive idea.

Amber (AmberPr) - Art classes is a neat reward for a mini-goal. Have you drawn/painted before? I'm a believer in the notion that losing no more than 2-3 pounds a week is easier on the body (unless medically supervised) for a bunch of reasons. The most important to me is that the body doesn't only lose fat, it loses muscle. And that includes heart muscle, unless you continue with a balancing amount of exercise to keep regrowing it. I've heard of "starvation mode" many times, but for myself, never went below about 1000 calories a day shortage, so never had to deal with it, if it exists.

newbebop - Yep, posting is MUCH more important than personals; good choice. Congrats on the pounds and inches gone forever. And Kudos for giving yourself credit - I still find that one difficult.

Readers -

day 36
Build More Confidence

Now, take a look at the changes in your thinking. Before you started the program:

• How often did you fool yourself? (It won't matter if I overeat once. Calories don't count if I eat crumbs. I can't have a good time if I don't eat what I want. It's okay to eat this because I'm upset. I've strayed, so I may as well blow it for the day.)
• How often did you dwell on injustice? (It's not fair that I can't eat like other people. It's not fair that I can't eat whatever I want. It's not fair that I have to diet.)
• How often did you let your concerns about other people stand in the way of doing what you needed to do for yourself? (I can't inconvenience others. I have to keep them happy. I can't turn down food they offer me.)

How often do you have these kinds of thoughts now and how do you respond to them when they do arise?

The Beck Diet Solution, pg 240-241.

[Lexxiss]

Hello Beck friends

I had a sane food day yesterday. We went on a 40 mile bike ride. *credit* for taking only healthy food when I had to shift from the stay home plan to one on the road. *credit* for resisting urges to go out for dinner and celebrate bike victory and instead to come home for a very healthy and satisfying meal. BTW-I discussed with my DH how his second dinner affected me the night before-not that he shouldn't do it, but that it did hurt my feelings HOW he did it. He seemed to understand.

BillBlueEyes, my DH has been known to pick tomatoes with a headlamp-I don't recommend it! Very interesting correlation between justifying the cookies and a resentment about the meeting. *credit* for resistance!

newbebop, Yay! for recognizing that posting is more important than personals….and for bursting out of your funk. Keep working on that elliptical! DH and I went on a long bike ride yesterday and he had a harder time than I-even though he's in better shape overall. I just put more time in on the bike.

onebyone, great list of credits! Hope you are desalinating!

Donna (new2me2), I hope you are feeling better today! I went through the drawn out process with my teeth several years ago, so I feel for you. I cried at my first appt. when I realized the task ahead. ..recognized that it had a lot to do with my path of weightloss and am glad I did it. *credit* for hanging in there during a rough time.

Houston2Command, great job getting into the "solution"! Recognizing your progress AND giving yourself credit is so important!

gardenerjoy, so nice to hear "my tastes have changed". Continuing habits is a very powerful thing! *credit* for such a good lunch choice.

Beverlyjoy, "willingness to try" is such a positive thing! I really find reading specific chapters helps me get through rough moments.

Shepherdess, I thought of you on my long bike ride...sheesh...running it would be amazing. I, too, find my skills regarding my relationship with food are much sharper when I'm posting everyday. Hoping you can find a way to work around a slow connection.

Woodland, your thoughts on crediting yourself helping to not have to look outside yourself for pats on the back is very powerful. I had never thought about it this way before. Great job resisting sabotaging thoughts!

AmberPr, I certainly don't ever get to starvation mode, but I have noticed that I am much more content staying OP when I am realistic about calories. When I cut it too short, I get agitated. *credit* for a realistic September goal.

maryblu, See you in September!

[GosfordGirl]

Hi Coaches
I got home late (as is usual on a Wednesday night) and put off posting until September hit the States. Will post quickly before I need to get sorted for the evening.

Today I ate well on plan even though in a strange environment and had to carry food so credit. I read the Beck green book again last night - it is really good to help stay focussed and on track. My sister (who has returned from the OS adventure) comes tomorrow and will be here till Sunday - I hope (plan?) it doesn't lead to off diet eating. I find it difficult with family because of old habits and eating as celebration. Will report on how it goes. She was sad about Bonnie but understood. I ate on plan today but I feel heavy - it will be interesting to see what my weight is tomorrow morning. I am feeling really anxious for some reason - hope it settles.

It is great to have read all your posts - have the next two days as rec leave so hope to catch up with personals

Progress -
- I motivated myself by reading A&R cards - Yes
- Consciously gave credit for positive eating / exercise behaviours - Yes
- Limit junk food to once per day - No junk food
- Made food plan - Yes
- Logged food soon after eating - No
- Food on-plan - Yes
- Ate seated every time - Yes
- Ate mindfully & slowly & put down fork occasionally - YES
- Weighed myself - Yes - down - 208.4
- Read the Green Book - YES again
- Exercise - No! - need to work on this

Working on -
Still putting exercise back on the agenda

Have a good day Beckies
-----
Cheryl

[gardenerjoy]

I met my exercise goal for August! As a reward, I'm getting Ellen Barrett's Skinny Sculpt DVD. It appears to be a nice flowing toning routine that will be a different approach to try on my strength training days.

Off for our volunteer day.

WI: +0.7kg, Exercise: +60 1800/1800 minutes for August, Food: 80%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

[new2me2]

Nice reward gardenerjoy!

The doctor couldn't see me until this afternoon...or more acurately if I wanted to drive to the after hours clinic last night I could have seen her last night, but really didn't want to do that, lol. So, I'm back at work and will see her later. I'm still feeling off though so it will be good to get checked out.

I'm down ANOTHER POUND today. Weight: 139.8. This is much faster than I'd like. I haven't been able to exercise much either, so I fear there might be a little muscle going too. I'm still tracking my calories and WW points. I'm using all my daily WW points and some of my weekly every day, and the calories figure to be between 1000 and 1200 every day, so I'm not really sure why the big drops in weight...it wasn't doing that before. The WW daily points give me around 1000 calories...the added weekly points about 100-200 more per day.

On a whim, I pulled out a pair of pants from the back of my closet...haven't worn them in 2 years. They fit! Comfortably! My goal over the next few weeks is to weed out my closet. I'm going to try on every single item in my closets and get rid of anything that is too big, doesn't fit right, or is something that even when I was skinny didn't wear much and probably won't again.

[Houston2Command]

BillBE - that reminds me of the old saying "there is no such thing as a free cookie"

well, that isn't exactly the saying but it shall be from now on! good job not making it a choice.

so I've set some concrete goals with concrete rewards. I upped the ante on paying my friend. she gets serious bonus bucks for me meeting my goals! and they incrementally get better as the work to get the weight off gets harder. and i added a big bonus if we get there by Christmas! I'm not worried about that last one but it keeps her from thinking it's okay if it takes years. not okay.

Credits for working out and extra circuit.
Credit for eating 100% on plan
Credit for writing it down AGAIN!
Credit for being positive about the numbers.
Credit for planning to go to the gym today when I usually skip Wednesdays for bad reasons.
Credit for reading cards.
Credit for cleaning my cupboards last night. (not diet related but stress related so it ties and I give CREDIT!)

Let September be long and let us leave lots of pounds behind in it!

[onebyone]

Hi Coaches.

I weighed myself this morning: 273.6 (+3lbs)
down 2lbs from yesterday's weigh-in. credit for :

I have my food planned for the day. credit

I am going to move my body to either the DDR or the Walk it Out wii games for 20min today as well.

Yesterday was a tough day. I ended up under the gun to get stuff completed before I had planned on doing so. I'm going to have to do a big Oh Well to most of my clean up plans for the studio this week. The school is waxing the floors and painting the classrooms which means the ceramic room is the go-to "empty" space to store the furniture from the other rooms which makes it unworkable in there. I was told furniture will start to show up tomorrow. Today I can't get there until after 4pm as my customer will be getting her family tree painting from me around 3pm. I think I may as well just stay home and work on the other two commissions and my sculptures. I made no progress on them yesterday at all. Maybe I can get most of it done today.

While I was at shool yesterday I was waiting to meet a person with a $chq for me and she never showed. Later I called and found out my cheque still had to be signed so she couldn't get it to me. By the time I heard the news I had missed my lunch and was well on the way to missing dinner. I had 2 volunteers coming in, one brand new, and I just wasn't sure when I'd get to eat, or how, as all my $ was tied up with the cheque that never showed. Luckily my long time volunteer volunteered to feed me so I ate off plan but had what he was having and discovered that I ate SLOWER than he did. credit He is an x-overweight guy (he told me that before) so I couldn't tell whether I was eating normal and he too ate fast like me or whether I was actually consuming food slower. Anyway, at that table, I was the slow one. I was fine then until the busride home. I had a pop. and then at home I had an other pop-a cola beverage which I asked my DH for. Two off-plan drinks. Oh Well.

I feel like I haven't been sticking 100% to my foodplan for a few days now. It keeps shifting on me. I've now run out of fresh fruit so need to get some more. I'm getting worried that Friday's weigh-in will be a weight higher than last Friday's and not less like I want it to be. I'm also just generally worried that my foodplan isn't working. This whole paragraph is one big sabotaging thought isn't it?! I'm on DAY 10. That's DAY. 1.5 wks. I really shouldn't be evaluating the efficacy of ANY foodplan before I have given it a go for a month so to banish the sabotaging thoughts I am adding this to my current foodplan:

Check back in about whether this plan works in 2.5 weeks from now.
"Works" = 4 - 12lb down from my start weight.

I can say it's working in one way as I am now exercising, something I haven't done regularly in close to a year. credit for this very positive development.

[Shepherdess]

Happy September everyone. Yesterday was the first day since June that I drank my tea hot instead of pouring it over ice, so fall must be here. It’s just about perfect weather, though. I don’t think it got to 70 yesterday. It was a nice day for a run!

I had a good eating day yesterday. My goal yesterday was to pay attention to craving/desire/hunger every time I wanted to eat. Oddly enough, the only times I noticed that I wanted to eat was right before scheduled mealtimes when I was actually hungry. None of this between meals need to nibble that I’ve been having. Apparently my cravings are like cockroaches and scatter when I turn on the light of reason.

It is peach season right now and I picked up some fresh Colorado peaches at the farmers market over the weekend. Peach ice cream pie is one of my DH’s favorites and so I made him one. He even has a peach ice cream pie dance. So I had some peach ice cream pie on plan and loved it. I’ve worked the remainder of the pie into my plan as well.

Woodland, kudos for recognizing that that pesky giving-in muscle is testing you. The good news is that if you ignore it long enough, it will eventually go away. (That’s also my strategy with housework, but apparently it doesn’t work for that.)

AmberPr, sounds like you have a great mini-goal. Kudos for recognizing that slow weight loss is important. I hadn’t heard about the problem the Biggest Loser contestant is facing, but there is a whole lot of research out there to support that those who lose slowly have a better chance at keeping it off for the long haul.

Maryblu, can’t wait to hear your latest adventure!

BillBE, your oatmeal cookie dilemma reminds me of a Beck blog I just read: http://www.beckdietsolution.com/library/BLOG.asp?SessionID={600FCC9B-6BC8-4397-9888-19FFC2D115C8}. My hope is that if I use NO CHOICE enough, eventually it won’t be such a struggle and I can put my attention towards things that actually matter.

Lexxiss, staying home for a healthy satisfying meal sounds like a great way to celebrate your bike victory! Kudos for talking to your DH about his second dinner. It’s great when those around you understand what you’re going through and can support you.

Seadwaters, great job staying OP in a strange environment. And great job recognizing the upcoming struggle with your DS in town. I have a tough time with my family too. You’re right that planning is key.

Gardenerjoy, congrats on meeting your August exercise goals! Sounds like you have picked a great reward and it’ll be good motivation to meet your September exercise goals as well.

New2me2, congrats on fitting into those pants from the back of the closet. Kudos for looking carefully at your plan in light of the mystery weight loss. I wouldn’t worry too much about losing muscle. You may be losing some, but it will come back quickly once you can return to exercise.

Houston2Command, yay for responding to stress by cleaning out cupboards! It’s much more productive than eating. Kudos for a long list of credits and for thinking up creative ways to motivate your diet buddy.

[MaryContrary]

I sure am glad I have you guys to write to . . . I don't even know where to begin. As is always the case with me, once the real work starts I lose momentum / get bored. I feel like Starling felt (sometime last week?) -- "okay, this has been a great experiment, let's try something new."

Amazingly, I feel this way about my dissertation and NOT the Beck Plan. Of course, sometimes I get bogged down in details and let things slip, but I'm seeing results here. I'm feeling results. But juggling the real work required to write a dissertation has triggered my avoidance tendencies, which is transferring over to a general UGH-ness with the whole of my life, and some slippages with eating. I always do this. I know I always do this. But I hate doing this.

The only way to combat the feeling is for me to face my work-goals set this week, get back on track, move on (Hmmmm . . . sounding like Beck!). ::sigh:: So I'm going to do this.

Beck-Plan-goodness: yesterday I got the DP to measure me. I have no previous measurements for comparison, but now I have something to work with. This morning, even in my pre-coffee haze, a solution to my scale dilemma emerged (thanks to some shower-clarity): I decided I would use my analog scale every day, and do a more official weekly weigh-in at the gym (of course being really consistent about when I do this). This will have to do until I can afford a digital scale. So, this morning, I weighed myself for the first time since beginning Beck.

It felt good to weigh-in. I came in at 201.5, which is really good, considering I was weighing 210-215 at the beginning of the summer (on doctor's scales). Okay, I feel good about it, and hopefully will feel even better when I can see the loss consistently, from the same scale.

Plus, there's less arm-jiggle! Yay!

So I struggle, but I love seeing how Beck principles apply to my dissertation. It gives me impetus to keep going with Beck, knowing that it will only help other facets of my life.

THANK YOU, Starling, for the wonderful story. The butter comment made me think of something my granddaughter says: "Mary, you're not fat, you're just soft."

Have a wonderful day, and happy September!

[Alma4343]

Hello Everyone, I haven't posted for a while, but I have been reading them. Welcome to September. I have found myself slipping a little, going slightly over calories, eating slightly off plan. I am working on identifying sabotaging thoughts. This is really hard for me. I think I mostly just let my mind go blank and give in.

Went to a friends graduation dinner, order healthy dinner option, but ate the bread. I have pre dinner bread as one of the never do that rules. For me none is better than a little. Then, instead of the one planned drink I had 2. So, I have some work to do here

Today was weigh day and I lost 0 lbs, which I expected even without the slipping I had lost 3 weeks in a row which is rare for me. I measure monthly and need to do that one day this week.

Credits:

Ordered healthy at friends dinner
Exercised


MaryContrary: I know what you mean about getting bored quickly. It was actually in a personality test I took for work. Basically, it said I am great at the beginning of a project to organize and motivate, but let others take over. Unfortunately, there are no others to take over my life Hey, but good you are not bored yet with the diet, credit for that. And, Congratulations on the weight loss.

Will try for more personals later. Hello Everyone!

Have a great week. Getting closer to the weekend!

[maryann]

Lunchtime. Credit moi for eating in my classroom, slowing down, enjoying it with intention rather than wolfing down in the lunchroom with malcontents. Back to School night last night. I teach 8th grade. I was discouraged at the turn out of parents and became discouraged with my job. I seem to be on the frontlines of constant apathy. This made me doubt myself which turned to doubt of food. Will losing weight really not fix all this? Than the color of discouragement painted all of my life so by this morning I felt defeated.
BUT what were my actions, not my feelings you ask? I stayed on program, apologized to my kid, showed up with a plan and a smile at work . I acted as if I had a shinging sword I could hold into the cave of ignorance. Credit moi.
BillBlue: obviously I am glad there were no cookies at back to school nite. I would not done as well as you. Congrats.
Seadwaters: weighed heavy myself even though I am "on plan". The process is the gift not the result sometimes.
gardererjoy: congrats on excercise. The benefits are enormous.
shepardess: nice cockroach analogy.
marycontrary: the old saying "each journey starts with a single step" never impressed me because it was never the first step that baffled me. It was always the 250th step that stopped me as a result of my constant self questioning. I will today until I have concrete evidence to alter my route.

[Starling]

Hi All
Yesterday was DS's first day at the private school. I'm in charge of driving him there (DH will drive him home) and I'm a very nervous driver so I got up extra early. I made sure I'd had my coffee, a good breakfast and my brain was working -- I need to be alert and have good reaction time. Parts of the drive are beautiful country roads but parts are trafficky with like 17 lanes going every which way

So I started my day 2 hrs earlier than usual.
Came home and had a whole kid-free day in front of me. I have a year before I start looking for work outside the home, and there's so much I want to get done in that time. So I spent the whole day painting furniture, cleaning out my closet, working in the garden...I missed checking in here and at my blog. Managed to stay on plan but I was surly about it and even surlier today! Realized I pushed it too hard. <Credit> for recognizing the sabotaging thoughts (perfectionism).

It's good to be back and to catch up on your posts. It helps with the surlies

[madrikh]

Hello everyone,
I've enjoyed catching up on some of the latest posts. This is a great place for encouragement.
I haven't posted for awhile as I've been in a nasty battle with depression, but here I am.

Someday I will figure out how to post personal responses, because I learn so much from them.

Planning my food: credit
Eating on plan: so-so, about 80% (my appetite has really diminished lately)
Exercise: yoga class today, credit
Read my cards: no
Sat down to eat: credit
Paused between bites; credit

WI: 161.4

Marci

[AmberPr]

Hello everyone!

Super quick post.

Good day today. Stayed within calorie budget. Tomorrow will be a tuffer day - shopping in the "Big City" with my DD. School Clothes shopping. Fun Fun!!!

Wouldn't it be cool if an ipod/ipad could be used to weigh stuff... it would be a great travel partner.

Credits: 2 walks, weighed myself, ate good, tracked all food, feel good!

BillBe: You mentioned in your post to me about not going under 1,000 calories. What do you mean by that? 1,000 less than your maintence allotment?
Good Nite!