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tough
Hi Coaches
Yesterday I took my mom out. My mom is being treated for Alzheimer's but she's just really forgetful at this stage but I think she is a tiny bit worse that the last time I was out with her. I can't put my finger on it but the sadess it's triggered in me tells me it is so. Of course, with the time change, I lost that hour and so I was catching the morning bus at 7:30am to go across town to her place (3 buses to do that) and I made it for 9am. I was worn out before we started out. We went gambling, my mom's fav thing to do, and since money is not an issue for her as my sister who controls her finances, has built it into her budget, we go 2x a month, or more if we win. Anyway she was a bit worse, a bit more confused, than before. When we came home on the bus she wanted to comment on a woman's piece of jewelery and she asked me, in Hungarian, if I still remembered how to speak/understand Hungarian. I do and I did and she commented on her ring and we chatted about it and laughed and then spoke Hungarian here and there the rest of the trip back to her house. This was both sweet and bittersweet for me. The reason I speak Hungarian is because my grandmother/her mother raised me as she raised her. I grew up with my grandmother, not my mother. I am the only one of my mother's children who can speak Hungarian. So speaking this language, and especially in the way we were usng it, to talk about others, really reminded me of days long gone where my grandmother and I would share this secret bond between the two of us. I wanted to pursue it with my mother and I didn't. We never speak Hungarian to each other and yet, she remembered it flawlessly and I wonder if it wouldn't be a good thing and I could further use my Hungarian so I don't forget it. But I just felt so sad :( Like I just got this special version of my mother and I can feel her starting to change and slip a little bit more away. Plus, she is so hard on herself. Merciless. She told her dinner-table companion that we were going to the casino when I arrived to take her out and then she called herself "just so stupid" and "so dumb" for telling her eating companion where she was going. She calls herself stupid a lot now. It really bothers me and she won't stop. She repeated about being so stupid for telling P at the table where she was going more than a few times as she forgets and she speaks in loops. It takes a few loops before she gets caught up in the next one. There were no loops speaking Hungarian though come to think of it. Maybe I'll test that out the next time I am there with her. Anyway why talk about all of this. Well I ate over it. She likes candy and I suggested we get candy. I wanted to feel better. I did not want to feel really sad with her beside me on the bus and I could feel myself slipping into it. So we got cookies and a choc bar and gummies. One package of each for each of us. We enjoyed eating them together and my blood sugar rose and I made it to the end of our visit without crying. I almost cried on the way home on the bus but managed to keep it in until I sat down to eat with DH. He said no matter what, every day I visit my mom is a good day, even if I don't always think it is, it is. And that going to visit is the best thing, the only thing, I can do as I can't change the course of her illness but I can visit. Coaches it's tough. I need to be better prepared for my visits now. they really make me want to eat so I have to get a handle on it. I also ate sugar today at the movie theatre. They, ironically, had the exact thing that I had decided I would have at the store that turned out to not be the thing. The movie theatre didn't have the regular discounted ticket+ popcorn/pop combo they've had for forever. We purchased an expensive combo on top of our ticket and I, of course, was starving so the smallest combo was big popcorn, two drinks plus one candy. It felt fated I should eat them and so I did-credit though for sharing with DH and handing him the bag with some left in it. I was, however, done in, again, by my lack of planning. I am practicing life avoidance bigtime. I'm not sure I wanted to resist eating that stuff... Right now I don't want to move forward. As if there is a choice eh? Not really. I don't want to fall backward though and regain weight that's for sure. I certainly do not want to wear and own those new floodpants long enough to wear out the inner thighs on them. :p ugh. O well. No choice. Dr. Beck is right. Put it behind me, learn from it, and move on. Practice makes progress; progress not perfection. Thanks for reading coaches. |
Wednesday
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Went walking after work in shorts!!! CREDIT moi. Could feel the sun. Felt like Noah walking about after the waters receded. Made the walk an errand to stop at a nearby library, which was closed because it was Tuesday. In a zillion years I'll never remember the hours of this particular library - til 8pm some nights, til 5pm some, closed now and then. Oh Well.
Eating on-plan without interest, CREDIT moi. Except for the orange for evening snack. I'm into my oranges these days - they are just unbelievably good. Thanks to all you California growers out there. onebyone - Just wonderful that you can have such a lovely day with your mom. It's been such a journey for you over the past few years to be able to do that. And it's neat that you cherish each of these visits - especially since they'll be less frequent when you're a resident of some neat neighborhood in London. ChinaMaine - Yep, the time change does grant a slice of daylight for an evening walk. I saw a Turkey Vulture from my backyard yesterday - my first time ever from my own yard; they're just not that common around here. My DW reminds me that that's a sure sign of Spring since they've been gone for the winter. Kim (bennyhannamama) - Ouch for lost posts - especially on a Blackberry since I don't know if they have a feature of opening another window with a file where you can save your posts before hitting [Submit]. Big Kudos for the first 24 hours without a cigarette. Creating time and energy was a big one for me. I found that I wanted all the benefits of losing the weight, keeping it off, and getting into shape without any effort on my part. For me, I just had to make the commitment to allocate the time spent on this board, the time spent going to the gym and walking, and time spent shopping for the stuff I need for my lunches. I still want that all to fit into zero hours per week, but I'm better about the walking time now that I've learned to make it an excursion, an errand, or an exploration into the changing season. Joy (gardenerjoy) - Yay for keeping up with your exercise plan for March. Yep, our weather was worth making national news. You'll have to tolerate my repeated references to Noah - that's just the way I've felt for a few days. Been pondering what they talked about on the Ark, "Looks like rain," LOL. Susan (hikergirl) - Yep, keep to your minimum commitments - you'll pull yourself forward one day at a time. And then slowly you'll feel yourself getting up and starting to run. Beverlyjoy - Yay for continuing your planning for the ten day trip. (If I've got the story right, Noah had to pack for 40 days and 40 nights - without a refrigerator, LOL.) It's new to me to hear the word "manipulation" for a DO session; descriptive term. In my basement was an attempt to accumulate my fair share of the 10 inches of rain that fell around here for some three days - attempting to make itself at home but thwarted by a constant removal by my DW and I using a wet-vac. But, that's all over; the sky is blue again. That's why I have Noah on my brain. Cheryl (seadwaters) - Kudos for continuing with your Beck strategies despite having good reasons to be distracted. Ouch for the burns - emailing homemade chicken soup which was declared to cure everything when I was a kid. Readers - Quote:
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Wednesday
Diet coaches
Today was a good day - one day closer to finish, well cared for by nurses, good day at work. I came back home today and tomorrow I don't have to go to radiotherapy - it is machine maintenance day! And I get to work at home and not drive to Sydney for work either so it will be so nice to be in my home and able to catch up on work. Food was fairly chaotic today because my schedule was all over the place so I scavenged as I could. I even found myself walking around eating an apple. I find it hard to see eating an apple while walking about as a bad thing. Once when on (yet another) diet, I used to walk the dogs in the afternoon and take along an apple - I loved it and if I didn't get an apple a day life felt strange. But I suppose it is mindless eating - although I always savoured that apple It is interesting to read/see you all talking about the weather - the rain, the dark mornings, the difference. And how it affects your lives. I am hanging out for Autumn - and it is nearly here. I got home very late so I am off to get organised before I fade. A big wave to all Cheryl |
A day in the city
:df: WI-up 0.2 lbs. Did not read my cards, or make a plan. Food – on-plan; Exercise – on-plan (33m). Yesterday I made the long trek down to Portland for 2 doctor’s appointments. The last time I discussed my fatigue issues with my former primary physician, she told me she wouldn’t try ‘for perfection’ (and couldn’t look me in the eyes when she said it). The week after (in October), I got myself on a waiting list for a different primary care physician. I finally got an appointment with the new doctor yesterday and what a difference. She thought of a half dozen things that could be causing my fatigue and insomnia, and we are going to start trying them right away. For example, my levels of vitamin D are in the normal range, but they are sufficiently low that they could be causing fatigue. So she’s going to have me take 50K units of vitamin D once per week for six weeks to punch the levels up quickly. I’ll eliminate alcohol for 2 weeks, and then try a different allergy med for the two weeks after that. I’ll see her again in 4 weeks to discuss how each of those worked. Then, since peri-menopause can cause fatigue and insomnia, we’ll discuss whether it makes sense to try Effexor to mitigate those symptoms. (I guess this anti-depressant can reduce some symptoms of menopause, who’da thunk?) There are a couple of other things we might try, but those are the top 4. I’m thrilled to have a doctor who thinks and problem solves, rather than just runs through a checklist and kicks the patient out the door. My next doctor’s appointment was 5 hours later, so I was a migrant telecommuter looking for the mythical place where I could find an electrical plug, wifi (would have paid even!) *and* lunch. I never found anyplace where I could do all three at once, but I was able to attend a requirements review at Starbucks, work on a design document and have lunch at empty tourist-y restaurant, and then found free wi-fi that allowed me to walk one of my new resources (in Brazil) through the intricacies of one of our internal tools on webmeeting, plus IM with a developer (in Morocco). How my work world has changed in the last 15 years… As Bill mentioned, the weather here was fantastic yesterday. So I enjoyed the sun and the warmth as I searched for a place to work. After my last appointment I drove out to the Promenade where you get a gorgeous view of Casco Bay and all its islands. There’s a nice urban park there with paths at the top of a bluff, as well as another along the water; there’s also a large playground, green-space, and a beach. People and dogs were everywhere; it seemed as though everyone wanted to come out and greet our early spring. The beach seems to be an unofficial dog park with dogs playing together, while their ‘parents’ watch from the sidelines, wearing leashes around their necks where winter scarves would have been a couple of weeks ago. I am a country girl at heart, but do enjoy the sense of community you can experience in a city… The Good :angel:- Throughout the day, I identified satisfaction vs fullness while eating, and I stopped eating when satisfied – credit! - Throughout the day, I identified hunger vs non-hunger before I ate – credit! - Eat mindfully, enjoying every bite – credit! - Tolerated non-hunger without eating – credit! - Used resistance techniques – yes! - Give credit throughout the day for every positive eating behavior – credit! - Spontaneous exercise – lots! - I posted here – yes! The Bad, and the Ugly :no: - Read the pink book – nope Cheryl (seadwaters) Kudos for recognizing hunger, etc., including not finishing your lunch! Yes, I still have to remind myself to put down my cutlery during a meal too… I love your positive, pragmatic attitude. I hope the next couple of weeks go by quickly. And, I think it’s okay to eat the apple while walking about, if you are eating it mindfully (my 2 cents…) Bill You went from wading in the basement to walking in shorts within 12 hours – lol. Beverlyjoy Yay for putting your fork down and for leaving a bite at snacks and meals! And another yay for another healthy day… Susan (hikergirl) Kudos for posting (especially on a day when it may have been tempting not to)! It’ll help you get back on track more quickly. gardenerjoy Two lows in two days – kudos! Kim (bennyhannamama) Yay for 24 hours without smoking! one by one :hug: Sending supportive thoughts your way. You are being a wonderful, supportive daughter. |
Hi Beck Buddies & Coaches -
Goodness - yesterdays food took several twists and turns. :dizzy: A few things changed along the way - however - I was able to stay in my calorie range. I am grateful. Part of it was being extremely busy, running around, doing a project, going to the dentist and thinking about weighing today. I didn't do alot of Beck tasks. I 'made' myself read my arc/rc before I went to sleep - so at least that was done. I did weigh this morning. The scale shows that I have lost 3 pounds since last Tuesday. :carrot: I am thrilled and happy! I know we're not suppose to hop on and off the scale. But, I had to check to see if it wasn't a fluke. Today - I have much to do for the first leg of my trip. I have most of the things done for the 85th birthday party. I am getting excited to see some cousins I haven't seen since the last family wedding. I am anxious, however, to be out of my food comfort zone. I have my rc, journal, beck book and I will try to carry on. I'll be using the food exchange plan., plus allowing up to 3 hundred extra calories daily. That seemed to work well when I was travelling in February. I am hoping for the willingness to use the Beck techniques. I will try to carry on. I am feeling hopeful because I was able and willing to try last time. I'll take it a day at a time. credits planned food (although it changed during the day - I didn't go crazy) logged food fork down, no seconds, ate seated lots of water left a bite of food after each meal and snack read arc/rc one time stretches and strengthening oops - changed plan ate way too fast didn't use many resistance techniques no spontaneous exercise did not look at beck book didn't think about fullness chinamarie - I am SO glad you found a new primary physician. It will make a huge difference when you feel more of a connection with your doctor. She seems to be making really sensible suggestions. I am always so happy for you because you continually eat mindfully and enjoying each bite. big credit, indeed. seadwaters - I am glad you get a respite from your treatments. Sounds like you need it. It seems if you are very very mindful about eating your apple while walking the dogs...perhaps, it could be your only exception to the rule. I don't know if this is bad advice - maybe. Other's feel free to chime in. I have a friend in Melborne - she is tired of the hot weather and ready for fall. It's fun and funny to hear everyone always talks about the weather no matter what hemisphere in which you live! bill - shorts! 0 wowzer! Good for you walking to the library even though it ended up being closed. Hope the basement is doing well. I have been loving Clementines this year - they are extra good. onebyone - I am sorry it's so hard to visit your mom with her slipping away. It's a heart break. I think it's nice that you two are speaking Hungarian - yes, a special thing. As far as the food - it is over - dust yourself off, move forward the best you can, forgive yourself and plan, pla, plan. Glad you posted all this. bennyhanamama - GREAT being smoke free for a day. As for day eight - making time. What I have done is to get up early and do my journal, write down all the things I hopefully will check off at the end of the day. I count calories, so I jot them down in my journal as the goes along. I try to go over 'the lisit' before I go to bed. gardenjoy - WOW a new low in weight and surpassing your exercise goal....that major credit. Awesome hikergirl - big credit for checking in and getting on the scale. You can do this!!!! Shout out to everyone that stops by. Tomorrow I start the first leg of my journey. I will check in as often as I can - every day, I hope. Thanks for being my coach and buddy. |
:wave: to all Beckies. Glad that you are out there, Becking along, step by step.
I'm impelled to post (from my BlackBerry) as I am in a neat London neighbourhood, just fuelling up with a planned salad before my next meeting at the British Library! Hope it's open! How my work has changed too over the last 15 years. How adaptable we are. |
Day 5: Eat Slowly and Mindfully
I'm a fast eater from a family of fast eaters. This is not an easy goal for me. I'm going to combine it with another goal that isn't easy for me -- eliminate soda. A crucial piece to achieve this is to drink more tea. Since I like to read while I eat, I'm going to eat breakfast and lunch without the distraction of reading, then linger over a cup of tea, rewarding myself with my book or magazine. Umm. But that starts tomorrow because today is volunteer day and I need a fast breakfast and will be eating lunch with DH in the cafe. WI: +0.5kg, Exercise: +0, 805/1550 minutes for March, Food: op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes bennyhannahmama: that sounds like a terrific compromise to give yourself time to make your health a priority in a busy life. I'll try to remember to write a detailed post when I get to Day 8. onebyone: sounds like you are doing a good job working through things, figuring out where you can plan better next time, and getting some perspective on tough issues. BillBlueEyes: an orange for breakfast is the reason I've been getting out of bed when it's gray out -- especially since the time change. It's like eating sunshine. seadwaters: I think maybe you could grant yourself permission to eat an apple while walking since you savor it and it has pleasant and healthy associations for you. Sometimes I find that allowing myself one small little rebellion makes it easier to stick to all of my other rules. Ah, reading further, I see that I agree with Beverlyjoy on this. ChinaMaine: If you think your symptoms may be from perimenopause, I recommend The Wisdom of Menopause by Christiane Northrup. I'm eating ground flax seeds and sauteed tempeh because of reading that book. I haven't had fatigue, but I have been dealing with some insomnia and that seemed to help. I've also been following some of the traditional advice for insomnia (bedtime ritual, firm bedtime, etc). So I'm not entirely sure whether the isoflavones in the soy or the insomnia tactics have helped more. Good job on seeking out a doctor that's going to work for you. Beverlyjoy: I think you have a great plan for the trip and that all this thinking about it is helping you find that willingness. Plus, it helps to be able to build on the success of your last trip. You go, girl! silverbirch: thanks for checking in from London and giving me a vicarious trip to the British Library! |
Hi. Quick post. I am off travelling from this morning until Sunday. I am not taking my pc. Will do everything I can to get onto this site to post. I guess that means I have to remember my password :)
Not a good day with food yesterday. Bad actually. I did stand on the scale this morning (yikes...not pretty) and I am posting. Bye Susan |
Wow, what a weird day. I sat down to post yesterday am, then everything changed. Nothing big or catastrophic; just woke up with one plan for my day then and within 15 minutes I was on another path. Oh well, it’s nice to be needed. I tried posting while I was grabbing a bite for lunch (so not Beck) but was having trouble with the site and didn’t have the time to deal with it. I have a similar day today, but at least I knew it was coming and am ready for it.
So credit for eating on plan, even if the timing of my meals was not what I was expecting. Another credit for catching a quick run—yes, thanks to the time change. Gardenerjoy, huge congrats on the new low and for sticking it out through the plateau. Kudos to you for doing the hard work to figure out what was going wrong. Great job hitting your mid-month exercise goals. Thanks for the idea of a laminated checklist. That’s a great idea. I love your idea to skip reading while you eat, then read while savoring a cup of tea. I’m an eat and read type of person as well. CeeJay, ouch for unplanned cookies. Good luck remembering that they make you feel sick the next time you are tempted. You got me thinking that it’s worth making a response card, “Eating off plan makes me feel sick” or something. Good job getting your exercise. Bennyhannamamma, I’ve missed all your dancing broccoli! Great job getting them moving again. Kudos for the am workout and thank you for the reminder to give myself credit (not my strong point). Congrats on making it through your first 24hrs without smoking. Midlifecrisis57, yay for a great therapy session and a cathartic movie! So glad you are feeling better. You’re right that when we stop eating to deal with unpleasant feelings, we are forced to face those challenges head on. It’s a difficult thing to do and, at least for me, it’s a work in progress. ChinaMaine, I agree that it’s tough to get out of bed after the time change, but it is nice to have more daylight in the evening. Love that warm weather and the chance to get outdoors and exercise. Glad you have a doctor who is willing to find solutions to your fatigue. Seadwaters, ouch for getting the burns, but glad you had a good nurse to help you find a solution. I’m so impressed by people who realize they are not hungry and stop eating. So often I think, “I planned it; I must be hungry.” Most of us can’t enjoy or pay attention to food if we eat while standing, but if you are savoring your apple while you eat it while walking, then I think it’s just fine. Yay for machine maintenance day. BillBE, LOL at getting rid of Lean Cuisine in the freezer. I just recently threw out a bunch that I had bought for DH a while back—I’m constantly trying to find a healthy lunch he likes. Lean Cuisine is not the answer. I’m so impressed by your walk to the gym in the rain. I forgot what it’s like to live in a wet climate. I think you said you got 2.5 inches in one day—that’s a wet month for us. Glad the waters are receding. Beverlyjoy, yay for winning the battle with the sesame sticks! For me, the battle is over once the food is in hand so huge credit for that. Ouch for taxes—tis the season. Glad you got the back manipulation. Ouch for the upcoming soreness, but yay that it’ll feel good once you get through that. LOL at being a professional worrier. I am not, but I have some people who do the worrying for me. Congrats on another 3 lbs down. Hikegirl, kudos for the weighing and posting. These aren’t small things; you can build on these two areas of discipline. Good luck regrouping. Onebyone, So sorry about watching your mom go through Alzheimer’s. It is cool, though, like you said, bittersweet, to be able to share a special bond over speaking Hungarian. Ouch for the unplanned sugar, but good job using the experience to think about what you can do better next time. Great line: “Practice makes progress; progress not perfection. SilverBirch, waving back. So jealous of your visit to the British Library. |
Day 9: Select an Exercise Plan
Coaches/Buddies:
Today I made sure that my Beck tasks were top priority. After dropping the kids at school I came home and made a menu for the rest of the week and a shopping list. It was wonderful to go shopping on my own and have a plan. Unfortunately, between food shopping, a trip to the bank, getting gas for my car and dropping off a green snack at my daughter's school, that was all the kid-free time I had. So, since I ran out of time for exercise, I figured I would do it tonight. My daughter joined an incredible group called, Girls on the Run and her second meeting was today. We rode our bikes to the school (I was pulling a trailer with my almost 40 lb 5 yo) and my son let me do one lap with my daughter (he didn't want me to leave him any more than that). He and I played Frisbee while the girls did their running. I made sure to hustle for it and his accuracy (or lack there of) helped me get some extra running in :) Then we biked back. It wasn't quite a full workout, but I'm still okay with it :D Commit in Writing: The spontaneous exercise I'm going to daily is: - take stairs instead of elevators - bring things upstairs instead of leaving them on the staircase - park further away - go for bike rides with my kids - take a short walk during my lunch break The planned exercise I'm going to do several days a week is: - using the elliptical in my basement - going for runs - going for hikes - re-joining my running group So, I've decided I'm going to re-join my running group (Women in Motion) and I'm very excited-- it starts next week. It will be challenging because I either will only be able to go every-other-week, or I'll need to find a babysitter for my kids on the weeks that they're with me. That will be difficult though for a number of reasons. #1 I work on those Wednesdays, which many times means I don't pick them up from daycare until close to 6pm-- the same time I'd need to leave for the group and they'll need dinner. #2 The cost of a babysitter :( #3 I only have my kids on Wednesdays and Thursdays for those weeks, so I hate the idea of not being with them. I might see if my boyfriend will be able to watch them sometimes on those nights. Either way, I'm going to do it! Every-other week is better than not at all. Thanks everyone for your continued encouragement and your feedback as far as Day 8. Hope to post more soon. |
checking in
Hello coaches
It's 8:42pm here and I'm worn out. I found myself completely irritated by the hoi polloi today aka people. I want to just stay in and pull the covers over my head. I soooooo want to avoid everything. Alas, a hermit's life is not for me so I was out, got the kiln firing the kid's March Break clay stuff so it's eady for their showing on Friday afternoon and then I rushed home to spend dinner with DH during his one hour break and I've spent the rest of the evening here on the net; looking at art submission deadlines, reseaching artists and their works, thinking about/planning upcoming projects and promising myself, yet again, that I would start to clear off my L-shaped desk so I can get to making things for the farmers' market which starts Mother's Day weekend. There is an Easter Market on April 3rd that I have been pondering but I've decided to pass on it. It feels so close I just can't see myself being ready for it. I don't want the stress of all that either and $-wise that market is not that great for selling things for me. It's all about the baked goods and the preserves and the other foodstuffs. Well, actually, maybe I would sell things but I am still not up to it and $-wise I just don't feel that real pressure to do it. And coaches, I need some advice about something. There is a position opening at the school of art for a librarian. I currently work there as the ceramic technician and during the summer when I was a children's progrm technician I took on the job of starting to organize the library as we worked in there and it was wreck and it bothered me that much. It also bothers the school fundraiser person J who made it her business to find $ for shelving and for a donation of library software and funding to pay someone to do it. (The school of art is a non-profit organization so all the money for people and things is donated or comes from various governments.) The school has a "library" in name only; very disoorganized and completely useless in spite of having a great book collection. The vision is to have one librarian who keeps track of stuff and keeps things in order. Unofficially, everyone thinks that person is me. Officially the position will be open to all who want to apply and here's my snag: do I apply knowing / thinking that I may be moving away in 6-12 months? In talking to J about this position she is really looking for someone to stay in it long term. On the other hand, who knows if we really are moving. DH is of the opinion that I should apply if I want it. There are no guarantees for either of us, and no official word or date, just talk. Learning library software and doing more at the school would be another great addition to my resume but then I am getting busy: 10/wk ceramic tech + librarian job ?/wk (part time for sure) + teaching one night a week + farmers' market every saturday selling my artwork + the time it takes to make that artwork. And the time for making Art (different from market artwork) for gallery submissions is when? On the other hand I'd be making some steady money for a change - so coaches...is it deceptive of me to try for this job knowing I may be moving or should I just pretend this is my life as it is now and not worry about the what ifs and just plan with what I know now to be true? It seems obvious to do that so why does it bother me? I guess I wish I could just tell them the truth but I can't; there's nothing to say. And they would be planning my replacement! I'm not ready to be out the door yet ;) Have a good evening. |
Just a quick check in:
Saturday :dunno::hungry: Sunday :?::hungry: Monday :eek::hungry: Tuesday :stress::hungry: I am skating on thin ice. Was in the city every single day and just eating so much junk, not paying attention to anything ,was tired, was stressed, had no plan--- the usual list of things that lead to difficulty... almost got back on track on Monday, but blew up in the city again. Today I did fine. As Beverlyjoy would say, I am grateful. Credit today for: reading advantage and response cards twice rode bike 30 minutes walked 20 minutes did weights posted to my coaches ate on plan made lunch for tomorrow and planned dinner. wishing everyone a good day tomorrow. :grouphug: |
Wednesday Hump Day
:df: WI-down 0.7 lbs. (new low) Did not read my cards, but made a plan. Food – on-plan; Exercise – on-plan (34m). I had a good food day, although my saturated fat was through the roof due to the corned beef. I was tired yesterday, but could still exercise so yay! I’m down in the 150’s for the first time in 4 years, so that makes me happy. (Just hoping it sticks.) I find it funny how similar eliminating alcohol is to limiting night-time snacking to 1 planned snack when hungry. My reptile brain uses the same tired sabotaging thoughts. But good doses of ‘No Choice’ and ‘It’s not about me’ have done the trick so far. The Good :angel:- Throughout the day, I identified satisfaction vs fullness while eating, and I stopped eating when satisfied – credit! - Throughout the day, I identified hunger vs non-hunger before I ate – credit! - Eat mindfully, enjoying every bite – credit! - Tolerated non-hunger without eating – credit! - Used resistance techniques – yes! - Give credit throughout the day for every positive eating behavior – credit! - I posted here – yes! The Bad, and the Ugly :no: - Spontaneous exercise – nope - Read the pink book – nope Beverlyjoy Three pounds gone – now that’s something to be grateful for! ;) Just try to be reasonable and pay attention to the Beck strategies when traveling, and I’ll bet you do fine… silverbirch :wave: Does anyone ‘shush’ you when you have a meeting at the British Library? gardenerjoy Love your plan to eat slowly without reading and rewarding yourself with a cup of tea and a good read. Thanks for the book recommendation. I just downloaded one of her books from audible.com, it sounds very interesting… Susan (hikergirl) Kudos for posting and weighing-in! shepherdess Kudos for being on-plan in the face of a ‘weird’ day. Kim (bennyhannamama) it is hard to juggle kids, work, and a healthy lifestyle. Kudos for making quality time for Beck. one by one Good luck making a tough decision about the new job prospect. I don’t think there’s any reason to tell them about DH’s potential job change until it’s real. But considering that this job will take time away from your burgeoning art career, I’d question whether it’s the smart thing for you to do now. My 2 cents… CeeJay Kudos for being back on-plan yesterday and for all that exercise! Love the ‘big grins’ in your signature. I may do the same! |
Thursday
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Did gym after work; CREDIT moi. Worked on increasing the level back to where I was before losing a couple of weeks due to a cough. It's a bummer to be re-gaining strength I'd already gained and lost. It's a bit like re-loosing weight, I suppose. I'll just read those Beck chapters and do them backwards, LOL.
My good news is that I'm off for a long weekend starting noon on Friday - will be off-web on Saturday and Sunday. onebyone - Difficult dilemma with the library job - would be hard for you to sit and hold your breath waiting for your DH's company to make its decisions. You might consider that if you applied your energy level and organizational skills, you could get the place organized before you had to leave - then they'd be looking for a different type person to take your place. ChinaMaine - What great news that you have a new primary care physician who has a stack of strategies to try. And, that you're the primary executor and evaluator of their efficacy - that's a big deal to have a doctor who thinks you're a part of your health (as odd as that sounds, it doesn't seem to me to be universal). Shepherdess - Weird days exist to keep us from feeling like the movie "Groundhog Day," LOL. Yay for keeping on track despite the sudden change in plans. Yep, 2.5 inches of rain should be a wet month for Wyoming - and a lot of other places. That, and the ten+ inches total, was just a lot of water. Kim (bennyhannamama) - Yay for day #2, and Yay for rejoining your running group - that should get your endorphins going. Now Frisbee is good exercise. Joy (gardenerjoy) - Yay for tea; so good to have an indulgence that continues to be identified as good-for-you by study after study. Thanks for "It's like eating sunshine." - hard to believe that anything could make me enjoy my oranges more, but that will. (DW, a realist, reminded me to enjoy them now - the season wanes.) Susan (hikergirl) - Enjoy your time without your PC. Imagine how your life was full just a few years back before they were invented. Beverlyjoy - Your careful planning for this trip sound like laying a solid foundation to allow it to be on-plan. A family gathering with cousins not seen for a spell sounds appealing to me. Thanks for the mention of Clementines - I worked a pair into my evening snack and savoured them. (Note the added u - it's Cheryl (seadwaters)'s fault, LOL.) CeeJay - A good day is a good day. Take 'em when you can. You're ahead with "made lunch for tomorrow and planned dinner." silverbirch - Waving back toward a "neat London neighbourhood." Need to get myself back to London - I saw so much, but only a tiny fraction of it. My fear is that when I return I'll fall into the British Museum and just stare at the Rosetta Stone - it blows my mind that I get to look at the real thing. Cheryl (seadwaters) - Yay for the great attitude that can see it's "one day closer to finish." Have to twist my head about to realize that you are actually nearly at Autumn. Wish I could send you a bit of our rain. I join the others in hoping that you can find a way to declare your walking apple part of your mindful plan and get to savour it again. Readers - Quote:
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Hi Beck folks, friends, coaches, buddies...
Yesterday was a healthy day - I am grateful. I stayed mostly with my plan (YAY) - I did have a lolipop (unplanned) and counted it in. I was really low on my calories -so I figured it was OK. (not really OK, however) I need to remind myself to plan for special goodies...it's better that way. Our wonderful little neighbor's always run over to say hello if we are outside at the same time. We've gotten into the routine of having a 'peanut party' when they come over. (actually dh started it last summer). I won't give them candy on a daily basis...but, peanuts are OK if mom or dad say yes. I held the bowl of peanuts for 30 minutes as they played with my grandson's toys - and I did not take a bite...big credit. I couldn't put the peanuts down because the dog would have eaten them. That being said...I leaving to 'great unknown' of food today. I don't know what there will be around when I get to my stepmom's. Of course...there will be lots of 'goodies' and things I don't keep around. SO - I need to be careful about making good choices, keeping track, saying Not Fair, Oh Well, No choice, no seconds, record everything I eat, keep track of food exchanges the best I can, allow a couple extra 200 calories if it is necessary to stick with it, etc. It will be stressful...I'll take it a day/meal/snack at a time. I am allowing tastes of some of the special things. I packed a few pieces of fruit, fiber bars and rice cakes so I'll have some snacky things I am used to having around. I did OK the last time out of town - so I know I can do it if I have willingness. It is all about the willingness combined with circumstances. DH just asked me if I was excited about the party, seeing lots of cousins, and stepmom's neat friends. I am really excited about that. It's funny - seems like dealing with food puts a bit of a damper on it. I mustn't let that happen. The weekend is not all about food, theoretically. It makes me sad/angry that for me it has to be dealing with food. Oh well...life's not always fair. I will try to check in, if I can. Credits made plan, logged food no seconds, ate seated, fork down read arc/rc said not fair and oh well several times lots of water did stretches and strengthening exericses read beck book preparing for travel felt fullness - some of the time left a bite of food after each meal and snack felt actual hunger oops no spontaneous exercsie ate way too fast - not very mindful - not tasting the food consistently ate some unplanned food bill - I am so glad you are feeling well enough to increase your workouts just about to where they were before you got sick. Enjoy your weekend! chinamarie - I am thrilled for you being in the 150's! - reaching a 'virgin' weight since long ago is something to be so, so proud of. I agree about night eating and any 'bad' food habit is just like quitting any habit...HARD. ceejay - I so so glad you had an on plan day...yay. Those hard days of last week are gone, gone gone....moving forward is where you are. Many credits too. - another yay! onebyone - it seems like applying for the job is a win win...if you get it - you'll learn many new skills. If not...it's always good practice doing an interview. bennyhanamamma - your running group sounds so good!!! Your list of spontaneous exercise being written down is such a great idea. You are doing great things! shepardess - sorry about the computer not working well...I hate when that happens! Glad you could stay on your plan and even got in a run! yay hikergirl - hope your trip is going well! gardenjoy - what a great plan - treating yourself to tea and reading after refraining from reading at a meal!!! Good luck with the pop. I can totally relate to being a fast eater. I agree it's a tough habit to break. You/we can do it!! silverbirch - wow..posting from your blackberry - I am 'challenged' in that area. Great. glad you could get a big salad in before the meeting. |
Another day on plan. Things were surprisingly easy, even though it was busy. It’s a nice surprise. I got in my run yesterday afternoon. Another nice, but windy day.
Bennyhannamamma, I’ve heard of Girls on the Run and thought it sounded like a really cool group. Great job making the time to plan and shop for the week and it sounds like you were even able to squeeze in a good workout. Sounds like you have a good plan for your running group. Kudos for thinking of solutions to the scheduling challenges. Onebyone, ouch for a day where you want to pull the covers over your head and ignore the world, but kudos for getting out of bed and facing the day. I don’t have a good answer to your problem. It depends on how sure you are that you are moving. But it sounds like you have already put a lot of time and energy into this job so it might be worthwhile to get something you can put on a resume for all of that. I agree with your DH. Apply if you want it and like ChinaMaine said, there is no reason to tell them about your potential move. CeeJay, ouch for a tough trip to the city, but kudos for getting back on track. You have had good trips to the city before. Any idea what makes the difference? Yay for a good day after a series of bad days! ChinaMaine, great job on a good food day, even if your saturated fat intake was high. I don’t think one day is a problem, so long as it’s low over the long haul. Love those “NO CHOICE” and “It’s not about me” responses. They do the trick when I remember to use them. BillBE, yay for a much-deserved long weekend. Enjoy it! Re-gaining strength would be a bummer. I hope you are back to your old levels quickly. Beverlyjoy, have a great time at the party. It sounds like you have thought it through and will be successful. I understand thinking that dealing with food will be a damper, but, at least for me, it has helped me enjoy being with those people more. I’ve always had anxiety in these tough food situations, but that “NO CHOICE” for me means, “Step away from the dessert tray and mingle.” Best of luck. |
Up early with a pain in the neck, literally. Too much sitting yesterday, I guess. Distracted from my weigh in this morning. Otherwise, volunteering at the Garden yesterday went well with several short walks admiring many blooming crocuses (croci?) and a few daffodils.
WI: N/A kg, Exercise: +95, /1550 minutes for March, Food: op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes Shepherdess: good job with figuring out a way to stay on plan when things didn't go as planned -- I always find that difficult. In fact, one of my triggers for overeating used to be changed plans. bennyhannahmama: so glad that you are excited about your exercise plans, especially your running group and I love that your daughter is doing something that sounds similar. onebyone: I think it's fine to apply for jobs even under the conditions you are in. Nothing is certain in life. On their end, the funding could disappear six months after they hire you. They would feel bad about firing you, but they would do it anyway. I think you should make your decision based on the other questions implied in your discussion: do you have the time? do you need the money? do you want the experience either for resume building or just because you are interested? CeeJay: huge credit for "Today I did fine." Persistence is key, after all, and it's not that easy. So good job for getting back to fine. ChinaMaine: congrats on the new low! BillBlueEyes: yay for a long weekend with no computer -- I find those can be incredibly relaxing, once I get over the notion that I need to check the net to see what's happening there ever half hour! Beverlyjoy: Thanks for putting into words that your excitement of the party and trip is dampened by your concerns about eating healthily. I've had that experience, but never quite put it all together in logical thought. I hope eventually we can reach the point where parties are about people and not about food, either overeating it or controlling it. But, I imagine that would be something that happens over time. Anyway, it sounds like you have a terrific plan! |
The good, the bad, and the ugly.
Hello Coaches
THE BAD As usual my saying that it's easier to stay on track than to get on track is bang on. I had some hot chocolate today. I didn't even like it but it's been sitting in plain sight for weeks now and I was too lazy to move it out of my eye line and today I caved and had it. That's the worst of it. Well that and I am eating very salty things and it's my official weigh-in day tomorrow. Oh well. THE GOOD I have made dinner from scratch today. yay. credit. I decluttered the top of my L-shaped work desk and moved my toaster oven over to it so I can get to work for the farmers' market. credit The clutter that I have no idea what to do with remains on 1/2 of the desk top for now. I did bag up a big bag of garbage though. credit. And it's garbage night too. I may get another bag ready to go, extra to the regular garbage. future credit for this... THE UGLY I saw about 12 big black ants around my kitchen sink. Yikes. I think they are coming in the new window they installed last fall in the kitchen. Eeeek. My kitchen now really has to be cleaned or those critters will move in for sure! I did close both windows and that seems to have stopped thme but if I have to live like that for the rest of the year I will be very very :mad:. That's it. Dinner time. Have a good evening coaches one and all. |
Greetings. I took a quick glance at some great posts and will catch up on them this Sunday or Monday. I am committing here to check in every day.
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Hi everyone:
Just another quick check in. I need to learn that it is OK just to check in--even when I don't have time to read and post personals. Today I was on plan- credit for: weighing in posting reading advantage and response cards riding exercise bike 30 mins eating on plan Unfortunately I am back to the city tomorrow- restaurants for lunch and dinner. I am just going to try to keep it reasonable. I am then not in the city for 2 weeks straight so will not have that to deal with for a while. :grouphug: |
Friday
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Wrapped up my week so I can start a long weekend today; CREDIT moi for planning so far in advance to take a day off before a weekend off. Gotta go get gas and air in the car - lots of little stuff. DW made a terrific corned beef and cabbage dinner on Saint Patrick's Day and I had some leftovers for lunch on Thursday. I do like corned beef with heaps of course ground mustard. But, I ate a chosen moderate amount both times, CREDIT moi. I remember having seconds and thirds in the past, sigh.
So I'm off Saturday and Sunday - be back Monday. onebyone - Yay for making dinner from scratch; Yay for de-cluttering; BIG Kudos for giving yourself credit for it all. Shepherdess - Can't complain about "surprisingly easy" from time to time. Joy (gardenerjoy) - Yay for blooming croci and daffodi - much healthier than blooming onions at Outback, LOL. [Wiki: 2310 calories] Susan (hikergirl) - Waving back. Hope you've found some sunshine to walk about in. Beverlyjoy - Seems like a plan - "It is all about the willingness combined with circumstances." I do like the notion of planning for tastes of the special foods - particularly since some of them might trigger childhood memories and warm feelings. On my last family reunion type of thing, I constantly felt the urge to eat everything as if family meant food. I even had a vanilla pudding with Vanilla Wafers because it was a common childhood dessert that I loved back then. Now, it's pretty much just so-so instant pudding and so-so cookies - but it sure brought back memories of good feelings from being a kid. CeeJay - Yep, OK to just check in. Yay for 30 minutes on the exercise bike and super Yay for two weeks without trying to find food in restaurants. Readers - Quote:
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Ice-out today?
:df: WI-down 0.2 lbs. (new low) Read my cards, but made a plan. Food – on-plan; Exercise – on-plan (40m). Another good day – for food and exercise. The weather was warm, sunny and windy. The ice is out on most of our lake, but our cove is always the last to go. The blue water is clearly visible so the sun just needs to melt our last bit of ice for us to have ice-out. I think this may be a record early date for ice out. It’s been late April / early May since we moved here… Usually we hear the loon call once we have open water, but I haven’t heard a loon yet this year. Probably is just to early for them… The Good :angel:- Throughout the day, I identified satisfaction vs fullness while eating, and I stopped eating when satisfied – credit! - Throughout the day, I identified hunger vs non-hunger before I ate – credit! - Eat mindfully, enjoying every bite – credit! - Tolerated non-hunger without eating – credit! - Used resistance techniques – yes! - Give credit throughout the day for every positive eating behavior – credit! - Spontaneous exercise – yes! - I posted here – yes! The Bad, and the Ugly :no: - Read the pink book – nope Bill Kudos for gaining your strength back, one step at a time. Have a great time this weekend! Beverlyjoy Kudos for joining in the peanut party fun, without eating the peanuts! Would it help to think that this weekend is a ‘learning’ weekend for you? You’re learning how to eat differently in social situations, and you are doing it so that in the future you can eat reasonably out of habit in the future. And of course, the ‘learning’ part is secondary to the ‘social’ part… shepherdess Yay! For an easy day. gardenerjoy Kudos for having a volunteer-job that involves exercise and flowers! one by one Kudos for cooking and decluttering! Susan (hikergirl) :wave: CeeJay A 30 minute bike ride sounds like fun! |
Hi Beck folks -
I have a few minutes to check in. Day one of the journey went well. DH got himself some Snyders Mustard Pretzels for the road. (he doesn't have any overeating concerns - or weight challenges either ) So...I just looked at them and*used 'oh well' and 'not fair' - I pushed through the urge to eat a handful. Once the initial wanting was over - I didn't care that they were right next to me. CREDIT!!! The rest of the day I made mostly good choices for dinner and snack. (except for one cashew before bed and a tiny bit of extra bread at dinner) I am grateful for a good day 'on the road'. I am really pleased. credit read arc/rc - two times logged food left a bite after meals and snacks used oh well and not fair read beck book ate seated only fork down between bites mindful, slow eating - most of the time stretches and strengthening oops no spontaneous exercise extra bread - second helping cashew - gave into craving working on feeling fullness need to slow down and enjoy food while I am in a different place eating all my meals I will try and check in later, if possible. Thanks to everyone for encouraging me and helping me as I go forward into a †ime away from home and food that I don't usually have around. |
Official weigh-in results for the week
Hello Coaches
Today I get to record the number seen on the weighing machine and it says 263.4 = +1.2 = maintaining my loss = one credit I am giving myself, and my body, a credit as I have had my ups and downs this week but, according to Beck, I am within the allowable +/- 2lbs she says we will fluctuate week to week so since I try to follow Beck I am not going to automatically fight her opinion on this one. I am re-dedicating myself to weightloss this week. And I am going to incorporate some intentional exercise. I will aim for 2x this week. New day, new week. Ain't it grand? :wave: midlifecrisis57 Hope you have great weather this weekend and you get a chance to just enjoy it. You've been working very hard on many fronts. :wave: seadwaters Glad your treatments are winding up. That must be such a challenge. I hope you have a great Friday and a great weekend. :wave: bennyhannamama Wow. Your whole family is getting super active. hope you enjoy your running group this weekend. Thanks for continuing to check in even when you feel resistance to it. :wave: euseubias TGIF! Have a great weekend. silverbirch Your comment about the British Library had me wishing I was there aleady. I have a must-see list as long as my arm. Glad to see you checking in. Have a good Friday. Beverlyjoy I think that this food business is a paradox. By focusing so much on the topic head of time, you end up freeing yourself when you are actually facing the food in real life. It's because you are prepared and you are practicing new behaviour around food so it's noticeable to you right now. It will, as Beck promises, become easier. Have great trip! Shepherdess Oh it is so nice to have an easy food day! I wish for you another one today. Thanks for your comments about my potential job... it helps me to think this through. gardenerjoy Thanks for the clear thoughts about the potential new job. I got a new bit of news about it; it's a term position for about 4 months someone thinks. So your observation that if they ran out of funding or if the position had to be terminated I would be terminated whether they wanted to do that or not makes a lot of sense to me. I, also, have the right to do the same thing were I to have the job and then have to move away. So having that settled I am now on to the other thing: do I want to do it, really? So glad you are seeing flowers! I'm still waiting, and I hope we don't get snow. It would completely devastate the flowers which are up due to the warm warm weather all week.:( hikergirl Have a great Friday; thanks for checking in. CeeJay Thanks for checking in and think of all those meals eating out as oppportunities to practice dealing with restaurants and eating out! Before you know it you'll have it behind you. ;) Billblueeyes Have a great weekend with great weather and great adventure. :wave: ChinaMaine I've been watching the ice leave the river all week. The small areas where the ice surfaces get progressively darker have now given way to open patches of water and the open water on the other side of the ice is slowly eating away at the ice that remains between. There was one day where the river looked like it was full of miniature ice flows. That day a lot of ice had broken up. Everyday the ducks who have returned and the canada geese and the sea gulls all get closer and closer to the actual shoreline and not just the edge of the ice. I always wonder what they eat this time of year, besides the stuff people give them. And yeah, it is remarkable early for the ice to be gone, but they are predicting snow flurries (!) for tomorrow evening - 30% chance. Apparently, it is still March and not May. |
Coaches/Buddies:
Yesterday was a great day, other than the fact that I didn't post here :( Some of the highlights included: When I walked into my office, there was an extra large bag of M&Ms with peanut butter in the middle. I promptly wrote a note explaining that they would be in the cabinet! I returned them to the cabinet at least 3x during the day and never had 1! :broc: I took a walk at lunch. It wasn't until I had 10 minutes left of my lunch hour that I remembered that I had planned on walking. I decided I would go for a 5 minute walk. 5 minutes into my walk, I was enjoying it too much and decided to go for the full 10! :broc: This is so huge for me because I always thought a short walk at work wasn't really doing much. After reading "Day 9", and specifically the Sabotaging Thought: What's the use of walking only five minutes? Helpful Response: Walking for five minutes is better than walking for zero minutes. Last night I took a walk with Jim (and Suzi, his dog) for 45-60 minutes. I love that he enjoys walking and it's such a nice time for us to relax, etc. We usually do this after dinner. :broc: I planned on posting here, but fell asleep while Jim and I were watching tv after our walk. Today I plan on reading Day 10: Setting a Realistic Goal and reporting back later. My kids are each having friends sleep over, so it might be a bit hectic! Oh and I also want to mention that my plan to make sure that Beck "stuff" is my top priority when I have some time to myself is working out well. This morning, I have a couple of hours before I need to pick my son up from pre-school, and as usual, I'm overwhelmed with all the things I want to get done. But, based on my plan, posting here and getting a quick workout in make it to the top of the list! silverbirch: I'm glad I'm not the only one posting from my Blackberry :) Technology is helping me immensely on this quest! Shepherdess: Glad you like seeing the broccoli :) I'm happy to see them again too. Nice job eating on plan and getting in a run... it's so great when these things become habit! Ceejay: I love your summary through smileys! You forgot to use a smiley for Wednesday though: :cheer3::hun: I know it can be really tough to have a bunch of crappy days (oh believe me, I know!), but look how you turned it around on Wednesday! ChinaMaine: Yeah for 150s for the first time in four years! :carrot: Wow, did you see your saboteur jumping in there? Quote:
Thanks for reminding me that I'm juggling a lot. BillBlueEyes: Enjoy your long weekend; you deserve it! Beverlyjoy: I love the "peanut party" and kudos to you for not eating one while holding the bowl for a half hour! I know what you mean about dealing with food putting a damper on things, but at least the food does not need to be the highlight. There are people you are looking forward to seeing, catching up with, etc. Remind yourself that the socialization is the highlight of the party. Sounds like you have planned well both mentally and physically. gardnerjoy: I've been meaning to ask you what your volunteer work is-- it sounds wonderful! Glad that you were able to get some spontaneous exercise in as well. onebyone: I was glad to see your use of "oh well" and I think you recovered very nicely. Hope those ants find another home for themselves outside! hikergirl: So proud of you and glad to see you made sure to post, even while traveling! Hope you're enjoying yourself. CeeJay: I too struggle with remembering that a short post without personals is just fine! Good for you for doing it. I hope you find some good, healthy choices at the restaurants. Beverlyjoy: Yeah for a great day on the road! BTW, I love your use of "oops" for things that need improvement :) onebyone: Yes, it is grand! Isn't it amazing how our attitudes can shift from day to day? It never ceases to amaze me :) |
Day 6: Find a Diet Coach
That's done. This group is, collectively, a wonderful coach with many ears, broad shoulders, and an astounding array of talents and experiences to draw from. I thank each of you for your presence and dedication to your personal journies and our journey together. The one downside to group coaching is that it's easy to just kind of slip away and not be noticed. Kim (bennyhannahmama) has agreed to notice when I do that and I'm doing the same for her. WI: +1kg, Exercise: +115, 1015/1550 minutes for March, Food: op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes onebyone: we get ants this time of year -- they don't like it when the ground gets too soggy in the spring, so they start climbing and eventually find their way through a window. Some types of ants follow trails of other ants, so I find if I stay on top of killing them when I see them, the problem usually fixes itself when the weather dries out. hikergirl: good job checking in during your travels! CeeJay: yay for quick posts and a plan for eating in restaurants BillBlueEyes: have a great weekend! ChinaMaine: yay for that long list of credits! Ice out is a cool concept and interesting way to measure the pace of spring. Beverlyjoy: good job on the first day of your journey! bennyhannahmama: I'm volunteering in the Archives at the Missouri Botanical Garden, cataloging a collection of slides by a botanist photographer that will eventually be used to illustrate a plant identification database that scientists use. There are 10s of thousands of these slides, alphabetized by genus. I might get through As before we give up the volunteer work to work in our own garden this summer. Looks like I have a volunteer job for winter for the next decade or two! It's desk work, but we walk around the Garden at every break. |
I got my run in early yesterday because a big spring storm was moving in. Credit me for thinking ahead and planning. I got back home before the flakes started falling. The storm has made for a change of plans today. Not so bad. It was just a crazy morning trying to make sure all the animals were OK, getting them fed and checking to make sure new calves were not getting too chilled. But it also means that I cancelled my afternoon plans. I was going to take a load of wool to a mill about 2 hrs north in Buffalo, but I don’t want to be on the highway today so it’ll have to happen another time.
Food was good yesterday. I didn’t even eat all of my planned dinner last night. It usually takes a major force of will to leave food on my plate, but last night I just realized I was full and didn’t finish my soup, which was really good, or the piece of fresh, homemade bread. I think I may have inflated my portions a bit—a problem to tackle another day. But it was still a major success to not feel the need to clean my plate. Gardenerjoy, I’m imagining crocuses and daffodils in bloom. What a great way to get spontaneous exercise. Ouch for the pain in the neck. Hope you feel better soon. Your volunteer work sounds so cool. My DH and I have gotten into plant identification—it’s for range monitoring purposes, but it’s so interesting. Onebyone, ouch for unplanned hot chocolate, but if that was the worst of it, it really isn’t so bad. Kudos for maintaining, and yes, weight fluctuates. You had a lot of salt the day before your weigh-in and it may be reflecting retained water. Good job listening to Beck on this one and re-committing to your plan. Hikegirl, waving back. Kudos for the regular check-ins. CeeJay, kudos for the check-in. Just like eating, they don’t have to always be perfect. Kudos for another on-plan day. Good luck on another trip to the city. BillBE, great job having sane portions of a favorite food. And glad you are finally getting some time off. Wishing you sunny skies and a pleasant trip. ChinaMaine, yay for another good day of food and exercise. Love that warm weather for getting outdoors, even if the early spring thaw does make you wonder. Beverlyjoy, I’m totally impressed by your willpower with the Snyder’s pretzels right next to you. I don’t think I would have had the strength—those things are dangerous. Glad you had a successful beginning to your trip. Bennyhannamamma, I love the way you dealt with the bag of M&M’s. Great job being firm about leaving them in the cabinet and not having one. Yay for remembering that 5 min is better than none and 10 min is doubly good! I have a tough time remembering that one—maybe that perfectionist saboteur. |
Saturday Morning
Diet coaches
I have been TIRED and going to bed early. I have appreciated the kind thoughts and the chicken soup sent my way. It is lovely to be in my house and I really enjoyed Thurdsday at home with no treatment. But I missed posting Thursday and Friday night. Thursday was an interesting day and I am glad I was here. The neighbour on one side who I rarely talk to (1/3 my age and busy) stopped and chatted and offered help etc. I got to lend her a dog barricade for her sick puppy which was nice. Later in the day another neighbour came to visit (used to drive me to chemotherapy until she herself needed foot surgery) and I was asking if she knew of anyone who I could pay to garden (she belongs to a large church community) and she offered her 14 year old (6ft 2in) son who apparently wanted to earn a bit of money. It is such a relief to have someone to help - the place is looking a mess and really needs love and attention and I just can't manage it. It is a bush block and totally out of control. When I was at work/treatment on Friday the neighbour and two of her daughters (she has 10 children!) "snuck" up and tidied all the deck area around the house and cleaned the outside of the windows - it brought tears to my eyes and energised me in an amazing way. You might have gathered that I live alone and haven't got many social supports in this area - well didn't have. I am reading back a few days and cherry picking some comments as I progressed - big hello to all my coaches Onebyone - I am so glad that things are coming clearer about the job for you and that it is now only about whether it will suit your needs. Credit for maintaining you weight loss and rededicating yourself to it. ChinaMaine - Don't you just love technology! I couldn't live without it all now. It is so frustrating to have chronic tiredness and illnesses that don't respond to treatment. Doctors are great to begin with but they sometimes lose interest when their efforts don't seem to help and they feel defeated. I find it also affects my feelings of credibility but you have to hang in there. Sounds like you have found a good one so hope it all turns out well. I have PM'd you about something you wrote on Wed Shepherdess - Your commitment to running in almost any circumstance is inspiring - you are amazing and with everything else that is happening. BeverlyJoy - Planning for your trip looks good - so organised. Enjoy your family and have a great time. Sorry about the foot and the back - we are a body and it dominates our life as many of the posts demonstrate. So I think it is totally appropriate to talk about and in my case whine about how it works. As well as the weather I am always fascinated with the US health system and insurance. I am on a White House mailing list about the health reforms and daily comes a new revelation - amazing that a system like that could survive (hope I haven't offended anyone!). I also think our taxes might be a little easier to do Gardenerjoy - Congratulations on getting past your plateau in such a resounding way - credit for hanging in there Bill(BlueEyes) - Impressive rainfall! Feeling very envious (without the drowning bit) as it is dry as a chip here. A shame it all fell in your basement. I appreciate the Australianisation of your spelling so that I feel right at home here. Glad your health and exercise are on the rise. Hope you have a fabulous weekend FutureFitChick - :wave: Susan (Hikergirl) - good to see you keeping your commitments to yourself - they are the hardest ones Kim (bennyhannahmama) - it is really good to see the dancing broccoli again - they were a regular when I first joined. I never did so well with Day 8 and scheduling. I took it to mean making/taking time to diet and concentrate on the essentials of menu planning and buying the food and making the food to take to work etc. Otherwise I can't plan any further. And giving up smoking - ouch - tough but doable - took me about 3 years and everyone thought I would be the last person smoking CeeJay - Doing well to check in - sometimes not having time to do personals stops me from checking in and I have to get over that Credits: :flow1:
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Day 10: Set a Realistic Goal
Coaches/Buddies:
Having a computer set up in my bedroom is definitely working to my advantage today. My kids both had friends sleep over, so they are all sleeping downstairs in the middle of the family room. Yesterday, my only exercise (planned or unplanned) was scrubbing the bathroom floor and some vacuuming. Not sure that I'll get any planned exercise in today (ice-skating lessons for my son this morning, Girl Scout camp open house this afternoon), but I will make sure to at least get some unplanned in. It was kind of a nice treat do read Day 10 and see what a simple one it is :) I really have no resistance to setting a realistic goal. So, 5 lbs it is :D I'm thinking about doing Day 11: Differentiate Between Hunger, Desire and Cravings today. After reading about it yesterday, I already found myself thinking about it before I ate. For example, before I had some popcorn and ice cream with the kids last night, I fully realized that it was just desire :halfempty Since I've been reading both the pink book and the workbook, I'm trying to decide how I want to go about doing the exercise. The pink book just talks about monitoring if I'm feeling hunger, desire or craving each time I eat, while the workbook talks about checking in every hour to monitor those things. I think today will be too hectic to do the every hour one, and now that I think about it, I'm not sure what day wont be! So, I'll try checking in with myself each time I eat, or think about eating. gardnerjoy: Glad to see that you came across an "easy" day too-- it's nice when you've already got a task all figured out! Your volunteer job sounds very interesting and I love that you take walks through the gardens on your break. Shepherdess: Yes, kudos to you for planning ahead and not using the storm as an excuse to not get your run in! So impressed with your ability to voluntary leave food over-- it's working :carrot: it's working :carrot: seadwaters: It's so good to hear from you and hear that you are doing what you need to in order to take care of yourself. I love that at a time when you could easily say "to heck with it all" you continue to do what you can with the Beck program... I think that speaks volumes about you and your self-care. The story about your neighbours (I feel the need to use your spelling :D) is so heartwarming, thanks for sharing. Awww, I'm glad you like seeing the broccoli again! I think I'm pretty much interpreting Day 8 the way you did and it seems to be working. I honestly think it may have just been an (unconscious) excuse for me to not move forward. The quitting smoking is going very well-- haven't even come close to having a cigarette, but I've wanted one every single day! I have quit so many times in the past year and do well with that. The problem is when I think I can have "just one" because I'm out having drinks, etc. I will NOT make that mistake ever again! Hope everyone has a good day. Hikergirl, I will be back later to check to see if you've posted. |
Tgif
:df: WI-down 0.4 lbs. (new low) Read my cards, made a plan. Food – on-plan; Exercise – on-plan (40m). Another good day – for food and exercise. I was hungry at snack-time yesterday morning. I don’t normally get hungry then, so I don’t specifically plan on a morning snack anymore. But I have a standing rule that if I’m hungry at 10-ish, I eat a 100 calorie healthy snack. I had a yogurt which held me over until I had a break from meetings at 1 PM. This week at work was downright reasonable – and I don’t have to work over the weekend. :woohoo: The big change is in the amount of exercise I’m able to do. Even though I’ve had insomnia 6 out of the 8 last nights, I feel more energetic than I have in months. (Although, I’ve felt pretty tired from the insomnia, no fatigue!) As a result, I’ve exercised 7 of those days. And my daily average of minutes of exercise has more than doubled in March vs. the previous months. The new thyroid dosage is kicking in, I’m pretty sure. :yay: Over the last months I’ve been working on lowering my daily calorie intake by 200 calories a day and on solidifying my Beck skills. I figured if I did that, the weight would start dropping again once I could exercise regularly. And it seems to have worked. :D The Good :angel:- Throughout the day, I identified satisfaction vs fullness while eating, and I stopped eating when satisfied – credit! - Throughout the day, I identified hunger vs non-hunger before I ate – credit! - Eat mindfully, enjoying every bite – credit! - Tolerated non-hunger without eating – credit! - Used resistance techniques – yes! - Give credit throughout the day for every positive eating behavior – credit! - Spontaneous exercise – yes! - I posted here – yes! The Bad, and the Ugly :no: - Read the pink book – nope Beverlyjoy Kudos for checking in when traveling and for not eating those pretzels! Isn’t it empowering to know that using the Beck skills help you to say ‘ I didn't care that they were right next to me’? And kudos for the mindful eating when away from home! one by one Kudos for holding steady on your weight during a challenging time in your life! It’s interesting that you are seeing an early Spring, like we are. We have 2 Canadian geese in the lake this morning. I’m hoping they continue migrating elsewhere, since we’ve never had them here before. They can leave quite a mess on the shoreline… Kim (bennyhannamama) :yay: for having a good day! It’s great you are prioritizing your Beck/diet time – it’s so important to success… It’s great that you got so much walking in especially making the 10 minutes to walk after lunch. I think your plan to monitor hunger vs desire vs craving is a good one. It’s actually something I still do every time I think about eating… gardenerjoy I agree, I can’t imagine a better coach than this group. And what a great insight to realize that the ability to slip away unnoticed is probably the biggest downfall to our coaching. Kudos to both you and Kim to find a solution. shepherdess :yay: for leaving food on your plate – just because I just realized I was full. I hope you get some rest during the storm, after all your running around preparing for it… Cheryl (seadwaters) I’m so happy that social support has found you. We all need a little help now and then, and we feel better when we know we aren’t alone. Some good credits today for recognizing hunger, etc., and resistance techniques. I’m sorry you are feeling so tired, take care of yourself and use your new-found social support… :hug: |
Yesterday was not great, foodwise and otherwise. Snow was falling on and off most of the day and the wind was pretty constant. Just a nasty day. So after being out in the elements all morning, I was stuck inside all afternoon with a general desire for comfort food of some kind. I resisted all day until the evening when my DH was having some chips and I just dug in. I wound up not having much for dinner, so as far as calories go it was pretty much a wash, but nutrition suffered, not to mention that resistance muscle. I can’t let this lousy weather and sudden changes in plans for the day derail my eating. It’s spring and it’s just the way it goes. And as far as spring storms go, this one was pretty mild—only a few inches of snow.
Exercise was some pilates and yoga. I needed a good stretch so it worked out. I’ve gotta get going, so no personals today. Will catch-up later. |
Day 7: Arrange Your Environment
Another easy day for me. My problem has never been the food that I had at home. I'm not currently working so that eliminates that problem (in my last job, the place where everyone put out treats was right outside my office door -- good riddance, I say!). For me, the environment problem has always been when I'm out and about. Going to the library? There's a Quick Trip on the way. Need to pick up a prescription? I'll go inside instead of use the drive up window so I can check out the holiday candy display. A trip to Whole Foods? Well, everything they sell is healthy, right? So, my environment changed when I made two rules: 1) No eating in the car. 2) No eating anything purchased from a drugstore or gas station. That combined with Beck's rule of eat while sitting down has completely eliminated my foraging behavior. WI: -0.1kg, Exercise: +130, 1145/1550 minutes for March, Food: op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes Shepherdess: my weekend walking friend and I walked on Friday night, instead of our normal Saturday morning -- I suspect we were beating out the same storm that you did with your early run. seadwaters: so glad you are developing a sense of community and already reaping the benefits! bennyhannahmama: Yay for an easy Day 10 and good luck working with Day 11! ChinaMaine: lots of good news with reasonable work hours, increased energy for exercise, and successfully lowering your calorie intake -- yay for the new low! |
Sunday morning
Dear Coaches
A good food day yesterday. I avoided all the foods on my stay clear of list. I am enjoying the last of the summer fruits (mangoes, peaches, nectarines, custard apples) and have planned to eat them in this non-diet phase. Also our new season apples are coming in. The other thing I discovered yesterday was Gazpacho - I have never made or eaten it and it was so hot I decided to give it a try - amazing - it will help me see this Indian summer out in a healthy way. Temperatures in the 30s (above 85F) this weekend and all next week - very sick of it. Still really dark in the morning because summer time doesn't stop until Easter - but wonderful to lie in bed this morning with my laptop and watch the red sky as the sun came up. Kim (bennyhannahmama) - Your life is amazingly full with your children and I am not surprised it is difficult to schedule time for dieting so well done that you do. Day 11 is one I found useful and I have to remember to stop and take a breath before I eat to do that evaluation so good luck with it ChinaMaine - Glad you are getting a break from full-on work - and that you are able to exercise again without fatigue just normal tiredness! Great insight to lower you calories as your weight drops - I will struggle with that if it happens. And it is all working so credit to you Shepherdess - Great insight to realise that the unpredictability of spring is getting to your eating - spring is like that isn't it although it sounds pretty wild in your part of the world. Gardenerjoy - Yay for great rules - I am thinking I need to write some similar ones and need to spend more time thinking about my vulnerable times and make some hard a fast rules - will post them when I work them out. Lots of positives in your post Credits: :flow1:
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Hello Everyone!!!! Finally time today to do some personals.
midlifecrisis57- I could really relate to your post- I too am an old hand at taking responsibility for other people's feelings. It is such a relief to practice not doing that. It was very hard at first but I am slowly getting better at it but it is something I have to do some self talk about often. silverbirch- hello there. Must be wonderful to be in London and heading for the library. hikergirl-hello and good to see you checking in. Credit for weighing yourself and posting. BillBlueEyes-yay for walking in shorts. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend away!! Strange to check in this morning and no post from you. You really are our glue here. Beverlyjoy-glad to see you posting on your trip. Yay for resistance of the pretzels. Congratulations on 3 more pounds gone. onebyone-I agree new days and new weeks are wonderful. Glad you are feeling motivated. Sorry to read about your mom's condition. My mom had a brain aneurysm and survived it. Unfortunately her short term memory and judgment are impaired - it is hard to see someone you love struggling with this. seadwaters-your neighbours are awesome. How wonderful to be reminded of all the good people who are out there. Your list of credits is impressive. bennyhannahmama- yay for Day 10- the 5 pound goals have been such a motivator for me- helps me focus on the present and not a magical, illusive far-off day. I hope you are very proud of yourself for quitting smoking. As for having just one, there is an old saying- "one cigarette away from a pack-a-day." I know the struggle to quit. I did it 8 years ago- it was the best thing I ever did for myself. ChinaMaine-congratulations on your new weight low. That's fantastic. Glad you are feeling better and hope the insomnia eases up. Shepherdess-sorry yesterday was not great but credit for exercise. I like your idea for a response card of -“Eating off plan makes me feel sick”, think I will add it in. gardenerjoy- glad to hear about another easy day and your new low. Thanks for your tip on eating the nuts and dark chocolate chips- I am going to try that. Maybe that will help me fight the sugar cravings. They don't come that often, but when they do--look out. :o For me, thankfully I am back on track. Another good day yesterday and one today too!!! Went to the city with DH yesterday. We went out for lunch with a friend- Dim Sum- and I ate the steamed stuff only and ate only until mildly full- what's up with that????- starting to act like a Becker. :):):) We grabbed Subway for dinner so that was healthy. Yaaaaaaaaay for a trip to the city where I did not blow it. Today credit for: weighing in posting to my coaches riding exercise bike 30 mins eating very healthy and on plan reading advantage and response cards eating slowly and mindfully every meal I have been keeping a daily checklist of all the things I want to do (like excericse, counting calories, reading cards etc). This week I typed up a page of healthy foods and am challenging myself to eat as many as possible by checking off each day when I eat something on the list. This is fun and is challenging me to eat more of a variety of foods. Well, fun might be stretching it a bit..... Talk to you tomorrow :grouphug: |
Today's challenge is a family meeting at a new time and with some newly developing personal dynamics. A bit nervous about it all. My mantra today is "no snacks." Grazing throughout the day is the worst thing I do when I'm out there. We're having a potluck lunch -- I'll fill my plate with the salad my mother-in-law promised to bring, the healthy Waldorf Salad that I'm bringing, and tiny amounts of everything else.
If the weather holds off on the predicted rain, we'll likely walk. Otherwise, I'll come home and de-stress with dance videos and yoga. WI: +0.4kg, Exercise: +100, 1245/1550 minutes for March, Food: op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes seadwaters: love hearing about your summer harvest while we're waiting for the first crops of spring -- we're probably a month away from locally-grown asparagus, rhubarb, and spinach. CeeJay: what a wonderful Beckian day in the city! There's an experience you can build on! It feels very strange to be the first to post in the morning. So, Good Morning, everyone! |
I ran the 5 mile race of my running club’s Winter Series Challenge yesterday. My DH was good enough do some of the AM feeding by myself so that I could do the run and then I met him afterwards and helped him with the rest. I ran it 2 minutes faster than last year, which was exciting. I was a bit worried when I arrived and the thermostat on my car said it was 10 F out. I don’t know how accurate it is, but it didn’t feel that cold when we started running and warmed up pretty quick. The wind was cooperating and the sun was out, so it was pretty nice.
Food was on plan, though it was another day when surprises just pop up. I was taking a knitting class in the evening and the plan for dinner was to grab a pizza on our way home. But we saw a calf being born on our way home. It had warmed up to 40 by then, but it was getting dark and the temp drops pretty quick after dark—we’re close to desert here. So we just wanted to wait and see how the calf born, stand and suck before we called it a night. So we watched for about 2 hrs and ate the pizza in the truck (I don’t know what Beck would say about that.) But I did stick to my planned amount. I was worried it would be a struggle, but it wasn’t. Mom and baby were doing good by the time we left, so it was a pretty great day. Seadwaters, sending comforting thoughts your way! Sorry about the fatigue, but it is great that there is a community out there to offer some much needed support. Your commitment to Beck while going through an exhausting and stressful time is so inspiring! Your gazpacho and summer fruits has got me thinking about summer. Sounds like a great menu for a hot day. Bennyhannamamma, great job recognizing that the popcorn and ice cream you wanted was just desire. I’m not so good at noticing the difference in the moment. Kudos for thinking of a plan to monitor when you have a hectic schedule. ChinaMaine, it’s great that you have plan that lets you eat if you are hungry or skip it if you are not. I’m impressed at how good you have gotten about telling the difference. Yay for improving energy levels and for getting in so much exercise. Gardenerjoy, yay for another easy day. It’s great that you recognized areas of weakness and have made a plan to deal with them. Good job planning around the storm to get your walk in. Sounds like you have a good plan in place for your family meeting—it’s tough to avoid grazing when the food is out. CeeJay, yay for being back on track. Huge credit for eating well on a trip to the city! Keep these successes on mind next time you have an upcoming trip. Sticking to steamed stuff at Dim Sum sounds like a great plan. |
Coaches/Buddies:
Not a lot of time to post, but I have some time, so I'm going to do it right now! Yesterday wasn't great, I kept forgetting to evaluate how I was feeling before I ate and I didn't make the best food choices. I also didn't make sure to eat slowly and consciously, nor did I make sure to read a few Advantages before eating :( I know I had a few nibbles of things while standing up too. Today so far has kind of followed the same pattern, but I know I can turn that around right now-- so that's what I'll do. I did some really great things yesterday too. Ordered a grilled chicken snack wrap when taking the kids to McDonald's for lunch. Made myself a vegetable omlette for dinner since Jim was cooking homemade macaroni and cheese and I knew if that if that was my only dinner I would eat way too much of it (I did have some). Finally, I made sure to get some unplanned exercise in by playing frisbee and tag in the backyard with the kids for about an hour :broc: Oh yeah and posting right now means I get one more :broc: Hope everyone is having a good weekend. |
'Lo, Beckies
Quick shout-out to all.
Whoever said "cherry-picking" posts to which I will respond, thank you! Seems appropriate that we "cherry pick". For the challenge of social gathering with lots of tempting treats: I have not done this, but I will commit to my coaches right now I am going to try it. The scenario: tempting treats out for grazing. I will declare a fixed amount of time to let myself sample, either early, mid, or late in the affair, as I choose. The rest of the time will be "no grazing, no choice", and I will chew gum! I think it has possibilities. There is some evidence that chewing gum gives a fat burning boost to boot. Not sure on the etiquette of chewing gum and visiting, but don't care. I really don't. *laffin'. Given the way we have abandoned good manners in the last two decades, it just doesn't seem to be a big deal! Chinamaine, you have been doing marvelously. I am so happy for your success. That said, I am envious as h*** about ice-out. So much for the Maine climate zone being akin to mine. DS and I have our customary bet on ice-out. He says April 10; I say April 5..ever the optimist, am I. We do see/hear loons the very second there is open water! I swear! I can't imagine having a "lay coach" rather than the Beck coaches I have here; as Beverlyjoy so often says, "I am grateful". :) |
Hi beck folks...
My weekend has been great. The party was wonderful. It was a great celebration. I saw many cousins and family friends. My food has been mostly great. I got through Thursday and Friday well. On Friday I had only one slice of pizza for dinner with my salad. Credit! I even got through the party making good healthy, on plan, choices & allowing and counting in a small brownie. At dinner, however, when all the leftovers from the party and the cold pizza along with the different cookies, nuts & cake were put out to choose from - I didn't make the best choices. I ate more than I needed too - including lots of cookies, nuts, and pasta salad. (ugh) Today I got up and planned for a healthy day and have been doing that. I wish that I had not 'given to the food' - but - I did and it's over and I am moving forward. It's kind of amazing how I could be really doing well and feeling pretty OK about not having the portions of food I craved. I didn't go into a food frenzy at dinner last night - it was just like dr. beck says - my heart was beating fast, my mind was racing, I felt anxious and all the rest. . . before, during and after I ate way too much food. (glad it's over!) So phase I of my trip is coming to a close...next I am off to visit my son, dil, and gs - also doing some programs in a couple of elementary schools. I am glad to have a day at home before I leave again. I am planning ahead - bringing some of my favorite snacks. I will go to the store and get some things I like if they aren't available when I get there. I know there will be lots of foods I don't keep around - but, I will read my cards daily, check off the beck activities in my journal, write down & keep track of what I eat and try to 'live' with food in a healthy manner. I will check in again later - have much to do now. Thanks to everyone for your support! |
Hello!!!!
gardenerjoy- hope all went well with your family meeting and that you managed it without off plan eating. Shepherdess-yay for your 5 mile race and for exceeding your time from last year. And for eating on plan even though it was pizza, cause we all know how hard it is to resist overeating pizza!!! bennyhannahmama-credit yesterday for eating sensibly at McDonald's and for making the veg. omelette to go with dinner. Your unplanned exercise with the kids souds like a nice time. maryblu-hi there. Your plan of chewing gum instead of grazing is a good plan. I have been carrying around mints to pop when others are eating stuff I don't want. Beverlyjoy-sounds like you are having a very good time. Good for you for getting right back on track today. The success you are having on your trips is inspiring to me. Gives me hope that I will be able to do the same on summer holidays. For me, a fantastic day. Ate a healthy breakfast of egg whites and an orange, then had salad and soup for lunch. An apple for afternoon snack and am about to dig into vegetabe lasagna (very light on cheese) for dinner. Spent the afternoon with DH riding the ATV and also went for a walk in the woods. Credit today for: Weighing in Eating on plan doing weights walking 35 mins with DH planning tomorrow and packing lunch up reading advantage and response cards eating slower and more mindfully Have a good night all. :grouphug: |
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