Beck Diet For Life/Solution – March 2010 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
 

Welcome to the discussion group, support group, diet coach group, diet buddy group relating to the two books by Dr. Judith S. Beck:and the first bookThe 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: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.

Previous Beck threads on 3fatchicks.com:

Beck Diet For Life/Solution – February 2010 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Beck Diet For Life/Solution – January 2010 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach

Beck Diet For Life/Solution – December 2009 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Beck Diet For Life/Solution – November 2009 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Beck Diet For Life/Solution – October 2009 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Beck Diet For Life/Solution – September 2009 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Beck Diet For Life/Solution – August 2009 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Beck Diet For Life/Solution – July 2009 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Beck Diet For Life/Solution – June 2009 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Beck Diet For Life/Solution – May 2009 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Beck Diet For Life/Solution – April 2009 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Beck Diet For Life/Solution – March 2009 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Beck Diet For Life/Solution – February 2009 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Beck Diet For Life/Solution – January 2009 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach

The Beck Diet Solution – December 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – November 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – October 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – September 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – August 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – July 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – June 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – May 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – April 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – March 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – February 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – January 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach

The Beck Diet Solution – December 2007 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution - November 2007
The Beck Diet Solution - October 2007
The Beck Diet Solution - September 2007
The Beck Diet Solution - August 2007
The Beck Diet Solution - July 2007
The Beck Diet Solution - May/June 2007

Monday
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Got in a walk that included Whole Foods because I needed some sparkling water. Left with a liter of extra virgin olive oil also - at half price - because it wouldn't be on sale if I wasn't supposed to buy it, LOL. CREDIT moi for the walk. CREDIT moi for not buying two liters of EVOO. Ordered Majestic Vegetables with feta cheese at the restaurant last night (with brown rice) - just enough dinner. No appetizers, no desserts, no liquid calories. CREDIT moi. I could eat like that every night and not gain weight.

Congrats to the Canadian Men's Hockey team for a (painful to watch) Gold medal last night.


onebyone - Congrats for getting married - nothing like planning a wedding on top of all you've got going. Do enjoy it as a big deal - it is. Don't try to minimize it just because you aren't having dozens of bridesmaids and a grooms cake. I don't have a special list of "the like" that I avoid; just the standard fried foods, crouton-ed foods, white sauces, glazed - you know, the ones that look like gratuitous calories.

Anne (wndranne) - Yep, "overwhelmed" is the new whelmed. Takes getting used to.

Margaret (Nuxmaga) - Yay for leaving "eggplant parmigiana" - although you now have me drooling for some. Thanks for the mention of feta cheese yesterday - it got caught in my brain and influenced my dinner order last night.

Shepherdess - Not to be picky, but is "I just fed them, and apparently, all is forgiven" teaching them that food is the solution to anxiety? Hello! What would Beck say, LOL. Yay for sore muscles and "measuring, counting, planning."

Susan (hikergirl) - Kudos for “ok” on the food front - just what every day needs. Hope you're giving yourself credit.

silverbirch - "Cheerio!" back 'atcha (in local vernacular) - could I add "old chap" to a female or is that for men only? Yep, we don't have the Common Buzzard here in North America and have stolen "buzzard" for Turkey Vulture so thoroughly that most NA readers would have thought that's what you referred to, instead of your elegant hawk. Kids here also stop believing in Storks when they learn the facts of life. I do admire that the UK has so many serious birders.

Readers -

Monday Post
 

Good thing I delayed posting so that this Australian made it into the March list and spared BillBE from having to cut and paste me again! Today not bad on the Beck front - although I did forget my salad dressing and cheese for lunch salads when I packed - had to go and buy more. By the way (a question from a while back) - in Australia vinegar on chips is becoming more popular but not how it is in England - I remember being quite surprised when i went there that it was so common.

Credits: :flow1:

• Have read my cards on my iPhone today - novel and easy to keep to hand. Now need to add an alarm function
• Checked in
• Ate somewhat on plan but there was an easter egg incident (it was very small but still)
• I am reading a small section of Beck tonight
• I am making a schedule for tomorrow and stuck to my schedule today
• Recognised hunger v desire. Stopped eating dinner when full

Not so good: :nono:

• No exercise today - still sore and tired from all that standing around in the kitchen yesterday!
• That (small) Easter egg that was not on plan

Working on: :running:

• Doing my Beck stuff - mindfully and constantly

Sunday
 

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 – yep!
- Eat mindfully, enjoying every bite – credit!
- Give credit throughout the day for every positive eating behavior – yep!
- Tolerated non-hunger without eating – credit!
- Used resistance techniques – yes!
- Spontaneous exercise – yep!
- I posted here – yes!

The Bad, and the Ugly :no:
- Read the pink book – nope

I think I’ll do 5 personals today…

seadwaters an easter egg incident? – sounds intriguing… And Easter’s not for another month right? – even more intriguing…

Bill Kudos for exercising again! Glad you are feeling better.

one by one Congratulations on your wedding! I’d recommend keeping it simple and small and concentrate on planning a day where you and DH can have tons of fun.

gardenerjoy Kudos for leaving food on your plate. I still find it a struggle to leave food, but it does get easier.

Anne I empathasize with your feeling overwhelmed. I hope you find a way to reduce the stress in some places in your life. I know I’m feeling overwhelmed at work (luckily home life is calm and easy), and have come close to melting down a couple of times in the last week. I’m not proud of myself at times like these…

Home Sweet Home!

After ten days away, I am so glad to be back home to my own food comfort zone. All in all I am pleased with my approach to food while away. The Beck techniques were very useful and helpful. It kind of gave me 'something to hold on to' with being away from home. Was I exactly on target all the time? - of course not. But... I am happy with the way it went I used my second food plan - exchanges and allowed up to three hundred extra caloroies per day. I don't think I went over that amount more than once or twice - I am grateful for the willingness to try. Wednesday is my usual weigh day - I am hopeful I won't gasp at that number.

Yesterday was an all day travel day - I left blooming, green & sunny California
to arrive to gray, snowy bleakness in the Midwest. I read my arc, rc, wrote down my food, did my exercises before I left for the airport, gave credit. I've planned my day for food and more - I will go back to counting calories today.

Thanks to everyone for being so helpful and supportive during this trip. I'll try to get back for personals later. I have so much to do today!

I got my eating back on track and am feeling better about the world. The good thing is that after a two days of poor food choices, going back to my regular habits feels good. I feel better eating the healthier food. Exercise was an hour of yoga, which was exactly what my body needed. Now I feel like I can get back into my running routine.

Hikegirl, you gotta love those effortless on plan days. I think I’ve had one once! Keep up the good work.

Wndranne, ouch for the idea of feeling overwhelmed becoming the new normal. I hope you can get a handle on your hectic life soon—are you fully recovered from your surgery.

SilverBirch, I love the thought of cleaning up as resistance training. LOL at “Little things please little minds.”

Nuxmaga, yay for getting some exercise. The winter, especially a tough one, always puts a crimp in exercise. Kudos for putting in all the practice to leave food on your plate, but you’re right about the need to be patient. We didn’t develop these habits overnight and we won’t break them overnight.

Onebyone, great job avoiding the cookies, but LOL at the self-punishment bringing some home. I love the idea of a summer solstice anniversary at Stonehenge. I don’t think having a particular wedding ring you want is asking to much. It’s more than just another piece of jewelry; there’s a lot of meaning there.

We do use sheepdogs to herd the sheep—mostly Border Collies, but dh and I have an Australian Shepherd. Though everyone’s dogs are either green (like ours) or out of practice, so at the moment, the dogs get in the way more than they help. But a good dog can move the sheep so efficiently and its less stress on the sheep. And yes we do use sheep crooks, when we need to catch an individual sheep. In fact, they have sheep hooking contests at sheep fairs. We use the traditional ones that catch a sheep around the neck, but the easiest one to use is about 8 ft long, with a very narrow crook that flares a bit at the bottom. That catches a sheep by the leg, which is much easier when they’re running from you.

BillBE, good job getting in your walk and stocking up on EVOO at the same time. Mmmm, Majestic Vegetables with feta cheese. Kudos for enjoying a healthy meal and skipping the unhelpful extras. LOL, at teaching my sheep to sooth anxiety with food. It is something I ponder, but they only love me because I feed them.

Seadwaters, kudos for a good Beck day. I understand how frustrating the easter egg incident is, but I find these minor indiscretions easier to deal with when I put them in context. I ask myself how I would have handled it in my pre-Beck days, which helps me see my progress.

ChinaMaine, ouch for all the work stress. I understand how easily stress sabotages a good plan! Good job getting back on track and hope work slows down for you soon.

Beverlyjoy, huge congrats on a successful trip! I’m so inspired by how well you handled all of the challenges thrown your way. And great job having a plan in place to get you back to your usual routine—for me, this is a surprisingly difficult transition to make.

Hi all,

Billblueeyes – Majestic Vegetables, what an interesting name on the menu.

It is a beautiful clear day here in post-Olympic Vancouver - hoping that a non-alcoholic hangover (post Olympic withdrawal) does not set in. I want to stay focused on Advantages, Food Plan, Responses.

Bye for now
Susan

Monday-day off
 

Morning Coaches

I've had breakfast and I think I may tackle the clutter in the living room corner for about an hour. I think if I approach my clutter with time limits maybe I can manage to get stuff done. Seeing my non-progress in February reminds me that I can go on like this ad infinitum, which is how I got into this, literal, mess.

I have had an OP breakfast and intend to be OP all day long.

Shepherdess Have you seen this picture? Talking about sheep dogs always brings it to mind. That I managed to find the orginal story to accompany the photo is just a bonus!http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ay-spring.html Interesting info about the shepherd's crook, especially the little flared out part for catching their springy little limbs! So practical. How long have you tended flocks? Seems your DH was born to it, were you?

hikergirl Were you in that crowd on Robson Street that CTV kept showing on my tv? Did you stand and cheer when Crosby sunk the puck? Here in Ottawa, upstairs in my bedroom with the window open, I heard cars honking horns in every direction when the goal was scored. Local news said the good citizens of Ottawa flowed onto Elgin Street and up to Parliament Hill to sing O Canada around the eternal flame. If we were still living downtown we would have been there too.

Beverlyjoy BiG CREDIT for staying on plan while away and arriving home to fearlessly, even slightly eagerly (!), face the scale. That's Beck in action for sure. I am always glad to hear that there is greenery somewhere in the world when we are still covered with snow. Though there are signs of hope: my cement porch in the back can now be seen where the snow has melted from the side of the house. And my lack of fall yard clean up is starting to show through. Yikes. Oh Well.

ChinaMaine Kudos for the many and continuing Beck strategies in your life. Sorry for the work stress but so glad it stays confined to your work life and doesn't follow you into your home! Yay for that. I hope it all eases up soon. :hug:

seadwaters CREDIT for all your Beck strategies as well. So neat to know you are inthe sweltering late summer heat of Australia. When are summer holidays there as in when does school let out and go back for the kids? When do most people travel? A question about the type of vinegar used on french fries aka chips: malt vinegar or regular white? What's more common? Also, do Aussies call potato chips "chips" or the British "crisps" or do the British call them "crisps"? We, Canadians, call them chips.

BillBlueEyes Credit for your walk to the store and for resisting the extra bottle of EVOO because it was a "good deal". Excellent practice for FREE FOOD when it next darkens your doorstep. Credit also for your sportsmanship in extending congratulations to the Canadian Men's Hockey Team. It was a squeaker. I would not want to be Ryan Miller. In every replay of that winning goal there he is letting it in. I suppose it has to be someone but gee. That would be tough. A big :hug: to him.

Have a good OP day everyone.

I move my Ticker on the first of the month, but no movement for this month. Not unexpected, however. I pretty much already dealt with this disappointment by starting the pink book and workbook.

I'm through the introductory material of both.

WI: NC in kg, Exercise: +0, 1408/1400 minutes for February (yay!), Food: op, Read my Advantages and Responses: no

Hi everyone,

Gosh, it has been a long time. I am hoping I can still be a part of this wonderful group.

Brief update: I have been working. A Lot. It's a good thing, because more and more great opportunities have been coming my way. But the balance with home life and spending time with my daughter (now 6) has been difficult, and there has also been inner resistance to the new, higher level of work ... like part of me has decided I don't deserve this.

So, in short, I gained 30 more pounds. Yecccccccchhhhhhh. There, I said it.

On the up side, I have been meditating everyday for a while and with the combination of that and trying to sense the "inner body" a la Eckhart Tolle, I think I am finally achieving a new peace ... at times ...

So I am back, and back on WW, and with the beginning of a new month I am reviewing the Beck steps once again. I see there are some new folks here as well as familiar screennames that I'm very glad to hear from again.

All best,
Erika

Welcome back, eusebius!
 

So happy to see you, Erika,and be the first to welcome you back! Home. It never ceases to amaze me the wisdom of the WW diet. ..second only to the wisdom of Beck, of course. If I were just a bit more disciplined, I could do that diet. I just am not, but what I love is the wisdom of the gradually reducing points (calories) as your body gets smaller and needs less.

hi
 

Erika - I think of you (and dear old Hamilton) often. Are you getting a lot of piano gigs? BTW - we are going to Nova Scotia for summer vacation this year, stepping in your footsteps I think...

You are in the right place, and will find your groove again quickly I'm sure. But, selfishly, I'm just happy to see you back...

ChinaMaine

Hello Everyone:

hikergirl- I don't know if I said welcome yet, but if I didn't---Hello and welcome. I am in Olympic withdrawal also.

gardenerjoy- glad to hear you were in your garden- it must be wonderful to have such a long season. We plant after the May long weekend. Good to hear it is spring somewhere.

KidsLibrarylady- I am happy that you are here riding out the bumpy sections with me. I don't know why we make it so difficult...but I know I keep coming back, and so do you, so I think that's progress.

Nuxmaga-yay for you for boxing up the chocolate chip pancakes ...and leaving them behind. And for leaving some eggplant parmigiana on your plate.

midlifecrisis57- you are right - lots of us had a stressful month. Kissing February goodbye.

seadwaters-boy are you ever in prep mode. Excellent. Glad you are getting back on track.

BillBlueEyes- good for you for moving the pecan bowl. Pretty darn hard to eat just one. The hockey game put everyone up here over the moon. What a match. I did feel sad for the American team who played such excellent hockey and looked so depressed afterwards. One of the athletes from another sport was saying that it takes a day or two for those that win silver to start to feel like silver is a huge success too and not a loss.

Shepherdess-good for you for saying Oh Well and moving on.

wndranne- hope things are slowing down for you.

onebyone-kuddos for avoiding the cookies when stressed. Best of luck planning your wedding and congratulations to you and your DH.

silverbirch - hello to you too!!

ChinaMaine-glad to hear you are back in the groove. Would love to have your recipe for the seafood curry- sounds good.

Beverlyjoy-sounds like you did excellent when you were away. It is pretty easy to get way off plan and you did not. Your planning and hard work has paid off.

eusebius-hello to you in Southern Ontario.

For me- slowly climbing out of the depths of defeat last week...

Credit today for:

weighting in
reading advantage and response cards
walking 30 minutes
eating on plan and healthy
planning tomorrow and packing up lunch
posting here
and most of all- I actually managed to eat slowly every meal today. I am really going to focus on this because it is so hard for me but I believe Beck when she says it is crucial to master this. It is hard after 48 years of rushing at lightening speed through meals to turn it around. But one step forward today...

Take care everyone and have a good day tomorrow.
:grouphug:

Hi All,
I did Zumba today, yay! Tracked food, credit. Had a run of rogue snacking which frustrated me, but only went 100 calories over my goal. I am seeing how many of my calories have no nutrition in them(unless an Easter egg counts as protein???). I may need to pick up the Beck book again. . .

Made it
 

i made it on plan today. Went to Zumba Gold. It is for the active older adult. The median age was well over my 36 years but I could almost figure out what they were doing. I have to determine what is more humiliating.... being the youngest, by far, person in the class but sort of being able to keep up or being with people around my age but having NO idea what I am doing. :) Regardless, it was a nice feeling to have a little bit of freedom; it's been a long time. I actually started to get really emotional when I realized I was doing something for myself. Had anyone been paying attention, they would have seriously been concerned about my emotional state. I was laughing to myself when I got in there when I realized the age difference and then starting to cry when I realized I had a little time for me. :o My three-year-old loved the child care, my one-year-old did not. That was predictable. I actually knew the instructor in the class and one of the participants. So much for anonymity.

I am up and unable to sleep. DH is knocked out on Nyquil. So jealous. Personals tomorrow, just wanted to check in for the accountability.

Ceejay-- We CAN Do it!

Tuesday - "Yeti Matadors! Olé!"
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Did gym again, acting like gym is on my schedule; CREDIT moi. Even though I worked out like a recovering invalid, it was more than last time, e.g. did 80 of my planned 120 d*rn lunges. Ate on-plan until I had some roasted almonds coated in something deadly. Embarrassed to be embarrassed again and again with treating nuts as like I would have before I began my journey. Too many blueberries on my oatmeal - which is just the right amount - because Trader Joe's had sold me a 24 oz clam shell of them for $5.99. I've got enough anti-oxidants in me right now to walk in traffic with impunity, LOL.

maryblu - It was a surprise to me to learn that I'd have to eat less as I lost weight - had overlooked the obvious my whole life.

onebyone - An ABSOLUTE time limit is the only way I can even think of de-cluttering, although, apparently, not very often recently.

ChinaMaine - Does your "Thai Seafood Curry" use coconut oil? Just listened to a MSN nutritional taut it as healthy despite the saturated fats "which don't contribute to cholesterol like animal saturated fats."

Margaret (Nuxmaga) - Certainly an Easter egg counts as protein, presuming you meant one laid by a chicken, hard boiled and dyed. Yep, Yay for Zumba.

Erika (eusebius) - Great news on your professional success, even with the Ouch that it's a tension against DD time. Great to see you. You can get our Yeti Matador juices flowing again.

Joy (gardenerjoy) - Yep, Honking Kudos for beating your February exercise goal 1408/1400 minutes.

KidsLibraryLady - Big Yay for Zumba Gold for yourself. Once you catch on to the class, maybe you can become a Zumba leader?

Shepherdess - Yay for an hour of yoga. Our beloved Australian Shepard was with us for 15 years. Initially she kept trying to nudge us to stand closer together whenever she could, LOL.

Beverlyjoy - Welcome to the comfort of familiar home. Kudos, again, for remaining mindful for ten days of travel and visiting.

CeeJay - It's so amazing that eating slowly is difficult. And even more amazing that those of us who ate rapidly weren't even aware of it. Kudos for your success there.

Susan (hikergirl) - May Vancouver recover from the Olympics and remain one of the neatest cities in the world.

seadwaters - Always good to hear, "Stopped eating dinner when full." Was that your picture I saw with a zillion other Aussies in front of the Opera House?

Readers -

Hi Beck buddies/coaches - yesterday was a great day - it was SO nice to be home, go the grocery for what I want, and catch up on life - I am grateful.

While I was home DH brought in cookies and candy - these need to go or be put in his car!

Congrats to the Canadians for their gold metal Olympic hockey win. My plane had a tv screen on the back of all the seats. (in coach!) I paid $6 and was able to watch the olympics, hgtv, Michigan State v Purdue, Law and Order, ballroom dancing, etc. It's nice to have that option on a 4 1/2 hour flight.

credit -
eat seated
no seconds
planned food - logged food - timed meals/snacks
left one bite on plate
tasted food
lots of water
really worked on feeling fullness
mindful and slow eating

oops -
didn't read arc/rc
no exercise
no spontaneous exercise


Kidslibrarylady - your Zumba class sounds wonderful - really - on many levels. Yes, doing something for yourself can be emotional. And, the children made it through child care.

nuxmaga - another zumba person, awsome! Kudos for thinking about the Beck book again.

ceejay - having a whole day of slow mindful eating is so, so good!!

maryblu - Hi! - hope you are having a great day.

eusebias - nice to meet you....I like to meditate also - it soothes and mind, body and soul. I didn't get to do it while I was out of town lately. I am so glad you mentioned it - it reminds me to.

gardenjoy - no movement on the ticker - not down...but, not UP either. Sometimes maintaining is a credit, too. Glad you are into the Beck book.

onebyone - kudo's for your decluttering! Looks like your day got off to a good start. I wouldn't say I was 'eager' to get on the scale tomorrow - but, I am not dreading it. LOL

billieblueyes - I am glad you are able to get back to the gym - even if it's a limited workout....you are there! Those darn nuts - hmmm. They seem to have some power over you (I understand). When you see them ....run!!

seadwaters - Have read my cards on my iPhone today - novel and easy to keep to hand. Now need to add an alarm function What a great idea. I have eaten vinegar of chips/fries. I can't quite get into it - I am a ketchup girl. (although it's on baked fries now)

chinamarie - sorry you are dealing with so much stress - that's hard. I am glad you have been able to get back on your plan. Carry on!

Monday
 

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 – yep!
- Eat mindfully, enjoying every bite – credit!
- Give credit throughout the day for every positive eating behavior – yep!
- Tolerated non-hunger without eating – credit!
- Used resistance techniques – yes!
- Read the pink book – nope
- I posted here – yes!

The Bad, and the Ugly :no:
- Spontaneous exercise – nope

CeeJay Kudos for eating slowly at every meal. It is hard to master, especially if you have a lifelong habit of eating quickly. So be sure to dollop on a extra credit every time you do it. ;)

Nuxmaga Ouch for the ‘rogue snacking’. Kudos for posting here and going back to basics.

gardenerjoy Kudos for doing the zumba class! You can always join the younger class, if you want, after you get the moves down. I find joining classes like that to be daunting when everyone else already knows the moves (because I am severely challenged when it comes to following choreographed moves…) So, I think its impressive you joined any class. ;)

Bill Kudos for getting back into the exercise habit. Isn’t it ridiculous how easy it is to get into the habit of not exercising again? I love daily exercise – and yet when I don’t do it for a while the inertia is so hard to break… My curry recipe has no oil at all! I’ll post it later, CeeJay has asked for the recipe.

Beverlyjoy Kudos for all your credits – especially working on feeling full and leaving a bite on your plate!

Excellent idea to start the recipe thread. Looking forward to trying your Seafood Curry!!!

Hi,
I am hanging on with the Beck activities but I can sense that I am starting to lose my groove. Yesterday I ate standing up and did not eat mindfully. I was wanting to scavenge for food to eat yesterday and was able to reign that in. Credit to me for that. Have a great day everyone. What a wonderfully supportive "conversation thread".

Day 1: Advantages Response Card
I still liked the advantages that I identified in August. So, I'm keeping those. It is working for me to have them on a sheet in the same Excel file that I record my daily weight (thanks BillBlueEyes), so I'll continue with that. I also set up email reminders at HassleMe (http://www.hassleme.co.uk/) so that I'll get an advantage in email randomly. I'm putting a card on the shelf where I keep my snacks. I made a card for Tickler file to be read each day. And I put a card with just this one "I want to lose weight so I can get off my blood pressure medication" with my pills since I think that advantage will be a good motivator for the next year or so, when maybe I will accomplish the goal.

I forgot to weigh in this morning. I don't know what I was thinking about. Oh well. I'm not going to bother analyzing that unless it becomes something regular.

WI: N/A kg, Exercise: +60, 60/1550 minutes for March, Food: op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

onebyone: best wishes on the occasion of your wedding! I think you are allowed some bridal strangeness, especially when you didn't expect to be a bride. I'm sure you will work things out as the strangeness wears off.

eusebius: welcome back!

CeeJay: yay for a step forward!

Nuxmaga: Yay for Zumba and food tracking!

KidsLibrarylady: yay for getting to the gym! That Zumba class sounds great. Let those older women inspire you! When you are feeling more confident you can always try a different class.

BillBlueEyes: big kudos for "acting like gym is on my schedule." LOL about blueberries granting special powers in the face of oncoming vehicles.

Beverlyjoy: glad you are enjoying all the pleasures of being home, including being able to work your plan the way that you want.

ChinaMaine: so glad that work moved into normal urgency instead of extra urgency and that meant that you could walk.

hikergirl: good job with posting even when the news isn't all good and with reigning in the scavenging behavior -- that's been a tough one for me, too. Since I did most of my scavenging in the car, I had to make firm rules of no eating in the car and no eating anything that I purchased from a drugstore or a gas station. That curtailed my worst behaviors.

Hikergirl...oops, I forgot you in my personals. Hang on tight. Make your response cards and read them. (I find that so helpful) You CAN do this. Kudo's for holding off your scavenge - credit. Credit for posting when the going is tough.

Another good Beck day, despite a crazy day with a very late lunch. I even skipped a dessert I had budgeted. We had dinner with dh’s dad and stepmom, and I had planned on dessert, but the dessert just didn’t seem worth the calories. It might be the first time I’ve ever had a thought like that. I decided I’d have some chocolate I had at home, but once we got home, it just seemed too late to eat. So I skipped it altogether.

I also got my run in yesterday. It was a beautiful day. Sunny and warm, not much wind. It feels like spring, though I have to remind myself that winter isn’t done yet.

Hikegirl, good luck with the post-Olympic letdown. Ouch for feeling like you're barely hanging on to Beck. One thing that helped me was to make a card that reads, "Dieting is supposed to get hard. Just keep practicing your skills and it will get easy again."

Onebyone, good luck with the decluttering. I think tackling a little bit at a time and giving yourself deadlines is a good idea. I loved the picture. It’s amazing what a good dog can do. DH’s family has been in the sheep business for more than a hundred years, but we only came back almost 4 years ago to work full-time on the ranch.

Gardenerjoy, congrats on meeting your Feb exercise goal. March is still young, you'll get your exercise in.

Welcome back, Eusebius! Sorry about the gain, but we’re all here to help. It’s always difficult to eat carefully when life is so busy, and it sounds like you have a hectic one. I’m always impressed by those with a regular meditation practice. I’ve never found the discipline to do it, so kudos to you.

CeeJay, kudos for focusing on eating slowly. I was just thinking I needed to focus on that one yesterday, while I was trying to set a world-record for speed eating lunch. I feel your pain about not being able to garden until May. We can’t plant until mid-to late May. Do you ever use cloches to extend your growing season?

Nuxmaga, yay for zumba! Ouch for rogue snacking, but good job keeping the damage to 100 calories. I understand the frustration over empty calories. When I need a lift, I like to track my calories on http://caloriecount.about.com because it gives me a letter grade, based on my day’s nutrition. I’m competitive, so I like going for that A.

KidsLibraryLady, huge congrats on taking some time for yourself! Zumba sounds like fun. Kudos for an on-plan Beck day! Sounds like you are back on track.

BillBE, yay for getting to the gym again and doing more than last time. You’ll be back to your former workout in no time. Ouch for a run-in with nuts again. I was wondering if the halo-effect is partly to blame. Sometimes my brain says, “It’s OK to eat that because it’s healthy.” Yep, it’s healthy, but not on-plan. Just a thought.

I love that established herding instinct in Aussies. Our Aussi loves to herd our other dog.

Beverlyjoy, yay for being home and being in control of your food. Now if your dh would just get on board. My dh does the same thing. Maybe we need to give them an approved list of things they can buy at the store!

ChinaMaine, yay for a productive work day that leaves you with time and energy to go for a muddy walk! We’re in mud season as well. My floors will be dirty until May. Oh well! Thank you for the recipe thread—it’s a great idea!

Tuesday check-in
 

Hi Coaches

So my sister has arrived. Just got a short call from her. So this is good.

DH and I saw Avatar today. I felt James Cameron was thumping me over the head with a blunt object: People. Bad. People. Bad. thump thump thump LISTEN TO ME. thump. A lot of pretty colours and a lot of money spent to tell a story that's been told many times before. I hoped for more but expected exactly what I saw. Sometimes I think I've seen too many movies. I'm a tough audience. My apologies to those who loved it-don't mean to offend-to each their own.

Foodwise I was more hungry today than I have been since DH got home. credit. this means I ate less today. credit. I am up +4 lbs this morning over 2 weeks ago and the recent low I set back then. Seems my interest, appetite, and opportunity to eat is back, not to mention my eating buddy. Good ol' DH. 266.6lbs today.

We ate out for lunch today, plus we had popcorn and I also had a drink at the theatre today. I did not resist coaches. When I came home I made a sandwich and that was my food day. Not horrible but not perfect. far from it.

I really wanted seasonal chocolate today. bad. I wanted it bad. credit I did not have any nor did I have any of the never-seen-before-therefore-never-tried-before gummy things DH bought when he was waiting to meet me. Gummy is a food group to DH. And nothing gets me wanting something more than something new that I've never seen nor tasted. I'll give myself another credit for not having any. DH ate it all so there's nothing to salivate over this evening.

I'm pretty tired so I'll head to bed now.
I'm so glad it's March.

Hello Everyone!!!!

Nuxmaga- credit for doing Zumba and tracking food. Not sure easter eggs are protein either- but nice try. :lol:

KidsLibrarylady- you have lost 51 pounds. Don't forget that. Yay for a day on plan and trying Zumba. Glad for you that you felt good about doing something for yourself.

BillBlueEyes- yay for being back at the gym. Hope you continue to feel better.

Beverlyjoy-lots of credits on your list today.

ChinaMaine-sounds like you are feeling much better- what a relief that must be. Thanks for the reminder to take credit. It is hard to remember but I find doing this really helps the day move along.

hikergirl-hope you find your groove again. Huge credit for resisting scavenging for food.

gardenerjoy-good job putting your advantages all over the place. I have one on the dashboard of my car that says: Credit. That's because I find driving a good time to review what is going well. Good idea to put one by the bp meds.

Shepherdess- excellent story about turning down dessert because it didn't look like it was worth the calories. I think that is fantastic. Haven't uses cloches but it might be worth a try. We plant in May but start things indoors early.

For me, a very good day. Credit for:

Weighing in
Posting
Reading advantage and response cards
Riding exercise bike 30 mins
doing arm weights
eating on plan
planning tomorrow and packing lunch up
and finally- my second day in a row of really trying so hard to eat slowly and enjoy the food. I am talking myself through this all the way but maybe one day it will be more automatic.

Have a good day tomorrow everyone.
:grouphug:

onebyone --you were posting at the same time I was. Credit for resisting the gummy treats and the chocolate. I know how hard it is to have a partner who is not following the same program. My DH can eat anything and everything and still weigh the same as he did 30 years ago. I have asked him to help by putting all the stuff I do not want to eat out of my sight. The stuff is in his home office, which I am staying out of (mostly- I did forage in there a few times, but mostly it is out of sight and out of mind). Best I don't even know what he has in there. It is not a perfect system but it is helping me with the spontaneous eating.

Re: Avatar. Saw it 2 weeks ago. I loved the special effects but I had the same thoughts as you about the story.

Take care
:grouphug:

Wednesday
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Took my favorite, full-sized, 4 mile walk after work; CREDIT moi. Solved the samples from Whole Foods by walking by without going in; same solution worked for Trader Joe's. CREDIT moi again. I was winning. Then I happened upon a new fast food place that advertises itself as different, with Boar's Head deli meats and all fresh stuff. I stepped in to get a menu to read at home and the owner chatted with me a bit; then I accepted a "sample" of homemade sweet potato and corn soup. Soooooo good. Had to buy a pint since I couldn't tell DW about it without giving her some. Otherwise, food was on-plan; CREDIT moi.

onebyone - Yuck for "gummy things" - not til you find an organic gummy tree growing them, LOL. Just another HFCS product. I liked Avatar for the animation that was picked off markers on real actors - made it look very real to me.

ChinaMaine - Hope you give yourself double mileage for walking in Maine's Spring mud, LOL. Does that mean you return with a Moose in need of a bath each time?

Joy (gardenerjoy) - LOL at "HassleMe" being your nudge. Neat goal to get off a medication.

Shepherdess - Skipping a dessert because it just wasn't worth the calories is so sane. Love that you planned for some good dark chocolate instead, even though you even went without that. Neat idea to give yourself an alternative rather than just a denial.

Beverlyjoy - Kudos for "left one bite on plate" - consistently doing that is good stuff; it eludes me.

CeeJay - Yay for working so diligently on eating slowly; Yep, it'll grow to be a habit.

Susan (hikergirl) - Once you observe yourself loosing your "grove" you're on your way back.

Readers -

Hi coaches/buddies -

Yesterday was a healthy good day :) - I am grateful.

I was worried :dizzy: all day because Wednesday is my usual weigh in day. I was away from home for 11 days. I hoped I had been able to avoid a gain during that time...even, maybe lose some weight. Well...in the past two weeks I lost four pounds. (credit :) ) I am happily stunned. I feel proud. This accomplishment is soley due to the Beck principles, the willingness to try and having this site to come to so I could say - "Help" there's so much tempting unhealthy food around me everywhere." Thanks to you all - with all my heart.

My ticker down below isn't working (is yours?)- so I am now down 51 pounds :) - at 220. I am grateful.

Now one of my goals for today is to NOT overeat because of my loss - if you know what I mean. I have written down my plan and will try to carry on.

yesterday -
read arc - 1
rc - 1
really tried to taste and enjoy my food
left a bite of food on plate after each meal or snack
no seconds, eat seated
exercise
lots of water
planned food, logged food, kept track of how long to eat
reminded myself that food is not an emergency
working on feeling fullness

need
spontaneous exercise
read beck book - move on

billieblueyes - excellent avoiding the sample at whole foods and trader joe's! The soup you tasted sounds healthy - carry on. You did well.

Ceejay -my second day in a row of really trying so hard to eat slowly and enjoy the food. I am talking myself through this all the way but maybe one day it will be more automatic. This is so good. CREDIT!! I also struggle/am working on this. Sounds like a good day...yay.

onebyone - so glad to hear your sister arrived! Good for you staying away from the chocolate and gummies! I am glad you posted. People have said avatar is good - but, mainly the effects more than the story.

shepardess - so many credits! Actually not eating dessert and chocolate because you thought it was too late and not worth the calories is a major, major credit. You did it..., listened to you body and used good logic around treats and chocolate. Fantastic.

gardenerjoy - I really love how you are putting reminders of healthy activities in different places. It's so good to have these in places....great idea!

chinamarie - I’m feeling healthier the last three days than I have since October. This is wonderful! I am glad to hear you are thinking of doing yoga again...so good for the body and the soul. Thanks for starting the recipe thread.

Shout out to everyone that stops by.

Tuesday
 

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 – yep!
- Eat mindfully, enjoying every bite – credit!
- Give credit throughout the day for every positive eating behavior – yep!
- Tolerated non-hunger without eating – credit!
- Used resistance techniques – yes!
- Spontaneous exercise – hung laundry out for the first time since November!
- I posted here – yes!

The Bad, and the Ugly :no:
- Read the pink book – nope

hikergirl We’ve all had times when we’ve lost our groove. Try to figure out what changes you could make that would help you in the tough moments. For me, I read my cards and try to get myself juiced about the ones that will help me fight that ‘I don’t care’ voice. I also make the pledge to pull out my response cards and read a few targeted ones for the situations where I know I’m making mistakes. But we are all different, and your path is likely to be different from mine. Just remember it takes time and effort to get back in the groove, so beware of having perfectionist standards for yourself while you are getting back in the groove.

gardenerjoy Nice list of credits – especially 60 mins of exercise!

shepherdess Excellent on the dessert! Glad you enjoyed your run…

one by one It’s too bad that you eat so differently when DH is home, versus when he’s not. Can you two make any changes together that would help? Or can you choose to join DH in all the non-food related habits, but go your own way as far as food goes?

CeeJay I can remember when I first starting eating slowly and mindfully it took constant effort during each meal. Now I just have to remind myself to put my fork down, finish chewing, etc. It’s still something that I think about at each meal, but doesn’t take anywhere near as much effort. Hope you like the recipe!

Bill Sounds like your day was fantastic, and such a nice day for a long walk! Is the fast food place a chain? If so, what’s the name of it? I’ve stopped taking Moose for my afternoon walks unless he expresses interest. He’s generally happier to sleep in his big leather chair…

Beverlyjoy Four pounds in two weeks! Fifty pounds total! :woohoo: :woohoo: You should feel proud, you are working very hard to make this happen. Your chili recipe looks good!

Morning Coaches -

Thank you all so much for the warm welcome back. You are the best!!

Monday was a pretty good OP day. Tuesday ... not so much, but I did track everything, and I didn't actually get into that crazy binge mindset which has sometimes consumed me in the past several months. It was a nutso day ... teaching all morning, recital at noon with several major clarinet works (Milhaud, Honegger, Poulenc ...), then teaching all afternoon until 5:30, drive home, pick up daughter, another rehearsal with a violinist, the end. I can see that incredible tiredness of the sort I felt last night leads to "eating to stay awake" ... I wanted to go to bed right away but my daughter gets antsy if I'm not sitting outside her bedroom door while she goes to sleep. I need a strategy for this ... next time I'm just falling asleep on the couch with a relaxation tape.

Today is Day 3 - sit down to eat ... I can usually manage this ... it's the mindful eating part that gets me. Eating slowly is a big key for me.

maryblu and ChinaMaine - thanks for the welcome back messages ... I am so happy to see you both again!

CeeJay ... hello back ... where are you in Canada? Big credit for all your Beck behaviours!

Margaret - Great to see you are still doing Zumba!! Love the phrase "rogue snacking" ... I can really relate to that.

KidsLibraryLady - :wave: I have a six-year-old daughter myself so I can really understand the place you were in at the Zumba class realizing you were doing something good for yourself. It's so hard to put yourself high on the priority list sometimes. Kudos to you for doing it.

Bill - Olé!! So great to be back with you & the matadors. That Yeti got really big, but it's time to cut him down to size (more like the little Quatchi dolls they had at the Olympics). I'm happy and completely unsurprised to see that you are still an amazing role model for all of us!

Beverlyjoy - :wave: Wonderful to meet you ... sounds like you did really well on your recent trip - big kudos for that! Our Westjet airline has the TV in the seats thing too. It's super cool.

ChinaMaine - Wow, you are doing fantastically well. That Thai Curry recipe looks amazing. we have a great Asian grocery here in the neighbourhood so that could be an excuse to go over there ...

Hikergirl - :wave: I so hear you on the "losing your groove" ... big credit for staying off the scavenger hunt!! I've been there so many times ...

gardenerjoy - Looks like we are both revisiting the steps around the same time ... cool!!

Shepherdess - :wave: Very cool to meet you and I'm interested in hearing more about your sheep. I've always thought sheep are really neat animals, plus I'm a sometime spinner and so I'm slowly learning about different fibres. What sort of sheep do you keep? Kudos for a great Beck day and admiration from me for your running - I need to get back to that.

onebyone - Great to see you ... Big credit for your awareness of your eating desires and not acting on them! That's fantastic!

Wow, it feels great to post here again. All of you are such an inspiration to me and I feel I'm already learning new stuff that I can use in my journey. Have a great day all!
cheers
Erika

It's March Already?
 

Dearest coaches and old and new Becksters,

Hello! Seems I haven't visited since February--surprised me! I am struggling because the life I had when I started Beck Forum is so different than the one I am in now! I was trying to escape at inlaws so I was out and about alot and getting exercise. Then the new house and the snow shut-in changed my priorities. I'm home alot and subtly and slowly, and with diet success, my program doesn't seem to have the old punch. Also, I am still insecure about marriage--hubbie is changing too, and we have political differences (we live in different color states!) and so I'm feeling a bit weird--so much so that I freaked out at Shutter Island and wanted to get out of the theater! I was surprised at my discomfort at the movies, I can usually relax and look at the dialogic imagination of it, but this movie freaked me out!
So I am good on plan till the evening, but by then, I'm a bit "oh what the ****" and eating extras. It is frustrating, but I can see how our overeating can be definitely a (chakra?) alert to our discomfort somewhere. I seem to be relatively unrooted at the moment. It is upsetting, I'm finally in my dream home, but I'm not rooted in it! it is hard to get rooted, it takes so much effort. Can I be true to myself and stay married and keep this beautiful home? At my age, it is important. To be true to oneself or live like a monster. ? Meantime, I learn how to restore 100 year old oak paneling. I see oak grain when I close my eyes.
Kudos for all of you who are doing well with little choices during the day, and for coming back, and for being my rootedness in Beck. You don't know how much I love you, coming here to hang out with you! I love the lessons in shepherding and the adventures, and the Canadian voices (go Canada!) and those across the US and the globe (down under!). Love you, keep reminding me how to do the program and how it makes you, or me, "a better person" (a la the big date in restaurant scene in AS GOOD AS IT GETS). ta.

Thank you all. I seem to be back in the Beck zone. Good news—I have not binged for 8 straight days. Big for me. I have not had that achievement in years. Yesterday I kept repeating to myself my main Advantage and that kept me in a decent space. Yes, I had 200 calories of a trigger snack food, but I was able to have one package and not use that as a springboard for many more calories. So, instead of 150 calorie bonus I had a 200 calorie bonus and did not go on a slide. Boy, as I write this I realize how skewed my relationship with food is

Shepherdess – awesome that you are at a place where you are able to listen to your body and make conscious decisions over whether you will have something or not.

Onebyone – challenging situation with regards to DH’s food habits. Yikes. Focus, focus, focus on Advantages and Resistance techniques.(?). But,wow that must be difficult.

Ceejay – steady at it…I too have to focus on eating slowly and I slip out of that with frequency because old habits take over and my busy, fragmented life diverts my attention.

Beverlyjoy- awesome, awesome numbers and a triumph. Congrats. Travelling and losing weight!

Chinamaine – congrats on the new low. What a positive outcome/reinforcement for all of your efforts.

Eusbus – slow and mindful – I know that it is so much more difficult than it sounds.

Mid-life crisis --- I agree that at our age one must be true to oneself. I would urge you to continue on the path of waiting for total clarity until you are sure on what being true to yourself is in this instance. I find that clarity is what makes me decisive in making my decision as to what is being true to myself in different circumstances. Sometimes it can take me a long time to arrive at this clarity

I know that I have not commented to everyone who posted yesterday. I will catch up in future posts. In the meantime ---- one day at a time and if necessary – one minute at a time.

Susan

I finally threw out all the leftover treats from shearing. One of the disadvantages about living the right on the ranch is that after all these big workdays, the extra food always ends up in your kitchen. So I’ve had some cookies, blondies, and carrot cake cupcakes (they’re the devil) sitting in my kitchen for a few days. I’ve been able to ignore them, but I took advantage of my mindset yesterday when it was easy to remember my card, “The food is already wasted. It can either waste in the trash or on my butt.” So I did what I almost never do and threw away desserts I don’t need.

Another beautiful day, so the dogs and I got our very muddy run in.

Onebyone, I felt the same way about Avatar. Visually beautiful, but the storyline was predictable and the characters too simple. I know the weigh-in is disappointing, but this is just another difficult situation to deal with. It might be helpful if you found a way to get your dh on board. Maybe get him to read a bit of Beck or tell him about your diet and let him know that if he is going to bring treats in the house he needs to keep them somewhere where you won’t see them.

CeeJay, kudos for getting in your exercise. Yay for another day of eating slowly. I think that if you keep it up, it will one day be automatic.

BillBE, yay for getting your full-length walk in. Kudos for getting by Whole Foods and Trader Joes without stopping for samples and laughing at the diet gods for putting another obstacle in your path, just when you figured out how to avoid the others. Your comment about the organic gummy tree reminds me of some organic gummy bears I once bought at Whole Foods. Apparently, it’s impossible to get those bright gummy bear colors with natural food dyes, so the organic gummy bears were some of the most ghastly colored candies I’ve ever seen. DH and I were imagining the poor deprived child that grew up with those gummy bears telling his friends, “My favorite gummy bear color is grey.”

Beverlyjoy, huge congrats for a 4 lb loss, on a trip no less! That has to be a big confidence boost. If you can remain Beck-faithful on a trip, you can meet any diet challenge. Remind yourself of this weigh-in any time you feel your confidence flagging.

ChinaMaine, yay for subsiding hunger levels, warm weather that makes outdoor exercise possible and for good work days! It sounds like you are on a roll! Crossing my fingers that you’ll have an early spring.

Eusebius, kudos for Monday OP and for avoiding major damage on Tuesday. I had to make a response card that reads, “Food doesn’t fix tired.” I seem to associate any physical discomfort with hunger—it’s a tough habit to break.

So glad to hear you’re a spinner. I have so much wool around I need to learn. We raise Rambouillet sheep, also known as the French Merino. They’re a fine wool breed. And we have begun to breed some very fine-wool Merino’s from Nevada into our herd, trying to bring down our micron count even more. The Nevada program is really amazing. All of my wool books say the finer the wool, the shorter the staple length, but the Nevada program is turning the conventional wisdom on its head. They have super-fine wool with a 4 ½ to 5 in staple. It’s pretty exciting.

Midlifecrisis57, ouch for difficulties with hubby and in-laws. Night can be a difficult time—just worn down from a tough day. Sending comforting thoughts. It can be so difficult to make a big move. Are there any community organizations that you can get involved in? Maybe finding a community will help with feeling rooted.

Hikegirl, yay for being in the Beck zone! Great job keeping your snack at only 50 calories over your goal, especially with a trigger food. One of the things I like about Beck is that she stresses being able to eat those trigger foods in sane serving sizes. I have had a lot of food fears and I like slowly taking the power away from those foods. I am stronger than a chocolate chip cookie!

Hello everyone!!!

BillBlueEyes-Big credit for the 4 mile walk and avoiding the food stores. The soup sounds healthy and delicious so nothing to worry about there.

Beverlyjoy- yay for a healthy Tuesday. Losing 4 pounds while you were away is so fantastic. Who does that???? YOU!!!!!!!! You should feel proud. Being away is one of the biggest challenges and you more than succeeded. 51 pounds!!!!

ChinaMaine- hurrah for a new low. We are getting great weather here too. You know what they say about March- in like a lamb, out like a lion. So I have my fingers crossed. Snow was actually starting to melt over the last few days.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with eating slowly and mindfully. I just know all I can think about and do when I am eating is eating. :D That is so simple, but so hard. I am planning on making your recipe once I get back to the city to buy ingredients.

eusebius- your day sounds crazy. Yay for an on-program day on Monday. Hope Day 3 went well for you. I am in the boonies of Manitoba, north of Winnipeg.

midlifecrisis57-sending you a big hug-- it sounds like you are doing a lot of soul searching.

hikergirl- yay for being back in the zone and your accomplishment of 8 days binge free.

Shepherdess-good for you for throwing away the desserts. That is huge.

For me, another day on track. Thank you all for this place. Reading your posts, being accountable, and posting to you is helping more than I can believe.

For me, taking credit today for:

weighing in
walking 35 minutes in the sunshine with DH
posting to my coaches
reading advantage and response cards
eating on plan and healthy
eating mindfully and slowly. :cool:
resisting the invitation to lunch at a Chinese restaurant and eating my salad and tuna sandwich instead
planning tomorrow and packing lunch.

:grouphug:

Thursday Evening
 

Hi Coaches
I am back home and today got to stay home because it was a machine maintenance day so I didn't need to go to r/therapy. I also cancelled physical therapy because I am feeling very tired so maybe it is starting to get to me. Never mind - after tomorrow only 3.5 weeks to go!

I haven't eaten much today - not that hungry but looking for fruit so I followed the urge. I have been planning food and activities so I will have a less hassled weekend getting everything ready for the few days in Sydney. The last few days a bit off plan because I am tired I think (even though "food doesn't fix tired"!). But I will be more organised the next few days. Have been reading Beck and looking at my cards - and checking in here to read.

In answer to a few of the questions: In Australia they are definitely chips that one has with fish. I am a Tomato Sauce girl myself but if someone has vinegar it is always dark malt vinegar I believe; no - I was not in front of the Opera House having my picture taken with a zillion other Aussies. It would have been quite a sight though! School and Uni has long summer vacation - school from just before Christmas to end of January, and Uni from middle November to late February or early March. There is usually a month in July

Will check back tomorrow - hopefully with more enegy!

Thursday
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Another trip to the gym; CREDIT moi. Can feel the chest muscles from my workout two days ago. Need to keep a rehab notion in my mind instead of a guilty-for-being-away notion. Saved a third of my broiled salmon from dinner for lunch today; CREDIT moi. I'm already looking forward to lunch, LOL.

ChinaMaine - Yay for hanging laundry out - now that's believing in Spring, LOL. The fast food place of yesterday isn't a chain, it's its own thing. I hope he makes it, even tough the menu as a whole isn't what I'm currently eating, there are corners - like the daily homemade soup - that look promising. Suspect that Moose has this Maine-mud-season figured out, LOL.

Erika (eusebius) - It's great to hear how professionally busy you are; hope you're giving yourself mucho credit for getting there. Thanks for the reminder that "eating to stay awake" fits right in with all the other if-it-isn't-hunger-food-isn't-the-answer. Thanks for the kind words. I'm happy to be here.

Shepherdess - Big Kudos for tossing all those treats and for "The food is already wasted ..." I wish I could get that already-wasted thought down into my gut without needing to do so much analysis before I get to it. LOL at “My favorite gummy bear color is grey.”

Beverlyjoy - Congrats on the four pounds lost during difficult times. And Yep, Big Kudos for "willingness to try." (Tickers are down throughout 3FC - they're looking into it.)

CeeJay - Neat to have "walking ... sunshine ... DH" all in the same sentence. Good job choosing your packed lunch over the Chinese Restaurant.

Susan (hikergirl) - Yay for "back in the Beck zone." Yep, I recognize that realization of how skewed our relationship with food is. Keep the faith, you're moving forward.

midlifecrisis57 - Kudos for confronting "I seem to be relatively unrooted at the moment." Hope begins when we expose our issues to the light. Wish you well.

seadwaters - Ouch for tired, buy Yay for the neat perspective, "only 3.5 weeks to go!" Neat that your urge was for fruit.

Readers -

Wednesday
 

The Good :angel:
- Throughout the day, I identified satisfaction vs fullness while eating, and I stopped eating when satisfied – I ate to fullness for lunch, I’m going to start making half sandwiches so that I can eat veggies and fruit with lunch, and not feel full - partial credit!
- Throughout the day, I identified hunger vs non-hunger before I ate – yep!
- Eat mindfully, enjoying every bite – credit!
- Give credit throughout the day for every positive eating behavior – yep!
- Tolerated non-hunger without eating – credit!
- Spontaneous exercise – yep!
- I posted here – yes!

The Bad, and the Ugly :no:
- Read the pink book – nope
- Used resistance techniques – I had too much wine last night…

Erika (eusebius) Your days sound so busy! – kudos for tracking everything and being op Monday. Yes, I’ve been concentrating on having my Beck skills become daily habits. But I haven’t been exercising much (fatigue issues), and so haven’t been losing much weight. But the exercise seems to be coming back, so we’ll see how it goes…

midlifecrisis You are going through so much right now. Hopefully working the Beck skills can help you stabilize your food and exercise, while you deal with the other things in your life that you don’t have sole control over…

Susan (hikergirl) Bravo! For eating a slightly bigger snack and not binging!

shepherdess Yay! For the warm, muddy run – and especially for throwing away all those desserts! Let’s hope we both get an early Spring!

CeeJay Kudos for the walk in the sun, and for all your other credits!

seadwaters Sorry to hear you are feeling under the weather. Hope it turns around soon for you. Good luck getting organized for the weekend.

Bill Sounds like bit of moderation at the gym might be in order. ;) I’m drooling over salmon for lunch!

Hi coaches/buddies...yesterday was a healthy day until my little neighbors came over with a dark chocolate birthday cake with nuts that they made for me. They serenaded me with songs. It was so sweet of them...and sweet a cake too. It seems like two weeks away from home and weeks before that following the Beck Principles flew out the windows. I had more than one piece of cake. I honestly think it was a kind of 'let down' of my guard after trying so, so hard. Not an excuse - some how I wasn't willing to push through one more time of saying 'not now' - 'save it for tomorrow' - 'this is unplanned', etc. But, all in all it was just not really worth eating all that cake when it was all over. I hate having to learn all these lessons.

Today I am planning for a healthy day!

chinamarie - sorry you had a sad night yesterday. Also - sad to hear about dh's cousin. I am glad folks will come and help plant the memorial garden.

hikergirl - I seem to be back in the Beck zone. Good news—I have not binged for 8 straight days. Big for me. I have not had that achievement in years. Thhis is wonderful. I know it feels good - you can keep moving forward.

Bill - sounds like a good workout. Saving yummy salmon for another day is a good way to plan ahead for another good meal!

seadwaters - sorry you are feeling so weary. Perhaps - getting these days off from therapy will help. Glad you are craving fruit and reading your Beck cards. Take care now.

cee-jay = kudo's for all those credits. I am glad you had such a good day. Those are the kind of days to build on. I agree....come here to the forum does help and is encouraging.

shepardess - tossing those extra goodies from shearing time is a major credit! Carry on.

Midlifecrisis - , sorry to hear about the difficulties with dh and in-laws. Night time can be challenging -we get tired out down from a tough day. Hugs to you. Moving or comtemplating a move is stressful - maybe make a list of what you really want, don't want and what is really feasible.

Take care everyone.

Day 2 is choosing the diet and back-up diet, which I pretty much did while reading the introductory material to the workbook. I've hit a snag on the DASH diet -- I'm fourth in line for the book at the library. So, I may do my backup plan, calorie counting, earlier than expected. I've been reading the new book The Spark by Chris Downie, CEO of SparkPeople which I think is big on calorie counting, so I might have been headed in that direction anyway. It seems to have a lot of same underlying theory as the Beck books, but doesn't take itself nearly as seriously and so is more fun and exciting which seems like good traits when my mission is to break through a plateau.

WI: -0.3kg, Exercise: +70, 195/1550 minutes for March, Food: op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

Beverljoy: LOL at "Now one of my goals for today is to NOT overeat because of my loss" -- I've done that! I don't recommend it :-)

Hi to everyone else!

Hi - all is well.

Beverlyjoy - Happpy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you!. The cake sounds wonderful. If you can, try and put behind you the fact that you had more than one slice. Look ahead (and it was your birthday!).

Bye everyone. Today's posts (the ones I just read) are inspiring and supportive. It is a great way to start my day.

"Talk to you" all tomorrow.
Susan