I cleaned up some of the summer plants in my garden and put out some seeds for what I hope will be a fall crop of greens. Probably a little late, but I think they'll make it -- several of them will survive a light frost or two. In the process, I harvested about three dozen peperoncini and jalapenos so that I could pull those plants to make room for my greens. That's a lot of peppers to find uses for!
WI: -0.2kg, Exercise: +75 440/1800 minutes for September, Food: 100%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
Welcome, Leonor!
Hugs for onebyone! And anyone else who wants them. Including AmberPr and I'm also thinking about Beverlyjoy this morning.
seadwaters: glad your computers and your government are migrating to a less chaotic state. Way to go with eating seriously on plan!
BillBlueEyes: yay for back to school -- even for those of us who have no particular reason to notice.
Nature Girl: that's a lot of challenges to deal with in one morning! "Good job" finding ways to be flexible amidst changing plans.
Last edited by gardenerjoy; 09-08-2010 at 09:34 AM.
Reason: to add Amber
I had a good OP day yesterday. One of our visiting friends has Celiac disease, so I have to be very careful about meal preparations. Luckily, such careful prep keeps me thinking about my own diet needs and I can’t lie to myself when I’m constantly checking labels for anything that might be wheat gluten.
I’m off to another busy day, but waving to everyone!
Welcome Leonor! Congrats on beginning your Beck journey and I look forward to getting to know you.
How quickly things change, lol. The water weight just keeps coming back. I'm up almost a pound today. {{sigh}} I'm just waiting until it levels out to see where I actually stand. Hopefully there will be a little "real" loss in the end.
So the mini binge of my planned "off-plan" day was: 1/3 cup coffee w/creamer, 1/2 cup tea with honey, and 1 Reese's mini peanut butter cup...plus the apple I had in the morning. I think I got it all out of my system. Phew, lol. I had planned and ate my psuedo chili...one benefit of two weeks without anything but protein shakes is that I didn't need to add salt to it--it was plenty salty tasting as it was. Yay, lol. I did feel a little of the old "you deserve this" self telling me I should have something as a treat for "suffering" for two weeks, but fortunately it wasn't as bad as it could have been. There were fortunately NO gluten free baked goods to be had.
I eat a LOT of salt on a regular daily basis (which is why I was probably able to lose 4 pounds of water weight last week, not eat ANY salt for two weeks), so lightening up on it will be a definite benefit. I don't have high blood pressure (it's actually VERY low--92/62 last week at the doctor's office) I've often joked that if I didn't eat all that salt my blood pressure would be zero--I may not be far off, lol.
For exercise I did the 30 minute beginner workout off the Weight Watcher's Punch DVD last night.
gardenerjoy WOW, congratulations on your improved fitness!!! The Wii is definitely beneficial!!!
MaryContrary Wow, great strategy with those cookies!!! Excellent choices at the BBQ! You are right to feel proud!
madrikh Good for you for remember that you are not your weight!
Shepherdess Waving back! Good for you for getting back on track quickly.
Lexxiss 40 jars of jam! WOW, lol. Coming from someone who barely knows how to boil an egg, that's amazing, lol! Very impressive for stopping mid-tasting and coming here!
onebyone Wow, sounds like some big life changes coming up! Would London be permanent? Or just a trip there? Hope the "mechanical" breakdowns get fixed quickly!
Leonor Welcome! Very nice job on your first day! NOT trying the pasta sauce is a VERY good start!
Starling I wish I could offer suggestions about the schedule change...after 25 years of having to be at work by 6:00 a.m., I'm having the opposite problem, lol. I am trying to train myself to stay up later and sleep in a bit later, but I still wake up at 3:30 most mornings then get so tired by 8 pm, I have to go to bed. The nights I do manage to stay up later, I still wake up at 3:30, and then drag through the day...and just makes me more tired in the evening, lol. I haven't seemed to be able to adjust even after two years! Hopefully you aren't as difficult as I seem to be!
Nature Girl Very good job on making flexible choices! That was a lot to handle and you did great!
BillBlueEyes Umm...oh yeah, forgot to add cherry tomatoes to my list of planned off-plan stuff. {{sigh}} They were good though.
seadwaters We often have migrations here, and there ALWAYS seems to be problems afterwards, lol. Hate them! YAY for SERIOUSLY on plan!!!
Thanks everyone. I hope I will get used to responding to everyone once I got the names
new2me : That's not that bad really. I mean, an apple, right? Keeps the doctor away . If you like peanut butter cups a lot I think planning one into your meals shouldn't be that hard. I allow myself 2 hard candies a day ( 40 calories).
I have no appetite and nausea, really helps with weight loss. Had bloodwork done and will get the results Friday ( suspected hyperthyroid)
It really feels like I should be back in Michigan about now: it's cold and drizzly here, which is way abnormal! But I'm enjoying bundling up, fuzzy boots and all. I also like this weather for writing . . .
Thanks for all the support on my Cookie Dilemma! I am feeling (emotionally) good this morning, better than I have in about a week. Yesterday I had such a frustrating dissertation day that I came home, locked myself in the bathroom, and wept. Well, my default emotion is crying, and it had been a long month since I'd done this, so I figured it was time. But an interesting moment: in the middle of my cathartic crying, I started crying because I wanted to EAT something, anything, just to help me feel better. And I couldn't. So I cried about it, and let it go (credit) and felt moderately better.
Also: wrote a poem this morning. Coming back to the page has been hard because of all my insecurities. But my DP reminded me that I go through these feelings every semester. Which I conveniently forget, every semester.I shouldn't write anything else it's going to be perfect -- perfectly unique, perfectly styled, and perfectly flawless.
BillBlueEyes: Keep enjoying those blueberries! Have I ever mentioned that I'm impressed with all the walking you do? I had you in mind when I parked a couple of blocks farther way from the library than I normally do, and then carted about 20lbs. of books up two flights of stairs!
new2me2: I'm very glad to hear that you're on the mend, and that you're trying to keep your "weight gain" in perspective. Also, credit to you for anticipating some potential off-plan moments.
gardnerjoy: I think it's simply amazing that you were able to tackle that hill! Brava! Also, having grown up in the Ohio Valley (KY) I am more than familiar with the demons of mold and ragweed allergies, which definitely mess with the body. Good luck with that.
madrikh: Those are some great credits, especially persisting with the light yoga on a depressed day. Great job!
Lexxiss: 40 jars of jam! Wow! I have very fond memories of my grandmother's blackberry jam . . . it will forever be my favorite.
onebyone: I always appreciate your ruminations on perfection, as I have similar impulses. I am sending strong thoughts your way as the Universe sends you all those changes and challenges.
starling: Thanks for the extensive quoting. I actually thought of you when I was standing in the kitchen, with all the cookie ingredients arrayed on the counter, struck by panic over the impending Cookie Dough Dilemma. . . . . . I think that the TV rule is a good one. I too have been trying to send myself to sleep earlier. I found that earplugs help me to slow down my brain. Have you tried some deep-breathing exercises? Good luck with that!
Nature Girl: Wonderful job with the flexibility, especially in the face of all that stress.
seadwaters: Yay for the new gvment? Thanks for the update. Of course the US news isn't really going to focus on a shift in Australian gvment.
AmberPr: Major hugs to you, and major credit to checking in and being honest with yourself. Sending very strong thoughts your way.
I have had a an extremely busy day...pool was closed today, so no planned exercise. My Mom leaves tomorrow, and you all know by now that I love and do better with a routine. I've done well at mealtime, but have engaged in some unplanned eating which has actually been leaning towards mindless...not my usual habit these days.
Diet Coaches/Buddies - The challenge came at a fair at work mounted by generous colleagues to raise money for a worthy cause. I wanted to contribute, just had to choose what to buy, from: homemade blueberry, cranberry, and other local fruit jams and jellies; zucchini breads, pumpkin breads, banana breads, artistic cupcakes, jars of pasta sauces, cookies of all persuasions large and luscious. Not even remotely on-plan. So I chose . . . two humongous, organic, ripe peaches - CREDIT moi. And I'll have mine for breakfast just as soon as I finish typing here.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - You're planting veggies and I'm pulling out long sleeved shirts; gotta admire your optimism.
Shepherdess - Interesting that tending someone else's diet issue can help you focus on your own food plan.
Cheryl (Seadwaters) - Was pleased to read on the front page of the Boston Globe that you've resolved your government crisis - albeit with a minority government, sending Australia down a new path. Yay for democracy; Ouch for its twists and turns.
Debbie (Lexxiss) - Yay for moms. Yay for moms coming. Yay for moms leaving. Yay for adventure. Yay for routine. Neat that "my usual habit" is away from mindless.
Donna (new2me2) - LOL at, "...if I didn't eat all that salt my blood pressure would be zero." Welcome to the low blood pressure club. It annoys me that practitioners always fawn over my blood pressure (similar to yours) assuming that I must be a super athlete. If you ever find info about the implications of low blood pressure, let me know. I also work to keep salt reduced; my reading suggests that it's not good for low BP folks either - but I've yet to have a doctor give me a credible answer on that.
Amber (AmberPr) - Kudos for "moved on from that and am back on plan" - the backbone of success.
MaryContrary - Kudos for being acutely aware of your feelings and treating them with tenderness. With extra Kudos for "let it go." Such a step forward compared to letting them stick around inside, unacknowledged, to fuel grabbing the next food item to cross your path. [Thanks for the gracious comment on my walking; neat that you added 20 pounds of books to get some resistance workout along with yours.]
Leonor - Ouch for nausea even if it helps keep the mind from thinking about off-plan eating. Emailing a bowl of virtual chicken soup - my grandmother said it cures everything.
Readers -
Quote:
day 37 Reduce Stress
Three Steps to Lower Your Level of Stress
To reduce stress, you have to change your rules. Here's how:
Identify the rules you have for yourself. Your "shoulds" and "shouldn'ts" will probably show up when you try to do problem solving, and you'll exclude reasonable solutions if your rules are too rigid.
Gail was stressed at work. She knew the logical solution was to delegate some responsibilities. When she thought of doing so, though, her rule surfaced: I shouldn't let other do anything important because they might screw up.
Catherine was stressed from being home with two toddlers. She needed time for herself, but her rule - I shouldn't ask others for help - interfered. . . .
MIL is having outpatient surgery tomorrow and we're providing the transportation. She lives about an hour out of the city, so we're picking her up late this afternoon. She'll spend the night at a retreat center near the hospital. We'll take her to the hospital bright and early tomorrow morning for her procedure and then take her home afterwards.
I probably won't be able to post tomorrow morning.
Today's challenge is that we'll be taking her out to supper. We're going to a restaurant that's familiar to me, but we usually go at lunch time, so the menu will be somewhat different. My plan is to have a big salad (they have two terrific ones at lunch so surely there will be something at supper) or some other veggie-centric dish.
Tomorrow's challenge will be probably two meals at the hospital cafeteria. I worked at a hospital in college and had some of my junkiest meals ever there (a favorite breakfast was a toasted bagel topped with cheese sauce, bacon bits, and sour cream), but I know that they make more of a nod toward healthy food these days. I'll focus on staying within my normal exchanges and getting a nice big salad from the salad bar at lunch.
WI: -0.55kg, Exercise: +65 505/1800 minutes for September, Food: 90%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes
BillBlueEyes: yay for choosing peaches -- and for appreciating the other products without partaking them. When waiters ask if we want to see the dessert tray, I say "no," of course. If they bring it without asking, I've started a practice of admiring it like I would artwork. And, then, turning it down.
Lexxiss: yay for noticing when things start to turn mindless and for recognizing that's not your usual habit.
MaryContrary: Hugs! Kudos for pulling out "No Choice" in the midst of a crying jag. That's a feat! Does the maxim "write sucky first drafts" apply to writing poetry the way it does to other writing?
Good morning everyone…the computer was running VERY slow again today so I’m running very late.
The water weight gain seems to have stopped. In fact I was down two-tenths from yesterday. YAY, it could have been so much worse, lol.
Yesterday was on plan, including a planned chocolate. Yum. Today is also going on plan so far.
My exercise yesterday was 1 hour of Walk It Out. Tonight I’m going to do weights. Should have set them up before I left this morning, but I think today will be better time-wise than yesterday.
I’m technically working now, so got to get back to it, lol.
Good morning! I got my weight workout done yesterday morning and also got lots of spontaneous exercise chasing my horse. Our friends wanted to ride horses and my horse, Valentino, is never easy to catch. Yesterday was particularly difficult since he’s been with a young horse who is normally easy to catch, but he saw Val walking away from me and thought I must be pretty scary. I just kept walking after them and they ran and ran for over an hour. I just kept after it so Val wouldn’t learn that he can be an idiot and get away with it. Then DH showed up and caught Val in about 2 minutes, but he reminded me that it was only because I had tired him out first.
So after all that I felt like I deserved some sort of treat, but I reached for my cards instead and reminded myself why I don’t reward myself with food. So it was a good OP day and our friends got to ride horses.
Hi all,
Well I drove to yoga class today (credit) and there was no one there. My daughter helped me figure it out; I had looked at October's schedule rather than September's! Ha. So I came home and walked on the treadmill (credit).
new2me2; my computer is also running VVEERRYY slow. Frustrating!
MaryContrary: would you ever consider sharing some of your writing here? Maybe there's another thread for that, I just don't know about it!
BillBE: yes, I do have a lesson plan and "all that", which for us, includes a house that more or less resembles a library! I've graduated 2 from HS, but my 3rd child is a horse of a different color; so I get to learn all over again.
Credits
-making a food plan each night
-eating OP about 80%
-my jeans fit better
Oh, Shepherdess, do I share your annoyance with a horse that's hard to catch..pretty much the most frustrating behavior a horse can have, if you ask me. Congrats on reaching for the cards rather than a treat. Wow.
To all my Beckie coaches, so much to catch up on..and Sept. rapidly slipping by..my favorite month always goes way too fast. The trees started turning over night, and it's early for this much color. Weird, cuz we haven't had many cool nights at all. The Green Ash always color up first..beautiful bright gold, but then pfffttttt..leaves fall. Cottonwoods are coloring up...again, it's early..Maples getting some color....I guess I will have to cling to BillBE's observations about Delicata Squash and Honeycrisps! My raspberries are the ever-bearing variety, which means the canes bear some in July, but the main harvest is now, and the raspberries are so, so much sweeter now.
Beckies, I saw a Red Fox today. Don't see one that often..not yearly, not even close. So cute.
Have a new response card..some serious motivational news..big events Oct. 9 and 17, so all out, full tilt Beck "No choice" behavior. Am clinging to it like a lifeline. One just says Oct. 9 and the other says Oct. 17. *I know what they mean!
Well, BillBE, about to settle back and see if the old guy can redeem himself for his last play in the playoff game last year. I'm betting he can. So glad he's baaaaccccckkkk.
Hi All:
Just beginning the "Complete Beck Diet for Life" after returning from a cruise. You know what that means - and .
Haven't done much on 3 Chicks before but am glad to find your Beck group.
Looking forward to joining all of you.
I thought September would slow everything down, but I'm feeling even more rushed and out of sorts.
Saw my neighbor this morning. She said they had a pack of wolves near their house last night. My dog was having lots of fun sniffing everything this morning. I wonder if that has anything to do with the bear hunters?..
I haven't jumped back "on plan" but I haven't completely fallen off the wagon either (including no more binging episodes). I recall this whole TOM thing from last month and I can see a real pattern with it. I always knew I got crabby, craved bad carbs, and gained water weight, but now I have actual documented proof of it (I've pretty much got the last three months tracked.)
So:
I'm trying not to sweat it by reminding myself that this too shall pass and I'll be back at my low weight in a week or so.
If I get back on my plan I'll hit my goal for the month.
I'll feel less agitated in a couple of days.
I can take a break from my plan when I need to. I don't have to be perfect every day.
Took my vitamins
Got my two walks in
Talked myself out of chocolate chips for an afternoon snack (oh, you should have heard the things I was saying to myself! )
Stopped in here to visit with you all
Weighed myself - 199.4 (I know, I know, it's water weight, but I hate seeing that number go back up)
Hello to you all! Hope to catch up more this weekend
My Mom left this PM. She was here for almost a week….the longest we've been together since her recovery from her injury. The cookfest is over! Many of her recipes which were never written down are now documented. I pulled out all the leftovers for lunch and let them have at it-recognizing I had already tasted. I had my salad and passed on the chix in favor of my vegetarian proteins. *credit* I give myself a B- for my eating this past week, and an A- for exercise. I think it averages out ok. Lol I can never catch up with personals, so I'll start somewhere and focus on today.
BillBlueEyes, I always try to bring something that folks like us can eat to those events….I'm wondering where your peach was from...BTW-I went and looked and I have 1 cucumber left...it's inevitable.
gardenerjoy, I hope MIL's surgery goes well...hospital food is much healthier these days….at least it is here.
Donna(new2me2), I love the phrase "technically working". Glad you are feeling better.
Shepherdess, what success using your cards to remind yourself why you don't reward yourself with food!
Marci(madrikh), I hope you had a nice drive today...if you had known yoga was cancelled you would have missed it. *credit* for getting on the treadmill.
maryblu, I like your special response cards. I am very interested in your everbearing raspberries. We pick about 20 gallons a season but it's only 1 pick. I would love to have some now.
Pecola123, !
AmberPr, September is feeling more rushed for me, too. Your confidence and your game plan sounds very realistic.
Goodnight everyone! We are having a late dinner here...Panzanella Salad...yum..fresh tomato, cucumber and onion. Yay for OP meals!
I shouldn't write anything else it's going to be perfect -- perfectly unique, perfectly styled, and perfectly flawless.
Thursday
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