Hi Coaches!

Today was a good day. I moved my ticker down 1# for the first time in ages.
*credit* I have been willing to accept being in a non losing mode until I figured out what needed to change. (I've actually lost 14 pounds since Feb.18).
What changed:
1. I accepted Dr. Beck's recommendation and started measuring and tracking my all my food and counting calories, for better or worse, with a calorie goal in mind.
2. A big change in home environment, there have been no potato chips in the house since the freaky occurance of the oily mess on the refrigerator. *credit* my husband there. He has not asked for another chip, thus our "family" has seemed to get one step healthier.
3. I bought the recumbent bike; recognizing I needed an option for exercise at home even though I didn't want to spend the money.
What now:
Just keep working on my healthy lifestyle like I have been; focus on OP eating, tracking and practicing my Beck skills. I have a stressful life; if I can lose-super great, if I can maintain-that works, too, if I gain some back, I'll get serious and get back on track (perhaps a little sooner this time-winters are hard). I'll just never give up.
My hope:
I hope I'm over the short term gaining this time around. I hope I can do another week preplanning all my meals. I'm finding it so helpful with my oftentime chaotic life. It is working really well for me. It's taken me a year to get organized enough to do it(I'm pretty ADD)... I will try for one more week...then one more week...then one more week.

Exercise was no choice today; I did 10 miles on my recumbent bike even though I wanted(really wanted) to stop at 6. Spontaneous exercise was KNOCKING WET HEAVY SNOW OFF OUR FULLY GREEN 10 FT TALL HONEYSUCKLE HEDGE (and the lilacs)....TWICE! Then going to my moms for a repeat performance.

BillBlueEyes, I read, and thought, "Weight Watchers", then read and chuckled. I must admit that I invoke their zero points, at my convenience, too. lol. Kudos for a nice OP day which included exercise and clicking your maintenance ticker. :goodluck: to the Celtics...think the game is on very soon.

gardenerjoy, love the analogy of sabotaging thoughts like weeds in the garden. I was really thinking about perfection this morning...and now you've brought it up. Crazy that I can trace my previous failures at losing weight to not being able to do it perfect...sometimes lack of exercise….sometimes inability to control my clutter. I'm trying the NIKE "Just Do It." And, like you learning to accept something in between All or nothing.

GardeningDeb, you said, "So it was an okay day today." I think you did great...you made a better choice with chocolate and didn't eat them all but left the rest on the counter, you read from your Beck book AND did a cardio workout. I call that a very good day. Give yourself credit.

ChefJoona, I say ouch, too, but ouch that DF has fried chicken hanging around. It makes it really hard to resist. Good that you decided that WAS your evening snack and stopped at that.lol Yay, as always, for packed and planned food.

Erika(eusebius), ouch for crash and burn but great for getting back on plan. Oh, well. I sure wish my resistance muscle was stronger sometimes but am glad that we learn we have the ability to get right back on track.

onebyone, yay for a less painful leg which seems to be taking you all over the place now. The yoga sounds great! I'm taking your approach today, "Nothing to eat over." Simple.

Beverlyjoy, ouch for the right before bed eating. I am getting better about just going to bed, no matter what. I think your short term goal is a really good idea. I'm sending you the ability to say NO CHOICE today.

pamatga, I was wondering where you were this morning. I'm glad to hear you went through the steps of analyzing your McDonalds trip if you were feeling uncomfortable about your decision. I think sometimes there's a fine line between personal accountability (on these public threads) and learning to be true to ourselves, if that makes any sense. When you described your MCD trip is sounded sensible and quite sane. It sounded like you were comfortable with your choices. Isn't that what we're working towards?

CeeJay, I finally made your muffin recipe. It is excellent! I didn't taste while mixing, I portioned one for myself and gave the rest to my mom and DH. I put the recipe in my livestrong acct. so I can access it any time-with the nutrition.

Thanks for being here everyone!

Hello!!!

MaryContrary-very nice list of credits.

maryann-yay for engaged and excited 8th graders. That is an accomplishment.

Lexxiss-glad you had a good experience parting with the books. Credit for eating a healthy orange rather than all the other things that would not have been good for you.

GardeningDeb- credit for eating a few chocolates only and then stopping. Not easy to stop once you get started. This is a hard skill to master.

BillBlueEyes-LOL re zero points for fruit. Never mind, those three little kiwis were very good for you.

ChefJoona- credit for modifying eating plan after dipping into the fried chicken.

eusebius- waving hello. Credit for saying oh well and moving on.

gardenerjoy-kuddos for exploring the impossible path of perfectionism.

onebyone-enjoy those Canada Geese babies. Isn't spring wonderful?

Beverlyjoy-that's all we can do is move forward. Three days and then a reward sounds like a smart idea.

pamatga-good for you for writing out your sabotaging thought strategies. Thanks for sharing the Bob Green questions.

For me- will check back in later about how today goes. Yesterday went well and I am feeling determined.

Credit for eating on plan, checking in with my coaches and planning tomorrow's food. Yay.

:grouphug:

Good Evening Everyone,
Didn't fair as well today with my eating. Had a little bit of a stressing situation arise and I actually ran to the cupboards to find something. I refused to touch the Easter candy on the counter and put it in my son's room out of site but ate a serving or two of walnuts. I really should stay out of the stores when I feel like that because I was right back at the sugar free candy tonight. Had a couple sugar free caramels and all was better once again. Not so great to be using chocolate so I am signing off and reading my book some more. Tomorrow I need to be ready to put more of the info into action.

Lexxis, Great job measuring all your foods and entering your calories.

GardeningDeb

Thursday
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Only good enough with the food at a memorial service yesterday; CREDIT moi for being mindful if not frugal since I had lots of opportunities to go overboard that I skipped. I even thought about some Kentucky Fried Chicken - for just a moment before my brain snapped back on. I did ignore open bowls of tree nuts - a whole CREDIT moi for that.

A good gym session, CREDIT moi - back on track with the largest dumbbells that I do.


onebyone - Yay for "a body that wants to heal." LOL at being hissed at by Canada Geese. I rarely get to write Canadian Canada Geese since I mostly see American Canada Geese here - which are usually called Golf Course Geese, LOL.

Erika (eusebius) - Yep, the key thought, "back on plan."

CeeJay - Yep, it's a good day when you've already planned for tomorrow.

Joy (gardenerjoy) - I feel like I practice all the Thinking Mistakes, but you've highlighted my two best also: "All or Nothing" and "Exaggerated Thinking." LOL at, "The point, grasshopper, ..."

Beverlyjoy - Neat to have a planned reward for three days on plan. I thought of you on Saturday when I saw a story teller with a dozen enthralled kids around her.

Debbie (Lexxiss) - Congrats on that ticker down a pound. I love being reminded of the oily mess from your potato chips - if I can keep that image in my head I'll never have to eat another. [BIG OUCH for the Celtics' loss last night; we're done.]

ChefJoona - Yay for having selected a DFiance who doesn't finish his fried chicken - not many men can do that. Ouch for picking at it yourself.

pamatga - Ouch for 28 hours without an Internet fix; some folks think an email not answered within an hour is an insult, LOL. Great distinction, "it was OP, just not Gold Star....more Bronze Star."

GardeningDeb - Ouch for having to confront that Chocolate doesn't relieve stress. Kudos for gathering your forces ready to face today.

Readers -

On plan eating day yesterday. Thursday morning weigh-in shows -1lb from Sunday, but still hovering around where I've been the past couple months. I'll take it as normal fluxuation until it really becomes a downward trend. At least I am getting experience as to what a maintenance diet is like.

Got outside at the office yesterday and helped some co-workers garden for about an hour... weeding, raking, mulching. I am helpless in the garden, but am interested in learning. I committed to continue to assist the gardening group throughout the summer. I hope to develop this new skill!

Food is planned for today... it might include a trip to Ben and Jerry's with co-workers. I am planning on one scoop of fro-yo... the lesser evil.

Committing to walking after work... with certainty if I have the fro-yo cone!

Can I join?
 

Hi everyone, I'm reading the green book this time after reading the pink book last year. I think I'm finally ready to follow through with this. I've been battling myself for 6+ years now, yo-yoing up and down and I'm just ready to stop and get control of my dieting and my life. I feel like I don't even know how to eat most days anymore, I've tried so many different plans! I've been mostly following the steps for the last few days and things are going pretty well.

I keep telling myself I don't need a diet coach, but maybe that is part of why I have failed in the past. I'm not my best coach most of the time, sigh. So here I am :)

We're going to Chicago for a few days to visit DH's nephew who is a wholesale wine salesman. The whole point of this trip is to eat in some of the finest restaurants in the country. A good thing that Day 30: Stay in Control When Eating Out is coming up soon.

Until then, my mantra is "Eat like a food critic." I'm thinking of the book Born Round by Frank Bruni -- a memoir of a writer who had just found peace with his body and disordered eating when he was offered a dream job, food critic for the New York Times. His friends and family were worried, but it turns out that it only takes a couple of bites of a dish to develop an opinion, so being a food critic does not, in fact, require eating a lot of food.

I probably won't post for a few days, but I'll still be reading the pink book each day and keeping my food journal.

Exercise yesterday was packing. Oops. But I'll be doing a lot of walking on this trip. Tonight, it will either be along Astor Street to see the mansions or along the Shore Trail to see the Lake.

Today's my birthday and I'm thrilled to be celebrating it nearly 30 pounds lighter than last year!

Day 27: Master the Seven Question Technique
I'll want to revisit this the next time I'm struggling since I don't have as much time as I would like today to play with the idea.

WI: -0.25kgs, Exercise: +0* 525/1200 minutes for May, Food: 90%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

BillBlueEyes: a memorial service is a tough time to stay on plan -- credit for ignoring the tree nuts at such a time.

ChefJoona: good job planning for and around the fro-yo.

Welcome, Bigknitter! This group as diet coach has definitely been the secret to my success this time around.

Off Work today. Lots of small shores including hemming DS pants for first communion this Saturday. Thankfully, we will have brunch out after. Super busy and husband spraying walnuts night and day because of the upcoming rain So it will be nice to have someone else cook. DS is so great. I have only one child and really appreciate every milestone. I also appreciate my part time job. It gives me a day like today to enjoy the preparations and not rush through them.
Reading Lexxiss' thoughts on how to burst through the plateau stage. I had to analyze myself after several months of stuck. My plan of tracking exercise mins ( a minimum of 210 min a week) and a veggie juice a day seems to be working. Yesterday was another OP day. Sometimes the solutions seem so simple. Perseverance, I guess, is the key -and honesty - a willingness to look at exactly what I am doing even during the time I am seemingly powerless to do anything about it.
BBE: Maybe if you came and sprayed with my husband 20 hours straight your tree nut fascination would mellow - or maybe you would be found under a tree stuffing yourself with the produce. Interesting:)
ChefJoona: I support planning a treat. I am planning to eat DS cupcake at his celebratory brunch.
Welcome Bignitter.
GardeningDeb: I know exactly what you mean when you described "running to the cupboard." Everyday I don't have to do that is a success.
Ceejay: "determined" is good.

Now it's Thursday.
 

Hi Coaches

I've been OP so far today. I don't know how many days it's been. I don't particularly care. I'm just glad to be following a plan. It sure has calmed me down. At least I know I am doing one good thing for myself and my body and for my future for that matter.

I have noticed that 80% of the time I am eating a reasonable amount, but the other 20% I am eating too much. The quality of my food is way up there now. There is a benefit to having a financial crunch: no $ to eat out. This has been a good thing. I've been cooking from scratch all week and that's key to me being OP.

This morning I contacted the potters' guild person to get me going at the studio. I avoided doing that the last 10 days. I feel like I could start to get some work in. I'm not sure what I'll be making, whether it's for the markets or for the studio tour or what. But it will be fun to find out. I usually don't know so this is par for the course.

My first week of being OP was all about following a plan. I simply wanted to see myself follow a plan and to be honest about my food. I'm going to refine the plan weekly, just change one small thing at a time but stick to it and be consistent. It feels right to me to do it this way.

Yesterday I bounced on my mini-trampoline for 15min. I overdid it. I felt like I had shinsplints when I got off and rested a bit. I ended up not going for a walk last night. Tonight, I'll go for a walk as I am laying off the trampoline.

I'm not sure if I feel better physically or not. I think next week I'll see the walk-in clinic dr. again. Since I'm not "all better" I should get an idea of what, exactly, is wrong. Maybe I'll get a referral for physiotherapy or something. Not sure how that works but I guess I'll find out.

Have a good Thursday Becksters!

:celebrate: HAPPY BIRTHDAY GARDENERJOY!!!!
:congrat: for being -30lbs since this time last year :bravo:
Enjoy your trip to Chi-town! I hear there's a lot to see there and sightseeing is best done on foot... have fun!

Hi friends... I made it through yesterday on plan. I am so grateful. I planned/measured/logged my food. I drank a lot of water. I also left a bite of food at each meal. I also tried to concentrate on eating slower and really tasting the food. I received my newer Beck Book and started to read part of it and thumb through.

I am one day towards my new dress.

Hi Big knitter - WELCOME!! So glad you posted.

I hope you are having a GREAT day.

Hey peeps! I may not be able to post daily til soccer and track are over, but I"ll do my best. My busy running around in the evenings is also interfering with my reading of the Beck book, but I did make a card with the list of reasons I want to lose weight, a list of rewards, a list of distractions, and started a list of responses to sabotaging thoughts (of which i have many!) I used one of those today at work when I saw the m&m cookies someone brought in.

So....
Lexxiss -- I have had a recumbent bike since I broke my leg and I like it for days when it is too cold or rainy to ride outside --and when I'm sick of the elliptical we have. I like to watch DVDs of TV shows while I ride. We haven't had TV reception for 14 years, so I have to get my TV fix on DVD.

BillBlueEyes -- I used to adore weight training, but have sadly neglected it for years. I really, really need to start up a program again.

maryann -- how did your juiced cucmber taste?

marycontrary -- I am terrible about eating while standing too. Especially breakfast, because I'm usually making my lunch and my kids' lunches and doing other morning tasks while I eat.

beverlyjoy -- 1 down, 2 to go! yea for new dresses!!

onebyone -- what plan are you doing?

gardenerjoy -- I love Chicago! Enjoy!! I liked the book "Born Round", though I kind of got the feeling at the end that his weight loss wouldn't last.

bigknitter -- welcome! I'm new too.

chefjoona -- gardening is GREAT exercise. It's functional and uses a lot of muscles. I hate doing it in our yard because we have a thousand giant mosquitoes, but when I get going...wow, am I sore the next day.

Hi Coaches!

It's been a good Beck day! I did use NO CHOICE this morning to get from 4 to 10 miles on the bike. I read some cookbooks while I was riding. Later, I got out my sewing machines (distraction) and got some projects done. There just wasn't much to resist today. Food was planned and I enjoyed not having to think about it.

Bigknitter, :welcome2: I think the most compelling reason that Dr. Beck has for suggesting that we find a diet coach is that most of us are not our best coaches, so you're not alone.

BillBlueEyes, yay for steering clear of the KFC and the tree nuts. Thank goodness for brains that snap back on at the right moment. Oh, well, for Bball.

CeeJay, yay for feeling determined!

GardeningDeb, Great that you are doing more reading so as to be able to put more info into action.

ChefJoona, yay for your gardening group! You can learn a new skill while getting some exercise. Great that you planned in a Ben and Jerry's, especially since you resisted last week.

gardenerjoy, have fun! and Happy Birthday! Thanks for the info on "Born Round" as well as the idea of eating like a food critic while you're away. I'm going to see if our library has a copy.

maryann, your weekend sounds very nice. Glad you have had a day off to prepare, enjoy and not rush. I find I'm so satisfied with my veggie juices. I'm wondering if you will find it helps you in that way, too.

onebyone, I like your approach about looking at your plan one week at a time. Glad that following a plan has calmed you down, too. Yay for contacting the potters' guild.

Beverlyjoy, lots of credits! :cp: I think I'll check and see if the Denver library has the newer Beck book.

Susan(wifetoabadge), great that you have been to do so many tasks already. I just imagine you running here and there with the kids...but now you have some cards to take with you to read when you have a moment. Your lack of TV reception reminds me of my years in Alaska.

Hello everyone

Lexxiss-yay for a descending ticker!!! Your plan is definitely working. Glad you enjoyed the muffins- I am planning on whipping up a batch this weekend.

GardeningDeb-yay for eating walnuts instead of Easter candy.

BillBlueEyes-credit for deleting KFC from your thoughts. You did well with the nuts- I know that is a tricky one for you.

ChefJoona-credit for on plan eating and working out in the garden.

Bigknitter-hello and welcome. You will find the people here are wonderful coaches.

gardenerjoy-have fun in Chicago. Sounds like a great time. Let us know where you ate and what you ate. Wishing you a very happy birthday.

maryann-good for you for sticking to your exercise plan and downing that veggie juice every day.

onebyone-so glad you are feeling calm. Nothing like doing what you know is good for you to bring that sense of peace.

Beverlyjoy-huge honking credit for yesterday on plan. Is it the green book you are reading?

wife2abadge-you are doing great- I found the cards to be really helpful. I try to read them at least once a day.

For me- despite this being a very stressful week I am still on plan. This feels so good and after such a long spell of not taking care of my eating it feels great to be helping myself again.

Credit today for:

weighing in
reading cards
checking in with my coaches
20 minute walk with DH
eating on plan
planning tomorrow and packing lunch

Have a great Friday everyone!!!

:grouphug:

I knew I would probably be the last one of the day to post but I actually slept 12 hours between 12 a.m.-3:30 p.m. today. I actually awoke rested. Still getting up in the middle of the night but in order to quit that mid-night distraction eating (and logging it as breakfast calories eaten) I have been working on making separate cards in response to Day 27-Master 7 Questions Technique(Day 27-pink book). I am taking the sabotaging thoughts from a few days ago that I wrote down on cards and I did each sabotaging thoughts with answers to the 7 Questions. Here is an example of one:
(sabotaging thought) "I miss/want my favorite foods".

Here is the answers to the 7 questions to retort this sabotaging thought. 1)I have all or nothing thinkking, exaggerated thinking, overly positive fortune telling, self-deluding thinking and justification. 2) Yes, I do miss/want my favorite foods but I continue to eat them I'll remain obese. 3) Yes, I have to not eat these foods right now so I can lose weight. I will probably have to severely limit/eliminate these foods while I am dieting 4) I have a choice: continue to eat favorite foods and remain obese OR restrict both exposure/eating favorite foods 5) The present effect is I remain stuck at same weight OR I yo-yo losing weight/regaining lost weight. If I refrain from eating my favorite foods I have a better chance of successfully losing the weight. 6) To thoughtfully consider making the choice to restrict/eliminate eating favorite foods to help with my weight lose efforts 7)Go ahead, eliminate eating favorite foods so I can focus on losing weight.

By the time that I had done my third card writing retorts to my sabotaging thoughts, I felt a lot of peace. I have felt a lot of anxiety this time restarting my gazillion dieting efforts. I have a strong fear of failure and my overeating masked a lot of anxiety I have from feelings of powerlessness and vulnerability which were the direct result of years of childhood sexual abuse. I was in therapy for several years but I also was heavy during that time and now I realize that my overeating was masking the absolute terror I sometimes feel of being hurt, attacked and damaged; all of which happened to me when I was my most vulnerable: being an innocent child. So, not overeating is bringing up a lot of very strong feelings for me right now. I credit myself with not eating and pushing through this.

Tonight, we got the emissions test done on the car (essential to keep smog down in Atlanta), planted sugar snap peas and Swiss chard where the hydragnea used to be (it is thriving on our shaded front porch), then finished off by eating at our nearby Applebee's where we have gone for 7 years. I got the "under 550 calories" signature sirloin steak, shrimp, broccoli and new potatoes(it's about portion size) then I wanted to see if I could "conquer" another food place: a frozen yogurt shop in the same shopping strip mall. I asked which ones were no-sugar (only one!-coffee flavored) then I asked the cashier if I could have the nutritional breakdown of the food. She brought out a book and let me copy the information. My BLC food plan does a breakdown of all the macronutrients and I have a specific amount I eat each day. I looked the cashier straight in the eye (it was super busy) and said emphatically " I need to know this information for my health". In spite of there being a line behind me, she was very compliant and cordial.

Gardernerjoy et al-we can conquer the outside world when it comes to food and our needs. "Ask and you shall find, seek and it shall be given to you." My posts get so long and most of you are probably watching basketball, tv or knitting :welcome2: bigknitter so I will try to post earlier tomorrow so I can address each one of you. In the meantime, you all sound like you are hitting your strides, tree nuts for BBE, onebyone, being OP, gardeningdeb-yahoo for the Just Say No to temptors,beverlyjoy-ditto,marycontrary-Master Juicer, :woohoo: and lexxiss-wtg for down the sliding ticker. If there is anyone else I missed, love ya.