[maryann]

onebyone: Congrats on getting back to OA meetings. There is a certain peace to be found there.
gardenerjoy: credit for re commitment to posting and weigh ins. My mind was starting to balk at the daily weigh ins. Why don't you give yourself a break and start doing it every week. Hmmmm. Suspicious because I am struggling at the discipline of dieting, struggling at the daily nature of watching my food. I want a vacation and if I took it, I could come back to a 10 pound gain. That I do not want. I say, Oh Well and continue daily weigh in.
BBE:Lol with end slices. My best friend loves the ends as well. Of course she is also a recovering compulsive overeater. I don't know if you are "fixed" yet. An aside - I would love a bread slicing machine. I make my own bread for the boys. I have to content myself with using the carving knife. It works great, though.
Eusebius: I was just very close to Ontario ( Vermont) and your weather is beautiful right now.
Pamatga: I hear what you are saying about making better food choices but now have to focus on smaller portions. I am in the same situation.
Lexxiss: credit for bringing you own salad to the hospital. Whenever I do that I become very proud of myself. So few people around us are that aware of what they are eating.

As for me: I had a twenty hour trip back to the west coast and have had a terrible time adjusting. My food was so great during the trip but the traveling and yesterday I just went a little crazy. The popcorn at a movie yesterday with DS ( I was just so happy to be with him) set me up another 2 pounds and now I am 5 pounds above ticker. All this in four days time. Time to marshall the forces. I have begun by telling you all my weight. I will read my arc cards, ignore the hunger pains I am currently feeling (because my body says, "This is lunch time.") and hold off another hour before I eat lunch. I will exercise and then take a nap. Hopefully when I check in tomorrow, things will look a little less gloomy.

[silverbirch]

Hey, onebyone! Or 1x1! 8 pints = 1 gallon. Does that help? Fantastic work on the paintings.

to all. I'm away from home for a wedding and then elsewhere for work. Have to fish a boy out of the bath and then have an early night.

[Lexxiss]

Originally Posted by silverbirch

8 pints = 1 gallon. Does that help?

Ok, so "The sign said, "18 gallon size - 2/$10, 72 quart size - 2/$12" - sending my brain into gridlock as I desperately tried to calculate the difference." said BBE.

4 quarts=1 gallon, 72/4=18 gallons so they are the same size but different prices?? Perhaps they were creatively rewarding people with good math skills.

Hi Coaches!

Crappy day here...I ate over it, but did stop and get back on track. Painting nixed due to last night's rain and I managed to fall down the basement stairs although I was fortunate not to have been hurt worse. Family dynamics are getting quite interesting as we plan on getting together for moms 90th on Aug.1. Oh, well. I did make a superior choice at lunch, however, and dinner is OP.....it was just the "in between".

I'm hoping for a better day tomorrow and recognize that the proverbial "cards" are in my hand.

Take care everyone!

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Took walk (CREDIT moi) back to the store with the two containers for sale. I'd come to accept that 18 gallons and 72 quarts were the same size - thanks for the supporting help with the math - but finally noticed that the more expensive one was transparent and the other opaque. Happily bought two transparent ones so I can see what I've put in them. DW reminded me that that's not always a good thing, LOL.

Eating on plan (CREDIT moi) without much fanfare - just as I like it. Did gym (CREDIT moi) with nothing special to report.


onebyone - Congrats on "not 280 ... = 278!! *phew*" Won't be long before whispering isn't necessary. The Crown is scary and The Trio is needy. I suspect both will sell quickly. Kudos for being "ready to remove the rock."

Joy (gardenerjoy) – I find it easy to drop back into sloppy eating. Posting here seems to be key to fighting that.

Erika (eusebius) - Kudos for spontaneous walks, handled with your customary aplomb. [Looking forward to those bread ends, LOL. Love the name Mississauga - reminds me of the Mississippi river.]

Debbie (Lexxiss) - Ouch for eating over it, Kudos for getting back on path. Family dynamics seem to exist the world around.

sliverbirch – Thank you for not prefixing 'Imperial' to pints or gallons. LOL at the thought of fishing a boy out of the bath.

maryann - Ouch for the looooong trip home. Love the thought of your joy at seeing your DS again. Kudos for making yourself ready to "marshall the forces." [One of my favorite things about homemade bread is the inconsistency of its width, LOL - no bread slicer for me.]

Readers -

chapter 4
Stage 1
The Success Skills Plan

Success Skill 1 Motivate yourself daily

How to Get Yourself to Read the Advantages Deck
Even though it takes so little time, some dieters resist reading their Response Cards and Advantages Deck. For example, John had sabotaging thoughts: It's not worth the trouble to read them ... I'm motivated to diet now ... I'll start reading them later if my motivation goes down. I asked John if he thought it was a good idea for people to wait to learn to drive on the highway until the first time they needed to travel or if it was worth practicing merging and changing lanes beforehand. He understood the point: It's important to prepare yourself in advance for difficult times.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), pg 55.

[pamatga]

Wow, we have all come to rally around you, Bill, as you choose what to store your stuff in! Like minds think alike, eh? So glad we got that taken care of. I was just going to add that if I go with the opaque then I write on top what is in it or, if I don't, then I end up having to open up a lot of storage bins to see what is in them. It is good system worth adopting though. I have used it for around 8 years and it is so nice to just go to a closet or shelf, read or see what is in something and get what you need instead of hours later frustrated that you "know" where something is but you "just don't know where it is".

I just want to say, or should I say echo, what everyone else here has discovered on their own. Everything works when we work it. I swear by counting calories, reading labels, measuring out portion sizes and then logging all of that. Take a lot of time? Yes, probably more than absentmindedly popping food in my mouth as I search for the "perfect" nosh but then that is what steers the ship---otherwise I am hopelessly lost at sea.

Now, that I have "discovered" the elements of successfully losing weight, I am still amazed at people who act like it is a mystery (recall my earlier comments four months ago?) or are surprised that it takes so much effort, so much deliberate decision making or just plain "work". It also removes the denial that many of us used to carry around with us (glandular problem, thyroid, metabolism issues, etc). Who wants to admit that they eat too much and move too little? Nothing mysterious about that, right?

I just want to say that I am really grateful that I have a bunch of people who are so committed to their health in a "healthy" way, acknowledge that they are fallible, show tremendous amount of courage, stick-to-it-iveness and such humor and love.

So my big credit today is that I feel sharp as a tack for choosing the right group to remain with and I pray that I can be as mindful about how I choose my diet/life partners as I am about my eating OP. Amen anyone? Amen!

Love Pam

[maryann]

I would say OP yesterday but with spontaneous changes. HMMMM. Today's goal is OP no changes - plan and then gut it out no matter what my mind says. It is only a day of eating. If I eat too little or too late after exercise "It is not an emergency." Send good thought waves to me for a completely OP, Food Plan, no reading between the lines, day.Credit yesterday scale -.8 lbs, Credit- Kickboxing class
This afternoon we are off to Tahoe and then Tom. off to historic Virginia City, Nevada - a ghost town from the 49'r days. DS is excited about seeing the Washoe Club with three resident ghosts. A friend is playing in a music festival.
Pamatga: nice thoughts about the blog. I agree with your sentiments.
Lexxiss: sorry about the crummy "in betweens." Boy do I know that feeling.
Eusebius: One of my favorite things is fishing little boys out of bathtubs. They smell so terrific I hug and hug until he squirms away.
BBE: Credit for a no drama food day. I was rereading the "no choice" day on Beck. I underlined "The decision to eats releases tension before we even overeat." I realize I am a wimp against tension. I want to give in every time.

[CeeJay]

Hello everyone

Didn't do so well yesterday- resistance muscle sprained or something.

Credit today for:

- weighing in
- eating healthy breakfast, lunch and snacks
- rest of the day's food is planned
- exercise bike 30 mins
- resistance bands for shoulders and arms done
- checking in with my coaches
- reading response and advantage cards.

Hope everyone is having a good Saturday afternoon!!

[Lexxiss]

Yesterday was a good Beck day.
~Breakfast out-OP
~amusement park-no food
~Lunch out-OP
~resisted any treats at Whole Foods
~evening...just a snack(measured a portion of tortilla chips and 3 strawberries)
I've been limiting caffeine and this morning when searching for a cup I picked a pretty one which held less coffee. My brain said, "you can enjoy less coffee-it's OK". I think it's a great sign that I'm thinking like a thin person, even though it was just coffee. Exercise *sigh* was painting and scraping.

BillBlueEyes, kudos for an OP day, "without much fanfare", and exercise "with nothing special to report". Bravo Encore

Pam(pamatga), big credit for feeling sharp as a tack about mindful choices. Your words regarding weight loss; taking the time, removing denial and remaining grateful were very inspirational to me. Amen!

maryann, kudos for making a plan for "only a day of eating" and committing to no reading between the lines.

CeeJay, big kudos for posting after a not so stellar day and backing it up with great credits. Love the description "resistance muscle sprained or something." I hope it's healing well.lol

silverbirch, safe travels!

gardenerjoy, will see you again soon as you are "moving in the right direction".

onebyone, I'm just amazed at your paintings! I'm looking at them again….the kitty looks so real! Kudos for taking the positive step of getting back to OA. You are so right, "such an old rock. " I'm happy for you being ready to remove that rock!

Erika(eusebius), yay for beautiful days which lend themselves to spontaneous walks! You are right, exercise never hurts.

Today is an "at home" day, 100%. We do have to paint and do yardwork but I look forward to a day without major food decisions.
B-Green smoothie
L-Super duper salad with tree nuts (portioned Thai Trail Mix)
D-Tofu/snow pea stir fry and Asian raw salad.
S-fresh strawberries
Posting for accountability.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Selected a Thai restaurant for dinner which is usually a smart choice for good veggies and low cal meats with super spices. Alas, I ordered Tamarind Duck - to die for with its crispy fat - but, I suspect, rather high in calories. I suppose I can say, otherwise on plan CREDIT moi, since I didn't snack outside of my plan and had my peanut butter sandwich at lunch on those neat Arnold thins which are only 100 calories for both halves.

Exercise was errands and walking to dinner, CREDIT moi, even if a bit light.


CeeJay - Ouch for strained muscles - resistance or regular. With Kudos for those 30 minutes on the exercise bike and other credits.

Debbie (Lexxiss) - Love, love, love the notion that you can "enjoy less coffee." Yep, you're sounding like a thin person to me.

maryann - OK, beaming good thoughts westward "for a completely OP, Food Plan, no reading between the lines, day." Sounds like a plan. [I suspect that the decision to not eat also releases tension just as the decision to eat. Not sure; gotta go test that. Maybe Beck already states that - perhaps I'll go reread that chapter first.]

pamatga - Such a good reminder, "Everything works when we work it." That's what I like about some of Beck's simple strategies: You plan, then you do; repeat. Simple, "when we work it."

Readers -

chapter 4
Stage 1
The Success Skills Plan

Success Skill 1 Motivate yourself daily

How to Get Yourself to Read the Advantages Deck
What John also didn't realize is that reading his Response Cards and Advantages Deck - especially when he didn't feel like it - would build his self-discipline. By practicing doing what he needed to do to reach his goal, he would eventually be able to more easily do other things he might not feel like doing, such as sticking to his eating plan.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), pg 55.

[onebyone]

Hi Coaches

We went to a giant farmers' market yesterday. Talk about large volumes of food. And since we got there at the end of the market day, they were selling lots of stuff cheap to get rid of it.

I now have A LOT of cherries.
Local cherries. I've got a recipe for something I can eat too and I'm looking forward to making it today.

I've slacked on planning out my meals and it's bugging me. This is what happens when I re-focus on my artwork--I drop everything else so I need to work on balance.

oh...gotta run

have a good Sunday.

[CeeJay]

Originally Posted by onebyone

I need to work on balance.

Me too. ++++++++

Today not so great but I am posting anyway. Need to learn to stop the all or nothing thinking, i.e. if I don't eat on plan I stop doing other things that are healthy and helping- like posting.

Plan for the rest of the day:

-eat healthy- eat chicken and wild rice and veggies for dinner and nothing more after than
-pack up lunch for tomorrow or I am going to end up in a restaurant eating fat and salt
-plan meals for the week
-go to bed by 10:00 no matter what!!!

Take care everyone

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - A stellar day! I knew I'd face Fig Newtons and then Raspberry Newtons on separate occasions and decided to plan not to have them, using the old NO CHOICE. Then it got worse; not two like last week, but THREE uber quality cakes appeared in my life. Folks were atwitter with "best in my entire life" kind of stuff. It wasn't that hard, because I had a plan, to wield NO CHOICE and continue a happy man. CREDIT moi. Yay for planning.

Exercise was out observing that the birds are a bit quite as they're pretty busy with the nests. Saw an immature American Red Start looking like it wanted a parent to show up with a nice grub. (For those struggling with English, some nice grub is what a teenager wants, a nice grub satisfies a bird.)


onebyone - Yay for having a LOT of cherries to begin your work on "balance" - and let me know how to do that since I find it much easier to hyper focus on today's topic of interest.

CeeJay - Drooling over "chicken and wild rice and veggies" - we forget to have wild rice on occasion and it's so good. Yep, we need a club of folks who need help with their "all or nothing thinking."

Readers -

chapter 4
Stage 1
The Success Skills Plan

Success Skill 1 Motivate yourself daily

How to Get Yourself to Read the Advantages Deck
After our discussion, John wrote the following in his Diet Notebook:

I need to start reading my Response Cards and
Advantages Deck now to develop new pathways in my
mind so I'll know exactly how to respond to my sabotaging
thoughts when they pop up.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), pg 55.

[eusebius]

Hi folks- It's 5:50 AM and I'm leaving to go back to the retreat in half an hour (it's non-residential, so I sleep at home). But I just wanted to say that I'm still reading my response cards and your posts, and was rewarded with a 3.2 lb loss this week

The food at the retreat is great and we help prepare it. Salad bar every night for dinner! I actually went up 0.2 this morning from yesterday, which I think is because we had pizza for lunch ... not an everyday occurrence. Did manage to keep myself to 2 pieces.

We meditate about 6 hours a day and do work rotations at other times to keep the centre running smoothly - food shopping, prep and cleanup, centre cleanup, timekeeping for meditation sessions, etc. It's a very effective system because everyone who is there actually wants to participate. My mind already feels a lot calmer and clearer after 1 day of this. My husband says by the end of the week I'll be levitating, LOL.

Anyway, we have no internet access at the centre so I won't be posting much this week, but I'll be thinking of you all!

Have a great week,
Erika

[pamatga]

Sorry I didn't contribute yesterday. I was treating my back and that means "flat on it".

Did you know..... that wild rice is a grain and not rice? That the Native Americans have all rights to harvest it (in MN for sure and possibly the rest of the U.S.) and that one of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes is wild rice, mushroom with a little bacon and onion dressing.

I e-mailed Bartle & James last week regarding the breakdown of calories, carbs, sodium, etc in some of their products and they e-mailed me back with all the information I requested plus some! I thought this was interesting so I thought I would share it all with you. Did you know that one bottle of the typical wine coolers/malted beverages/mixed drinks on the market (the 11.2 oz ones) have the same amount of calories as a 12 oz can of regular soda but almost half the amount of carbs? My guess is that high fructose corn syrup is readily added to sodas which contributes to the higher carb count.

We are going through a holding pattern of mid-upper 90s weather with little or no rain in sight. Although I am fortunate that I don't have to sweat it out since we have central air, we are getting cabin fever because we think about getting outside and then say "Nah!" I just hate this!

Credit:

In spite of feeling like I could climb the walls being so confined indoors, I am having good OP days with both food plan and exercising. Keeping busy enough so I don't think about eating much, practicing "hunger not an emergency" so I can push those numbers down, down, down.

Bill, you are a stronger soul than I am when it comes to Fig Newtons. Just plain love them! Always have. I can eat one sleeve at a sitting. So, how is the universe sending you cakes and I am not getting anything but dark thoughts about something sweet and sugary?? I can arrange to have you send them my way.

Onebyone You didn't learn to ride a bike in a day, so be kind and gentle to yourself.

CeeJay GJ on the delicious meals. Who said eating healthier couldn't also mean eating well??

[onebyone]

Hi Coaches

It's a sizzler today! Already at 75F and it's going up with humidity to feel like 40C/104F with full sun. I need to get painting today but I feel stopped. Guess I'll just have to do it anyway. Actually I should do it now as it's the coolest it's going to be right now. Maybe I will.

I slept really lousy last night; very restless. I think it's my impending schedule. I'm worried too that I'll start to eat over it. I can't afford to do that. Plan plan plan is what comes to mind. make a plan and follow it and don't trust myself to make any changes to it!

I will have a challenge tomorrow as I am attending a raku firing at the ceramic guild and there's a lunch pot luck involved. I could bring a cucumber salad and some cherries. That would work.

*credit for weighing in this morning +1.5 = 279.5lbs

My weight is getting me down. I feel like it's going so slow and I feel like giving up and I feel like it's hopeless. Of course my feelings are a little skewed when it comes to this topic. I'll stick to knowing the scale remains in the 270's when it has been in the 280's for so long. I do need to add something to my plan to move me along. Exercise comes to mind.

Okay off to have breakfast.
Have a great morning and a great day Becksters.