report: didn't read my cards, weighed (up 1), ate slowly and mindfully and made very good choices except for the wine-induced snackfest (a bowl of cereal w/skim, so actually not too horrible a choice, but I didn't need it and hadn't planned it), didn't exercise, contacted my diet buddy.
Debbie -- good for you for walking Costco instead of just sitting while you waited!
Beverlyjoy -- that elephant story always makes me feel sad for all the elephants in the world.
onebyone -- You wrote So, from past experience I know I'll be fighting this all day Have you done the "Overcome Cravings" and "Tolerate Hunger" tasks yet? (BBE's readers section is just getting into this in the green book.) You DON'T have to fight (hunger, cravings, desire for large quantities of food or a feeling of fullness) all day. Cravings and even hunger pass, and that "fighting all day" feeling ONLY happens if there's some possibility you'll give in. THE SECOND you make an absolute decision not to eat, that "fight" goes away. You do NOT have to fight it all day. You only have to fight it for EXACTLY as long as there's still some chance you'll give in. Once you've made the absolute decision, the tension caused by "I want some of that...but I can't have it...but I really want it...but it's not on my plan...but it looks so good...but I really shouldn't..." is GONE. Your past experience tells you that you'll be fighting it all day because in the past, there was =always= some possibility you'd give in. Your brain knew that, so it kept fighting for whatever it is you wanted. If your brain knows that there is NO WAY you are buying a $2 bag of day-old donuts -- say you'd forgotten your wallet, so you -couldn't- buy them -- it would stop torturing you, the craving would eventually go away, and you probably wouldn't think about it again until the next time you drove past that coffeeshop. Which, btw, maybe you could go a different way next time?
Pam -- I like your sock challenge! Fun!
gardenerjoy -- Heaven forbid I should ever live in a universe where food actually COULD solve problems! How would we EVER manage to lose weight?
BBE -- how to make a roux is one of the more useful beginner skills a cook can learn. Once you can make a roux, never again will you need to use canned Cream of Mushroom soup to make a casserole.
Oh, speaking of casseroles -- here's what I made last night:
Valerie: The casserole looks good. I will have to try it. Pamatga: I was watching the Biggest Loser last week and there was a gal who couldn't walk because of a knee injury. They had two heavy ropes with which she smacked the ground. It was aerobic. Very interesting. She lost like 17 pounds that week. Whoa! BBE: It is never the chore that kills us. It is the expectation. So much like life, really. Lexxiss: Major credit for the walking group. Awesome to be so forthright.
So this morning I am more rested. DS and I had our USUAL Friday morning, snuggling on the couch while I read Harry Potter - Goblet of Fire. I realize that as with my eating it is not the SLIP that defines me when I meltdown, it is how I behave during and how I manage it after that really counts. Thanks everybody for your kind thoughts. OP and down .2 which makes me again close to ticker. Exercise planned, food written. My goal is to make it easy on myself.
Another quick check in. My persistance in following the plan one day at a time is paying off in inches and today on the scale. Down 1.6 for a new low of 173.2. I was shocked when I saw the number on the scale. I think the calorie cycling is helping and my body is finally reacting to it. I have one card that is my mini goal (2 pounds) and for weeks it has read 173, I was so happy today to change it to 171. I find when I'm exercising and I don't think I can do another minute I start chanting in my head 173, 173, 173.
I plan to come back for personals over the weekend, I've been reading all your posts and your insight has really helped me out. Thanks everyone!
maryann Yes, that is part of my weekly "homework": watching the program each week. This season they have the most pre-injured people they have ever had and they are taking a different approach, which I am really glad to see. In the past, they usually sent them home, but now they are including them into the different workouts or "challenges" and even adapting those as well. Professional athletes get injured all the time. Although some of the tactics their side-line doctors use are a little "scary" (shots of novocaine) so they can continue to "play ball"; it does bring up a point that continuing to "work through" an injury CAREFULLY can actually accelerate healing time if for no other reason the fact that when we are active, our warm blood is flowing through our entire body and heat(self-made or otherwise) is still a wonderful source of healing balm.
What I have found is most non-competitive "weekend athletes" don't realize that if you get injured you just don't plain stop. That is actually the worst thing to do---both physically and psychologically. You keep going, even with modifications. What I also like about the variety of exercises shown, like the pounding of the heavy gym ropes (we used to climb those in PE in grade school, remember?) is that any movement can burn calories. These "thoughts" are what I want to impart to the other people involved in my upcoming challenge. Keep going. Don't stop. And, don't give up! No matter what!
val Yum. Yum. Your casserole looks absolutely delicious!! I am going to make black bean chili tonight and whole wheat (pinto) bean muffins. The later tastes like spicy pumpkin bread.
Lexxiss Isn't that neat that those women came along at just the right time and you also had the "courage" to inquire? Serendipity? I hope you can join them!! Walking goes that much faster when you can share it and chit-chat while you are doing so. "Costco cruising"-better not let them know that all you came for was the big wide aisles and not to buy. just kidding. I "hate" those sample booths in stores. I feel that they are distracting when I have "a job to get done", plus there is always the "pressure" of having to purchase whatever it is they are trying to "upsell". If I wanted it in the first place, I would have it in my cart, right?
Bill Great Job in persisting with a gnarly problem (the kind that make you want to pull someone's hair out-not necessarily your own) and no eating over it. Major Credit, Kudos and a to boot!!
val wonderful reminder for us all on how to handle "slippery slopes" ('cause we all have them!) onebyone changing your route so you don't have to be reminded of those temptations is a tried and true 12-Step way of handling these situations. I have said over and over again "Out of sight, out of mind." In fact, I can even say 100% that once it is brought into the house, watch out! It will be consumed no matter how noble my intentions are. Val is absolutely "spot on" about not allowing a "back door" entry to your "forbidden fruit". Yes, there are frequent times when I am rummaging through the cupboards wishing I had something wonderfully decadent and probably chocolate besides but when I don't I grab an apple and have that instead. beverlyjoy's "elephant story" says it so simply and yet so wisely. This battle of the bulge is not fought on the scales but between our ears. That is where Beck steps in--to lead you out of that maze.
beverlyjoy once again, thanks for sharing that elephant story. I know you won't mind that I shared it with my other groups. The tale tells it all. Like Dorothy clicking her heels, we have always had the power to return home, we just needed to get our posse behind us, go through a wicked forest, kill a witch and skip down the yellow brick road until we ended up where we always wanted to be in the first place.
Credit: Focus on what is today's "tasks", do them and then be done with it. Life doesn't get any better than that!!
Hi friends... today has been a struggle. I woke up with my mojo in reverse. For me it's about willingness. Not eating takes alot of energy for us all - I couldn't muster up my willingness to journal and plan. I don't do well when I don't do those things. But... I am not throwing in the towel - so to speak. I have drawn my line in the sand.
My mom invited me to a potluck tomorrow for supper at her senior apartment. I would love to go - but - it's wonderful food made like Grandma used to make. They sure can cook and it's not healthy. I'll have to wear blinders and pass the pies.
I hope you are all having a great weekend.
Pam - feel free to share that story. It's a folktale from India. I need to remember it's wisdom now.
I am dismayed to see just how much time has gotten away from me. I didn't realize it had been four full days since I posted, which means I did not honor a commitment that is very important to me. The bottom line is that I have just plain been too exhausted to do anything beyond falling into bed almost the moment I got home for the last few nights. Monday through Thursday I was running from class to meeting to class to appointment for 14 hours straight each day. Then today, instead of having my usual Friday off, I had to go once again to the main campus for an all-day meeting (which I shouldn't have bothered with, since I was too tired to contribute much or to benefit much from it). And I still have the remnants of my cold, along with stabbing pain in my breast that is not only making me uncomfortable but also keeping me from sleeping at night the way I desperately need to. And I probably will not get the rest I need this weekend, either, as midterm grades are due by Tuesday, and I have a stack of papers to grade this weekend.
The crazy schedule of the past week has presented many challenges in terms of eating (like having to eat several meals at meetings where I had no advance idea of what would be served, having very little time to eat some of my meals, etc.), but overall I made excellent choices and did very well. For instance, at today's meeting, there was a tray of lovely brownies and huge chocolate chip cookies sitting in front of me all day long, and I didn't touch them, even though every person sitting around me was nibbling on them all day. YAY me!
my report: I did remember to weigh myself every morning. Can't remember the exact sequence of fluctuations, but this morning I was up .4 compared to Monday. I had two personal training sessions (worked lower body only in an effort to allow my chest to heal). Ate all my meals sitting down, and most of them slowly and mindfully. Read my cards once. Made it a point to park as far away as possible from my destinations in order to get some spontaneous walking in. Tolerated a fair amount of hunger. Did not post or contact my diet buddy.
Lexxiss (Debbie), you are right that it was gardenerjoy who responded to my post about feeling blue, and it is definitely important to give credit where credit is due! I was saddened and also amazed by your story about your former business partner. The fact that you ended up having to sell your share of the business to her speaks volumes about the degree to which the dynamics of your relationship changed due to her discomfort with your weight loss. I suspect that my former BFF would totally agree with your former business partner about weight loss leading to egotism and vanity. But you know what? I don't feel badly about that at all. I think I'm actually entitled to a little vanity after a lifetime of feeling horrible about myself!
missyj, losing such a young friend to brain cancer would be devastating and could definitely send you into a tailspin. I hope you are recovering well from your surgery.
pamatga, I understand completely why the 12-step groups warn of the probable need to surrender old relationships along with surrendering unhealthy habits. I thought all along that my former friend's apparent happiness for me and acceptance of the huge lifestyle changes I was making was too good to be true, and now I know that obviously it WAS too good to be true. But I tried to talk to her about it numerous times, and she kept assuring me that everything was fine--HA!! Obviously she felt deeply betrayed by my apparent repudiation of her eating habits. I don't think that there is any chance of reconciliation there. Even if she reached out to me (which I don't think she will), I would have a lot of trouble forgiving her blatant attempts to turn my other friends against me. I am sorry to hear that you have also experienced the recent cooling of a friendship with someone who has also struggled with weight. I think you are absolutely right in attributing that to her unwillingness to do the hard work that is necessary to "get what we have"--and that is very sad.
You also asked about how rigid others are in following their set food plan. I'm sure you are aware that the reason that Beck makes such a big deal about planning each day's meals in advance is that if you don't have a plan, and thus have to make spontaneous choices, you will often find yourself in circumstances in which no healthy options are available or in which you will not be in the necessary mindset to choose the healthy options even when they are available. For me personally, the planning issue is not that big a deal, because I am a very, very picky eater, and I tend to eat the same few meals over and over. I have a repertoire that consists of only about five options for each meal, and they are nutritionally and calorically pretty much interchangeable. So as long as I stay within that narrow range of options, I am fine.
Maryann, you are indeed blessed to have strong long-term friendships that have withstood the test of time and weathered the storms of all of the changes you have made to make your lifestyle healthier. I love your "scalp-collecting" metaphor! And I'm sorry to hear about your recent "meltdown". Good for you for recognizing that what you do afterward, and what you say to yourself afterward, really matters--not only in terms of damage control, but in terms of reducing the likelihood of future similar incidents.
gardernerjoy, your comment about our current culture being so extreme and excessive with regard to marketing huge portions of hyperpalatable foods, and our need to "check out" of the American food system as a result, really resonated with me. Boy, that is oh-so-true. In fact, I think the final trigger that precipitated the rage of my former BFF was a comment that I had made in one of my Beck posts to Val (from the previous site we posted on) while visiting my BFF this past August. My friend and I had gone to the movies, and she bought a quart-sized Coke and a TREMENDOUS bucket of buttered popcorn that surely contained more calories than I eat in a day. I commented in my post to Val that my friend bought "what looked to me like a garbage pail full of popcorn." My friend read that, and I think it totally sent her over the edge, because she thinks that what she did is perfectly "normal" (I used to think so, too!) and felt very harshly judged by my comment. But I wasn't judging her at all; I was merely judging the food itself and being amazed at how my perceptions of it had changed.
BillBlueEyes, I love the way you revel in those small successes. However, I must say that finding just the right molding, at just the right time, does not sound like a small success to me--it sounds like a masterful stroke of luck combined with serendipitous timing!
Beverlyjoy, WOW on losing 5 pounds in such a short time! And thanks for the story of the elephant and the rope, whose moral we would all do well to heed.
Val, I am so sorry that you had to deal with a leaking dishwasher, flooded basement, and, worst of all, a distressed daughter all at the same time. But YAY YOU for handling it without overeating. Your daughter is blessed to have such an empathetic and compassionate mother in her corner.
OUCH, I see that it is now 1:30AM. I need to get to sleep! I am not going to set my alarm but hope I wake up at a reasonable hour so that I can get started on those midterms! UGH. Hope everyone has a great OP day tomorrow (or later today, actually)!
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Made a quick emergency run to the store for a green bell pepper for dinner and didn't buy any of the grease coated pastries or the Halloween candy stacked everywhere - but bought seedless black grapes on sale instead, CREDIT moi. Regardless of the calorie count, grapes don't mess up my head, but fried pastries and candy both do.
Debbie (Lexxiss) Yay for a walking club; Kudos for having brought yourself to be the kind of person who jumps at the chance of joining.
Beverlyjoy LOL at waking up with ojom. Potluck at a senior's appartment sounds like a challenge.
pamaga Good to be reminded that after injury we keep going with modification instead of stopping.
maryann - Yep, "how I manage it after that really counts" probably applies to many things in our lives - Thanks for that.
Tazzy - Yay for persistence.
Val (va1erie) That Black Bean Casserole looks yummy; if you feel like posting the recipe, you could put it in our Beck Forum recipe thread.
Robin (4EverLearning) - Ouch for the busy schedule with Kudos for standing down "lovely brownies and huge chocolate chip cookies sitting in front of me all day long."
Readers -
Quote:
chapter 4Stage 1The Success Skills Plan Success Skill 6Overcome Hunger, Cravings, and Emotional Eating experiment 2Prove to yourself that hunger isn't an emergency.
If a friend or coworker told you, "I was so busy today that I accidently skipped lunch," would you think, Skipped lunch! I can't ever imagine doing that . . . I'd get too hungry!.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), pg 76.
report: read my cards, weighed (no change), ate slowly and mindfully for breakfast and lunch, not so much at dinner as we ate at a local Chinese place with friends and kids, but I didn't do too badly. Got planned and spontaneous exercise, though not as much spontaneous as I'd planned. But I have the fm today, so I'll get lots there. Contacted my diet buddy.
maryann -- good for you to have a goal of making it easy on yourself! That's a very good goal!
Tazzy -- yay for a new low!
Pam -- stopping exercising because I get injured is a lifelong habit for me! I have terrible knees and until recently (knock on wood) a bad back, and when I've had an injury I've always stopped working out until it was healed, thinking that I'd make things worse if I kept going. But you're right -- a better plan is to modify what I do. I'll have to think about how to do that. My most recent injury was tendonitis in my ankle, which meant no walking, which because of my bad knees has been my most common way to exercise. So when I couldn't walk for exercise while the tendonitis healed, I let myself get into thinking that if even walking was off the table, I was screwed. But I have a couple of DVDs that would have still worked.
Beverlyjoy -- It does take energy, but remember that it only takes it -occasionally- throughout the day, not 24/7. It's not a -constant- battle. Good luck at the potluck. What's your strategy? I have two for this kind of event. One is to eat a large amount of very low calorie food right before I go -- a large bowl of vegetable soup, for instance -- and then allow myself 3 bites of anything I want. (Three bites because research shows that after the third bite, you get diminishing marginal returns in enjoying the food. It never tastes as good again as those first three bites tasted.) The other strategy is to eat a complete meal before I go and not have any of the food there, telling myself that there's nothing there I haven't had before, nothing there I won't have the opportunity to have ever again, and that I'm here for the socializing not the food.
Robin -- Your schedule has really become absurd, hasn't it? I can't imagine. How much longer are you going to have to do this? I know you mentioned it but I can't remember -- is it just for this semester, I hope? Don't let not posting here become another stressor for you! I know you're committed and doing your level best.
BBE -- ooh, there's a recipe thread? Cool, I'll post it there!
Yesterday was an interesting Beck day. I filled out my P4 Success Skills worksheet, which had some blanks. The good news is that I have documentation of where I can give credit and where I can improve.
Despite sabotaging thoughts (I don't feel like it, I'll do it on Monday, I'm tired) I walked up the back steps and joined the walking group. Credit for keeping up with the four women in their mid thirties who have been doing this 5x/week/2.5 miles for 3 months. (I'm 53). They were kind and said not to push myself that they'd slow down if I needed them to.
DH, mom and I had dinner out(buffet). I drank my water on the way and made a mental plan. I did not have any "whites" (rice,pasta,sugar, potatoes), used a T. of cottage cheese for salad dressing, and picked lean protein. Credit. Choosing not to use my Resistance Techniques, I indulged in SF cookies, but stopped AND am going outside right now to walk by myself, remembering I can't indulge like that AND sit on my butt, too. Credit.
BillBlueEyes, 100% correct, that grapes don't mess with your head like fried pastries and candy both do. Credit for passing them both up especially since I'm SURE they were strategically placed so you wouldn't be able to miss them.
Val(va1erie), I look forward to your recipe. It's right down our alley. Nice credits yesterday, even if dinner was "not so much". It's my experience that the healthy habits I practice the rest of the day "do " help me to keep a grip when I end up at the Chinese restaurant (although never with a bunch of kids and friends).
MaryAnn, *credit* for a most deserving goal , "to make it easy on myself". This process is never made easier with self flagellation.
Tazzy, Congrats on reaching your mini goal and setting a new one!
Pam(atga), I must look funny to others when I do my spontaneous exercises at the gas pump, but I don't care anymore, because you said it, "any movement can burn calories." Credit for all the assistance you give to others, while keeping focused on your own personal challenges!
Robin(4EverLearning), major credit for making "excellent choices" at the many events last week which required you to show up although exhausted, without any clue as to what food would be available. Sending supportive thoughts your way as you look ahead and forsee another difficult week.
Beverlyjoy, hoping your mojo is heading back in the right direction. Mine was off yesterday, too. Credit for drawing your line in the sand.
Quick hello! I had my strategy for the potluck (thank you for that timely reminder, along with your wonderful words of wisdom.,Valarie.) However, at the last minute my mom wasn't feeling well enough to attend. Today went better than yesterday... it was 'sloppy', though. I did not journal or write anything down. I have my plan planned already for tomorrow. Credit.
Lexxiss/debbie - major kudo's for pushing forward in the face of not wanting to, - and for keeping up with the younger ladies in the walking group!!!! It's a good reminder... staying away from most white foods.
valerie - credit for your many Beck tasks! I am impressed, always, when folks include spontaneous exercise in their day. Terrific.
billbe - good job on passing the candy, etc at the store... I think on sale grapes rather than sweet greasy treats were the good choice!
4everlasting - sorry you've had to do so many things to be busy... along with not feeling well. phooey. I am doing a credit happy dance for your good choices of food at the meetings and NOT eating the brownies or cookies. Awesome.
Thanks everyone, as always, for your support, wisdom and friendship.
Last edited by Beverlyjoy; 10-15-2011 at 06:39 PM.
It's been about three months since I've actually made a food planning / tracking entry, and I just did one for today. Credit! Although the day is mostly over, I'm faced with the evening, and with a noticeable increase in late-night snacking. So I went ahead with a plan. I *will* stick to it!
All is crazy here, but fairly stable. I have perfected the art of blinder-wearing and compartmentalization, which is probably why I've been doing just the bare minimum for Beck, such as watching portions and exercising. And why I haven't checked in here for a while. Job application deadlines begin this week and will come up every week for the next month. I've almost got my application materials ready, so I'm hoping to return full-force to my dissertation in the next two weeks. At least, that's what my calendar is telling me to do.
My weight has been up and down, between 168 and 172, and I think the fluctuation has to do with my recent late-night eating. My DP assures me that I'm losing inches, and that the flab is tightening. It could be that my weight is stalled because I'm building muscle. I do know that I won't really be able to tell what is going on until I get this late-night eating under control, and that I will feel better if it's under control -- so, I'm going to try to add back in the Beck Food Plan to my already insane schedule.
I guess I'm trying to perfect the art of Permeable Blinders. I don't want to block out the positive Beck skills as I block out everything but my DP, my animals, my teaching, my dissertation, and job apps.
Sending much positive energy to you all! Thanks for always being here.
Lexxiss, I must ask--what kind of exercises do you do at the gas pump??
I woke up pretty early this morning despite my exhaustion, and I'm pretty much still exhausted! Weight was up .2 this morning, followed my plan, ate slowly and mindfully, remembered to save a bite of most things for my kitty, got spontaneous exercise but no planned, and posted here.
Val, my schedule isn't as crazy every week as it was last week, fortunately. But it will remain very busy through the rest of this school year due to my being on so many committees that meet at the main campus, 65 miles away, plus having so many evening commitments. But I think the spring semester will be marginally better than this one, and this one is half over already--it's flying by!
MaryContrary, I love the concept of Permeable Blinders! We all need to perfect those!
Robin
Last edited by 4EverLearning; 10-15-2011 at 10:08 PM.
Robin: I can't imagine managing your schedule after an operation such as you have had. The two major surgeries in my life ( one a c section) threw me off kilter for a month. You are your best resource. You need to preserve yourself for all the good you will do in the coming months (on all those committees.) Valerie: Congrats on a mindful breakfast. That is what I am working on tom.
I am a little better today. Weight was down to ticker. Pilates class. Harvest festival with son. Three books read with annotations. But I am tired and I am letting myself be tired. I have obviously been under emotional strain or the meltdown wouldn't have occurred. If I am serious about changing my behavior than I must CHANGE MY BEHAVIOR (Duh!)
So proud of everyone working out, making plans, telling the truth. I am going to watch TV. Can you believe it? I never do that.
BBE: Three loads of walnuts in today. The crisis of nut scarcity is adverted.
Sorry I am so late (or since this is Sunday, I might be considered early...who knows). I have been very busy with my upcoming Challenge. I have had several people accept, decline and both accept and then decline. I am afraid they are concerned that since I throw myself into working out that they will be expected to do as well. I am posting each day's exercises in the thread and I have told those that don't want to formally join the challenge they can do what they feel like. I am reminded of "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink."
Robin Just take care of yourself as your body heals. I hope this is part of the healing process and it won't last much longer. It sounds downright exhausting.
Speaking of your comment about the super-sized movie popcorn and beverage your friend had makes me wonder what do we owe our friends(if anything) when we see them making such choices like that? I have made comments in other groups about how diabetes is such a deadly disease, more so than a lot of people are aware of, and I personally know many diabetics who are on these sites who act like they are totally unaware of the consequences of their actions. Talk about having blinders on.
Well, I don't want to develop an "us vs them" mentality regarding all of this but the truth of the matter is I will more than likely continue to gravitate towards people who are willing to put their health first and foremost. I remember when it was maryann (?) who said some people are in our life for " a season, a reason or a lifetime." Well, I have come to treasure many of the people in this group and the other group I post in as well but the bottom line for me is always the work I do to become as healthy as I can. I consider it not self-serving but self-preserving. How can I have positive impact on someone else if I am not working my plan the way I need to be? I can't. I just can't.
marycontrary Keep working on reducing/removing that late night noshing. You will get it under control. I went through that a couple of months ago and now I can sit with hunger for several hours without eating a snack late at night. It will come. It will.
Major Credit to all of you who faced your particular challenge and came out the "Winner" (or should I say "Loser" since some of you had a resultant weight lose).
LexxissMajor Credit on jumping right in with the walking. Nothing like carpe diem.
beverlyjoyGreat Job in thinking ahead on the potluck even if the plans fell through at the last minute. You still are a victor and earned a victory lap.
BillKudos for hitting the sales on the good stuff! I love a good sale on "good stuff". Win-win situation. Speaking of which:
Credit: when I went grocery shopping this afternoon, I passed by a couple of food items that seemed "interesting" so I took a chance and I bought them. Tonight, while we were watching the movies we rented, I had for a "movie snack" (drum roll please because this is a FIRST for me) dry roasted edamame with sea salt, wasabi peas and raw baby carrots. I could easily "sneak" these into a movie theater. Just the right blend of salty and crunch. I think it was a rather "innovative" (for me anyway) way of also getting in some other vegetables.
I just saved an article on making your own yogurt cheese which will be another thing to 'explore". Supposedly, when yielded it is like tofu where it adapts to the flavors you add to it. Possibilities!
I spoke to an old friend who lives back in MN for awhile (we talk about every 6-8 weeks) who said to me "Pam, you sound so happy." I smiled because I am. I really am.
Emotional contentment trumps emotional eating every time!!
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Planned my walk (CREDIT moi) to Trader Joe's to reload on walnuts, pecans, and almonds. Accepted a sample of pumpkin ice cream, actually OK by my criteria of rare or unusual. It was awesome, so I bought a quart for the potluck dinner that evening. Everyone thought it awesome.
Actually, it was pumpkin day, LOL. At the supermarket I bought six cans of canned pumpkin that DW uses to make soup on occasional cold evenings. I'm worried about the threat of shortage again this year.
Debbie (Lexxiss) Yay for walking with the youngsters. Just love reading "walked up the back steps and joined the walking group" since many of us don't live on the side of a mountain.
Beverlyjoy Too bad you missed the potluck - hope your mom's feeling better today - I was looking forward to hearing what the seniors presented.
Mary (MaryContrary) Congrats on losing those inches. "Permeable Blinders" is a wonderful notion - I'll have to add that to "selective hearing" as a survival tactic. Kudos for making that food plan.
pamaga Neat set of new snacks. Baby carrots are my favorite highway driving snack. Yay for being so happy that it shows.
maryann - Three books in one day is some serious reading (presumable War and Peace wasn't one of them). Thanks for "If I am serious about changing my behavior than I must CHANGE MY BEHAVIOR (Duh!)" - sometimes I need to be whacked on the head, myself. [Hats off to your DH for saving the walnuts; I am relieved.]
Val (va1erie) Not doing badly at a Chinese place is OK in my book. The American version of Chinese food is so loaded with oils. [Thanks for posting the black bean casserole recipe - looks even better with the ingredients - especially cumin, my favorite spice.]
Robin (4EverLearning) - Ouch for continued exhaustion, but Kudos for "followed my plan" anyway.
Readers -
Quote:
chapter 4Stage 1The Success Skills Plan Success Skill 6Overcome Hunger, Cravings, and Emotional Eating experiment 2Prove to yourself that hunger isn't an emergency.
Many dieters think the same thing. What they don't realize, however, is that hunger isn't a big deal. It just feels like a big deal if you're afraid of it. Many dieters think that they should never be hungry and that feeling hungry is somehow bad or wrong. You may even wonder, Shouldn't I eat when I'm hungry? Actually, the answer is, "You should eat only if it's time to eat." It's important for dieters to know that hunger is normal and most people without weight problems get hungry every day, often a little while before meals. If you ask them what they do about it, they usually get a funny look on their faces and say, "What do you mean? I wait for dinner." They know that hunger is not to be feared or avoided and that food actually tastes better when theyre hungry.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), pg 76.
Persistance pays off!
Tazzy! 
on the "pounds-be-gone!" 
I "hate" those sample booths in stores. I feel that they are distracting when I have "a job to get done", plus there is always the "pressure" of having to purchase whatever it is they are trying to "upsell". If I wanted it in the first place, I would have it in my cart, right?
problem (the kind that make you want to pull someone's hair out-not necessarily your own) and no eating over it. Major Credit, Kudos and a 
Love ya all Pam
