[Lexxiss]

Hi Coaches!

An early check in for me. It's in the stars that we travel this afternoon and spend several days poolside. I've weighed already. credit. Yesterday was again 100% OP. I credit my willingness to once again bring my own food to work for that. I had not one bite at work except for my orange and sprouted grain muffin with the almond butter/SF jam mix I brought.

Despite "tired", I stopped at mom's after work to discuss the business dealings. I was delighted to receive her call later telling me that she had contacted both the attorney and the potential buyers of our "mill". If I have to travel back over for a meeting, so be it, I believe I will get at least one day at the hot springs. credit for persistence there.

This whole process of finding out what works/doesn't work for me in weight loss and maintenance is a challenging process. Last week when I was struggling I decided to go back to my secondary food plan, which is plain ol' calorie counting. After several days, I was willing to go back to my South Beach plan. Thankfully, I find that the scale moves right back down when I do that. credit the Beck skills that are available and my willingness to follow.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Feels good to be home. Traffic was heavy enough on the turnpikes to create tension. Unfortunately, some generous folks put up a FREE drink and snack tent at the Connecticut rest stops. To resolve tired and tense I indulged in hot chocolate, cookies, and cake. Ouch. I really only needed a brief walk to return life to my body. Otherwise, I was nibbling on baby carrots - as planned - as we drove when traffic was bugging me. I complained to DW that it was the worst oatmeal raisin cookies I'd ever eaten. She sweetly asked if it was the chocolate chips that made me think that. Ouch! I was eating so mindlessly that one corner of my brain was dissing how bad the raisins tasted while eating chocolate chips. What a blatant example of failing to notice what I eating.

onebyone – Thanks for the reminder, "pay attention" - only trouble happens when the mouth is engaged and the brain isn't. And Yes, Kudos indeed for maintaining your loss. Gotta love the additional motivation that getting off blood pressure medicine reduces unwanted interactions with doctors.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – It makes eating so much easier for me when someone else is eating sanely. Kudos for passing up the Halloween candy - three weeks of that stuff left to go.

Debbie (Lexxiss) – Congrats that the efforts you put into planning your business issues seems to be paying off. Neat example of switching to your backup diet plan for the duration needed - Kudos for being aware.

Nature Girl – Kudos for working your bike back into your life - with a riding buddy even.

maryann - Congrats that your short story will be published - what a great feedback that your writing is making it. Kudos both for staying the path and for compassion during your Tahoe rendezvous.

Woodland - Yay for vegetable soup, strong elliptical workout, and a clear head. Fun to celebrate a good day.

spanky - Ouch for pain of dealing with difficult transitions with your DS. Kudos for keeping your own sanity while doing so. I know that bewilderment when one of my kids became a different person overnight. (Cringing at the thought of all the specimens that didn't arrive yesterday, arriving today.)

Readers -

chapter 8 Stage 5 The Motivation-for-Life Plan

I want to assure you that most days and weeks and months and years will be relatively easy. But occasionally you will have a more difficult few days or weeks. At times you will experience more cravings, feel more deprived than usual, or tire of practicing your skills. Your life might become stressful, and when it does, it may not feel worth it to continue to put in the time and energy it takes to diet or maintain your weight loss.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), pg 187.

[lase88]

Good morning,

Fairly new to the Beck Solution. I need to reach out and get a coach. I have been reading the book, listening to the audio and just recieved my workbook. Yes , when I make up my mind to do something I go in all the way! Just like the past 25 years of diets. Jump in head first, lose lots of weight, only to regain again and again.

I can't remember how I learned about the Beck Diet Solution, but I listened to the audio and was completely amazed! I really thought I was the only one that had these crazy thoughts in my head! At 52 years old, I have tried EVERYTHING, but never worked on what I have come to realize is needed, work on my brain!

I will post a little about who I am tonight after work. So glad I found this option for a buddy!!

Linda

[Beverlyjoy]

HI folks/coaches... the date was changed to see the dietician. Even they have emergencies, too. LOL. It's next Tuesday. I've decided I need to get back to my meditation... that has been helpful in the past.

I have two programs this week. I've been rehearsing alot. It's fun to pull out the fall stories only done at a certain time of year.

I've got a sore ankle from gardening with my friend for four hours yesterday. I will stay off of it until Thursday... icing and resting it. I am not going to worry. I will make it through it one way or the other.

Thanks for your support.

[spanky]

Checking in with Team Beck! A good day today, despite an uber-busy work day with record numbers of specimens arriving...my plan was in place and I stuck to it. Credits!

I was on plan all day, and did 30 minutes on the exercise bike this evening. I passed the time by listening to my new Kindle "read" me a short story by Flannery O'Connor. The story was so good, I sailed right through a normally loooong half hour.

The final challenge of the day is to get through the rest of the evening without snacking.

Once I feel on track again, I'll return to personals, but for now my best to all y'all!

spanky

[HaleyJu]

Here I am in overload again. After being off work yesterday for the situation with FIL, I got a double whammy of "stuff" today. I managed to handle both yesterday and today without overeating (Big credit!) I'm at that point where I'm tired and can't get on top of all the things I need to do. I recognize the situation and this time I'm not going to let it get the best of me. (Credit for recognizing the issue). I may not be able to control much else right now, but I can control my mouth.

Thanks for giving me an outlet to give myself credit and to put down in writing my challenges. I need this to keep me going.

[BillBlueEyes]

Welcome Linda (lase88)

And, in case you didn't get this some 21 months ago,

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - It felt so good to do my gym, CREDIT moi. The dumbbells felt huge since I had skipped a few days to take the long weekend. But my body, with complaints, worked through it. I managed to arrive at the gym without my pass card and had a neat NSV when the young girl at the desk just waved me through with, "I know you." I'd never thought of being recognized at the front desk thinking that they'd only notice the young, buff guys. By-the-by, my new hero is the 97 year old guy in the news who rides his stationary bike some 100 miles a week; seems that his doctor ordered him off his road bike because he kept getting hit by cars.

Meals were on plan, CREDIT moi; snacks were large, Ouch. I did choose some healthy options. We had our first grapefruit for the season - delicious. Still have to wait for California to grow its Navel Oranges that carry us through the winter as our evening snack
.

Beverlyjoy – Yay for being so strong that you can do four hours of gardening and still stand. Just love that you're getting into your story telling. I've always felt that doctors and dietitians shouldn't have emergencies when I have an appointment, LOL.

spanky - Ouch for the "record numbers of specimens" arriving after a long weekend. Kudos for processing them instead of eating about it. Love that your Kindle can "read" you a story.

HaleyJu - Oh Yes, Super Kudos for recognizing that feeling of overwhelmed and then recognizing that you have a choice on how to respond to it. Hope things go well with your FIL.

Linda (lase88) - It's neat to meet someone listening to the audio version of the Pink Book. It's the "only to regain again and again" aspect of weight that makes Beck so appealing to me. I, too, felt that Beck was reading my mind when she described the thoughts in the heads of people trying to come to sanity with their eating.

Yep, we'll all be glad to be your Buddy/Coach and request that you perform that role for us. Glad you've joined us.


Readers -

chapter 8 Stage 5 The Motivation-for-Life Plan

Daily Motivation Plan

The Daily Motivation Plan will help you continually remind yourself that what you are doing to lose excess weight or to maintain you weight loss is so unquestionably worth it. You will do some of these skills every day for the rest of your life, and you will taper off doing others. The following show you what to do throughout the day.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), pg 188.

[spanky]

Good Morning!

One of the things I'm trying to do to help my diet efforts is to smooth out the chaotic parts of my day. DH and I decided to work on "Mornings" since they've typically been the most chaotic part of our home life.

First step has been to get up 1/2 hour earlier. This has given me the head start on DH and DS that seems to give me the space I need to take care of my own 'stuff' before they get up. I've actually arrived at work three days in a row with my hair combed and my meals planned! I've said my prayers and dealt with The Pack [my 3 remaining dogs], dressed, and have my and DS breakfast ready.

This is huge. Can a half hour really be all it takes? So far, the effect seems magical, but I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Still in testing phase, but it looks promising.

Last night I made it to bed without snacking. CREDIT!

The day's challenge will be the weekly Lunch Meeting for our lab. I ordered a grilled chicken and dried cherry salad with extra chicken to steer clear of all the other delicious menu items.

A wonderful, peaceful day to all here--and welcome to the newcomers!

spanks

[onebyone]

Coaches

Yesterday's quote seems to be all about me:

chapter 8 Stage 5 The Motivation-for-Life Plan

I want to assure you that most days and weeks and months and years will be relatively easy. But occasionally you will have a more difficult few days or weeks. At times you will experience more cravings, feel more deprived than usual, or tire of practicing your skills. Your life might become stressful, and when it does, it may not feel worth it to continue to put in the time and energy it takes to diet or maintain your weight loss.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), pg 187.

As a summary I'll just list stuff:
Looloo, my rescued Key West cat, is on a 2x daily antibiotic that we administer. We have to a) make sure she's eaten b) catch her c) hold her d) get her still enough to give the liquid into her mouth. This with a cat who hates to be picked up and hates to be fussed over. What Looloo is now doing a) peeing in the living room on anything that is soft, like clothes, socks, the quilted bag my sister made me with my new art magazines inside, the towel that was on the futon in case she had a nosebleed. Oh yeah, the nosebleeds were the issue. They've stopped (thank goodness) replaced with the peeing.
Just now, we dug her out of her hidey hole (HATE HATE HATE DOING THAT) to give her her medicine and DH noticed an open wound at the base of her ear from her scratching. Also, what was healing, the spot on her neck where they took blood from (she'd scratched that open/larger over the week) is now reddish again. I cannot imagine the waterworks from Looloo if we have to put a cone on her. OMG. All I keep telling myself is we just have to get to the end of the week and the antibiotics are done and we can leave Looloo alone to heal--if she can get past this.

Also, yesterday the landlord was in to fix our toilet which flooded the floor last night, and also came up in the tub. He wants us to pay for it/some of it/not sure. When the plumber snaked the thing it was hair in there which made me go wtf? But since they were talking in Persian, I couldn't understand what they were saying. The landlord also told us we have to get rid of our aquarium. I have a goldfish in there that's about 8 years old.

Everytime we have to interact with th landlord inevitably he says "I don't want to intrude or tell you how to live but..." Last time he told me the floor was "unacceptable" as in too much stuff on it/not clean enough/cluttered... G who lives upstairs, says our landlord is "like an oldlady with this place". I *really* want to move. DH *really* doesn't want to move, just because he hates moving. I am hoping my new studio will help me find some peace.

Foodwise: I was in the fridge after the plumber left. Did not have carbs. Had leftover meat and some cheese. I consider this a success, somewhat. I avoided all crap food, including holiday candy (we have both xmas and Halloween out now) in the dollar store as I bought another new litterpan for Looloo. I did not bring home any salty snacks either. I did buy pistachios and cashews. So, 60/40 on that. Accidentally left the cashews in the car so only had the other nuts to munch on and I didn't eat all of them. *credit*

*credit* weighed in today: 252.9lbs. Hallelujah Brother.

Off to figure out my day.

[Lexxiss]

gosh, onebyone, I am so sorry you are having to go through all this. It seems these are the times when focusing getting through the next "moment" seems tough. Kudos to you for getting here and posting...and weighing...and giving your best to be mindful of your food choices. Yes, this too shall pass, even when it doesn't feel like it will.

Hi Coaches!

I weighed this morning and made a plan, which so far I have stuck with. credit. I enjoyed the pool this morning (got a little exercise) and am thinking of a nap this afternoon. These are my days off, I remember.

[TeachMe]

So nice to read about the success on here. And honestly, it's good to read about the stresses, too. Not that I wish them on anyone, but because it reminds me that when I feel overburdened I am by no means alone. Sometimes we make it through unruffled and other times the ruffles get us by the neck, but we keep coming back.

I am having up and down days, but the scale keeps moving down, bit by bit, so I must not be too far off. I am still clocking everything I eat, and adjusting my calories if I've had more than my fair share one day. J
'Just like a real person,' I tell myself! Hahaha. Tonight I made brown sugar cookies and an apple cake. All for other people. Had one small cookie, so feel a big credit due for that.

Onebyone--your name says it all- that's the way I'll get there.

Spanky--I love Flannery O'Connor but haven't read her for years now. Time to dig some out, methinks. And so well done to you on the going to bed without snacking part. Reading that may have just made me think I can do the same myself tonight.

Maryann--you must be so excited! Congratulations on your story.

BBE--am inspired (but maybe not yet moved) by your dedicated exercise. Also loved your wife's dry wit over the cookie!

Nighty-night all.

[Woodland]

Hi Coaches,

Naturegirl - not sure why teachers find Beck so helpful. Maybe because we are the kind that think about motivation strategies with the kids.

For me it was amazing to finally find an answer to the question 'how to I get myself to do this?' I used to think the usual 'oh I have no will power, I'm weak' thoughts. No more !!

I made a mistake today. I had planned my food in the morning, considering that I would burn X amount after school with exercise. Later in the day I found out I wouldn't be able to do my scheduled exercise, but I forgot to adjust my calories for this. Oops. So I'm a few hundred calories over the mark for the day. Funny thing is, I do feel super full, and it feels weird in a bad way. I guess I'm getting used to feeling comfortable on less food.

Nice posts everyone. I enjoy reading your news.

[HaleyJu]

It looks like there are several teachers here......... I think we do tend to understand motivation and desire to foster it in ourselves.

Yesterday someone said something about listening to Beck on audiobook. I checked and found it on iTunes. I'm a big fan of audiobooks...... I plan to download it ASAP.

Today's credits are pretty thin. Eating wasn't awful but wasnt't great either. I keep reading about the value of sleep in weight loss. I think I'll make a point of hitting the bed earlier tonight. It may not do much for weight loss, but I will definitely feel better tomorrow.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Food was good enough, CREDIT moi. I long for being able to write 100% on plan again.

Took my walk even though it was lightly raining, CREDIT moi. Every day becomes more clearly fall. Heard its author present What a Plant Knows at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard last night. Learned that plants can be faked to flower in the winter when they think it's been a longer day from just five seconds of red light flashed long after dark. He calls it "seeing" just to get our attention. Left feeling like the avocado was a brother, LOL, due to so many shared genes.


onebyone – Ouch for your Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. May you find a sympathetic listener as Alexander had in the book. Kudos for "I didn't eat all of them."

Debbie (Lexxiss) – Pool, exercise, and nap in the same day sounds good to me.

Woodland - This is a super place to be, "I guess I'm getting used to feeling comfortable on less food." Kudos for recognizing that.

spanky - Amazing change by getting up just thirty minutes earlier - Kudos for making changes in your life. I love dried cherries in a salad.

TeachMe - Yay for "moving down, bit by bit" - just what makes for permanent weight loss. Love the thought, "Sometimes we make it through unruffled and other times the ruffles get us by the neck, but we keep coming back."

HaleyJu - Yay for going to bed early enough to get the amount of sleep you need. Some days "wasn't awful" is a victory.

Readers -

chapter 8 Stage 5 The Motivation-for-Life Plan

Daily Motivation Plan

each morning
Do the following each morning, before you eat breakfast.
. . . Prepare yourself as you get on the scale. If you are maintaining at a weight that is higher than your dream weight, be careful what you say to yourself when you step on the scale. Imagine how you would feel and how burdensome maintenance eating would be if you always said to yourself, I'm really disappointed . . . I want to be thinner. Then imagine how you would feel if you said, This is great! I've lost ____ pounds since I started . . . That's such an accomplishment . . . Because of what I did and what I'm continuing to do, I'm healthier, I feel better about myself, I feel in control, I fit into clothes better, and I have more energy. The former defeats you; the latter motivates you.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), pg 188.