[QuilterInVA]

Good afternoon! Its a rainy day here and that is depressing.

NationalPark, I lost all the weight with the original Weight Watchers plan back in the 70s...I've actually been a member of WW for 42 years, with 39 being a lifetimer - with occasional laps. I've tried other plans, but always go back to WW because it works for me. I wasn't much on exercise until about 5 years ago and now I'm something of a senior gym rat. I do about 11 hours a week of water aerobics, water zumba, yoga, pilates, weights, and treadmill. I have osteoporosis and COPD and both require lots of exercise to keep what I have.

My hardest time of day, eating wise, is the afternoon. I plan a snack for then and keep busy so I don't think about eating.

[Beverlyjoy]

HI Becksters/coaches/friends... things are going better for me. I have made thoughtful choices... not, planning however, yesterday. I got on the scale this am (two days in a row... credit) Scale is down. yay... almost back to ticker weight.

DH got his candy today... he got something I would never eat. Hot Tamales.. to 'spicy' for me. Thanks to DH.

I, too, celebrated National Bird Day - I posted on my fb page for everyone to tell their favorite bird(s). My favorite is the heron. I have yet to see a kingfisher... but, it's been on my wish list since I was a kid. Now it's on my bucket list. LOL

nationalparker - credit for facing the cold. It's good exercise. Gym is too, of course.

maryann - credit for cutting out sugar and white flour. That's wonderful. Carry on and have a good time.

quilterinva - major credit for bringing all that exercise into your life! So many folks do well and also use it as a lifetime plan.

onebyone - credit for tracking your food. I think WW transitional snack work fine. PLan for whatever it takes to keep moving forward.

billbe - I am doing a happy dance in your honor as you move so well through your leg/ankle rehab. It's wonderful you can do more at the gym.

lexxiss/debbie - sorry to hear about all the things that are so challenging. Credit for making a plan for dinner!

bigcheifdavid - glad your venture off your plan ended well with a meal of 2 slices of pizza and a salad.

furturefitchick - I am so sorry about your sick pup. It's so hard. I hope that DH can work it threw. It makes it double hard for you. Glad the turkey and cauliflower perked his appitite a bit.

violetdolphon -WELCOME So glad you posted.

Hoping you are all having a great day.

[Electro]

I seem to.be more of an observer than poster apparently, but I am still working my way through the tasks. I am preparing for my eating out experience during the week.

I already plan for when I eat out, but do admit that my one major slip occurred while eating with friends. I am subject to the 'unfairness' of having to make the choices I do, even though I am really satisfied by what and how much I can have on the program.

The smaller portion control experiments shave gone well and recently I even put back half an allowed treat because I was full. Normally I was having one per day regardless of being hungry and they are expensive, this time that half sat in the fridge for four days before I got back to it. That was money saved and the treat wasn't missed. good result and a work still in progress.

So I am actually looking forward to this eating out experiment, I already do some of the things, but I am always interested to see what sneaky thoughts slip in, while I am paying attention for a change.

Ok. Off to read the rest of the posts and catch up with everyone's progress.

Jenn

[FutureFitChick]

Hi, Coaches & Buddies.

Sad to report that we had to put pup down Friday night/Saturday morning. She had gotten really weak and we were unable to control her pain any longer. There have been lots of tears, the worst of which came unexpectedly when I tried to vacuum the room she had been in the most during the last week.

My dearest friend just stopped by with a full dinner for us, which was so kind of her. It was eggplant parmesan (very light on cheese and breading), but I didn't worry about that tonight. I will make my lunch tonight for tomorrow.

Thanks again for everyone's kindness.

BeverlyJoy, I am delighted to read your performance went well. I think you are well within your right to toss the junk. You have been doing this long enough, he should understand! Good job for taking care of yourself.

BillBlueEyes, good job hanging in there getting your boring PT done. The concert sounds enchanting.

BigChiefDave, still laughing at the cape-deal! It's fun to see how this technique enters our psyche in response to lots of different things.

Electro, no worries about posting! Jump in when you can!

Lexxiss, sending supportive thoughts to you while you deal with this difficult family stressor. Hang in there.

MaryAnn, I'm jealous of your MFA residency! That sounds wonderful. What I am picturing is a chance to go some where quiet and get intense amounts of work done. Am I idealizing it?

NationalParker, bummer about being over on calories. Great job getting in the walk and hitting the gym. I was so sad with the Colts loss today. Next year...

OneByOne, good job for getting your environment organized in preparation for a potential pending illness. Your yoga class sounds terrific!

QuliterinVA, your kitty sounds wonderful. I'd love to see a picture of her! Congratulations on your weight loss and for planning ahead!

[Beverlyjoy]

Futurefitchick - I am so very sorry to hear that your doggie has passed on. We love our fur-kids with all of our hearts. I know your heart and DH's heart are broken now. Think of all the fun stories and times you shared. How nice that your friend brought supper over. So very kind. Sending you a hug. Take care now.

[Lexxiss]

Futurefitchick, petting my kitty right now reflecting on how much joy our animal children bring us and how incredibly painful it is to let them go. I send you supportive thoughts as you walk through this painful time. ((hugs))

Well I have been keeping busy at home helping keep my mind off the continuing situation. I weighed this morning and have been OP all day. I have a plan for dinner and am proud to have resisted sugary items at grocery. I am sipping on a stevia dring right now which seems to quench my "thirst".

[nationalparker]

FutureFitChick - You're in my thoughts - what a tough thing to go through, yet something we have to do when the time calls for it. Grieve. And grieve some more. I'm sure someone has already sent you the Rainbow Bridge "poem" but if not here it is: http://www.petloss.com/poems/maingrp/rainbowb.htm a definite tearjerker but good to believe we'll see them all again one day, or experience their souls, or whatever we may believe along that line.
Good that you were strong enough to say goodbye and alleviating her suffering.

[maryann]

Evening, all.

Future Fat Chick: The MFA is not a quiet time because of seminars, projects and workshops groups. It is a productive time, always forcing me to improve my thesis. I do take a hour for each meal, chatting with my buddies over coffee but NOT food. It has been a terrific growing experience.

I had a big credit. I had meetings straight through afternoon. Some emotional. There were homemade cookies at the faculty reading. For a moment, I suffered from what Beck calls "overly positive thinking." Meaning, I thought "I can have a little of that. In an instant I could have given up a winning streak of a week without sugar/wheat.

My advisor says I am completely on track for graduation in June - good news.

Wish I had time for responding to all but your logs are helping to keep me on the healthy path.

Welcome to the newcomers. There is peace to be found here.

[bethFromDayton]

I'm new to 3FC. I had never heard of Beck until earlier today--I've already ordered How to think like a think person, Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time, and The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Weight Management: A Step-by-Step Program.

I ordered a paper copy of the book, but I think that the things I've read here suggest that it would be good for me to have it on my phone as well.

I'm just starting off right now--trying to figure out how to approach changing my eating and exercise habits.

[gardenerjoy]

I finally feel like I'm ready for the New Year. Since I consider the Christmas / New Year season to go through Twelfth Night -- I'm right on time! So, Happy New Year everyone and hope you all had a wonderful Epiphany!

WI: +0.05 kgs, Exercise: +50 295/1400 minutes for January, Food: 90%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

So sorry for the loss of your dog, FutureFitChick -- take care of yourself!

Welcome, bethFromDayton!

[Nature Girl]

It's kinda nice to be on this continuing health and wellness journey that started for me at the end of June so that I don't feel compelled to make the traditional resolutions that are so hard to keep. But coincidentally, after a two week break from school, it may SEEM like these newish routines/goals I want to add to my journey this week going back to a regular schedule are resolutions--not true!!!
I went to PT three times a week while I was on break, a refresher course to pinpoint the particular weaknesses left in my shoulder. It helped a ton, and our main goal was to target a manageable series of daily stretches and 3x weekly strength exercises I could do without supervision to keep up the good work. So now I need to do those---duh!
I finally got out this afternoon on the beach in my wellies and parka--enough daylight now that I should be able to do that for 1/2 hour after school.

So my new routine: every other day shoulder strength alternating with opposite day cardio, preferably on the beach. This is pretty do-able and doesn't depend on gym schedules or other outside influences, just seriously bad weather and my own focus.

The other thing I really want to get in the habit of is posting here. I read every day but usually just compose my message in my head---I think a lot about what I learn from all of you and your journeys, and would really benefit if I took the 10 minutes to physically write something down. That makes more of a commitment and keeps things concrete.

So I'm going to try a 21 day challenge because my good friend used to say a habit takes 3 weeks to stick: Write a message on this site daily, with responses to at least three people. I think the deal will be 'If you read the posts, you have to post yourself.' That should keep me from being such a lurker!

Combined with my 4 eating 'Rules' and Superfoods focused eating plan I believe these three changes will help me get rid of those 2 pounds that crept back and continue my slow but steady weight loss until I reach my goal. Which, I need to remind myself, I am two thirds of the way there!

BBE: Rehab is slow and steady--11 months after surgery I am still improving! Hang in there.
Gardenerjoy: I agree about Christmas lasting until Epiphany--that's why my cards are just going out (and our tree always comes down 1/6).
Maryann: Isn't it crazy how we can talk ourselves out of success so quickly?! Good for you for waking up before those cookies hypnotized you and undid your awesome record.

[BillBlueEyes]

Beth (bethFromDayton)

And, since you've just joined,

How did you happen to find out about the books by Dr. Judith Beck?

And how did you find this Beck Forum on the 3 Fat Chicks site?

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies – On plan 100% CREDIT moi. Especially sweet since I hovered for an hour chatting and drinking coffee around eight different cookies and nut/cranberry breads without having a single one. They were all factory made and not on plan. I also wasn't hungry - as if this had any relevance, LOL.

Did my rehab exercises twice at home and walked to the gym to do the stationary bike, CREDIT moi. I watched a smallish young woman tearing up a treadmill. I was in awe. Nothing about her appearance would have given me a clue that she had such high cardio endurance. Can't wait until I'm rehabbed and get away from such displays of endurance better than my own.


onebyone – I'd love to fully internalize, "taking action leads to contentment" - instead of pondering forever why not taking action isn't working. Good luck in mastering *MODERATION*.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – And wonderful Epiphany to you as well. It does feel like we're really in the new year.

Debbie (Lexxiss) – Continued Kudos for separating a difficult family situation from eating.

Nature Girl – I'm so jealous of your walk "on the beach in my wellies and parka" - you do know how to enjoy the great Northwest. Kudos for working so seriously on your physical therapy. [And thanks for the encouragement for mine.]

Beverlyjoy – I never tire at looking at herons. We get to see Kingfishers around here fairly often. They're neat because they chase food then return to the same branch so they're easy to follow.

Susan (QuilterInVA) - I like the straight forward strategies, "keep busy so I don't think about eating." When I first started, I took my walk immediately after work since that was my cheese-and-cracker time.

FutureFitChick – It's such a painful walk to be a loving decision maker for our furry charges. After we made that decision for our much loved Aussie, we were able to replace her memories with the joyful memories of her first fourteen years instead of her difficult last year.

maryann - D*rn Sabotaging Thoughts sneaking in while you're enjoying your success.

nationalparker – Kudos for out walking in 18 degrees - that's cold for sure. [Yeah ABBA ... glad to know I'm not the only fan left.]

Jenn (Electro) – Big Kudos for putting back half a treat - that's being mindful alright. Good luck on your eating out experiment.

Beth (bethFromDayton) – Neat set of books for beginning your journey. Kudos for thinking about choosing your eating plan and your exercise plan. Sounds like you've got in mind a slow, steady process - the kind that has good prospects for success. Glad you've joined us.

Readers -

chapter 2
What Really Makes You Eat

Eating Begins with a Trigger

If you can identify the triggers that evoke sabotaging thoughts and lead you to eat in unhelpful ways, you can minimize your exposure to them or change your response to them. The Beck Diet Solution shows you how to deal with triggers by learning how to do the following:

• Modify your eating environment.
• Tolerate hunger and craving.
• Think differently about food.
• Deal with your emotions in a productive way.
• Make eating healthfully a higher priority than pleasing other people or satisfying a momentary desire.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 29.

[nationalparker]

Hello! The weekend sure slipped by me speedily this time and my alarm clock went off a half hour later - I must've accidentally adjusted it when cleaning off my bureau (an old fashioned non-digital type) ... so rushed out this morning but credit for having packed my breakfast and lunch last night. But not a demerit (?) for not looking closer at what I grabbed in the fridge, as it wasn't my lunch, but something else.

I need to get back to my Beck's book - there are still chapters to be read, but I put it aside before Christmas, and haven't gotten back to it. Perhaps that's why I'm getting lax in reading my cards, etc. My eating trigger here lately has been stress. When my DH left with his daughter to take her home yesterday, I walked straight into the kitchen to get something to eat. Credit for recognizing that and emailing a friend instead, but why do I do that? It's a semi-stressful time when she's here, eyerolling, pouting and self-centeredness that has become more prevalent and I struggle with.

Goals for today are getting in more water, taking a walk outside with dog and DH (need to get home well before dark to do that), healthy lunch, and bypassing the work kitchen area that has been restocked with gourmet chocolates and chocolate covered oreos all individually wrapped from a chocolatier - that clearly makes it that much more special. They're not SO SPECIAL that I can never choose that again another day, right?! AND review some of the behaviors and read the next chapter in Beck's.

Sounds like everyone is really starting the new year out strong. Reading everyone bypassing temptations, choosing wisely even with stresses in their lives, has me realizing I can do it - thank you for posting!

[Beverlyjoy]

Hi coaches, friends, beckies - Yesterday was a healthful day... on plan. Yay. Credit. I did accomplish many of my goals: drank lots of water, weighed (down some), planned/measured/logged food, took 3 cleansing deep breaths before each meal, & ate slower a few times.

The ham and bean soup in bagged up in the freezer for a quick meal later on. My neighbor gave me her left over ham & bone after she said she was going to pitch it. (there was ALOT of ham on the bone) I made a big pot of soup that DH and I had for dinner two nights, packed up 3 quarts for the freezer, 2 single servings for my mom and stepmom, and ended sending soup back to my friend's family when they game down with the flu. I told her to never toss it again.. I"ll make soup or she should. Also - I've made some brown rice to use in several meals this week. So I am getting back into the planning ahead mode - which for me is always so helpful.

My back is really feeling alot improved since the plumbing pulled muscle incident. Grateful for that.

nationalparker - thanks for the reminder of using/reading the Beck book. Big credit for the email instead eating - distraction is a good technique. You asked why you head to the kitchen in times of stress. Sadly, it's how many of us have dealt with stress all/most of our lives. Luckily, Dr. Beck give us tools/ideas to use to avoid the unplanned eating. Knowing all this, I often go into the kitchen with stress and often eat. For me it's willingness.

billbe I am doing a happy dance in your honor... not eating those cookies and breads is a huge credit. Yes, you will get back to the gym the way you like it. It takes time... phooey on that!! You are doing great. PS. When we were in Cape Cod the ranger said that their are many kingfishers in Mass. and the cape. I didn't see any, though.

Bethfromdayton WELCOME! So glad you posted. Folks here are helpful and kind. You've ordered a good array of books. I am anxious to hear how the are helpful.

naturegirl - major credit for not having to make the big weight resolution this year! Glad the PT helped. You have some good goals, for sure.

gardenerjoy credit for being ready to 'dive in' again. We all need some of that sometimes, for sure.

maryann - Credit!! - for passing up the homemade cookies. Glad to hear you are on the right track for graduation.

lexxiss/debbie - you had a great credit for dealing with your stress without alot of food. Well done on your planning, being op, and resisting the sugary sample at the grocery!

I want to end my post today by saying something that I often deal with... anger and/or guilt for putting back on any weight. We must forgive ourselves if that is the case.... and move forward, then, of course.