Diet Coaches/Buddies – It's become so cool that the gazpacho DW made with our new cukes had to be eaten inside. Yay for cool weather, but Ouch for missing out on dinner on the patio.
Eating was good enough, CREDIT moi. I got suckered by a homemade brownie when chatting with friends, but I stopped without falling into the platter. I did pass on some platters of manufactured cookies by reminding myself that I can get those anytime.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – Yay for green tomato Indian chutney pasta sauce - I could go for that.
Beverlyjoy – Yay for a good day without s'mores or peanuts.
maryann - Not licking a cake batter bowl is Kudos worthy, indeed. The little boy in me just reaches into a cake batter bowl with warm, fuzzy childhood memories.
nationalparker – LOL at the halo effect hitting you for dessert. That halo effect catches me all the time. [Interesting thought about the $0.49 vs FREE ice cream. I once found myself at a yard sale scooping up books for a nickel that I would have ignored if they were free.] Family stress is just the worst kind of stress. Kudos for making a plan for the next three days.
Beth (bethFromDayton) – Off plan and off plan to on plan - you're moving in the right direction.
ForMyGirls - Got another word: "tread lie" - which I'll presume to mean an Aussie bike. Kudos for standing down that sausage sizzle. I thought we had the only hardware store that handed out food samples, LOL.
Sue (Bunnababy) - Count me as one of those who's sent enough posts to "post heaven" that I keep a copy in word before I hit [SEND]. Neat perspective, "Food is a lifeline."
Readers -
Quote:
day 5Eat Slowly and Mindfully
eat slowly . . . . . .The researchers varied the pace of eating during each meal. For one meal, the computer beeped about twice as slowly as the participants' normal eating pace. For another, the computer beeped at the participants' usual faster eating pace. For a third lunch, the computer beeped faster for part of the meal and more slowly at the end of the meal. . . .The results? All of the participants ended up eating less whenever the computer beeped more slowly.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 79.
Hmmm. It is much harder to report in when I have behaved badly. The leftover birthday cake. I lasted most of the day and then mid afternoon the "I'm not really on the diet yet" tricked me into thinking that eating a slice was a good idea.
So what can I learn from this? I think that "now's my chance" is my #1 sabotaging thought. Infinite variations on that central message. So I shall write a response card. In fact I will do that now and come back to do credits and personals. Back soon.
I am really behind on seeing how everyone is doing here I see we have some new members - yay!
I had to return the pink book to the library before I finished "doing" all the days but I did read it twice. I also borrowed a copy of the green book, decided that I liked it better and bought it for myself. So I am going to go through the green book now!
I really need to settle how much planning is enough to keep me on track. The principles and the things I write on the cards have been so so so helpful. Planning on Friday what I am going to eat for breakfast on Wednesday makes me so uncomfortable - I never know what I will be doing on Wednesday morning till Tuesday night! I was concerned about this when I started using the Beck book and I was right. I can give myself an 80% for following most of the ideas/principles in the books but only a 25% for sticking to the planned foods. Planned amounts, yes. Actual plan - no. So I have been very discouraged, even though I have been losing weight. I feel like a failure a lot of days -
Well the response I wrote was "yes - you're right - this is your chance to change your life for the better".
Some credits for the day: chose not to eat the scheduled potato for dinner given the cake; ate slowly and mindfully every meal (even the cake); didn't buy junk despite being at the shops 3 times today (being mindful of my thoughts makes me realise just how habituated I am to "getting a little something" while at the shops; did the hunger monitoring thing.
National Parker - I so hear you on the "eating when I am by myself doesn't count"! Good luck getting through this nights with your DH on night shift.
Maryann - LOL at the distraction technique of cupboard scrubbing!
Gardenerjoy - nice work putting hunger in it's place
Bunnababy - doing the hunger monitoring was quite an eye opener. I think I shall do it. I was surprised by how not ravenous I was most of the day - and to actually notice how nice my body felt after an appropriate meal.
Beverlyjoy - nice work in not letting yourself panic about your foot.
Welcome back Beth!
BBE - well done on eating just one brownie! And right on the money with the meaning of "treadly". I am enjoying introducing you to some Aussie lingo :-)
Sparks17 - I am new to the Beck Solution so I might be leading you up the garden path here - but from what I have seen in your past posts you plan just fine! If you have an unpredictable life then planning is ten times harder for you. If you have found a way to plan for uncertainty then kudos to you - you're achieving at an even higher level!
My breakfast this morning is blueberry bread pudding (that I invented last night when I made it) and yogurt cheese.
We're having terrific weather. I worked in the yard and garden for four hours over the weekend and that's put me in good shape to meet my exercise goal this month after all.
sparks17: I plan suppers once or twice a week when I go to the grocery store. The rest of my meals get planned for the day either the night before or that morning. I've also come up with a limited number of things I eat during the day so it doesn't take that long to choose when I make my plan. But yeah, you may be being too hard on yourself and that's not helpful. If you're getting the results that you want, then, you're doing what you need. Planning is magic for me, but I hardly measure anything which is magic for a lot of other people. Do what works for you.
Quick check in. I am off to the mall and the Apple store. DS is taking a free class teaching garage band tech and movie making. I have packed lunches for us (budget saving since I still don't get paid till the end of August.) Call it crazy but we will be next to See's Candy and I plan to have NONE. I will get my free sample and give it to DS who will then only buy a couple more and so our whole lunch will cost about $1.50. Can I do it? Stay tuned.
Hi coaches - friends.... Yesterday was mostly on plan. I am grateful. I have really been concentrating on slowing down. I've had no distractions for most of my meals, unless they were with DH. I've many meals in the last few days get nearly to 20 minutes.... mostly 12-18. But, progress from eating very fast, which is my nature. Credit.
Yesterday I wrote everything down that I ate - I did, however, plan in my head. Sometimes when I kind of 'getting back' into using my Beck techniques - it feels overwhelming to start with everything. I don't know if that makes sense. Today I did write down my plan.
I was faced with DH's Jolly Ranchers and just walked by.
Also, I did my meditations, too. I think it's the most helpful thing for me.
It's a beautiful day where I live. The windows are open with a breeze coming through the house. So nice for July! I have a birdie chorus in the yard that is so nice to hear.
From the Beck Solution Facebook Newsfeed: Monday Motivation: Initially dieters often feel a sense of unfairness about what they’re not eating. However, along the way as they learn new skills and start to feel in control of their eating, they start to feel proud of what they don’t eat – not deprived. If you feel deprived, keep in mind that it’s HIGHLY likely this won’t always be the case. Stick with it!
Hello coaches!
Back from vacation (a week of visiting family in western Canada). Stayed on plan for the first half but fell off after my sister got to cooking. My DH and I give ourselves permission to go off plan too easily. I have asked him to help me with this and he says he's willing but when I say I want to eat something I shouldn't, he's right there driving me to the Dairy Queen ;-( It's not his place to keep me on track though so I'm going to have to nag myself instead. It will be much easier now that I'm home and have complete control over what gets put on my plate and how much exercise I can get. Re-read all of my notes on the BDS so far, did a 45 min walk at lunch (credit) and am planning on aqua-fitness at the Y tonight. Hope to catch up on the forum tonight. Cheers, Tracey.
It's been good for me to start over in the book. Funny how you see things you don't remember from before.
Today I took my brunch out to the patio and enjoyed the fresh air. We have a huge forest fire only a few miles south of us and the smoke has been blowing our way but today the wind changed direction. The fire is totally out of control. We had 54 fires from lightening strikes and some of them burned to each other, over 10,000 acres.
Credit for eating slowly and mindfully last night at dinner and today at brunch. Credit for realizing that following and DOING the steps in BDS are what is going to work for me.
Sparks--I am wondering from reading your post if you could maybe incorporate three choices in your breakfast column, that way you are still planning ahead but have some flexibility.
BBE--Brownies, yum! Good job not diving into the whole plate.
Beverly--I do feel that sense of unfairness creep to the surface too often.
ForMyGirls--The hunger monitoring is a real eye opener. Love your response.
Mayann--Good plan for See's. You can do it!
Gardenerjoy--Sounds like a really nice breakfast.
Tracey--Looking forward to getting to know you.
Nationalparker-- Some days I feel like anything called food is my biggest challenge!!! Stress is a big one for me too.
I know Beck is right that we don't just start eating without a thought but it sure feels like it sometimes.
Just a short entry today--food OP, exercise OP. Scale is recovering from the weekend--I'll give it a few days.
sparks17, I generically plan my breakfasts and lunches when I plan the week, but don't worry at all about sticking with the plan as long as I stick with one of my "go to" breakfasts. I have a handful of "go to" breakfasts and alternate between them depending on how much time I have that morning. I try to plan it the night before, but even if I change in the morning because I feel more like cereal and sausage than a frozen breakfast (or feel like a fried egg instead of cereal), I consider it a win.
For lunches, no matter what I sketched out for the week, I don't "commit" to the lunch plan until the night before when I pack it.
Dinners I usually stick with the plan because the week's dinners have to match the week's grocery shopping!
Long Monday ... very busy at work, and at home this evening. Long conversation with DH about our weight/fitness and he agrees, we need to get on board and do better. I've not made ANY progress since April, backsliding a few pounds. Feel a sense of relief this evening in a way. It's still all just words, but I feel less alone in this. But it does have to be done alone anyway, but ... we need to support and not tempt each other. And I realize we both do that.
Day was mostly OP - over by 112 calories. After yesterday, I can live with that.
ForMyGirls - "Now's My Chance" - that is EXACTLY what I think when I'm enjoying something 'extra' alone. That will be on a response card. Now's My Chance to ... be the active person I want to be, be the healthiest I can be, to grab hold and gain control ... I'm going to use your "Now's My Chance" as my jumping off point on a response card. Thank you!!
Bunnababy - How far are the fires from you now? Wildfires are alarming to me. Your brunch on the patio sounds wonderful, though.
Bill - Are your temps among the lowest in July you can remember? I know ours have been for us - last year it was 103 on Thursday, this year 72. Crazy. Wish we could have gotten out camping in the cool temps.
Tracey - I can completely identify with your line about you and your DH getting each other off track easily. I'm thinking about how DH and I can recognize this easier.
Aiming to do more personals tomorrow. Hang in there, Maryann! How was the See's experiment? I like your year-end goal to see slow and steady progress that's maintainable.
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Did gym, CREDIT moi, (without having to discuss with anyone that my gym shorts were new and purchased on sale, LOL). Walked to the library to pick up a book and bumped into Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea. I couldn't remember how it ended; that made me wonder if I'd ever read it. So, I checked it out and read it. Now I remember how it ends. Best guess it that I know the story but might not have read the book. Another thought is that I'm slowly forgetting all the books I've read in life and thus can spend the next several decades rereading them as if they were new. Can't decide whether to laugh or cry.
Food was good enough, CREDIT moi. Dinner included the first yellow beans from our garden - absolutely delicious. But eaten inside as we experienced LOUD thunder and a ferocious downpour . . . for a minute, Caribbean style - great show but little water on the ground. Followed by sunshine again.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – Yay for four hours of gardening. Are you harvesting veggies?
Beverlyjoy – Yay for progress in eating slowly.
maryann - To mall, Apple Store, and See's Candy your response is, "NONE" - Kudos all.
nationalparker – Oh Yes, the conundrum of the human condition: we have to do it alone; we have to do it together. Kudos for tackling this.
Beth (bethFromDayton) – LOL at "Scale is recovering from the weekend," with my mental image of your scale out bar hopping all night.
sparks17 – My take is that the benefit comes from making a plan and having it in hand. Substitutions to deal with realities of the day don't feel like off-plan to me.
Tracey (Tracey on a journey) - Yep, Kudos for "a 45 min walk at lunch." Sobering reality, "have to nag myself instead."
ForMyGirls - Love, "now's my chance" - Sabotaging Thoughts do sneak in via any tiny crack. And even more love your Helpful Response, "yes - you're right - this is your chance to change your life for the better - Kudos for working that through.
Sue (Bunnababy) - Kudos for seeing that "DOING the steps" is the secret.
Readers -
Quote:
day 5Eat Slowly and Mindfully
How to Slow Down
If you habitually eat quickly, switching to a slower eating pace might feel uncomfortable at first. You might need to remind yourself to put down your utensils several times during the meal and to wait 10 to 30 seconds before picking them up again.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 80.
Great day today. OP. which felt very empowering after falling off the wagon a bit yesterday. Credit for riding this morning. Felt a bit like "This is just what I do in the morning" which was a nice feeling. Worked out last week that a way to not be overwhelmed was to only expect myself to do planned exercise on 2 workdays. Am really liking that as it feels like a real bonus having a "day off" and a bit longer to lie in in the morning tomorrow. Biggest credit for the day was withstanding a long string of sabotaging thoughts while making an evening hot drink.
Thinking of doing the "no lunch" learn to tolerate hunger thing tomorrow. I have a slowcooker meal cooked so it will be a good day for it because I won't need to be prepping food. Bit terrified about it though. Which is wierd - there have been plenty of days in life that I've been too busy to stop to eat, but somehow being deliberate about it is awfully different.
Gardener joy - blueberry bread pudding. YUM
Maryann- look forward to hearing how you survived hanging out next to See's. though for me I'd be using all my willpower up resisting the temptations of the Apple Store as I am a total gadget girl!
Beverlyjoy - just noticed the Margaret Thatcher quote in your signature - what a cracker! And I am so with you about meditation - when I am on track with that so much else in life runs smoothly
Traceyonajourney - nice to meet you! And great observation about not expecting your partner to make your decisions.
Bunnababy - nice work on the slow and mindful eating. I'm finding that bit hugely helpful.
Beth - "food OP, exercise OP" - so succinct, but so meaningful!
NationalParker - good work talking to your beloved and naming the challenges of being on the journey together - in some ways it makes it easier, but in some ways it makes it harder I think
BBE - LOl re getting to read books again by forgetting them. I don't usually read books or watch movies twice - but when they are good enough to warrant a second round the hardest part is always waiting until I've forgotten enough to start again. (Really want to watch "Six Feet Under" for a third time - but not sure I will ever erase enough to do it!)
It's just about all I have time for. My #1 focus is getting back/staying OP and keeping up with my at home exercise routine. I was at ticker pre-wedding trip and I want to keep plugging ahead to shed my few pounds of water weight then see where I land.
Thrown in the busy mix....cherries and raspberries are ripe and need picking and processing every day. The water project is finished and I need to come up with 2K for the final payment....work and a trip over the hill tomorrow after trip to Denver for mom's eye appt.
With regards to the wedding trip, I did pretty darned good....B+ I would say. We (and vitamix) arrived as planned and we drove directly to the coop I had located. It was so nice, for a small town...deli(we had lunch), lots of organic produce(we stocked up) and all the other supplies I had wanted to have at our motel room. All meals (other than smoothies) were at the ex's home and I ate whatever they provided. My choices were in proper proportions. credit. I did "grab" several oreos the first day and made the decision to stop. I didn't have any more the entire time. One piece of wedding cake although I could have joyfully enjoyed much more.
Highlight of trip: decision to bring vitamix and make smoothies in the morning
Lowlight: bugs bugs bugs AND getting bitten (possibly) by a BrownREcluseSpider. It was BAD...My whole hand became swollen and dysfunctional. A SIL, who is a nurse, helped me keep an eye on it and I didn't go to ER. Instead, I used the vitamix to blend fresh gingerroot and apples to boost my immune system and got some extra rest. It was getting better the day we flew home and it looks like I'm on the mend. At work yesterday, our EMT/coroner looked at it and said I was lucky but to keep a close watch in case the tissue starts dying (ouch). He says it looks like it could have been much worse.
I am so grateful I continue to make my health a priority. credit.
I am already back on track with my food plan and am remembering all the wisdom that has been shared here regarding post trip "stuff". I have also made it a priority to get everything unpacked/washed/put away....remembering that my physical environment affects my food choices, too.
I look forward to catching up here....first I have home exercise and work.
PS When we entered the terminal in Denver (post trip) something smelled really good....sweet...tropical...couldn't figure it out. We got upstairs and I identified....B*A*N*A*N*A*S....hmmmm.....I'm still intrigued!
Monday
I see we have some new members - yay!
Stress is a big one for me too. 
It's just about all I have time for. My #1 focus is getting back/staying OP and keeping up with my at home exercise routine. I was at ticker pre-wedding trip and I want to keep plugging ahead to shed my few pounds of water weight then see where I land. 
