onebyone
 

onebyone: I am so sorry to hear of the sudden death of your brother. That must have hit you hard and I am sending you love, support, and prayers in the days ahead. Do your best to take good care of yourself "in the meantime!" Hugs to you!!! :hug:

I haven't posted lately, because I haven't really been following the Beck principles since my trip to Ireland. Not sure exactly why, other than I feel "freer" without the constant thoughts about restraining my food intake. I know that is NOT what Beck is all about, but I sometimes feel like the more I think about food, the harder it is to control it. So I am allowing my time this little period off. I have not completely abandoned the Beck principles and still totally believe in them. I will be back! I had foot surgery Tuesday morning to repair/lift dropped 3rd and 4th metatarsals. Hopefully, this will be the LAST foot surgery I need!!! I would love to be pain-free on my feet once and for all. Would even love to walk/jog at some point! First, I must take care of myself and recover well. That is my main focus right now.

Sending love and support out to all of you as you continue on with your journeys!!! I will be checking in and trying to keep up to date. Just might not have much to say for awhile.....

A newcomer in your community
 

Hello,

I have just joined 3FC and have decided I would like to be part of this crew. I have always believed that it is the psychological dimension that is most vital to any health campaign. So Becks looks like it could be a good thing to me.

I have just done Day 1. It is a bit scary to be delaying starting the "diet". Worried I might lose my motivation - but I guess really the reverse is true. And then there's that inner gratification thing - how I am going to magically wake up 20kg lighter tomorrow if I don't start dieting now :)

But what I noticed when I did the ARC is that the biggest reasons are all being able to do more stuff. Has felt lately like life is just about putting one foot in front of the other and getting through each day - and that ain't living.

So that's where I am at right now. Hope the day is treating you all well (though given most of you seem to be in the US you're probably all asleep right now!) I look forward to getting to know you all soon.

Hi all,

Today has been an OP day--exercise and food. My only deviation was to substitute grapes for strawberries for dinner. BFF used up all the strawberries making a smoothie for DD.

Having a smaller lunch worked for me. I had my frozen meal, but only brought a piece of fruit to go with it--not the veggies & hummus as well. I was hungry for my afternoon snack, but that's okay--I'd planned for it. And I felt better than I did when I'd been eating more food at lunch.

I also hit a new low on the scale today--if it sticks around a day or two, I'll update my ticker again. Being so successful does make it easier to keep going!

I'm starting to psych myself up for the big weekend party next weekend. I'm going to read my response cards about it every day so that I have the "one treat an hour" hammered into my brain and I'm really fully committed to it. I don't know yet if DD is going--she may elect to go to her dad's if she's not feeling up to it.

ForMyGirls: Welcome!

IBelieveInMe2: Foot surgery stinks--being unable to get around is no fun at all. I hope your recovery is speedy--and complete.

onebyone: I'm keeping you in my thoughts. Take care of yourself--no matter what form that takes.

gardenerjoy: Here's my planning response card
maryann: I'm jealous of fresh peaches! When do you leave for LA?

Tracey: 13000 steps is a lot! That's awesome! Good luck with your vacation resolve--there are chapters in Beck about eating out and eating on vacation--you might want to sneak ahead to them if you haven't already read them.

nationalparker: I'm glad to hear your dog is doing better. You've got some great vacations planned!

BillBE: Consuming food doesn't change the weather? Are you sure? Yay for going to the gym!

Best to all

Welcome ForMyGirls
 

:welcome: ForMyGirls :welcome:

And, on the occasion of your first posts, :wel3fc:

How did you discover the books by Dr. Judith Beck?

And how did you find our Beck forum here on the site, 3 Fat Chicks?

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Instead of my usual lunch of a sandwich made from peanut butter, pecans, and a fruit high in potassium, I ate the left overs from the Thai Restaurant the other night. CREDIT moi for using leftovers before they get tossed by DW for stinking the fridge. Eating was on plan enough - dinner at a restaurant was just shy of large enough to split and take home half.

Barely moved all day in the heat. Walked to our community garden to provide water to suffering plants. CREDIT moi even thought it's nearby and not much exercise. The plants were happy and yielded one cuke and a mess of parsley for tonight's salad. Tomatoes are growing, but still green. I look at the Basil and just drool while waiting.


onebyone – LOL at eating "Holy Crap" - neat the censor allows that even though sh*t becomes ****. Continuing to send supportive thoughts.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Thanks for the benefits of having a food plan. I particularly like, "What I lose in the pleasure of spontaneity, I gain in the pleasure of anticipation."

maryann - So interesting that a soup and salad doesn't trigger the negative responses that come with a salad only.

nationalparker – Yay for "super duper clearanced" shoes - the shopping angel does occasionally strike. [My two favorite Response Cards: 1) Healthy life style allows "I am engaged", and 2) Healthy life style empowers personal and spiritual growth - "I am being responsible"]

Beth (bethFromDayton) – Congrats on your new low scale reading. Kudos for planning this far in advance for your weekend party.

IBelieveInMe2 – Cheers for the "LAST foot surgery" - take care of your feet and you'll find your way back to taking care of the rest of you.

Tracey (Tracey on a journey) - Congrats on your "smober for 9 years, 6 months, and 16 days" with thanks for teaching me a new word.

ForMyGirls - Waving toward down under. Yep, it feels awkward to begin by learning how to diet rather than immediately following an eating plan. Kudos for accepting that and moving forward. Glad you've joined us.

Readers -

Thanks for the welcomes Beth and Bill!

I found out about the Beck solution from this thread! I have used mindfulness a lot for various life challenges, but also a bit for weight loss in the past so when I found 3FC I searched for mentions of mindfulness to see if there were people using it here. And this forum kept coming up so I decided to check it out. First I ever heard of the Beck solution was your introductory message on this thread!

Did "Day Two" today. Primary diet is the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet - probably not known outside Oz but I have heard good things. Back up plan is DASH - though I'm not as sure of it, mainly just because I don't know as much about it. Anyone used DASH?

Still wrestling a bit with the idea of being on "a diet" as opposed to just "fixing up my eating habits" but I think I need the structure. There are so many layers of confusion around food - it is very hard to know which are the rational bits of my thinking. Hopefully Beck will be able to help me through the maze.

Hello, all, and a special welcome to ForMyGirls! Glad you're joining us and I look forward to learning some of your challenges and solutions you find. I get so many tips from everyone on this thread.

Busy day yesterday - worked in a hot warehouse on a volunteer project for two hours, walking the whole time ... then a lunch at work that dealt with the inactivity and obesity topics. Got home and DH had cleaned off and inflated the tires on our bikes. Now I haven't ridden but once in about 25 years (the day I got the bike) ... I worry about falling and am working to overcome that. Seriously, if I fall, I will get scraped up but that's about it, hopefully, so I need to get past that. We went riding and it was good. So got up this morning, tended to the pets, changed and got out on the trail on my bike alone to try to get a little more steadier. Did 25 minutes (some of which is coasting, but I'm out there and enjoying a beautiful morning with songbirds all around). :) Much cooler than last night when it was 90. So I'm hoping that I stick with this because it's easier on my feet and easier on DH's knees. Also took pooch out for a short mile walk last night so she got some lovin' on the trail. All in all, a busy, active day, credits for that. Dinner and snack fit into my calories easily and credit for cooking at home and not going out.

I do not have a solid plan for today. Lunch is out with a coworker/friend and dinner will be homemade.

IBelieveInMe - glad to see you poke your head in here ... have missed not reading your posts. If inclined, keep joining in even if not following Beck's solidly. I feel like an imposter when I'm not reading response cards but some of the positive actions people are doing are rubbing off on me by hanging around these healthy planning folks! :) I might be picking your brain on Ireland if DH keeps bringing it up. He found a good deal, but it's including nights in American brand hotels and that is something we vowed to not do when traveling ... but the deal is good and it's swaying him.

Onebyone- I am so sorry to hear about your brother. Take care of yourself through this unexpected journey.
Hugs
Ann

Hello everyone,
I too have been missing in action as I feel that I am a not strictly following Beck so I am not worthy of posting in this thread.
I haven't been walking much here as it has been very hot and humid. I have been exercising in the pool everyday.
Maryann - I love the money challenge you recently completed. What a great teaching lesson for your son and how fun.
Hello to everyone and congratulations on all your success and overcoming challenges.
I have missed you all.
Take Care
Ann

I followed my plan, 100% yesterday. Woohoo! And I have a plan for today as well (credit). It's a generous plan, as yesterday's was, but I think that may be my best path to beating back resistance. If I get myself back in the habit of following the plan, I'll be miles ahead. I can always tweak it later if it's not giving me the results I want.

onebyone: grief and shock make things really weird. Just observing it is a useful strategy so good for you for writing it out here.

ForMyGirls: Welcome! Sounds like you're off to a great start. I have used and liked DASH. It really did seem to help with the blood pressure. I got the biggest kick out of getting to count potatoes as a vegetable (most plans have it as a starch). I got to a point where I found it hard to lose weight on it, but I've been meaning to try it again to see if it would work as a maintenance plan. And it did work as a weight loss plan earlier in my journey.

bethFromDayton: thanks for posting your planning response card -- that's exactly it!

Hi all,

Today would have been an OP day--except I had an ice cream treat after dinner that wasn't in my plan :-(. I may get them out of the house again, if I feel I need to have one that badly. On the credit side, I still haven't been tasting DD's high calorie smoothies.

Exercise was OP. Strangely enough, I'm noticing a muffin top I didn't have at a heavier weight--strange.

I posted this in mini-goals but wanted to share it with my Beck friends!
http://www.bweiss.com/pictures/weigh...aircompare.jpg

Best to all

Moving onward
 

Coaches

The details for the funeral have been set: Sunday. I reached out to 2 old friends of my brother's and they will both attend. This makes me feel good. My brother deserves to be remembered by all who knew and loved him at all stages of his life. I will also benefit as some of these folks are part of my past too, from when we sold our work together in the farmers' market and at shows. Lots of great memories and lots of laughs.

We will leave Saturday morning. My Key West sister is wending her way with her DH via Amtrack from Miami to Albany then driving to Ottawa. They left at noon and will arrive, they estimate, at 4pm Saturday. He will not fly. SIL has offered to shelter both me and my DH and my sis and her DH. Truly a kindness toward us on her part.

We will not tell my mother. She will not be at her son's funeral. With her alzheimer's/dementia it makes no sense and could do harm. And so, this is very strange. What is stranger yet is my father, a life long alcoholic, not only outlived his son but sent a handwritten letter to my sister this week. It arrived I think the day my brother died, or right before. She is bringing it with her to show me. His health has been improving and what went wrong that my brother died? I have not asked for details about his death. i will get that soon enough. it doesn't matter much to me as he is just gone.

Foodwise, I continue to be unable to eat meat and I do not even want to have any fatty things at all. I did feel a pang of *desire* for it today but faced with actually doing it. No. It is super linked to death for me right now. I am so hyperaware of what is going in my body I have never experienced anything like this before. I am eating beans so am getting protein.

Have a good night.

BethfromDaytonKUDOS! that is a significant weight difference and I bet it is easier to get up and down off of those chairs too. *BIG CREDIT* love the hat btw.

Friday
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Hot and muggy. All day. I moved as little as possible. Today's forecast: Highs around 101. Heat index up to 110.

Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi - easy peasy, lemon squeezy in the heat. Dinner included some small tastes of left over crispy duck (not even my left overs so I felt like it was FREE, LOL). Snacks were blueberries.


onebyone – Kudos for reaching out to your brother's friends so they can be at the funeral. Super Kudos for continuing to be mindful of your eating despite the pain.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – That's a neat sequence: get to a plan that you can follow, follow it, then work on the tweaks.

Ann (Newlifestyle) - Many Kudos for "exercising in the pool everyday." Posting status seems to have the most benefit when we feel we don't deserve it. I'm glad you posted today.

nationalparker – Yay for getting back on your bike. 25 minutes is a great first ride. Such a high activity day to contrast with your lunch topics of "inactivity and obesity."

Beth (bethFromDayton) – Congrats on the loss made so evident by your two pictures. It's dynamite that both times you were caught standing on a chair.

ForMyGirls - Kudos for marching forward and completing "Day 2 - Pick two reasonable diets." I understand the draw to "fixing up my eating habits" - that can be your next goal.

Readers -

Hello all,

What inspirational photos Beth! So amazing to see your transformation.

So even though I am not "on diet" yet, this preparatory phase is making me be much more mindful of the food decisions I make. So some ups and downs from today: had choc-chip banana bread for breakfast "because it needed to be eaten!" decided not to eat a cupcake my kids brought home from a play date. Decided not to eat the leftover lollies I found in a party bag in one of their school bags. Chose to have a burger for lunch while out with the kids, but then resisted the urge to add cheese. Room for improvement, but still a bunch of things I would have eaten 3 days ago without even thinking about it. Did all my eating sitting down too so on track for Day 3 of the prep. Looking forward to finding out what Day 4 holds.

Hi Coaches!

Once again, I'm finally back at my "real" computer where I'm able to actually type vs hen peck with the iphone. Food choices have been great *credit* and it has been reflected on the scale. I have checked in everyday at SBD and with my Beck Diet buddy. Credit. I'm feeling confident about our trip on Wednesday and yesterday I completed my shopping with a trip to the store for undergarments for wedding day. I was pleased to again knock down another size w/brassiere. I purchased 2 new in the correct size although I certainly plan not to stay in that size, either. It's important to me to wear correct sized attire as I continue on my journey. Credit.
The water project continues and I hade to transfer 8K to the checking account, all from waitressing. I t is a great feeling to recognize the benefit to our financial situation which has been a result of my losing weight. This was not possible 90# ago. Credit.

:welcome2: ForMy Girls! I'm glad you found us. I also found BDS through 3FC and I've made great long term headway. My mindfulness of daily choices is greatly improved, especially as I have learned "I don't need to finish it." Awkward, still, at times when I'm leaving 3 spoonfuls of yogurt for tomorrow, but I'm learning it's ok. Dr. Beck says that many of us will lose some weight in the two weeks before we start our "diet" as we immediately become more mindful of our choices. Credit to you!

BBE, yay for OP eating! Take care in the heat! I couldn't miss your reference to your high potassium fruit. :lol: We are out of apples and have been using that high potassium fruit in our morning smoothies.

onebyone, kudos for continued mindfulness regarding your meat choices. You can get plenty of protein without it. Credit for reaching out to friends and getting everything lined out for your trip tomorrow.

Beth(fromDayton), thanks for sharing your pictures. What wonderful progress! Looking at your pics I can see why your family is so supportive of your process. They see your transformation every day and have become such a strong part of your support system. Credit to you all!

Gardenerjoy, yay for 100% op and a generous plan to beat back resistance. I wrote your 4 steps in my Beck journal. They have worked so well for you getting back on track. I am wising up and am anticipating the possibility that my resistance may be low as I return from this wedding trip. Credit to you and thanks for sharing your process. PS: love your insight on the benefits of having a food plan. How true!

Ann(newlifestyle), glad to hear from you any day! I've been missing you! Yay for exercising in the pool everyday. Question: Could you make a card which would help you with your resistance to posting here? When I hear your words, I am not worthy….I recognize that Dr. Beck has a CBT solution for sabotaging thoughts. Hope to see you soon….

nationalparker, yay for getting back on your bike! Credit credit credit! I love the experience of enjoying a beautiful morning on a bike. Even when I'm coasting I feel I'm making progress on another level.

IBelieveInMe2, glad to hear from you, too. I hope your foot surgery resolves your issues for good. It would be so nice for you to be pain free. Kudos for not completely abandoning your Beck principles. CBT is at work with you!

Maryann, kudos for weight at ticker and a successful $10 challenge. What personal growth as you recognized it's ok to make your own decisions about food choices when with others. Standing down the negativity of others is very powerful growth!

Tracey(on a journey), happy vacationing! I'm confident that even though you are new to Beck strategies that they will help you as you journey to Saskatchewan and Alberta. Have fun!

:wave: CeeJay and sparks!

Good Morning everyone,

Thank you Lexi and BBE for the kind words of encouragement.
I have been planning all my meals and that takes a bit of time with preparation. I find it easier to eat healthy if all the veggies are cut up and you just have to reach in the fridge and grab them.
I too enjoy the potassium rich fruit you have spoken of. My husband told me to stop buying so many as he can't stand to waste food so he bakes potassium rich bread with them once they start to ripen.
I went to farmboy and bought several different kinds of apples. I usually only by Gala apples but I am enjoying the honey crisp and Pink Lady apples.
I do wish I lived closer to Trader Joes, I enjoy their coffee as well as the other healthy items.
Beth, what a difference you are doing amazing.
Hello to everyone else.

Have a great day.

Onebyone, I am thinking of you, safe travels to Ottawa.

Take Care
Ann

100% on plan again yesterday and I have today's plan written as well.

I got into chiggers last weekend and exercise makes me itch! Yesterday, though, I figured out that I could do it in 10 minute spurts without ill effects and managed 70 minutes that way! I may meet my goal of 1500 minutes in July yet.

To everyone who is reading but not posting. I was doing that last month. This month I am posting and my life is getting better. Just sayin' :)

onebyone: I'm glad to see that you continue to listen to your body / spirit and respond accordingly. Within reason, and you're well within it, that's a good way to take care of your self at this time. I'll be thinking of you this weekend.

Love your before & after bethFromDayton! You look great!

BillBlueEyes: good for you for finding a way to cope in this heat.

ForMyGirls: yay for eating while seated! That's an amazingly powerful concept.

a grey-green sky
 

Hi Coaches

My potters' guild friend now has my keys to my apt. She'll be checking in on Caesar. *credit* I don't think I even told you that our holidays were cut 4 days short by a cat emergency last week. He had blood drops falling from his eye the sitter said and she took him to the vet--> infected eyelids/no blood just goopy stuff. He got a shot and she brought him back but we came home. I missed the acts I really planned to see. Still, we felt we had a vacation. And then my brother died, so now back to Ottawa we go--but new cat sitter and 3 nights max. Caesar is improved btw.

Today food called very strongly to me. I wanted to EAT, A LOT. I just sort of dismissed the drive to do that as not rational, not good for me, not needed... It was a bit scary how very demanding that urge was. It passed. I have not had meat again so far, and I made more soup. *credit*

*credit* I weeded the first area of my garden: 2 hills of watermelon, discovering a few marble sized ones, like the size of big marbles--croakies we used to call them-- 1 hill of cucumbers and oe of canteloupe. Everything is vining and flowering. It took about an hour and was deeply satisfying. We have a major storm right now (yay) so the whole garden will benefit from the rain. Lots of mystery tomatoes appearing.

Official weigh-in day: 252.2.
I was 258.8 on Monday.
Good riddance weight and the stress to put on my body.

Will check in later/tomorrow. I am holding all of you close as I navigate what will be three days of "food as comfort". I just don't see it the same way.

Hi all!

It's been an OP day for me. My walking partner wasn't in today, but I did my two walks on my own, so credit for that. I ate exactly what I intended to, except I didn't finish my rice at dinner--credit for stopping when I was full.

This evening, I watched a friend win on Jeopardy--I don't know how he's kept how he did a secret for so long--they're not allowed to tell anyone until it airs. I guess I'll be watching again on Monday!

Then I sewed--I put tucks in the waistbands of 2 pairs of jeans and a pair of capris so that I could continue to wear them. I know I'll be buying more new clothes, but want to avoid buying new jeans for a while longer. I have some too-big dress pants that would be too difficult to take in, so I will be buying new dress pants for work. I also did BFF's mending--buttons on one dress, taking in another dress, and fixing her apron.

DD is improving daily--the swelling is starting to go down, but she still doesn't look like herself. She left a book on my desk today--she wants me to read The Things they Carried so I guess that's on my list to read now.

Take care, all!

Saturday - Anniversary of First Step onto the moon
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Did gym to get cool, CREDIT moi. The guys doing a minor fix to the gutter on our front porch quit for the day because of the heat. I don't blame them and am grateful that they left it sufficiently operational for the expected thundershowers today. I can smell rain in the air as I type. Also exercised by watering our vegetable garden. Once again, I spotted a cuke only after I had finished my thorough search and was watering. I continue to marvel that an 8 inch cuke can hang invisibly on a small vine.

Food was on plan, CREDIT moi, including gazpacho for dinner on the patio made from the cukes I'd just picked. Life doesn't get better.


onebyone – Have a safe trip to Ottawa with its three days of "food as comfort",

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Yay for reducing exercise to small chunks to create a large total.

Debbie (Lexxiss) – Kudos indeed for "It's important to me to wear correct sized attire as I continue on my journey" - life is now, not just when we reach the next station.

Ann (Newlifestyle) - One of the great disappointments in my life was learning that "potassium rich bread" wasn't healthy, LOL. (Nor was carrot cake.) Kudos for cutting up the veggies in advance to make incorporating them easier.

Beth (bethFromDayton) – Yay for the reality of needing to alter the clothes to fit the new body.

ForMyGirls - The seemingly little things, like skipping cheese on the hamburger, are Kudos events just for their mindfulness as you point out. LOL at clearing out your kids bags - BTDT.

Readers -

Day 4 so I learnt about giving myself credit :-) and here I was just thinking you were all remarkably good at giving yourselves positive feedback!

So - some things that deserve credit from today: did all my eating sitting down, had just a few peanuts that were on the table, noticed sabotaging "I'm not on the diet yet so I can raid the pantry" thoughts this evening and realised a way to address them would be to read my index cards. Took the time to make a really yummy lunch with stir-fry veg and eggs from our lovely chooks.

A couple of lovely side benefits: felt like I was "in the zone" at one point on my bike this morning. Been such a long time since it has felt like anything other than a drudge. Felt motivated to sort out my little ones desk for her today which I have been wanting to get done for weeks. Have had a very peaceful relaxing "hiding from the cold weather" day today. Relaxed is not a state I find it easy to achieve so that was nice.

Challenge for the day: today I pretty much ate what I will be eating when I am on the diet. And I was hungry! These last 4 days have all been excitement and feeling empowered but there was a little bit of hard reality in there - this is going to be hard work!

Bit jealous of all you northern hemisphere gardeners - home grown watermelons and tomatoes. YUM!

trip looms
 

Hi Coaches

Well, it's time to travel today. In about an hour we should be on the road. I am taking care with my food as I have been all week. I am not about to backslide in what I know will be heaps of Italian delicacies and bottles of wine and everything else. I can't do that. I do not want to dishonour my body or my brother or try to mask this event in anyway. I need to feel this, to really get this.

I was overcome by just simply packing my suitcase last night. Today I woke up wondering about all my brother's things. All his projects, and about the globe cactus he germinated from the seeds I brought back from the very first plane ride I ever took, in 1999 to Arizona, seeds I bought to the botanical garden that I shared wth him and he grew. His globe cactus was the size of a softball. Mine is withering.

Gotta go. Will check back in. Will not overeat in the car.

Bye.

I had the day off work yesterday with dr. appts and half vacation day ... DH and I changed plans and went south a bit for lunch, then split up to browse in different stores before getting together to watch a movie at a dollar theatre I just found. Then dinner at a bbq spot where I made [cough] less than stellar choices but split it into two meals. Frustrated that I loved the slice of garlic toast to the tune of 250 calories (!) ... Logged it and counted it and went over and now am in the whole dang well ... I just stink at this, don't make progress, so what does today matter. So need to get out of this mentality asap. In thinking of credits, I did get up early and bike ride yesterday morning, walking for several hours shopping around.

Wait - I CAN rescue today. Starting now. Off to at least do some yoga, which I want to add back into my weekly routine a few times.

Credit to you National Parker for turning your headspace around! Hope you enjoy the yoga.

Hi all,

Today has been a great day. I got up early enough to go for a walk before my 9:00 appt. I got the car washed by the local show choir, returned books to the library, cleaned out my paper and email inboxes, cleaned out drawers--just an amazingly productive day.

And even while doing all of that, all my meals were OP and I'd had that morning walk.

So, credit for the whole day!

nationalparker: Credit for logging--and for splitting your meal into two meals (which can make a less than stellar choice into an acceptable choice). Bread is hard to skip, isn't it?

onebyone: Warm caring thoughts.

ForMyGirls: I laughed out loud at the "remarkable good at giving yourselves positive feedback"--we are, and you will be, too! Credit for biking "in the zone"--that sounds delightful.

BillBE: Your graden sounds fantastic. Fresh cukes turned into fresh gazpacho...credit--and jealousy!

gardenerjoy: Credit for writing out your plan--it makes such a difference, even if it is hard to get into the habit.

Newlifestyle: Credit for all the fresh produce you're prepping and eating. A friend of mine calls pre-prep "butchering the salad"! It's almost impossible to eat healthy by accident.

Lexxiss: Great to hear the scale is showing the results of your hard work. Enjoy your new undergarments!

Take care, all.

Yesterday went kind of haywire. I made a couple of substitutions for my plan, but they were equivalent -- that wouldn't have been possible if I hadn't had a plan in the first place. Today, I never wrote down a plan but I ate exactly what I would have written down--it was all planned in my head and I treated that plan the same as if I'd written it.

I just wrote a plan for tomorrow.

I'd like to join you guys. I'm planning on getting the book tomorrow. I wish it were available on the Kindle.

Welcome hughs dad
 

:welcome: hughs dad :welcome:

And, in honor of your first post, :wel3fc:

How did you learn about the books by Dr. Judith Beck?

And how did you discover our Beck forum here on the site 3 Fat Chicks?

Sunday
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – The thunderstorms threatened all day but never arrived, but the heat broke by late evening. I was busy all day preparing for dinner guests. We were celebrating a birthday with a "Birthday Watermelon" - candles included. Much good fun. Family at its best is just great.

I ate on plan, CREDIT moi, despite having access to extra steaks at dinner. Some are in the fridge and some got send home with guests. CREDIT moi for sending away desirable food. But I could already feel the desire to eat too much - as if a left over didn't have calories, particularly a left over that I'd already chosen not to eat to stay on plan.


onebyone – Such a poignant understand, "I need to feel this." Sending supportive thoughts for the process.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Yay for the freedom that comes from planning.

nationalparker – I'm always encouraged by the insight, "Starting now." I wish there was a BBQ place that had kiddie plates along with a huge salad so that a trip on plan was possible.

Beth (bethFromDayton) – I hate cleaning out in-boxes - both paper and electronic. For example, I saved the ad for home delivery of the New York Times at a really good price until I could work up the realization that I don't have a space in my life to read the New York Times every day. Kudos for your productive day.

ForMyGirls - Such a demonic Sabotaging Thought, "I'm not on the diet yet so I can raid the pantry" - I just love how insidious they can be. Kudos for recognizing it and acting. And thanks for teaching me the word 'chooks.'

hughs dad - Yep, I'm delighted that you've joined us. Which of Beck's books did you order?

Readers -

Hi Coaches!

My coworker started texting me at 130....partying too much and incapable of working. This was going to be my leisurely day to pack...go to breakfast w/mom, etc. So, I am packing now trying to get a head start and I am, unfortunately, working. Oh, well.

Food has been OP and I am thrilled to be heading to this wedding at my lowest (and ticker) weight. This has been planned for so many months and after my winter/holiday 10#, I committed myself AlaBeck to use my dieting/Beck skills and head to this big family affair at DH's Ex' turf at a low and confident weight. credit. I'm so grateful for all of you. Dieting is so much easier (and more fun) with supportive coaches! Thx!

BBE, a BD watermelon....I love the idea! I will definitely put that one on my list.

onebyone, sending supportive thoughts as you gather with your family today and share in the cherished memory of your brother. :hug:

:welcome2: hughs dad! I look forward to getting to know you better.

Special hello to Hugh's Dad! I am a newcomer here too (Day 4) so I look forward to us discovering the world of Beck together:-) You can get an e-book version for iPad/iPhone if that is any help to you.

Glad to be expanding your vocab with some Aussie slang Bill :-)

Feeling so empowered by all this at the mo. lovely feeling. Giving myself credit for: sitting down whenever I ate (especially when I had a mid afternoon apple which could so easily have been eaten on the run); taking advantage of a decent day weather wise and walking to the shops for groceries; noticing the "hey, I'm at the shops, now's my chance" thoughts and not buying into them.

This eating slowly business is tricky. Have to make sure I remember that, like meditation, you are succeeding when you notice you are not doing it, not just when you are doing it!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend for those of you who are having Sunday morning right now!

Aahhh... one more weekend day for me. I was able to semi-rescue yesterday with mostly veggies for dinner ... The storms threatened nearly all day here as well, with little rain to show for it. Rewarded with stunning sunset. I have more pictures of sunsets here than young mothers have of their babies. :) Well, maybe not.

Spent time last night downloading kindle books from our library for free- i search around on amazon and then check to see if my library has them and viola - I usually luck out. I feel rich with so many free reading materials waiting for me!

Welcome, HughsDad! I look forward to hearing what challenges you have and how you successfully work through them!

I'm struggling this weekend as I'm alone (DH is working) and while I thoroughly enjoy time alone, I'm sneaking food in front of myself. Well, yesterday I was. No plan. Aha! Funny how THAT worked out. Back to the book!

And Bill - you got me thinking SO MUCH of TREE NUTS (I've only ever called them nuts) and so when I went to market I picked up a bag of low sodium pistachios with limited servings (4). I didn't realize how much salt the regular ones had because I can really taste a difference. Credits for all of your gym trips this week!

No loss on the scale this week - wish I could say I don't know why, but the reason is evident.

GardenerJoy - i think it's you who says you don't prep your next bite until you've finished the one you're enjoying. I'm going to write that down and use that as my thought/goal for the week, along with cutting portions. I can certainly get back to "no longer hungry" vs. feeling fuller.

Lexxiss - Oh, that stinks that you have to cover for your coworker and lose a day of being off. CONGRATS on heading to the wedding at lowest point. What a major accomplishment to regroup after winter and GET IT DONE.

ForMyGirls - Great job on eating sitting down! Hope your weekend was great! What will challenge you most this week?

How many of you meditate on a daily basis? I'd like to add that into a routine - even for only a few minutes each morning. I find myself rushing to get out the door - taking care of the pets/letting pooch out, prepping breakfast, and now trying to add some activity into the morning when it's cool ... and was wondering do you meditate when you FIRST rise? Or right before zipping out the door? (I think I'd use up that time myself, so looking for tips).

Hello everyone,
Today has been on plan, it is much easier with veggies prepped. I have been working strange shifts at work and that requires extra planning. I find when I am tired I am not as structured, that is why planning works well.The heatwave here is breaking which is good as I can get out walking again. The pool is very refreshing during the heat.
I hope everyone has a great day.
Ann

Onebyone, I am thinking of you as you gather with your family. May all the wonderful memories of your brother help to give you strength during this time.
Take Care
Ann

Hi, all!

Today has been an OP day, food-wise, although I just realized that I haven't entered anything into MFP. I generally end up not doing a written plan for weekend days, but I have my "goto" meals and stayed on track.

Exercise-wise, I slept late and didn't get in a walk. I will walk tomorrow, though! Lunch and snack are all packed and ready to go for tomorrow--credit for that.

I usually do my week's planning Sunday evening and grocery shopping Monday after work. DD is out of ice cream and fruit is getting low--the stuff we use to make her smoothies. So, I did the planning earlier today and went grocery shopping. I didn't know grocery stores were that crowded late Sunday afternoons!

Take care, all. Have a great OP week!

Hi everyone,

Day 5 today. Finding the "choose a coach" thing a bit challenging. How do you all do that bit? Do you just use your posts to these boards? Or do you have individual coaches? There are 3 people in my life who I would trust for this role but there are big reasons not to ask each of them. Which makes me wonder whether chatting to you guys is what I should do. But I worry that it might not be "real" enough. I worry that if things get sticky it will be easy to just stop posting - whereas someone I already know would follow me up. What have your experiences been?

National Parker - the thing that will be challenging this week will be time / anxiety about time. I was on leave last week (and switched my work email off on phones etc so was really on leave!) first day back today. I really love my job and I have a huge amount of autonomy, both of which I am very grateful for but it does mean that it can become all consuming and it is up to me to set the boundaries, which can be challenging. So this week I am going to be battling my tendency to disappear into work. First taste of it today with eating slowly at lunchtime. Sooooo hard not to keep reading / answer some emails instead of noticing how my food tasted.

You also asked about meditation. I do mindfulness meditation on a very regular basis. In theory everyday, but it probably ends up being about 50% of days. I try to do it as soon as I wake up as I find I am far more likely to be able to actually meditate before I am in the "busyness" of the day. Tricky sometimes with little people in the house if they wake before me but they do try to leave me in peace :-) It makes such a phenomenal difference to my life though that it is really worth the effort to make it happen. I find that if I haven't meditated for more than a week then I see the difference the very first day I am back on track.

Credits for today: resisted the lamingtons (some more Ozzie lingo for you Bill :-)) in the tea room; didn't buy a chocolate bar when I stopped for petrol on the way home; really took my time drinking my coffee this morning; did some time planning last night so that I was able to get some exercise in before work today; managed to support one of my girls through a tricky experience today (not diet related but really important to me!)

Happy Monday to you all.

Monday - Full Moon
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – My triumph was to avoid falling face first into the platters of top shelf pastries from a local stellar bakery - CREDIT moi. I tasted three of them, with small enough bites that I'm pleased, and left all of the rest even knowing that what went unconsumed might get thrown away. Someday I'll get back to the path of taking none - but I'll accept credit for a good show.

Enjoyed the day with the heat spell broken. Had two good walks with DW, CREDIT moi. Also made it to our community garden to provide some water to the plants suffering from the heat. Picked the first two cherry tomatoes - sheer joy.


onebyone – Thinking of you - sending supportive thoughts toward Ottawa.

Debbie (Lexxiss) – Yay for being so much ahead of your game that you can substitute at work for a friend right in your busiest time.

Ann (Newlifestyle) - Neat to have those veggies prepped already.

nationalparker – Yay for Kindle books. I've avoided buying a Kindle so far - don't know how long I'll last. DD is reading J. K. Rowling's new novel because she could get it on Kindle immediately when all the stores are sold out.

Beth (bethFromDayton) – Kudos for continuing to make smoothies for your DD out of ice cream and fruit and not succumbing.

ForMyGirls - Yep, Extra Kudos for sitting down for all eating, including the snack of an apple.

Readers -

I was on plan yesterday and have a new plan written for today. Credit and credit!

I enjoyed meeting with out-of-town relatives between breakfast and lunch. Turns out that you can have a visit without food. We sat in their hotel lobby for a couple of hours to swap family stories and it was just right.

Welcome, hughs_dad!

onebyone: continuing to think of you. I hope yesterday went as well as it could.

ForMyGirls: the people on this board are my coaches and I use my posts as my reports. Collectively, there's a lot of wisdom here and you're unlikely to find anyone in real life with as much knowledge about the Beck principles as we have gathered here.
The only disadvantage is that no one is going to chase you down and ask why you haven't reported. I've had to make reporting here the first step to getting back on track so that I don't stay away too long. Fortunately, it really works. Not intstantaneously, but if I'm writing posts I'm confident that everything else will follow.

Very pleased to see the scale drop this morning ... 169.6 and trying to get back to my ticker weight after being over it yet for some reason resisting the act of changing it. For a few MONTHS.

Got two bike rides in yesterday evening. Did one, then called DH on his way home to see if he wanted to go, but after a 14-hr day, he's wiped out, so went again on my own. Credits.

Made turkey mozzarella bruschetta burgers yesterday (no buns with these babies) and boy, they are good. Cukes/onions and carrot sticks rounded it out. Made brussel sprouts for DH - that's all him. blech. Credit for marketing that included loads of fresh fruits and veggies and frozen ones as well.

Bill - You showed remarkable restraint around the high end pastries. YUM. I can pass things up easier if I know they WON'T be thrown out! I received the kindle as a gift, and had just said how much I love hard copies of books, so it was an ill-timed comment. I still enjoy "real" books but love carrying many on my kindle for travel and late night reading in bed. I resisted at first, but now...I only get the freebies from the library :) Even if I'm on hold for something.

OneByOne - I hope yesterday was filled with good memories/stories. Hope you know we're all thinking of you here and willing you strength.

ForMyGirls - Yes, feel free to use this forum as your coach. I've thought about asking folks to PM me if I am absent too long to reel me back in. But so far, I enjoy the accountability and camaraderie. Do you meditate before rising from bed? I'm thinking I need to get to a place that's away from the pets, etc., because I'll distract myself easily.

Beth - You are just STEAMING right along. Great job. Just fantastic! Good feedback from your last get-together?

GardenerJoy - I reread your goal story now and then and always get something to focus on - this time it's the "hunger is not an emergency" thought. Good to have that reiterated.

Hey everyone. Difficult week. I did not overeat but I did practically no planning - or exercise. Off to a better start today. I just saw my dr and my weight was great - too great. He checked it twice but I still don't believe it. My daughter has an appt with one of her drs his afternoon so I will double check it there. Of course, that will be after eating. But I figure...if it is within a few pounds, then it was probably correct! Either way, I hope to be able to put a new weight on my ticker, as I should be down somewhat.

Off to eat a late breakfast and plan for an early dinner - it is going to be a two meal day, with a snack (yogurt) 8ish if I am still hungry.

Hope everyone is doing well.