I'm still here. Doing pretty well in these initial days of accumulating all the skills and practices. Today I'm working on a grant application due tomorrow about...skills and practices in an undergraduate [subject area] classroom!

Anyway, I'm still noticing how well planning works, even if it's just a few hours ahead of time. I remember that from before, when I was successful! If I planned what I was going to eat when I got home, I didn't eat the wallpaper on the way to a good dinner!

Hi all,

I was MIA all weekend and totally off plan. I think I gained 5 lbs over the weekend--I wish that wasn't an exaggeration.

I'm back on track today with food. No exercise--and hasn't been for weeks.

I've noticed that I've started eating faster again, so I'm working on slowing that down.

Longer post soon--for now I'm going to bed early with a book--I'm afraid I'm coming down with something and want to fight it off.

Tuesday
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Fickle moonbeam dawdles. This morning it's sitting in the kitchen sink instead of the middle of the floor like last Friday. If it doesn't hurry up, it'll start becoming daylight before I get a chance to see it. A lesson in celestial mechanics on my own kitchen floor - wish one of my kids still lived here to share this with.

Exercise was two walks, CREDIT moi, although I'm walking more slowly than normal. I'm on the mend. The other day while walking I went past some used books for sale and bought a 25 cent paperback because it had a neat Star Wars book mark with a black tassel. This isn't the first used book I've purchased just for the bookmark. I'm easily pleased. Unfortunately the book was SSN by Tom Clancy and somebody else - a book about a computer game! Its only redeeming value was to read overwhelming number of one star reviews on Amazon that warn one to avoid the book. It was bad.


onebyone – Waving. Voted today. Nine days left.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Thinking of your unhappy fridge without veggies.

maryann - Turning down mom's Mac and Cheese is a big deal - Kudos. Love the simile of a kid getting a savings bond for Christmas.

nationalparker – A Caribbean cruise in February sounds fun. Hope there's plenty of snow at home to make it worthwhile, LOL.

Beth (bethFromDayton) – Kudos just for surviving a weekend with ten pounds of sloppy joe's and eleven house guests.

sparks17 – Congrats on those six pounds gone forever. Thanks for the reminder to start mental prep for the holidays.

anakin - Love that "skills and practices" are also part of your professional life - great feedback there. Glad to hear that things are going pretty well.

Readers -

Good morning! Yesterday I planned a fast food lunch - had even been looking forward to it for a few days. Fit into my calorie plan well, so credit. But I am making sure today that I have more veg and less sodium, as I can't eat fast food that often!

I can't remember who mentioned The War of Art, which I have not read (not an artist of any kind), but I can recommend another Pressfield book, Do The Work. I should read it again!!

BBE - love the moonbeams!

Beth - feel better soon.

nationalparker - I have never been on a cruise..I am always afraid that it will make me seasick! But it still sounds like fun.

maryann - "life without food addiction" - I like that!

Anakin - I haven't 'met" you before so - Hello!

Hi coaches!
I created a meal plan and am proud of myself because this time I've stuck to it. It has also been 18 days since I last had fast food, which is really good for me because I used to have it every second day. I managed to cut down on fast food a few years ago and maintained it for 6 months. I hoping to get back to that and only have it a few times a year. I owe my current success to the scare of my hubby's diabetes and other health problems. I had no idea before how bad fast food could be until what it did to my hubby. My hubby had been feeling unwell for years and didn't know why. He has always been the type of person to avoid going to the doctor and eventually I convinced him to. By the time he got the results he was so sick that he was sleeping from 16 - 19 hours a day! He was also having difficulty walking. I was so scared and I was having panic attacks (they've gone now). I guess you could say all this caused an epiphany in both of us.

The empty fridge prompted a less than ideal solution for lunch, but good enough if it doesn't happen too often. The fridge is happy today with lots of lettuce, broccoli, carrots, and some sprouts that I grew on my counter. My kitchen will soon have ripe and green tomatoes because I'm going to cut down the tomato vines in my garden in advance of a possible frost tonight. I made pesto last night before the basil gave up the ghost. Most of it went into the freezer in an ice cube tray but I also used some in our veggie pasta last night. My kitchen still smells good this morning!

WI: +0.55 kg, Exercise: +60 1005/1400 minutes for October, Food: 80% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

BillBlueEyes: Loving your celestial observations. We moved six years ago to a house where the moon is more in evidence and I've come to a better understanding of where it is in the sky when it's Full versus where it is in the sky when it's a crescent waxing from the New Moon (which I observe shortly after sunset from a completely different window).

maryann: Your thoughts ending with the savings bond analogy were helpful. I've seen lots of advice along the lines of "you can't give up something if you don't replace it with something else." So, I keep searching for the something else. But, I'm beginning to accept that it's just bad advice for people with addictions. Nothing is ever going to be as good of a pleasure hit as satisfying the craving -- that's pretty much the definition of addiction. Fortunately, we do still get the savings bond and it is better in the long run. It takes a different mind set to appreciate it -- a mind set that, to me, feels more mature and nuanced (and that adds to my satisfaction of it).

Glad to see sparks17 back here after a long break and bethFromDayton after a short one.

When my alarm went off this morning (it's actually a light not a sound alarm), I decided to take a vacation day and RELAX. The weekends have been crammed. Ahhh. The house was cold (58 degrees) and I've been holding off turning on the heat to save a little money, but I was chilled! We will go to a movie later on as DH is off today, as well. He's working on a few projects and I'm enjoying an Eating Well magazine.

Bill - I've enjoyed your moon talk :) When it's the full moon many nights I can see it through our transom windows in the living room and turn out the lights and light candles and just enjoy it. In the winter when it's reflecting off snow, it's gorgeous. I feel like my mood is very in tune with sunshine and moonbeams :)

Beth - Glad to hear that you're back on track; hope you can stave off that bug!

Sparks17 - Thank you for the recommendation of the book, "Do The Work." I'm going to look that one up. I love the varied topics we cover in this forum. I'm always learning something! I haven't been on a cruise myself, so we're doing a shorter one - 4 nights. I never thought of getting seasick - I don't think I will, though - just with other trips on boats/ships. We moved from Italy to Spain on a ship and my mom was SO sick; had to wait a day for a storm to pass before we left Genoa. I remember my mom being nearly incapacitated and my dad frustrated with her, telling her to get up and get out on deck to look at the horizon. (a Navy man). :) Funny what we remember. I wonder if that's even what happened!

Considering selling my treadmill as my feet hurt more and more when I pound on it. I feel like it's "giving up" ... but want to check out what ForMyGirls used with her bike indoors. That might be a better solution for indoor winter activity...that combined with yoga.

Hi every one. I've been doing Beck for7 days now and haven't even started a formal diet. I have been eating slowly at table with no distractions.(missed 2 meals). And I've learned a lot. I've been eating things that doen't even tase very good so will do more cooking. I'm surprised how little I can eat and still be full. I've lost 4# and feel at least 2# are real weight lost. I'm on day 6 of Beck for Life and working thru the Exercises. Learning a lot. I had gastric bypass 5 years ago and they told me I might not feel hunger. I did skip lunch exercise today and went 8 hours and never felt hungry. (had a few other symptom at 6-8 hours) Huh - never felt hungry!!! That means all those times I said I was hungry it was something else. Wow.

Anakin - it does take a lot of time right now but you are right, planning works.

Bill - credit for your walking. Book mark was cheap buy for good feeling and it wasn't food.

Violet - keep going and you both will be healthier.

Mary Ann - Huge credit for staning OP with camping and food from relatives.

Hi everyone! :)
I've lost another kilo! Yay! :)
Starting exercise again on Monday and did some exercise yesterday. So far I've done some walking but I want to do some exercise at home too. I bought a pedometer because I figure if I increase my daily steps I won't be sedentary. It seems I'm starting to get the hang of planning what I eat and maybe I can finally progress further in the pink book. (I've been stuck on that for a while). My hubby and I have been talking about get a treadmill soon (hopefully we can find one that will hold our weights) and setting up a mini home gym with a tv and dvd player so we don't get bored while exercising. I've been wanting a treadmill for years so I'm really looking forward to it.

CattHill - Thanks! It's great you had a realisation about the hunger.

Wednesday - National Mole Day (think 6.022*10^23)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – DW explained that I'm seeing my moonbeam more clearly because of cloudless skies which, as a gardener, she decries because her plants need the rain we're not getting. I suggested that one can never make a gardener happy. She grinned, "Except when the first seed catalog arrives." This morning my moonbeam merely covered the window sill above the kitchen sink showing off our garden tomatoes that always sit there during the season. And it continues to get dimmer. Today's the day to thank the Italian scientist Amedeo Avogadro for taking the time to count the number of Carbon-12 atoms in 12 grams.

Walked, CREDIT moi, to exercise the old back that continues to mend ... slowly. I've been here before so it's nothing new. I didn't get into the bag of Halloween candy - CREDIT moi for stretching for a credit.


onebyone – Waving. Voted today. Eight days left.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Yay for a happy fridge. By the by, DW just purchased a stack of 'forever' stamps at the post office showing different old fashioned seed packets. Love the notion of a different window for different phases of the moon.

nationalparker – Neat to enjoy your full moon with candles. Kudos for tackling your treadmill decision without getting tangled up in a "giving up" Sabotaging Thought that could keep you from going forward.

VioletDolphin83 – Continue to send supportive thoughts for your DW's health. I know the part about males avoiding doctors.

sparks17 – Yay for planned fast food.

Nancy (CattHill) - Kudos for working your Beck strategies instead of plunging right away into a diet. Feeling no hunger is a surprise.

Readers -

Hi Coaches!

Internet at a crawl right now but I have an opportunity to check in. Food has been good, with the exception of one day at work where the goodies got the better of me. Right back OP with dinner. credit.

I have 3 days off and met with $$electrician/contractor at 730am. They are working. DH identified "overwhelmed" and took the car over the divide to our other place. As he was leaving his DD called with a car problem.

I had a real transition moment as I was left planning for my day. I had to very calmly go to the kitchen and start chopping veggies for my smoothie while off plan food stuff swirled around. Making that smoothie was very grounding and helped me get back on course. The thought that finally struck me is that all this stuff that is happening is now my responsibility....Matriarch 101. It's a scary realization but on the other hand I'm much better prepared than I was 90+ pounds ago. I am grateful for that.

Today I'm going to stay OP and stay home unless the contractor calls. I have a list which doesn't include mindless eating. credit.

I'll try to get back and say hello to everyone if internet permits later.

A collective thanks to everyone for persistence, encouragement and participation as we move forward on our individual paths together.

I have a nice credit to share! Yesterday my husband took me out to dinner - unplanned, as usual - and I ordered exactly what I wanted and did not overeat, but only ate about half of what was on my plate. Did not consider dessert, as I felt full. Because I had eaten well earlier in the day, I had plenty of calorie room left to accommodate my unplanned dinner.

Lexxiss - a list that does NOT include mindless eating :carrot:

BBE - sorry to hear about your bad back! Hope you are not in too much pain.

Violet - Credit for the weight loss - woohoo!

CattHill - That skipping lunch exercise was a real eye opener for me as well!

nationalparker - oh, your poor Mom! That is exactly what I am afraid of. And Do the Work was so good - helpful for anyone who has any kind of project, artistic or not.

gardenerjoy - oooohhh....pesto. Mmmmmm.....

I'm down 4# since last week. Some undoubtedly not fat, but it's all in the right direction, so I'll take it!

Credit: I thought I forgot my food notebook at home this morning, so I wrote down my lunch (even though I planned it) and breakfast on a piece of paper that I tucked in my pocket to take home. Then I found my food notebook under a paper on my desk, so yay.

Yesterday was my last really long Tuesday of the semester. My co-instructor offered to get pizza for our grad students and postdocs the week before, so I planned it into my day and could "afford" two pieces of veggie (my favorite). I ate slowly (why is it easier to do that in front of other people? Rhetorical question) and was satisfied with my two very good pieces.

I went out to lunch today with a group. Ate moderate, had small serving of fries and left 1/2 of that on plate. And I was satisified. First time out to eat since I started Beck 10 days ago.
Next Week I ham going to a retreat for 5 days and I'm already trying to plan how to eat. Food is furnished but there is always tons of extra goodies. I think I'll just eat the 3 furnished meals, no deserts, and limit myself to 3 snacks. I'm going to take healthy snacks so there will be some choise. I may take a few apples just for me and not put on snack table so I'm sure to have healthy.
This is 5 day quilting retreat and boy do we know how to eat.
I'll take advantage and response cards to read at least twice a day.
My goal for the 5 days is to come home weighing the same as I left.

Sparks17 - I'm glad you enjoyed your dinner out. And you are still are enjoying the credit of staying OP. Good for you.

Anakin - Good for you, staying OP even with pizza. Doesn't it feel good to remember that?

Hi Coaches!

All alone, I resisted having a second dinner. Credit.
I gave it my best shot to make the best of today amidst distressing news on the rental front. DH soaked in the hot springs and will be back tomorrow to join me as we start mucking out another property.
Changing THAT subject!

BBE, me thinks that staying out of Halloween candy isn't stretching for a credit. It's a big deal.

anakin, nice job with those 4# gone! Great that you found your notebook but had written your meals on a piece of paper
.
sparks, welcome back and congrats on your persistence in losing 6 more pounds. PS I'm already thinking ahead about the holidays, too.

VioletDolphin, I thought of you as I was defrosting/reorganizing my freezer. Everything in it is relevant to how we eat NOW. I have gone through my cupboards numerous times. In my opinion, it's worth it to do that cleaning out: donating, giving to neighbors, composting and if all else fails...pitching. Best wishes as you and DH are embarking on your new journey, especially as you are planning a home gym!

CattHill, thanks for sharing your observations regarding skipping lunch. It's a good reminder that hunger isn't an emergency. What a great strategy to start thinking about your retreat food now.

nationalparker, yay for taking a day off! BTW- I parted ways with my faithful treadmill several years ago. I no longer enjoyed it. I also understood I could find new forms of exercise I would enjoy more...and I have.

gardenerjoy, funny we have gotten so used to a fridge full of veggies! I am constantly amazed at how well stocked I usually am.

Beth(fromDayton), I hope you are feeling better!

maryann, thank you for sharing your very personal experiences with your food addiction. When I read, I am so cognizant of the fact that it's pretty difficult to move into the areas of our life that bring up those feelings until we abstain from using food to numb them. credit for feeling instead of eating.

Cheryl(seadwaters), thinking of you today, especially as I drive my elderly mom around.

CeeJay, great that you are acknowledging all your "new" behaviors and honoring them even when you eat off plan.

Take care everyone!