[bethFromDayton]

Hi everyone--

I've been OP this week so far--even made good choices while eating out, even if they weren't planned in advance.

My cold hasn't been enough to keep me home from work, but it's sure left me feeling sluggish by the end of the day. It's also been a long time since I had a job that kept me engaged and thinking all day, so I'm lot more tired at the end of the workday than I'm used to.

I'm going to update my ticker :-(, but it's the right thing to do to keep me honest and aware.

Tonight I'm going to create some new response cards--some to keep me thinking about my goals in the evening, when I find it harder to stay on track. (Mornings and lunch are easy for me if it's not a party weekend) My morning cards are advantages cards and motivational cards. I need some thinking reminders for the evenings: "I will be glad tomorrow that I didn't eat <x> tonight".

I need to do the exercise in the pink book to come up with some good responses to myself at parties and other "food out all the time" events.

I had extra fruit after our big weekend and brought it to work since I knew we wouldn't eat it all at home before it went bad. The bananas went quickly--the oranges and apples aren't as popular. So much for healthy snacks at work!

Take care, all

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies – My moonbeam continues to lag further behind, and it's getting dimmer. It's not rocket science to figure out that a four week cycle means that half of the full moon is gone in just one week. So obvious - don't know why I never thought of it that way before. Before I publish my observations, I'll have to start getting to the kitchen at the same time each morning. Wondering how Kepler did that since accurate clocks didn't yet exist during his watch.

Underprivileged child of the day tale: A neighbor rang our door bell long after dark last night. Seems that her child was assigned to bring in old newspapers to make the class scarecrow. "Do you guys still subscribe to newspapers?" she asked in that tentative voice reserved for talking to old people who might be doing obsolete things. CREDIT moi for donating used newspapers to save a class project.


onebyone – Waving. Voted today. Only seven days left.

Debbie (Lexxiss) – Love this line, "I have a list which doesn't include mindless eating." Next time I find my hand reaching for the wrong bowl I'll think about that not being on my list today. Ouch for another "mucking out" in your future.

VioletDolphin83 – Congrats on that kilo gone forever. Neat to buy a pedometer to motivate the walking.

sparks17 – Terrific to be able to go to dinner with your DH and not overeat.

Nancy (CattHill) - Congrats on that first time eating out while doing the Beck program with Kudos for "And I was satisfied." Hope you can separate quilting and eating for your five days.

anakin - Yay for planned pizza. Interesting that it's easier to eat slowly in front of others.

Readers -

day 7 Arrange Your Environment

Changes at Work
Here are some strategies that have worked for the dieters I've counseled:

• Ask for more helpful foods in the cafeteria.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 92.

[gardenerjoy]

Two days in a row, I've been eating sloppily. And, I'm up a kilogram since Monday. In particular, I'm eating a large snack in the early afternoon. I skip my second snack to make up a little for it. But I'm self-medicating something with food. I may need to work out exactly what needs self medication, but a faster solution might be to just rely on the structures that work for me. I have a good plan and I'm going to follow it!

WI: +0.45 kg, Exercise: +30 1065/1400 minutes for October, Food: 80% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

[nationalparker]

Another fly-by check in but it's a check in. First off, thank you, Bill, for making me realize that holding onto a treadmill that I might not be able to walk without pain on isn't setting me up for future success - I am guiltily holding onto it because of the amount spent, instead of looking at it saying, it served me well for four years, and not-so-well the past two. I saw the same item on our local craigslist for $250 and that would be nice as we head into the holiday spending months. It will still take me awhile to move to the selling step unless I can talk DH into putting it on his work's swap sheet. Another benefit of that is it returns my sunroom to me - I consolidated two rooms into that one when DH moved in, to allow for a guestroom/room for his daughter when she stayed with us. I love the sunroom in the winter as the sunshine warms it up gloriously on days when we have sun.

SIDE NOTE - it's snowing here today - this is completely too early for me. At lunch I ran home and pulled in a geranium, hibiscus, and a clematis that I don't want to lose ... they, too, will go in the sunroom. I think the hibiscus will die, though. I always take tender care of them until the holidays hit, then they get forgotten and dry out.

Worked late last night and dinner plans went awry as I called DH to meet me at Panera for a speedy dinner and then the movie, Captain Phillips. Intense. I saved my half sandwich from my dinner (ate the salad there) and was going to see if I was hungry later, but chowed it down during the stressful movie. I could have completely skipped it but it sure did smell good. Stress eating in action. Beware with this movie.

Tonight it's turkey chili with tomatoes, onions and peppers and beans galore. I do enjoy that meal. Will start a fire in the fireplace when I get home, so the house is cozy. I guess I have to celebrate the first snow somehow...

[nationalparker]

Found this in my email inbox when clearing that out from LAST October from Beck newsletter and thought it might be timely again - apologies for taking up a whole page here:

Remember: Candy is available year-round! Dieters tend to load up and eat lots of candy on Halloween, saying to themselves, "Well, it only occurs once a year." That's true, but Halloween is once a year, every year, and candy is available every day of the year. Drug stores and supermarkets sell fun-sized candy bars year-round, so you don't need to load up now. You can buy candy any time.

Don't buy candy until you need it. This may seem like an obvious piece of advice, but it's an important one. Many people buy Halloween candy a few weeks in advance, perhaps rationalizing that "it will be good to have that task over with," "I won't have to worry about stores running out," and "I can get the candy on sale." And then what usually happens? They end up eating some (or all) of it before the big day. Even when dieters are able to wait to break into the candy until Halloween itself, it can be a daily struggle to resist. There is a very simple solution to this problem: Don't purchase candy in advance. Even if it adds a small amount of cost or an additional chore on your already busy October 31st, isn't it worth not having to worry about giving in and expending the mental energy to resist until it's time?

Buy candy that you don't like so much in bulk and just a single serving of your favorite candy. You'll obviously have the most trouble resisting your favorite candy, so buy candy in bulk that you don't enjoy as much-you'll have an easier time resisting it, and when Halloween is over, it will probably be easier for you to throw away the leftovers, give them away, or donate them. You can and should buy a single-serving of the candy you like the most. This way, you'll be able to savor your favorite candy without worrying about having to stop yourself from going back for more.

Remember, the Halloween experience lasts for longer than one day. Even though the holiday itself is just a day, it is highly likely that you will come in contact with Halloween treats on the days leading up to and following October 31st. Be on the lookout for the common sabotaging thought, "I'm going to eat a lot of extra candy on Halloween, but it's okay because it's only one day." This thought does not take into account the candy that you come in contact with before Halloween, the candy you might have left over, the candy in your office kitchen, at your friends' homes, and at the parties and events you attend, before and after October 31st. If you're making a plan for Halloween, it's important to factor in the days before and after, too.

Get rid of left overs! If extra candy is in your house, you're likely to be tempted to eat it at some point. If you want to avoid having to resist leftovers, there are plenty of ways to get rid of them. Give them away, donate them, bring them in to work, or simply throw them away. If you have the sabotaging thought, "I can't throw the candy away because it would be a waste of money," remind yourself, "Either way the money is already gone. Eating the candy won't bring it back." One way or another, if you can limit your amount of exposure to leftover candy, you'll make it so much easier on yourself. And if your kids go trick-or-treating, it's also a good idea to immediately get rid of the candy they don't like or can't eat. If you keep it around, you may end up eating it or struggling to resist it. Remember, even though it may cost you a bit, in the long-run, you'll probably end up saving yourself thousands of calories by getting rid of extra Halloween candy and instead buying yourself a single serving of your favorite candy that you've planned to eat. This will help guarantee that you enjoy your favorite treat, when you really want it, and without the guilt.

[CattHill]

Just checking in tonight. tomorrow is first day I will follow a written food plan. I have been writting out for 3-4 days now but still changed during the day. No changes tomorrow.

Beth - I like your idea of response cards for the evening. I need them also.

National Parker - loved your candy notes. My house sits back on lot and fromt door is not visible from street so I don't get kids. I miss the trick or treaters but it's sure a blessing to not have candy in the house.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Even though I slept late, my moonbeam still waited for me in the kitchen sink. Pre-sunrise light was already about so it was barely hanging on. Goodbye moonbeam. We celebrate Mary Wollenstonecraft Shelley today for writing Frankenstein in 1818 when she was 21. Mary was one of those who never bothered with monogamy - didn't come close. There was more going on in Victorian England than we Americans are usually told.

CREDIT moi for a day of eating on-plan with zero snacks. My neurons needed that reinforcement. There may be info for me noting that I seem to do either no snacks or too many snacks. Exercise was only a short walk to the library - short CREDIT moi.


onebyone – Waving. Voted today. Six days left to vote.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – "I have a good plan and I'm going to follow it!" sounds like a winner. Congrats to your Cardinals last night, he said wishing he hadn't needed to.

nationalparker – Thanks for the Beck insights into Halloween candy. I needed that because my brain begins to think that Halloween candy is special - it's only once a year. Kudos for seeing "I am guiltily holding onto it because of the amount spent." A Harvard Business School graduate once told me that many a company goes down the tubes chasing after money-already-spent - as if they were going to retrieve it.

Nancy (CattHill) - Good luck with your first day to "follow a written food plan." Kudos for buying no Halloween candy since you'll have no Trick-or-Treaters rather than the obvious - buy a bunch then eat it yourself, LOL.

Readers -

day 7 Arrange Your Environment

Changes at Work
Here are some strategies that have worked for the dieters I've counseled:

• Try to arrange for at least some healthier food selections in the vending machines.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 92.

[sparks17]

Quick check-in. Had an unplanned treat yesterday...adjusted my dinner so I was not over on calories/carbs, but I was at a low point in the afternoon. A nap would have been a much better choice!

Planning for a good day today, and working out time for both a walk outdoors and a nap!

[anakin]

Still doing well over here. Night before last, I posted a large post-it on the kitchen wall that faces my entry door that reads, "Stick to your plan!" It worked last night! I got home, hungry and annoyed (BAD combination). I had a plan for dinner until I had to sit at Comcast for 40 minutes, then another appointment for a half hour before I got in. By the time I got home I was in the "F it" mood - until I saw that post-it. It was just the reminder I needed to stick to my plan of tortellini and kale soup with a homemade biscuit. Credit!

I like the idea of evening response cards too. Thanks for that!

[gardenerjoy]

My big snack never appeared yesterday, credit! I have another good plan for today. I'll also be making an Indian recipe, that I can't pronounce much less spell, out of my green tomatoes. I made it last year and we ate it like salsa all of November -- in and on everything!

WI: -0.3 kg, Exercise: +50 1115/1400 minutes for October, Food: 90% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

BillBlueEyes: Excitement is ramping up here -- we love our home games!

[Lexxiss]

Hi Coaches!

Still weighing daily, eating only while sitting and trying to be mindful of food choices. credit. Yesterday I was starting to burn out...DD had come up to have our mechanic look at her car and jumped onboard our project. It gave me a short break and I was rewarded at the library as the first recipient of AnneHillermans new book where she continues with many of the characters in her dad, TonyHillermans, many novels. . And to think I would have missed that had I gone, instead to McDonalds.

I am really noticing that things are falling together pretty nicely. What a great bonus not to have eaten over the things percieved yet not known. Ah, more will be revealed.

Today's spontaneous AND planned exercise will be ripping out carpet which was destroyed by our tenants cats. Oh, well.

[maryann]

Good Morning, Coaches.

I am enjoying my typical "coming up for air" Friday. School and home have demanded all my attention for three days. Step class planned.
Tested eggs in the beginning of this week and found they gave me incredible acid indigestion. Very interesting and irritating because I LOVE eggs. I also found my weight went immediately up two pounds. I know from reading several different books that eggs do contribute to inflammation but I didn't want to believe it.

So off eggs and on Sunday I will finally have dairy.

Caught up with some posts:

Nationalparker: you make me feel guilty with your 58 degree house. I was grumbling to myself that our house was 68! So I put on a cashmere sweater bought expressly to wear around the house to myself warm ( which I bought in Boston this summer - on sale of course.)

Cathill: Huge kudos for getting through the first week. I really liked not having to be to be "on a diet" while I was practicing the Beck skills.

VioletDolphin: What a great way to reward yourself! A home gym.

BBE: Tell your wife we have the same prayer for rain out here in California.

Lexxiss: What a gift - three days off. I hope there is some time for just you somewhere in there.

Sparks: I was thinking of your daughter with food allergies. For the last six weeks I have drop the seven most common allergens: corn, wheat, gluten, eggs, dairy, peanuts, artificial sweetener and soy. I had weeks of "What can I eat?" Now I am getting into the swing of things and feel a lot better.

Anakin: What do you teach, if I may ask?

Beth: I know the courage it takes to update your ticker. This is a long race. Committing to the truth is the only way I know how to get through it.

gardenerjoy: We live in an neighborhood called "Little Punjab" because of the concentration of Indians. I love the culture. Grandparents walking the kids to the bus stop, etc. . . but I can't eat the food.

[nationalparker]

Frigid this morning to me (20s) and I'm so not ready for it. I just want to hunker down and wait winter out for the next five-six months. I came home last night and fixed a fire, ahhh. My sister is a winter-lover and I'm just the opposite. I kept a journal my first few years up here away from Florida, to appreciate the beauty of it. Then I realized that she rarely goes OUT in the Colorado winters- she enjoys them from her windows I'd like it too, if I didn't have to drive or get ready early in the morning, ha ha! No shaving off goose bumps, I tell her.

Last month I put a different magnet on our fridge - Don't bring too much of yesterday into today (or something like that) as a reminder to me to not bring too much of my work stress into the home. I need to look at it more often. DH has been worried that I'm not happy in our relationship, but the issue is work, not home. Resolved to do a better job with that, and then received an email from work that really beat me down. It would be nice to receive a pat on the back instead of a smack down to the ground.

Off to the trail with my pooch before it gets dark. I don't want to. I want to stay in the warmth But if I write it here, I'll do it.

[VioletDolphin83]

Hi coaches!
Mostly on plan with my eating, if I go off plan I keep entering it into my weight watchers tracker. I'm setting a challenge for myself to make sure I track everything I eat for at least 2 weeks. I've lost weight again and this time it is 0.3 of a kilo. So far I've lost a little over a kilo this week. For the past few days I've been doing 15 minutes of walking a day. So everything seems to be going well.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies – I'm posting earlier than yesterday with the disappointing report that my moonbeam is still in the back yard. I went out in the cold to check, since it's so faint I wasn't sure. I couldn't read a book by its light. Hopefully, it'll find its way inside before morning sun wipes it out. I'd love to have an intuitive relationship with the moon's position and phase - seems like it'd be easy to do if I just spent more time outside with an unobstructed view of the sky. Speaking of which: I was surprised to see the constellation Orion - thinking isn't Orion a winter constellation? Duh! Denial strikes again - we're approaching winter.

Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, with only one apple for my scheduled three snacks. It helped to walk, CREDIT moi, to the store to buy milk in the dark last night during a time when snacking is tempting.


onebyone – Waving. Voted today. Only five days left to vote.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – "May the best team win tonight," he tautologized.

Debbie (Lexxiss) – Libraries beat McDonalds big time. Kudos for not eating over "things perceived yet not known" - Beck could have written that.

maryann - Ouch for the news about eggs - I don't want to believe it either.

nationalparker – Love the notion of a winter lover who loves to sit inside and watch it out the window. Sounds like our old definition of a ski-bunny who really enjoyed the sauna after a day of not skiing out there in the cold.

VioletDolphin83 – Yay for walking 15 minutes every day.

sparks17 – Naps are just the best - shouldn't be wasted on the young.

anakin - Yep, arriving home carrying the mood of the day can trigger bad habits. Kudos for your sticker to get you back on your path.

Readers -

day 7 Arrange Your Environment

Changes at Work
Anna worked with people who frequently brought in cakes, doughnuts, cookies, and pastries to share with others in the office. She usually was able to resist eating these foods until the middle of the afternoon when she became tired and her resolve weakened. She didn't feel it was right to ask her coworkers not to bring in food, so she thought of a good solution. Anna approached one of her coworkers, explained her dilemma about the food, and offered a suggestion. Would the coworker mind if Anna moved her cupcakes from the counter to inside the cabinet? Anna offered to post a note reading "Cupcakes inside, courtesy of Shelly." Shelly immediately agreed. Anna found it easier to resist the baked goods once they were out of sight, even thought she knew where to find them. She was pleasantly surprised when several people thanked her for moving them.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 92.