[anakin]

Just FYI, gardenerjoy, I bookmarked the Oreo cookie press release on the Connecticut College page to use in intro bio next semester! I'm sure it will spark students' interest enough to want to learn about cell signaling and metabolism, too!

Just goes to show, like the childrens' book warned, that giving a mouse a cookie is a BAD idea!

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies – No discussion about moonbeam. I didn't even think of her this morning. She's not on my mind. What's past is past.

Eating was good enough, CREDIT moi, with an extra snack - Ouch. Dinner included salmon which makes me feel so healthy since it's on the list of super foods. And DW only buys sustainable fish, so I didn't compromise my children's future. Walked, CREDIT moi, past a Good Will with a long line of folks buying pieces of Halloween costumes.


onebyone – Waving. Voted today. Tomorrow is the last vote.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Shuddering at the thought that Oreo's and cocaine stroke the same neurons. May the team with the most runs win tonight.

CeeJay - There's much to be said for "peace and quiet."

ForMyGirls - Yay for some breathing room in life.

anakin - Neat to have clear small goals.

Readers -

day 7 Arrange Your Environment

what are you thinking
If you have any reservations about doing today's task, you're probably having sabotaging thoughts. Making environmental changes is important. Get out your index cards and prepare your responses. The following example responses might be helpful.

Sabotaging Thought: If I make changes, I'll have to tell other people that I'm dieting.
Helpful Response: What's the big deal, really? The worst that can happen is that someone will be mildly critical of me if I don't lose weight. On the other hand, the program is probably exactly what I need to succeed this time. Announcing my intention is probably exactly what I need to succeed this time. Announcing my intention to eat in a more healthful way (I don't have to say that I'm dieting) makes it more likely that others will go along with the changes I need to make. And It'll be such a relief not to feel tempted every time I walk into the kitchen or encounter food at work.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 94.

[gardenerjoy]

We ended up with carryouts for supper that didn't fit in the schedule, but I made a good choice. Otherwise, everything was on plan. Credits for ignoring food at an event, for running errands without using that as an excuse to forage for treats, and for not attempting to fix the stresses of a busy day with food. And, another credit for making it a priority to exercise. A long-term streak of daily exercise motivates me to do something (anything) because I don't want to break it.

WI: -0.4 kg, Exercise: +50 1340/1400 minutes for October, Food: 90% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

anakin: Bull Durham and Give a Mouse a Cookie -- you keep making me smile!

[nationalparker]

Straying with stress and letting any of my own priorities go by the wayside and beating myself up over that. Two meals out yesterday with opportunities to save half of each - nope. Debit. Dinner out for coworker's birthday and will focus on the conversation/social aspect vs. food.

Trying to make it until Friday evening to start the weekend. Again.

[maryann]

Good Morning, Coaches.

Comp. day today and it feels great to have extra time. Super OP yesterday at work and still no budge from the scale. I have been stuck for a week despite being clean with food. The only response is "Oh Well." Two more days before weight check in and one of those days is Halloween. Good gravy, I will not be defeated. Food is planned.

This weekend we bought a full size violin for DH with a big price tag. We took it to his teacher ( a principle in an orchestra) who was not impressed. Back to the music store where the clerk was NOT happy to give us back cash. He wanted us to take store credit. This is the perfect example of an anxiety situation that use to have me running straight to the dreaded Oreos for relief (thanks for the link, gardenerjoy). Instead, I walked through the situation with grace and dignity despite my feelings inside, reminded myself I was simply upholding my end of the bargain ( no scratches and the receipt was all that was required) and remembered that there is no way I can make everyone happy in this world.

BBE: I will be watching your hometown tonite. Go socks.

Sparks: Best thoughts on the results of your tests.

[silverbirch]

Well done, maryann! Cocaine /Oreos should be avoided. It wrecks the ability to smell as well as all the rest.

Thanks also for the Venus Diet reference. I certainly suspect wheat on and off, and sugar too. Peanuts I've started to wonder about and I've had a little niggle about eggs. Corn is simply not on my radar, living where I do. Nor soy, usually. And sugar substitutes are strangers to me since I had a slice of cake made with one - talk about tummy gripes! Dairy products I don't know about. It's also true that wheat, sugar and peanuts did not figure in my diet when I was losing weight successfully. Hmm. Food for thought. Thanks again.

[anakin]

Silverbirch, the wheat/sugar/peanuts not working when you were successfully losing may have been at least as much because, those are all either very calorie-dense or found in calorie-dense foods that don't fill us up!

[bethFromDayton]

Hi all,

I'm feeling much better-thank goodness for modern antibiotics.

Breakfast, lunch, and snack totally on plan. We went out for dinner (met some friends unexpectedly). I ordered something I really wanted, cut it in half and ate a bit less than the half I cut off for myself. (Then I dropped the leftovers on the floor in the garage while bringing them into the house) Credit for cutting it in half and not eating the other half even when I had to ask 3 times for a box. (I asked the first time as she brought my food)

I'm still not back into the swing of planning everything the night before again--but I'm moving back to it.

[CeeJay]

Hi everyone,

bethFromDayton- glad to hear you are feeling better. Big credit for eating half of your dinner.

anakin-congratulations for being down some more!

silverbirch-hope you find some answers to your allergies.

maryann-good for you for knowing that food was not going to solve the stress while returning the violin.

nationalparker-sorry about stress getting the better of you-hoping tomorrow is better. Thanks for the post a few days ago on candy.

gardenerjoy-lots of credits for you! Your commitment to exercise is fantastic.

BillBlueEyes-good for your wife for making sure that the fish she buys is sustainable. I think more and more people are getting into this practice.

ForMyGirls- Hope you enjoyed your time to yourself today- after 3 rough weeks you have earned it.

Rosebud170-laughing at your story of the principal's aches. Great that you could do it without pain the next day.

sparks17-sorry about your health troubles. Hope the tests go well.

CattHill-hope your retreat was a good experience. Your plan to maintain sounded good.

VioletDolphin83-congratulations on a kilo gone. Fantastic.

Ilene-I also found the cards very helpful. I try to read them everyday.

Lexxiss-waving hello!

seadwaters- wishing you well as you spend time with your father.

For me- everything is going so well that it almost scares me. I have been practising a lot of positive self talk- really trying to live Beck's advice about CREDIT. Really trying to break the day down into small portions that I can succeed at.

I was back up at 296 on Sunday. Today the scale said 290. So there goes the water. Also my scale can be a bit wonky. Whatever it is, I am pleased to be back in control. I feel really hopeful.

Credit today for:

-riding exercise bike
-doing strength exercise for shoulders/arms
-weighing myself
-making lunch for tomorrow and packing up dinner also for the hotel tomorrow night
-checking in with my coaches
-reading advantage and response cards
-recording progress at Spark's P.
-eating on plan
-resisting eating lunch at conference today and sticking with the lunch I brought
-resisting eating snacks at conference today.

Hope everyone has a good day tomorrow.

[Rosebud170]

Hello there fellow Becksters,
A great day today food wise and Zumbawise! Last weekend I made these tuna muffins that are really like tuna cakes that I have been heating up and putting between toasts...yum!!! I also made split pea soup for lunches and since dd just got braces on her teeth and has tooth soreness..another yum!! I am undecided about what I will do for Halloween. Dd will spend,the night at friends house and trick or treat with her family...I have a night to myself and have been invited to go out to a costume party at a bar and also invited to my neighbors house who is having a party as well. I am actually equally if not more interested in staying late at work to get caught up on some things and then going to bed early....hmmmm...I will let you know what I decide. If I go out there will be lots of food temptations which I think I can handle but can't decide.

Congrats to the Redsox and our Boston Becksters on that win!!!

[silverbirch]

Anakin, yes, that's true about calories. I was also having fewer (or less severe) allergic reactions at that time.

[silverbirch]

,,, (edit button not working at present) I also had fewer (and less strong) allergic reactions at that time.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies – I didn't think of my moonbeam again this morning. It's good to know that the past doesn't linger in my brain - distracting me from living in the present. It helps to be rather preoccupied with the Red Sox this morning. Looking forward to the Boston Globe totally full of self-congratulatory sports writing focused on the World Series. Part of getting over a relationship is having a new focus so that each thought doesn't end by remembering that I'm not thinking about my moonbeam.

Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi. I had dinner a little late while watching the World Series. I wanted more to eat so I make an all-lettuce salad. CREDIT moi for thinking of a sane alternative since my first thought was a bowl of walnuts (no handy peanuts-in-the-shell to mimic the ball park experience). Walked, CREDIT moi, to and from an errand about a mile from home.


onebyone – Waving. Voted today - presumably for the last time.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Yay for finding motivation in a long streak of daily exercise. Hats off to the Cardinals for some good baseball over the series. Hope to see you again next year.

CeeJay - Isn't this just the best feeling, "I am pleased to be back in control."

silverbirch – Thanks for the thoughts about monitoring foods. I was recently annoyed to discover that eating green grapes before bedtime led to multiple wake ups to pee. Felt annoyed at my body for aging. Then remembered a road trip while an undergraduate where we ate green grapes and had to stop the car every few miles. So now I can be annoyed at my brain for blaming aging when it's actually just forgetting my own food history.

maryann - Monster Kudos for dealing with the violin instead of stuffing the feelings.

nationalparker – Hang in there - the weekend's coming.

Beth (bethFromDayton) – Kudos for halving your entree before beginning to eat - the ultimate in being serious about portion size.

Rosebud170 – Yay for allowing yourself the option of going to bed early. (Adding 'Zumbawise' to my vocabulary list, LOL.)

anakin - Interesting thought that some calorie-dense foods don't fill us up.

Readers -

day 7 Arrange Your Environment

The following example responses might be helpful.

Sabotaging Thought: I shouldn't inconvenience other people.
Helpful Response: Whom will I inconvenience the most? How inconvenient will these environmental changes really be compared to how much benefit I'll get? And other people will likely benefit from the changes I make.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), pg 94.

[Ilene]

How will everyone cope with Halloween tonight? DD and DH insist on giving out so there are those mini chocolate bars in my face, which I love! Specially the Coffee Crisps ... Over the years I've eaten less and less on Halloween night of those bars, last year I only had two or three, this year I would love it to be NONE!

I love reading everyone's posts BTW eventhough I may not post a lot myself...

[gardenerjoy]

Credit for not giving into a thought about foraging a treat while running an unexpected and annoying errand. I can, generally, cope with a small serving of a frozen treat while out and about. Unfortunately, the summer frozen custard place by the train station has closed for the season and the frozen yogurt place went out of business. That leaves one place in the downtown area. I tried it once. The serving sizes are ridiculous and the emphasis is on high-sugar, high-fat add-ins. Their seasonal special is a pumpkin pie concrete -- they claim there's a whole slice of pumpkin pie in it! If it's quality pumpkin pie, it doesn't belong in a concrete. If it isn't quality pumpkin pie, it doesn't belong in anyone. And yet, that's the place that I was thinking about as I ran my frustrating errand. But I came home and had my planned HoneyCrisp apple and extra sharp cheddar cheese instead. Much better, all the way around.

WI: +0.45 kg, Exercise: +30 1370/1400 minutes for October, Food: 100% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

BillBlueEyes: It was fun getting to know this year's Red Sox. Had anyone else been in the Series, I would have been rooting for Boston, so I'm not as disappointed as I might have been.

Ilene: we have very few trick-or-treaters. But they are lucky. I get Ghirardelli dark chocolate squares. I can eat them sanely, as small snacks, so even if the rain keeps everyone away, I won't have a problem on my hands.
The Maintainers run a No Halloween Candy Pledge every year. Anyone can join: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/livi...een-candy.html