Good day - and yes, Happy Thanksgiving weekend to our Canadian friends!
:thanks1:
I must learn to see how that holiday started and if it's similar to ours here in the US. But I did want to use a fun critter, I confess.

Weight down a pound today - so down a few this week and felt like I worked for it with a solid reduction in food over the past few weeks. Goal was to be under 170 by Halloween and was at 170.6 this morning, so I'm adjusting that to be under 168 by the end of the month. (WHY don't I wait to reach one goal before setting it?)

I want to come back on here in a while for personals, but in the meantime, Maryann - i just wanted to say that there were probably many, many people in that room who were so frustrated but afraid to DO anything - what do I do, what do I say, will everyone gang up on me, will she yell at me, if I ignore it, will the kid get up, etc. Be proud of yourself for handling it in a manner that was polite, understanding and calm. Yet straightforward. Kudos.

Evening Becksters

Absolutely thrilled about today!!!

Credits:
-rode exercise bike this morning
-read advantage and response cards
-logged everything at Sparks P.
-planned food for tomorrow.
-went to the city and walked around at least 2 hours with way less pain than I have had in past 3.5 months attempting this much walking.
-chose 6" roast beef sub on whole wheat with mustard for lunch after a brief moment of considering McDonald's.
-went to Olive Garden for dinner. Was really tempted when mom ordered the Tour of Italy but after a bit of consideration I stuck with one of the lighter fare dinners. Huge amount of sodium but at least it was lower cal than almost anything else there.

Feel really good about dealing with a day away from home without overeating. Going to the city has been an excuse for major food intake for a long time and it felt good to know that I could enjoy the day and not eat a zillion calories.

:grouphug:

I'm back
 

Hi Beckstars - because those of you still here and supporting the group are indeed stars. Without you there would be no mutual support at all

I have been away for some time - could be a couple of years - but I am again on a path to further health gains. I need to remember the process which will be helped when I read a number of the posts but I wanted to leap right in :o

I had been having trouble with knees and trying to exercise and other health issues so last year (2012) in August I had a Right knee total knee replacement. I thought terrific I will be away - able to walk again and exercise and feel good as a result of moving more. But by January it was obvious that things were not good and that my low back was causing enormous difficulties and pain. I was losing power in my right leg or I wouldn't have pursued a solution. My mother had 3 failed back surgeries several decades ago. The upshot was that I needed a fusion and decompression which I put off as long as possible and I am now 7 weeks post surgery. The pain has gone unless I do something stupid - it is wonderful. Unfortunately I still have a gimpy right leg - pins and needles and muscle weakness. I am hoping time and physio resolve that but I am much more positive. Also a year ago last June I decided I couldn't do the 65 km commute each way (about 1 hour or more). But I have to keep working until I am 65 so I did a gigantic de-clutter. I downsized from a 3 bedroom house to a studio and basically gave all my possessions to charity - very freeing really. I now live between both campuses of my university - about 8 km from each so it is wonderful to be back in the city.

Sorry for the ramble but I feel like I am on an upward trajectory. I have been getting food in because I couldn't cook while back healing - it is calorie controlled and healthy - they use good olive oil rather than industrial oils and you can pick low carb options. I think I will stay on that for a while and plan eating around their evening meals. I am on sick leave for another 3 to 4 weeks so now I am mobile I will plan swimming and walking exercise. I need to recondition badly.

I did lose weight for part of the time - probably another 10 pounds. So I decided to make a new start and use my current weight as my new starting weight - it is about 40 pounds below my original high weight

So it is lovely to read all your posts again and you will be hearing more from me

Sunday
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – I have done my job by going with DW to the movie Enough Said. I could admit that it was an intriguing movie, although not one a guy might have picked out on his own. At a restaurant lunch with friends, I ordered fish tacos and left all the tacos, CREDIT moi, while sitting next to a friend with the bacon cheeseburger. Also had a salad instead of some alternative.

Exercise, CREDIT moi, was a bird walk to see what ducks were migrating through. It's still a tad early but we had a good time. I was barraged with questions by a budding nine year old naturalist - his interest was in how big was the biggest hawk and how fast the fastest. My kind of kid.


onebyone – Waving. Voted today. You were the second picture on the voting page again today - does that reflect number of votes?

Joy (gardenerjoy) – LOL at the need for specifics when temptation comes in a 12 inch photograph. I just this morning finished Code Name Verity - thanks for recommending it. Methinks my brain now has enough of the brutality of WWII.

CeeJay - Sounds like a stellar day, with special Kudos for, "a day away from home without overeating."

Cheryl (seadwaters) – So many major steps: Kudos for making the major decision to de-clutter and downsize - if you have a formula to help those of us who cling to our stuff, pass it on. Congrats on those extra 10 pounds gone forever.

maryann - That roasted tomato and basis recipe sounds yummy. Yay for Pilates to get you off the couch.

Ann (Newlifestyle) - Welcome back from vacation. Ouch for an hour wait - perhaps an artifact of our dysfunctional government at the moment. Kudos for "very good" food while on vacation.

nationalparker – Congrats for being on track for your Halloween goal. What costume have you planned?

Readers -

I had a busy day, yesterday, participating in a book bloggers read-a-thon. It's amazing how exhausting a virtual party can be! I was careful not to be influenced by the snacking mentality that invades this event. What's up with that? National Novel Writing Month is big on snacks, too. Apparently, human beings can't be expected to read or write without extra food.

WI: +0.15 kg, Exercise: +50 575/1400 minutes for October, Food: 90% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

seadwaters! It's so wonderful to see you. I have thought of you often and I'm so glad to hear from you. You have taken many steps to improve your life -- good for you! And kudos for starting back with us. It's great to see posts from both you and CeeJay this morning.

Hello everyone,

maryann-you were very kind to the lady at AA and good for you for trying to help.

bethFromDayton-really nice that your coworkers celebrated your birthday at your new job. Happy Birthday to you!

BillBlueEyes-taking the young fellow out on a bird watching walk sounds just great.

Newlifestyle-good going keeping up with your eating plan while away. That's not so easy.

gardenerjoy-laughing at what you said about people not being able to read or write without extra food.

nationalparker-yay for a pound down!!!

seadwaters-I just arrived back to this group after a few years away too. Welcome back. You have made so many changes. Hope your leg just keeps getting better and better.

For me- I had a great day spending time outside- a beautiful sunny day. And grateful that tomorrow I am off work. Cooked up some healthy things today- lentil and barley soup with swiss chard and breadmaker whole wheat bread with sunflower seeds and flax. Ate on plan today and rode exercise bike this morning.

I am finding it is helping me to just to tackle things a day at a time and to try not to think about the big picture too much. It is hard to deal with the fact that so many times I have tried and then quit trying and to not feel doomed about this attempt and my weight. Anyway, I also know from reading your posts that many people who have successfully lost weight also had many aborted attempts.

Take care,
:grouphug:

Busy, busy Sunday. Not a day of rest; not even for the Broncos game. Watched parts of it in passing as I did cleaning and clearing and steam cleaning. Ended the day with a chilly trail walk under the stars with coyotes howling in the distance. Credits for salads for lunch and dinner after a day off track yesterday since I went down a bit. Figure that one out. Sheesh.

I was completely off plan today--had fun at the Renaissance Festival, but even fell into the "I'll start up again tomorrow" trap. Here's for starting up tomorrow and having an on plan week.

Still planning
 

Hi coaches
Still planning and getting organised. I am trying to develop a few short term goals for exercise and weight and eating but not there yet - but I wanted to post to get into a habit again. I had a menu if not a plan for today and I am following it which is a beginning. It was lovely to be welcomed back by members thanks. Cheryl

Monday - U.S. Columbus Day; Canadian Thanksgiving
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – My second walk of the day, CREDIT moi, was to follow the Honk Festival festival parade and to listen to some good marching band music from around the country. It was more fun than it was exercise.

I exercised some restraint among the zillion food vendors when I had a beef brisket slider instead of a beef brisket sub sandwich. It makes me happy when small portions of stuff is sold - wish that happened more often.


onebyone – Waving. Voted today.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – I hadn't thought of NaNoWriMo as a food inducing exercise. I guess that I did know that Hemingway consumed many calories in whiskey writing Old Man and the Sea.

CeeJay - Yep, there's more benefit thinking about success than of prior failures. The genius of planning seems to be that we can follow any plan for just one day.

Cheryl (seadwaters) – Yay for short term goals to get some success into our brains.

nationalparker – What a good life, "chilly trail walk under the stars with coyotes howling in the distance."

Beth (bethFromDayton) – Think I'd like your Renaissance Festival. Is it swamped with food vendors?

Readers -

Dashing in today!

WI: -0.1 kg, Exercise: +50 625/1400 minutes for October, Food: 90% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

Good morning, Coaches.

Thanks to everyone for your kind words about my meeting experience with the young autistic boy and his mother. It is so helpful to get other perspectives. Sometimes my brain is a really bad neighborhood to hang out in, eh?

Like BethfromDayton, I had a off plan day yesterday at the pumpkin patch and battled the "last supper" syndrome. If I put it into Beck perspective, however, I was only off plan maybe an hour the whole day. I still want to experience to the effects of systematically adding back soy, dairy and eggs so I am going to drop the seven again until Sunday and add soy then. Sushi added another two pounds to the scale but i know from experience that will come down in the next few days. Credit for step class.

Welcome back, Seadwaters. I have a dream someday about having a studio in the city. Mine would in San Francisco.

BBE: My BIL is patiently waiting for our ducks to return. Unfortunately he is not just watching them if you know what I mean.

Ceejay: Glad you had a good day.

Nationalparker: Great insight that you are denying yourself accomplishment by moving the bar before you can achieve the goal.

Just starting out on Beck Diet. I've been messing around with it long enough. I've been tracking food, on and off, since May. When I'm "on" I make good choices and have a plan. When I'm off, it's the many little things (as Dr. Judith says) that get in the way. By this time I'd hoped to be down 20 pounds, but I'm exactly where I started in May. So, here we go.

Today's goals:

1. a 30-minute walk
2. plan dinners for this week
3. read Advantages

Hello coaches a quick hello, busy day, food planned, walk in and now I have to go make dinner.
Maryann, we were in Virginia, we just love the area, there is so much history and shopping too.
Have a wonderful day everyone, if I get back tonight I will do personals.
Take Care
Ann

Hi all,

Breakfast, lunch, and snack were just as planned. I deviated on dinner (decided to have leftovers rather than cook)--that wasn't a problem. Then I added in two snacks, the second of which I'm not sure I even wanted. And that I thought "I could just put this back." and after I unwrapped it, thought "I could get up and throw this away" and I didn't.

I have another full stress week, since it's my 2nd week at the new job and I have to drive DD back to school one night, and plan for and shop for and cook for a house party this weekend. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't be taking care of myself. And I need to figure out why I'm talking myself out of using Beck techniques to make good food decisions.