Welcome to the discussion group, support group, Diet Coach group, Diet Buddy group relating to the two books by Dr. Judith S. Beck:and the first bookThe Beck Diet Solution is a psychological program, not a food plan. It provides a step-by-step program to learn specific techniques to stay on our diet, lose weight, and maintain our weight loss for life. The program is based on Dr. Beck's clinical research in Cognitive Therapy (CT).

The Complete Beck Diet for Life expands the earlier work and includes a food plan with suggested menus. From the cover:This is a place to discuss the Beck strategies and our daily efforts, to receive and provide support, and, for some of us, is where we serve as on-line diet buddy (coach) to each other.

If you’ve arrived from a search engine, you've landed at the site of 3 Fat Chicks (3FC), a remarkable place for those interested in a healthy life style, including mindful eating, exercise, and weight loss. More about the site, including how to register so that you can post, can be found here.

The books are available on Amazon through the 3FC store by clicking their names above; buying through 3FC helps to cover the costs of running this site.

You can find the list of previous (or more current) monthly Beck threads here on 3 Fat Chicks via:

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Walk, CREDIT moi, included the library and a hair cut. I finished The Girl in the Spider's Web, the non-Stieg-Larrson version of Lisbeth Salander. It was disappointing as it read like a repeat of the prior work; no further character development or new episodes. It plugs in new agencies and new locations for predictable solutions. Worse, it jacks up Lisbeth to near god-like talents with no human flaws. Oh Well.

I expected to weigh less this morning after the hair cut, LOL. It would be fashionable to go more often. I give a good tip as if cutting a longer strand of hair is more work than a shorter one. It reminds me of the guilt-tips that I'd leave after taking my kids to a family-friendly restaurant leaving a mess behind.


Joy (gardenerjoy) – LOL at "Yesterday went a little screwy" - that does happen. Not sure that I could eat a salad at 3pm; it'd just feel weird.

nationalparker – Kudos for working out how your dinner portions are influenced by your lunch portions. [Now I'm drooling for a Dunkin' Donuts crueller - my favorite.]

Karen (karenrn) - I so admire Arizona for getting so much land preserved. Every time you describe a hike I want to get back there and explore more. LOL at gym time being dictated by phone charge - a new problem in life.

SuzLen - Congrats for making the decision to rent the house for the wedding. You are indeed fortunate to have a family that wants to spend time together. Kudos for a good day with food and exercise.

Readers -

I had a small extra snack yesterday for no really good reason. But it was rather special and I took the time to enjoy it, so I'm not going to let that get me off track.

CREDIT for a smaller than usual supper to make up for it. Extra CREDIT for ignoring the voice that said, "That was a really small supper -- you should eat more!" We eat supper late so I'm usually not troubled by the "eat more" voice in the evening, but it's particularly hard to resist when it does come up. A cup of herbal tea helped (I thought of that thanks to recent discussion here).

CREDIT for meeting my exercise goals in September!

WI: -0.75 kg, Exercise: +50 1300/1300 minutes for September, Food: 80% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

Thursday is turning into a favorite day of mine; one more day until the weekend starts tomorrow night! Ours is wide open with loads of plans to choose from - I want to feel that I use this one well!

Hoping my good choices so far today keep me on a good roll. Have skipped the apple cake with crumble topping in our shared kitchen area ... (I like today's Beck excerpt again, Bill) ... packed healthy salad for lunch and skipped an office-wide lunch complete with several dessert options ... and have dinner planned to use up leftovers along with a fresh salad. Temptation of so many yummy-looking apple treats and desserts seem to be surrounding me. I wonder when, if ever, I'll stop thinking of filing away ideas and recipes for a never-to-be-realized dream of a B&B. I still think, "Oh, this would be wonderful to set out on a white tray on a crisp fall afternoon, alongside warm cider and hot tea" (If anyone can tell me how to adjust the size on a photo I'm trying to link from a website, I'd love that...I linked to one here and it came out about 10x too large.)

Used the hot tea plan last night to avoid snacking before DH got home for dinner ... and I'm frustrated to say that even though I had a large portion of our dinner salad, I still wanted something else after dinner, so brewed another cuppa. Will use this strategy again this evening. I'm finding that when I put it in a pretty teacup, I savor it. When I put it in a mug, it cools and I reheat it and forget it because it's not on the table, it's on the end table, or whatever. Mind games.

Hello Coaches,

My dress came in that I ordered for the wedding. I tried it on - a bigger size would be too big, but this size was just a tad tighter than I like to wear. If I weighed what I weighed just a month ago it wouldn't be a problem.

I snacked on a bit of gourmet dark chocolate with stevia while I debated the problem. I decided to keep it and I have it hanging on the door where I see if every time I am in the bedroom. If, in a month, I don't feel comfortable in it then I will return it and get another one. Or I could stop by JC Pennys and look for a body slimmer The last time I wore one (20 years ago....) I just about passed out from not being able to take a deep breath.

CREDIT for skipping dinner after enjoying that small bit of chocolate. I had a large salad at lunch and wasn't that hungry anyway - it was just something for my mouth to do. I am off to exercise. I have some new compound strength exercises I want to try.

nationalparker, I relate to your mug problems. My husband is tired of finding my cups around the house in various places in various levels of fullness.

gardenerjoy, is often my refrain. Something inside me struggles with that dilemma nearly every day.

BillBB, LOL at your "guilt-tips" - I always felt I had to clean the messes behind us just because I didn't want them to think I was a bad mom, haha. Compared to what I see today on the rare occasions I am out, I need not have worried!

I am still not sleeping - last night I woke up with an idea for a class lesson and couldn't get back to sleep. I look like a train wreck, but I will admit that these rare southern fall days have been a treat and very refreshing.

Potluck at school tomorrow - (think of the dress, think of the dress, think of the dress). My plan? I will eat any allowable food. Hence, I shouldn't be eating any dessert since I am off added sugar. That will mean no crackers either, or anything else with white flour. And I will tell myself I will check in here tomorrow night and want to share GOOD news!

Have a good night, y'all!

Phone check in. I am waiting for my 7:00 AA Meeting. Tonight is my 28th sober birthday.I am more grateful than ever to have started this journey early in life. I had a call yesterday morning from SIL that my brother was having psychotic episodes. I had to suggest in all good conscience that she call the Sheriff for safety. He was locked up. And I think tonite but for the grace of God go I. I do so much to stay balanced. Sometimes I think I am making up my anxieties up for drama and then I see the mess my other family members are in and I realize I a a miracle.
So yesterday was off plan but today is on. Planned rest. Planned exercise. Planned hug from Dh and DS.
Wave to all.

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Walked, CREDIT moi, to class and back carrying an unopened umbrella. I managed to be walking both ways between showers. We've had 3+ inches of rain in the past two days - highly welcomed by my DW.

No snack after dinner, CREDIT moi, again because we were out. Busy seems to be the best way for me to avoid extra snacking.


Joy (gardenerjoy) – I need to remember that my urge to snack can sometimes be satisfied by tea or even just water.

maryann - Congratulations on your 28th anniversary. Sending supportive thoughts for responding to the crisis from extended family.

nationalparker – "Mind games" is what we're about here. I'm a big fan of choosing the right mug/cup/glass so savor what I'm drinking. Kudos for working that.

SuzLen - Kudos for using your dress as motivation for the potluck.

Readers -

My exercise goal for October is lower than usual because I based it on the 22 days that I have some control over my day, subtracting the 9 days of our trip.

I never made a plan yesterday. That was probably good, in retrospect, because I never would have written down what we ended up doing. CREDIT for making reasonable choices during two meals out and for keeping the snacks within normal range. CREDIT for making a plan for today.

WI: +0.5 kg, Exercise: +45 45/880 minutes for October, Food: NA op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

Good morning coaches,

Just got back from my 2 1/2 hour Bell Pass hike, credit. Calories were a bit over yesterday, so will try harder to keep things under control today. It does help to have earned some extra.

Hiking Suzanne is back in town, so it was nice to have her to hike with. I think maybe she is a tad slower and I am a tad faster. Now we're meeting for lunch and I also have happy hour out with friends this evening. I need to have good choices for both.

Tomorrow we have dinner with my old group of co-workers. We each bring something and some of the others are dieting, so I'm hoping for the best. Sunday dh and I are going to the matinee performance of Wicked. Might just need to come home to eat after all the other events of the weekend. We'll see.

Have a great weekend.

DH and I walked the trail last night in the cold, windy darkness ... the wind just whipped and I'm rarely known to have on too few layers, so despite the date, I had long underwear and jeans and two layers on top as well as a light coat and ear covering. I was perfectly layered except my face was cold, but the fresh air was nice. We're bordered by goldenrod now and surprisingly my allergies are worse inside than outside. Yikes - will start a top-to-bottom dust removal tomorrow.

DH bought tickets for us to go to see the first Harry Potter movie at a cinema this weekend. I've never seen it/read it; not really interested in the least, but he said I'll enjoy. I know he will, so that'll be fun, and it's in a nearly 100-year old theatre which we love. We'll make an evening out of it. He asked if I wanted to go to the outlet mall further south, and I said, well, not particularly, unless you wanted something in particular - I'll just find things I don't really NEED. And can't fit into Columbia clothes I like now anyway

Donut Friday in full swing today and NO CHOICE is harder for me to grasp today...A part of me keeps thinking, "well...if someone cuts one in half, then I might just take the other half..." NO. That requires me to monitor the bakery box from afar. Another coworker brought in breakfast sandwiches for all from a popular spot. I decided to start out with a heartier breakfast than usual for a workday - wheat waffles with tbsp pb and sliced apple on top. I thought that would help fuel the "NO, thank yous". So far, so good. Lunch planned was out with a friend I see infrequently and make a good selection that was small but enough.

Pause and response - that needs to be forefront in my mind. PAR. Another good excerpt, Bill. Maybe this book will speak to me more or maybe I'm more open right now. For once I'm envious of your rain.

Karen - I, too, love hearing about your hikes. Never think, oh, it's the same trail. I'm enjoying it vicariously through you. I figure your morning was warmer than our 42 wind chill one, so imagine the warmth on your face. Nice to note that your gaining speed!

Joy - Kudos to you again for meeting your exercise goal last month. You seemed to struggle on one front with the rest of us, but really kicked it there - strong finish! Good example!

Again this weekend I want to tackle a few projects, but unless I commit the time to it, they won't get started. I need to take time to enjoy the weekends with DH because we don't get a lot of them when we're together. Maybe this year is my year to "take time" with more aspects of my life and not rush as much. The one place I currently take time is with setting the dinner table nicely. I want to think of other areas I would like to take more time with in my weeks. Time to connect with friends, take time to write more letters, take time to sit with a book and cup of hot tea, take time to close the kitchen down completely cleaned each night, take time to cook a slow meal more often on wintry Sundays, to iron my linens for the week (which oddly, I don't mind), time to stretch in the morning before starting my day? Boy ...

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Life continues to be dominated by Hurricane Joaquin that is dumping 'historic' rainfall along the mid-Atlantic coast. We have daily rain. As DW and I walked, CREDIT moi, to the subway wearing rain-hats, rain-coats, and carrying umbrellas, we passed a London ex-pat neighbor wearing NO rain-hat, NO rain-coat, NO umbrella dressed in a sweater (to soak up the rain, I'd guess). Different cultures, LOL.

Enrich Your Life experience was to attend Mozart's Requiem at Boston Symphony Hall performed by the Handel and Haydn Society which is celebrating its 200th year performing. I do so melt with a full stage of singers and orchestra. They snuck in a brief section of Haydn's The Creation to keep the evening light. Earlier at the supermarket, I picked up no foods that would be candidates for too-large snacks - CREDIT moi for a little preventive strategy.


Joy (gardenerjoy) – Kudos indeed for a sane eating day that includes two meals out.

nationalparker – Congrats for wearing the right clothes for a cold, windy walk - it's so easy to leave them behind and then complain. Super Kudos for NO CHOICE on Donut Friday. Love reading the Sabotaging Thought "well...if someone cuts one in half ..." - Double Super Kudos for avoiding that one.

Karen (karenrn) - Had to google Wicked; it had escaped me. Look forward to hearing your review. Kudos for planning your dinner with co-workers.

Readers -

Hello Coaches,

Yesterday went well - except the "allowed" food was a bit more than I usually eat at lunch, therefore I yawned all afternoon and went home feeling a bit unwell. I had to lay down and didn't feel like exercising - I had a horrible headache. Usually for lunch I have yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit, some veggies and a protein. Yesterday they had smoked beef, cheese, and other things I didn't eat - but not a veggie in sight. I will have to come up with a different plan for the Christmas potluck.

BillBB: I can only imagine how amazing the performance was last night. I have been known to get goosebumps and teary when I attend performances such as those. His music is powerful.

nationalparker: your "take time" attitude is a great one. It is easy to get caught up in "busy-ness", especially with things that don't really matter. Even if everything we do is "good" - maybe we need to what is "best" - and taking time with family definitely falls in that category.

maryann: congratulations on your anniversary. My brother has been an alcoholic for that long, and my father my whole life. I am so sad at the half-fulfilled lives they have led. It makes me all the more happy for you.

karenrn: I am waiting for "Wicked" to come through Memphis. Can't wait to hear about the performance.

Nothing big planned today but eating well and exercising. Brought home three professional texts to read - couldn't decide which one to start with, so it will be a relaxing fall day.

Have a great day.

Big day today. I'm training to be a Witnessing Whiteness facilitator from 9 to 2. That's a program that the St. Louis YWCA has been doing for several years, but in the last year the perceived need has exploded. So, they need lots of new facilitators.

Today's relevant response card:

In particular, I'm reminding myself that just because there will be more hours than normal between breakfast and lunch, I don't need a mid-morning snack. I won't be eating again until lunch, which they are providing. The plan for lunch is "focus on the veggies, take tiny servings of anything else I want."

hi coaches!
I slept through the night which I haven't done in ages, which was so wonderful because like Suzlen I have been having sleeping problems. I did take some meds last night which I don't like to do, but boy was it worth it!

Various emotional issues going on like at work - I'll post more on that later- and also dealing with Dd friend issues, which i was put into the middle of since the parent called me wondering what was going on. you can't really say to another parent- your kid has been mean to mine for years on and off and she has finally had enough, and she has also outgrown her. Bleagh, i hate uncomfortable conversations, especially when it involves other parties that i shouldn't be speaking for.
I ate too much chocolate yesterday over all this but today is a new day!

i am going to try really focusing on the present today and not let my mind wander onto all this stuff that makes me anxious. This is such a biggie for me!
I tried reading The Power of Now but I could not get into it. I will look for another book that addresses this.


Suzlen- so fun to hear about the wedding, it must be coming up soon!
Gardenerjoy- great job on meeting September exercise goals!
Karenrn- sounds like you have had a nice mix of friend plans and exercise.
Nationalparker-PAR- I will remember that too1 I hope you like the HP movie, I must say I loved all of the series.
Maryann- congrats on your anniversary, that is huge! Remembering such changes you have made is such a great strength to carry around.
Waving to everyone else!

Good morning coaches,

Food was a tad over yesterday. Happy hour was a couple of beers, a couple pieces of pizza and a meatball. If only I could get the recipe for their meatballs. I can't go to that restaurant without eating one. We had the best time though with a couple that we only see a few times a year. So I ate too much, but had a blast. Not only that, but they might want to do Machu Picchu with us which would be very fun and would spur dh on in wanting to be in really good shape to do it. He's a bit competitive.

Today I woke up early and the temp was only 70. I headed out for an early hike and it was 68 when I started. Bell Pass in about 10 minutes less than usual. It was divine! The exercise will help with our dinner with friends this afternoon.

Joy I can't remember if I thanked you for posting the video. I watched it the day you posted it and thought it was very good.

MaryAnn Super congratulations on your 28th birthday/anniversary of sobriety. That is quite an accomplishment and I'm sure your life is far different and better than it might have been.

Curlyjax Glad you had a good nights sleep. I have been having some trouble with that lately too. Sometimes I resort to 1/2 a Costco sleep aid which works wonders.

SuzLen Hope you have some time for a nice relaxing weekend.

Bill You are so great at having wonderful things to do to enrich your life. The symphony sounds wonderful. I absolutely love music.

NationalParker I just can't imagine needing all that clothes for your hike. Well yes I guess I can a little. It was that way on my backpacking trip. This morning I wore shorts and a nearly sleeveless top. I love your idea of taking your time for different things. That is one of the things I enjoy the most about retirement, just taking my time to do even some of the mundane tasks. Time is the best gift we have, and being able to choose how to use it, more than wonderful.

Hello to Love2garden and Onebyone and whoever else hasn't posted in the last few days.

Have a great weekend!