The 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:
With The Complete Beck Diet for Life you'll discover the 5 stages of successful dieting and maintenance. You'll learn how to motivate yourself, give yourself credit for every change you make, create time and energy for dieting, and handle hunger and cravings. Dr. Beck eases you into changing one step at a time. You'll master one task before moving on to the next. And you'll learn techniques to deal with challenging situations, such as sticking with ou plan at celebrations and dealing with "food pushers." With Dr. Beck's skills, you'll achieve a lifetime of healthful eating and lifelong motivation.
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 – Reading James Baldwin for my class certainly challenges engrained thinking. Reading Baldwin's review of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is rather brutal. After watching it (again) recently, I was also struck by how sanitized we accepted movies to be back in 1967. We went to be entertained by Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn rather than to watch them act. We expected Sidney Poitier to walk on water. It's hard to think of the '60's as being a time of simple-mindedness. I was reminded that Katharine Hepburn was able to keep Spencer Tracy alive for only seventeen days after completion of the movie. Boy, was all that a long time ago.
Food was OKish because of too many snacks. I let rain interfere with walking. The sky was clear when I left my bedroom so I crossed the front door without a jacket. I was met with chill and rain - as if the other side of my house lived in a different weather zone. Went back to dress for April showers. Someday I'll stop being surprised by the weather.
onebyone – Thirteen pallets of wood over 32 hours is a lot of work. Congrats for dealing with that, two nights in a trailer, a cold, and a stomach bug all at the same time. Hope all clears up for you and your DH.
silverbirch – Yes, fruit cake sticks around for a bit. Noted that today, in 1707, Scotland came aboard but that Wales was already there since 1535 or so. The UK seems complex from way over here.
maryann - Congrats for completing that hike.
nationalparker – Yep, writing a note of sympathy is such a challenge. Congrats for again becoming a Step-grandmother.
Beth (bethturnaround) – Kudos for remembering that you don't have to buy junk food in the checkout line. Shopping Goodwill is neat.
Readers -
Quote:
chapter 6Week 2Get Set: Prepare to Diet
Welcome to Week 2. By the end of this week, you'll be better equipped to start to diet than you've ever been before. Are you starting to get the idea this time is going to be different? Are you starting to understand why, this time, you're going to be able to lose excess weight and keep it off for your lifetime?
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 96.
Boy, am I beat still from the hikes. The muscle relaxants I took will show up on the scale but it is nice to have a little relief. Food was OP. I am thrilled that food seems to not be an issue. I had a passing thought of an extra classroom "snack" ( prizes for the students) would be needed to get through an extra long day. No, they were not needed. To stop myself, I used the trick "I bet I won't be thinking about them in a half an hour" and it worked.
School still seem to be a source of free floating anxiety for me. I feel the other shoe will drop and a parent will fly into a rage, or a kid or and administrator. After 30 years, i have been conditioned to fear the blinking light of a phone message. It is too bad that I fear parent communication. For the most part, only the crazy ones call.
So what steps can I take to be more comfortable in this month I have left?
Stay OP.
Prayer and meditation before.
Focus on the beauty and the bright young faces all around me.
Remember the quote from head football coach Chuck Pagano "They can't eat you, they can fire you but they can't eat you." I take this to mean that conflict is scary but I will come through it.
Copied over from last month's thread + FREE May Day video
For May Day, here is a video of the Hilliard Ensemble singing Sumer is icomen in, Summer has arrived, from the 13th century.
[Following was posted in April's thread. Can only think I wasn't properly awake.]
Good morning, all. The sun is up and the birds are singing. Rain on the horizon for late afternoon.
I stepped onto the scales this morning to find my weight is up. Not good. Let's assume it was the fruit cake. Just for today, as maryann says, I'll eat properly and do some exercise other than sawing up wood. (Surely I'll have tidied up most of the wood soon?)
Beth, congrats! That's a good number of wearable jeans.
nationalparker, you're sounding busier than ever but I know you've said this is a busy time of year.
onebyone, great work at the wood firing event but shocking (to me, too) about the amount of junky food around. Normal life is on the horizon. Hang on!
maryann, so good to hear that the hiking went well. Very wise to give your body time to readjust - it must have been a bit of a shock for it!
Bill, ah, yes. Cow poop. Horse manure. All great stuff for resistance training and gardens.
Happy May Day! I'm starting the new month with a determination to get the routines going again that I know work for me. Including posting here and weighing every day.
Credit for exceeding my goal of 1000 minutes of exercise in April. I'm aiming for 1100 in May.
Quick wave coaches. I'm getting dragged down in the mire of depression again, time to work my way out of it. The great thing is PT really seemed to help yesterday, my hip feels better. It is so nice to walk without PAIN although i am stepping gingerly still. Feel disgusted with myself, weight is probably almost 10 pounds over ticker .Feeling like i will be stuck in this forever. Its just hard to plan , cook, clean up etc healthy stuff and resist sugar, with having to do everything else in the house, and still dealing with estate/financial things.
Thanks for letting me vent. Its finally going to be nice out today!!
I'm back and very disappointed in myself. I GAINED 5.6 lbs in April. Weighed in this morning and am at 180.6. Back on track with my food plan today. I walked 1o minutes after eating lunch which made my left knee and right hip hurt. It is embarrassing that such little activity causes me pain. I know I just need to stay on track one day at a time. This Saturday is my birthday but that doesn't need to be an excuse to overeat for this week.
I hope everyone had a wonderful May Day--and that your weather was as great as ours!
Even with the great weather, though, I didn't manage a walk :-(. I also forgot my meds this morning. Food was on target and tonight's class was on creating a low-carb meal plan. That'll be useful when I start eating again. My official weekly weigh in was 3.5 lbs higher than my home weigh in, which is pretty standard. Everyone in class cheered when I announced that my official weighin was in ONEderland!
millie: Hi, Millie. Getting back on track is hard.
curlyjax: You've got so much going in. I think of you often.
joy: Big credit for your exercise goal. Perhaps I should follow your lead and create a goal in minutes for May. Even 300 would be a big step forward to me. When you started your 'minutes' goal, what was your initial goal? I've always admired how you keep up with that.
silverbirch: How did your exercise go today? It's always just one day at a time, isn't it?
maryann: That's a great quote. It reminds me of when my dad was working in Europe. Someone asked my (outspoken) dad "Aren't you afraid the director will fire you?" My dad looked at her and said "I know where the airport is." That's been a mantra for me when things seem bad--nothing can be that bad since I know where the airport is.
BillBlueEyes: Sounds like the cat who keeps trying different doors to find out if the weather is better out the other door. I'm so glad spring is here.
Wednesday - The Hudson Bay Co. chartered by England's King Charles II (1670)
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Got stuck reading The Overstory: A Novel by Richard Powers. It seems to start out as a book of short stories for about a hundred pages when the pieces begin to come together. From there, it's a page turner. I had other things to do but kept sitting down with this. Beware - it'll grab you.
Eating was OK. Dinner was late because the sun is hanging around a bit longer and gardener DW's brain doesn't get clues to come inside. My exercise of the day was grimacing at the young dental hygienist who was much too cheerful for a 7 am session. She did have a tale of the Bald Eagles on the lake near her house to amuse me.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – Yep, Kudos for an entire April of daily exercise.
silverbirch – Thanks for Sumer is icomen in. Need the reminder.
maryann - Love the CT trick, "I bet I won't be thinking about them in a half an hour" - Beck should add that one to her next book.
millie56 - Yep, Kudos for "Back on track with my food plan today" - forward is the only direction that matters.
curlyjax - Kudos for recognizing that PT also helps the head.
Beth (bethturnaround) – Congrats that even your official weigh-in is now "ONEderland!"
Readers -
Quote:
chapter 6Week 2Get Set: Prepare to Diet
Before I tell you what you're going to learn this week, though, take a minute to think about how you've already changed as a result of the tasks in Week 1. What do you know now that you didn't know before? For example, did you know a week ago that it's crucially important for you to review at least a couple of times a day all of the reasons that you have for losing weight, to choose a healthy diet (and have a backup plan), to sit down and eat slowly and mindfully every time, to give yourself credit continually for using helpful eating behaviors, and to catch and respond to sabotaging thoughts that interfere with doing these essential tasks? Do you now understand the importance of using Cognitive Therapy techniques to help you follow your diet and use good eating habits? It's the difference in your thinking that's going to allow you to make permanent changes in your eating habits.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 96.
My respect for my doctor went up a notch yesterday.
After getting the remainder of my chores done, which all seemed to be about lifting and hauling boxes of ceramic pots to the guild for prepping for the spring sale this weekend, and then realizing I had to drive up to the studio to pay my rent and then I could finally come home. The goodwill I have banked with guild members allowed me to get away with a few things that I shouldn't have and once they encountered me and my wretched cough they understood why I was late and then why my sheets were messed up.
When I got through everything I came home and wondered if I should see the Dr. So I called and my Dr. was in but was only there for another hour and I could come as a walk-in without an appt if I wanted. So I did and he diagnosed me with bronchitis. Bronchitis? Wow. I was given antibiotics which I can't for the life of me remember when I last took antibiotics and a puffer to get me through. My Dr has never impressed me. He's ok enough but I really like my Dr at the once a year clinic downtown. She said she could be my Dr but that means no dropping in on short notice. It's an hour to get there. So I stay with Dr. K. I came home to read up a bit on bronchitis. And you know it's bang on. Irritated airways caused by... smoke inhalation. Hello? When we first lit the kiln I started coughing. My throat was already ticklish because of the first bug and then the weekend spent around a smoky (sometimes more sometimes less) wood burning kiln really did me in. It is a perfect diagnosis. And I am so glad I went. I had to spend most of the night in the loveseat recliner sleeping sitting up again but I was able to lie down for short lengths of time and sleep a bit more normally. That was good. DH is going to work today and I hope to sleep in the bed. *credit for listening and asking for the advice of others *credit for checking in *credit for not freaking out that my scale has died Oh Well.
Beth: What a ONEderful event! I have experienced it twice before. Cheers to us for never having to do it again.
My smaller, yet no less important event, was a two pound drop on my ticker. I believe if I waited a few more days the extreme hiking would wear off another pound but it doesn't matter because it will show up next month. There is no going back.
The nutrisystem food is becoming a tad boring. That is my fault, not the system. There are tons of hacks within program. I have just not given it priority.This weekend, I am FINALLY home. I commit to figuring out two hacks that I can incorporate into a meal ( like a strawberry sauce for the french toast or some fresh extras in the sweet and sour chicken.) I did make a mighty fine bunch of roasted cauliflower and froze in single serving. That has been great when added to the stuff edcchicken.
onebyone: Take care. I gnored my bronchitis and it lasted for weeks. gardenerjoy: We were hiking up in San Jacinto and found ourselves off the trails. The only thing we could do was walk back to where we KNEW where we were. Sound a lot like you beginning of May. BBE: I'll put overstory on my summer reading. The class and I are going back over A Room of One's Own.
curleyjax: I can't imagine the overwhelm. It must be runnning the same race everyone else is but carrying a fifty pound sack of flour. Your grief is the weight. This too shall pass but I assume it will be a long process.
Credit for running errands yesterday without eating anything while I was out. That is important behavior for me. Things go badly when I give myself permission to forage for treats while I'm out and about.
Today's challenge is supper out. It's an honor to be asked to be on the welcome committee for an author who will speak tonight in our town. But, it includes a meal at an unfamiliar restaurant.
Checking the menu...If I were going with my husband, I'd plan on a cocktail since that's a specialty of the place, but this doesn't seem like the right sort of occasion for alcohol.
I think I'll go for the Caprese Chicken Sandwich. Grilled chicken breast, tomato, arugula, basil, goat cheese spread, mozzarella cheese, balsamic glaze on a toasted bun. I'll talk them into giving me a salad or veggies instead of the fries. And, I'll plan on eating half the sandwich.
Weigh-in: -0.55 kg, Exercise: +30, 30/1100 minutes for May
bethturnaround: Minutes per month works really well for me. I think starting at 300 minutes per month would be perfect. There's some standard advice to increase exercise in 10% increments and that's easy to do by tracking minutes. Any time I feel ready to add more, I increase my monthly goal by 10%. If you want to track exercise on 3FC, a bunch of us do it here: https://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/chi...challenge.html
Long day of traveling and meeting with folks who will be key for our event later this month. Dinner was at a local pizza place and we each just ordered smalls of what we wanted and they truly were reasonable portions, so I'm glad in a way about that. I brought the rest of mine to my area for future meals. Other option was a very high class steak house that I've been to before and it certainly wasn't worth it for me. I made some superb choices today and a few not so superb ones, but in the end, life will go on. My less than great weren't like cake or ice cream...
I am very hard on myself through this process and don't know that it helps. If I live another 30 years at this weight, maybe that's OK. Am I in the healthy range? No. I'm not. I'm large. I'm not active enough. But now and then I just feel like "enough" I don't know what that means. Enough thought about it? Enough self-shame? Enough guilt? If I'm off for part of two meals, my whole week is not shot. My weight will climb like a thermometer on this plan being off the "no wheat/dairy/soy/sugar, etc" but I have to recognize that the food has been OK. Just thinking online here. Yesterday DH said maybe this is where I'm set at and it just is for a while. That kinda got me thinking. I don't want it to be so, but if I'm here without cancer... If I'm here without major disease... AM I ok with it? Or if I just slowly peck at it but not stress, is that the best way? I'm sorry to be rambling here. I just don't like to feel that three weeks of dedication can be undone in two days. Or more specifically a few items on two days.
How different would it be if I weren't working in my particular field? If I had more time to walk more places in my regular day and own my time more? Maybe it'd be the same. But then again, maybe it would be markedly different. Just something I need to chew on. Not literally. Here until Friday, home late that night. Then back in a week.
Thursday - World Press Freedom Day (since 1993, the UN General Assembly)
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Exercise was chase the (2.5 yo) DGD day. On the playground, with the temperature at 93 degrees F, she just ran and ran and ran. Wouldn't quit so that I was forced to chase her down and scoop her up in my arms. Then, instead of screaming, she acted petulant - I suppose to remind me that she's changing every day and I have to learn to keep up. As we were driving to the playground, she kept asking, "Are we there yet?" When, finally, DW told her, "It's one minute away," she replied, "It's just around the corner." So, all the expressions of our language are going into that little brain for use in appropriate circumstances. At the playground she interacted with the first child her age that's as high verbal as she is. This little boy talked constantly, showed her his Orca Whale that she, incorrectly, insisted was a shark. His nanny told us that he also speaks Spanish and Portuguese. Some kids get all the breaks.
Eating was OK. DW made a minestrone soup that was just perfect for a cold winter evening - but felt warm at 93 F. With the windows shut, the house remained cooler than outdoors.
onebyone – Great to have a bronchitis diagnosis so that you can treat it. Yep, Kudos for going to the doctor.
Joy (gardenerjoy) – Kudos for carefully planning your meal before heading to the restaurant.
maryann - Roasted cauliflower would be a good addition to many dishes. Congrats on those two pounds.
nationalparker – Kudos for recognizing that that way of thinking could lead to falling off your plan. It's fun to dream of finding similar work that calls for walking all day. I've never seen a fat postman.
Readers -
Quote:
chapter 6Week 2Get Set: Prepare to Diet
It's crucially important for you to review at
least a couple of times a day all the reasons you
have for wanting to lose weight.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 96.
I lost that extra pound and I decided to ticker down. I am now seven pounds from goal. I am so thankful I have been able to attach myself to this program. It is certainly not perfect but it gives me peace of mind. I know what to eat even if i don't know what meds will be thrown at me next.
Another med adjustment starts today because I just can't sleep. It is 2:30 am here. I also am developing a phobia about going to work depsite the lack of substance to the fear. The kids are well behaved and learning.
I just did a google on people with performance anxiety. It includes Hugh Grant, Barbra Streisand, Gandhi, Thomas Jefferreson and the list goes on. Many of them take the med that was given to me. All of them do astounding things. I don't count myself up there with them in terms of importance, but I do know I am pretty good at my job and there is a cost for that.
So for today: I" will try to live through this one day only, and not tackle all my problems at once. i can do something for twelve hours that would apall me if I felt i had to do it for a lifetime."
Gratitude List
Food Planned
DS and DH are happy and healthy
I get to go to school to work with a culturally diverse population that teach me everyday about tolerance and acceptance. for example: In our SLAM Poetry Units, I have a a Pakistani girl working with a Sikh girl ( The Sikhs and the Pakistani have tremendous animosity.) So cool to be a witness.
nationalparker: I identify with the those thoughts that say "I'm healthy now. Why does this have to be so extreme?" My answer is always to look around at the people in the local restaurants. We are becoming larger and larger. I must swim up stream diligently just to maintain.
Beck Diet For Life/Solution – May 2018 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Tuesday - May Day
respect
