Beck Diet For Life/Solution – August 2020 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
 

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:

Saturday - 1st U.S. census shows a population of nearly 4 million people (1790)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Excitement was a trip to the library. Well, not exactly to the library but to the off-hours return slot in the side of the library building. I got to watch the lucky folks queue - properly socially distanced and masked - at a table in front of the library where a librarian placed brown grocery bags with first names. I felt called to game the system by saying, "I'm Mary Elizabeth" to pick up whatever she had ordered. I stood down my fourteen-year-old self who has time in his mind to think of ways that are off path. The thought struck me that Mary Elizabeth might be into bodice slashers or neuro-surgery - neither of which would be my thing.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner on the patio dawdled in the (finally) cool part of the day. The chicken sausage that comprised the entree was 120 calories. By contrast, Krispy Kreme donuts had a special: buy a dozen and get a dozen chocolate covered donuts for only $2. That's 17 cents a donut! I was drooling. I checked calories: ranged from 190 to 400 calories a donut. And I would have to buy two dozen. Brain just couldn't compute. That's a lot of calories of donuts - especially when I have no gatherings available to bring them. In the good old days I could bring them to the office and fellow engineers would make them disappear quickly. Or happy hour on Sunday would see the teenagers gobble them up. Despite the obvious, I'll accept CREDIT moi for not buying 24 Krispy Kreme donuts.


onebyone - Congrats for getting your eyeballs all sealed and ready to go. Neat that you survived a restaurant meal with your DH - I'm not ready to try that yet.

Joy (gardenerjoy) - Kudos for feeling good about yourself at your weight. I'm wrestling with the same issue. The distance between me and 'normal' weight is further than I'm inclined to want to travel. I've been that low and didn't stay there for long.

maryann - Fond memories of driving Highway 1 along the California coast. Neat that you gave yourself some time to remain sane.

Karen (karenrn) - Smart to focus on your plan instead of the scale numbers. Those 110 deg F days just boggle my mind.

Penny. - Congrats for your first tour on your stationary bike.

Readers -

Celebrating that I met my exercise goals in July! Despite some challenges of rain and heat.

Exercise +20, 1400/1400 minutes for July

It occurred to me this morning that I may have been exposed when I was at Paneras last sunday with manfriend. We ate inside and there was a little informal gathering going on with kids running around after awhile. We wore our masks for part of our time but of course you can't while you're eating, and then we got careless. Hmm-with our state opening up i'm getting a little more lax than I should be. Both of us are feeling fine thus far at least. I can't remember if adults were wearing masks or not.
I cleared some of the junk off a bedside table so step one in taking care of myself and surroundings better. I'm definitely in that a depression loop again, ugh.
I have consistently done my stretching exercises each morning and have used weights 3 x a week for about 2 weeks, including pushups. So I need to build on those habits.
Penny- I'm so impressed that you're at 135, that is awesome! What a long way you have come, you should be really proud of yourself.
Onebyone- that's great that your eye surgery went well, and teeth weren't so bad after all.
Maryann- DH and I drove around Carmel as part of our honeymoon- San Francisco, yosemite, etc. Lovely time.
Bill-I have to clamp down on my inner child/teenager too at times. Both my kids say my sense of humor can be a bit young/inappropriate:)
Karen- I just ordered some cooling towels and they are great. I guess expedia and trip advisor are just hotels. If you're going to a larger area, I wonder if chamber of commerce type thing might have ideas.
Gardenerjoy-great job on meeting the exercise goal!

Good morning!

Yesterday was way overbudget and weight is up.

I guess I'll confess my recent drama because it is definitely effecting my appetite and eating.

After 20 years of marriage, I came out as lesbian this last month. Dh is his usual awesome self and taking it well. We are rearranging things to have our own rooms, and plan to stay roommates until our two houses are paid off in three years.

Yesterday, I went on my first date. We were both introverts and it was a little low energy. I came home and ate to calm my nerves. I'll need to stop that behavior pronto.

Okay, there ya go. It was nice when I lost my appetite completely initially.

Bill, lol at the book stealing fantasy.

Joy, congrats on the successful month and weightloss progresss.

Maryann, the side trip sounds marvelous. And it's so healthy to have those boundaries with family.

Curly, the exposure risk is so scary. I'm still crossing my fingers nothing comes of the poorly distanced gathering I attended.

Karen, it is so unfair how few calories it takes for me to exist. 1950 calories yesterday and I jumped to 139. It was healthy food. Ugh.

Onebyone, yay for good doctors and a patched up eye.

Good morning coaches,

Food was on plan but dinner portion was too large and I added a drink. My plan is written for today and I'm praying I can stay on it and keep the portions smaller. Like all of us I'm tired of all of this. I am going to whine and say it is even more difficult when it's going to be over 110 again today. July 2020 was the hottest month on record for the Phoenix area with lows averaging 90 and the high averaging 110. Yuck!

Penny Yes I can see why your appetite has been effected with everything you have probably been thinking and feeling. I'm glad your husband is awesome and I hope you and the family all do fine.
Curlyjax It is really difficult to decide what is safe to do and what is not. In my state the numbers are so bad I don't feel safe doing much, but in the small towns where we were in Washington I felt safer.
GardenerJoy Congratulations on again meeting your exercise goal. I have nothing planned for today but will hike again tomorrow.
Bill I'm afraid two dozen Krispy Kreme donuts would not be safe with me. It seems like they are mostly air so would go down easily regardless of the calories.
Onebyone I'm glad the doctor could do the repair on your eye and that you don't have to go back too soon.
Maryann It sounds wonderful to be in Carmel. Good to know your limits.

Take care everybody!

August!
 

So I got through today ok.
Scale said 181.1. Same as yesterday.

I went to my garden twice cause I forgot my hose the first time. I did remember my bamboo poles and my green rubber coated wire so I was able to tie up all the stray tomato branches and get them off the ground. I'd been meaning to do that for weeks.

I harvested my first tomatoes: a Wapole Peach tomato (yellow one) and a pinky red one called Rose de Berne. Both are heritage varieties. Plus I took some orange cherry tomatoes, a kholrabi, parsley and the jalapenos that were on the plant that mysteriously shriveled and died.

I did do my walk but it was across parking lots and in several big box stores. It was real walking so I am satisfied in my heart that I met my goal to walk today

Tonight I asked DH to watch the hockey game with me. It's the playoffs, postponed due to Covid-19 in the spring. I have never asked to watch the game before. I thoroughly enjoyed jt.

That's it for today. Unreal that we are in August.

Sunday - Friendship Day (Since 1935, the United States Congress)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Major advance in this post-CORVID world: I reserved a slot at the library to pick up a book that I'd reserved for which notice arrived just as I came home from the library returning books. Immediately thought, I'll go right back. Naive. The first available slot for pick up is this Thursday between 2:00 and 2:30 pm. "Don't come early. Stand away from the table until your name is called." Back in Middle School, LOL. Unfortunately, it's the book by Mary Trump that I reserved back in January so that I'd be at the head of the waiting list. My enthusiasm is low; hard to believe that there are any tidbits that I haven't already read in the newspapers. Then I did even better. I reserved slots at the Boston Children's Museum for this Wednesday when we have the DGD. Had to choose morning or afternoon; during the ninety minutes in between they sanitize the whole place. Made my reservations that required that I type in the barcode on my membership card. Not the Membership ID - the barcode that is never used by a member. A zillion digit number. Succeeded and jumped through more hoops to finally defeat them and get tickets. They're well protected against something.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Gazpacho on the patio in the cool evening air. DW suggested that I not add cukes to the green salad since Gazpacho is mostly blended cukes. Lovely, lovely, evening. After dinner I, fully masked, walked across the street to deliver a magazine that had arrived in our mail slot for the neighbor. It's my understand that I committed a Federal Crime by doing so; I'm only allowed to mark 'Wrong Address' on an item of mail and return it to the Post Office. Since it was a news weekly magazine (Economist), adding a week delay for the wheels of the Postal Office to grind it back wasn't a timely path forward. CREDIT moi for being a good neighbor - even if a criminal.


onebyone - So neat that you grow heirloom tomatoes. That Rose de Berne Tomato looks beyond yummy.

Joy (gardenerjoy) - Congrats, one more time, for meeting, one more time, your monthly exercise goal.

Karen (karenrn) - Kudos for having a written plan for today. Yuck indeed for those high temps.

curlyjax - Yep, it's easy to feel more lax defending against the virus as time goes on. Kudos for a small step in taking care of yourself with your bedside table.

Penny. - Bon Voyage on this next phase of your life; thanks for letting us know. Congrats for surviving a date; get to experience all the feeling from Middle School that we were so glad to have left behind. And Super Congrats for having chosen in your DH a man that is going to be helpful going forward.

Readers -

I'm cringing over something dumb I did: I've been kind of flirting with one of my mechanics (well, he and his family run the shop) for awhile and he's always very smiley. The other day he was definitely checking out my body so I slipped him a note telling him he's sexy. Geez, how middle school can you get! I just hope no one else noticed, I don't want anyone to be laughing at me. Hopefully it will be a long time before I need to go back there. But hey, he should be flattered. I was kind of hoping for a FWB thing but I doubt anything will come of it. The pandemic and my crazy hormones contributed to this!! Plus seeing all these couples eat outside, it looks so romantic. Manfriend clearly wants to be a friend only otherwise I wouldn't have done it.
A friend is coming to pick up extra boxes since she's moving, and hopefully we'll go for a walk too. Tonight is healthy salmon night.
Penny- wow, good for you!! We only have one life and now is the time to embrace it, and be true to yourself. Have you told your kids?
Onebyone-your harvest sounds lovely. Yay for a real walk.
Karen-I'm sure it is very hard in that kind of ongoing heat, whine away!
Bill- I forgot about the library reservation system, went to the library right away and fortunately they were able to give it to me anyhow. The system is kind of annoying since they're not open on the weekend and i'm sneaking over there when i'm supposed to be working:) I was going to try renting a kayak at my nearby place, but you have to reserve and pay for it ahead of time, and if the park fills up and you can't get in, I wonder if you lose your money. Plus there were no slots at all on a sunday, most were during the week. Again, some of us are working.

Good morning!

Yesterday was overbudget and weight is up again.

I went to the protest (I'm sure you have seen somewhere in the news) until after midnight and then came home and ate chips and hummus. I did get a six mile hike in.

I need to claw my way back to weightloss eating today.

Karen, that is hot hot weather. You'll be enjoying a beautiful fall and winter soon.

Onebyone, your garden sounds well taken care of. The tomatoes sound yummy.

Bill, that's a long time to have to wait for your library pick-up. My library has the same line up to pick up holds but recently opended it up to drop ins. No appointment needed.

Curly, that is exciting that you had the courage to pursue the mechanic. My kids and everyone know and took it well.

Good morning coaches,

Food was not on plan yesterday. I ate 2 protein bars (cause they were sweet) and another sweet treat in the afternoon while dh was at the golf course practicing (no witness to the eating). Even though it wasn't witnessed, the scale knew it and gave me a nice bump up this morning. I debated about getting on the scale, but figured I may as well. I did do a 4 1/2 mile hike with my friend just after 5 a.m. this morning. Again it was 90 or a little more, but I used my cooling towel and there was a little breeze part of the time. In any event I feel so much better to get my exercise. I was in such a funk yesterday about Covid, no plans, too hot etc. I think I have finally talked some sense in to myself and realize in a couple of months I will be able to hike longer and it will be more enjoyable and I will be the lucky one being here where I can be outdoors for hours. I'm going to try to use some of this hotter indoor time to get back to going through some closets again, etc. I really do think I'd like to talk dh in to moving, although no time soon, but I may as well have things in order for whenever that day comes.

Penny How was the protest? Of course I've seen so much about it on the news and read different things. Staying with the weightless way of eating is darned hard, but I must get back there also.
Curlyjax Holy night I am old. I had to look up what FWB even means. You go girl, I mean you go girl but be careful.
Bill Heck, I've been taking a neighbor their mail and packages for a long time. I didn't even know it wasn't okay. We live on North 83rd Street, but they live on North 83rd Way. It will be fun to take DGD to the Children's Museum. You'll have to let us know how it goes and how different it is from the way it used to be.
Onebyone The gardening sounds so enjoyable. I think because it's something we just don't do here and it means it isn't as hot. Glad you enjoyed the hockey. The only time I saw a game was in Vancouver BC at a work related function with my husband. It was fun and I remember leaving the stadium and walking in the snow back to our hotel. Snow sounds good too!
Waving to GardenerJoy and Maryann!

Our coronavirus cases are surging in Missouri, so I'm not feeling very lax at the moment. Most of the school districts in St. Louis County are going virtual-only for the first quarter (a change from their first announcements which gave an option for two days a week in person).

Exercise +35, 35/1400 minutes for July

Penny: That's a life stressor, for sure. It's positive for you in the long run, even if it causes a lot of drama, at first.

Monday - British journalist Francis Younghusband visits forbidden city Lhasa (1904)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - At the BLM demonstration in the morning, we continued to feel out of the loop for all the issues facing the country right now because we're not directly suffering. We merely wore masks and socially spaced. Most passing cars honked their support. One obnoxiously loud motorcyclist gave us the finger instead - the first non-support that I've seen around here. The demo is small enough that there are no longer patrolling police. Walked, CREDIT moi, around Mount Auburn Cemetery in the afternoon with DW, DS, and his SO enjoying the glory of late summer foliage. Chipmunks were abundant. Saw one dead rabbit on the road and wondered why no Red-tailed Hawk had found it yet. Just nature being nature.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. The scale continues to move downward slowly in a realistic way and I continue to fret or cheer with each jitter two-pounds above or below the true moving average. I seem reluctant to accept that my body in front of the mirror will never be young-man attractive again regardless of weight. Dinner was eaten inside because of precious rain. A full half-inch fell in over an hour - serious rivulets running down the street. DW was elated. Our city recycling site directed us to toss out LED light bulbs with the trash; there are not recycled. Felt odd doing that. It's always felt good taking bulbs to a local hardware store that collected them for recycling.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Ouch for surging COVID-19 cases. Everywhere we read about is waffling and changing plans about this fall's schooling.

Karen (karenrn) - LOL that the scale witnessed the protein bars. Super smart to get you 'stuff' in order just to allow the thought of moving.

curlyjax - Congrats for continuing to find a way to live your life despite the pandemic. Ouch that every way we stick out our necks feels like Middle School. Neat that you beat the library system and got your book anyway, LOL.

Penny. - We do read about your protests in our news nonstop. Hope things are quieting down a bit.

Readers -

I logged off email and Facebook on Saturday afternoon and find that I'm a bit reluctant to log back on to see what's waiting for me there. I'm hoping that some other folks picked up the ball I dropped for them. If not, I have some work to do today! At least, I can do it from a calmer and more relaxed space.

Here's my reminder that food doesn't help me write one-pagers or corral volunteers or plan meetings.

Exercise +80, 115/1400 minutes for July

Good Morning, Coaches.

Sitting at home on my couch trying to catch up on life. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I am trying to get back into gratitude. Everybody around me is doing everything wrong. This of course violates my rule of three which is "if three or more people irritate me it is probably me."

Weight is three pounds from ticker and I am discouraged. This set point has baffled me for twenty plus years. I need to get serious about the food plan and get back to doing what I know works. In my case, this will start with staying home, no take out, and staying away from wheat. I was too cranky to walk this morning but I will garden and do lots of errands. Tomorrow I go back to school for professional development. Kids come back next week. Grrrrrrr. I hate this feeling of irritation at everything and everyone.

Penny: Best thoughts as you and your family move forward.
curleyjax: Credit for the courage of putting yourself out there with your true feelings. Nothing is gained if nothing is risked.
Karen: Talk about what would make me grumpy. That kind of heat is tough to live in.

Wave to BBE, gardenerjoy and onebyone.

Good morning coaches,

Just back from walking Otis which occurred just after hiking the Gateway Loop by myself this morning. I really do like to hike by myself sometimes so I can choose the speed I want to go and listen to a podcast or book. It was a little cooler and the cooling towel around my neck really does help. Food was on plan yesterday and weight is down a bit, but still up from a few days ago. I'm wondering if picking up my exercise is contributing too. I know sometimes that happens. In any event I need to stay the course and really watch my portions. I did go through a closet in the back bedroom yesterday afternoon and I found some summer tops I can use. I found some other cute summer tops that I know are too small this summer. I transfer clothes to that closet when they are out of season and I guess I kind of forgot to look there this year. There really isn't that much clothes. Other things are quilting/sewing things, a few Christmas things that need to be kept in the house as opposed to the garage and a few suitcases. Really nothing needed to go, but it did need to be reorganized. It was a start. I think today I will go through the kitchen cupboards to see if there are things I can get rid of and also check for any expired food items. In rereading this . . . I will get rid of the brown sugar. I don't seem to be able to keep it in the house without breaking down and making some super sweet off plan thing in the microwave too often.

Maryann I woke up on the wrong side of the bed a couple of days too. I think about how I can be a bit snappy with dh and apologize, but I make an excuse for myself and tell him I am feeling even crabbier on the inside than what he can see. I am right there with you really focusing on the food plan.
GardenerJoy I hope some one picked up the ball for you too. It seems you shoulder a lot of responsibility.
Bill You are doing such a good job eating on plan with no snacks. I know how you feel about the older body not looking young even at a lower weight. I just try to remind myself that my main goal is good health and I look pretty good with clothes on.

Waving to Penny, CurlyJax and Onebyone. Time to make my food plan for the day and eat some breakfast.

Good morning!

Yesterday was on plan and weight floated back down a little, but not all the way to where I was.

The protest was peaceful because the feds have pulled back. They were seriously just grabbing people and firing gas and rubber bullets at peaceful protesters just standing there. Instead of squashing the protest, people showed up even more in response.

I had a lawyer telling me what to say and do in case I get stopped or arrested, and the representation phone number was written on my arm.

A lot of people had gas masks, helmets and a shield. But since the feds had pulled back a couple days prior, I came with only my paper mask and an athiest's prayer. I'm not sure the protest is doing anything more lately but it's wonderful to see the movement and hope for change.

Bill, protest buddies! Solidarity.

Joy, social media free days are good.

Maryann, sorry you woke up with the grumps. Maybe it will clear away like morning fog soon.

Summing up the day
 

Coaches

Today was busy. I finally completed the (rough) creation of 100+ porcelain soap dishes. I only make them for one person, who I like. In exchange she never bothers me about.when she's getting them saying "I'll get them when you let me have them," and "make whatever you want I can sell anything."

A perfect client for me.

I was able to complete them as I was at the Potters'Guild for the first time since we locked down in mid-March. The Guild re-opened July 5th but I was in no rush to go. Today was good though and I was alone in there.

Foodwise I was on plan once more. Scale moved down to 278 this morning. I pictured seeing 270 on the scale, it was like a vision, and that made me super happy. My subconscious is in it to win it!

I was dismayed at the Covid news coming out of the U.S. It sounds bleak. I hope things are better than they seem or that a vaccine happens soon for us all. My sister and BIL are in Key West and with the surge in the virus and hurricane season happening well I wish she was here instead. I wondered whether Canada would allow her in. She has dual citizenship. Don't know how the authorities choose. My guess is no. Credit moi for not eating over situations I can do nothing about. I used to use anything as an excuse for extra food. Thankfully this has changed for the better.

Penny I don't know where you live. Are you in Portland? Are you in those protests? Take care and go get 'em!

Tuesday - Prince's "Purple Rain" album goes #1 & stays #1 for 24 weeks (1984)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Finally got to sit quietly and read the complete John Lewis' final essay, Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation. I needed some uplifting thoughts that suggest that there is a way forward. Feel like it's a bit of torture to read the rest of the newspaper these days.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner on the patio was pasta salad, deviled eggs, and green salad. Just right when the temperature might have been as high as 90 degrees F. My big accomplishment of the day was to complete and send off the list of questions for our Estate Lawyer. I hate this stuff; seems so morbid. But the good news: I tried on a Polo shirt one size smaller and it fits perfectly. Dropping a few pounds did what it was supposed to do. I'm not terribly sensitive to how well my clothes fit. I notice 'tight' and 'snug' very well, but miss 'drooping' because it doesn't hurt. It just looks funny. A smaller shirt makes me look better. CREDIT moi for getting there over the last few months.


onebyone - Cheering for "My subconscious is in it to win it!" Yes, COVID news from the US is bleak these days. Interesting whether a Canadian citizen can leave Florida to go back to Canada. Gets curiouser and curiouser.

Joy (gardenerjoy) - It does seem that some volunteers only wake up to pitch in when the leader disappears. Thanks for the reminder that "food doesn't help me . . ." Nope. It doesn't.

maryann - Shuddering that you'll have kids back in school next week. Our newspapers are still debating what to do.

Karen (karenrn) - Kudos for continuing to organize your 'stuff.' I need that encouragement.

Penny. - Yay for a weight floating down a bit. Hope the calm in your city remains.

Readers -

We went on a last minute family trip to the beach- I am DONE with these:) It's physically uncomfortable for me- couldn't get the umbrella to work so too hot and I don't have the right chairs etc-and squabbling with DD. I just can't sit in the hot sun for hours anymore. Fortunately I did have Bill Bryson's book 'A walk in the Woods' with me so at least I was entertained.
Thanks for all the support with my mechanic silliness:) It makes me less depressed to think about potential fun things anyhow.
Today I am focused on the fact that we have tropical storm warnings with potential wind damage etc, so I am remembering to count my blessings and cross my fingers we don't have any problems. At least it should be cooler for a few days- and if I lose power I won't be able to work:)
I need to hustle off and do my exercises, shower and get the dishes done in case we lose power/hot water, I've left stuff pile up too long.
Wave to all!

Good morning!

Yesterday was on plan and weight is holding.

I'm going to head out for a solo hike shortly, and then I have a friend hike planned for tomorrow.

Karen, good that you keep so organized. The clutter creep must not be so bad without me there. lol

Onebyone, yes, I am in Portland. I'm envisioning that 270 milestone for you too. You got this! Credit for all the pottery work.

Bill, that meal sounds so good! Congratulations on the weightloss and smaller size shirt.

Curly, lol at the description of your beach trip. Sorry it wasn't the happy fun time you planned for.

I got some teammates to play along. It really did help to disappear for a day! We're meeting tonight and that's also a very good technique to bring people along. I'm going to ask someone to give me a phone call, too. With all this help, I have even less reason to use food as if it were going to help. It won't.

Exercise +35, 150/1400 minutes for July

Phone check in as I hop off to work. We will be virtual at least the first quarter but I need stuff from my room. The house cleaner is coming. I’ll get out of her way at the same time.

Back OP yesterday and the scale is two pounds above ticker. August is my Three Chicks Anniversary month. Feels good to be ten pounds down from then.

Wave.

Good morning coaches,

Food on plan and weight is inching back down slowly. Why or why can't it go down as quickly as it goes up? I got out for an early morning hike alone and then took Otis for a walk. No real plans for the day, but I have spoken with a couple of friends who I don't talk to often. There isn't much to talk about although one couple did get out of town for two weeks in Breckenridge. Longer note with personals tomorrow.

Bone tired and weary
 

Hi Coaches

Today I'm just tired. I cooked breakfast, and then made my way to the makerspace to drop off my finished soap dishes for the kiln firing While there I helped a co-worker understand how the kiln fires and what the numbers mean in the firing program (tech talk) and then I made a mistake. I forgot my new rule of behaviour for the makerspace: when I leave the makerspace I head straight home, no detours. This was a rule coupled with my problematic Saturdays, but it turns out the problem isn't the day of the week but how I feel after I leave the makerspace.

I want a treat. I want a reward. I want a time out. I want a diversion.

I ended up at a grocery store, shopping when I didn't need anything, and then buying a container of in-house salmon avocado sushi. 8 pieces. The white rice is most certainly off plan food. I had a food plan for the day and abandoned it as so much fluff.

When I got home I ate more than I planned and more kinds of food than I planned. It wasn't off plan food but it was too much food. Once more I will have sabotaged my trek through the 270's to the 260's that I was hoping to achieve this month.

Of course all is not lost. It's only Aug 4. I have closed the kitchen. While I ate more and more often, I did stop. And only one part of one item was not on my foodplan. A great improvement over past behaviour that would involve whole, large bags of snacky things, or, say, the box of butterhorns that the grocery store unexpectedly faced me with.

The sale-priced butterhorns remain in situ. I flexed my resistance muscle and they backed away.

I did have a mini NSV though. It was pouring rain and I had to go outside to get a pkg a friend was dropping off. I was wearing one of my outrageous moomoos so I looked for my rainjacket so I could just throw it on, and then I froze. I bought the jacket last fall for $5 on clearance. A size 4x. Massively huge on my body but I could hardly fit my upper arms into it without adjusting, twisting, coaxing the fabric to go on my arm and the seam to go up to the shoulder. Today it went on. I won't say I slipped into it. I can't say it wasn't snug. I can say I didn't have to push and prod the fabric to move up my arm. Progress.

Have a good evening Coaches.

Wednesday - Cornerstone for Statue of Liberty laid on Bedloe's Island (1884, NYC)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Trip to the supermarket was uneventful - a good sign. It still didn't have the brand of dish soap and dishwasher detergent that we use. But the blueberries were plentiful and I bought many. Folks all wore masks and distanced. As always, the checkout clerks were slightly embarrassed when I thanked them for being there.

Dinner was inside due to the winds of Hurricane Isaiah that is mostly passing to the west of us as it heads to Montreal. We might also see little of it today. Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner's green salad contained the first large tomato from our garden. Delicious. There are more coming.


onebyone - Super Congrats for the NSV of sleeves going on more easily. And Kudos that those "sale-priced butterhorns remain in situ."

Joy (gardenerjoy) - Congrats for exercising your leadership role without doing all the work yourself.

maryann - Happy tenth 3FC anniversary. May you have many more. And Congrats on those ten pounds gone forever.

Karen (karenrn) - LOL at the realization that there isn't as much to talk about when we're all isolated. Inching is annoying but down is good.

curlyjax - Hope Hurricane Isaiah isn't too harsh with you since it did little to us. Neat to have a good book at the beach.

Penny. - Sounds like some good hiking going down. Always Kudos for on plan.

Readers -

I got anxious about the upcoming storm but fortunately no damage was done. I would much rather deal with slow moving snowstorms than the sudden, violent wind and lightening. I feel for those folks who were hit hard by it. My legs were aching and waking me up last night so I think I need to stretch and walk more. I did wash the kitchen floor and tidy up the kitchen, and it feels great to wake up to a clean space, so hopefully that will be motivating to keep going with it. Tonight I am meeting manfriend for dinner at one of those cute outdoor places that have sprung up everywhere. He is feeling better and usually up for eating out.
Onebyone- good for you for a NSV!
Karen- I know what you mean, conversation is much more limited these days.

Good morning coaches,

Food was on plan yesterday and weight is the same. I didn't head out for a hike this morning cause I just didn't feel like it in the heat. I had hoped for a longer walk with Otis, but he didn't share those thoughts. We had a very short walk and then he just was done. I didn't feel like forcing him or carrying him, so we turned around and came home. I plan to do some grocery shopping today and probably some housework. Yesterday when I was talking with my cousin in CA she said "why don't you come over and we'll go to Mineral King?" OMG at first all I could think was, pack the car I'm out of here. But then I remembered that they aren't careful and that I wouldn't feel at all safe around them. I told her I would love to, but they are around too many people for me to feel safe. I know she was disappointed, but she does know we have different feelings about it. The bad thing is that she is the one with pretty significant health problems. I just try to keep thinking that I need to work to stay in some kind of shape, that it will soon be cooler so I can be outside more, and that I will have to make a plan to be out of AZ for at least a month next summer no matter what.

Curlyjax I'm glad you made it through the storm with no difficulty. I tell dh if something happened to him there would be a for sale sign in the yard pronto and I think I mean it. I hand it to you for handling your home, children and work all at the same time. Enjoy your dinner out.
Bill I can almost taste that home grown tomato. There is nothing better. Maybe I should buy a couple of plants and put them in pots. I bet they would grow here in the fall. I'll have to check it out.
Onebyone I absolutely hear you about needing a diversion. I think we all need a diversion for sure. Good for you for flexing your resistance muscle. I know it works to do that and it helps to feel proud.
Maryann It is super that you're down ten pounds and Happy Anniversary. I don't even know what month I started.
GardenerJoy Good to know that your strategy for being away for a day worked.
Penny I envy you being out hiking in wonderful temperatures and beauty. There is a part of me that wants to get in the car and head to WA. But the other part of me says that is a heck of a long drive and I don't want to be away from dh and Otis for that long.

Well onward. I need to make a comprehensive grocery list and go early. I plan to go to Costco today too. Dh is telling me about some upcoming possible shortages and I want to stay ahead of them a little bit for at least a couple of items.

Good morning!

Yesterday was on plan and weight is holding.

I did not end up hiking but do have a nice hike with friends today. Hopefully my improved endurance allows for hiking with a mask easily, along with keeping a little distance.

Have a great day, everyone!

Good Morning, Coaches.

My first post from my classroom this school year. I am in good spirits and ready to take what comes.

I am going to work on my habit of eating something when I clean up from dinner. That is the next big habit for me. I was OP until I grabbed three ravioli leftovers last night. It is those consistent 150 -200 extra calories per night that are keeping me from my goal of under 160. As I look through my weight history I see that I am at the low end of a range that I have wrestled with since I was originally over 200 pounds. It will take little steps to dip the scale. I will require very few departures from the plan. Also these little steps need to be natural for me or they will not hold me beneath 160. This is what history has proven and, since I am a history teacher, I believe in its power.

KarenRN: Good Luck at Costco. I am more like your friend and less careful. I try to respect everybody when I am around people and school requires certain precautions. It is a time that requires tolerance I believe and personal decisions. My focus in my lessons with students is tolerance and acceptance. BTW, you stats say you joined in July, 2008.

Wave to everybody else.

Checking in late. Tonight's the big event that we've been planning for the last couple of weeks. I'm happy with how it's come together in the end and confident that we'll make it work, even with unexpected things. I've been trying to get lettuce washed for a couple of days. It will happen today! We already walked, but I'd like to get some yoga in, too. The event is not until 7pm, so I'll have some time in the early evening to do that. It will likely be the best way to get ready for the meeting anyway.

Exercise +65, 215/1400 minutes for July

Wobbled at the the tail end of the day
 

Coaches:

278.1 this morning. A bit of a surprise drop. Tomorrow I forsee a scale rise as I wobbled this evening eating 8? 10? long red licorice and a handful of chips. Things in bags. Always a weakness. DH brought them in for the hockey game (we won! 2-1 in the series- best of 5).

I had planned for my outing today and how I would deal if my friend pushed food on me at the lake. She tried. I caved a bit. But she backed off and I stopped there. It was ok. The bulk of my food was my own and I drank my water. Most important, I swam! I was at Sibbald Point Provincial Park on Lake Simcoe. About a 45min drive from my home. I wish I had known about this place before. I think I will try to go once a week. There is camping there and I asked DH and we may go overnight a few times before it's too cold.

The water was like that of a northern lake, Lake Ramsey sprung to mind, which is in my hometown of Sudbury. The air was 23C and overnight it had been 19C so I expected cold water. Once you got submerged the water was warmer than the air. And if you got out the air felt colder still and going back in you'd swear the water warmed up 30 degrees.

Very enjoyable.

I was good foodwise until I realized I again (3rd time) that the soup didn't make it back to the fridge yesterday so another good soup wrecked and my planned for food was gone. I had more unplanned food but ate too much. I kept going back for seconds, thirds, fourths and then it was gone. What I really wanted was soup and this other thing filled me but didn't satisfy. When I am tired this is what I do. This is a primary behaviour I need to shift.

Which reminds me, I go to the makerspace tomorrow and I will head straight home when I am done. I will follow my new rule.

So on plan for 1/2 the day. Off plan for half. Back on plan right now.

Have a great night.

Thursday - Hiroshima (1945)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Exercise was chase the (4.5 yo) DGD day, CREDIT moi. Visit to the Boston Children's Museum was only good enough. The major 3-story, enclosed, climbing structure was shut down. In the water area a docent handed her exactly two small water toys from the "Sanitized" bucket. In the golf ball area that is usually bursting with kids and hundreds of golf balls rolling down different chutes, she was handed three sanitized golf balls. Three! The illusion of an infinite number was demolished. Told my DD that it was like a bordello without the s e x. We drove there instead of the much-loved subway ride ($25 parking). But, joyously, did eat dinner at a picnic table on the wharf overlooking Boston Harbor with gulls, pigeons, and House Sparrows galore looking for bread crumbs from little bit. "How old do you think she'll be before she stops chasing pigeons," DW asked me. "Only when it's too embarrassing about thirteen," I guessed.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner on the patio included more of the pasta salad from before; DW made a HUGE bowl of it and it has to be consumed. The green salad did include cukes and Cherry Tomatoes from our garden. My evening snack was an apple. Unfortunately, it was cut up in a baggie having been carried to the Children's Museum and back home again. Eating a child's leftovers never tastes quite the same as food designated for me. But I do feel so very noble - as if saving the planet from the waste of an apple.

Fitting into a smaller shirt is a joy. Although tempered because the stack of Polo shirts that I found are all a bit tired - as in skip-at-a-yard-sale-even-if-only-25-cents tired. Washing them a hundred times consumes their life. I'm wealthy enough to spring for a couple of polo shirts, LOL. Sadly, new ones range in cost from $6.99 to $69.99 and I don't know how to tell which one will look good and which will look 'tired' after the first wash. I'm so old that I fondly remember brick-and-mortar stores where one picked up a shirt and felt it before purchase. And visually evaluated whether or not "brick oven" was a color of red that I'd happily wear. First world problem, I know.


onebyone - Yay for a surprise drop! Sibbald Point Provincial Park does look like a happy place. Yep, 'tired' tends to bend the mind into off path thinking. Kudos for recognizing that.

Joy (gardenerjoy) - Hope the big event worked as well as you expected. I love seeing dirt wash away from lettuce - connecting me to the ground that it grew in.

maryann - Welcome back to the classroom. And, simultaneously, Good Grief! A friend with kids in the nearby school just told me that the two older ones will start the year with online learning. And that they're still trying to figure out how to do Kindergarten since Zoom doesn't work on the younger kids.

Karen (karenrn) - Mineral King looks like a great place to explore - sorry you didn't make it. Hope you make the right predictions preparing for upcoming shortages.

curlyjax - Glad that Hurricane Isaiah was easy on you. DW is annoyed that we didn't get so much as a single drop of rain from it. Yay for attempting normalcy by eating at a restaurant's outside table.

Penny. - Yay for getting the benefits of your improved endurance.

Readers -

DInner outside was lovely; well spaced out and lots of umbrellas to avoid the sun. Manfriend was quite happy to be there and I teased him saying, see I have some good ideas! He's definitely feeling better so he can be my occasional companion which is nice. He is going to a pilates class which surprised me that any were open. I may try to find something like that in the fall if our numbers don't increase.
Food was terrible yesterday. Onwards and upwards. I'm so tired of this hot streak on top of everything.
Karen: thanks for the acknowledgement, it is indeed a real challenge to do everything on one's own, and especially during this never ending pandemic. You sound wise to not go with your friend and look forward to next summer instead.
Bill- yay for the wildlife that keeps showing up. I don't think shirts are well made anymore, mine tend to shrink after a year (and its not just me gaining weight).
Onebyone-that's lovely you got to swim. I really enjoy lakes better than the ocean.
Gardenerjoy-good luck with your big event!
Penny- yay for hiking. I have a really hard time wearing a mask while exercising so I admire you for that.
Maryann- are you back in your classroom already, goodness! Is it in person, I forget. Around here they are still figuring out what to do and school starting has been pushed back a bit. I must say i' m glad my kids are older now.

Our event went well. One action and a team to do it materialized out of three possibilities. Good enough, especially in a global pandemic when schools aren't going to want to talk about anything except the virus. We're hoping to find a few administrators who are relieved to have a different topic -- integrating black studies into the curriculum.

Today is grocery day. I'm hoping I can get onions that haven't been recalled. The ones in the pantry got tossed.

Exercise +40, 245/1400 minutes for July

Good Morning, Coaches.

Gardenerjoy: Interesting you were talking about integrating black studies into the curriculum. I just had a thought this morning about how that is accomplished and whether we do it correctly or not. In my experience it has been taught by studying the outstanding people of color and the prejudicial environment they had to overcome. While that is important I think causation of inequities is maybe more important. For example, in the fascinating book I am listening to, Guns, Germs, and Steel, the author makes a case that the native population Papa New Guinea have a higher IQ than the colonizing Europeans because it was germs that was the leading cause of death in the Europeans (they lived in such close quarters) whereas the New Guinea natives mortality is mainly caused by famine, murder and warring tribes. It took intelligence to survive for them and therefore intelligence became the selected evolutionary gene. So the theory that whites are superior ,which for generations was used as a rationalization, is completely inaccurate. If I present the question to the kids "Why power inequities?" we look beyond race to geographical and cultural differences. This might be a better course for the students.

Okay, I went on and on again.

Back to Beck. OP for day 2 and no night time eating BUT I didn't make dinner for the boys so I still have to practice my new skill. Weight is one pound above ticker. Credit for earlier morning walk. I started to swing my arms race walking style to speed up. I am SUPER slow. I have a plan that includes more fiber. The last two days have been lacking in that department.

curleyjax: DS got a move in date and time. I have made the plane and hotel reservations for us. We are very excited. I am starting online with my students.
onebyone: a swim sounds wonderful to me.
BBE: Most sites have super easier return policies. I use Nordstrom and Carhart. You print out a return label and off the stuff goes. You pay a little more but you don't have to park for $25.

Strange.day
 

Coaches:

A quick note in the dark before bed. Scale climbed 4lbs to 282. Sugar sugar sugar!
Today was 100% on plan.

I put my outdoor show tent up in the backyard and did the necessary, but tedious, work of photographing a bunch of ceramic work that I intend to try to sell online. Five or six pictures of every one thing. No shiny highlights. I can do that cause I have a pop-up photo tent that I place my object in and it cuts the glare/hotspots. Less editing for me to do if I look after it at the photo stage. Took me all afternoon.

I was alarmed by my low energy level and my huffy-puffiness. Where has my stamina gone? Scary! I managed to do what I needed but I had questions beforehand as to whether I could. I am in bad shape.

But! Another unexpected NSV. As I walked carrying something I caught myself tugging up my skirt with the other hand as it felt like it would fall down. Whoa! I immediately noticed this after I did it and thought my skirt mist be getting too big! I've never had that happen with that skirt before. So +4lbs vs. pulling up my skirt. Skirt is what I am focusing on!

Bye for now.

Friday - First performance of Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth (1606, London)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner on the patio was gazpacho made with our cukes and tomatoes, corn on the cob, and kale salad. The kale salad is raw kale with feta cheese, raisins, and Mandarin oranges. Very good, despite the thought that cooked kale bites back so raw kale must fight back with two fists. Wasn't a problem. The corn turned out to be industrial strength; it comes that way sometimes.

Excitement was unboxing and stacking all the clothes that I stash away when they get too small. I never evaluate whether they're done and should be passed along. My goal is to own only the volume of clothes that I now need. Apparently, a few years ago I needed some 20 polo shirts in this size. My style is to keep buying inexpensive shirts trying to find ones that I like. I envy folks who can look at cloth and clothes and know what they'll feel like when being worn. Methinks that I'll have to break down and visit a real store. An awful thought from my perspective.


onebyone - Congrats for yet another unexpected NSV. Neat that you have a popup photo tent.

Joy (gardenerjoy) - I can imagine that it's hard to get folks to focus on introducing Black Studies when they don't know where and how they'll be teaching at all. When I was a kid, George Washington Carver was the only Black Man in our history books.

maryann - Interesting tidbit from Guns, Germs, and Steel; that book had quite a few new perspectives for me. Kudos for changing your walking style.

curlyjax - Yay for a good experience at an outdoor restaurant.

Readers -

I am so depressed, I can't wait until I can get back to seeing clients somehow. I know I am lucky to work at home etc but boy is this repetition getting to me and the small spaces, and again not having enough to do.
And yesterday UMass Amherst, the huge flagship university of our state, suddenly reversed gears and is not letting most kids live on campus anymore- after letting the kids pick rooms, roommates, even held a webinar on the moving in process. I get why they are doing it but the timing is just unbelievable, they should have decided this much earlier. I think the small town is pushing them to do this, for fear of bringing more COVID to the town. DD has an apt and she is still going to live off campus. I hope my son's school doesn't follow suit. Out of state folks have paid for plane tickets etc. Such chaos, and of course its everywhere.
I am emotionally eating once again. Time to find some internal resources and reset my thinking.
Does anyone else worry we might go thru the great depression again? This is all so scary!!
Sorry to be a downer this morning.

Good morning!

I ate too much yesterday and missed the scale before breakfast.

The 7-8 mile hike with friends on Wednesday was fantastic! I have to work this weekend and then I have more hikes planned for next week.

Bill, nice to be able to shop your smaller clothes in the closet. They do get old and raggedy, don't they.

Curly, sorry you are feeling depressed. One nice thing about being able to work from home is you get to avoid the sweat mustache under all the PPE. Haha!

Maryann, I'm glad you aren't having to get back in the classroom just yet.

Onebyone, your incident after the makers place is exactly what I have to watch out for; my need to calm down after any social interaction or outing. Good job limiting the damage.

Joy, excellent that you are working with schools to integrate black studies. In addition, I think the real subject is class politics.

Waving at Karen.