[onebyone]

Dear Coaches,

I hope I find my willingness. I went super off track.right after my good dr. visit on Tuesday. I had been planning to eat off plan after the check up with him. Am I nuts though? I mean really? When was the last time I could do that and not get majorly messed up by It? I binged from Tuesday evening to today but today was less. 281.6 on the scale. My low this month was 273 for one day. Almost all days at 276 and the last 3 at 281. I am hoping my upcoming Nov 4th birthday motivates me. Sure would be great to be under 270. Seems impossible... which it is if I throw in the towel. Back to basics. Can't believe I didn't recognize that plannibg to go off plan was classic saboteur.

As of right now I am op.

Bye!

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner was the third time from the dish we call Burger-Beans-and-Rice - a concoction that DW evolved over the years that appeals to us. One of its biggest appeals is that we get three meals. Evening snack was my cherished Gala Apple.

Played the card game Uno with DW to see if it would be appropriate for the (5 yo) DGD. Wasn't the most exciting card game I've played. There are tiny strategic moments but otherwise it's just a game of drawing cards with random results. The DGD should do well with matching numbers and colors.

My heroic event was to walk, CREDIT moi, to a Staples brick-and-mortar store to evaluate laptop computers. Mine is about 8 years old and having occasional problems. Oddly enough, my greatest need is to have a robust laptop in case I get incarcerated at a hospital with COVID-19. Visits from wives and children are prohibited. One stays isolated without family contact other than through such computer applications as Zoom over whatever computing device one has brought to the hospital with them. I dread the thought of dying alone because I'd been too cheap to buy myself a robustly working laptop in advance. I think Dr. Beck calls this 'Negative Thinking,' LOL.


onebyone - Kudos for recognizing that "that planning to go off plan was classic saboteur." Back to basics is just the place to be.

Joy (gardenerjoy) - Fun to contemplate a trip to a market that you haven't been to in six months.

maryann - Ouch for the pain of your home with DS away at college. My Congrats to your DH for producing flowers.

Karen (karenrn) - Congrats for sticking to your plan to make it to the top of Bell Pass.

curlyjax - Super Kudos for remembering that that chocolate store will still be there for another day. Beck strategies at their best.

Penny. - Keep watching to read that your DD gets back on her bike. Kudos for a day that finished on plan.

Readers -

chapter 3 Get Ready to Lose

Before you start, however, I would like you to do the following 10 essential tasks:

task 4 Get a Diet Buddy

In a study of 1,032 dieters completed by researchers from Duke University and researchers from a number of participating institutions, dieters who regularly contacted a counselor were much less likely to relapse and regain lost weight during a three-year period than dieters who did not have support.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 35.

[curlyjax]

Good day at work yesterday-I really got to help two folks. That's all I ask of my job, that I'm actively doing something productive. Then I went for a walk on my way home with a friend and we chatted about her first phone call with a possible new male companion, which made me feel like I was back in high school but in a good way. It is so beautiful out now with the fall colors, and I am so grateful to be living here. Of course in the heart of winter it will be a different story!
Reasonably well OP with a mishmash dinner. Today is "plan the weeks meals and grocery shop" day. No set plans yet with others but something might open up so I'll press on. I have got to get the fall clothes out and hung up, at the least.

[gardenerjoy]

Grocery shopping went mostly well. Our food supply problem, at the moment, is our daily square of chocolate with 72% cacoa. We'd really miss that, if we ran out. The grocery store hasn't had it for my last two visits. Maybe the chocolate factories are focused on the flavors they'll sell for Halloween and Christmas? The other place I used to purchase it was Target, but I haven't stepped foot in there since I figured out that the pharmacy would deliver by mail. So, I just placed an on-line order with Target. We should have chocolate on Wednesday. Just in time!

Today's adventure was getting our flu shots. We registered for a drive-through clinic. It was easy and felt safe.

Exercise +35, 1335/1400 minutes for September

onebyone: I am so familiar with the post-doctor binge. Sheesh. I did finally have to give it up entirely. There is no scenario where that turns out well -- and I tried many, because I desperately wanted something to work. Acceptance that it just doesn't work, no matter my wishful thinking, was the first step.

BillBlueEyes: Tell DW that grilled salmon was a hit at our house! Thank you!

[maryann]

Good Morning, Coaches.

BBE: I let my high school students play Uno if they have earned "team building time." It is very social because there is nothing to really focus on. The key rule is to decide if the other player has to keep on picking until an appropriate card is found. or just picks one and the turn passes to the next player. Unlimited picking means the game could go on forever and a player can basically get half the deck .(The reason DH hates the game.) We have had a few storms, though, when DS insisted "Uno" was not called before the discard of the other player "actually touched the pile, Dad." Those are precious memories aren't they? The ones no one but family remember.
Onebyone: that planned "insanity" is the reason this disease is so cunning, baffling, and powerful. I choose to call it a disease because I am as powerless over it as my mood disorder diagnosis. But I can't take a pill for compulsive overeating. I have had six plus months of "red light" foods (triggers) which have really helped me avoid benders.
Karen: Back at Bell Pass is a great thing.
Curleyjax: I love those moments at work when I know I have been of service.
gardenerjoy: We have a fireproof safe here so no safety deposit box necessary. I think fireproof is going to become standard issue in California.
Penny: I hope the kitchen was closed for the day. An OP day is a precious thing.

So DH and I binge watched seven episodes of Cobra Kai - a Netflix series of the Karate Kids characters 30 years later. It was a break from our West Wing binge and we both decided West Wing is much better. 4 hours of watching tv seems extreme but I was pretty beat. I successfully planned up for Monday so once I finished correcting I was able to leave it all behind for the weekend. My little sister ( ten years younger) is coming to see Mom. I am super excited to have dinner with the family.

I have had two full days OP . Adding cereal to the list of bread, nut butters and desserts really drops a pound or two immediately. I think wheat overall is just not great for me. Today, I have potatoes, roasted broccoli, and a little bit of gnocchi left. I have my Vitacost order of Dr. Greger tweeks including hibiscus leaves for ice tea, flavored vinegars for that tea, black cumin, and gingerbeer. Ready to start the day. I will walk on the treadmill at the gym. Weight is two pounds up from ticker.

[karenrn]

Good afternoon coaches,

Just a quick check in. Food was on plan yesterday and so far today also. I had a great time this morning meeting with my Saturday morning gals at a large park under a gazebo. It was pleasant but warmed up as we were there. It was good to be able to be in the shade. We haven't seen each other for 6 months or more and I can tell you I was not the only one that hasn't lost weight, but most of us aren't too far from holding our own. It was good to see one another, heck it's good to have any social things these days. The name of the group we're in has changed from PNP to No BS but the plan is the same and it jives well with Beck. More tomorrow.

[Penny.]

Late check-in.

Yesterday and today are on plan. I'm feeling in control but still have to keep my food thoughts in check.

That is all. Have a great night/Sunday everyone.

[onebyone]

Coaches

I did better today with food but got too hungry tonight and overate then had an off plan snack even later. Progress not perfection can be applied here. I will strive to do better.

Busy day. I taught two classes back to back today with a half hour between that wasn't a break as my students lingered filling up the time. That's ok. I dont often teach two classes a day or even two classes over two days.

Busy meant my eating was in check and food took a backseat to Life. That was good.

Tomorrow DH and I are taking a Sunday drive. I suspect his will be our last summer day until.next summer temperature wise. I am so glad we'll be on the road. Another holiday day, our second of 2020. Talk about meager. Still, I am grateful.

Scale read 279.4 today. Back under 280. Great.

Have a good night.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - One repercussion of cancelled events is that we've missed stopping at our favorite Sushi place on our walk home afterward - part of the planned evening. So, we defeated a mediocre website and ordered Sushi by phone for pickup. It's a small place, but seemed deserted; we were the only visible customer. Of course, I tipped through the roof. The chef and the waitress were both glad to see us; they know their regulars. Tasted just divine. Finished off, as always, with a Mango Mochi ice cream. All desserts should be so small. It also delights me that they only charge $1 while Whole Foods charges $2 each.

Walk, CREDIT moi, found several fun books at street libraries along the way. To my credit, I left them all there for the next person. Including a leather bound Mabel Martin by John Greenleaf Whittier. I made it through three lines and put it back. Wrong century for me.

Education was attempting to buy replacement winter sleep pants after admitting that the elastic of the ones I was wearing was worn out and were of a larger size. To wit, they kept falling down. I found out that there are more features to be chosen than I'd thought about. Some are made of polyester - not for me for sleepwear. Some had no front opening. Some had a fake front opening, i.e. they looked like they had a fly but you couldn't STP (Stand to Pee in the parlance of trans men). Why would I want a fake fly? Nobody sees me in my sleep pants to be impressed, but I do [TMI alert: pee now and then]. Some were red with penguins on them. Not for me stepping onto the porch to pick up my newspaper each morning. They cost less if the button of the fly was exposed; more if the button in the fly was covered. Finally, I remembered that I could try closet shopping where I found a pair in my current size with all the features carefully put away back when I was smaller. Yay for getting exactly what I wanted without spending a dime.


onebyone - Happy holiday day! We also feel the loss of having gone NOWHERE AT ALL this summer.

Joy (gardenerjoy) - Neat that you're getting your chocolate fix delivered - not so possible in the heat of the summer. DW was glad that you liked that salmon recipe - can't remember which cookbook she copied it from some years ago. Congrats for getting your flu shots before the crowds wake up and form long lines wherever they're given.

maryann - Good that you'll have a family visit. Thanks for the Uno story; we hadn't read about choosing the option of drawing until a match is found; I already don't like that option. Yep, DW was really annoyed when I called her for not calling "Uno" - getting corrected isn't a friendly feeling.

Karen (karenrn) - In a park under a gazebo is just the right place to meet up.

curlyjax - Yay for the chance to really help your clients. I suspect that you're usually more helpful than you think just by giving them your attention. Love the notion of you chatting about boys with your friend.

Penny. - Congrats for feeling in control.

Readers -

chapter 3 Get Ready to Lose

Before you start, however, I would like you to do the following 10 essential tasks:

task 4 Get a Diet Buddy

A Diet Buddy helps keep you accountable.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 35.

[curlyjax]

I forced myself to do a few things I've been putting off yesterday, which felt good. Food was pretty much unplanned starting with a bagel sandwich and went downhill from there. I went to my friend's house for a firepit gathering and had too many smores. The young folks dominated the conversation a bit- especially her 23 year old -which gets a bit boring- but it was still fun. After I left, I allowed myself to feel jealous over all the community connections and friends she and her kids have. But just because you have family nearby doesn't mean its always good, so I have to remember that. Then I came home to my nice quiet drama free house
Today is pretty much unplanned-I'd like to get a good long walk in, and make meatloaf in prep for another night. We'll have salmon, sweet potatoes and swiss chard tonight.
Maryann- I've been eating too much cereal too, I need to knock it off. I'm impressed you can incorporate all the Dr. Gregor stuff into your plan.
Bill-Yay for closet shopping. But those red ones with penguins sound mighty cute!
Wave to all and on with the day.

[maryann]

Pleased with yesterday’s food and exercise. I plan to do some yard work today and maybe another visit with family. It was a great dinner last night my sister is a riot.

Karen, is the leader of the PNP still the same even if the name changed?

[gardenerjoy]

Quick check-in to get my mind in the right place to follow my plan. This will likely include more vegetable preparation than I really want to do. So here's my reminder that I feel lucky that I can lose/maintain weight without engaging in things that are truly onerous -- instead I get to do reasonably pleasant tasks like vegetable preparation. In fact, I think I'm going to prepare a kale salad right now so that it's nicely marinated by lunch time.

Exercise +30, 1365/1400 minutes for September

[karenrn]

Good morning coaches,

Food was on plan again, but the scale isn't going down yet. I have taken another day off hiking since I can go during the week when there are not near as many people on the trails. Today I'm going to do a little laundry and woodwork washing along with planning for the week. We may even go in the pool for getting close to the last time. It's plenty warm out, but the pool temp is cooling since the night time temps are lower. I'm trying to do more journalling and there are a number of pages of journal prompts in the NO BS course. I'm using some of those regarding self-love and drinking to get started. I know if I didn't have the 120 to 200 calories from drinks each day it would help and for me at least it is a bad habit. It is not on my plan for today and I'll have a LaCroix instead.

GardenerJoy Veggie prep sounds like a great thing to do. I'm glad I like veggies.
Maryann I'm glad you enjoyed your family visit and lucky you with having a sister. I do love one of my sil's like a sister. Yes, the leader of No BS is the same, Corrine Crabtree. It's grown so much that they've added several coaches. She does swear like a sailor at times, but I don't really mind that most of the time. I like the thought work a lot. I also like the fact that any food plan works because her main focus is the thought work.
Curlyjax It always feels so good to do a few things that we don't want to do. It always makes me wonder why I don't do it more often. I know how you feel about bigger families and more connections. I have a number of single women friends or married friends with either no children or one child. It was no big deal earlier on, but it's more difficult now. I have just the one son myself and no family in the area.
Bill The sushi sounds so good. I've got to put it on the list and just go get some one of these days.
Onebyone Have a wonderful Sunday drive.
Penny Wave to you!

Gotta go, church starting.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Walk, CREDIT moi, with DW and DS in a recreational area along the Charles River in Boston. Weather had all sorts of folks out in small groups. A "Beer Garden" was doing a flourishing business with folks at tables spaced six feet apart. Kids on those little bicycles without pedals. DS kindly advised me about buying a new laptop. Turns out that my fear that there's more to it than I knew was overblown. "I have an extra monitor that we don't use - you want it?" And so I got the extra monitor that I want FREE from him before I even have the computer. Now I can buy a laptop with a 15" screen instead of the unwieldy 17" screen that I'm currently using. For his birthday, we gave him a gift certificate for some top shelf cheese at a pricy cheese store that he likes. My concept of a "gift certificate" is a large denomination bill - making it a highly negotiable gift certificate. Despite being a self-supporting adult, a gift from the 'rents is always accepted like a little boy.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner was omelets with green beans and a bountiful tomato salad with mozzarella cheese balls. We're getting a last burst of tomatoes even as we're concerned about overnight frost.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Kudos for having gratitude that vegetable preparation isn't an onerous task.

maryann - Yay for having a sister who makes you so happy. Must have been good if you're planning another visit with your family.

Karen (karenrn) - Sounds like a productive day. Hope you make some time for fun play.

curlyjax - Super Kudos for doing the things being put off. Ouch for the pain of remembering when more social contacts happened.

Readers -

chapter 3 Get Ready to Lose

Before you start, however, I would like you to do the following 10 essential tasks:

task 4 Get a Diet Buddy

Unsuccessful dieters are very good at fooling themselves. They forget to practice every skill, weigh themselves daily (especially if they think the number on the scale has gone up), and count every calorie.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 35.

[gardenerjoy]

I met my exercise minutes goal early this month -- all that walking to distribute voter registration packets helped!

I also stepped on the scale this morning and was pleased to see a number nearly a kilogram lower than a dozen days ago. Another thing helped by extra walking.

Exercise +55, 1420/1400 minutes for September