Beck Diet For Life/Solution – December 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:

The Complete Beck Diet for Life
and the first book
The Beck DIET solution: train your brain to think like a thin person.

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:

List of Monthly Beck Threads for Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach

Tuesday - Rosa Parks arrested in front seat of the bus (1955, Montgomery, AL)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - We had high winds and strong rain - enough to postpone running an errand. One serious drenching. Seems to have stopped this morning. Good to be reminded how much we don't control.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Evening snack was, again, a slice of apple pie. My share is now gone. It's over. Look forward to having an apple without the crust. Unfortunately, I've already asked for a mincemeat pie for Christmas. That might be a problem if we have no guests and no visitors. We're talking about a non-Christmas. Regardless of how we try to plan and rationalize, having seven folks at the same table for the duration of a meal doesn't seem safe. Especially if we already face a surge on top of a surge for Thanksgiving. We may let the DGD open gifts from us when she visits on the Wednesday before.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Kudos for meeting your monthly exercise goal. It's scary that the hospitals are so overloaded that they're using nursing students.

maryann - Welcome back from vacation, albeit with the need for another to recover. Kudos for no desserts.

Karen (karenrn) - Strange that we both had high winds at the same time when so distanced. Neat that you were able to choose a flat area for your walk.

curlyjax - So fun to feel free to dance around the kitchen. Does sound like a healthy meal.

Readers -

Someone I see once a week at my job has tested positive for Covid, but I only found out yesterday. I'm very surprised I wasn't told earlier. I know we wear masks and distance, but I still should have been informed. I'm going to gently bring that up the next time I talk with her. This only reinforces my decision to work from home for at least december and january.
Yesterday was very productive at home workwise, and I got my weights done. Food was mostly OP except some cocoa in the afternoon, and then I got into the cereal at night. It was very rainy and windy; the lights flickered a few times and we lost power for maybe one minute, phew.
Tonight I will do my walk away the pounds (WATP) DVD for a 25 minute workout. My cardio is really lacking.
I'm looking into dyeing my own hair with henna, because for two weeks I've had the feeling of a fragrance reaction, but nothing else in my envt has changed, it must be the hair dye, although why would it last this long. Unless its hormonally set off somehow. It's very annoying and not worth dyeing my hair, although I LOVE the color.
Bill-Opening presents before Christmas will be very exciting for DGD, and help draw out the season, i think that's a great idea. I wish more people would realize its 1-2 holidays out of their lives and act responsibly.
Karen- yay for getting clearing up, cleaning out, returning stuff and decorating. Always a sense of accomplishment to move stuff along.
Maryann- yay for back to sane eating. No desserts while camping is a big success indeed.
Gardenerjoy-stay safe, its sounds very scary where you are.

Good morning coaches,

I was a little off plan yesterday by a yogurt and a drink. Today's plan is made and I'm taking my time this morning because I'm going to do a 10 mile loop hike but it is cold, so no need to rush. I've got a book to listen to, so that is part of the reason I'll do such a long hike. Also, I think the one I'm doing with a group on Friday is long, so I want to be prepared for that.

You all have a great day.

Credit for many right food choices. I added vinegars, whole grain, chickpea protein and some fruits. I continued to record ALL through the day instead of halfway through.

I was very tired coming home from work and went to bed to watch a Miss Marple. I feel better this morning.

After school I have several appointments which I don’t like but Oh well. I need to walk the bleachers tomorrow because lunch time today is an appointment.

wave.

Yay! I stretched every day in November. I think that's the first time that's happened since I started regularly tracking how many times I stretch -- I checked back and that was in September 2019, so more than a year.

I want to note for myself that I've become significantly more flexible in that time. I can touch nose to knee in all the hamstring stretches. I can do a bunch of the weird and twisty arm poses in yoga, including my latest new ability -- Reverse Prayer Handshttps://www.yogabycandace.com/blog/2...yer-hands.html

And, all of that feels better in my body -- I move more easily and fluidly in all my usual activities. I'm also more able to relax at will.

Exercise +45, 1465/1400 minutes for November

Wednesday-Enrico Fermi’s self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction (1942, U. of Chicago)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Crisis in Cosmology: we don't know how fast the Universe is expanding. Ever since Hubble discovered that the distant galaxies are moving away from us, the rate has been measured and re-measured, refined and re-refined. But the best numbers are still slightly different. This will affect every one of us in a few billion years. It's a good candidate to worry about instead of what's in the headlines.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner was much-loved grilled salmon with honking big green salad. Evening snack was an apple. Just an apple without the pie around it. Felt like back down to earth.

Getting more serious about the non-Chirstmas. DD is onboard that we let the DGD open presents on the Wednesday before while at our house. We'll bake a spiral ham and send pre-leftovers to the two kids' houses before. Maybe swap some other dishes about. For the first time in over forty years there will be no stockings hanging from the mantle. Thinking in real time: maybe a stocking for the DGD on the Wednesday before. Whatever.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Congrats on that increased flexibility - well earned.

maryann - Ouch for appointments that encroach on your lunchtime bleacher walking. Glad you're feeling a bit better.

Karen (karenrn) - Always enjoy being reminded that being a little cold is a good thing to an Arizona hiker.

curlyjax - Ouch for the COVID positives edging around your life. Thanks for the Dr. Beck-like thought: "I wish more people would realize it's 1-2 holidays out of their lives and act responsibly."

Readers -

Productive day at work yesterday, followed by getting the tree right after, and a 25 minute DVD session. I did pretty well with my eating too, and had two nice family conversations on the phone, so a good day all around. I have yet to pick up the living room enough for a tree, so its waiting patiently outside. Finally renewed my drivers license and a work license, late. It is so nice to do this stuff online.
Today's fun will be picking up a wreath and table arrangement I ordered from a local garden club. It will force me to get out of the house and start bringing in some holiday cheer. I seemed to have strained my right foot so I'll hold off on exercise for today. I had a dream about one of my older friends so maybe I'll give her a call tonight to say hi. And I'm going to send a birthday gift to my "baby" bro who is turning 51.
Bill-I bet DGD is going to love having Christmas stretched out. She may request it next year:) it gets so hard for kids to wait!

Yesterday, I managed to do all the things on my list that other people were expecting of me and very few of the things that I wanted for myself. That was something of a correction in balance after taking the long holiday weekend for myself, but it made me grumpy at the end of the day that I didn't get to the two projects that were most important to me. So, I'm putting them nearer the top of the list today!

I'm also going to try a different yoga program. Partly from boredom and mostly from discretion. I'm still getting twinges in the ankle that I twisted six weeks ago, so I'm going to work with a beginner program that's all about developing stability.

Exercise +40, 40/1400 minutes for December

Thursday - Pioneer 10 passes Jupiter; 1st fly-by of an outer planet (1973)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - UPS delivered DW's secret Christmas present: a heated vest. A relative who has one says that it's changed her life outdoors. I would never have considered it without that personal endorsement. The manufacturer claims to get 3 to 10 hours from one charge of the battery - an important consideration for those of us who drive electric cars and have some 'range anxiety'. For myself, it's ever more obvious to me that I don't want any more 'things' to appear in my life as Christmas gifts. I've chosen two books that I want to read before my turn arrives in the library's waiting list. I have friends who I can give them to when I'm done - or they can go to the Curb Library around the corner from my house.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Evening snack was an apple; felt good. I drank three large glasses of water during the day while working on my computer. Wondered how my body can handle that much difference in water intake from day to day. Some regulator in there is keeping careful track and telling my kidneys how much water to take out of the blood stream. All while I'm not thinking about it.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Ouch for an ankle that still remembers after six weeks. Part of weak acceptance of aging is that I'm embarrassed that my balance and stability have declined.

curlyjax - Yes, it's fun to remember that the tree is quite happy standing outside. We have a beat up old aluminum pot that our tree stands in. When cold enough, the top freezes over while allowing the tree to still soak up from the water underneath.

Readers -

Finally got the news that the biopsy I had a month ago was normal- I had to call to get this info.I figured no news is good news, if its bad they tell you right away. But that's a big relief anyhow. I had a nice chat with my older friend who is enjoying working part time at 74 at a senior center; its closed to participants but they still do food to go and various paperwork etc on the phone and online. Food wise I think I did pretty well; I'm waking up hungry today which is a good sign. It's easier in some ways to be at home since I can use the microwave and put off breakfast until I'm hungry, but its harder since the temptation to snack is there, and I'm not restricted to only the foods I have with me.
I have a feeling clearing up the livingroom for the tree won't happen until the weekend but that's okay. I have my wreath and table arrangement; the latter turned out to be a lot bigger than I thought and based in a log, so I'm going to leave it outside. I don't need any Christmas insects running around!
Gardenerjoy-a balance of your things and things for others is tough is a great goal.
Bill-I love the heated vest, what a great idea! I would get one for DD who is always cold, but its probably not fashionable enough for her:)

Good morning coaches,

I was sitting at the computer in the afternoon ready to write my post, but also wanting to hear our governor speak. His briefing started and there went my brain. I forgot to get back to the note. In any event, two days ago food was on plan, yesterday it was not. I did do a shorter, but steep hike in the morning and then came home and had 3 pieces of toast that I didn't need. Oh well, today is a new day. Today is a day off from hiking and I will do a Costco run and some things around the house. I'll also be going to Best Buy to get a router. On 12/7 Cox is coming to put in a new modem with our higher speed internet and I think the router we currently have is from them. I'll buy one to stop the monthly charge on that. The nice gal at Cox recommended a brand that people seem to be very happy with Nightwear Nighthawk. I need to get started on Christmas cards and buttery cashew brittle making. I think I'll start with 20 cards and two batches of candy. I also need to decide what other baking I'm going to do and be prepared with ingredients. I will figure that out today. I am going to have to limit what I do and then just get it out of the house rather quickly.

Bill The heated vest sounds like a great gift for your wife. Also I think it will be fun for dgd to be able to spread out her gift receiving. Yesterday morning when I read your post I thought it said Crisis in Cosmetology, and thought hmmm what is going on in Bill's life? I had to laugh when I reread it and realized that you weren't having a skin care issue or a bad haircut.

GardenerJoy I've gotten so little done lately that I haven't even made a list. I hardly remember the days when I got things done on a list. I'm going to use your post as a reminder that I can get things done, some things for me and some for others. I'm impressed with your yoga and flexibility. I can do the prayer hands behind my back, because my shoulders have always been very flexible, but there is no way my nose would touch my knees.

Curlyjax I'm so glad you won't need to be at your workplace. With the Covid numbers climbing I am finally hearing about people I know having it. Our friends from MN who came to visit had it when they got home (4 out of 6 of them) and then in-laws who live here have it and one in the hospital. I'm so glad we didn't go see them even for an outdoor happy hour. I know they don't take it seriously. After hearing about your table decoration I think I will pick up some smaller Poinsettias today for our coffee table in the living room.

Maryann Will you get quite a long break at Christmas? I hope so and hopefully some great time in Tahoe to enjoy.

Okay moving on to making a food plan for the day that I am going to stick with and also a to do list. I need to quit letting myself off the hook and get some things done. I will report about my success tomorrow.

Good Morning.

Up late and phone check in. Credit for two solid days food journaling. I also did several tweaks including black cumin and vinegar. Weight is 1 pound above ticker. I walked the bleachers yesterday. I am still too many steps short of the 10,000 a day recommended. That goal sounds undoable for me. I am going to shoot for two walking segments and see where that lands me.

I read everyone’s thoughts on Christmas and wondered why people were talking about it. Then I realized we were in December. I have no idea how we will celebrate.

karen: I get three weeks of break. I am super lucky.

Wave

My new yoga program was more challenging than I expected. Oh well. I know how to modify poses to fit with my current level. And, that just means that I can keep repeating this program for a while and won't have to choose another in the near future.

I listened to Brené Brown interview neuroscientist David Eagleman. I thought it might be interesting to this group for two reasons: BillBlueEyes' recent class work and our frequent discussions in the past about how the malleability of the brain means that we can (with work) ditch old eating habits and develop healthier ones.

Exercise +80, 120/1400 minutes for December

maryann: When I was counting steps, I was surprised by how much it takes to get to 10,000. For some reason, I had the impression that people were doing that just by parking at the far end of the parking lot or taking a slightly longer route between places at work. For me, it takes a 40-minute walk plus shopping in a big box store. Neither of which I'm managing very often at the moment.

Friday - Lakota Indian Chief Crazy Horse born (1849, Rapid Springs, South Dakota)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Evening snack went forgotten due to a long Zoom meeting for an organization I support. Zoom worked well; two folks were spared long drives; one member attended despite having to drop out for a known interrupt for fifteen minutes - important enough to have prevented them physically coming to a meeting. Thank you Zoom - however much I despise you when I'm under your spell.

Excitement was a short walk around the neighborhood, CREDIT moi. Enjoying that it isn't yet the kind of winter that makes one want to only stay inside. Got an email notice that a gift for DW that I'd ordered will arrive in a two-day window that is two days earlier than the previously predicted two-day window. Feeling sucked into a level of detail that I don't need to know, LOL. Did note the news item that UPS has ordered its trucks NOT to pick up packages from some retailers just because they are at capacity for delivery. Just WOW! Glad that I haven't ordered anything from GAP - one of the businesses affected.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Thanks for the link to the David Eagleman interview. It's encouraging to be told that we can change our eating habits.

maryann - Yep, Kudos for food journaling. Is your eating being challenged with your DS around with his teenage appetite?

Karen (karenrn) - LOL at "Crisis in Cosmetology" - I am in need of a haircut before my DS's wedding. Congrats for being Geek enough to get your own WIFI router.

curlyjax - Yay for good news from a medical test. Sorry that you were made to wait a month. Suspect that the COVID-overloaded medical system is delaying everything. LOL at the reality of a log bringing Christmas insects inside.

Readers -