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.
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You can find the list of previous (or more current) monthly Beck threads here on 3 Fat Chicks via:
Saturday - Congress of Vienna re-draws European map after the Napoleonic Wars (1814)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Was our lightest traffic Halloween ever. Some half-dozen pre-school kids came before dark and a dozen school age kids shortly after dark. Then nothing. We shut down and went upstairs. I enjoyed wearing my new cape. No one said a word. Perhaps it's normal for a bearded man to be wearing a cape. One kid wore an elegant Harry Potter robe - not a cape - with bright yellow liner and hood. It looked good and helped me realize that I did want a cape, not a robe (with sleeves). When parents were standing on the street in view, the kids all said, "Thank you, Happy Halloween." Someone is raising kids right. One couple with two kids was pulling a large enough wagon to be able to bring it all home.
I got into the Kit Kats. Ouch!
Otherwise, eating was on plan, CREDIT moi. Dinner included pork chops eating quickly with ears open to hear the door bell. Dinner conversation focused on the wind - "Gusts up to 50 mph" predicted. No inflatable costumes came to our door - perhaps they were all blown away.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Had to go find a picture of Yoshi - that 3 yo is keeping you young. I join the crowd who doesn't know if she's a turtle or a dinosaur.
maryann Thanks for the reminder that I can have smoked oysters for lunch - haven't had them in ages. Trying to remember that the scale is just a number.
curlyjax You're pretty busy there. A clanking furnace is my definition of a scary house. I've had that in a steam heated place.
Readers -
Quote:
day 3Eat Sitting Down
Quote:
I'm sure you recognize that all calories add up. But at the moment you're
actually eating, you might rationalize
what you're doing.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 70.
Today's challenge is the usual Saturday one. I'm gone at my usual lunch time. Today, I will implement the strategy that works best for me -- a midmorning salad. That means I can come home cold and tired and get to eat the warm comforting food on my plan because my salad has already been consumed.
I got a new raincoat yesterday. I discovered on No Kings day that my raincoat no longer functioned as intended. My shirt was wet in several spots when I got home. That one is now in the trash because no one needs a raincoat that doesn't keep out rain. Now that I have the new one, of course, there is almost no rain in the long term forecast.
My "I don't care" mode is definitely affecting my decisions and consequently my weight. I ate crap at work and even more at the party. Everyone there were old friends and it was the type of thing where everyone's in a big group you have to be loud and funny to get a word in. They were welcoming- I know them slightly from church-but I felt a bit uncomfortable and ate too much. I went to one another time and it was quieter and you could have real conversations which I prefer. One thing I seem to have let go of is wishing things had been different when the kids were little, in terms of friend groups, no family nearby etc. I feel like i'm solidly in the present with most of that now rather than dwelling on the past, and thinking about what works for me currently and in the future. One of the other women had lost 40 pounds on the weight loss meds, and once again I find myself thinking about it although my doc can't prescribe it so i don't know.
Meeting with the financial advisor was quick-this is from one of the investment places, not the guy I hired, and he seemed surprised I that I was working with someone for a fee. He's going to be really surprised when I consolidate accounts and move stuff away from his place but i'm not telling him that yet.
Today is packing, dump etc. DD is sleeping for a bit now and then off to Maine for a bridal shower- I hope she gets some sleep as she worked last night. So I will have the house to myself tonight and can really pack and think about the trip then.
Bill-glad you got to wear your cape. Kitkats are indeed deadly!
Maryann-congrats, you are doing awesome!!
Gardenerjoy-fun to be around a 3 year old at Halloween.
Lovely afternoon spent with Mom. She wore her inflatable pumpkin outfit and passed out candy at the senior center. I did chair yoga with her. Lots of fun and not a bad stretch. I added five pound weights to the exercises. Then Home to watch the world series. Candy intake was minimal and I treated myself to fantastic sushi for lunch/dinner.
Today I need to clean this house. I have all the laundry from the trip. I need to buy another sheet for my bed. The fitted sheet has a hole where my heels touch. This is just the type of puttering I like on a fall day.
Curly: It will feel great to get the finances consolidated. BBE: We had no treaters at Mom's. I miss seeing the littles. Joy: Excellent idea to put salad first.
Sunday - Daylight Savings Time ends (Set clock back one hour)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Attended a fun opening for a set of paintings donated to a community center. The paintings were wall-sized - could only go in a LARGE room. This community center was a perfect match. Fun part was talking to a dozen people that I knew. One friend asked DW, "What book are you reading right now?" What a grand conversation opener. She got an ear full for the answer.
Appetizers served were tasty. I had grilled bite-sized cubes of beef and sliced salmon on crackers. I avoided the cheeses and salamis. I had skipped lunch against the possibility that the food would be attractive.
Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, given that I'd planned to consider the opening to be my lunch. Dinner was one fourth of a purchased-frozen beef lasagna that was declared to be sized for three. Three! What an odd size. DW made the counter declaration that it would serve four so we can have another meal.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - A new raincoat is just the best. Throwing away the one that leaks is even better. Life is too short to spend it getting wet.
maryann Love the image of your mom in an inflatable pumpkin outfit. My goal is for my butler to replace a sheet with a spot that's thin before a hole evolves. All without me ever knowing.
curlyjax Parties are, indeed, a challenge to healthy eating plan. Yes, it's also a challenge to let go of wishing for a different past.
Readers -
Quote:
day 3Eat Sitting Down
You'll feel more motivated. Since you'll be eating less food, it's important to see all of it spread in front of you at meal or snack time or you can be more visually satisfied.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 71.
I zipped out in the am to do an errand for DD as she was sleeping and treated myself to another cup of coffee with a little bit of coconut syrup, yum. I also had some peanut butter and jam later in the evening as a snack, but that's all the sugar I had for the day. I talked myself into taking a walk before the sun set and was delighted to find my endurance has increased thanks to my gym activity. When I get home from Aruba i'm definitely going to buy an elliptical machine, it's worth it for my health. I managed to go to bed a little hungry and felt good about that. I'm way behind on my packing but continued to work on things like-will my phone work in Aruba. After research and a conversation with my carrier, I concluded it will not and i'll use WhatsApp instead. Apparently lots of restaurants use it there, and I really only need it for things like that or getting a taxi. And communicating with DD if we're apart. Although it only works when you have wifi available, so the whole thing is going to be a challenge-for her anyhow, I remember life pre phones and somehow we managed
Today is packing and last minute errands, laundry etc. DD spent the night in Maine so hopefully I have a little more time to myself. Since I already did the initial freaking out about hiding things for our Hawaii trip , I seem to be calmer about that anyhow.
We're leaving early tomorrow so I won't be on. I'll try to sign on to my tablet so I can send exciting updates from there!
MAryann-so lovely to have such a nice time with your mom.
Bill-yay for eating sensibly at an event, that's always a challenge.
Yesterday was over in calories. Wish I had avoided the crackers and cheese like BBE. Nonetheless, it was not tragic and I am slating a high protein day for today all logged into MFP. I am getting back into the discipline. Also, firs things first is a walk.
I have much to do this week: clean the inside of the car, clean yard, post on Ebay/Poshmark. The only things I achieved yesterday was laundry and meals. I spent a lot of time on Chess, reading the Wall Street Journal, and watching the baseball game. Also, Now that October is past I need to revisit goals and set new ones.
Curly: So excited to hear abut Aruba. I have yet to make it to the Caribbean.
Monday-"SOS" (· · · · · ·) selected as worldwide standard distress signal(1906)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Of all the marvels of electronics and computers, the one to catch my admiration was on my new(ish) bedside alarm clock. There's a DST button on the back. Pressed it and the clock set itself back one hour. All done. I'm so excited that in the Spring I can press it again for the clock to set itself forward an hour. Even has a tiny DST (Daylight Savings Time) displayed on the face of the clock. What magic these computers. Even more magic was that my Chevy Bolt set itself forward when I wasn't even in the car. Does make me wonder who my car is chatting with to get instructions to change itself. And what else they chat about. No paranoia, me.
No excitement. The (5 yo) DGD was scheduled for two birthday parties; it would be too much to add a visit with us on top of that. We had taken out the wire fencing and tomato stakes in our community garden the day before in a burst of getting things done. Dismantling a garden is a sad event even though it can be considered a celebration of the pleasure it had been for a few months.
Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi. Dinner was chicken grilled on the rear deck ignoring the winds. I spent my evening reading Faulkner in prep for today's class. Had to work to stay awake until my clock said that it was time to go to bed. Count me in the column of folks who are ready to let the time switching of DST be history.
maryann A high protein day should please your body with all the energy you're expending. I admire that you read the Wall Street Journal; I used to read it but had to drop it since I was reading other stuff.
curlyjax Bon Voyage to Aruba. Yes, people visited Aruba before cell phones; the sun and sand don't care.
Readers -
Quote:
day 3Eat Sitting Down
The less food you see, the more deprived you'll feel.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 71.
The planned walk became active chores. I chose productivity over pleasure. I cleaned the inside of the car. Phew!!! I love a clean car. I mowed the lawn. I vacuumed the lint container in our dryer with a specialty hose. All the laundry is steamed and neatly put away. I have winter sweaters out and summer clothes folded in the drawers. Yeah me.
The big frog today is to get internet to the Ranch office.
BBE: Bless you for reading Faulkner. I am glad somebody can!!!
Diet Coaches/Buddies - I feel like the cows that tell their farmers that they wish to be milked on cow time - unchanged by daylight sayings time. This body still remembers that it's time to wake up despite what the fancy bedside clock says. Fun class reading Faulkner. He doesn't tell the major events; just eases up to them and then immediately tells of their aftermath. Some of the class hadn't figured out that a man had been killed since he never said it. You gotta love that style or find it super strange.
Has been good to tell campaign callers that we've both already voted. They have a hard time stopping their spiel. Exercise was bringing in from the curb our neighbor's yard waste containers. They're off to the airport. I'd never guessed that being good neighbors isn't about borrowing a cup of sugar but of taking in yard waste containers.
Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi. Dinner for the two of us was the last half of the three-serving lasagna. Three-fourths of a serving was ample. It's not just restaurants that are serving larger sizes.
maryann So pleasing to get chores done. I agree that clean carpets in my car makes it feel new. The last thing that I did on my computer last night was play
from Handel's Messiah. At volume. DW heard it and came to my office and wouldn't leave until the good Mr. Handel was done. Great preparation for bedtime.
Readers -
Quote:
day 3Eat Sitting Down
Let's say you're having cereal and an orange for breakfast. If you eat the cereal standing up, you'll probably eat it too quickly or absentmindedly.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 71.
Food was food yesterday although there was snacking on the edges. It was not as clean as I like. I did make myself take a walk. I thanked myself later for it. Today I am back to personal training.I am in charge of bringing internet to the ranch office. I initially took a $3,000 bid for Starlink assuming it was reasonable since the ranch is remote and needs professional installation.. By the afternoon I didn’t feel good about the bid. I dove back into the research being completely uncomfortable with the whole process. In the end, I learned I had to purchase through Starlink website then get one of the contractors to install. This saved about $2300. How is it so different? I keep learning that I can’t trust people’s pricing and patter. It really makes me sad.
I also drove into town to get DH's new sleep mask which has the cord coming out of the head rather than on the side. I hope it works better for him.
On the whole, I felt I was very helpful to DH who is running himself ragged trying to finish harvest and survive the downturn in the farming economy.
BBE: Handel's is a great way to off set the early Christmas promotions.
I had a couple of planning days, which didn't have plans themselves (because I was working on the plan). I feel unmoored when I'm not working from a carefully thought-out to-do list. Fortunately, that didn't translate into extra food. Getting re-moored required finishing what I was working on. Today, I have a good list and a reasonable amount of time to get the things done.
Already done from today's to-do list -- a cash donation to our local food pantry. I'm painfully aware that I have neighbors who are struggling with food right now in an entirely different way than I have ever struggled with food.
Wednesday - Guy Fawkes Night - James I and Parliament not exploded (1603)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Unexpected opportunity when the DDIL asked us to take care of our (5 yo) DGD for an hour between the time she needed to leave for a meeting and DS would still be in his home office doing work. We accepted immediately. Plans then got convoluted. We were to take her to dinner at the diner near their house. Then we weren't. Then we were to wait for DS who'd join us. Got there; made the plan. Bummer that we'd drive instead of walk.
The importance of the diner was for the DGD to order pancakes. Big time favorite item for a kid who is a super picky eater. So enthusiastic that DW and I also ordered pancakes. DS had a Greek hamburger with fries. The pancakes were good; the volume was humongous even though we each ordered the "short stack" which was two instead of three. DS's Greek hamburger was 8 ounces with enough French fries to feed Napoleonic's army. This diner has a crowd forming a line around the block on weekends. Hard to imagine how so much food gets processed in a tiny place. Easy to people watch in the small space. Two ectomorph teenagers stood up to leave with their parents each of them well over six feet tall.
Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, where the planned diner for the evening meal was far more calories than needed. Dinner conversation was about adult topics as the DGD leaned over in the booth to take a nap. So much for my ability to predict the behavior of a 5-yo.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - I am so happy to learn that remoor is a known verb: "to moor again" a vessel that's become unmoored. Can't wait to drop that into a casual conversation. It's so painful to watch a whole new group of folks struggling for food.
maryann Congrats for finding the economical path to getting Starlink to the ranch. I wish your farmer DH well finding a way through the current economics.
Readers -
Quote:
day 3Eat Sitting Down
And then when you sit down, you'll have only the orange left, and you probably won't feel satisfied.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 71.
Credit for opting for Chicken Bone Broth for dinner. After weight lifting and rotating stairs, I still weighed in the 70s. I need to still make my food plan more formal. That involves going to Sam's Club. So be it. Like Joy, a formal plan is the only way I will get 120 grams of protein and healthy fruit and veggies under 1400 calories.
I listed 6 items on Poshmark, transported the new ceiling mounts for the den down to the renovation and went to a woman's AA meeting to offer support to a friend diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus.
My notes for improving today:
1. No doom scrolling at night. Today I will limit doom scrolling to the climbing machine. I will put a book by my bedside.
2. Chat GPT a menu for this week.
My window is open typing this and I am listening to the fabulous rain that has blessed us today.
Beck Diet For Life/Solution November 2025 Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Saturday - Congress of Vienna re-draws European map after the Napoleonic Wars (1814)
