HI folks,

I am very new to this whole posting to a forum-wrote two message last night and lost the both of them. How do you folks get the cute graphics to show the weight loss?

Congradualtion to everyone successes.It sound like we are making some changes to a skinner us. Realy admire the weight loss, journal keeping along with stressed and busy lives that you all have.

Often I thnk just being aware of those difficult situations is a hugh step. I have a great ability to become numb when stressed and even to overeat unknowingly. I also get this response when ever there is a great deal of food about-potlucks, resturantes, parties, buffets, free food. There is not a food I dislike. To me a picture of food leads a thousand bites.

My husband will get my food for me at a buffet or potluck. Can't be impluisve with dishes I don't see. Sometimes I'll chew gum to avoid mindless snacking.
I have taken to bringing my own low cal salad dressing-hoping to fill up the green stuff.

I am very tired of torturing mself with these demonic binge days-I make the weight loss soo slow. Work for weeks to lose 5 pounds then have a 2 day blowout and put 2 1/2 pounds back on. It is the first time I have viewed binges as being cruel to myself verus a character flaw or weakness. Maybe I am changing my mind set that eating appropriately as actually being good to myself and over eating as not being more fun.

be nice to yourself
coastal sue

Happy Sunday!

Sue, I really feel for ya! I'm a food addict and binger too. My biggest trigger is carbs, and that's why I chose the South Beach diet. With carbs pretty much off-limits, I'm able to stay in control. I've tried calorie counting but if I take in any white starches whatsoever, leads to the same thing you're talking about: lose 5, gain back 2, lose 3, gain back 4. That's how I've stayed between 175 and 185 this entire year. That's why I'm regretting the strapless dress I wore to my wedding reception. That's why I look like I'm 5 months pregnant, six years after my last and final period. Is there a specific food group you have a problem with?

And about the weight loss tickers...go to the top of the page and click on User CP. Then find Edit Signature to get to the tickers.

Karina, great job on the cookout and the Sam's club situation! And congrats for congratulating yourself! Keep up the good work. Unlike your experience, I've usually just caved when there's lots of food around. That will be my biggest challenge in the future. I know I need to "end overeating" a la Day 17, and I've been able to take extra then leave something on my plate, but I am worried about being faced with a buffet or a cookout or a party where my guard is down and the mood is festive.

Stacy, I'll be rooting for you during the birthday and the trip. Those situations are where I totally lost it and given myself leave to eat like a monster. This is where the NO CHOICE cards will come in handy, and your mantra, if you have one. When I went from 230s to 160s back in 1990, I used to repeat: "No bite of food, no drink of beer means more to me than this." (Weekend beer&barbecues with my neighbors were a staple at that time). Can you post/read this forum for support while on vacation?

As for me, I'm doing okay right now. Being on Phase I, safely away from carbs, has given me back a sense of control--even though I still fight cravings. I will need to work on portion control and lowering the fat soon but right now I'm still adjusting to life without bread and sweets. I'm a little worried about a lunch meeting I'm having tomorrow with some people at work. They picked a Cajun restaurant that has all kinds of tempting stuff on the menu (I previewed it online). I'm planning on having a bunless burger with sauteed veggies and cheese on it and maybe a side salad with my own dressing brought from home. The problem is that 2 of the ladies are binge-buddies of mine and I really really really want to stay strong, despite the fact that we always overeat together. I'll be making some cards and saying "nothing tastes as good as being thinner feels" over and over and over again!

L

Hi everyone,
Still a little hungry after my salad tonight, but I'm working on convincing myself I'm just having cravings...

Stacy--I think there are some ways you can enjoy your holidays and still do okay on your diet. I think it will be much easier to follow a diet at a cabin than just about anywhere. Are you calorie counting? You could do a ton of really yummy healthy foods like shish kabobs, grilled chicken, or even a lean steak. Just don't even take chips, hot dogs, etc! For your birthday, you (your husband?) could bake a cake using a cake mix with applesauce instead of oil, or make angelfood cake and top it with strawberries and fat free cool whip instead of icing. And if you aren't able to be as strict during these celebrations, just come right back afterwards! This is a lifetime program, and we will all slip up from time to time, you know?

Sue--fantastic idea to have your hubby get the food off the buffet/potluck. I will definitely start doing that! I know my husband would have refrained from getting me both potato side dishes that I opted for!

Liannie--Yum, I love cajun, and I do not envy your situation! At least since you are on south beach, you already know you can't have pasta or rice dishes, which is most cajun food. I bet they have some good fish or shrimp possibilities too. The one in my town has several large salads with boiled shrimp or grilled chicken, which might work.

Good luck to everyone this week! May we all lose a pound by Friday.
I'm afraid I couldn't resist and got on the scale this morning, only to see it back up a pound. I was fully dressed minus the shoes, though, so I hope that had something to do with it (and not the food at the potluck!). I'm starting my exercise regimen tomorrow *groan*, so wish me luck with that! What are all of you doing for exercise? I plan to alternate days on the treadmill with walking outside.

Unfortunately no internet access so I will be MIA for a few days. As far as food for the trip we agreed on burgers. Not the best I know but ground sirloin on a wheat bun is better than a hot dog! I'm definitely more worried about the birthday because I know we'll be active on our trip too between the lake and hiking. Oh, also it's a tradition for us on my bday to go to Sea World and we do the "breakfast with Shamu" which is a buffet style breakfast next to the whales. Luckily I'm not a huge breakfast person since I can't eat eggs and they never have sausage and biscuits (one of my weaknesses!). I tend to do some french toast and a mini muffin or two so I just have to watch the portion sizes. I have to remember the whole "change your definition of full" thing!

Karina, exercise has always been easier for me than diet. I'm fairly consistent even when my eating was garbage. I started out more in the gym doing elliptical and treadmill walking with machine weights. The past couple months I started running which I really enjoy. I've done videos like the Firm a lot. Exercise really isn't bad as long as you like what you're doing. And make sure you do some sort of weight training!

howdy,
Liannie-Oh those addictive processed carbs-I agree avoiding them always is healthier. Good Luck in the South Beach diet. Right now I am counting calories and recording my food on fitday. They even make of graph and give % of your food groups. I seem to lose more weight those weeks that I have a lower % of carbs. I am going for about 1500-1700 cal a day. I have got a lot of weight to lose and will lower the cals as I lose.
let me know how the cajun food goes. On june 30th Maris Mauldar will sing Lousianna blue and a cajun dinner (and mint julep drinks) will be served. On father's day we are going to someplace which will serve Cafe Du Monde Benjet along with other treats. I thnk i'll eat some vegs before each of these events, read my reasons for losing weight and liked your"no" to foods mantra. Thanks for the tip on getting the graphics.

Stacy-happy birthday and anniversary-sounds like you have some great celebration for the events. you seen to have the plan for the cabin menu, about the cake-does angel food with strawberries(and splenda)work? freeze, give away or destory the leftovers. For me one piece isnt't so bad as picking on the remains for the next number of hours. If you have the one piece of your favorite-do it enjoy it and then back on progam. Glad that exercising is such an important part of you life. enjoy a great hike in the mountains.

Katrina-I am just starting to feel better due to some regular exercise. Due to my weight I am very arthritic so swimming is my choice. It isn't easy as it is a heated but out door pool-we have some very cold days, rain, fog. plus it is a 15 minute ride away.(gas is over $3.50 a gal in my area) I am thinking about getting a mini trampoline hoping that I can get my pluse up yet cushion my joints. I agree it is a hard pattern to get going and it must be something you do enjoy. Best wishes to find something you enjoy.

best to you all
coastalsue

'Morning Ladies!

Today is Day 20 for me, and I'm learning to get back on track immediately if I mess up. The old me would go on a tear for a couple of days, then start thinking about the diet, then get back on maybe in a week. No more! This is it. I'm too old to run that crazy race up and down the scale.

Sue, I love Fitday! I bought Fitday for PC and have it on my laptop. I use it along with the South Beach plan. Despite the fact that you aren't really supposed to count calories on SB , I absolutely must log my foods if I'm going to be a mindful eater. It's the only way I've ever done it before, and I've done it dozens of times, so I know it works. I lost 80 lbs. once on calorie counting but I've since discovered how strong my carb addiction is, so I am using SB guidelines along with the food diary. Avoiding the carbs is making it less of a struggle. And, Lord knows, I am SO TIRED of this stupid war with food and my fat butt! And I'm absolutely salivating over the great-sounding foods you have coming your way soon. Mint juleps, mmm...

Stacy, lean beef burgers on a wheat bun are definitely better than the usual barbecue fare. I'm also an exerciser at any size (albeit sporadic) and a devotee of the Firm. In fact, I'm doing the Hare today. I did the Tortoise yesterday. I love Tracie Long! Sculpting with Weights (Firm Basics) was the first weight training I ever did, and I'm returning to the program that always gave me the best results. We will all be sending you our best good vibes while you're gone and wishing you a happy birthday

Karina, hang in there with those ups and downs on the scale! I got on this morning (even though Wednesday is my weigh-in day) and found a 3 lb. loss. Now I KNOW it's just water and will probably even out in a day or two, so I'm not even changing my ticker. Keep sticking it out and the real fat will fall away too. I hope you were able to hang tough and not eat after the salad. I've been munching celery sticks if I need to chew or having a piece of cheese if the cravings are really really strong. I know I'm supposed to be strengthening my "resistance muscles" but if I get a craving close to bedtime, I still need to sleep so i just go ahead and have a little something. What tactics did you use to talk yourself out of eating?

Well, I'd better get my day started. I have another two hellish 12-hour shifts this week at work (Wednesday and thursday), so I need to get laundry done before I go in today.

Have a great day, all!

L

Liannie--Great news on your 3lb weight loss! Even if some of it is water, I bet some is real! You will have to change your mini-goal! So far, I have not done well at talking myself out of eating after dinner. I can do fantastic all day, but when I eat a low-fat dinner, I think I have both the desire to eat as well as real hunger (these volumetric dinners are around 400 cals). by the way, are you a nurse? My sister is a nurse's aide and loves it. She's going to go to lpn school in the fall. She has a B.A. in English, but that didn't really help her get a job.

Stacy, have a great trip! Like you say, you will burn a ton of cals with that outdoor activity. Have fun and we'll talk to you soon!

Sue, it's already not easy to exercise even when you aren't limited to your activity. That's wonderful that you are making the effort to do the one thing you can. I don't think a lot of people would! My sister, for example, has always been extremely thin and was on the university cross country/track team. They ran so much (75 miles/week, 2 practices a day) that she seriously messed up her back and now can't run at all. She really misses exercise but says she can't stand to do anything but run. Anyway, long story short, I really admire your committment!

I am doing pretty well on the diet. the scale went back down to 166.5 today, so I hope it stays down tomorrow--my day to change the ticker! I have really enjoyed the meals on Volumetrics so far, although all the fresh veggies and fruit are quite expensive, and the meals take a long time to cook. I made 4 portions worth last night of gazpacho and portabello mushroom sandwiches, so we're just going to have the same thing tonight that we had last night. Oh, I made a chicken cobb salad the other night with a nonfat tomato and herb dressing that was actually really good, and I thought the rest of you might like it. I think it was 1/2 cup of veggie juice, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, dash of hot sauce, tablespoon of red wine vinegar, pinch of parsley, thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt. I love spicy food, so I thought it was great.

I started my exercise routine yesterday. My planned exercise is 30 minutes on the treadmill 4 times/week. Right now I alternate jogging with walking, but I should be able to get up to all jogging soon (I can thank my family for good jogging genes. Am terribly unatheletic in every other way, but I can jog!)

How are the rest of you doing?

Hey ladies!

A decent day today. I stayed on plan but I overate at lunch and I had extra pistachios when I had my afternoon snack. I should have just taken out 35 nuts but I brought along the whole can and ate 42 instead of 35. I'm really having trouble with changing my behavior and I think I need to repeat some days. Can you imagine? A Beck dieter in remedial class?


Karina, I work in a clinic but I'm not a nurse. We all do shiftwork, and it's killer sometimes! Good luck to your sister, I hope she does well. I have a friend with a BA in history who works in the mattress dept. at Sears, so I know what she's been through. Volumetrics sounds great for the bowels! My first few days on South Beach were a little constipating until I stepped up the veggie portions.

Where is everybody else? Looks like its just us two today.

Hope you're all doing well!

More in the morning!

L

Hi everyone,

I live very rural and have the screwest internet service-it can take over 10 minutes to get on line-sometimes I just give up whence few posting.

Lianne- You have lost 80 lbs and another another 3 yeah !!! hey, enjoy your butt - i bet is many many inches smaller than mine. some chairs I need a shoe horn to get out of.
About the nuts- I think it is great that you counted them out, and stopped at only 42. That is a behavioral change from mindless eating. Tomarrow you will stop even sooner. Perfection is not always possible-but continutous improvement is what I hope for.

Kartina- thanks for support exercising. Sorry about your sister have some permanent problems due to her running. Good luck on the tredmilll. can you watch tv or read a mag while doing it? Thanks for the dressing recipe-I also love spice. good deal on the 1/2 lb lost-I know at times it seems like a mystery on when my body lets the weight go and when it just keeps holding on to the pounds inspite of doing everything "right"

I have been actually doing many things right. It should be easy to plan my eating-there are no fast food place, no convenience stores, the grocery stores (both of them) close by 8. The few resturantes are for the tourists and are very expensive. My huband is so coperative and "hides" his candy treats in the garage. -Yet the late night munchies can hit me-nuts, bread and chips call to me. But I have resisted for the 5 nights or so. I think Beck's idea about hunger will pass has helped, but I know that I sure am used to sleeping with a full feeling. I often sleep less with restricting my cals. I am doing this now. 20 yrs ago I went on Optofast- about 400-500 liquid cals.-I was hyper. Later I re-gain the weight and much more. I plan on the Beck way to stop that from happening again. I will be so glad when I am no longer morbidly obese-both medically and socially, I am down 40lbs of 200 I plan to lose/

You guys are doing great-this is such a struggle and we can be so hard on ourselves. take good care of youselves.

sue

Got room for one more? I saw this book while I was shopping last week and wanted to buy it (without knowing what it was about). I'm practically addicted to buying diet books and had put myself on a book budget and decided not to get it until I came here and saw this thread.

From reading through the posts here, I knew I had to get this book. I'm currently on chapter 2 and very intrigued. I can't wait to get started! I have a livejournal but have yet to use it. For some reason it intimidates me. My blog there is http://waistingaweigh.livejournal.com/.

Well, I'm off to read more. Everyone have a great day!

Hi everyone,
It sounds like we are all just doing great and should give ourselves credit!

This is my "official" weigh in day, and I'm down again to 166--a 6lb loss since I started this diet around 2.5 weeks ago. I was so hungry last night (Sue--I'm with you; I hate to go to bed hungry!), but I resisted! I'm proud of myself for some of the little changes I've made, but I have a few challenges coming up. I'm going to lunch with a friend in a day or two, and I normally overeat when I'm with her. I also am having friends over for dinner Saturday, and my husband suggested I make my crawfish pie specialty (sounds weird but is spicy rich goodness), but I hope I can up with something healthier that still tastes really good. I'm not comfortable with talking about dieting with the couple, since she is probably over 400lbs. (I don't like when thinner women talk about their diets with me.) I also don't want her to think I'm cooking light for her sake. Any suggestions for a really tasty but also moderately healthy meal?

Liannie, I missed your earlier post that you used to weigh 230; it is so wonderful that you haven't gone back up there! You've been successful at maintaining your current weight, so you know you can be successful at maintaining at your future lower weight! Also, even though I've technically been on Beck for over 2 weeks now, I'm only on about day 12 because some days I've felt that I need to go slower and make sure I get them down. The author said it might take you longer, so I wouldn't feel bad about doing a few days over if you feel you need to. My $.02 anyway.

Sue, it is fantastic that you are down 40lbs! That's almost a quarter of your goal! I agree that Beck will help you from regaining unlike those really low-cal diets--you just can't sustain that for life. I've also done really low-cal, and it came right back on plus some for me, too. btw, I am able to watch tv while on the treadmill, and it definitely helps the time go faster!

HoneyMist, welcome to the group! I definitely feel more inspired by Beck than any other plan and believe I will not only lose the weight but keep it off long term. I understand your addiction to diet books--I am addicted to cookbooks.

Totally off-topic...for the 2nd night in a row (the only 2 nights ever), my darling 15 month-old daughter has slept through the night! Yes, it's been a long 15 months, in case you were wondering.

Karina,

I'm addicted to cookbooks too! Heck, I love all kinds of books, but dieting and cookbooks are my absolute favorites. I so envy you that your baby is beginning to sleep through the night. My youngest is 2 1/2 years old and I'm still struggling with him. Some nights, I can't count the times he wakes up .. it's just that much! So many people ask me how I cope, and I have to say, I really think I've just gotten use to being tired all the time. Good for you though. It must be like heaven!

Good Morning All,

Welcome Honey! I used to be addicted to cookbooks too! When my son was young (he's 29 now) and I had to cook every night, I bought dozens of cookbooks. I had a subscription to Cooking Light for about 5 years too. I still like to look at recipes even though I don't buy the books anymore. It's almost like window-shopping for me...kind of a sick way to think about food: admiring it, imagining what it will taste like, thinking about it alot. But that's why I'm in this group, huh?

Karina, CONGRATS ON THE WEIGHT LOSS! Your crawfish pie sounds EXCELLENT, by the way. I like meat pies. I've taken a couple trips to London and always enjoyed the meat pies in the pubs (oh yeah, and about a gallon of ale too).

Your upcoming food dilemmas are a constant for all of us, aren't they? I ate too much the other day when I went out with my binge-buddies. I stayed on the South Beach plan, but still ate too much food. I compensated with a smaller dinner but I continue to struggle with stopping when I'm full if there is still food on my plate. Your overweight lady friend will probably like anything you make and eat lots of it. If you provide one hearty dish and a bunch of veggie based, leaner foods, I'll bet they'll all like it.

As for my former weight, I got up past 230s during a bad emotional time in the late 80s, then got down to 150 in 1989 by calorie counting. By 2000, I had gained it all back and so I started down the scale again. I made it to 155 by 2004. And then I met my husband who is naturally thin, does no exercise and can eat anything. So of course, I crept back up again. I am down 5 lbs. today so I hope to stay the course this time for sure.

Well, I'd better go. I have two 12 hour shifts today and tomorrow so I need to get moving towards work. I'll try to catch up with you all tonight if I have the energy. Otherwise, see you tomorrow.

Keep up the good work everybody!

L

Hi! I use to post here when it first started and got away from it when we had computer problems. It appears that everyone is new??

Anyway, I have been on the first two weeks of getting ready for a while now. I have been working on some parts of the solution and need to review and start working on some other parts (especially PRAISE). I have just gotten consistent with exercise. I have finally found something that works for me. I have an IPOD that I download books into and listen to as I walk. It is fantastic! I love to read but I just can't justify sitting around reading a book when I should be active and there is always work to do. Right now I am “reading” True Evil. Anyway, I am walking 3-6 miles a day. My goal is to walk 3 miles each and every day and my hope is that I will walk more. I have a maltichon puppy who goes the first mile with me and then I drop her off at the house and go a couple more miles. I also got a pair of MBT shoes that are suppose to tone my legs and help prevent injury to my knees. My knees were starting to get a little achy and I was concerned that I was going to have to slow down. Since getting the MBT's my knees are no longer a problem. I am not sure if they work for toning but I will keep you posted.

Through the years I attempted to get into an exercise program but my concern with only walking has always been that I felt I had to do something more intense to tone my bottom half (pear shape). I use to consistently do step aerobics and I think I was concerned that even though I was putting in the time walking that I was not going to get the results so I would start and stop my walking plan only to start something more intense and become overwhelmed. Now that I think there is a chance that I am toning while I am walking I really feel good about doing it instead of guilty for not doing a step video. MBT’s are reviewed really really well so my hope is that my legs will look like I still do my step workouts!!

Now that I have that part done (exercise) I am going to get my book and go on to the next step. This isn't the way I intended on doing the Beck Solution but I am really glad that I took the time to get consistent with exercise before I dove into a diet plan. I am still not 100% of what diet I am going to use. I think it will be weight watchers.

Gina

Hi everyone,
Busy day on here!

Gina, I am very impressed with your walking! That's a lot of miles and must take some time, but what a good idea with the IPOD! I'll have to try that. What are MBTs by the way?

Liannie, awesome about your 5lb weight loss! That is wonderful news! What is your next mini-goal? I hear what you are saying about meat pies in the UK; I've also had them and love them. We make them fairly often in the winter, although with only a top crust and a red wine roux (sp?). Still, not very healthy! I totally understand weight gain and having a husband...my DH is probably 20lbs overweight now but still thinks he can eat anything, and I've always kept right up with him! He's committed to weight loss right now, too, though, so I'm happy about that. Hope work goes by fast for you!

Honey, Hang in there! I wish I could tell you why my daughter started sleeping through the night, but I have no clue. We were totally surprised. She did get better about 2 months ago, though; before that, she woke multiple times a night too. I totally know what you mean about getting used to being tired all the time. What do you do when you get up with him? The worst is when Clara wakes up and decides she's not tired anymore. We basically take turns rocking her for a few hours. Happens about once a week.

good luck, everyone!