Completed Beck Program-day 11: Differentiate Between Hunger, Desire, and Cravings
 

• Read the chapter; committed to monitor and record hunger for the next 3 days (Saturday, Sunday, Monday). This will cover a food festival, a potluck lunch, and, a normal workday.
• Made the three charts in my eating journal ready to complete.
• The chart on page 118 only covers the 3 meals, but the text says to include snacks, so I added my 3 planned snacks.
• An encouraging quote: • Currently, I stop eating when I've cleaned my plate. That means that my only time to choose food volume is when I serve myself (or am served, like at a restaurant). I'm looking for a way to consider stopping before the plate is clear. I'm not yet ready for the full Intuitive Eating "Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're satisfied." But, I'd like to incorporate the "stop when satisfied" to avoid over eating at restaurants or any time my plate contains more than needed for "satisfied."

Seems a little wimpy to declare program-day 11 Completed with merely a commitment to do the task, but that's what Beck says to do. Oh Well.

Sabotaging Thought: It’s gimmicky to have to move the serving dishes off the table and to position myself out of site of the food at a buffet to avoid overeating. I shouldn’t experience unnecessary desire to eat or should have the willpower to overcome it.

Helpful Response: There’s plenty of time in one of my future reincarnations to be a fully evolved person. For this round, using strategies to avoid problems is quite satisfactory.

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Completed Beck Program-day 11. 31 to go. Keep going!

Have a great weekend
 

Gina – Hope your head cold has passed by now and you have an active weekend ahead.

Sue – I did better at the gym yesterday. It was helpful mentioning it here and getting your response.

Hard to ignore that often stated "98% of dieters regain all the weight back" I admire the posters on 3FC who have a year, two, even three of maintenance. Hoping that will rub off by hanging around. Also hoping the tools of The Beck Diet Solution help me to maintain. Currently, I still suffer from the notion that when I'm fixed, then I won't have to think of monitoring my food and exercise any more. Beck is helping me to change my thinking; I'm not broken, so won't get fixed. I can, however, learn some strategies that work in my life so that eating mindfully is a natural part of my daily life. That notion has worked for me right from the beginning of my journey when I substituted gym and walking after work for the crackers and cheese I had been eating before dinner.

Uggh to arthritis – glad that you’re keeping up with your gardening anyway, but understand that it can slow down the walking.

I’ve only been in the Boston area for about 40 years, but now see it as my home. It is a wonderful place to walk about. We walked to the Thai restaurant the other night, walk to my gym, walk to specialty food stores, movie theaters, live theatre. Can take the subway plus walking into Boston for opera.

Today I’m headed to the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival. I’m only at the Vegi-curious stage, using this fair to taste many, many vegetarian and vegan products. Last year I discovered that vegan cheese is pretty good and that a bunch of the textured soy meat substitutes were better than I had expected. I ate so man samples last year that I counted it as morning snack and lunch. Here's their link:http://www.bostonveg.org/foodfest/

Beach Patrol – Howdy. Hope your weekend has something great planned.

Lurkers (both Beckers and Beck-curious) – Do drop in to say hello, and have a nice weekend.

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Completed Beck Program-day 11. 31 to go. Keep going!

Hi guys,
best wishes to all-I know that i stated I would post at least daily-this a kind of a cheat because this is all I can do-super busy but thinking of you folks
sue

Completed Beck program-day 12: Practice Hunger Tolerance
 

• Beck suggests choosing a work day to skip lunch – eating nothing from breakfast until dinner. I’ve already committed to note and record hunger on Monday, so I choose Tuesday, with Wednesday as the backup day if Tuesday doesn’t work out. Again, it feels a bit wimpy to credit completion of program-day 12 by writing down a date to act. Again, Oh Well.

• It’s an exciting thought for me that hunger isn’t an emergency. Just read a story about John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club, who was standing on a glacier at dusk with his dog Stickeen, pondering what he’d do if trapped overnight. He thought he’d find a flat spot and just stomp his feet all night to keep warm. Then he’d only be hungry. Being warm was an emergency; being hungry was an inconvenience. That’s a really good thought for me, since I’ve been acting like hunger was EMERGENCY ONE.

• The other exciting thought was being reminded that hunger passes when I'm active. I remember, from long ago, having too much fun skiing to stop for lunch. I can remember being hungry for a while, then not being hungry after that. Hunger really is just a feeling; it’s not like involuntary gasping for breath when carbon dioxide builds up in my lungs – that’s an emergency.

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Completed Beck Program-day 12. 30 to go. Keep going!

Waving
 

Hi Sue - glad that 3FC stays on your mind even when super busy.

Hi Everybody - what's up?

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Completed Beck Program-day 12. 30 to go. Keep going!

Hi billBlueEyes,

Good luck on doing the hunger luncheon. I found that hungry really is a passing sensation. I so agree that food is rather boring when busy yet craving are sooo difficult for me to ignore when emotional-any emotion from bored, excited to depressed. (and sweets are in the house-just read a scientific article today that they noted some people get addicted to high sugar/sweet foods-bingo that is me! Inspite if some thin nutritionist telling me to have just a small portion of sweets-I always do so much better with no treat around me. I could never stop at 1/2 cup of ice cream and leave the carton in the refrig.

Know I have done some diet damage this weekend-but back to recording everything tomorrow, No more company until friday-then we have some more family and another set of close friends to continue celebrating DH birthday. It is a big one-65 can't believe that is his age.

I soon hope to join you on the doing the daily activities-tomorrow is another very long day-Tuesday will be short and then I will do and record the lesson you are on. Hopefully we can do the same lesson each day.
sue

Catching UP on hunger strategies
 

I need to work the hunger strategies for a few days before I can complete day 13 on cravings. Recording the hunger levels seems important, and I forgot to do it for the most part on Saturday and Sunday. I'll make a better effort today (Monday). I'm rather glad to get off the forced march of completing a program-day each day. The challenge is now to get back into moving forward in a few days.

I also need to do more work on my hunger levels chart so that it is useful enough to use as the scale for estimating the level of a craving.

On first reading of the cravings chapter, I thought that I didn't have cravings - certainly not cravings like DW had when she once REALLY CRAVED fried clams when pregnant. But if I expand my concept of cravings to include anytime the food is calling my name, then I've had those.

My current craving is for the Hersey's milk chocolate bars DW bought to give to trick-or-treaters on Halloween. I don't crave one of them. I crave eating the bag of them. That's a big clue that some distorted thinking is going on.

My best idea for a strategy so far is to buy a single portion of some really good dark chocolate and reward myself with that after I serve the first trick-or-treaters. My thinking is that a small portion of good chocolate will satisfy my chocolate craving. It's odd to me that I'm craving a milk chocolate bar, when my taste finds milk chocolate very inferior to dark chocolate. Why aren't I craving an unlimited serving of dark chocolate? As I think of the dark chocolate as I'm typing here, I'm thinking of how nice that single serving will be. But my thoughts of the milk chocolate bars is only about eating a whole bunch of them. Doesn't make sense to me.

Sue - You posted some timely and useful thoughts for me here:
Yep, sugar stuff calls my name. I did find that I'm quite comfortable with the tiny scoop of ice cream that's served at a local restaurant as part of a fixed price meal. It satisfies me, and I have no craving for more, since the carton isn't available to me, and there's none in my freezer at home. I don't think I'd do as well trying to serve myself a tiny scoop at home.

Good that you are back into recording. I can see that your schedule of guests is a challenge to sticking to your plan. Hope that some of the Beck strategies are helpful.

Look forward to working the same Program-days with you. I think there's some meaty stuff to work on hunger and cravings. You're ahead of me where you already know that hunger is a passing feeling for you. I need to reaffirm that in my head.

Other posters and lurkers - Good morning. Hope you have a pleasantly brisk October day.

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Completed Beck Program-day 12. 30 to go. Keep going!

Hi BillBlueEyes,

and would love to find out what the rest of you are doing. Whazup Beck Buddies?

I do understand eating more of sugary food yet not truly a rich food. I actually eat much less of the rich dark chocolate. It is powerful stuff and I can feel much more satiated with much less. both mouth and stomach says WOW that is good but rich and no more is needed. I keep eating more of milk choc on the hunt for that satisfied taste. One of the failure of low fat cookies is that people eat more of them and still consume too many cals. I can find intense food more satisfying rather than bland one.

Halloween sound like a tough night. We are so rural we have never had a drop in treater in over 10 yrs. I like the plan to reward you while handing out stuff. Do you do it all? Could you wife do the choc and you do the non choc stuff? alternating going to the door?

I am an increditable visual eater-I see it and then I want it if it is on the sweet side. While I can ignore hunger when busy and I also can easily override being full if I see certain foods. Hunger really does not bother me it is overriding full that has created the havoc in my life.

Really look forward to redoing the beck program and discussing it on line with you.

sue

Waving
 

Kept to eating plan yesterday, but didn't record a full day of my hunger levels. I'll make a chart in my appointments journal so I'll be reminded during the day. Oh Well.

Sue - You speak to me with your thoughts on intense foods:
My weight gain included a zillion pounds of fairly mediocre manufactured oatmeal raisin cookies, and vending machine Hersey's milk chocolate bars :( Good enough, perhaps, but not a special treat. Yet I ate and ate and ate them like I was looking for something. I'm going to continue to work on the idea of eating more of the foods that I really like to keep from drifting into large quantities of food that I just find OK. All of which seems similar to your experience:
Beckers and Lurkers - Good morning. May you have a mindful on plan day.

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Completed Beck Program-day 12. 30 to go. Keep going!

Hi BillBlueEyes,

so glad you keep posting. I finally had much less demanding day and was able to re-read part of the Beck book. I must once again work on not giving into my cravings. The biggest issue with company, birthday parties and family is that I get so food stimulated. Today I had an appropriate breakfast and lunch, my husband unexpectedly came home early and ate his lunch at home and without a Conscious thought I ate over 250 cals of his potato chips. I have pandering to my cravings for close to 6 weeks and I want to now focus on re-do and re-use many of the Beck concepts. I also started another book by Martha Beck (no relation I think) call the 4 day Win dealing with dieting. She talked about research about people with obsessive compulsives disorder-i.e. continuous hand washing. According to her these people get a sense of relaxation in the brain when they actually wash their hands even though they know they don't need to nor they don't really want to do. When they were stress and wanted to do the compulsive behavior one therapist had them replace hand washing with another activity which they also found relaxing. They reduced hand washing as a response to stress. The author made the connect that often cravings are an attempt to reduce stress therefore one should replace the eating of food with other pleasurable activities, This is so similar to Beck idea of the list of activities to wait out the hunger/cravings.

Now I am trying to figure what do I enjoy doing for 15 minutes that is easy and quick to get started on and will help me riding out the cravings.-I like Sudoko, maybe a jigsaw puzzle, Any way my goal is set up at least 3 things tomorrow that I can easily pull out and do when I acknowledge that desire to eat beyond my need calorie amount.

Hope things are well with you. It is OK if i have you be my diet coach?. And literally if we can keep on the same page(s) on the book would be great. Your postings has encouraged me to get back on track. would like to take off another 50 lbs-less arthritis in the knees and back, more mobility, a lot more fun.

Let me know if there is more I can do to encourage you. How is the hunger charting doing? I know hunger is not the issue for me, it is the cravings and really often the goal is to reduce emotions such as -stress, anger, sad, exhuasted, ect. ,
sue

Waving
 

Stayed on plan with food. Took two good steps at the gym: I increased one weight routine from 16 reps to 17 reps, and increased the weight of another routine up 10 pounds. Those are important for me because they represent getting back into commitment to gym, not just moving through the process. :)

Walked a mile to a news stand to buy the Woman's World magazine with the cover article about Amanda of 3FC. Good walk, good coverage of Amanda's diet. At $1.49 cover price it was the "cheapest magazine we carry."

Sue - I'll be glad to act as your online Diet Coach. Hope you'll take that role for me.

Glad you're getting back into your Beck. Reading the cravings chapter does put you and I on the same page. I just reread it this morning trying to get the 5 mindset techniques and the 4 behavioral techniques into my head. This appears to be one of the most important Beck tools to get into our working strategies. It's good to be reminded that simply distancing myself from the food can solve the craving. In the past, I've found myself loitering about the appetizer table wondering why I was eating so many. DUH :o

I look forward to hearing tomorrow how you do on setting up three activities to use to fight cravings.

This struck home: "without a Conscious thought I ate over 250 cals of his potato chips". Mindless eating has put on pounds in my past. Seems that Beck techniques should help with keeping all eating mindful.

I did some recording on hunger, haven't found the reminder that has me doing it every time. I want to finish a whole day recording levels of hunger before I do the step of skipping lunch to cause hunger. This might take a while because I want to find a work day without a major event. Stay on my case here - I don't want to get stuck on my whole Beck just because recording hunger levels is only partially done. OK, here's a positive step forward. I'll break up my six recording events so that they don't have to be done on the same day. That I know I can do.


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Completed Beck Program-day 12. 30 to go. Keep going!

BillblueEyes,
glad to hear you have some new challenges at the gym. Great work to get re-focused there. I have not swam much and missing it alot. The weather has been very rainy, working and a number of meeting in the community have stoppped me from going. It is an out door pool with short hours. looking forward to being able to swim regularily again.

I agree mastering hunger, desire and craving is a real issue. I actually have the easiest time with hunger. Although when I diet and cut the cals down i do have ocassional hunger days-they are a bit of work.

For me desire is more stimulated by the environment-food around at parties, going past a store with treats, seeing the wine bottle-a visual clue to make me think about food.

Craving is my big problem-a drive to eat in order to calm myself. I must admit that in the past I actually have been rebellious with the NO CHOICE card-sort of oh ya! watch me eat it. I do better using the advantage card, acknowledging that it is not hunger, but a learned emotional pattern. I can't even use the mindset techniques of imagining eating it because I often feel the few seconds of food is worth the quick sense of pleasure over the tension. It is very ingrained pattern and hard to confront and over ride. I like being more gentle with myself and acknowledging that I am some sort of emotional upset, food really is not an answer, but trying to figure what is wrong, accepting it, relaxing using breathing techniques, resting if possible a couple of minutes(Often I am exhausted )take a short break from what ever I am doing. Some of this idea is coming from Martha Beck and concept of two different voices for the dieter- the task master-You will eat "appropriately" and the Rebellious kid-"I'll eat what I want to." I have spend a life time wrestling these two approaches.- Often the No choice feels like the task master and annoyed me.

I never truly completed the hourly hunger chart-I did pick an busy day-always very easy for me not to eat then and just went with a more "global approach". I am a much more of late afternoon and nightime eater-so the lunch skipping was very easy. I know hunger play such a small role if any in my over eating.

I did do well today. I finally weight myself after weeks of dabbling at both dieting and over eating. had a 2.4 lb gain.really not that bad-i am working on losing another 50lb. Tomorrow we are dining with some friends who are the best cooks we know. Another of the DH birthday celebration. then family for 3 nights. I will be alert to more overeating due to desire-an abundance of food, wine and tastes around for the next 4 days.

hope all is going well for you
sue

Waving on Thursday morning
 

Completed two more meal/snacks of the hunger level chart. Am not yet enlightened by my answers: I'm not particularly hungry before, during, or after eating. Will have to continue working this to feel what I'm supposed to learn here.

Will have a food choice at a meeting at work today. My boss will bring her special brownies to create group camaraderie. She's pretty proud of her skills at doing this with home made food. It only happens about once a year. The meeting is right at the time of my usual afternoon snack. So, although I seriously avoid baked sweets, I plan to eat one (as in 1.0) brownie in place of my normal afternoon apple. During the losing phase of my new journey, I've said NO CHOICE, but she noticed and was a bit hurt. I'll use my success getting to my maintenance weight to allow this indulgence in boss-pleasing.

A minor success: DW asked me to buy a loaf of bread suitable for the new kale and white bean recipe she tried last night. I had the (for me) original idea to buy a small rather than a large outrageously good looking, 100% whole wheat, sour dough, hard crusted, boule. I ate only one slice, toasted with nothing on it so I could taste it alone and taste the juices of the dish dipped by the bread. Good choice in purchase and in portioning at dinner. I've NEVER in my life bought a small bread, since the large is usually about twice the volume for about 50% greater price. A positive step for rational buying for me. :)

Sue - Congratulations for using the Beck craving strategies, particularly for tailoring them as best fits you. Sounds like you're working these regularly - that's encouraging to me as I start to use them.

Visual clues are the biggie for me also. It's so useful to be clearly aware of that because it makes it easier to work the strategies to distance myself from the clues.

Glad you're back into weighing yourself - a big step in being in control. :carrot:

I wish you well with the entertaining over the next couple of days around your DH's birthday celebrations.


Beckers and Lurkers - Feel free to post; it's not a duprass, LOL.


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Completed Beck Program-day 12. 30 to go. Keep going!

Howdy to you

everyone please feel free to join this dicsussion!

BillblueEyes-

I understand you sense of "mushiness" of the hunger exercise. it did not really click with me-just had a sense that hunger nor panic of hunger was a real issue for me. The hunger state is a very unimportant place in my overeating. I actually I have probably damaged the hunger feeling system over the years by ignoring it so much-either pushing myself to do something else when I should have eaten real food or mostly by ignoring the fact of being full.

Good luck with the brownies-Sound like a great plan that social just a bit sharing of food. It is sort of scary -that old one sweet leads to the slippery slope. Hang in there with resolve to keep to the one. I thinking things like that are more powerful than the rigid perfect diet day. More good stuff-getting a smaller and more expensive(money not calories wise) bread. Enjoy the eating moment to the fullest. Focusing on enjoying the one piece verus fighting all night with the temptation of the remainder of the loaf. I have some time like that but my goal it increase those behaviors to a daily event not just occassionally.

I have eaten small amount today awaiting the yummy dinner tonight. Here is my potential slippery slope -Martinis in honor of DH birthday followed by great wine with dinner. Right now my plan is one Martini and 2 glasses of wine with dinner. Plus then we sit around and play games with the wine on the card table. Since we can walk home so DH is much more relaxed about having wine during the evening. We laugh so hard during the games I know I did not any thing other than water to drink. But it will be a change of pattern not to have more during the rest of evening. -a good one.

When you find those food blocking sun glasses to wear -let me know.

did get the .4 lb off already, yey

I could keep focusing on desire and craving and changing those behaviors for awhile-let me know what you think

sue

Waving on Friday
 

Just quickly. In a deadline crisis at work. Went in early yesterday and didn't leave till after 11pm. Going back in early this morning.

No gym :(, no long walk - only 4000 pedometer steps, rather than my usual 12k or so :( :(

BUT, I ate on plan :) I stopped eating my lunch when I felt satisfied, my new emerging strategy, leaving almost half of the leftovers I had packed. So, when 7pm came around, I had dinner available. Work crisis with not a single trip to the vending machines. That's a big deal for me. Skipped evening snack because I just didn't think about it, making Thursday an under eating day.

AND, at my afternoon meeting with the plate of brownies offered with much attention, I just happened to get engaged in a necessary conversation away from them and escaped without eating the one that I had planned to eat for my afternoon snack. Happily had my favorite instead: a quarter cup of lightly salted roasted soy nuts. Boy do I like my soy nuts - seems like a whole lot when I'm eating them, fills me up, bunch of fiber, bunch of protein, about 120 calories. Hope I never get tired of them.

There might just be a lesson for me here about how this Cognitive Behavior Therapy stuff works. Since I had planned to eat the brownie, I didn't crave it anytime during the entire meeting while the full plate sat on the table in front of me. Nor did I crave it when time came to take one. Since I wasn't craving it, I realized that if I didn't eat it, I would go have my preferred snack as well as skipping a brownie. A casual choice was available to me rather than a tortured self denial. If all eating issues were like this, then I'd feel like I was "thinking like a thin person."


Sue - Congratulations on your 0.4 pound loss - it's in the right direction.

Hope your birthday dinner goes well. Sounds like you have a plan that you can stick to.

I'm content dawdling on the desire, hunger, craving stuff for now. I suspect that this will be a big part of my Beck plan. Hopefully, this weekend I'll declare my hunger charting complete enough. It won't be until next week that I have a normal day to skip lunch for the forced hunger exercise.


Beckers, lurkers, passers by, previous posters, and Beck-curious - Feel free to join in.



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Completed Beck Program-day 12. 30 to go. Keep going!

Hi BillBlueEyes-

sounds like some great stuff-very pressured day and not using food deal with exhaustion nor tension. Another big yey for the brownie situation. Amazing "forgetting" to have a planned one. I have been reading other articles about the how unproductive the rigid denial route is. Great to ponder that you had include a brownie in our food plan so there was not any great continous wrestling about having one.

I hate when earning a living or other time comsuming actvities makes exercising tough. I may fuss about heading off the workout, but Always feel so good afterward. I am sure if I could hire a maid and cook-I would exercise all that time instead of doing chores. hummm don't thing DH will buy that.

Crunchy food such as soy nuts are a great tension release for me. nice bonus they are healthy and low cal.

my dinner went better-I did the one martini and 2 glassess of wine and stoppped. but I "forget" and much later had an after dinner drink- Still much less food and alcohol than other times. The other good thing is that they are working on having much lower cal meals. -BBQ fish and veggies, no bread, great salad. I was an improved modifying eater-not going to lose weight eating and drinking that much-but not going to regain the lost weight either.

I really want to re-work the hunger charting. I think it is a real problem for me not even process any hunger feeling. I need to start feeling hunger and satiation. I have really damaged that sensitivity with decades of emotional eating.

have a great weekend-Again more family is here and I may not getting in much posting-computer is the area they sleep in-I'll working on appropriate eating, wishing you well.

Hi to every one else-please join us- we realy do learn and support each other.

sue

An opportunity for FREE ice cream
 

Had an opportunity for FREE ice cream at noon at work yesterday - three flavors, nuts, cherries, whipped cream, the works. FREE is such a draw for me. I'm not destitute. Why do I feel so compelled to consume FREE food? Does this happen to anyone else? Food offered by family and friends doesn't even slightly trigger the feeling for FREE food.

I went to the affair serving ice cream to chat with some friends. Before going, I thought about the ice cream as a craving, that I could have some, but that I really wanted the lunch I'd brought from home that included raisin couscous and roasted vegetables. I also thought that, even though it was good ice cream, it wasn't great ice cream like Hagen Daas. So, while I was in the room with the ice cream, it just wasn't a big deal to avoid it. Went on to my lunch which I doubly enjoyed.

Like the brownies the day before, I just have to think that Beck's strategies are helping me with cravings. It's not just that I didn't eat the ice cream and brownies, it's that I didn't have to fight them to avoid them. That's the way I want to live. I hope this is a new skill and not just a transient one.


Sue - Good news about following your plan for dinner with friends. Wishing you continued success on your weekend with guests.


Lurkers and Beck-curious - Do you feel drawn to FREE food?


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Completed Beck Program-day 12. 30 to go. Keep going!

Over the past two days I have read this entire thread as I was anticipating the arrival of my book and workbook. You regular posters have been really inspiring. :) So I have been lurking, but now I've decided to join.
First a little about me: My name is Bethany and I am 26 years old. I did not have a problem with my weight until my second year of college. The gaining was quick and consistent until I got angry with my mother in 2004 for insisting that I wore a much larger size top than I actually did. So out of revenge I lost about 70 pounds. (I'm a stubborn girl:dizzy:) But at some point I decided that I could splurge a little, and be a little less strict... well it never ended. After saying "Okay, but this is the last time." and restarting my diet tomorrow over and over again I felt like a lost cause. I gained everything back plus another 30+ pounds on top of that.
In May of this year I got a job at a mental health center. I love my job, but I go into work every day feeling like a fraud. Although I am only in an administrative position I feel like I should be somewhat inspiring to clients. I feel like I should be trying to better myself as well... so here I am. I found the Beck Diet Solution when browsing at Amazon and ordered it. I finished my day one activities a few hours ago. It is already making me put a little more thought into my thoughts and I am looking forward to the next six weeks. Now I just need to figure out which diet and back-up diet I would like to use.

Sorry to be long-winded, but that's my story in a fairly large nutshell. :o

All right, talk to all later. :)
Bethany

Hi everyone,

Welcome Bethany- so glad you joined us. I have really enjoy the ideas in Beck. I am now a believe in retraining your brain.

Hi BillBlueEyes
Another powerful food success. Free food can be such a magnet. Even skinny Dh goes crazy at a buffet. I hardly get any wine in a resturante at $6-9 a glass but open bottle of wine at home is quite the siren.

More later still rather busy household

Difficulty in following my food plan, but not doing mindless eating or drinking.

more later,
sue

Thanks for the welcome Sue. :)

I have completed day 2. I spent the morning researching various diets. I decided on a general calorie counting program of 1500-1600 calories per day as my primary. I chose this because it is what worked for me before. When I was successful before I was eating 1200-1300 calories per day, but I upped that intake because I don't feel that I can maintain such a low level of intake in the long term. Anyhow... I will record everything that I eat and count calories. I wasn't really sure what to do for my back-up so I chose Volumetrics. I don't know much about it, but it sounded appealing. I will pick up the book next time I get to the store and if I don't feel like it is something that I can stick to I will reconsider my back-up plan. :)
As far as modifications go: I don't really have any. Calorie counting has been very flexible for me in the past. I will plan on having a piece of dove dark chocolate in the evenings to help curb those chocolate cravings in the past. ;) I am going to spend some time going through my old food journals later on this evening to get an idea of what I would like to buy when shopping time comes around.

Re: Free Food. Why does it feel like an obligation? I'll be like "Oooh! Free food! I have to have some... it is free!" It doesn't even have to be something that I am particularly fond of... free is enough. I wonder where that started.

Hello from Sunday Afternoon
 

Slept late so didn't post this morning. A rushing about day, just a minute here before some guests arrive to go to dinner. Hopefully we'll do a Thai restaurant since I can't go wrong with Thai food.

Had a meatloaf sandwich for breakfast again, as tweaked by spinnymouse on another thread. Feel like I'm swimming against the tide for such a little thing, LOL.

Did well at a potluck lunch, consuming a big serving of vegetable stew before anything else. That seemed to get the satisfied feeling quickly so that subsequent eating was pretty easy to bound. Eating slowly and mindfully requires some active work for in in a potluck situation, where I'm drawn toward a gobble-everything-I-can type of thinking. I was too late for the butternut squash with walnuts, but had some fig couscous and a big green salad.

Didn't have any cravings to work against today.


Bethany - Welcome !

Glad to have another person contributing to understanding how to work the Beck strategies into our lives. Being "stubborn" can be a BIG advantage in making progress.

Since I first made my Advantages Response card, I've continued to tweak each item to be a very specific to me. E.g. I changed "For good health", to "To avoid dying of diabetes like my grandfather." The specifics hit me harder as I read the card.


Sue - Great that you're not doing any mindless eating or drinking. Methinks that a major part of Beck is just steering us away from mindlessness. Of course, the devil is in the details of executing that notion. Let us know how you are remaining mindful in the midst of your houseful of guests and celebration.

Friends, Lurkers, and secret Beck followers - Hello. Hope you are having a mindful day.



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Completed Beck Program-day 12. 30 to go. Keep going!

Going Hungry Day
 

It was nice to stay on plan yesterday since that included both a potluck lunch and dinner at a Thai restaurant. At the potluck, the strategy of starting with a soup (called "vegetable stew") made staying on plan for the remainder easier. The Thai restaurant is a familiar place within walking distance of home. It's pretty easy to stay on track at a Thai restaurant. I had a spicy dish, so might have completed a days worth of water consumption during one meal :)

I grade my Hunger Monitoring Chart only a C- since it is good enough but failed to record all events on the same day. Oh Well. But, now I can move forward with the other program-days. Good !!

Today will be Going Hungry day: breakfast at 5am, skip morning snack, skip lunch, skip afternoon snack, and eat dinner about 6pm. Kinda odd that it comes with the small advantage that I don't have to pack a lunch. I made a Hunger Discomfort Scale in my daily appointment book ready to fill in. The hard part will be to remember to record my discomfort every hour.


Bethany - Congrats on choosing your diets. I look forward to hearing your opinion of Volumetrics since I haven't read the book, but like the ideas as I've gleamed from reading the Volumetrics thread.

Also like the way you expressed:
Sue proposed food blocking sun glasses, LOL. But, until she finds where to buy those, we have to find a Beck style strategy for changing our thinking about FREE food - something with the punch of "Hunger is not an emergency." E.g. A friend once skipped an expensive pre-paid dinner at his resort to have dinner with a group of us, making the casually dismissive remark, "They can make me pay for it, but they can't make me eat it." We need that level of distance from FREE.


Sue - Hope your entertaining weekend was a joy and you're back in the grove for the week ahead.


Readers, Red Sox fans, non-fans, indifferents - Have a mindful eating and exercising day :)



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Completed Beck Program-day 12. 30 to go. Keep going!

Bill: I hope your 'hungry" day is going well.

Sue: I hope your week is going well. :)

I have completed Day 3 "Eat While Sitting" and I didn't really have any trouble. I eat lunch and breakfast at my desk at work and since I am a receptionist I am pretty much tied to that desk. If anything I just need more time between clients to eat. lol. I did have to consciously remind myself to not take bites on the way back to my desk because I'm always in such a hurry, but it has gone really well.
Well, I guess that is all for now.

I hope you all are having a great day.

Bethany

Hello everyone,

billblueeyes- how did the hunger day go? What did you learn with the task? Was it worth it?

Bethany-I also count and record the daily cals also about 1500-1600-How do you record them? I use the free version of Fitday? I like the flixablity plus I have really learned alot about food and what the cal count is about the items.

We have had a very busy and joyful time-I like the devil in the detail-mindful eating isn't as good as pre planning, measuring and recording every bite. I sure get so over food stimulated with all the company we have had and all the meal preps I have done.

bless my DH-I don't realize how bare I keep the kitchen until company comes and then I get snack food, breads, sweets and cook richer main courses. Luckly everything really caloric has been eaten, now back to basic. I really have a problem of over eating when there is alot of processed food around.
Even though I have lost 55 lb I have so much to learn to cope with cravings and desire and recognize feeling full. When I lost the weight from last Jan-June it basically just DH and myself eating every meal prepared at home. Since then it has been alot of company, short trips, birthdays, Just too much food about and I have over eaten.

I also must learn other ways to reward, relax and respect myself. Food has been the magic bullet for years-upset, overtired, celebrating, yucky tasks to do, being in pain,-just eat. I can not make a list of 10 things which I can do to give my self a quick pick me up instead of eating food.-naturally I don't have be hunger in order to treat me self with food.

I am a retired speical ed teacher and I would try to change behaviors of my students not by punishment, but by replacing the behavior with another pleasant activity. kind of like stop chewing your nails by have small rubber ball to squeeze when nervous. I have got to figure out some coping skills when so busy and so much food about. No choice just does work then. It will work once or twice a day but when there is contineous foods choices then I lose it.

I'll be fine and follow my eating plan- the next company will be vets day in Nov. I got to have a plan by then for remain on my food plan. They love cosco and various treats from there.

Hope all is well
sue

Hunger Day was a success
 

• Did “Hunger Day” Monday, at last !!. Had no food from breakfast until dinner. Recorded my hunger Discomfort Chart every hour. Never recorded over a 3 (0 is lowest). Hunger just didn’t figure into my day, possibly because I had committed to not eating lunch. My highest discomfort was just a conditioned “I’m ready to eat now” at the regular time for my morning and afternoon snack. Have to remember this next time I order lunch and feel like I’m starving while waiting for food to arrive and thus have to stuff myself with the bread and butter on the table. That will be a craving, not hunger.

• Walked to Trader Joe’s for lunch hour to get sunflower seeds for my granola, timing my arrival back at the office for my 1:30pm meeting. Didn’t give myself time to think about hunger because I was actively doing something that interested me.

• Bought 6 ears of corn from the Farmer’s Market on the way, which I cooked last night to have in the fridge for lunches. I love cold corn on the cob - no salt, no butter.

• Ate meatloaf on whole wheat for breakfast again. spinymouse has helped me solve my problem with the leftover meatloaf.

• DW made Hubbard Squash mashed with McIntosh Apple for dinner – with grilled chicken, green beans, and mixed greens salad. All but the chicken came from my urban foraging at farmers' markets. I had a slice of DD's birthday cake – no big decision. It was a good enough cake, but only OK on my chart of stuff I really wanted. She seemed pleased that I had some, but it would have been OK not to eat it. We sent ALL the remaining cake home with DD – that’s a good “Manage your Environment” step.

• Won’t pack lunch again today because of a meeting that includes deli sandwiches for lunch. Good opportunity to concentrate on choosing wisely from limited choices - there will be some good enough choices available. Usually there's a few boxed grilled chicken over mixed greens salad with a zillion calorie foil package of Caesar's Salad dressing.

• Will work the Cravings Ratings Chart (discrete events) today, then I can call the Cravings day complete and continue forward with the next Program-days. But, will continue working craving daily, I haven’t conquered this.


Bethany - Congrats on moving forward through the "Eat while sitting" program-day. LOL at the thought of snacking on your food while walking to sit down - I've done that in the six steps from the microwave to the table, like I was starving.

Working a reception desk would seem to offer many opportunities to use food in response to tension, boredom, and revenge on the clients for whom you're gracious even though they deserve rudeness. So, you have many opportunities to work strategies in response. I, too, spend most of my day sitting at my desk. It used to annoy me when I had to attend a meeting at a distant corner of my building. Now, I think of it as a gift.


Sue - Sounds like you had a good visit. It's easy to see how house guests and food prep for them is a trigger for some mindless eating.

I look forward to hearing what distractions you find work for you in your stressful type of situations. In Beck terms, it sounds like you're making your Distraction Activities Chart. It's nice to hear that this is a strategy that you're in the habit of using with your students. Distraction has been the most powerful tool against craving for me so far.


Beck ex-pats - What part of the Beck program did you take with you?



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Completed Beck Program-day 12. 30 to go. Keep going!

Hello

Beck followers-to us all having changing brain patterns. To healthy eating,

BillblueEyes-I bet we could share recipes-everything you are buying and dw is cooking is very similiar to our meals when it is just the two of us. Yes to sending the treat home with dd. ps I love corn-it is so sweet I don't need anything on it- love it hot or cold also. There is alot of research out there the it is good to eat "dinner" like meal for breakfast. Why should we start the day with a light meal when we have the whole day infront of us and then load in the cals at night just to go to bed. I knew one man who lost weight by eating dinner in the morning and a very light meal at night.

We get a weekly large bag of organic vegetable from a local farm which they pick that day. I don't like tomatoes yet the last 3 weeks they have been so delicious-my daughter in law also doesn't like tomatoes and loved these. Food grown 1000s of miles away, then shipped and stored for days or weeks just is not a great as local grown produce.

I also ordered a cooking magazine-called EatingWell-lots of recipes dealing with what is in season. It has helped me change some of my cooking ways. Plus they give the cals with each dish.

Bethany-that sitting down to eat is both easy and occassionaly hard-Since I adding more fresh herbs than a recipes calls for I want to taste the mixture at the stove. But sitting and slowly down are both very important tasks for me to do daily. eating with awareness is so important for me.

Billblueeyes-I found the same thing to be true on the hunger exercise.

I am actually concerned with how little hunger plays in my eating. Today i am really feeling the unhealthy addictive pattern I still have toward food and sometimes alcohol. I am very aware of how easy for me follow my food desires and cravings when the my home environment is filled with processed food and/or drink- the drive is so ingrained-years of being over 200lb in my adult life. Yet I always had the denial pattern it is ok because tomorrow i will diet and lose it all. The good new that I have learned and use some healthy techniques at home when it is calm and just dh and myself. The bad new is that when my life gets really busy, social, or stressed i lose the new pattern and go back to overeating. I have regained less than 3 lbs so I am please that I have put alot back on but I am so disappointed with myself that I have not lost anything for about 3 months.

I am so suprised how important I have made food in my life to satify non hunger needs-most of my emotional and physical needs. I have sort of known it, but today I really feel it. I am bit overwhelmed with how critical it is for me to change this pattern. Back to beck and other ways to relax and reward myself without food.

sorry to keep harping on the same problem for me but I really feel so stuck and rather hopeless on how to change my addiction for calming effect of food for rest of my life.

take care
sue

Bill: Well done on hunger day. You seem to have really dealt with it well. Buying food even. Your mention of fresh corn on the cob made my mouth water. I agree with both you and Sue about that. It is perfect all by itself.

Sue: I completely understand what you are saying about actual hunger having little to do with eating. Somewhere along the way I turned to food for comfort and I haven't really figured out how to get it otherwise.

Day Four was hard. I realize today that eating while sitting down yesterday wasn't difficult because I wasn't PO'd for the majority of my day. lol. I will say that I caught myself and immediately stopped chewing until I was sitting. lol. When I reflect now I see that the moment of realization followed closely by: "Oh God! Spit it out, spit it out." was semi-humorous. If I hadn't been so angry at the time I would've laughed. :) It was just one of those days where it felt like clients and co-workers were walking all over me, and instead of telling people how I felt I pushed it all back inside (which is why I need to be a Becker) and felt panicked. I had to get out of the office. I didn't go out for lunch, but I didn't make the healthiest choices at home. I can accept that... I know that I am in the process of learning still and that I will gradually become accustomed to pulling out the response cards... I wish I had thought to at least read my list when I left the office for my impromptu break.
I did give myself credit for a few things today:
1. I tried a new breakfast of Dannon light n' fit yogurt with granola. It was surprisingly filling and I am glad that I risked it. I wasn't hungry at all... until I got angry.
2. I read my response cards at least 3 times today. Setting an alarm really helps.
3. I may not have made the best decisions for my lunch, but I did NOT clean my plate which is pretty huge for me. :) :carrot:
4. I drank water and avoided caffeinated beverages today.
5. I was able to get over my bad day and ended up having a decent evening.

So that is all for now. I know that tomorrow will be a better day.

Good Night!

Bethany

Completed Beck Program-day 13: Overcome Cravings
 

• When food is calling my name, that’s a craving.
• I've purchased a Hersey dark chocolate square (50 calories) to eat before handing out Hersey milk chocolate Halloween bars this evening. I love dark chocolate; it satisfies me. I like milk chocolate; but, it makes me want to eat more chocolate. This is a planned test on handling cravings. I will report the results to this board.
• (Actually purchased a package of 14 little squares, but gave the other 13 to DW, who will eat one a day as NO BIG DEAL. It's kinda weird watching a person eating normally.)
• When I have a craving I’ll: cycle through the five Mindset Techniques, then Create Distance, then Distract Myself, then Drink Water, and lastly Breathing Relaxation.

Mindset Anti-cravings techniques:
1. Label It
2. Stand Firm
3. NO CHOICE
4. Imagine the aftermath
5. Read Advantages Card

Behavioral Anti-cravings techniques:
1. Create Distance – move the food or move myself
2. Drink water or low cal beverage
3. Relax – use breathing technique
4. Distract myself – do something


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Completed Beck Program-day 13. 29 to go. Keep going!

Happy Halloween
 

• Ate splendidly at lunch yesterday, despite my concerns: roasted veggie calzone, eating only a quarter of the crust, plus mixed greens salad (no dressing) with pickled peppers (roasted red bell and miniature yellow bell), roasted onions, and capers. An unusual spread for a lunch brought in to a meeting at work. Skipped the black olives, cheeses, salami’s, and ham. Skipped BIG platter of three kinds of fresh baked cookies, as well as juices and colas.

• Dealt with cravings for cookies, extra calzone, completing the crust on my veggie calzone, juices, anti-pasta plate of salami’s and cheeses and black olives. Dealt with craving to take home the leftovers on the serving plates from lunch. Why do I have a craving to scrounge some odd food that isn't mine, that I've already passed over once, and that isn't on my eating plan? The food isn't even wasted because the evening cleaning crew carefully gathers it up for their own meal break.

• Modest walking and short gym workout, but that did include a new high in repetition count on my chest press with dumb bells. I was just barely abel to complete, leaving the muscles fatigued as is appropriate. Great feeling. A small step toward getting back my enthusiasm for gym.


Sue - I'm glad you keep harping on the cravings issue because I agree that confronting cravings is the key to mindful eating.

Seems to me that you're on the right track with the big step of acknowledging the denial pattern, so that you are working the issue today instead of "starting tomorrow." I have experienced that disconnect where I knew I was eating pointlessly, yet didn't connect that I could do something else.

I, too, find EatingWell to be great magazine. Really like their web site. I might subscribe after I get caught up on the too many magazines coming into the house already.

Will continue to try to draw some meaning from my Hunger exercise, and your experience. Maybe try it again after a year of Beck to see if I'm more connected to feelings of hunger. Perhaps the only meaning is that I don't experience real hunger, so developing craving strategies is all that's required.


Bethany - Congrats for giving yourself credit, right on your Beck track !!!

And BIG congrats for getting back on track for the evening. That's a bid deal to avoid falling into a hole because of a perceived weak response. That's an issue for me; I am able to lose the connection that I am in control when I'm entertaining the negative feelings that I did something off track. So, I can allow a small event to become a big event. You seemed to counter this rather nicely.

Laughing at the image of you walking back to your desk trying not to chew your mouthful of food. :D

Sorry that you had a rough day with clients and co-workers. May tomorrow be better.



Lurkers all - Have a Happy Halloween with mindful eating.







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Completed Beck Program-day 13. 29 to go. Keep going!

Well Happy Halloween,

Bethany-great to get past the stress and have a good evening. I am glad you are giving your self justly deserved credit. For me keeping this weight for a life time requires a postive, forgiving and accepting attitude about how my day goes. Too often I have gotten down on myself for problems of the day. when someone is a jerk i go- I should of, could of and must next time ect- Hey they were a jerk and then left, I keep going on still reliving the scene. Plus then I am critiquing me-not them.

BillBlueEyes-awsome work-Such positive steps. that weight is and will be staying off!!!! The craving gobblens will not get to you with such a clear plan to deal with the candy tonight. Thanks for posting it-always helps me too.

Ate according to plan and recorded eveything. Been doing that now for 2 days and I have gained another # annoyed but not worried as I accidently put a touch too much salt in the soup last night. It will go away. Inspite of the scales I do feel more successful.
my diet blahs are going away and feel that I will get the next 50Lb off.

take care
tomorrow more new brain pathways.

sue

Today was mostly good. In the daytime I stuck to "eating slowly and mindfully" very well despite being at work. My husband and I went out to dinner and I was able to stick to task there too. I ordered chicken stir fry from Bennigan's with a salad (FF ranch on the side) to start. I paid more attention to my water and eating slowly so by the time our main course came I had only eaten about half. And sticking to the plan I was able to bring home slightly more than half of my meal.
One thing that I know I have to work on is having food near me while I am watching TV. I ate Halloween candy mindlessly while we watched Spider-man 3, but I am not going to beat myself up about it though. Old habits are hard to break and I cannot expect the new ones to be automatically installed. It takes practice. :)

I'll end with two things that I am very proud of about today:
1. A client asked me to make a phone call for her that I wasn't comfortable making. (I work at a mental health center and she is one of the people that will expect you to do everything for her if you aren't careful). I told her I would see what I could do, but called her back a couple minutes late and actually told her that it wasn't a call I was comfortable making. I told her that she could make the call and let them know that they can contact me if they had any questions.
2. One of my co-workers tried to get me to stay late because another of the girls needed to leave early for an appointment, but I did the same thing last week and I was frustrated with myself afterward because I've just recently revamped my schedule in a way that will make me more happy. Instead of filling the awkward silence which was supposed to be filled with me volunteering to stay two hours late, I didn't say anything. They made it work without me.

I am sorry to ramble on like this, but I am very proud of myself today. It wasn't a perfect day, but I cannot remember the last time I stood up for myself or said 'no' to someone when asked to do something that I really didn't want to do. I don't mind being someone that can be depended on, but I do mind being the person who taken advantage of for being too nice to say no.

Woo.. I'm done. :)

Bill, Sue: I hope you both had wonderful days today and :haphal:

Edited to add: In my building today there was a free lunch. We found our about it in our morning meeting. Bill- I thought of you when people heard about it and made their comments. One girl said: "Free food! I'll make time for that." I just thought it was funny to see such enthusiastic response to food... I managed to avoid the food since I had already planned on my Lean Cuisine. It was unusual because no one ever asks me if I want anything when they go down to get food, but today I was asked at least 5 times by people.

Completed Beck Program-day 14: Plan for Tomorrow
 

• Wrote down my set of eating choices for meals and snacks.

• Wrote down strategies for snacking while shopping and eating at: restaurants, parties, potlucks, friends’ houses, and big events (e.g. weddings).• My plan is to select from that set of choices and strategies.


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Completed Beck Program-day 14. 28 to go. Keep going!

Mindfull Halloween
 

Wooo Hoooo !!!!!!!!!!!!! I ate my dark chocolate square. Didn’t crave the milk chocolate bars while handing them out. They are now gone. Halloween is done. The plan worked :carrot:
When DW brought home the bag of Hersey's milk chocolate bars a week ago, I felt a HUGE craving for them - for the WHOLE bag. But, the craving was gone after I made the plan to eat ONE dark chocolate square before giving out the milk chocolate. Actually, trick-or-treaters started around 6pm, dinner and cleanup took an hour starting at 7:30, so I didn't even get around to eating my square until 8:30. Which was just fine, I was savoring the thought of eating it the whole time. Afterwards, I continued to savor it.

Gotta observe that this Beck stuff works for me. It isn't just that I didn't eat some chocolate by using my willpower to white knuckle my way thought it, it's that I didn't crave the chocolate by using a strategy to beat the craving. I'm really psyched.


Sue - Terrific to hear you write "my diet blahs are going away". What a great step going forward. Methinks that becking about is a weed killer on blahs, negative thinking, defeatism, and desire to just throw in the towel. Congratulations.


Bethany - Congratulations for taking the restaurant by plan - sounds like you took a series of steps to keep yourself eating mindfully while saving plenty of energy to enjoy dinner with your DH. Nice job.

It's great to hear your style of not beating yourself up for the TV snacking. Self acceptance seems to be such a BIG part of getting on top of eating. I'm still working on this one.

Loved reading your two instances of standing up for yourself at work. You keep up that kind of attitude and you'll have to put up with their respect for you just growing and growing. Which will make it easier to stand up for yourself. Kinda funny that we can build on our actions to spiral up just as we do to spiral down. Way to go !!!!!!!!

LOL at "Free food! I'll make time for that." It does seem so absurd when someone else says it. :D Congratulations for being so clear and sticking to your planed Lean Cuisine - not just once, but five additional times when colleagues just assumed you'd want FREE food. I'm SO GLAD it's not just me with such an irrational attitude.

I have this wonderful memory of hiking up a mountain in New Hampshire some years ago on a trail that ran along a stream. Whenever we were thirsty, we'd drink. There was no desire to drink too much or too little, just to savor the water because it was so cold, so fresh, so crystal clear. I dream of having that relationship with food. I am blessed with access to the equivalent of a stream of food much greater than I could possibly consume. Dream of having no desire to eat too much or too little, just to savor.


Covert Beckers - May today present an opportunity for a little extra spontaneous exercise.


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Completed Beck Program-day 14. 28 to go. Keep going!

Howdy,

BillBlueEyes-that is very inspiring about the chocolate posting, preplanning and beating the craving demons. Agree with your hope of having a relationship with food that can be enjoy and savored while only eating the correct amount to be healthy. It is only food -wonderful but not an emotional crutch.

All the recording and cal counting has helped me learn what a healthy amount of food is-particuliarly the calorie loaded stuff.

my goals for tomorrow-1. record in my craving rating chart for all day Friday. 2. activities to do when craving food. Set up card table to work on jigsaw puzzle and also organize some beads to make a necklace. 3. make some fancy computer lettering cards stating Take relaxing breathes.

I had a fun day -went to next big city about 10,000 folks-it is about 1 1/2 hrs away. Ate very healthy at the resturante-low cal chicken stew. Had a great day with out tons of cals.

Bethany-congradulation on taking care of yourself-both with the call and overtime request. I have been doing alot of emotional work along with the dieting. while I feel much better and have more energy being 55 lb less-I can get a bit down facing the "loss of my old buddy-mindless eating when stressed" It is so worth it in the long run but sometimes particuliar days and events makes it very hard. I am still at the point when the environment at home Must be free from all tempting foods. That candy dish would have driven me crazy.

On day three I am 2 lb less-yes.

sue

Completed Beck Program-day 15: Monitor Your Eating
 

Beck stresses the importance of recording your eating, mentioning the study that dieters who kept records lost significantly more that dieters who didn't.

She stresses the importance of recording immediately to counter our ability to forget to small bites and second helpings that add up.


• I will select meals and snacks from my written food plan.

• I will immediately record every variation from that plan in my daily appointment calendar and transfer that daily to my journal.

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Completed Beck Program-day 15. 27 to go. Keep going!

Tgif
 

Eating was on plan yesterday, but with lightweight compliance for exercise. I did half of my gym routine, emphasizing the chest press with dumbbells since I am now pushing myself to fatigue there just as is optimal for muscle development. Walking was reduced from average. Not an abandonment and not a problem, just a set of choices. Oh Well.

Will have a FREE lunch today, a celebration at work. The choices will be hot dogs or vegetarian chili. I plan for the chili since my head craves eating the hot dogs, but merely looks forward to the taste of the chili.

Before my healthy journey starting 2 years ago, I'd have hot dogs for lunch every month or so. They weren't particularly good, but I'd REALLY WANT them. It's such a funny feeling, this craving for a food. Particularly since, for me, it's not for a really desirable food (like dark chocolate or clam chowder) but for a mundane food. I've still got this, and assume that it will continue to rise up from where ever it hides within me. I need the Beck strategies well developed to feel the confidence that I will be able to counter the cravings when they arise. I'm shifting from the dream that the cravings will go away to the plan to develop my confidence that I will be able to counter them.


Sue - Nicely stated: "It is only food -wonderful but not an emotional crutch." Think I'll add that one to my response cards.

Congratulations on your two pounds and good luck with your 3 step plan for today.



Bethany - I continue to savor the image of you standing up for yourself at work. Hope your success at that contributes to more success. Have a mindful day.



Silent Majority - May you successfully confront any carving you experience today.



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Completed Beck Program-day 15. 27 to go. Keep going!

HI

Boy those craving are sneaky and really funny at times--I have preplanned, recorded each bite, turned down an invite to lunch out, ate my lunch slowly, exactly as preplanned-kept spying my Dh potatoe chips-Which I do not like that much. keep telling myself focus on pear which will be the next treat, I don't want to use the cals on those chips-why I want to lost weight, alot of self talk, then out of the blue I asked for the chips and had a small handful-I was amazed how I went sort of unconscious and ate some-I went from noticing the craving to just indulging it. I woked up and stopped eating them-not alot of cal harm but this is not building new brain waves but reinforcing the old pattern. Some times I feel I must eat completely alone in a barren room in order not to do old habits. I am wondering about asking DH to put the bags or containers of caloric/processed types of food which he is eating out of my sight at all times. He tends to take 3-4 helpings out of the bag. Since we were eating lunch together on our deck I felt sort of stupid to leave him there and go do the jigsaw puzzle. I am kind of upset that I am so visually stimluated into having craving/desire just when I see the food. This why having the company and all food for social events is doing me in for a weight loss.

I am not so anger with myself but so amazed how quickly I can sabotage myself. Our next set of company will be the 3 day weekend next weekend. I sure would like some victories dealing with craving during this upcoming week. Like you said BillBlueEyes-not white knuckling it, but having a calming set of skills to use to avoid mindlessly giving into them.

Bethany hope you continue with the successes today at work. It is great to learn how to take of yourself. I am still learning!

sue

Continued on November 2007 The Beck Diet Solution
 

There's a new thread for November:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/show...72#post1916472


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Completed Beck Program-day 15. 27 to go. Keep going!