Diet Coaches Had a new vegetable, pumpkin tendrils. Who'd have thought that the coarse leaves and vine of a pumpkin was edible. But some farmer sold it to Whole Foods and DW prepared it. Was rather tasty, about as tender as, say, spinach rather than bite-back like mustard greens. CREDIT moi.
onebyone WOW for your WOE!!! Congrats for those 6 pounds in three weeks. Love it that the universe is rewarding your de-cluttering efforts. Thanks for the picture of the Easter Egg Bird; I'm still trying to get my mind around the thought of a scrambled emu egg (size of a grapefruit), LOL.
Robin (RobinW) - Glad you made it safely to Indy. hmmm... I need a pointer to understand your reference to Different Mirrors . LOL at making your scale visible every time you go up the stairs.
angelmomma210 - Sounds good for the kids that you have rules and let them know. Kudos for the organized restart. Like the idea of the Advantages Response Card in a scrapbook form.
shrinkin - Happy Birthday with Kudos for avoiding the ice cream and cake on that day. LOL at the notion of a designated driver for the wagon - don't think it'll be taxing for onebyone to design it large enough for all of us. And Kudos for working on your Sabotaging Thoughts and countering them with your Advantages Response Card.
Susan (QuilterInVA) - Kudos for doing your chair aerobics - love the example of sticking to whatever exercise is possible. RE "Margarine is better than butter?" DW has returned to using small amounts of butter in cooking when it's a critical part of the taste. I guess we treat it like red meat, OK in small quantities. We've been off trans-fat margarine for years. I wish they'd just withdraw it from the market.
Khria Kudos for progressing up to day 6: Find a Diet Coach. If you're asking this group, I'll be happy to be an online Diet Coach and ask you to do that for me. Neat description of what Beck does for me also: "I knew that what had to change was my outlook--and this book seemed to outline the very change I was looking for." One way to confront feeling shy about posting is to make is part of your plan to post daily as you progress through the 42 steps - at least that's worked for me and kept me going.
Sarah (sarahyu) Kudos for progressing up to day 8: Create Time and Energy. Yep, I also need to catch myself on the basics - like eating sitting down. You're here at an opportune time since several people are starting the book anew. Feel free to discuss the day you're working on and there's likely to a discussion that follows.
Readers " If you think, I really want to eat that It wont matter if I take one, and you dont respond to those thoughts, youll go ahead and eat the cracker. " Beck, pg 26.
Tuesday was an onplan day for me for calories. It was tough as the mind kept thinking about food not on plan. BBE-there goes that perserveration again! LOL Scale has been a big disappointment recently so just need to focus on the plan. I know scale will follow.
CREDIT MOI for exercise last night at new pool. Had been thinking that I might want to change from Y to get more flexibility in time availability, so decided to use this week to investigate. Usual problem with most clubs is that pool is an afterthought compared to exercise floor and equipment. Ad said club open 24/7 and indicated it was generally an adult club. Not really so. Pool closes at 10 pm. "Too expensive" to pay the three lifeguards they have to monitor this huge water play area compete with four big water slides overrun with young children. Small contiguous lap pool crowded and hard to keep the kids out of the lanes. Could not tell if HR met target becuase no large clock in proximity. Did 30 min instead of my now usual 45 because I could not see clock. I was not happy about that. OH WELL. Place looks nice but won't really meet my needs. Not sure that I will go there again tomorrow as part of my "free one week trial" or will find the energy of activation to seek out yet another option.
BBE-Credit on those pumpkin vines. Hmmm...Not sure I can picture eating them. Methinks you starting to think..."well if it grows, lets try eating it!" LOL.
Welcome Sarah and Khria! Great to have you. Hope you will post back and share your journey with us. Sarah, most of us keep going forward while reworking days over and over as we have time....and then go thru the book again after we've done it once. Just takes a while, that is why we call it "practicing Beck". Not sure if any of us think we have perfected it.
RobinW-glad to have you back on the board. Hope you are enjoying Indy. Great city. "Different Mirrors" can give you a new perspective. I think I have a "thin one" because photos sure look worse than my mirror. Kudos for getting scale controled.
Quilter-You are pure inspiration with those chair exercises and your earlier crutch walk to lake. What is the word with your knee? Hope it is progressing nicely.
I think butter and margarine are equal calorically....both almost pure fat. In past, doctors thought that the processed fat in margarine was better for your lipids and heart (lower in saturated fat and cholesterol). Now they have found it is higher in trans fats (a fat that only occurs with certain types of processing) and that trans fats are the worst for lipids and heart disease. Apparently, the human body's enzyme that breaks down fatty acids is not very effective at breaking down trans fats so they stay in bloodstream a long time. [Yes I have a lipid problem so have read a lot]. My only hope is that they have it right this time. Seems this years "good to eat" will be next years "not good to eat". At least with the food labelling law, we can all know trans fats in processed foods. Doesn't cover eating out though. Good news is that the major maker of shortening has redesigned their product to minimize trans fats. I dont think butter will work for some baking items.
angelmomma210-welcome back to Beck and the boards. You can climb right back on this wagon with the rest of us. As BBE says, job of designated driver of this big wagon is open! With your great job skills from driving a big bus of perhaps unrulies, you could be drafted. Scrapbooking is neat! Will make your ARC awsome.
onebyone-Wow girl, you are movin' on that decluttering, cleaning, painting, organizing. Methinks it is great to "go while your hot". Kudos for finding a food plan that is working for you!for that 6 pounds!!
to hbuchwald, kuhljeanie, free, coastalsue, and maryblu!
Hello. Not feeling great today TOM so I'll keep this short. I have a movie scheduled for this afternoon. Hope I am up to the bus ride.
Welcome sarahyu I too found it amazing that a small act like sitting down to eat could be so problematic. I still catch myself taking a bite here and there at times without sitting down. I'm always working on that one.
Quilterinva - nice to hear you're working out and on plan. I know that feels good. Credit to you for that! As for margarine being better than butter, I say no.
RobinW I've had some nasty wakeup calls in front of some hotel mirrors. Is this what you mean? The worst was a giant bathroom in Altlantic city with mirrors on two sides of the room. Could not escape my reflection, back and front. Certainly more difficult to deny the shape I'm in there vs. the head and shoulders medicine cabinet view I have at home.
BillblueeyesPumpkin tendrils? Wow. Never heard of that. Kudos to Mrs. Billblueeyes for trying those!
i've been lurking, but for the most part haven't had the energy to actually post. aargh. DH is still in the thick of his issue, so i've been on call between him and el nino. and now, of course, i'm sick. just the garden-variety congestion, headache, sore throat. sadly i'm almost glad because it's a sanctioned reason for not exercising. seems it's my body's way of saying "enough already."
trying like heck to battle the thought that i won't feel better until DH feels better. can't put my health on a contingency plan. it's just more challenging now than it's been in times past. between being sick and TOM, and DH and DS, and both houses needing lots and lots of work, i feel like crawling under a rock and staying there. i also know that eating healthfully will make me feel better than blitzing out on salty, starchy food. why does the body/mind do that to itself?
i apologize for not addressing everyone individually! can't keep the thoguhts in my head long enough to write about them. welcome to the new folks!
Onebyone--thank you for the lovely, animated welcome! I'm really inspired by reading everyone's posts already! :-D
Susan/Quilter-- Thanks for the welcome! Repeating the plan sounds like a great idea! Though this is my first time through, I was thinking it might make sense to put a reminder in my calendar to go over (or redo) the plan on a regular basis. Once I've finished the six weeks, I'll decide how regularly I might need the refresher. Also, congrats on all the workouts and fabulous stuff. I've chosen a similar kind of diet plan as well, with CalorieKing nutrition and exercise tracker as my first choice, and then dusting off my WW materials as a backup. My third fallback is to start going to meetings again. :-D
sarahyu--I agree--I've been finding the mindful eating part really challenging. I can just about manage to make myself sit, but then keeping focussed on the food and not getting distracted by my skittering thoughts is really tricky for me, too. My ability to do it really varies from one meal to the next. Though, I think it also depends on how much I'm enjoying the food!
BillBlueEyes and Shrinkin--I only just saw your posts! Thanks to both of you for the welcomes too!
BillBlueEyes: The short answer re finding Beck and the Forums--the Internet.
The longer answer is that I found the Beck book a while ago, and I can't remember how exactly. It might have been when I was trying to inspire myself by reading weight loss blogs. So, I checked it out on Amazon, found it had been almost universally heaped with praises and also realised it was an approach that might work for me (if anything could--I already knew it was mindset, not knowledge, that was tripping me up because I've lost weight before, when I've been focussed and really determined, but somehow, I couldn't seem to recapture that focus since).
But then, it might have been self-sabotage/reluctance to change, but I couldn't start right away, cause I was going off on holiday, or I was _____ (insert other somewhat-plausible sounding excuse ;-D), until I just forgot about the book. So it's been a while since I bought it, and it has been sitting, gathering dust on my shelf.
A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to my brother about CBT, and that's what reminded me of the book. I dusted it off, and here I am! As for the group--I googled and found this forum. It seemed like a great, and active, community (both important factors... so many interesting-looking forums seem to have been last updated in 2004, and you know if you posted, it would be like talking to yourself, cause no-one checks them anymore). I also liked that the site was about people helping people (i.e. not part of the whole diet-industry juggernaut--notwithstanding the welcome advertising that keeps it free, of course!). I liked that very much! And so, here I am!
I also like the idea of scheduling time for checking the forums in (since I'm soon to be on the scheduling day, I can implement it!)--thank you!
Angelmomma210--great idea for scrapbooking your ARCs! I'll bet it's that much more enticing to read them when they're beautifully-crafted and a pleasure to look at and read through.
I'm notoriously forgetful, so I've put my ARC list into Google Calendar (I created a special calendar for that, and reminders to eat mindfully, etc.--i.e. a health and wellness calendar), and it emails me the list several times a day--I also get it on my ipod/PDA, so I can read them even if I'm on the go or need that extra boost when I'm away from my computer.
Shrinkin--Congrats to you for staying OP, despite not seeing the results. That can be really challenging--and deserves some bonus credit, I'd say!
Quilter--I agree with Shrinkin re margarine. I think that many of them had hydrogenated oils to make them shelf-stable at room temp--and we now know that's nasty for our bodies. I think becel is one of the non-hydrogenated ones?
Good afternoon all. I have been alot better the last few day..with a routine in effect it sure helps. Thanks for the welcome back.
Still working on my little scrapbook but am still have with me my list. Am reading it and it seems to help right now.
Tomorrow my time at home midday will be less because the kindergarden starts and I really love those little ones.
Welcome to the new people.
Well that is all for now...need to have my lunch and get ready to go back to the four letter w word. LOL
Good evening, everyone! Doing good today. Did my exercise and stayed on my food plan.
Hurricane Hanna may be paying us a visit. I live on the water but my flood insurance is in effect! I live on a peninsula - they have evacuation routes set up but there are only 4 roads to get us out of here and the traffic is tied up most days so I don't think it'll work. Just evacuating the Outer Banks is a nightmare. Well, we shall see.
I'm glad to see so many posting. Sorry I don't have time to reply to each of you today, but I'll get to it.
Yesterday's question was "Margarine is better than butter." Here's the answer:
"Butter contains saturated fat that, when eaten in excess, can raise "bad" (LDL) cholesterole, increasing the rise of heart disease. For that reason, some people use margarine as a substitute. The problem with margarine--specifically stick margarine--is that it contains trans fats, which increase LDL cholesterol and lower the "healthy" (HDL) cholesterol. Double whammy!"
"Your best best is a soft-tub vegetable spread that says "trans fat free"--it will be low in saturated fat as well. If you are watching your calories, opt for soft tub brands in "reduced fat" or "light" versions."
Note the saw actually 3 fats there - butter, stick margarine, and soft tub spread.
The question for Thursday is "Fresh fruits and vegetables are more nutritious than frozen ones." What do you think?
yup its the huge bathroom mirrors! They start about at my hip, and go up, then there are 2 more mirrors, making a U shape around the vanity. OMG!! I hate them, I should probably have these same mirrors installed in my bathroom at home. Its easy to see just my head and shoulders in the bathroom mirror at home, then stand just right so you look "ok" in the hall full length mirror.
Well, I took more pictures today and my camera cut most of them in half. I'll post them later tonight.
Eating is pretty good, getting lots and lots of walking in.
I shouldnt have any trouble getting back into full swing when I get back home.
I really should consider some huge mirrors in the bathroom!!
yup its the huge bathroom mirrors! They start about at my hip, and go up, then there are 2 more mirrors, making a U shape around the vanity. OMG!! I hate them, I should probably have these same mirrors installed in my bathroom at home. Its easy to see just my head and shoulders in the bathroom mirror at home, then stand just right so you look "ok" in the hall full length mirror...
I really should consider some huge mirrors in the bathroom!!
Oh yeah those are the mirrors I was talking about too! I swear they make every lump and bump show up cause it wasn't just the mirrors but the lighting that seemed way brighter and they were spotlights in the ceiling that seemed to aimed to a)highlight the uneven lumpy areas and b) cast shadows over the good parts. I remember thinking that if I brought dinner up to the room and ate it in the bathroom I would eat way less.
QuilterInVAOMG I hope you don't have to deal with Hanna! If you do do you have to evacuate far away, or can you stay put? I hope you don't have to do either. Congrats for staying OP today.
angelmomma210 Happy to hear you're doing better! Keep it up
Khria Thanks for posting again! It was interesting to read your progress to actually doing Beck. I have "lost" my Beck book 3x now. Only once did I manage to have it all the way through from day 1 to 42. (It's still "lost" but will show up eventually). I was an instant believer in the Beck method when I read it was based on CBT too. I have faced down many and varied fears using CBT methods. I know it works. And from my own experience here, Beck does work too. It takes practice and reminding and willingness but it works.
kuhljeanieHi! Nice to hear from you. You still have a lot to do but you're progressing... don't doubt that! Just remember, if I have a problem and I eat over it, then I have TWO problems... good to remember! Eating will not make it go away or make you feel better long term. being good to yourself will go much further. All the best to you!
For me this was carb-up day. I had spaghetti and fried rice and cake today. I didn't feel like fruit Must be the hormones. I hopped on the scale this mornign and saw that it's down and I was in danger of eating too much (shrinkin' your Persevere, especially in the face of victory came to mind), but if I did it wasn't enough to trouble me or worry me. I think I am getting better at negotiating these carbup days. My scale keeps telling me I am doing things well and my skirt, which I got as a summer thing to throw on in lieu of shorts (it's jist a plain jean skirt) has a cheap zipper that unzips really easily. I alwys have long tops over it so no one knows but what's been new is that in the last week or so the zipper isn't gooing down. I take this to mean that my tummy isn't pushing out as far forcing the zipper down...whatever the reason something has changed. It's too bad it has a partially elastic waist so I can't judge it that way but the zipper? That's a new development. I look forward to it becoming loose at the elastic waist.
Diet Coaches Did my gym. CREDIT moi. Just to play with the different weights, I sorted the rack of dumbbells at the gym. The 100# dumbbells were out of place. Now that was a challenge. I picked them up one at a time; not sure that picking them up together will ever be an option. Apparently the macho thing at my gym is to put heavy dumbbells in the upper rack marked for the lighter weights. No question that it demonstrates some muscle to do that.
Jean (kuhljeanie) - Ouch for feeling sick, always a pain whether "garden-variety" or Amazon Jungle variety. Continuing to send supportive thoughts to the three of you.
onebyone Congrats on the zipper victory. Hope you made it to the movie.
Robin (RobinW) - OK, thanks for the mirrors clarification. That reminds me of the magnifying mirror that they use to examine my facial skin for cancers. I can't stand having every defect magnified. There's a good reason that our eyesight declines with age, LOL.
angelmomma210 - Now that's a pleasant thought - two pleasant thoughts actually. A bus load of exuberant kindergarten kids. And knowing that they all get off the bus after a short while, LOL. Glad to hear that the routine is helping you.
shrinkin - LOL at "well if it grows, lets try eating it!" You don't think Whole Foods would be pulling one over on us do you? Ouch for swimming laps in a pool with three lifeguards. That's more than we provide for an ocean around here.
Susan (QuilterInVA) - Kudos for staying on plan and for exercising. RE butter: yesterday I had leftover Delicata Squash for lunch - baked (initially) with butter and honey. DW strongly believes in using butter in certain recipes.
RE Fresh vs Frozen: Do love that frozen veggies exist during the winter. I know the argument that they may be more nutritious than old (i.e. un-fresh) fresh veggies. Suppose it's true, but I still cherish fresh veggies when possible.
Khria Neat that "talking to my brother about CBT" reminded you of Beck and got you started. Prior to Beck, I had some negative thought about Cognitive Behavior Therapy - how could something so simplistic be of real value. But boy did I change my mind after trying this program for a while.
Readers " On the other hand, if you think, I really want to eat it, but I shouldnt because its not on my diet I have to get better at resisting food between meals, then you wont eat it." Beck, pg 26.
Yesterday at the top end of my calorie range. So, OK but not great. Not a planned exercise day. Today is scheduled day and with Y pool closed for cleaning have to face either going back to chaotic three life guard pool at "free trial membership" or going to find yet another pool. Having a routine busted is the pits.
More stress than average in life right now. Serious problems all day yesterday with my mother who has Alzheimers. Total mental and emotional turmoil. Really no time for it either with work deadlines pressing. Amazing that diet was as good as it was given stress level.
Weigh in day today: down 0.5 pounds. Mediocre but not too unexpected given the weekend spent in premature entry into "maintenance" calories. Still is hard to feel that I am working at it [even maintenance calories feels tough] and progress is slow. Average 4 week loss from fitday: 0.88 pounds per week. On reread of Beck day 10 yesterday: "How much will it matter a few years from now how long it took? I need to remind myself why its important to lose weight slowly." (Beck, pg 114). OK, so I will take the 0.5 pounds.
Not in the mood to give myself credit for much and feel that creating time and energy (yup day 8 still needs practice and committment) a serious challenge for me today.
Dark clouds and raindrops outside (seems inside too). PT today, and I have only done a so-so job with shoulder exercises (yep, missed some days this week). Must work on that as I need my arms back. Haven't been able to get a routine for the required twice a day exercises.
Sunshine amid clouds: DH has really stepped up in support and help.
Wow. Thursday has really crept up on me. I have to go into the school and do some boring work today. I should be there already but can hardly face going. I figure I'll leave in about an hour or so, make it in by noon. I may make some clay buttons while there. Something to look forward to do after running glazes through a sieve from one bucket to the other and back again. That's what's ahead for me. 12 or so big buckets of sieving each twice through a very fine mesh screen.
I have not picked back up on the cleaning. Haven't painted the kitchen "morning sun" yet nor put up the yellow checked gingham scalloped edged daisy embroidered white cotton curtains. I could quite readily clear out the back wall here and that's a MAJOR space to be freed but I have't done it. And now I feel the pressure of the weekend and I am asking myself hmmmm what did I need to make for the weekend? any orders? do I have to call anyone to come pick up stuff? My mind is everywhere but where it needs to be today.
BillBlueEyes I made it to the movie yesterday. We saw Hamlet2. It was ordinary and extrordinary, funny and unfunny all at the same time. Outrageous yet common. Very odd film. My DH loved it. I am starting to wonder if my tastes are shifting.
shrinkin' Very sorry to hear of your mother's illness. That is so so tough to deal with in so many ways. I am happy your DH is there for you, to help take some of the pressure. I hope you find a pool. Maybe the free one is busier at certain times of day? I have found the hours of 9:30 to 11 to be relatively quiet as well as 1:30 to about 3 to be the best bet in public places. Early morning lunchtime right after work, forget it. Busy. After 7 too. And if you force yourself to go to the busy pool just enjoy the water. It's not forever and it shows a willingness on your part to do what it takes. Please keep going. It's not just about the numbers on the scale. It's about seeing ourselves succeed at something that we have not been able to succeed at before! And that will spur us all on to do other things we've been dreaming of... this is something I need to believe to so I am talking to myself as much as you Hang in there. Keep posting.
Welcome Khria
Wednesday report
for that 6 pounds!!
to hbuchwald, kuhljeanie, free, coastalsue, and maryblu!
I live on the water but my flood insurance is in effect! I live on a peninsula - they have evacuation routes set up but there are only 4 roads to get us out of here and the traffic is tied up most days so I don't think it'll work. Just evacuating the Outer Banks is a nightmare. Well, we shall see.
Its easy to see just my head and shoulders in the bathroom mirror at home, then stand just right so you look "ok" in the hall full length mirror. 
All the best to you! 
Must be the hormones. I hopped on the scale this mornign and saw that it's down and I was in danger of eating too much (shrinkin' your Persevere, especially in the face of victory came to mind), but if I did it wasn't enough to trouble me or worry me. I think I am getting better at negotiating these carbup days. My scale keeps telling me I am doing things well and my skirt, which I got as a summer thing to throw on in lieu of shorts (it's jist a plain jean skirt) has a cheap zipper that unzips really easily. I alwys have long tops over it so no one knows but what's been new is that in the last week or so the zipper isn't gooing down. I take this to mean that my tummy isn't pushing out as far forcing the zipper down...whatever the reason something has changed. It's too bad it has a partially elastic waist so I can't judge it that way but the zipper? That's a new development. I look forward to it becoming loose at the elastic waist.
Having a routine busted is the pits. 
Total mental and emotional turmoil. Really no time for it either with work deadlines pressing. Amazing that diet was as good as it was given stress level.
