Day 7: Arrange Your Environment. This is one of my long term habits and a key to losing weight and keeping it off for me. I have none of my problem foods in the house. There is junk food but it either belongs to DH or DD and is therefore not an option for me to eat, or it is way on the top or back of the pantry where I can't see it easily. I double checked it this morning, and it's good to go.

I could use some help strategizing for work though. One of my coworkers spends literally hundreds of dollars on the post-season candy sales and brings it all in. At any given time there are about 5 bags worth of candy on display. I've been trying for years to get this crap out of the office, but my other coworkers have made it very clear to me that they enjoy the stuff, and I need to just deal with it. So I can't get rid of it entirely, and I have moved it to the least visible place I can get it without someone putting it back. I try not to look at it, since visual cues to eat can sometimes set me off, and I'm doing really well with it since Big Click #2, but could use help problem solving. I'm planning to make some kind of response card to deal with just that situation, but want to think about the wording that will work best for me for a day.

Day's challenges (I don't know if it this is a Beck thing, but one of my habits): I'm sore from lifting on Monday, and my mouth hurts from getting major dental work done yesterday, so I'm cranky. DS needed to nurse last night, so I'm sleep deprived (as usual)--memory and impulse control issues today. DD is going through another tantrum phase, this time accompanied by a lapse in newly acquired potty training skills, so I'm harried and stressed. DH wants to "help" me rearrange my schedule for today, which makes it better for him instead of me.

Plan for today: Eat as well as possible, pack lunch/snacks. Use 15 minute rule relentlessly. Walk dog this morning. Run tonight after kids are in bed (hopefully will be less sore then than this morning). Go to gym to plan workout session for tomorrow, get reacquainted with layout, equipment and do any needed paperwork for using it (20 min). Keep up with the ibuprofen, since I'm hurting. Prep dinner this morning (if time permits before work). Post on 3FC this morning, and check in again this evening, also at lunch if I need focus. Make DH stick to plan.

[15 minute rule is one of my best strategies for avoiding unplanned eating. Do not eat anything unplanned for a minimum of 15 minutes. Usually if it isn't true hunger, the urge to eat will vanish in the 15 minutes while I'm distracting myself and I'm golden. I picked 15 minutes because I can stand almost anything (food related anyway) for that long, and it is long enough to set me off in another direction. Works 95% of the time if I'm doing it. I don't remember if I read this somewhere or I came up with it, but it is sooo effective.]

Bill, thanks for the welcome! I found out about Beck probably a year ago, but I was pregnant--don't remember how (the book, not the pregnancy ), and pregnancy and I don't get along--complete survival mode for me, and after the first time around, I knew I could clean up the mess (any extra pounds), so survival mode it was. I used CBT many many years ago for some depression-related issues and found it worked very well for me. It just resonates with the way my brain works. It also helps with my eating, since I seem to be mostly a head case, and not really hungry.

Olive, looks like we'll be working through the steps together! Good to have company.

onebyone. It sounds like you are doing a smart thing by maintaining for a bit, especially if that helps you get the mental energy and focus to keep your journey on the path you want. In five years, that week(s) won't matter.

RobinW: I hope your hip feels better. It is so hard to focus when you are in pain. If you do the best you can on any given day, you deserve credit.

shrinkin': good luck with your PT. Sounds like you'll have some good info after that is done.

angelmomma210: sending good thoughts to your DH.

maryblu: welcome back!

twilit tera: Life ebbs and flows, right? Some days it's easy, some days it's hard. Good for you for coming back when it's hard.

kuhljeanie: thanks for the welcome! I'm too new to know what your sleep issues are, but that is such a hard one. That is one MAJOR thing that isn't in Beck that I have found to be sooo critical to keeping it together in my long journey. Enough sleep. Not that I remember what this is like or anything...

Anne

shrinkin, same time post! The New Rules of Lifting for Women is a book that has gotten a lot of good talk over on the Ladies who Lift and Maintainers sections of 3FC. I gave it a read, and found I really liked it. I'm trying out the plans through the first stage to see if I find them effective. After that I'll decide about the longer term. I also find lifting and training for triathlon simultaneously to be pretty much impossible, so I'm using the off season to try some new things and see if I want to shake up my routine.

Anne

You guys just make me feel so good, when I need it most.

Tuesday
OP Food
OP Supplements

(gosh it feels good to type )

Still achy, but yesterday was very productive, and I'm planning on today being productive too. Hoping to get my biology lab done today so the rest of the week is clear for field reports in Early Childhood Education. (I visited a Head Start center yesterday, have another visit to the infant and toddler programs at a development center tomorrow and a visit to a Special Ed classroom on Friday.)

Still pretty blue though. The weather, the pain and the busy schedule are really kicking my tushy. Still, I'm back to journaling, taking my supplements, exercised this morning. I'm ready to flow, gosh darnit!

shrinkin: Take care of yourself. I dunno about you, but I find it really easy to forget an injury once the pain is down to that "only when i do something stupid" level. for pool 2 days in a row! Thanks for the pep talk.

Olive: It is so easy to take a bite while preparing a meal. I still find myself doing it.

Oh, and it's remarkable how similar our advantages lists are. I don't have the mom thing, but it's replaced with being in good shape for teaching.

Anne: Welcome and good luck! Okay, maybe "luck" isn't the right word, but you know what I mean. Judging from your history, you already understand how little "luck" is actually involved.

angelmomma: still thinking of you and your hubby. Have the two of you thought about what you'll do once this is all over? Does he want to return to work where he was before? Does he have alternative plans if it turns out he can't?

Bill: re: botany - it's quite a koinkidink...we just covered meiosis last week in Biology.

Okay, folks, Tera out.

The plan that he wants to do is return to work under another supervisor and section supervisor. We will see...if need be we will get a lawyer and see what that brings. What happened to dh is not right.
Thanks for the thoughts....I really appreciate all you.

Diet Coaches Good afternoon! I've set up my reminder system for reading my ARC which includes setting reminders on my Google calendar (they pop up and send me an email) and I've decided that my 2x per day (minimum) will be while I brush my teeth in the morning and at night. I might condense my cards a bit because some of them are a bit repetitive and I don't want to become bored/complacent while reading them. So far (it's only been a couple of days) I've either really stopped and visualized how each advantage will feel or I've taken my cards off of my ring and prioritized them. (I will add my advantages below.) I've chosen my two "diets". The first will just be utilizing my sensewear software to monitor calories in vs. calories out. I truly think this will work best for me because it helps me feel the most "normal". No good/bad foods, nothing is off limits in the right quantity, etc. Because of my perfectionist thinking I don't do well with any diet that I can be "on" or "off". I was going to choose WW as my 2nd "diet", because I have lost successfully on it before and I believe it's a reasonable, healthy plan. However, I've also fallen into the "I've eaten 25 points over my limit for the day and it's only 8am, screw it, I'll just eat whatever I want now." I know how silly that thinking is, but somehow can't seem to get past that. So after reading Onebyone's idea of using maintenance as diet #2 I think I will adopt that also. It is definitely a shift from plan #1 without giving up. I may use WW as my plan #3
Last night I read Day #3 which is what I'm counting today as. (I'm actually proud of myself that I'm taking the days a little more slowly and not rushing ahead the way I would have in the past.) So, I see that I assumed that This step would not only involve sitting while eating, but not sitting in front of a computer, tv, etc. She does not specifically recommend that, but does talk about sitting at the table. So I 9/10 sit at my kitchen island in front of my computer while eating. I think for now I will take this step literally-- I will make sure that I'm sitting down to eat. Since I started wearing my sensewear, I'm definitely more cognizant of what I'm putting in my mouth, but the making sure I'm sitting thing is added a whole 'nother level to it! Already today I was making my son pastina for lunch and I had to stop myself from eating the little tiny stars about 1/2 a dozen times (how else am I supposed to clean them up when they end up on my hands??)!
So, if I find myself stuck, I may need to be more strict about this. Just curious what other's experiences have been with this.

Here are my ARC (in no particular order and some are definitely redundant):
- I’ll be happier with how I look.
- I’ll be more comfortable with the idea of dating.
- I’ll be more comfortable in my clothing.
- I’ll enjoy getting dressed in the morning.
- I won’t have to wear my “shapewear” anymore.
- I’ll be able to wear clothes that I like better.
- I’ll be able to wear jeans and a sweater.
- I’ll feel comfortable with my body.
- I’ll like what I see when I look in the mirror.
- I’ll enjoy clothes shopping.
- I won’t feel so self-conscious.
- I’ll be in better health.
- I’ll be a better example to my children.
- I’ll be less likely to pass the same problems on to my kids.
- I’ll be able to try new activities without being as self-conscious.
- I’ll live longer.
- I’ll age better and with less problems.
- I’ll feel better physically.
- I’ll have more energy.
- I’ll be more physically fit.
- I’ll enjoy sexual intimacy more.
- I’ll like myself more.
- I’ll feel more in control.
- I’ll feel as if I’ve accomplished something important.
- I’ll have more confidence.
- I’ll increase my self-esteem.
- I’ll be less self-critical.
- I’ll feel more outgoing.
- I won’t have to avoid wearing a bathing suit.
- I’ll be able to be more assertive.

Anne
Welcome to the group-- sounds like you'll have plenty to teach us and I'm sure you'll benefit from being here. I also have 2 little ones and although I did lose my "baby" weight after my first, I gained plenty back before and after having my second. I weigh now about the same I did when I was 9 months pregnant with my first Anyway, looking forward to getting to know you better. Oh and I too would be interested in hearing about the New Rules for Lifting for Women. I have only been doing cardio lately and really know I need to add lifting. I've got the Bowflex expandable dumbells (they go from 2.5 lbs to 20 lbs), an exercise ball and good quality resistance bands. I know I should be doing core exercises too. Unless I have some type of plan to follow though, I'm not very good about lifting.

Olive2 Good for you for coming back to Beck. I know I've started and stopped reading many different books and it seems that I stop as soon as I realize it might actually be helpful to me! I too am making this time different. Looks like we're just about in the same place in our journeys.

Robin Sorry to hear you are still having hip issues I think you should be giving yourself major credit for doing well with the food-- that's awesome! It seems like it would be so easy to throw in the towel and go off program until your hip is feeling better-- I'm so proud of you that you're not using that as an excuse.

Jeanie 12 minute miles for an hour?? That's awesome! I'm hoping to get 12 minute miles for the 5K I'm training for in December, but am not too hopeful. I will get there one of these days. Sounds like you've been doing lots of things right, I'm sure your body will catch up with you one of these days. I know exactly what you meant about the sensewear, I actually had 95% sleep efficiency last night, (the highest I've had so far) and can really feel the difference; it's pretty amazing. Oh and what's Bistro MD is that a website?

hi all! just a flyby - work is craazy. heya mary! really wish i had more time to chat because there are SO MANY great posts and ideas! 15 minutes! i like it.

still OP, still stalled. will give it until the end of the week, and then calling a bistro dietician to see if they have any ideas. it's getting more challenging to find that hour for exercise, but it's not optional at this point, so i find it. also had a morning meeting turn informal and move to a Starbucks. thought i was doing pretty well until i discovered that my skinny chai latte had 260 calories. (???) have to drop 1/2 my afternoon snack and the whole evening snack to make my target. credit moi for figuring it out early enough to take action and stay on plan.

over and out! hope i have more time tomorrow!

Thanks for humoring me and trying to unravel the mystery of the BAG ladies..I am such a child......We are the Beck Accountability Group, and are holding ourselves accountable by virtue of reporting to each other...I am delighted to say that the group is doing well......all have reported more success than my pathetic pound loss, but hey......a pound is a pound, right?

I must live a sheltered Honeycrisp life, as I have not heard of Ambrosia or Matsu...hmm....I admit, I have had it pretty good. Honeycrisps store for months in the fridge.......and my second fridge is for just such bounty. This year, however, a late spring frost totally wiped out my Honeycrisp and HaralReds.......totally. Am forced to buy apples. Boo.

Shrinkin, how goes the mouse trapping? I have only two to report, but the dawgs got a Red Squirrel the other day......yippee....those little son of a guns are way big pests..chewed the be-jeepers out of my car's wiring last year.......

BillBE, the US election is not over! I live in Mn.......remember.......the beat goes on. Such fun.

Good going,all.....am loving to see a new list of ARCs

Hi Everyone,

I had another great day today, and I am down 3lbs from last week!!!
I weigh in at the community center where I work out on the eliptical machine while my kids are taking classes. It's one of those Dr. scales and I'm looking forward to the day when I don't have to slide over the 50lb bar. I've been giving myself lots of credit yesterday and today. I've been eating sitting down, I eat slowly and mindfully and I have a diet coach -- all you wonderful people. Last time I did TBDS I chose my husband as a diet coach. He was very supportive and willing to do it, but it just didn't work out. I love having an online community to report to, people who have been in my place and really know what I'm going through. My husband is just one of those naturally skinny people and is not an emotional eater. Thanks for being here!

I don't have time for personal replies right now so I'll just send out : for tomorrow.

Diet Coaches - Ate my food. Did my gym. CREDIT moi. Sorted a large box of books to go to Good Will. CREDIT moi. Getting rid of books remains difficult for me; it's as if I'm stuck in my childhood when books were precious - and expensive. Some of the books were brand new hardbacks. However, I never intended to read them. Got them with the thought that it'd be neat to have read them. Perhaps by osmosis or something because I certainly didn't wish to make time in my life to read them. Just remembering that I have all five volumes (or ten, whatever) of Winston Churchill's World War II. Kept like a little shrine to Sir Winston. Good grief, I just shudder at the thought of reading WWII bullet by bullet, even in that man's marvelous English.

mayrblu - Guessing Beck's Ageless Grokers. (You, of course, are welcome to your own guess, LOL.) Ouch for the spring frost wiping out your apples. Haven't heard of HaralReds; what are they like? Yep, I forgot, we read daily about your count and re-count in MN. Last report here is that Coleman leads by a scant 200 votes out of 3 million cast. But the amazing news is that you guys, who, of course, can no longer vote since the election is over, are being subjected to continued relentless campaigning!!!! Now that is torture that should be protected against by the constitution.

shrinkin - Ouch for that after dinner food Desire. Hope re-reading that chapter in Beck helps you. After-dinner is just one of those times of the day that doesn't go away. Drooling over your sushi for dinner. Do you make it yourself? Yep, Kudos for stocking up on healthy foods despite the pouring rain.

Robin (RobinW) - Waving - hope your body is feeling better.

Jeanie (Kuhljeanie) - Ouch that your "skinny chai latte had 260 calories." If you can't trust Starbucks then who can you trust? Big Kudos for figuring it out and correcting. And Big Kudos for working in that hour of exercise when time is tight.

onebyone - Waving. Hope you're surviving during the busy week.

Tera (twilit tera) - Ouch for the achy. Kudos for getting back on track and for keeping up with the journaling. Didn't see mention of exercise - is that what you're missing to get back to feeling all together? Maybe walking if you can't get to your neat new pool. Good luck on you biology lab - I remain jealous.

anglemomma210 - Sending supportive thoughts for you and DH.

Kim (bennyhannamomma) - Kudos for stopping to feel each Advantage - that's a powerful way to get it. LOL at "how else am I supposed to clean them up when they end up on my hands??" That's what always hits me. When preparing any food, at any time, any tidbit that becomes available wants to go into my mouth. I had to fight that this morning when I prepared my lunch serving of turkey chili while my coffee was brewing; I wanted to lick the spoon. Rationally, the thought of tasting cold turkey chili before coffee is just ugggggggh! But the Desire to lick that spoon was strong.

Olive2 - Congrats for the three pound loss. Kudos for arranging to work out on the elliptical where your kids are taking classes. Yep, I'm convinced that spouses aren't the right people for being coaches. Supporters, yes, but coaches no. Seems to me to be an emotional conflict of interest. It may work for others, but wouldn't work for me.

wndranne - Kudos that you make Arrange Your Environment part of your everyday life. That excess candy at work sounds deadly. On a different planet I'd suggest that you give that candy-buyer a big hug and tell her she's a good person - hoping that a little positive feedback without the candy would satisfy her. The thing that's worked for me in similar situations is the thought, That's Not About Me. For whatever reason, that thought removes my urging toward some extraneous food that's calling my name.

Gotta love that "15 minute rule." Will have to give it a try.

Readers -

Coaches, today is Day 8 for me. Create time and energy. This one is HUGE for me right now. I could whine, and I really want to, but I won't. So here's what I'm planning to do. I'm taking two days to do this one (since Day 9 exercise is another easy one for me, I'm not overloading.) I'm going to print out a half hour by hour schedule (since the schedule in Beck isn't early or late enough for me!!) and write down what I do. I have 3 distinct situations, the normal work days (M-Th), Fridays off (with no children), and the weekend. I also have a couple things that I can bleed time on 1) 3FC and 2) the shower, quiet, pleasing, and ALONE. I'm putting a timer on them starting today, 20 minutes--so if I end in the middle of a sentence or stop halfway through personals, forgive me. Then I'm going to work the priority chart hard, ask for more help from DH if I need it, and really think about the things that kill time but create energy (like the shower, ALONE!). I'll report back on other changes tomorrow.

Today is a pretty normal day. DS almost slept through the night, so I'm relatively functional. No major work issues, & I'm not in the candy area for long today. I am rearranging my lifting until tomorrow, since I'm still SORE from Monday and Fridays are easier timewise, but I did get in my running last night after the kids got to bed, so credit me! I do have to take DD to gymnastics tonight and DH can't get home in time, so I have to prep both kids. And tonight is fast food night, since gymnastics kills any prep time. I do a salad at McDs, DD gets nuggets and apples, and DH gets something deadly.

5 min for personals...yikes, I'll come back tonight. Hope you all have a good day. Thanks for being here.

Anne

I actually just started reading this book. I look forward to participating!

hello hello my coaches!

have a little bit more time today. my projects have all seriously picked up for no discernable reason. it's like they expect me to work the entire time i'm here! JEEZ!

DH was fabulously accommodating about feeding el nino and holding him off so i could stay at the gym after hours. i didn't get home until almost 7:00. i have the best DH! and olive, I'm in agreement with bill. DH is the most supportive person i know, but he's not the best diet coach. mostly, he thinks if i want something, i should have it. if i ever find myself fresh out of justifications to go off plan, i just have to ask him.

i DID make it under my calorie count yesterday, and with the workout, i had a big deficit. go me! still haven't broken my stall, though. (shaking head in disbelief.) i'm going to go a little extra-low today and a little extra-high tomorrow, to see if i can't shake things loose. then i consult the dietician.

mary, i was guessing Beckies Against Going backwards. So close!

and bill, i know! absolutely SHOCKING that a Starbucks drink that could easily be healthy and low in calories isn't. Starbucks, i never even knew ya'.

anne! what a bang-up job you're doing! my DS (el nino) started really sleeping through the night at about 5 months. i had to resort to some serious sleep training (courtesy of The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems) for that to happen, though. it was a major project but so worth it. you get HUGE kudos for doing all this on a massive sleep deficit. my hat is off to you!!!!

hi kim! love your ARC list - we have a lot of similar advantages. bistro MD is the meal delivery service i'm using as plan A (though technically it's probably plan L or M at this point.) part of the service is access to dieticians when you need them. it's more money than i really wanted to spend, but i was struggling so hard with make time to diet that i finally came to the conclusion that dieting had to take less time for it to work for me. with most things, you can spend more money for less effort, or vice-versa, depending on priority. the food is fantastic (MUCH better than nutrisystem) and meal planning has also become very simple and easy. good luck with your 5k! when i started, i was crazy slow (like 16-17 minute miler, mostly walking.) i just keep plugging away.

ah, shrinkin. food desire is a bad one for me too. distraction tends to be an easier way to avoid it than employing a more active strategy (something that involves finding my cards, for instance. ) i start letting myself get sucked in by blogs. fabulously distracting!

hiya tera! feels wonderful to get back on the horse, doesn't it? was thinking about your concern about fitness for when you finish school and start the job. i'm also working on my new CBT rule, Don't Worry About Things That Haven't Happened Yet Because You Have No Idea What You Or The World Will Be Like If And When They Do. got a call yesterday from the headhunter, and found out i'm one of only three candidates for this new job. man, i really like what i'm doing now, and find myself getting worked up thinking about leaving. yep. haven't even interviewed yet, and i'm losing good sleep over this. hope the achiness goes away soon!

I pop in and read every day.

My hip is ticking me off!! Its just one of those things....it's gotten better, but when I spend any time on my feet forgetaboutit! Ive just spent 3 hours printing and Im done

On the plus side, Im don't need any major pain killers...ibuprofen seems to be working alright.

Eating isnt too shabby, no issues. Exercise....haulling my big butt off the couch Its a workout getting out of chairs and stuff.

Chat with you all soon.......thanks so much for the hello's, waves, and good thoughts!!

Posting from class because I haven't been able to access the internet all day

Wednesday
OP Food
OP Supplements
Planned Exercise 40 minutes

Care Center observations were fun. Babies are amazing! Their caregivers were awsome too.

Hello coaches

Today was day 7 Arrange your Environment. I'm like you Anne, I've had my environment in order for a few years now. I've been an expert dieter for too long. I'm great at losing it, but better at putting it back on. TBDS is going to be my key to keeping it off this time. So, I just took today to read my ARC and let everything I've read so far sink in. I'll probably spend the next day or two on step 8 Create Time and Energy.

Good for you twilit tera on staying OP and getting your exercise. What are you studying in college? Child development?

Hi Robin, glad your eating is going well, too bad about the hip, but glad you can get by with just Advil.

kuhljeanie - glad I'm not the only one who doesn't think DH makes the best coach. What you said makes perfect sense. I'm glad I've got this place. How old's your baby? I've got a 10yo DS and two almost 8yo DDs. I lost the preganacy weight ages ago, but I just found it again recently

WELCOME BornToFly - Hope you get a lot out of the book and can post here often. I'm brand new to this thread but already feel at home.

Anne, sounds like you've got a great plan for getting through the next step. I'm also going to take a couple of days on this one because it's definately a hard one for me. I'm homeschooling my three DC mentioned above, which in our case means never being at home. We're running to classes, practices, or activities everyday after a morning of lessons. It's two fulltime jobs, but we all love it so much it's worth it. Anyway, as it is I really have to work on this next step.

Bill, I'm with you on the books, but I could never give them away! What if my kids want to read them someday? Anyway, that's what I tell myself everytime I try to cull my collection. Homeschoolers are nortorious for owning enough books to open a bookstore plus having at least 80 books checked out from the library at a time. The only books I've given to Goodwill are my diet and exercise books (and I've bought more than I'd care to admit.) But, thanks for donating to Goodwill, one of my favorite places to buy books

Hi to everyone else -- gotta run and get the kids fed.