It strikes me that none of us are immune to life's challenges. I still think I get off pretty easy. Living proof, better to be lucky than good.
In response to a cuppla direct questions:
BillBE, I was shocked, frankly, to read the Nutrition Action Newsletter endorsement of Creatine based on one skimpy Canadian/Creatine manufacturer- sponsored study. Weren't you? It is an individual choice, and granted, Creatine is naturally produced by the body, but still, when I hear liver damage, I sit back. This from someone who screams that "they" will pry my HRT from my cold dead fingers..*ahem. Pick your battles, I say. And speaking of battles, I choose my liver damage from Pinot Noir or a bottla Becks. Again, just me.
ChinaMaine, my only thoughts about your plateau is: be patient. If you are doing what is right for you, then just be patient, and it will all start moving again. Who knows what water weight adjustments are going on? If you can just maintain the day to day sanity, good choices..work the Beck plan..concentrate totally on what Beck says to do, not what the scale says. We have lived a lifetime, for the most part, with the excess weight. If you are doing what is right for you, working Beck, it will all come out in the end..we can afford to be patient..we were asleep at the wheel as the weight crept on..right?
I am still putting the challenge out there for suggestions on how to eat slowly and mindfully with small children to raise ..c'mon, we are the smartest forum on 3FC.. haven't even heard a peep about duct taping them into their bedrooms! Hey,when the going gets tough, the tough get duct tape.
Evening! No time for many personals. I am exhausted and need to get in my Wii Active before I hit the bed. Plus, this way I don't have to admit to all of the stupid things I have been doing. How did that chunk of bread get into my hand while I was cleaning out the microwave. Seriously? How??
Maryblu-- I am simply appalled at the idea of duct taping my sweet, sweet children into their bedroom. First of all, that's a waste of good duct tape. I find ace bandages to be more effective. They are re-usable for different functions and not disposable so they are better for the environment. Plus, if the kids get caught in them, they don't leave marks. Second, if anyone is going to get duct taped into their bedroom, it is going to be me. Definitely me.
ChinaMaine-- Excuse the copy and paste but this is a post I did a long time ago regarding plateaus. It may be of use to you--
"Several years ago I worked with a trainer and when I would hit a plateau I would hit them harder than anyone she had ever worked with so I feel your pain. She said the only way to get through one is to do one or more of three things-- increase your intensity, your duration or your frequency. I hated her a little for it but it always worked. So, for example, if you are doing 30 minutes (duration) of exercise once a day (frequency) you may want to up it to 45 minutes twice a day until you break through. Or you could increase the intensity and step up the incline on a treadmill, up the resistance on an elliptical or increase your heart rate by 10 beats a minute. I would have to do two one hour exercise sessions to get through some of mine... thus the hating her just a little.
She also always encouraged me to vary my exercise so my body didn't get used to doing the same thing. So one day walking, one day elliptical etc.
She said you can expect to plateau every 10% of your body weight that you lose but can preempt it by doing the above things. That also helped, I skipped a couple plateaus that way. I still hated her a little. I hope that helps."
Coaches/Buddies Look at me, consistently posting again. CREDIT.
An odd day today. DH was doing a 109 mile bike race, and I was chasing kids, going to the park, to McDs, and then dragged them out to watch the race. I kind of snacked only until about 1 pm, then ate a huge dinner. A bit over on my calorie plan, but not too bad, although it feels worse since the day was unbalanced.
The kids were awesome at the park. And it still amazes me that I can get my backside down the kids' slide without getting stuck. And I can climb up the ladders, and chase after two of them at once. And and and. Have I mentioned lately that it really rocks to be living your ARC? And, yeah, I think this is why it is tough to convince myself that that last 10 lbs, and the bonus 10 I was shooting for (yes, I can lose 20 still) is worth giving up 500 calories a day for.
Tomorrow is my 8 mile run. Big mileage for me these days, so I'll do a 5:1 minutes run:walk thing.
Margaret If I'm going to splurge on eggnog these days, it better have bourbon, LOL! Great job on tossing it, and sounds like you did a reasonable job of dinner picking.
gardenerjoy You have so much going on, I'd love to see you giving yourself credit for short walks in a busy day, than an Oh Well for something longer. You're living it right now, and that's really good. I have trouble with that.
RobinW Hurray for your hubby and for a messy/dirty place.
BillBE I'm just gobsmacked that you took the bread! ROTFL! wOOt! I don't know why this tickles me so, yet it does. I suppose I should say, "Stop that!" Good on ya for the pineapple though. Tasty! No Pulse360 here.
FutureFitChick Sounds like an excellent party strategy, and also like you are well on your way to setting yourself up for success for the week.
ChinaMaine Good to see you back here! Plateau question: Let's see, how long have you been at this weight? I find if I'm stuck, and it's more than a couple weeks, I'm kidding myself in some way. I'm eating more than I should be, or exercising less. But, when I hit a really big plateau, months, during the Big Loss, in the 170s, I gave it up. I was happy with what I could eat, how much I was exercising, and most importantly, living the Advantages (and then some) that I had for myself. I somehow came to the very important realization that weight is an important metric for seeing how I was managing the lifestyle change, but in the end, it is about the lifestyle and not the number. Hence my current 10 (20) lb dilemma. I think you've already identified a couple of possible issues, with the extra calories (although this is a really low level) and less exercise. But it may also be time for a re-evaluation of where you want to be, and what is it worth for you to get there.
I also agree with maryblu's recommendation for patience. What else are we going to do? It's all about the lifestyle change if it is going to be permanent weight loss.
maryblu Thanks as always for your wisdom. I'm with you on your choice of liver challenges, see the bourbon comment above. Still haven't even approximately caught up on Survivor. Someday. LOL on the duct tape thing. The screaming would still get me though!
I’ve been at a craft fair for the past two days. My sister-in-law offered me some space for my wool at her mother’s booth. Her mother is a spinner/weaver/knitter, and my wool is in many of her items. My mother-in-law also displayed some of her felted scarves and hats that also feature my wool. I didn’t sell much, but a number of people took my cards, so hopefully wool will slowly disappear from my workroom. Eating was good during the fair. I packed salads for lunch and dinner and packed fruit for snacks.
I ran in my local 5K turkey trot this morning. This was the first time I've run one under 30 minutes--a PR of 29 minutes. That's really only impressive to me, but I was happy about that. It was even pretty comfortable, in spite of high winds. It was a lot of fun and there were lots of families with kids running in the race, which was great to see.
Beach Patrol, yay for healthy eating and exercise and yay for 1 lb gone! I think you’re Thanksgiving plan sounds good. Practicing mindfulness will help so much, and what better time to do that than a day for thinking of everything we’re thankful for?
RobinW, sorry about the hypertension, but glad to hear that you get some time to get it under control. Best of luck with the stress control, that’s a biggie! Does your gym offer yoga classes? I like yoga for relaxation, but it’s good to observe a class before jumping in. Some instructors tend to focus on the calorie burning potential and it’s fast for beginners and gives short shrift to the meditative side of yoga. Kudos for choosing your health over clean floors and for a better attitude!
Wndranne, so sorry about the migraine, but glad you are feeling better. I do think carrying a toddler around the block counts as exercise! Kudos for sticking to your mental plan while there were so many temptations around. Yay for consistent posting! I'm not doing well with that lately, although I do lurk regularly.
KidsLibrarylady, LOL at seeing work as a paid vacation.
Gardenerjoy, good job tracking everything when you’re under stress. Kudos for resisting urge to forage and big kudos for realizing that your breakfast was over-budget and eating lunch accordingly. Good job for getting some exercise even if it wasn’t as strenuous as you had planned.
Nuxmaga, good job tracking food and getting exercise during a hectic schedule! Kudos for avoiding the breadbasket when out to dinner. LOL at bubblegum aftertaste! Good for you for throwing the whole thing out.
BillBE, I’m impressed that you were able to eat so well at a reception and then later when you went out to dinner. I can only give myself one challenge a day, and even that’s a lot. LOL at stealing bread for your starving children. At least you made good use of it!
FutureFitChick, good job getting back on track after a minor setback. It’s odd how revolutionary that concept has been for me. Kudos for not finishing your giant burrito and realizing that the last bite didn’t taste better than the one before it. That’s the kind of mindfulness I strive for, but am not there yet.
ChinaMaine, the plateau sounds frustrating, but it’s understandable due to the big life changes you have made. Good job coming up with a plan to bust through the plateau. It’s amazing how a few small changes can make a big difference. You could add a little intensity to your walks to burn more calories without increasing your times—find a hillier route, use Nordic walking poles or even 30 seconds of jogging every few minutes (I don’t know if Moose would object to this one).
Maryblu, LOL at choosing liver damage from a Pinot--me too! Thanks for the warning about Creatine. I hadn't heard of the controversy, but I'll have to look it up.
Gotta run, dh has finished dinner. Yay! Recovery is coming along nicely!
No I did not disappear or give up. Just super busy this week and working too many hours. Just a short post tonight. Hopefully will have time to read what I have missed this week and be a better buddy.
I am doing OK, not great, but OK. Some days have been better than others, but I am mostly OP and walking every day. I feel better. Have not really lost any more, but then again no gain either. Spent a few nights away from home this week for work, and I always find staying in hotels a huge challenge as far as eating goes.
Hoping to spend some time tomorrow rereading part of the book. I am having the hardest time with the eat slowly and mindfully part of the plan. I would welcome any advice on this.
I think I have always eaten about twice as fast as everyone else. In fact the only time I slow down is when I am eating with others so I don't finish so fast. I am so in the habit of speed eating. Sitting quietly and just eating seems so boring and a waste of time. Eating while I am working, reading, or watching TV is my MO. On the other hand I know this is a big part of my overeating. I know that I need to do this. I am trying look at this like it is powerful and means I am in control, but I am still finding it hard.
Diet Coaches/Buddies - At Trader Joe's I've been drawn to their dark chocolate covered cranberries. I don't need these, and can tell by their attraction to me that I really just want to consume the whole pint as fast as possible. DW has asked me to stop bringing her stuff like that since she already has a source for dark chocolate and isn't looking for more. So, I solved my problem by buying a pint for the crowd at Thanksgiving dinner - there will be about ten young adults - and I'll plan to have a small few, which is just what I need to taste them.
Walk and food were OP; CREDIT moi.
maryblu - Thanks for the sober response to the creatine question. Yep, I was shocked, since Nutrition Action has always represented sane suggestions. I don't have a compelling reason to consider taking the stuff, and have to observe that the draw is for free muscle gain.
Robin (RobinW) - Yay for upper strength training instead of cleaning - that alone could account for "Attitude is better."
Anne (wndranne) - Good luck on your 8 mile run today. Congrats on your activities on the kids slide and thanks for sharing with us the joys of reaching some goals. LOL at "gobsmacked" - I needed that to let my brain be aware that taking a roll from a restaurant isn't so normal.
ChinaMaine - Thanks for the thorough catch-up report. Can't help with plateau since I didn't have one myself, perhaps because I let my body choose its end weight so I declared lack of losing as done. Kudos for making adjustments to get yourself back on track. Wondering if you might rethink not leaving your MIL alone so that you two can hike; while she's cogent and capable of using a list of emergency numbers (or a I've Fallen" button) she might be expecting you to take off periodically - might even value the free time herself.
FutureFitChick - Neat that you were aware that the taste of your burrito wasn't engaging enough to continue instead of mindlessly eating because it's there. LOL at "Let them eat bread" - Yep, that explains my actions. I need to revisit guava to see why it's not on my list of favorite foods. Go WGHS!
KidsLibraryLady - LOL at your response to duct tape for child rearing. Ouch for "exhausted." You get my sympathy for a "chunk of bread" problem; BTDT rather recently.
Shepherdess - Big Congrats on the 5K Turkey Trot and for your new low time. Good to hear that your DH is recovering nicely.
CeeJay - Yep, eating during a hotel stay is a challenge - good luck wrestling that one to the ground. Kudos for being aware of speed eating. I tried the range of suggested strategies; putting down the fork between bites seemed to help me the most. It also helped me to name to myself what was in the fork of food I was eating.
Readers -
Quote:
day 9 Select an Exercise Plan
Exercise has many diet- and non-diet-related benefits. . . . Exercise boosts mood and reduces stress. If you tend to eat in response to anxiety, frustration, and other negative emotions, exericse might provide a productive outlet. . . .
Thanks everyone for your great advice, and I think I’m going to take a little bit from each of you.
From KidsLibraryLady, Shepherdess, I’ll continue to up my exercise goals/methods. Over the last 2 weeks I’ve upped my exercise from 45 mins per day to 60 mins. I have to change exercise more incrementally than most folks, because I’ve had a life-long issue with fatigue. Big changes in exercise, usually results in fatigue. Right now, I’m working on increasing the weights I use in my upper body workout. Once I’ve moved up to the next level, I’ll start substituting time on the eliptical for time walking Moose. Shepherdess I’ve never heard of using walking poles to increase exercise intensity. We have some for snow-shoeing and will start adding them in!
Bill I’ll talk to DH about taking hikes so long as MIL is still doing well. I know she would prefer to go out and have fun; this is our issue not hers.
. Anne I have found a few things I was fooling myself about. I’ve taken to eating 3-4 Hershey’s Kisses each day without writing them down (or planning for them). I acted as if they were calorie free – lol. But they go into my plan now, and if I can’t find a way to eat them and stay under my calorie goals, then it’ll just have to be ‘no choice’. I’ve also been measuring a bit less consistently, and that has to change as well. So, I’m going to go back to the beginning, reread Beck and concentrate on the skills for awhile rather than weight loss.
From Maryblu and Anne I’ll take patience. After 10 months on Beck, I’m thrilled with how I look and feel. I’m wearing sizes I feared I’d never see again, and I’m beginning to have a womanly shape once more. I’ve met most of my exercise goals for the year. (The one remaining is doing the elliptical 1.5 hours a week.) I’ve also achieved many of my Advantages already. I have a long way to go to be ready to declare complete victory, but for now I can be happy where I am. So, I’ll work the Beck skills a little more diligently and consistently and revisit my plan at my 1 year anniversary: Jan 19th
Yesterday was a good day overall. We found a restaurant nearby with a great view of the Kennebec River – that serves Thai and Japanese food. DH and I had sushi, MIL had noodle soup. DH and I usually get 2 orders each, and DH suggested we get three and share one so we didn’t get overstuffed. It was the perfect amount. With the errands, etc, I just didn’t squeeze in all 60 minutes of exercise yesterday but I’ll use ‘no choice’ with more conviction today.
WI-down .9 lbs. Read my cards, made a plan. Food – op, Exercise – off-plan (30 minutes). The Good
The Bad
The Ugly
CeeJay You could try putting your fork down when you take a bite. And then force yourself not to pick it up until your food is well-chewed and swallowed. At the very beginning I would count to ten after I swallowed my food, before picking up the fork. But I think that was overkill.
Im still working on "making time" to get here. It shouldnt be so hard when Im on the computer most of the day. It just seems there is so much that needs to be done/written/compiled that I forget to check in.
Today has been very good so far. We had our regular sunday scheduled starbucks coffee and paper read. Then it was off down the street for a wine tasting. One of our customers. I left with a new bottle of pinot blanc, and have promised myself "1" glass tonight! Thats it!! NOT the whole bottle
Food is good, exercise is going to be good. Im going to hit the park this afternoon instead of the gym. Its too nice out to be in a gym! I just need to finish my coffee first
to all my wondeful coaches!! Thank you for being here.
Coaches/Buddies I ran 8 miles this morning. Ouch. I didn't track any food intake or plan for today. Back on it tomorrow.
Shepherdess Nice work on the sub-30 5K. My PR was like 30m10s. Nowhere near that now. I'll get there again some day. My tri club is doing a December runathon, 2 miles a day minimum come **** or high water. I'm doing it. I desperately need consistency.
CeeJay Good to see you back, and glad you are doing OK. Sounds like you have identified a big issue in eating quickly. A good thing to focus on.
BillBE TJs and candy. Pushers if there ever were any. Just say no.
ChinaMaine I'm glad you got some useful take-aways on your plateau. Sounds like you have a good plan for going forward.
KidsLibrarylady- I am happy to be part of your diet coach team. LOL re your comment about eating enough for 6 people. You and I have that in common. You are doing fantastic to be able to make these changes with your kids to take care of and lack of sleep.
gardenerjoy - Your exercise count looks fantastic. When you said your strongest trigger for overeating was overeating- well that is just brilliant. I know that is the absolute truth.
I am sorry about your brother's sign. other. How very sad for her, your brother, you and your family. My aunt has rheumatoid arthritis, what a terrible thing it is.
BillBlueEyes - know all about the deadlines, good for you for planning lunch ahead, resisting the cookie, walking. It is easy to get off track when busy. I will try your trick of putting the fork down.
FutureFitChick - Good for you for your efforts. Yahoo for 1 pound down. Feels good eh? I share your feelings about the comfort level here. I am grateful to find the support. It is helping.
bennyhannahmama - hang in there. Life has been extra stressful for you so any effort towards your health is excellent.
disneynerd - Good for you for noticing the link between eating and spending. Both are instant gratification- with big consequences. Both hard to change but you are on the right track.
wndranne - kuddos for you for getting back on track and your consistent posting. Darn those people who bring treats to work. About every day where I work. Staying out of the coffee room helps.
Shepherdess - sounds like your DH is doing pretty well. And good for you for keeping up with exercising and eating healthy through it all. Congratulations on your 5K run in under 30 minutes. WOW.
Beach Patrol - Glad you are feeling better. Thanks for the will power dust. Can use all you can spare! Yay for another pound gone. You are doing great!! Your plan for Thanksgiving sounds like it will work.
Nuxmaga - Amazing you tracked food while away. You are so busy but you are still doing so well.
RobinW - kuddos for all the good days you have been having.
ChinaMaine - 42 pounds. Oh my, that is so excellent. You are an inspiration to me. Thanks for the suggestion of counting after swallowing. I will try that. Maybe not as high as ten though.
maryblu - I liked your advice to ChinaMaine. Since reading Beck I have been much less obsessed with the numbers on the scale.
For me- coming off of 3 great days. Giving myself credit for weighing in, 2 walks every day, doing my weights, eating 100% on plan, resisting snacks, planning tomorrows food and making lunch, and spending a nice afternoon on the ATV with my DH.
We've had more bad health news in the family -- it looks like my husband's sister's husband (i.e. my brother-in-law) has MS. We'll know more after tests this week.
I think hospice gave J a catheter today which should ease her stresses considerably.
Thanksgiving is going to be a challenge this year. We'll be visting my brother and J earlier in the day. Then we're due at my in-laws, but expect bil to be suffering after effects of a spinal fluid test and the nephews and niece (all young adults) are reportedly needing tons of emotional support to accept their father's diagnosis.
I'm finding myself grateful for all my Beck skills. With all the worries I have about Thanksgiving, I am not the least concerned about the traditional worry -- overeating. I'm confident that I won't be doing any of that!
WI: +0.25kg, Exercise: +35, 899/1300 minutes for November, Food: op, Read my Advantages and Responses: no
FutureFitChick: Go Kirkwood Pioneers! Did you know that Webster is going to State this year? So, the Turkey Day Game will be a JV affair. No one seems to mind. Since I didn't grow up here or raise kids here, I'm not very emotionally involved, but it's fun to have it happening in my community.
For the rest of you, we are referring to a Thanksgiving Day football rivalry that has been going on for more than one hundred years!
ChinaMaine: good to see you back -- I missed you!
wndranne: thanks for the push to give myself credit for short walks on challenging days! I'll remember that!
Shepherdess: yay for the PR on a 5K. That's wonderful!
BillBlueEyes: I love how you worked out a way to get the dark chocolate covered cranberries without overdoing it.
RobinW: sounds like a lovely Sunday! And thoughtfully healthful, too!
CeeJay: yay for 3 great days!
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Had an unusual string of food offerings that included a hardware store celebrating a 50 year anniversary with a sheet cake and multiple other stuff. I ignored all, CREDIT moi, except for a sample size of a magical "trifle" topped with crumbled biscoti, Oh Well. But, I was out on a walk when I did, CREDIT moi.
Must off to see if Marie Antoinette has knit my name in her scarf this week.
Robin (RobinW) - Yay for taking advantage of the nice weather to hit the park. Beck's trick on using a smaller plate size can be used for wine glasses also; some of our local restaurants put out glasses that easily hold a third of a bottle.
Anne (wndranne) - Congrats on the sore from an 8 mile run. Yep, Trader Joe's is a pusher all right; think I'm being seduced by their friendly looking colorful shirts - gotta remember that a pirate in a friendly looking shirt is still a pirate, LOL.
ChinaMaine - Drooling over sushi, with a view of the Kennebec River even.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Ouch for your double whammy. Sending supportive thoughts for you and family for facing your BIL's MS, and for helping their kids deal with the situation. Kudos for getting yourself to a place where you aren't worried about overeating despite the emotional stress on Thanksgiving - that's a serious accomplishment.
CeeJay - Kudos for three great days. What sort of territory are you exploring on your ATV?
Readers -
Quote:
day 9 Select an Exercise Plan
Exercise has many diet- and non-diet-related benefits. . . . Exercise burns calories. During exercise, your muscles burn calories at at faster rate than usual to power your movement. You also continue to burn at a slightly faster rate after a workout as your body recovers and rebuilds your muscles. . . .
We are cleaning up the boxes we had in storage, and I’ve been sorting through all our photos to organize them. DH is scanning the best of them. For Xmas I want to make a slideshow of the best photos of DS for him. And to make a DVD of all photos, especially of the family trips we took when he was a teenager. Three rooms of our house are littered with photos and I’m getting stressed about getting it all cleaned up in time for company to start arriving tomorrow night.
I was off-plan yesterday for both food and exercise, but today is a new day!
WI-down .9 lbs. Read my cards, made a plan. Food – off-plan, Exercise – off-plan (30 minutes). The Good
I went for a short, easy run yesterday. I must finally be getting used to that winter weather because it wasn’t until I was almost to my halfway point that I noticed how windy it was. Yay for building some winter toughness.
DH and I went out to dinner last night with his dad and stepmom. This is the first time I’ve gone out to dinner with them since starting Beck and I have to admit I have been dreading it. They like to order lots of food and I always feel like my eating is so out of control with them. But I found the evening surprisingly easy to stay on track—maybe because I’d psyched myself up so much beforehand. We had Mexican, and I ignored the chips and salsa right in front of me (I usually turn into a Hoover), ordered a burrito with lots of veggies a la carte and only ate half. Much to my surprise, I enjoyed the whole evening more than usual. No feelings of deprivation—I enjoyed every bite, even if I had fewer of them. I felt comfortably satiated afterwards, not stuffed. And I could enjoy the conversation because there was no anxiety about food. So I’m considering this a major victory!
CeeJay, kudos for staying mostly on track with a busy work schedule, and extra kudos for maintaining your weight while spending a few nights away from home. I’m also struggling with eating slowly. I eat a few meals slowly, then find myself speeding up. Putting the fork down between bites is the most helpful, but hard for me to stick to.
BillBE, chocolate covered cranberries sound delicious, and sounds chock full of antioxidants. Sounds like you have a great strategy to enjoy them. Kudos on avoiding a string of unplanned eating (mostly).
Good luck at the guillotine.
ChinaMaine, kudos on a good day. The restaurant sounds lovely and it sounds like you made good, healthy choices. Good job getting back to the basics, recognizing how far you have come and being patient with the process. I’m inspired by your great attitude that today is a new day. I love the idea for your son's christmas gift.
RobinW, kudos for the exercise and extra kudos for finding a great way to enjoy it. The gym has its benefits, but exercise outdoors just feels like a treat.
Wndranne, big congrats on doing your 8 miles! The December runathon sounds like great motivation. I agree that consistency is key. My miles have gotten a lot easier since I’m posting here. I love reporting that I got my run in and hate reporting that I skipped it.
Gardenerjoy, so sorry about your BIL’s diagnosis. You have so many worries right now, but I loved your thought of thankfulness to Beck for relieving you of one more worry. I hope your thanksgiving brings you some good quality family time.
I've been reading the forum for a week, but this is my first post. Hope I'm following the protocols.
I'm up a half pound.
I've been exercising most days (5 or 6 out of 7) but am having so much trouble with setting and monitoring an eating plan. I think I just need to write something out, make it doable, and do it!
I'm looking forward to sharing ideas and support with other Beck followers.
Cuppla responses to Beck buddies
Hurray for your hubby and for a messy/dirty place. 
Good on ya for the pineapple though. Tasty! No Pulse360 here. 
Just super busy this week and working too many hours. Just a short post tonight. Hopefully will have time to read what I have missed this week and be a better buddy.
Sunday
Saturday
WI-down .9 lbs. Read my cards, made a plan. Food – op, Exercise – off-plan (30 minutes). 
Sunday
