Oh pretzels, I can imagine the kids would like them. I give out halloween pencils and little bouncy balls. My son likes tangerines and he knows most of our neighbors so he is not worried about getting something that is harmful

I bought halloween candy 2 weeks ago cause it was on sale, and ate it, LOL! So much for a good sale, now I have to buy it all over again.

I had my first victory last night. Out of nowhere my dd asks if her dad and I are getting a divorce. It took me off guard cause we weren't planning to tell her yet. We explained the best way we could and I thought it went ok as it can in a situation like that. Afterwards I was in knots and flew into the kitchen to eat. I ended up having 1 small peppermint patty and nothing else cause I realized what I was about to do. That was a big step.

Hi Becksters.

I hang my head in shame. I had a major food binge yesterday. Did okay until we went to the mall and we got halloween candy. I knew we shouldn't have but I needed some wrappers for my book project (I did but I shouldn't have bought them yesterday given my mood...) I ate alot of it and then I ate chips. And then I wanted to just quit even trying to lose any more weight..

As you can see I haven't done that. new start, new week, and my birthday is coming up and maybe I'll get to that dang 249 by then. I have 2 weeks from tomorrow to be age 44 and then I am 45. I would really like to be under 250 for that... It's helping me stay on track today. I really ate to deal with stress. I ate instead of writing an email that I anticipated would get me some flack or make the recipients angry. Didn't want to deal with angry people. I'd rather feel bad because of stuffing my face than feel bad because I made another person upset. I cannot believe how unassertive I am at times. It's really not a good thing as I think it's better to beat myself up that hurt someone else. Why is that? Old old behaviour. It's got to go. Being tired and worn out makes me feel vulnerable and weaker than usual. I just want everything to be good and easy. It's not always that way.

Food is not the solution. Not ever. Still, credit moi for starting again, for not giving in and for moving forward. Credit moi for all the work I've done until now and for confessing to you all.

Billblueeyes My DH said to give out comic books. If you go to your local comicbook shop there will be back issues of boxes of comics for around 25cents each. Just get the staff to help you choose the ones that no one will get offended by. They will know what that is. Archie's etc...anything by Nickelodeon. I think I'd be thrilled to get a comic book at Halloween. I suppose it depends how many kids you get and how deep your Halloween pockets are! I am sure the kids would be thrilled and surprised, and you are encouraging literacy.

AnnCanDoIt Hi! Bouncy balls are a great idea too. Nice to see you posting How are finding the Beck prgram?

QuilterInVA Hi! Nice to see you back!

happy1025 Funny eh how something so small as sitting down to eat can be so difficult?I was/am the same. When i was a kid there was an old guy who used to give out a stack of 13 pennies. Never got a toothbrush adn would have HATED it!

RobinW My biggest problem has been the markets on the weekends but this coming weekend is the last one for the year. THANK GOODNESS. I could not have lasted any longer I don't think. It'll be better from here on in. Hopefully I'll have gym membership in hand soon too. Could really really use it now. I've re-grouped and am moving forward. I have goals to reach. thanks for asking.

twilit tera Thanks for describing the labyrinth workshop. Sounds interesting. I will post the animation when we get our final copies. It'll be soon I hope. One class member has asked to put it on Youtube so my he-man may be World Famous! btw I think I've named him Sal--short for Salvatore.
Kudos on your 3lb loss and your OP-ness!

Tigerseye Good news for a good day one! How's day two going?

angelmomma210 Wow such horrible horrible news. I would not even know what to do to console your friend if that is even possible right now. I was also sad to hear that you yourself have experienced the death of a daughter. So sorry to hear that. This must bring up those feelings for you. I am sure you will know exactly what to do to help your friend. I wish you both strength to get through this and I wish the same for yourself and your DH for this coming week. May you finally get some resolution one way or the other.

Diet Coaches - Eating was gentle and on plan after a largish dinner on Sunday night. CREDIT moi. It's easy for me to stay on plan after eating too much - my body doesn't want a repeat of excess. DW offered me a slice of leftover cake for after dinner, which I declined because I had a Honey Crisp Apple on my brain. When I noted that I wish I had had a small piece of cake on Sunday, she laughed, said that I'd had the smallest piece and that my standards had gotten smaller, that in years past I'd have thought that slice was really small. She was right. Now that's a nice non-scale victory. CREDIT moi for moving along.

Robin (RobinW) - OK, noisemakers ... that's a way to get even with all the neighbors, LOL. Cost is considered since we get about a hundred kids over the evening. The "cute" little kids are done by 6:30. After 7:00, it tends to be only older teens looking bored and ready to rumble. Congrats on your stack of shirts - have a happy folding day, LOL.

onebyone - Now comic books is an idea that never occurred to me. I'd have to get them right away so that I can read them all before giving them out, LOL. Ouch for difficult times. Yep, Kudos for all the work you've done to date, and Kudos for fessing up and getting back on track.

shrinkin - [ Speaking softly so they can't hear] Know you're out there, just not allowed to be seen on a website where they might discover who you are. Keep strong in the issues about which we have discussed. Remember the things we have talked about. Stick to the plan. They will not be able to get you.

angelmomma210 - Sending supporting thoughts to you and your DH as you continue in waiting mode.

Susan (QuilterInVA) - OK, pretzels and raisins sound good. Hope all is well with you.

Tera (twilit tera) - OK, party favors would work. Neat thinking about your labyrinths; hope you get to make one.

Nancy (Tigerseye) - BIG Kudos for getting through the discussion with your DD about divorce without turning to the old false comfort of food. Ouch for heading toward a divorce - I wish you both well and wish you well along the tough path of working together as divorced parents.

happy1025 - Toothbrushes !!!! Now that's a winning idea. Not that I'd give them out, but I can put a bunch in a bowl for my own adult kids to see just so they can go ballistic that I've gone over the edge, LOL. Kudos for marching on with the Beck program. Really interesting that eating sitting down is such an ingrained habit. Methinks it is one of the key habits to break to get on with owning our eating.

AnnCanDoIt - hmmm.... pencils and bouncy balls ... that could work. Welcome to your first day posting on 3FC Have you considered the Beck Diet Solution?

Readers -

OneByOne- days one and two went great! this is the kind of momentum I ususally have when beginning something new...I have to keep it going this time

BillBlueEyes- Thank you...it's not too bitter and we are trying to make it go as smoothly as possible for her. The only worry I have, and mostly which is why Im eatting when not hungry, is making enough money for us to live on. I am realizing food wont help that. So I just write my worries in a journal to get it out. MUCH better for the waistline, lol.

Good Morning Becksters!

I am almost ready to face the day. I am dreading this week. I am so far behind I despair of getting the projects in that are due this week and of just getting through the week. A day at a time, a day at a time. Today I have to get through my making books class. I was supposed to show up with 2 complete books. I have one that may or may not be complete. Need some input from the teacher. I get to retrieve/take down my art display in the lobby soliciting secrets from strangers into a ballot type box. I will bind whatever is in there into a book. This afternoon I have adv. studio where I am working in the ceramics room. The ceramics room. As the ceramic technician, this room just stresses me out right now. Procedure is being tampered with by the new teachers so I am lost as to how to fire things. Tomorrow we have the expert kiln guy come in to refresh me and teach Jim, the new instructor, about the electronic kiln and its settings, and I have a few questions I need to write down, and the trouble is the teachers want me to fire in a way that the school does not want me to fire. Fortunately the school is on my side. The new instructors basically want the kiln to fire overnight and it is against fire code, and would probably nullify school insurance at that! Tomorrow this will be told to them. I shouldn't be worried. This is pretty cut and dry but I have quietly not fired anything until we get this worked out. I ate over not being able to send out an email saying I wasn't firing. Will confess in the tech book today.

Anyway, why'd I get on all that? I have my lunch packed, just ate breakfast, and just need to gather my work up and get it into waterproof bags cause it's raining out there this morning. It will be the first cold rain since the spring. ugh. There were SNOWFLURRIES in the weather report for tonight.

NO SNOW NOT YET!!!!

Okay better go. I was OP yesterday and will be OP today. How are you guys doing?

Hi, Becksters! Brief today - I have to go do more class observations which for some reason I had blanked out on til now (due tomorrow - ack!)

Sunday
OP Food
OP Supplements

Had our first workout at the club today. It was fantastic! I look forward to our next trip there on Thursday. Ok, gotta run!

Im off today, so just cleaning and doing laundry....and trying to stay away from the fridge

Well the stress got to me...went into a-fib this am. Am out now and gonna go back to work...took about 1.5 hours this time which is good..the med are working. Trying to stay op today and just take it easy. A-fib wears me out.

Angel~take good care of yourself! 1.5 hrs of that can't be good for anyone! Im happy the meds are working.

Bill~ Id love to be a fly on the wall when your kids see the bowl of toothbrushes

onebyone~ lets keep our fingers crossed for NO SNOW!!! Not yet anyway!! Its cold enough, we broke down and turned the heat on yesterday.

Tera~ Yah for staying op!!

Last night was a very bad night........too many (way too many) sabotaging thoughts, feeling sorry for myself....you know, the same old stuff. I left the house, told hubby I was going out and didnt know where I was going. I was planning a binge. I didnt want him around to be my witness! Once I got in the car and started to drive away, I thought about where I wanted to go. I managed to talk myself out of food. Decided that, that wasnt the answer. Went and walked around the mall. Which I havent done since last christmas. I hate the malls!! But I figured it would be quiet enough, and I could see if I could find some new slippers.

I did it......I made it thru the evening. Came home with my nice new warm slippers. I did good. But this argueing with myself gets old!

Have a great day everyone!

Diet Coaches - Had grapefruit for after dinner snack - first for the season. CREDIT moi for continuing my plan of a fruit for my after dinner snack, as differs from the stack of cookies from the old dark ages. It wasn't as sweet or juicy as they can be at season peak, but a nice reminder that winter has its own food treats.

Robin (RobinW) - Ouch for Sabotaging Thoughts. BIG BIG Kudos for thinking of new slippers as a Helpful Response. Wrestling that to the ground without food was a major accomplishment.

Not you got me thinking with, "Bill~ Id love to be a fly on the wall when your kids see the bowl of toothbrushes." Think I'll make up a big bowl of all the stuff I have in multiples in my cabinet: toothbrushes, travel tubes of tooth paste, plastic razors, travel deodorants, match books, and condoms. And just leave it out, without comment, for my kids to see (ages 26 and 30). Yep, I'd love to have a video of their response as they believe that I really am crazy. Maybe I'll add some $1 coins - that will truly annoy them, LOL.

onebyone - "NO SNOW" is right!!! Snow doesn't come until winter. And I'm having a peach (California) with breakfast this morning, so it's not winter. QED. Ouch for the hassle with the kiln. It's a tough break when an administrative type hassle intervenes in a nice productive job. Can't wait to hear how your neat idea of soliciting secrets from strangers works out. As for your week: breathe in, breathe out ... breathe in, breathe out. You are overloaded, not overwhelmed. Let that unbounded imagination loose on the problem and take it one hour at a time if necessary. Kudos for OP. Breathe in. Breathe out.

shrinkin - [ Speaking softly so they can't hear] Wrap your invisibility cape over your suitcase so it won't look as though you're doing much work. Maybe your arm will be fooled also, LOL.

angelmomma210 - Ouch for a-fib, glad the meds brought it back. Sending supportive thoughts to you and your DH.

Susan (QuilterInVA) - Waving. Have a nice Thursday.

Tera (twilit tera) - Kudos for the first workout at your new club. Does it have a pool? Are you working at figuring out something to wear so that you can use it?

Nancy (Tigerseye) - Yep, "I have to keep it going this time." The Beck stuff about Helpful Responses to Sabotaging Thoughts is one of her great tools for keeping it going. Good luck in dealing with financial worries. It was a big insight for me to realize that I had to control the time spent worrying - even when the worry was real. I didn't have to minimize the time spent solving the problem, just the time spent worrying.

Readers -

A very very quick flyby until later. I completed an assignment for this morning in the nick of time! Hope I did it right... could not find my handout about what she wanted anywhere!!! Pretty sure I did okay though. And I stepped on the scael and am offically down another pound to 251 and a solid 10lbs in 10 weeks. It's all I ask and hope for! Inspite of my struggles as of late, when I get back on the wagon IMMEDIATELY, as I now do, this WOE of mine kicks in and sweeps the potential fat away (or so it seems to me). Good reason to keep on going... Gotta run! Need breakfast and a snack!

hi everyone,

wanted to say a quick hey. i had an unusual acute bad reaction to the steroids, so i've been out of commission for the last week or so. they're not sure how long it will take for things to stabilize, but i do plan on coming out all right eventually. if y'all could send some good energy to my pituitary system, i would really appreciate it.

Well, yesterday afternoon dh and I went to the fire site and met the mom there. I was able to give her a crystal angel that was irredescent pink with a gold butterfly. She just hugged me and cried because she calls them her angel now...and her dd's loved butterflies. I was so glad to get that for her. It did help me alot too. We cried in each others arms for about 3 minutes. She told me that she knows that I understand loss and that made a difference for her. After that over 100 other school bus drivers arrived to support her too. It was really great for me. I feel alot better.

Afternoon,

I mentioned the "S" word yesterday and I paid for it!!! It slushed last night and we woke up to big fluffy flakes! I still havent pulled out the polar fleece sweaters, boots or coats! I did find my gloves tho!!

Went to a networking meeting for lunch (served salad ~yuck~) So I came back to the shop and had my sandwich. I was prepared for a salad lunch, and packed my usual lunch Kudos for me!

Bill~ peaches!! Enjoy It'll be baked apples pretty soon.
When the kids ask you why you put all that in the bowl....tell them the "voices" made you do it (that would be us) Maybe not......you dont want them hauling you off to the looney bin.

onebyone~ Awesome 10lbs in 10 weeks!!

kuhljeanne~ feel better soon......lotsa healthing thoughts coming your way.

angel~ Im glad you were able to comfort your mother.

Have a wonderful afternoon everyone.