Diet Coaches/Buddies - Completed a gentle weekend - just what I needed. Food OP, including dinner on the patio in perfect weather, Gym with lunges forward and back; CREDIT moi.

Put the cages around the tomato plants growing with such expectations. Harvested and ate my first lettuce from my garden; lettuce that started as tiny tiny seeds in my own fingers. It was yummy. CREDIT moi.

Alas, still a slow learner. Just recently mentioned that I must be consuming more granola per serving since my batch didn't last two full weeks. Well, when my adult DS was visiting - he stops by the house frequently - I happened upon him in the pantry wolfing a large handful of granola straight from the jar. That so reminds me of his teen days when a bowl of cereal ten minutes before dinner would "tide him over." And reminded me that since my children were born that my life is full of stuff I can't explain, contributing to my spiritual growth to let go the expectation that I'll be able to explain everything if I just looked hard enough for the evidence.


maryblu - Amazing story of your "shirt -tail relative" at the food fair "Taste of Minnesota" not eating anything just because there was nothing there she wanted. After paying her $5. It's outside of my consideration to make such a decision. So reminds me of the Danny Devito line, "Since when do you have to be hungry to eat a donut?"

Good luck on your business travels. Remember to bring your Beck thinking with you.

onebyone - Kudos for the vegetables, whole foods, and cutting dinner by half. Such good steps all.

Ouch for the five percent rent increase, and Double Ouch that it triggered your threshold. You've been talking about moving for a while now; this seems to have found you ready. Is Nova Scotia a real option? I loved visiting there. It seems to have resisted the bursting growth of everywhere else. And they do have a swarm of tourists in need of buying art work from the locals. Good luck in thinking this through.

So, blue oyster mushrooms and other delectables at your farmers' market. Sounds good; the farmers' markets around here start this week; I'm psyched

You didn't mention the pain; hope that means it's passed. Keeping my fingers crossed for you there.


Robin (RobinW) - Waving. Just noticed that you were the tenth poster on the first Beck thread on 3FC some two years ago. Happy Second Anniversary. You've been here longer than anyone else recently posting. Congratulations for spotting something good and sticking with it.

Anne (wndranne) - Kudos for finishing another triathlon, and for being satisfied with your time.

And congrats for maintaining your belief that "normalcy returns" is an option with two kids, LOL.


Tera (twilit tera) - Ouch for pizza as a trigger food. Ouch for "all day long." Kudos for posting here even when busy.

ChinaMaine - Your "banana toffee pie" at an Irish cafe in Niagara-on-the-Lake Ontario sounds like perfect food porn straight from Gourmet magazine; understand, gotta have that. Kudos for only eating half. Sounds like you continue to make a good visit with your mom.

LOL at "I imagine your scale on a recumbent bike." Now that's an image that explains scale jitter. Yep, I think you're right - it's reasonable for my reduced walking to convert into a higher set point; I just need to get over it, or, duh, go back to longer walks.


Trish (pattygirl63) - Congrats on down 3.5 pounds on the scale this month. And Big Kudos for making the Beck Cognitive therapy work for you.

And Kudos for working the digestive system book to start counting calories. What's the name of the book? Do you recommend it?


bucket (bucketwithapurpose) - Waving. Hope all is going well with you for the remainder of the Memorial Day weekend. Methinks Tera (twilit tera) made a good point that cognitive therapy strategies take practice. Sending you supportive thoughts.

Beth (beth_on_the_beach) - Kudos to your folks for teaching you to sit down to eat. Wish I had learned that; I'm one of those who was shocked to discover that I nibbled from my plate between the stove and the table. And I now remember that I nibbled from my kids plates when clearing the table - that one is kinda embarrassing.

Neat to identify the "I don't care" Sabotaging Thought as a key one for you. That's a big step. Are you going to make a Response Card for that? Sounds like it could use a daily reminder that you do care and have a list of reasons to want to make changes in your life.


Readers -

Coaches/Buddies: Ack!! Why didn't I press Control+Alt A/C? So, my original post just disappeared into cyberspace. Luckily it wasn't too long. I spoke about (once again) my lack of consistency with checking in here. I am accepting it for what it is -- a form of sabotage (or at the very least, resistance to success). I'm hoping that perspective will help me overcome it. I'm even thinking I should make a Response Card to combat all the excuses that pop-up in my mind when I'm thinking about posting. I'm not looking for perfection (i.e. posting every single day, always doing personals, etc. ehem--Bill Blue Eyes!), just consistency.

Today I have:

• Weighed In (126)
• Posted here
• Wrote in my journal

My sister and father have been here (overlapping) for the past 10 days, but are gone now (just took my dad to the airport at 4am today!) Hopefully, I will now better be able to focus on myself. Oh and my new toy (Blackberry) should make posting even easier!

BillBlueEyes:
I want to let you know how much I admire and appreciate your dedication to posting here. It is such a comforting feeling knowing that your post will always be here to greet me, no matter how many days I've been MIA. Just out of curiosity, how much time do you allot each morning to post?

So glad to hear about your "gentle" weekend (love that adjective) and kudos to your for eating OP (the dinner on the patio sounds lovely) and the gym workout including forward and backward lunges!
I love the story about your discovery on the missing granola and the larger life lesson and spiritual growth that has ensued since having kids.

Bill ‘… a gentle weekend’ Credit for eating lettuce that you’ve grown yourself. Lol at the granola story.

Kim Nice to see you! Posting more consistently probably would be helpful to you. Hope the new response cards work. Sounds like you are having a good day today.

Today I fly home, so need to get packing!

WI: +1
Pain: 0/3/6
Activity: 3

Credits: calorie counting , ignoring the pizza in mom's fridge , saving calories for the steak dinner we had with friends in the evening , water , shoes

Mom and Aunt D commented on the weight loss. It's gotten really obvious lately, now that my clothes have gotten so baggy. Mostly, I think they were impressed with the attitude I have towards the plan and how I seem to have embraced the necessity of staying on plan. I suggested to mom that I could lend her TBDS so she could find out for herself how/why.

Motivation level is pretty low today, but I can't really relax - too much to get done.

Trish: Thanks for the testimony. I have more confidence in the Beck techniques than just about anything. I'm glad it's been helping you too!

Beth: for forcing yourself to not rush through the book.

onebyone: for reducing your food yesterday! Big for I will have 1 green vegetable every day.

Your life is full of so many big choices and changes lately! You've already weighed the pros and cons of all your options, and it sounds like you've made a rational decision that matches what your heart tells me. That's amazing! All that is left is for you to accept that you've made the best decision you possibly can, and enjoy the ride.

Maryblu: Great report on your "naturally thin" relative's trip to the Taste of Minnesota. Something to add to my getting-thin toolbox. Thanks!

Anne: Normalcy :scoff: I'll believe it when I see it.

Bill: Awesome dinner on the patio! A change in setting can be such a treat!

Kim: Hooray for the blackberry. I hear you saying that posting here regularly is a serious part of your success strategy, but one that you seem to be resisting. Is it possible to choose a specific time of day for posting? Mine is first thing before breakfast. I treat it like a daily appointment, something that is absolutely going to happen, and happen when it's scheduled to. Sometimes I don't have time for personals because there's a busy day ahead, but I just automatically turn to the Beck thread after I've done my weigh in.

ChinaMaine: hanging upside-down plants? Sounds nifty! Ouch for forgetting your medication! Good luck at work!

Heh, normal is a relative term!

My tri race report is here. I'll be back tonight.

Anne

What an amazing way to turn 40!! Really! Think about it! You turned 40 in the middle of a triathalon! We are woman, here us Roar! Good for you!

Im waiting for a shipment to arrive, which will bring me a weeks worth of work. So Im posting while I have a minute to think.

The weekend was really good! Eating was really good. Im pleased with myself. Again, I have to remember to relax the all or nothing attitude. Eating something off plan, but still within calories is "ok". That's a tough one sometimes. Its also "ok" to scrub the back deck for an hour or so instead of going to the gym to work out.

Worked out with Michelle this morning, Im down 7.5 lbs from last week. Nothing for 3 weeks, then Woosh, its gone. Go figure! No matter, Im pleased...and she's pleased with my progress!

Bill~Wow, I didnt know I had been coming to this thread for 2 yrs now. Lettuce from your own garden!! How cool is that!

Tera~ that folks are noticing and commenting your weightloss. It always helps you feel good.

ChinaMaine~ You are probably just boarding the plane as Im typing this! Get some rest before you get back to work....I'll have a phone number for you for buffalo meat probably later tonight.

onebyone~ how far north are you thinking? There are several small towns Id move to, and some Id stay far away from just because of the crime level. Have you considered Thunder Bay? Its gem all in its own! Rents start at about $700 for a 1 bedroom. But there are universitys, colleges and jobs there. I lived there for about 2 yrs.....a few other places in northern ontario too if you want any insight into some of those places.

to all the new folks!! I'll get to know you soon!

Have an awesome day everyone!!

I forgot to mention....I discussed eating with Michelle this morning.

I agree with most everyone here who chimed in on my question. But here is what she had to say. Remember she understands my issues and tends to go against the grain when it comes to mainstream "knowledge".

Her thoughts for me were, if I am not hungry, then don't eat. However! If I have worked out and didnt eat after, she wants me to eat at least my protein shake. What I had done last week; I wasnt hungry so I thought Id go to the gym and Id be hungry when I got back. I wasnt. So even tho I wasnt hungry for a full meal, she does want me to have my protein within 45 min of working out. She also mentioned listening to my body clues (like the headache I mentioned). But my body will adjust to things as we go along. (which I am noticing already)

.........Im off! My stuff arrived

Bill Thanks for the kind words. There is no way that I can explain to anyone the way I feel. I had felt so hopeless because I just couldn't get it together... nothing seemed to work. Beck's Cognitive therapy techniques are the key that has changed me, my life and given me what I needed to keep going and to keep trying. I made my Response Cards and then gradually changed them to fit the way I eat and made them very personal. Now I feel good about me and I have the confidence that I can and will make it this time. I am so grateful that I found out about this. I want it to work for me so that maybe I can help others who are going through what I did. I hope that when they see me do it that they will want to know how I did it and I can help them find their way to succeed as well by using these techniques. The name of the book on digestive system is The Complete Guide to Digestive Health by the Editors of FC&A Publishing. It is an excellent book that really gives a great explanation of how the digestive system works in a way that I could understand it. It helped me learn about how much protein fiber and protein I should be eating and the changes I needed to make so that my body works more efficiently. I just check Amazon.com to see if they carry it as I got mine through a mail offer. I could have bought it cheaper through Amazon. I highly recommend it as I believe it solved a lot of problems and answered a lot of questions for me.

Tera I have a whole new attitude about myself and the way I'm eating this time. It is the Cognitive techniques that are the big difference for me. For the first time in my life, I actually feel I have a good chance of losing the weight and actually making it all the way to goal and then keeping it off this time. There is no way I can put into words how wonderful that makes me feel.

Migraine today. Full up headache. Back tomorrow. I keep saying that don't I?

Anne

Hi, Everyone. Yikes what a couple of days. All I did was try to change my email address on here and messed myself up completely. I have just finally been able to get back in and post, but it took a whole new account with a new user name. So, just to make sure it isn't completely confusing, Beth_on_the_Beach is now Greenville Beth. It makes more sense. I don't live on the beach anymore!

I didn't get to check back in to write about Day 4 - Give yourself credit. It went well. I put a post-it-note next to my laptop that says, "Credit". I have been working on giving myself credit.

So...credit me for...being OP, dealing with a bunch of stupid stuff today without eating, cleaning the bathtub (hate that), and writing in my diet journal as I promised myself.

On to Day 5 - Eat Slowly - This is a good one for me. I may sit while I eat, but I eat like packs of rabid dogs are chasing me and my life depends on getting to the bottom of the plate. I have no idea why I eat so quickly. I always have even when I was thin. I did work on it today and will continue to do so. I put my fork down after each bite, drank my water, looked around, looked at my food. I felt a little foolish, but it slowed me down. It is something I will have to work at.

What does concern me is that I find I don't want to stop eating. Tonight at dinner, I did eat a lot slower, and I did find that I became full faster infact before I finished dinner, but I didn't want to not eat the rest of my meal. This concerns me. I'm not sure what to do about it.

OnebyOne - Good luck on the move. I have no idea if you're anything like me, but cold and dark tend to depress me. It might be something to keep in mind when you think about moving North or South. For me, my enviroment plays a huge part on whether I'm happy or not.

Maryblue - That was an interesting story about your relative not eating at the fair. I will watch what my father eats. He is as thin as a rail. The portions are tiny. I've also noticed that thin people eat soup before dinner. It's a shame, I really don't like soup.

Wndranna - Congrats on the triathlon! I've always wanted to do one if it wasn't for the swimming and running parts.

ChinaMaine - Try not to push yourself too hard at work! The thing about work...it's always there.

BillBlueEyes - Thanks for the great idea about the Response Card for the "I don't care." That was a great idea. I wrote one up that says, "Actually, I do care. Being overweight is painful, in many ways: physical, emotional, mental. I care very much." I think that will help.

Twilit Tera - Great job on ignoring the pizza. Not sure I could have!

RobinW - Fantastic on the 7.5 lbs!

Pattygirl63 - Thanks for checking in and talking about how the Beck book has helped you. It's great to hear. Starting out, like I am, it is always nice to know it is working for someone else. It gives me hope.

Beth - Down 1.8 lbs today First goal 231

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Didn't eat my second ear of corn at dinner; CREDIT moi. Put it away for my lunch today. I accept the argument by (I believe) Michael Pollen that it's the first bite that carries most of the taste; after that it's just repetition. That's a Response Card like thought for me anyway to use when I can limit my eating.

Felt that my lunch was insufficient, so decided to supplement it with a can of sardines that I keep stashed in my office for emergencies. Then pondered what it would be like to just have a lighter lunch. Certainly I'd get over it. Besides, my monster finger salad would be considered a full lunch by many. So I didn't have them, and promptly forgot about it until now. CREDIT moi. A useful reminder to me that I don't have to a slave to any stray feeling of hunger. Or, as the good Dr. Beck says, Hunger is not an Emergency.


Robin (RobinW) - Congrats on the 7.5 pound scale loss. Kudos for working "the all or nothing attitude." That's one of the Thinking Errors that often trips me; it's encouraging to me that you fight back.

Good sign that Michelle is pleased with your gym progress. Interesting thought to get your protein even if not feeling hungry.


Anne (wndranne) - Thanks for the link to your race report. Again, Kudos for your dedication to your athletics. Ouch for the migraine. Emailing nine hours of sleep to work that.

Tera (twilit tera) - Kudos for ignoring that pizza and extra Kudos for ignoring it as part of your plan for a choice steak for dinner.

Congrats for gathering up some compliments. My experience was that my loss was especially noticed the first day I shifted into clothes that fit my smaller self. When my clothes were too big, I just looked frumpy, not thinner, LOL.


ChinaMaine - Yay for leaving your mom with hanging zucchini and tomato plants. (Sounds like the kind that bucket (bucketwithapurpose) was referring to earlier.)

Ouch for the creeping fatigue. And Ouch again for forgetting your medicine. Good luck today facing your full day at work after a relaxed Buffalo visit.


Kim (bennyhannamama) - Kudos for posting when you have to retype after the posting monster consumed your original. BTDT. Yep, I do the [CNTL] A/C trick, as well as a [PASTE] into a conveniently open text file for double safety. BTDT and been royally peeved.

Your words are kind and I thank you for them. My morning routine includes an hour to savor my coffee and respond to this thread. Sometimes a little more when I get long winded. Takes longer when I go off googling references I don't know, LOL. This is the backbone of my Beck cognitive therapy; it pushes me through a bunch of Beck thinking each day, and forces me to read enough of her new book to select and type a reading.


Trish (pattygirl63) - Kudos for tailoring your Response Cards to personalize them. Good Becking there. Thanks for the pointer to Digestive Health; I've added that to my Amazon shopping list - the great place to put books to review along with the other hundred books in the queue before hitting [Buy].


bucket (bucketwithapurpose) - Waving. Sending supportive thoughts your way.

Beth (Greenville Beth) - Kudos for giving yourself credit. LOL at eating "like packs of rabid dogs are chasing me." Yep, wolfing down food sure helps to get an overload in before we can notice.

I like your " ... I care very much" Response Card.


Readers -

Another quickie for me today....the whiteboard is loaded up!!

Bill, she mentioned that if Im not hungry and I didnt work out, then dont eat. But if I did workout and Im not hungry to have my protein shake after my workout....and not to worry about a traditional meal if Im not hungry.

I woke up this morning (barely) feeling like I had a food hangover. Remember those? Blah! Only thing is there isnt any reason for it. Everything was op yesterday!

Today I feel like Im working thru mud...not good when there is a boatload of stuff that needs to get done!

Ok...Im off have a great day everyone!

WI: steady
Pain: 0/2/6
Activity: 1

Credits: counting calories , vitamins , visit with C

Got nothing done yesterday. oh, well. today is a brand new day. I figure that part of my lethargy is reaction to the arthritis pain in my hands (it rained last night) and the bursitisorwhateveritis in my hip. I'm giving myself permission to rest yesterday and looking for strategies to get moving today. One thing is certain:

I'm going to be so on plan today!

Anne: Awesome job on the tri race! Thanks for the description. Sorry for the headache though.

Robin: for scrubbing to get your activity in! Now, that's multi-tasking, far better than okay.

What Michelle said about getting in a protein shake after exercise makes a lot of sense. She's telling you to protect your muscle by feeding it whenever you put the stress on it. I do the same with an amino acid supplement when I go to the pool.

Beth: Sounds like you're making great progress on your Beck days. You're identifying things that you weren't even aware of before!

for distinguishing between hunger and the desire to eat. I forget which day it is, but I know that Dr. Beck goes into that in some detail.

also for the new response card!

Hi Coaches

Well I gathered up a box of books and a bag of clothes and sheets and blankets we don't like, plus a vacuum cleaner I never use and they are on the porch waiting to be picked up by the local Cerebral Palsy people who will come to your house and take things away. They called two weeks ago and mentioned they'd be in the area so I told them I'd have something for them.

And this time I actually do.

Of course there is no real dent in the amount of stuff I have but I did it more to see myself do it than anything else. I have started to clean out my place. Credit moi.

My goal is to do the least amount of work outside the home I can get away with this month. I don't think I'll be at the farmer's markets very much in June. I am primarily getting the house ready for us to move out. June is the month to do this. July is when tourists really come to Ottawa and therefore is the month to actually begin selling at the markets. And August is when I do the children's technician job all month and make a good amount of money so I really won't be cleaning much that month and I'd be CRAZY to be trying to get this place cleaned out then. So that brings me back to June.

June: get house and us ready for our move
July: make things/sell things at the local markets
August: work for the school

Foodwise I am continuing to make choices of real food, I am drinking my water and I am getting extra exercise in everyday. The scale has shrunk back from the 270 brink to 268 this morning. I'll take it.

twilit tera Credit for your credits!

RobinW I think that's good advice you got from your trainer. Since you are trying to build muscle you need the protein for sure and trust me, eventually, you will get hungry again! So you know about Northern Ontario! I grew up in Sudbury and have family in Schreiber about 2hrs from Thunder Bay. DH is not keen on going north.

BillBlueEyes It's funny how much we automate our lives even in terms of food and what's enough or too much and how quickly we decide what that amount is. I was thinking this after you mentioned a light lunch vs what you are "used to"... We really do eat with our eyes, or rather, I sure do!
And yes, Nova Scotia is a definite possibility for our move. I am, of course, wavering on everything. It means leaving all my friends and all my connections and everything behind. But people do this all the time. I'll keep you posted.

Greenville Beth I too am affected by the sun and the lack of it. Being in Canada, there's only so much sun I can get! If I was in the US I'd be in the desert. No question about it. And I too eat fast, like a vacuum cleaner! I do slow down, mostly in the presence of others, but with DH and alone I am an eating machine.

wndranne Big congrats on your successful triathalon
I hope your migraine is gone by the time you read this. And happy belated birthday!

pattygirl63 Thanks again for your story of encouragement. It's helpful to read it.

ChinaMaine It sounds like you've had a great trip. I hope your plane ride home is uneventful.

bennyhannahmama Always good to read your posts Everytime you post you show yourself you are NOT sabotaging yourself and building, instead, a resistance muscle toward sabotage.

maryblu We have a food fair thingy here too in the summer. I cannot imagine paying and not sampling. For me it'd be more like I get to pay only $5.00 and I get to have all this I wouldn't even go to the event if I didn't plan on eating. Very interesting. Thanks for that.

Hello everyone, my name is Mary Beth and I'm new to the Beck idea.

I just bought the workbook last night but the other two books won't come in for 2 weeks.

My question is, is there anyting I can do in those two weeks to get ready tille the book comes in and I can start reading. I really want to get started, I'm afraid by the time two weeks rolls around I won't be as excited.

Oh and should I have posted this in another section, and introduction thread perhaps?

I'm looking forward to getting started and making some new friends here.

Mary Beth