Hello,
MY new chapter is on dealing with snacks that people bring to work and leave out for others and cleaning out the junk food in the house constructively. I have a great roommate and a 19 yr old son living with me. My roommate loves his chips but he will be easy to ask if he wouldn't mind putting up his snacks. My son though may be a little harder but It should be ok. Work is not a problem either. I am remodeling houses with my husband. This homework is an easy one. But im not gonna take it lightly.

I went out for a few hours last night and on my way home I stopped at walmart. I was thinking I might get a snack because im not dieting yet. I was over in the bakery section looking around and nothing really called out to me. I was thinking as soon as these foods are off limits I would be craving all of them. I think that has a lot to do with this lesson. I may not want my roommates chps today but I probably will when I start my diet again. Im gonna do a little journaling, and make some response cards.

Thank you everybody for your support.

Maryanne, thanks for being here. My first year while I was packing on the pounds I was told not to diet. I understand it now! My second year I was suffering from terminal uniqueness...lol I dieted on and off not very successfully tho, but my weight kinda leveled off. I think I got up to 220 for a while but thank god i didn't go even higher. This year I realized my life is manageable for the first time in a long time, I have choices, there is peace. Life still shows up and I stomp around for a while but I dont use. But see I think I eat now. I have a friend who says you cant be pulled over for fat driving...lol. No but this is unhealthy and my energy suffers, my self esteem suffers...So here I am.

Bye for now,
Jule

Hi Everyone,

Weekend has been good so far and I only have 20 minutes of exercise to get to my goal of 930 minutes for October. I ended up riding to the library today and home a really long way around so I could extend the time. Got in 75 minutes and it felt like I had sweated as much at Zumba but that could be from the heavy back pack I was wearing.

Food has been good, last night I wanted chocolate but decided on grapes instead. Credit for not giving into the craving. Went to Costco today and walked past every single sample table. Nothing even interested me remotely. Went to the Bulk Barn store for a couple things for DH & DS's and came out with only the 4 things I went in for. And I finally bought the Halloween candy about 1 hour ago and decided there was no need for any mini chocolate bars in this house. Got the small twizzlers and nibs instead and when I saw the calorie count for each size package I won't be too worried about dipping into them.

Need to go and clean the last of the garden vegetables I picked today. The garden is now officially done for the season. I have mixed feelings about it, happy that the work is all done but sad that now I have to buy these things at the store and they are not going to taste nearly as good.

Tasks for the day, read cards, weighed (up .4), exercised - both planned and spontaneous, ate slowly, mindfully and so far have followed my plan.

Taking a break from grading. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now....and once this pile of projects is done, there will be no more major grading to do until finals. Phew. It sure does get tedious sometimes.

my report: weight was unchanged this morning, stayed OP today, read my cards, ate everything sitting down, ate slowly and mostly mindfully (except when my mind drifted to that pile of grading I still need to finish tonight), got no exercise.

I had one very nice experience this morning. I sing in my church choir, which is very small. (Today there were only 6 of us.) I've been in the choir for many years, and I absolutely LOVE to sing. One of the unanticipated benefits of my weight loss, or perhaps of exercising, is that my singing has greatly improved, which I attribute to being able to breathe so much more deeply, and also to gaining confidence in myself. My voice is much stronger, rarely goes flat, and my range is much greater. The choir director told me today that she has never heard me sing as beautifully as I have lately, and so she is going to have me sing a SOLO sometime during Advent. ACK on that part (can you say performance anxiety??), but the nice part was the compliment behind it!

Tazzy, WOW, so much to give you credit for in just one day: substituting grapes for chocolate, breezing through Costco without being tempted by food samples, sticking to your planned shopping list in Bulk Barn, and not buying those mini chocolates for Halloween! You go, girl!! Sadly, I now live in a place where there are no trick-or-treaters whatsover (I live in a condo development where most of the residents are retired, and we are so isolated that no one would ever come here from out of the neighborhood). But it used to be easy for me to resist the temptation to eat all of the Halloween candy I bought. I DESPISE nuts of all kinds, so all I had to do was buy candy that had nuts in it, and there was no way I would touch it!

Julie, don't worry, Beck has several tasks for dealing with those cravings you are anticipating will pop up as soon as you begin dieting. And good for you for not buying a treat at Wal-Mart, which you could so easily have justified by telling yourself that you "had better have your treats now, because you won't be able to anymore when you start dieting." See, you are already learning to talk back to that kind of sabotaging thinking!

fyreflie24, oh, yes, I do remember When Harry Met Sally! It's one of my all-time favorite movies!

Maryann, congratulations on that 24 year sobriety chip! That is a huge accomplishment that represents an amazing commitment you have made to yourself. And I was touched by your story of how you had given up swimming when you gained weight but then realized that you'd denied yourself that pleasure for nothing. You are absolutely right when you say that, if anyone notices at all, they very quickly get distracted by their own self-centeredness! Recognizing that we are NOT the center of the universe, and that the whole world is not poised and ready to scrutinize us and find us wanting, is SUCH an empowering and freeing discovery. Good for you!

OK, back to that grading I go. Blech. Maybe I should try the stair-step method. But, unfortunately, I live in a one-story condo!

Robin

Didn't write a plan today, but ate well anyway. I'm pleased that I can do that once in awhile.

WI: +0.2kgs, Exercise: +55 930/1000 minutes for October, Food: 80%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

BillBlueEyes: sending healing vibes and warm thoughts your way (the warm thoughts are to melt the snow, so that it will be gone before you have to deal with it).

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Lowest eating volume day in my life - given that I spent the day in bed under the covers avoiding the world. Apparently, my body fights off a low grade something with a mild fever, desire to sleep, and lack of desire to eat. I suppose I just did the Hunger is Not an Emergency experiment since I skipped lunch, but it's hard to take credit since I wasn't hungry and had skipped breakfast and the previous dinner also, LOL.

Hoping that the sudden cold and snow doesn't deter the trick-or-treaters tonight. We get the precious set around 5:30 - usually with two parents and two grandparents in tow, LOL.


Joy (gardenerjoy) – So neat to eat well despite the lack of a plan. Are you guys done celebrating yet?

maryann - 105 minutes 'slota exercise - Kudos. Have a good Halloween with your DS.

Tazzy - Skipping the samples at Costco is BIG, Kudos. For whatever reason, that one was hard for me until I finally convinced myself that I didn't need them. Goodbye faithful garden - sleep well till spring.

Robin (4EverLearning) - Lovely story, lovely compliment to your singing. Kudos for accepting it graciously and realizing that it is true.

Donamari (fyreflie24) – Kudos for having a splendid dinner while staying your path - that's quite a place to be. I gotta remember, "it's nice to want things."

Julie (na3309) – Neat to take seriously the cleaning out of the extraneous foods. Kudos for skipping bakery treats at Wal-Mart - goodness knows they make them attractive enough.

Readers -

Hi Coaches/Buddies/Friends!

Yesterday's craziness lead to an unplanned snack in the afternoon. Instead of using it as a jumping off point I modified my dinner and ate less. Exercise was cleaning house for hours. I had the opportunity to reflect and be grateful for just how far I've come as I stood on countertops to wash windows-climbing up and down like it was no big deal. Credit moi.

I've been slacking on my duties as a coach here. My new work schedule has thrown a loop in my posting abilities yet I know I'll incorporate everything and will return to smooth sailing. Thx for being here everyone. Together we make a great team and I credit BDS for my ability to stay the course through thick and thin.

BillBlueEyes, sorry you've been under the weather for a few days now. Credit for taking care of yourself and being here for others, too.

gardenerjoy, yay for a sane food day accomplished without a written plan.

Robin(4EverLearning), it's so interesting how many things change when we lose weight. What a nice compliment on your singing with the added bonus of a solo during Advent.

Tazzy, yay for setting and exercise goal for October and being so close to meeting it! GJ at Costco, too. I used to live for the free samples now I enjoy being able to resist them.

Julie(na3309), a belated to our Beck thread. I'm another one in recovery here. When maryann shared her sobriety date last year it was really comforting to me to know I was not alone. I gained during my drinking years and feel just spectacular these days. Credit for taking the step to clean the junk food out of your reach. My DH is a continual snacker and I have isolated all his stuff to a cupboard I resolve to stay out of.

maryann, thanks for sharing your swimming story. It's such an important reminder for me of being true to ourselves. Credit for lots of exercise yesterday and spending time with DS.

Donamarie(fyreflie24), yay for a great Beck day as you made good restaurant choices and manipulated your daily calories to fit it all in.

Beverlyjoy, sory to hear your tummy is still not right. I hope your visit with your college roommate was fun.

Val(va1erie), great job being mindful while traveling. Reading your post reminded me just how many pop up choices one needs to make whil on the road. BTW-everything in my smoothie is raw. I've had a vitamix for a year now (Costco) and it is, for me, the very best addition I have made during my WL. I take it even when I travel for a few days and I smile every morning when I make my breakfast. My take is that very small pieces of ginger/beet might work in the blender. You'd just have to try.

Pam(atga), sending supportive thoughts as you start your new challenge tomorrow. GJ preparing and I like your "Just For Today" check off list.

Take care everyone! I waitress today and tomorrow and I'm so grateful to be able to have a physical body today which allows me to do it. I do credit BDS for giving me tools to resist and credit myself for choosing to use them.

Julie: You know, when I got to a place of saying, not that I ‘can’t’ have something but that I don’t want it because it will derail my efforts or set me back and that consequence wasn’t worth it to me... the easier it was to say no. I also tell myself that, once I’m at my goal wait, I’ll be able to incorporate foods I love back into my life, just in a more healthy, moderate way. I also look for alternatives. Example, I went to dinner with a dear friend on Saturday and really wanted something sweet after dinner. So instead of a high calorie treat, I had sorbet. It satisfied the sweet tooth & didn’t derail my diet. In fact, I ate pasta and foods I loved that night, I just watched the portions and ate light that day so that was a huge success for me! Anyway, not trying to lecture, just some thoughts about how this journey has been different for the better.

Tazzy: Yay grapes for chocolate! I love being at the point where I just don’t want it. So liberating! Great on the exercise goal!

Robin: What grade/subject do you teach? Awesome about your expanded vocal abilities! I wish I could sing; my mother was an opera singer so I find it very unjust she didn’t pass some of that on along lol! Kudos on the solo!!!

Lexxiss: Great flexibility in adjusting your plan! I also find it amazing to rediscover how things get easier as the weight comes off; thanks for the reminder!

Bill: Feel better!

Happy Halloween!! I love Halloween, and my 7 year old is off with me today and totally over the moon excited!

My quick report is that, despite my best efforts, the scale really isn’t moving. I had some water retention, that went away but as of today, I’m exactly where I was last week. I know the weight gains on the scale can’t be ‘real’ because I simply haven’t eaten that much, plus with the amount of exercise I was doing, I was sporting a healthy calorie deficit. That said, I’m down 10 lbs this week, mostly in 3 weeks so I’m hoping my body is just catching it’s breath before the next round of drops. Sooner would be nice please!!!

report: didn't read my cards, weighed (up 1.6), eating wasn't great. Another bad day for my DD, and I ate a large number of crackers with brie when I wasn't even hungry. Didn't get up to go to class this morning. Got to bed very late with DD after supervising her homework extremely closely, took two Advil PM, and didn't even set my alarm. I just wanted to get a good night's sleep. I am moving on this morning.

No energy for callouts, sorry, but I did read everyone's posts.

Glad to be back posting after a weekend reprieve. In the interest of "enriching" my life, it meant more time spent away from this computer than I had anticipated. I got caught up with reading everyone's posts since I have went MIA (a few days). na3309 (Julie). We are glad to add another person to our Beck Diet Group here. I have been posting on this group since February of this year.

Well, my avatar today is a pix of my great niece Sadie Catherine. I bought this bumblebee costume when I saw it and just had to " have it" and all I requested was that I receive a photo of her in it (since I live 986 miles from her) and her mommy, my niece Amy, obliged me with several. I was concerned that Sadie wouldn't "go for" the headband with the two yellow pom pom antennas but she both liked it for the picture and then I guess when she was at her Halloween party at daycare she wanted to wear them again.

At 7 a.m. this morning her little brother, Jude Paul, was born by C-section. He was 7 lb 20 oz. Already he has two "operating modes": he either wants to be fed and when he isn't he is screaming bloody murder. For the rest of his natural born life he will have to share this birthday with all the trick n treaters. The teen years will definitely be a challenge, I'm sure.

Bill I'm so sorry that you are both sick and dealing with a lot of extra and early snow. I saw that the NE was going to get hit and I thought that when you get snow in the North, it has a tendency to hang around. I have a feeling you might get a white Thanksgiving as well. Hope you are feeling up to snuff soon.

gardenerjoy on the World Series win. I was rooting for the Cardinals since they are just a great team anyway. I did manage to watch the final game in its entirety while doing laundry.

Tazzy I have discovered that I really can't deviate from a healthy food plan anymore and I haven't been able to for close to 18 months. I still suspect that as my blood glucose became an "issue" healthier eating was no longer an option but mandatory. I feel better physically when I eat a balanced food plan. I have for over a year. I am grateful that I discovered my blood glucose issues early on (I too was pre-diabetic, Julie) because diet and exercise are so instrumental in controling blood glucose at that point. It means the system is easily fixed and doesn't take much tweaking to get it back to normal "homeostatis".

Robin Wow! You really have been hit with some real life or a better life kinds of choices. I so admire how you decided to use your problem-solving skills to weigh the pros and cons. I have also been faced with the choice of taking much stronger medicines for arthritis which are just plain scary when they list the very serious and potentially life-threatening side effects (like getting several types of cancers). I have decided that I will try anything but those prescription medicines first. IF I have absolutely no other choice then I will resort to taking those kinds of medicines but I want to make sure I have left no stone unturned first before I do. I know that you will make the best choice for yourself. My prayers are with you.

Thank you for your candidness regarding how you felt about the singles cruise. I went to a smaller version of your "meltdown" this past summer when I wore a dress that actually showed my figure assets for the first time in many years and the response I received from some men was exactly what got me in the morbidly obese place I had eaten myself to. TG, I also had an epiphany at the same time and realized that I wanted to be a normal weight size again no matter what the reactions I would receive and that I am emotionally strong enough to handle what might come my way. Just having that revelation for me was so powerful that my resolve hasn't changed one iota since then.

You don't have to go on that singles cruise if it would be too anxiety-provoking but there are many other smaller steps you can take to redefine how special the holidays can be. Maybe, go to New York City during Christmas time. After I saw the movie "Elf", which was mostly shot during that time in NYC, I told my husband that someday we are going to NYC simply to spend Christmas there. It looked so magical. London would be another great city to spend the holidays in. So Dickenesque. (is that a real word?)

Thank you everyone for the wonderful comments on how to go about "enriching your life". I have recently had a few people comment on how joyful I seem. Well, losing 50 lbs was certainly instrumental in part of that but also there is nothing like being able to say I accomplished some very long held goals of mine and just reveling in that achievement. What am I going to feel like when I hit goal weight?? Wow! Fireworks!

I just think that particular chapter in the BDS book (pink book) resonated so strongly with me because at my heaviest, and most depressed, I was a virtual shut in. I was living with a lot of fear and anxiety about so many things overall. Excellent point about looking for ways to "enrich my life" that don't make the wallet be "on a diet" as well. I didn't want to imply that I was waiting to take that $69K world tour (although that sounds pretty impressive) before I began living my life but just that some of the things that I want to do will involve having some "extra" discretionary income. However, in the meantime, I do indeed have several things that I am pursuing that involve a minimal amount of cash flow to do so--and I am indeed quite filled up in doing those things. (hence not filling up with unneeded extra food).

maryann I am so sorry that you are going through such an intense emotional time. Did something trigger this or it was just like a quick rain storm and it just happened? I know that periodically since my mom died (2008) I will suddenly start to cry for about 5 minutes and then it is done. Anything too much longer and I feel absolutely drained emotionally. Take care of yourself, yes, I used to hug teddy bears as well when I needed it. "Mothering" ourselves is a good thing. It falls in the same category as warm jammies, an extra blanket, soft socks and chicken noodle soup.

lexxiss GJ in scaling those windows. Isn't it great when our bodies cooperate with us? GJ on resisting the "nibble" reflex.

Fyreflie GJ in working your BDS program.

Val, we are all amazed at how you leave half a burger and onion rings. I can't imagine myself doing that. Not in this life time. Maybe, in the next.

Credit:

-Since I am hosting a "Move It N Lose It" buddy challenge, I followed my own advice and did just that for three and half days, starting Thursday night. When I picked up my new shoes I had ordered at the store, I pulled my DH across the way to Foot Locker and we got him a new pair of running shoes with lifetime sole supports. He had put over 400 miles on his other pair and "it was time". This also served to ease the teeny bit of guilt I had in spending a big bill on shoes as one of my "non food" rewards.
-This deserves a drum roll, please. I also managed to walk 1.5 miles in distance at one single attempt on a hilly trail Saturday after having a meal at a Mexican restaurant.[re: Dr. Beck's definition of "normal fullness" is being able to walk after eating a full meal--check]I did walk with my cane and I wasn't sprinting but I was walking and not stopping either. (to the newbies here, I have advanced arthritis and this is a big deal)
-When in the Mexican restaurant Saturday, even though this felt really uncomfortable because of the nature of this type of restaurant, we requested a special order of grilled chicken breast, cooked spinach and plain potatoes. I am sure that had to have been a first for this place. I noticed that we were charged $6 extra for doing so but certainly worth the building of courage it took to do so.
-After the walk, we went to our garden and we spent time doing "clean up" and chatting with other fellow community gardeners, exchanging fresh produce in the process. We got some wonderful green and jalapeno peppers out of the exchange. I helped tie up their tomatoes and offered them some tomatoes when ours ripened.
-Sunday is our day of rest where we spent the entire day taking care of ourselves spiritually. Now, we have the necessary fuel to get us through the rest of this week.

Hope everyone has a safe (from the evils of beckoning candy) Halloween. and

Tomorrow is All Saints Day.

Pam

Hi friends.. I had a wonderful visit with my college roomate yesterday. I also gathered all the little kids in the neighborhood for Halloween stories, songs and puppets. We had fun.

Dh bought the 150 peice package of chocolate 'themed' fun size bars. I had a snickers. He said he'll take whatever is left with him in the car.

My stomach is feeling some better.

I love to see the kids all dressed up in their cute costumes. How the costume themes change the older the kids are. I bought some Halloween stickers and 'cool' pencils as an option for the kids. DH just thinks it's 'plain wrong' to give non-candy items for Halloween. ...

I have you alll have a healthy Halloween. My GS is going as a blue M&M. His other Gramma made it for him. I am hoping for a few pictures.

Hi Everyone,

Not a great start to my day. I ended up spending the morning at the ER because I woke up in extreme pain. I wasn't sure if it was digestion related (past history) or a possible heart attack. I read too many health magazines and know that women don't show the same signs as men. We have a health line we can call and talk to an RN who can then suggest the next step. After reviewing my symptoms and history she strongly suggested we go to the ER. After blood work, an EKG and X-rays it was determined to be digestive. The doctor did assure me that I was right in going in to have it checked. Got home just before noon, had something to eat and had a nap. I did go for a 20 minute walk this afternoon to get the last minutes I needed for my exercise goal. The cool crisp air felt quite refreshing.

Just wanted to get a short note here. I did weigh this morning but cannot remember what that number said, did not read cards, haven't really eaten much (bagel and banana so far today), spontaneous exercise and am going to take it easy tonight handing out treats to the kids.

On a positive note DH has decided he would like to lose some weight and I'm happy to help him on his journey. It will also make some of my food shopping decisions much easier.

Have a safe night everyone!

my report: weight was unchanged this morning, tolerated quite a bit of hunger today, wasn't a productive day in general (stayed up most of the night to FINALLY finish with my midterm grading and so was extremely tired today), stayed OP, ate slowly and mindfully, did not read my cards, contacted my diet buddies.

gardenerjoy, doesn't it feel great to realize that we can trust ourselves to make good food choices even without an explicit food plan? It's downright empowering! Sometimes little things like that make me want to cry in sheer gratitude!

BillBlueEyes, so sorry to hear that you are under the weather. But LOL on your "hunger is not an emergency" comment--you've still got your sense of humor!!

Lexxiss, YAY YOU for reacting to your unplanned snack by eating less for dinner instead of using it to give yourself permission for an eating spree. And I know just what you mean about reveling in the feeling of physical ease and freedom you experienced when you easily climbed up and down off the counters to wash your windows.

fyreflie24, I have a Ph.D. in experimental psychology and am a psychology professor at a major university. Wow, if my mom had been an opera singer like yours, I would have been too intimidated to ever try to sing at all!!! And YAY YOU for recognizing that you can actually CHOOSE not to eat something and feel good about that choice!

Val, I'm so sorry to hear that Jane had such a rough night with her homework and that it created such a rough night for you, too. YAY YOU for moving on. I hope today was a much better day for both you and Jane!

pamatga, your great niece makes an adorable bumblebee! She reminds me of a Halloween many years ago when four of my female students came to class dressed in bumblebee costumes to tease me after I had shared my bee phobia with the class as part of a lecture. You and I seem to share the same attitude about medication. I, too, always want to "leave no stone unturned" before resorting to medication whenever possible; it's just a bias of mine. Thank you for sharing your story about wearing a revealing dress and deciding that you want to be a normal size no matter what reactions that might provoke from others. That's EXACTLY where I am right now. I know absolutely that it is worth dealing with whatever I have to deal with in order to stay thin. And I AM strong enough emotionally to handle it. I'm still thinking about what to do over my semester break, although I think at least the Christmas issue is resolved. I had a call from my beloved niece to invite me to spend Christmas with my brother and his family for Christmas. I am not particularly close to my brother (it's not that we are estranged in any way; we just don't communicate much and have never spent much time together), but I would like to be, so I think it will be a good experience to spend Christmas with him, even though he and his family don't really celebrate to any significant extent (partly because his wife is Jewish). Anyway, how wonderful that people have been commenting on how joyful you seem lately! Great point about how "filling up" on life-enriching experiences is so much better than filling up on food. And YAY YOU for special ordering diet-friendly food at the Mexican restaurant, eating to Beck's definition of normal fullness, then walking 1.5 miles on a hilly trail afterward!

beverlyjoy, good for you for recognizing that Halloween treats do not have to involve food!! Life has so many more treats to offer than sweets!

Tazzy, what a scary start to your day. I'm so glad your problem turned out to be digestive rather than cardiac. Good for you for reaching your exercise goal today anyway. And that's terrific that your DH is going to join you on your weight-loss journey. I'm sure he has been inspired by your good example!

Hope everyone has a great OP day tomorrow!

Robin

I met my exercise goal for October! I had a written plan today and followed it almost perfectly.

We celebrated the holiday by watching Monsters, Inc. Yep. I like my movies really scary.

Tomorrow (or tonight at midnight if I stay up that long) is NaNoWriMo -- National Novel Writing Month. I'm excited!

WI: -0.6kgs, Exercise: +70 1000/1000 minutes for October, Food: 95%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

fyreflie24: one of the biggest differences for me with the Beck journey as opposed to previous attempts was the ability to wait out the inevitable pauses in the weight loss. Actually, I credit my coaches here with that. Reporting every day here keeps me focused on the process no matter what the scale is doing, so I stick to it and trust the scale will come along for the ride eventually.

Tazzy: sorry for the health scare -- glad it wasn't a heart problem. Sounds like a case of better safe than sorry.

BillBlueEyes: hope you're feeling better soon. Appreciate that you're still putting us at the beginning of even your sick days.

pamatga: what a terrific costume you got that little girl -- she was obviously meant to be a bumblebee!

4EverLearning: glad you finished your midterm grading -- hope things are calmer for awhile for you.

Beverljoy: hope you enjoyed your little visitors tonight!

va1erie: supportive thoughts for you and your daughter.

Lexxiss: Yay for recognizing the advantage of ease of movement at a lower weight! That's a big one!

Please join us as this discussion continues on

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/beck...ddy-coach.html

You can find the list of previous (or more current) monthly Beck threads here on 3 Fat Chicks via:
List of Monthly Beck Threads for Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach

.