Good morning Buddies.

Did a little more on beck last night. Landed up not going to the movie. Have a cold started and just did not feel like it. Told dh to go as I needed some time alone. Since he has been home it has been hard to get some time for me. We do tend to do alot together.

Got my woman's world magazine and just read it last night and then I went to bed. About an hour later dd called and we talked for about an hour. Dh came home so then we talked for a while.

One nice thing about dh is that he will not let me look at the bills or the bank account as he believes that this will get me upset...and he is right. He said to let him worry about it and just to think positive. That is what I have been trying to do. When a negative thought comes...I say a prayers and in my head sing a positive song. It does help me.

Dh is still trying to get unemployment. The unemployment people are checking into why he was fired. When approved (positive thought) they will owe him a few weeks. Will let you know when that happens.

Plan on doing some beck today and also some spinning..no not the bike the real spinning with yard and a spinning wheel. Have not done it for a while but am gonna start today again. Even if it is just for a few minutes.

I may not comment on what everyone is doing, but I do read it and it helps me alot. You are so positive (usually LOL). I do want you to know that I do care and you all are in my thoughts.

Have a great beck day.

Happy New Year Beckies!

I saw Dr. Beck on CNN about an hour ago. Anyone else? It seemed so weird that the host was calling her "Judy". I just think of her as Dr. Beck, or Judith Beck; "Judy" just seems waaaayyyyy too casual. I am interested to know if anyone else saw her. I was not impressed with her interview at all. If I weren't already a "believer", I would have categorized her as another diet guru with some merit, but not the solution I know her to be.

I love the "believer" reference, Davidette, and your observation that Brain Rules requires no "leaps of faith"; I definitely have that on my short list of must reads. I am enjoying your insights immensely.


angelmomma210, I am happy for your finding a real life coach and happy you are staying with your cyber -coaches as well. I really watch your situation closely, and share everyone's concern and good wishes for a fair outcome for your DH.


Kuhljeanie, I share your pain with the sinus thing. I don't do sick at all. All I have is a headcold; it started yesterday and it is not that bad at all, already better, but I am such a baby. I never get sick. I have about one head cold every four years. So, head cold got me investigating the neti pot. I had read about in in You, the Owner's Manual and now in my new exploration in You, being Beautiful. Such a weird concept, but very valued by Dr. Oz and Dr. Roisen. It seems so gross, and adds another 3 minutes to a daily routine, but intriguing nonetheless. Anyone have any experience with such a thang?

Wndranne love the reference to weight as what it really is--a measure of gravity. The quicker we get rid of that scale-as-the-only-measurement, the better. When I initially lost the weight, I only weighed once or twice a month; I always used the same scale in one of our labs, the old fashioned balance beam kind. I love those.

BillBE, thanks for once again stepping up to be our Cyber Sheppard for another year. I never take it for granted that you will lead us; it is so reassuring to know you are there. And, yes, it throws me, too, on those rare mornings that someone beats you to the first post.

Not much new to report on the senate seat; last I heard there was a 49 vote difference. I wish there were someone here from Chicago, or at least IL so I could poke some fun another direction for awhile. Kidding, all. The IL thang is NOT funny. Ours is just messy, as democracy sometimes is. This thang is a tie. It is. There is no way for any state to know that every single vote has been counted, and counted accurately. If we were sure that every single vote had been counted, and counted accurately, then if there were only a one- vote difference, so be it; we'd have the winner in this election. That is not to be, and I hate it that the courts will decide.

We have all struggled with the diet coach in person, it seems to me. I find this method of Beckies -as -coaches far and away the best for me. You are here 24/7, you know the plan and have great insight. I can't imagine having a coach in person committed enough to read enough to know how to coach. My BAG ladies (Beck Accountability Group) is just a group of us giving moral support, awareness, credit to each other. I rely on all of you.

To all Beckies I have come to know and love, and to the new ones, big wave and shout out. Apologies for any offense on my lack of personal etiquette and not finding all the much appreciated Beckie contributors for a personal shout out; I am sure as time goes by we will all "touch each other", and with luck, when we need it most.

I really like this thread. Hope I wasn't too negative before. I went to Weight Watchers and found out about the new Momentum program, which doesn't seem to me to be that different from the old Flex program. They tell you about the Set Points on week 5 or something. I will go back to counting points and trying to eat more of what they call filling foods-high fiber and high lean protein foods. I am very comfortable with points because I've been doing them on and off for about ten years. Problem is, at my weight, age and activity level WW thinks I can survive on 20 points--too few calories instead of too many! So I am going to modify it upwards to meet my needs. I get stuck on wanting to do things "right" instead of finding what's right for me I am in a much, much more optimistic mood, and I'm going to respond to a bit of what I read. I'm enjoying reading everyone's posts!


Davidette,thanks for reminding me cognitive therapy is based on science.
one-by-one and Robin:congratulations on the weight losses!
andrea/tinkerbell:congrats on the de-cluttering. My 3 new year goals (not resolutions) are diet, exercise and de-cluttering. I'd love to hear how you progress.
KuhleanieYou might be right--I really didn't give the new plan a solid try.
Bill,thanks for starting this thread. I found it by googling--I've been on a yahoo group for beck diet solution, but it has been fairly inactive lately.

Afternoon

Bill~ no, that wasnt a typo. But I did go back and redo the math just to make sure. Im starting at over 130lbs over weight....and the first 25 usually comes off very quickly. Its the rest of it that takes its time. The plan is for this to be the LAST time I need to take that first 25lbs off again!

Anne~ my issue with the scale was being afraid that it would not have gone down the last 10 days of my challenge. It did...about 3lbs. After thinking about the total loss, I was pleased. It just took some time to sink in.

to everyone...I'll stop in for more personals tomorrow.

Last night and today are big emotional days. I am having a really hard time stopping myself from binging. Not even on the good stuff.....Im finding extremely difficult to keep from stuffing until that "feeling" comes back. It's not a good thing to do, not even with allowed foods.

Tomorrow will be the worst....stuff happening that I have no control over....I plan to take Beck's new book and start it tomorrow morning. Hopefully that will keep my mind occupied.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Good Evening Coaches

I'm feeling mopey this evening. I was feeling pretty rotten the last couple of days and discovered that I have ZERO willingness to NOT use food to feel better. I went off plan to feel better yesterday. Now since I was feeling bad I didn't go out and buy x and x and x like I wanted but I ate fruit and abandoned my foodplan searching the fridge, grazing on food at times and then alternating this with not eating (until I am light-headed) which is as harmful as overeating AND I find my mindset telling me "It's good not to be eating. At least you'll lose weight or you won't gain any." yeah I still really really believe this. But what really got me was that I was totally conscious of my looking for food to feel better and telling myself so what?
This time I didn't really find it but where is my resolve? It's not there...is it?
Ugh. This is so not easy. I think I am feeling doubt about my foodplan but I'm still going to go forward with it. How can I make an accurate judgement when I've spent 2 days not well, and then not having my food planned or purchased. On Monday I am going to the school with my co-worker and will make a trip to the grocery store to buy some staples for me. That should help a lot. The folks on that other internet board I go to get support for my specific foodplan of choice are all gearing up for a Monday start so, like here, it helps a lot to have folks on the same page with you.

What's nagging me is I want a PERMANENT SOLUTION. I don't want to dabble with something and waste time. I want to get it done. I am SO TIRED of losing and gaining and losing... talk about a rut... Coaches plese tell me I can do this? Man. I need some kind words. I need to get this done. I just want to be healthy. Why is that so hard?

*end of grumbling*

RobinW Hi! I don't know what's triggering you, or me really for that matter, but I'll keep you in my thoughts and if you keep me in yours maybe we can both usse tomorrow as a fantastic opportunity to build our resistance muscles... I'm in for many more days feeling like I have been with this final school semester coming up. It's going to be brutal, and I feel so DONE with school! So I'll try if you will---> here's us building our resistance muscle. Or is it more like this? --->

lilyyoung Hi! I am glad you are giving yourself permission to adapt your foodplan to your needs. One size does not fit all. I am trying to take the same approach too. I think we must find what works for us so we can be true to ourselves in order to continue for the longterm. As your coaches, we're here to help and support. All the best!

maryblu Hello. I didn't see "Judy" on the TV but I often get those kinds of feelings when I even see an author's photo on the back of their book. it;s too bad she came across like that. She has SO MUCH knowledge and wisdom but interviewers and publicists want to reach the mass market and they always always dumb it down and try to appeal to stereotypes as a means to get info across quickly. The details, alas, are always lost. Too bad. OTOH CNN does horrible interviews. I think it's tough to come across well on there. Nice to see you posting!

angelmomma210 You're a spinner? I know a few of them. Do you weave too? I met a woman who spun dog hair and then used it to make catnip mice! I bought one...thought that was hilarious She would gets bags of dog hair from customers and then make them yarn. She ahd her favorites and her not so favorites... Good for you for taking time for yourself, and for picking Beck up again. You're moving forward. Kudos.

kuhljeanie I'm glad you guys are all on the mend. Kudos for being so close to pre-cruise weight. Wishing you much success replacing Bistro meals with homemade versions. As for the decals I am not focused so much on that for now as trying to START with the living room and the clean-up and re-arranging of it to make room for the wii fit (ugh. we may be waiting even longer!! I think I am going to email DBIL to mail the darn thing! We were going to go up this week to get it but may not have the $ to do so )

davidette Hello. I think it's great you're deciding to go through the Beck book systematically. It is important. Many of the exercsies I thought were easy turned out to be hard! I still catch myself eating standing up for instance...and the Believe It chapter? I could use a refresher on that alone and focus on it all year I think! (these were in the original book...I am sure they must be in the new one?) Nice to see you posting!

BillBlueEyes How's your garden planning going? I wanted to recommend a books to you. Square Foot Gardening. It's a great book for a first timer to plan a garden. And it will amaze you how many plants and how much variety you can place into one square foot of garden. It's probably not the way your DW did the garden either so you can really claim it as yours! I used to have a community garden too (until they threw us all out and put a highway over it! grrr!) and I saw it as a great space to try things in. I LOVED seeing the oldtimers and their gardens. So great. The Square Foot Book is meant for those who don't have a lot of space, probably not an issue wiht a community garden, but the information is so straight forward its easy to apply. And a novel approach too. thought I'd mention it. BTW don't forget to try growing kholarabi! They are a wonder to watch grow and a delight to consume. My Hungarian grandparents always grew them and they were a STAPLE for use in soup. I get them when I can.
http://www.amazon.com/Square-Foot-Ga.../dp/0878573410

I feel better now. Thanks coaches.

Coaches/Buddies I'm getting used to just writing down my food plan and following it. I find myself just going to look at my plan at snack time, and then just going and getting that food without lingering or wondering or worrying about what if. Sort of freeing.

Only one significant deviation from the menu plan today: the addition of cheese to some leftovers in preparation for dinner. A modest amount of part skim to be sure, but I did a Cheat Sheet on it anyway, and on reflection the fact that I heated it up in a pretty serving dish made me want to make the dish a little more special. The cheese was a nice addition and would have been a very reasonable thing to put on the plan and I learned that 1) dressing up leftovers is legitimate and good so plan for that, and 2) fancy serving dishes do not mean it is OK to deviate.

I did really well with my Skills Sheet today, so I'm calling it on-plan day 6. I started lifting again today with NRLW, Stage 1, Workout A2. I'll probably be sore tomorrow. Weight is still suffering from that sudden meteor storm, but I'm wearing smaller clothes now--I went "shopping" in my prepregnancy bin, so I'm getting somewhere. Stupid meteors.

Sleep was terrible last night with DS having a 2 hr spell. It took a while for us to figure out he wanted double the usual amount of formula for whatever reason. Kids were pretty good today though, and DH took DD to Home Depot with him when my whine register pegged, so I recovered.

Lily I do understand diet fatigue, and it tends to come and go. Do the best you can, and if you have a coach that isn't working out for you, change it. I think your plan is a good one, but I'd also include some enriching stuff that isn't diet related--see a movie, meditate, run, just whatever makes you happy. Things are easier when you are happy. Glad you are finding a way to make WW work for you. One size does not fit all.

Bill Squash and apple sounds like a really cool combination. Thanks for the meteor thing. Being a former astronomer, I like it a lot. It helps to put some humor in the situation.

davidette Wow, I'm sort of glad you have/had the same memory issue and same response to getting a nice surprise delivered to the house. Makes me feel a little less pathetic. I was once-upon-a-time a vegetarian, years ago. I eat meat now, but not too much, maybe a serving a day, but not always.

Jeanie Hooray for drainage! Did I really just type that?? Hope you continue to feel better. I know you'll be able to continue your path using your own food with a little planning and prep.

Chris You sound so positive today and that is good to read!! Spinning wheel! Wow, so interesting. How did you get into that? What will you do with your thread?

maryblu I found a link to the video on the CNN website, but it was broken. Hope you get a Senator, any Senator soon.

RobinW Hope you get through your emotional days unscathed. I'm still in awe of 16 pounds.

onebyone You CAN do this! Acknowledging that you are searching for food for "bad" reasons is a huge step. And you do care, obviously, that is why you are here. For me, this is where the Beck stuff comes in--helping me to connect those two ideas which should be connected. The "how do I get myself to do this" comes from addressing the thoughts behind the behavior with CT. Keep doing Beck. It will literally rewire your brain (thanks Brain Rules), and make this easier and permanent. Permanent doesn't mean perfect, or easy, but it gets better over time.

See you all tomorrow!

Anne

P.S. There is some new stuff up at the old book website (Google it--it is too close to the link policy here) regarding the new book.

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Wow, somebody should have warned me about Costco. Made my first trip. The GIGANTIC sizes of everything made me crazy. I started Desiring stuff I never eat, and wanting huge containers that, at our consumption rate, would last for years. My head was so spinning that I ate every one of their samples - including canned Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee ravioli. Good grief. Oh Well.

But finally came up for air thanks to a sour, complaining sample server who was loudly whining to her buddy about how stupid the customers were grabbing for the stuff. "It's not like it's food, it's just this," pointing to the hot dog in a biscuit appetizer. Boing. That hit me. I took my grabby hand out of the line, and moved on. CREDIT moi at least for listening to her. Without her, I might still be there, LOL.


maryblu - Ouch for a disappointing CNN interview by Dr. Judith Beck (nope, not a Judy type to me either). The 12Jan09 Time Magazine (delivered yesterday) reviewed 4 diet books, and The Complete Beck Diet for Life got the strongest recommendation, particularly highlighting that there are no forbidden foods.

Ouch that Minnisoda continues to struggle with the senatorial election. I too find it grating to hear proclamations of what big wigs will or will not tolerate - you speak for me when you suggest that the registered voters alone own making that choice. Hope you get someone there for the first week when the trillion dollar bailout comes ramming through.

And thank you for the kind words; "Cyber Shepard" is an new phrase for me.


onebyone - Ouch for mopey and rotten. And Ouch for struggling to get on plan when it's difficult for you to get stocked up with your on plan food. Yep, I believe that you can do it, I believe that you can keep working until you get your food choices in house and have a fighting chance of getting full steam onto your plan. Sending supportive thoughts as you fend off the barrage of Sabotaging Thoughts - they can be countered.

And thanks for recommending Square Foot Gardening. That does seem like my kind of book, and just what I need. It's difficult to learn the basics from DW since she's long ago forgotten the struggles to understand all the new stuff at once. And will add kohlrabi to my way-too-long-to-plant-it-all list of veggies. I'm beginning to get into this.


Jean (kuhljeanie) - Kudos for planning your next eating plan. (A lot of "weaning" going down on this thread, LOL.) Congrats on approaching your pre-cruise weight.

LOL at your aluminum tree with "with dreidels and hannukah gelt." Love it when you send me to the dictionary - apparently there is no gelt except for hannukah gelt. Too bad, it's such a delightful little word.


Robin (RobinW) - OK, so BIG Congrats for an amazing weight loss. may you never see it again.

Ouch for the emotional stuff. Sending supportive thoughts for you to make it through the next couple of days.


Anne (wndranne) - Kudos for doing the Cheat Sheet for the cheese - inspiring to me to see you using it again; I'm in need of taking that strategy seriously to catch some deviations in my eating.

And Kudos for marching forward with your CBDL as well as NRLW. Congrats that your success is sending you "shopping" in my prepregnancy bin. And laughing at your "Stupid meteors."


Chris (Anglemoma210) - Just great to hear your upbeat tone (as mentioned by others). Neat that you plan to do some spinning. Reminds me that I own a necktie, in an impossibly thin early sixties style, that I cherish because it was spun, woven, and made by a friend back in the, well, in the sixties. Do you have a project in mind?

Lilly (lilyyoung) - Kudos that you have made specific plans for moving forward using the new book, and are designing your new plan from components that have worked for you in the past.

hmmm... wasn't clear from reading that the food choices you described that they came from an eating plan for the day. One of Beck biggest contributions to me was the notion that it's much easier to eat from my written, plan for the day, than it is for me to make new decisions each time I confront food. And Anne (wndranne) describes that nicely in her most recent post. Getting back to having a plan might help you get back on track. The writing and recording seem to be important components. Many of the strategies are meant to be incorporated into every day life - eating sitting down, planning and recording each days foods, saying NO CHOICE to food that's not on-plan, giving yourself credit - she lays them out nicely in the first chapters of the new book.

I'm glad you're here and giving yourself a new start. Since all of us are just starting the new book (released 23Dec09) we're all in about the same place. You've chosen a good time to restart.


davidette - What an inspiration that you observe the benefits of your mother's dementia. Reminds me of a friend who says, "He's still in there, just expresses himself differently," about a guy who can still respond, very emotionally in fact, to shared music, even though recognition of individuals is long gone. Sending supportive thoughts for dealing with a tough issue there.

Not a vegetarian here, but increasingly less carnivore. I shudder to remember that, before my healthy journey, I'd refer to DW's marinara sauce without meat as spaghetti and ketchup. Ouch.

Re "More time and energy when maintaining?" Interesting question. I certainly spend less time angsting about "getting more" food. But more time planning and preparing food (I now prepare and bring my lunch to work). But certainly have more energy for everything - both physical and psychological. It caught me by surprise that healthy eating takes some time.


Readers -

Good Morning All!
Anne, thanks for the nice words! I looked at your profile--two baby girls, congratulations! How many kids do you have? (I'm not too swift on all the abbreviations, but I figured out DD is dear daughter.) I'm so impressed that you're an athlete, and working out and doing this with babies and a spouse.

So far it's been a great morning. I weighed myself and I'm down 2.8 overnight. Ok, I know most of it is water loss. But it is still so nice to see that number again. (158.6) I may even try to figure out how to move my tracker.

I made dinner, chicken cacciatore (sp?) from the new WW materials and it wasn't bad. Cooking is not my strong point and Phil (my live-in boyfriend) liked it.

On the minus side, I was completely obsessed with Weight Watchers and points yesterday, reading all the materials and thinking about nothing else. I have to be careful about all this because I do suffer from an obsessive disorder and I guess I should do this in a healthy way.

Today is a challenge since I am going to an event (a party celebrating 21 years of OCA, a group for people with obsessive disorder!) There will be a buffet. I have some idea what will be served, so I wrote down a plan. I don't expect to follow it exactly, but I will try to keep it moderate, and keep serving sizes in mind. No seconds! Fortunately dessert is usually quite small.

[B]Bill[B], good morning. Your post appeared a few minutes ago. Costco is amazing--and not very useful for someone living alone. (A friend took me there a couple of yeas ago when it was just me and the cat and dog.) Bravo for stopping the sampling at any point! After reading that Dr. Beck was on CNN, I googled around, got to one of Dr. Beck's sites and saw a TV spot on her which was done before the new book. She spoke well. I also listened to a part of a radio show she did. Everything she said is in keeping with her books. It's just different hearing it said out loud! [I]I just[I] read your comments to me. Thanks. I am going to write down my plan in advance, and sit down, etc. I am struggling, though, with an issue about making substitutions. In my mind it seems ok to switch foods. For example, if I'm eating lunch out--which I usually do when I'm at work--and I wrote down soup, a fruit, and a piece of bread, a typical lunch, and I feel like having a lowfat tuna salad sandwich, why can't I do it? (Definitely my adolescent rebel.)

Thanks for being there everyone! It's time to get my adorable Maltese out of her cage and let her run around the apartment. Have a wonderful day with satisfying food and good times!

Im here.

I caught myself planning my binges yesterday and everytime I worked my way around it, my brain started a new one that gave me a new angle. It was exhausting

I managed until about 10pm......ended up eating 3 monster sized sugar cookies, and 1/2 a sandwich.

This morning.....ate a blt at Tim Hortons and had my hand in the nacho chip bag at 9:30 this morning

The chips are headed for the garbage....I pulled my hand out to post here
I have no more cookies (also tossed) The only thing that may tempt me is the ice cream. However its just too cold to eat that stuff, so Im ok with that.

I knew this was going to be very difficult. Compared to my past reactions to this emotional upheaval.....I did very well. It's a quarterly event, and has gotten better since I dont have to actually see the "ex" in person.

So as Im typing, Im remembering that I am giving my experiences the power they shouldnt have. I have control, I control how I feel, I control what goes into my mouth.

Say Oh Well, and start right back to it right now!

Thanks for reading everyone.....Im feeling a bit better now

Good Morning Coaches

The kitty woke me up at 9am. Seems I was sleeping in too late; she was right. I head into the school tomorrow (if I can find my co-workers phone number! yikes!) for the day. Much work to be done there and still much work awaits me here. Hard to believe this long holiday stretch is just about done. Boy did I need it.

The buses are still on strike here but the federal Minister of Labour has ordered the union to allow a strike vote on the proposal passed in front of them by the city that the union did not want its members to vote on. There will be repercussions down the road on the Minister's move to do that I suspect. Consensus is the workers will vote yes for it but I am not so sure. Not being a bus driver, I can have no real idea what that contract means to you if you are a bus driver. OTOH I would love to be able to get on a bus again and go where I need/want to go. This is getting very old.

I feel much better today, more hopeful. I'm about to walk over to the mall and get some stuff and the day is bright and sunny out there. A good day to get out. I'm going to write down my food for the day and I am back on track 100% and that's that.

wndranne Thank you for writing about writing down your food. it is important and today I will do just that. All of your posting about the new book makes me really want it. Thanks for your supportive words too. Sometimes I just feel so hopeless but I do know enough that it is just a mood, just feelings and feelings pass on through. And I may need to read Brain Rules too if it's about re-wiring your brain! I love that topic. Our brain is fantastic.

BillblueeyesI believe Costco is selling Dr. Judith Beck's new book and I have been trying to arrange a trip there with my friend to pick up a prescription for me at their pharmacy which means I will be in their store (I have a membership).I got their magazine mailed to me and it had an ad with her book in it so I hope to get it while I am there. Costco. DH worked there for almost a year. It's all strategically planned and, of course, nothing is an accident. Their sales keep going up and up and up. They hire older than average workers, and pay them above average wages, even when you start, with regular opportunites to advance within the company...they promote from within. if you are looking for a job look there. If you are in a position to be '"forced to do retail" go there. A drawback is scheduling though. They say you can keep another job as they only hire you part time but really, they expect you to be available when they call. Most people accept it for the wages and the other stuff and hope that the next time people are made permanent and full time their name will be in the hat. Why did I tell you all that? Well, hope you were semi-interested. DH left that job to work for himself as an online poker player. He did that part time while at Costco, and made more money online that at the store, and so it goes, 3 years later, as he pays my way through school plus all household bills. and THAT is another story. Thanks for reminding me I succumbed to sabotaging thoughts.

lilyyoung First off congratulations on the weightloss! WooHoo!
You are smart to write your food down. I am doing that too now. And I understand the feeling of not wanting to follow that which you have chosen for yourself too. Perhaps you need to make it okay for yourself, formally, in writing that you are allowed to substitute x and x and x? That way you cover your actions and remain on plan defeating the "I can never do this" & etc. sabotaging meanies? Also, when I am starting something new and learning it I DO pay much more attention to it as I am learning how to do this. Your focus on your plan is normal given you are just beginning again. It'll ease off as you get in the swing week and week after week. Don't fret. And as you have skills in dealing with OCA issues you are more than equipped to catch yourself if you go to far. Trust yourself. You know.

And to all other Becksters, lurking and reading, have a great Sunday...hope you get a "day of rest".

I have the Beck Diet Solution in book form then I got the CD version. It is great and very motivating to listen to in the car.
Cheers

Coaches
I'm not really sure why I haven't been on here (just one more thing to do and I couldn't handle one more thing, I guess), but I'm looking forward to being back. I am happy to say I made it through the holidays (although they were very depressing due to this being the first set since Ross and I have separated and my brother passed away. Exercise helped me immensely and I don't remember the last time I've ever enjoyed or needed exercise as much as I have lately. I am really enjoying that and taking advantage of it. As a matter of fact, I spoke with my dad yesterday and he has offered to pay for me to join a beautiful local gym here in town for the year! So sweet of him. Interesting, because he told me that when he was going through his divorce from my mom, the gym was such an integral part of his survival. Kind of cool to connect with my dad about that.

Have spent some time @ the movies with the kids (Marley and Me and Bedtime Stories) and made good food choices there and throughout the holidays. I went shopping for new jeans and went from a size 12 to a size 8!

My weight continues in a downward trend, although slowly (which I am perfectly fine with!) I have made a commitment to myself to run a 1/2 marathon on May 31st!

I have continued to be in touch with some old guy friends from college which makes life a little bit interesting, although stressful at times too.

Oh and for New Year's Eve, I went out BY MYSELF! Went to a bar that I knew was going to have live music and ended up dancing the night away and having a blast! It was really scary to do, but I've never been so glad that I pushed through my fear and did it. It was incredible to usher in 2009 by myself, it felt like such a huge milestone.

Oh, I ordered the new Beck book (the older one is overdue at the library and I've already renewed it as much as I can) and it should be coming any day.

I intended on doing personals for all posts since the beginning of the year, but I'm thinking now that it might not be the most realistic thing for me right now. So, I will start tomorrow

Looking forward to being back in touch with those I've already "met" and looking forward to meeting any newbies.

Here's to a FANTASTIC 2009 for all of us!

Good afternoon buddies. Well the best laid plans went down the drain. I did plan on spinning yesterday,but my cold got the better of me and I went to bed earlier than I planned.

I also got on the scale and boy was it is shock. I cannot believe how much I have gained since I have been home for winter break. But that is okay..today is the start of a new day and new week. I am on plan today and am journaling. Dh says that when I journal I do alot better.

I do appreciate all your comments and they do help. We go to sam's wearhouse...or at least I should say I send dh as I have a hard time there with the samples too. So I just try to stay away. When I do go with dh when we get near the food area...I put dh's hands around me as I am pusing the cart...that way I can't get to the food. LOL. It does work.

Still trying to stay positive...the scale set me back for a few minutes..but that number doesn't rule me...I am more than numbers on a scale.

Well need to go as I do return to work tomorrow after the dr. appt. I will let you know what the heart dr. says. Have a great day.

Coaches/Buddies Another on plan day. Seven down. It is getting to be habit, and a lot less energy and white-knuckling is required. Right where I need to be. I just keep making lists and checking them off. Almost boring after the burst of energy needed to start this plan.

Things have settled down enough that I made an exercise plan/schedule for next week. I'm a little sore from the lifting yesterday, but not terribly so, so I think my plan is pretty doable. Running three times, lifting twice, and one each bike and swim, which I made optional if I'm sore and need to rest. Dinners are planned for the week, which should make the rest easy. Lunch is packed and clothes laid out for my run tomorrow, which is my first day back at work after holiday shutdown. Kids go back to daycare, ahhhhh, so I should have some whine-free time again.

Bill We mostly get diapers at Costco, and now formula, and a short list of other stuff. Thank goodness they don't take our credit cards or we'd just be hosed. I think I mentioned DH has a little problem with buying too much stuff there.

Lily I hadn't updated my profile in ages, so thanks for asking about that. I have a daughter, 3 years old, and a son, 7 months. It was fortunate that I picked up a sport (triathlon) for a hobby, because it really helps me to maintain. Losing is all about the eating for me though. There have been several debates on the Maintainer's Forum about what food planning/counting etc counts as "obsessive" and what is a necessary reaction to an unnatural food environment (I paraphrase). I hope you find the right balance for yourself.

RobinW I hope you gave yourself credit for holding out until 10 pm. That is an accomplishment when dealing with issues. Good for tossing the offending foods. One thing I used to do during the Big Loss was just go to bed when I wanted to eat at night for illegitimate reasons, so I'd just sleep the cravings away. Once upon a time I was an insomniac, so this was a big deal to me.

onebyone Bad/unhappy moods always feel to me like they will last forever. I have to work to remember that they pass, as long as I let them. I'm really good at wallowing in it if I let myself, so I don't. Sounds like you aren't either. Glad you got outside--that helps me as well.

golfgal7 I never thought about the CD version in the car. I could rip it and put it on my iPod. Hmmm....

Kim Good to see you back here. I understand not feeling like you can handle one more thing. Sounds like your life is taking a lot of positive turns and I'm looking forward to hearing more about how you are making this happen for yourself. Congrats on your downward weight trend.

Chris/angelmomma210 Have you been keeping up on the meteor shower scale theory? But seriously, it is a new day, and a new start and it sounds like you have a great attitude about that. Journaling is a good step. I hope you get what you need from your doc.

See you guys tomorrow!

Anne

PS It is raining here tonight! Very nice change-up for us.

Hello friends!
Some personals: it is so hard for me to keep up... I love reading it all though and try to contribut when I can. I go back to school tomorrow (although we got a few inches of snow this evening that is supposed to melt... not typical WA weather patterns lately...). I am bummed since I love styaying home but also do much better with the structure of going to work so, in that way, I look forward to it. I have my arcs typed out and a few response cards as well. AND I am "wiing" alot too.. very fun. I feel motivated right now and plan to run off several copies of the check off list to begin tomorrow (from the new book). Kudos to me...I also chopped up veggies for lunches this week and made an asian inspired chicken number in the crock pot for me to eat for lunch as well.

Maryblu: I do the netipot! I LOVE iT! My doc a few years ago recommended flushing with a baby syringe..I bought the syringe but never did it-too gross. Then Oprah had someone show how the netipot worked on her show-they actually demod it on th eair..there is also a youtube vid of someone doing it. I hate actually doing it but love how I feel afterward.. sort of like exercise! Seriously.. try it..I used to get sinus infections quite frequently..now i use that thing when any inkling of a cold comes around..

I did not see "Judy" on CNN but read something that she wrote... cannot for the life of me remember what it was..but she signed it "Judy" and I noticed that also-she is SO Judith to me and always will be!

welcome Lily! Good for you to adjust the points according to hwat you think your body needs..

RobinW-good luck tomorrow.. I know how hard it is to get past emotional eating... you can do this!

onebyone: I feel your pain... I am just now gearing up in my head after being in your mindset for several months. I did a lot of damage in those months. I am just now doing the first stage in the new book and printed out my arcs and response cards and so it is super fresh and motivating to me to think of REALLY thinking about those advantages. It is so hard to care when you just don't but if there is any way to distract yourself or get past this-is this the girl time? Hormones could be coming into play as well.. I wish that I had the magic words.. I understand and totally struggle the same way.. we can do this... What is your biggest reason for wanting to eat healthfully/lose weight? lol at the woman who made cat nip mice out of doghair ...

BillBlueEyes: I LOVE Costco but always end up going out the door with more than what was on my list. LOL at the sample server etiquette coach...