Hello there friends,
I plan to at least do a quick check in each day-I need to keep my head into being a Beckie!

Bottom line, they think that Henry has hepatitis. They wanted to hospitalize him but I chose to bring him home after being pumped with antibiotics and vitamins intravenously at the hospital. He gets LOTS of meds here but can be with us and in his comfort place. He is keeping the meds down which is GREAT but the true test will be when he gets a blood test tomorrow or the next day to see if there is any progress being made. Yesterday was the ultrasound and that was a long day (emotionally and physically...for me too!).

As far as how I am doing...for several days, I was not eating enough calories but I didn't feel like eating much. Tonight, I got ahold of some chips and am now forgiving myself for indulging. They tasted good but it was so weird to be in that feeding frenzy place in my mind (and mouth and stomach, etc..). In a strange way, it felt good to be reminded about how bad it feels to overeat so much. I was NOT paying attention to hunger or my reasons for losing weight, etc.. it was rebellious and felt out of control but then I stopped and am now drinking water and trying to be gentle with myself.

Credit moi for: cooking some healthy and delicious soup (from Cooking Light-Chickpea, tomato and spelt-it is tasty!), and keeping some of that pasta/veggie number that I make in the fridge. I have also planned out dinner for the week including cooking 2 new dishes with plans for leftovers for lunch. I am also scheduling exercise in for the week. I have been slacking on reading my ARCs and am getting back to it. I like how I feel being lighter/healthier than I was...I would like to continue on my path.

Bill BE asked about my daughter's bond with Henry...she thinks of him as her brother. I have presented it as him being very sick and we are doing everything that we can for him. We are going to appreciate him, love him, keep him comfortable and hope that he can heal. He might die soon. She is so wise for her 5 years and tells me that crying won't make him feel better, etc.. She hugs him and talks to him but is not freaking out or anything. She did yell at him the other day, "Henry!" and then brought her voice to a sweet and soft voice, "Henry, I love you and I don't want you to die..but your head is tickling my leg and I don't like that...".

Sorry about all the dog talk on the Beck list... it is what I am dealing with and what is on my mind.

Onward and forward! Til tomorrow, Heidi

Walked big time (24k steps) in our California-like, sunny day yesterday. What a joy! CREDIT moi. Acknowledging that I just gave myself credit. CREDIT moi [recursively, LOL].

The Give Yourself Credit strategy helps me to feel the little, daily gains, which helps me to feel being responsible for my actions. It remains a struggle for me against the Sabotaging Thought that it's demeaning. Thanks Heidi for getting us started on Program-day 4. Do others find this difficult?


MaryBlu - You are so good at reducing Beck to its basics; "Do A, and X will happen. Plan ahead so you can do A." Hope you continue to keep us all grounded.

Heidi (hbuchwald) - Hepatitis, Ouch Am so touched by your daughter's sweet words to Henry; that's a lot of wisdom for a 5 year old. Keeping all of you in my thoughts as you administer the medications and await the blood tests.

Double kudos for keeping your head clear about eating during such difficult emotional times. You seem to be spot on with your response to get back on track after the chips. Thanks for the demo of great Beck form there.

And I'll be by for a bowl of that Chickpea, tomato, spelt soup. WOW.


Erika (eusebius) – Kudos for completing your hunger experiment. Isn't it mind boggling that you only felt discomfort up to level 2 (out of 0-10)!!! What a lesson to learn about hunger. Kudos to Beck for designing that exercise.

Sue (CoastalSue) - Waving. Hope you continue to remain on plan.

Readers - "Certain ways of thinking make it difficult to follow a diet and to maintain weight loss." Beck, pg 25.

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Hello All,

Heidi, You are raising a very wise and compassionate daughter-Hope the that Henry will soon recover.

Ok Bill you keep having better weather than our "sunny" calif. Actually we have been very cold, rainy or foggy. On a rather dreary day, I told a tourist it was sunny because I could see a hint of shadows on the ground. She laughed but since it has been so cloudy even a hint of shadows is sunny to me. So glad you can keep walking outdoors.

I am finally worked out my current my food plan. I plan to reserve a "fun" calorie count 3-4 day a week. I'll preplan the majority of the food for each day, record each bite but now have an allowance of calories for fun, spontaneous treats on some days. I am trusting that my desire to lose will ensure that I maintain an honest evaluation of my spontaneous bites. It is bit unbeck-But since I have been losing over a year, I am trusting my skills to limits overindulgence but will be including some portions of the calories for mindful, spontaneous, enjoyed and most importantly a modest amount of treats. I have taken off 3 lbs of regained weight from the holidays, so I am hopeful this will work for me.

This is my current experiment-can only do it and see if I am successful but I am happier having this small of stash of "unplanned calories yet accountable calories" and am starting to lose weight again. I thank Heidi for the story of the kids eating straight sugar once it became forbidden.

Like the line from a song from Kiss my Kate- But I am always true to you (Ms Beck) in my fashion.

Thanks to everyone is responding to my struggles-especially you MaryBlu-I have had to work hard-as many of us do- to release the traumas/pains of of the past for which food as served as a misguided attempt to self comfort.

many thanks to all and good food thoughts
sue

Greetings, Beckies.

I think we are all seeing progress with Beck..some within ourselves, and thanks to the forthright postings, we are witnessing it in our fellow Beckies as well.

Heidi: "it was so weird to be in that feeding frenzy place in my mind (and mouth and stomach, etc..). In a strange way, it felt good to be reminded about how bad it feels to overeat so much. I was NOT paying attention to hunger or my reasons for losing weight, etc.. it was rebellious and felt out of control but then I stopped and am now drinking water and trying to be gentle with myself."


Credit, you! That awareness is progress.

Erika, waaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy credit you! I had an opportunity to skip lunch because I was way past lunch time, and I was so hungry, I caved...I thought about doing it for a minute, but maybe it is because I hadn't planned it as my "assignment"........dunno, but I could have had that one checked off the list...oh, well, day 12 approaches.

Heidi, I am glad you are keeping dear Henry at home. It seems to me even more important to keep your pets with you for healing than your family, 'cuz you can at least explain to a person that he/she is better off in the hospital (Perhaps). So sorry your daughter has to learn this life lesson so young; wow, she sounds wise (and patient) beyond her years. Credit, you.

I was really loathe to discuss day 4, choosing a diet and back-up, because it seems that we (the collective we on this site, but dieters in general, too) focus so much on food, diets, limits..can I "have" this, am I "allowed" this. ..that mentality and that perfection mentality is such a trap...I am thinking of a slogan....

It's not the diet.......

"It's the behavior, stupid"

How is that??

24k???WOWWWW! That is a lot of walking BillBE! Kudos to you!

My dad came over today and took us to lunch and then we went to the park and he, my daughter and I played basketball, walked around the school (daughter rode bike) and played tag. Nothing like playing tag with a little kid to get us all moving and laughing.... it felt great. I am in WA and WE are even having the sunny weather today (sorry Sue!). Usually we are the ones saying that it is bikini weather when it is 60 degrees out. The sun affects me physically so it felt so good to get out into it!

I ate a bit unplanned since we went to lunch. BUT be went to Applebees and they have the new WW menu going on and I chose the tilapia since I don't get much fish into our diets and it sounded good. I feel good about it and am now replanning dinner based on what I ate at lunch. I still feel good about my plan and the tilapia was mediocre. Oh Well!

Sue-I love how you are sounding about planning the fun/spontaneous food. Yes, for me, it is so important to balance food out and not make anything forbidden but everything in moderation. I like the food pyramid way to look at it...driven by our bodies' needs and good, balanced and healthy being most important.

Maryblu-thanks for the slogan! I also have such a hard time with "diet" and "good food/bad food" and "allowed food", etc... we are in the driver's seat! I can appreciate looking at a diet plan that has a structure that fits with what I want for myself and my eating. I am not giving the power to the diet-I am choosing the "eating plan" for myself and choosing what I put into my body every single time. It is hard to get away from the other kind of thinking since it is everywhere! I am even more keenly aware of it having a young daughter. I want her to love her body, care enough about herself to feed it good food and enjoy a good treat periodically. I don't want her taking in all of the ideas around "thinner is better". I am attempting to tell her and, most importantly, model to her, that "healthy is better" and "balanced is better".... it is really tough though in this culture!

Quick dog report: Henry seems to be acting more perky! He was so excited to see my dad which is more his typical behavior. No clue if that means anything until we get blood test tomorrow. I find myself even telling him that he is healing his liver.... visualize the cells regenerating Henry.. It is to help me feel better of course but it can't hurt!

Til tomorrow, Heidi

Heidi - such good thoughts about your daughter and modeling for her. How old is she? Mine is 4, I figure it's never too early, since it's sadly pretty common for 8-year-olds to go on diets these days Glad to hear Henry is doing better and i will continue to pray for him!!!

maryblu - thanks!! I am sure you will do the experiment when the time comes. Love your slogan!!!

Sue - great idea to have some calories reserved for spontaneity ... you are doing so well, i am sure this will fit into your plan just fine!

Bill - major credit à toi (c'est correct de tutoyer??) for your great walk. how long is 24K steps? Long enough i'm sure LOL!!

Well, I had a bit of a rough day -- not diet wise thanks to ms. beck -- but depression wise. I have been looking into applying the cBT techniques to the rest of my life. I knew about them before but they just seemed a bit shallow ... you know, pat answers for everything ... but I think they can really complement the yoga and meditation techniques I already use.

Wishing everyone a great week (and weighin!)
Erika

Off on a four day business trip. Before I began my journey on a healthy lifestyle some 28 months ago, I would have looked forward to the eating, i.e. over-eating. Now, I'm spending time emotionally formulating my meal plan for long evenings with guys from work starting with FREE appetizers at the hotel's happy hour, followed by robust dinners at chain restaurants (like Red Lobster) that always include drinks, appetizers, coffee, and desserts. Mornings will start at the hotel's FREE breakfast buffet. Lunches will be at a cafeteria of many choices. Some 10 restaurant meals, some 12 snacks away from my stash of soy nuts and apples. (It's telling that even though all of my meal expenses are reimbursed, it's the FREE food that draws my attention.)

If you will kindly keep your support for my eating plan in your thoughts this week, I'll feel that and report my eating back here to my online diet coaches (over the hotel's FREE web connection, LOL).


Sue (CoastalSue) - Kudos for your thoughtful food plan that includes planned treats. I'm so grateful that you're attacking the issue of retaining some of the fun of food while remaining on plan. Looking forward to hearing how it works.


MaryBlu - Love the slogan, "It's the behavior, stupid." Will add that to my Response Cards. And good news for you; talking about choosing diets is back on Program-day 2. That's over, all done. We're now on "Give Yourself Credit." Would you care to publicly give yourself credit for your focus on staying on plan and your thoughtful contributions to the group in your postings?


Heidi (hbuchwald) - Kudos for ordering tilapia at Applebee's. It does call for extra lemon juice or something since it's a bit bland on its own - it ain't salmon, LOL. Good news about Henry, will continue to send positive thoughts awaiting the blood tests.


Erika (eusebius) – Kudos for dealing with rough days without using food. It's encouraging to hear that your success with Beck makes using CBT in other areas more acceptable, since I'm hoping to use CBT on my clutter. And thank you for "major credit à toi (c'est correct de tutoyer??)" (Oui!!). 24k steps is 12+ miles; it was four different walks, just basking in the unusual California-like January day.


Readers - "The Beck Diet Solution takes you through a six week process to change sabotaging thoughts (that cause you to stray from your diet) to helpful thinking (that will lead to success)." Beck, pg 25.

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Completed Beck Program-day 42. You’ve met your goal. Congratulations!

Maryblu: LOVE the slogan.
BillBE: You continue to be a walking inspiration.
Heidi, Sue: You both inspire me.
Waving at Ann and Cammie. I miss your posts.
It is a beautiful day here in Houston. I plan to make the most of it with yard piddling, bird watching, sun soaking.
Beck's suggestions are finally working for me. I lost 1.5 lbs for the week and feel determined to continue working on the behavior. Happy Monday everyone.

Hello Fellow Beckers from Nashville TN!

I'm a newie but I really believe the Beck diet is the best thing for me.

I'm a bad binger. Does anyone suffer from binge eating?????
I hope the Beck principles will work for me.
Thank you all for being here.
Yeeeeeha Spiritangel

Beckies!

Yay..we have another new member. Welcome SPIRITANGEL. I think you will find as you read Beck, there are many, many applications of CBT to binging. You will do the Advantages Response Cards to constantly remind yourself of what is in it for you personally losing the weight. And you will craft your own responses to counteract the urges. On pg. 26 of her book, you will see:

"The Thought Comes First

You may not be conscious of it, but you always have a thought before you eat..."

The idea, then is to find the helpful responses to talk yourself out of it. I don't mean to make light of this; if it were easy, none of us would need to be "studying" Beck.

Erika, CBT can help with depression! In fact, it was first used for treating depression. If you have the book, read Dr. Aaron Beck's forward; he addresses this on page 10. I understand what you are saying about it seeming pat, and you all know that is the part I love..the just do it part...I am not making light of this at all, but I keep going back to finding that people who get the botox injections to get rid of frown lines get happier! They stop frowning, cuz they can't and they get happier......it may be they look happier and people respond to them accordingly, but it is apparently true!

BillBE...well, yeah, OK.....creidt moi for whatever it is you said ...lol....actually, I am pretty proud of myself to have found 2 helpful passages from Beck tonight.

Regards to all; I echo the sentiment that we miss Ann and Cammie..and Nighthawk, are you circling around out there? You must be nocturnal; we can't see you!

Hi there friends,
Erika-my daughter is 5. Yes, it is scary how young some girls now are concerned with their weight. I teach 5th and 6th grade and I see it in some of those kids. I have experienced CBT helping depression! In a therapy session, in my experience anyway, it wasn't as structured as this book/program for eating. The therapist would respond certain ways to what I was sharing about and, over time, I began to think differently. Brainwashing? No-but it sort of sounds like it the way I explained it!

BillBlueeyes: Good luck on your "free trip". That is a huge challenge! Restaurants, FREE food, away from the routine, possible peer pressure??? Bring those cards! We will be thinking about you and hoping that there is some yummy and free food that is something you want to eat on your plan. My mom lives in Boston...she LOVES the cold weather -good to know that there will be lots of snow there. We just got a dusting here...

SuchaTwin: thanks for the compliments. Keep up your hard work! I love it when the scale shows some evidence of my body changing.. same feeling with a loose waistband or shirt that bags over that didn't use to, etc... NICE!

Welcome Spiritangel: yes, the strategies here will work for most any behavior that a person wants to change.

Maryblu: Thanks for your thoughts-you always give great insight. I definitely appreciate the quotes from the book that you and Bill provide..

Doggie seems like he is improving!!! I am THRILLED about it (and exhausted still from it all). Test results will be back in a few days but overall, he is feeling better and the vet thinks that he is looking better as well.

Credit moi: read my cards today (aloud and with feeling! ), drank plenty of water, ate on plan, gave SOME credit to self. I need to exercise... what do I say to myself? "I am really tired.... I deserve to go to bed early and get some sleep." Response: I have decided that I want to take good care of myself and my body needs to move. No Choice. Sounds cheesy but whatever works huh? Tomorrow is Tuesday.. I will do a video or the treadmill for 20 minutes. It is now in my calendar scheduled in.

Til tomorrow, Heidi

Helllo everyone,

Just a short note-we have had some roving power outages plus our local server has had a lot of trouble today, -bottom line just could not post anything today until now. I had written on day 4 and lost it, so will try again tomarrow.

BillBlueEyes-hope the free food extravaganza is not too temping. I know you have some excellent skills which you have master so well during the last 6 months-plus while free- chain restaurant and hotel breakfast food just are not up to your dinning standards! Hang in there!! You are the guy who likes $45.00 a lb cheese.

Maryblu-Love how you are really getting into and sharing the messages in the Beck Book. Just got my copy back and will soon join you. Here is one hard point for me-While I agree that a thought does come first, I have become a master of hiding them from my consciousness. My friend asked me what my sabotaging thoughts about eating slowly-I honestly don't feel I have any because I am so delighted when I remember to eat much more slowly. I actually like to eat more demure versus like a lumberjack who been starving for days.

Erika-depression is a difficult feeling which can make everyday tasks even harder. I agree in the power of meditation, along with exercising you-yoga, me -swimming. I have occassionally used meds along with therapy at really tough times. A book which I have found helpful is "the Mindful Way through Depression" by Williams, Teasdale,Segal and Kabat-Zinn. It kind of a cross of meditation and cognitive therapy. Good luck in find the right tools for you.

SuchATwin-great success using Beck to lose some weight. Ain't easy after all the holiday to return to eating moderation.

Welcome SpiritAngel This is a good spot to work io the skills to not binge and eating more like the thins.

Heidi- great news about the pup. Much Kuddos for doing the exercising. I have taught and raised a family know that feeling of being so mind tired yet not have moved and exercised. Tomarrow I am meeting a friend at 8 o'clock at the outdoor pool to swim. Burrr is my main concern. It is in the 50's that time of day.

Right now my food plan with a bit of calories for impluse food is working well for me. Little impluse food in the house, but have gone to coffee and had a treat, had a bit of stuff at work, ect. While I do plan each day menu and record every bite, I just don't feel so restricted. So far so good about not triggering a binge or mindless eating pattern. Quite a learning process to figure out what is going to be the right long term food plan for myself.

a wave to everyone
sue

SPIRITANGEL

And, in case you haven't received a proper one:

Welcome to the Beck Diet Solution discussion group, support group, diet coach group.

Feel free to jump right in, say to post a few top items on your Advantages Response Card - or all of it - to let us get to know you.

Waving all the way to Tennessee.

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Completed Beck Program-day 42. You’ve met your goal. Congratulations!

Diet Coaches: - Boston area snow caused my flight to be canceled, so my trip is postponed two days until Thursday; kindly shift your good thoughts accordingly, LOL.

The snow was beautiful - wet snow that covered branches and made post card like scenes. And then broke limbs of trees from the weight. I saw bad damage to a neighbor's Dogwood tree, sad. However, I took a vacation day so that I could shovel wet snow all day rather than frantically shovel in the evening as it was freezing - a good strategy. I had a pleasant day; the sun was out. I worked my arms better than a gym session. CREDIT moi. With a straight face DW insisted that there wasn't a single gram of edible food in the house since I wasn't expected for dinner, so we walked to a Bangladesh Restaurant. Split Goat Korma, Bangladesh vegetables, basmati rice, and a Mango Lassi (mango, yogurt, milk shake). Good walk; great meal; on plan; good practice for my upcoming traveling. CREDIT moi.

Sue (CoastalSue) - Sounds like the planned calories for "impulse food" is working so far - great, congratulations. Smart plan that you're keeping the impulse food out of the house.

MaryBlu - Kudos to you for accepting my kudos and for acknowledging that you're pretty good at helping us on this board. Is giving yourself credit somewhat difficult for you?

Kitt (SuchAtwin) - Congratulations for your weight loss and for making Beck work for you. Are you backyard bird watching or heading out to a special place?

Heidi (hbuchwald) - Thanks for introducing the word "brainwashing." That's one of my more powerful Sabotaging Thoughts to bag the whole Beck approach; it motivates me to construct a Helpful Response: CBT is a recognized approach to be respected. Negative thoughts are a common attempt to denigrate ALL personal achievements; ignore them.

Great news about Henry. Hope he continues to improve. Of course you're exhausted, so kudos for you for keeping your focus during emotional and physically trying times.


SPIRITANGEL - I share your hope that the Beck strategies work for you - they're working for a bunch of us.

Readers - "Any reasonable diet will work for you if you have the right mindset." Beck, pg 19.
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Completed Beck Program-day 42. You’ve met your goal. Congratulations!

Wow! Thanks so much for my welcome. I never got that on the OA board.
You Sheilas are mighty inspiring. I've been listening to the Beck Diet Solution audio cd. I got it off itunes and I really love it. I listen to it while I go for a walk around the block.

I really believe in CBT! I'm setting my goal of 5 pounds and am going to reward myself with a new haircut. I really hope this works for me. I got married four months ago and have been binge eating badly.
Once I start- I tell myself that I can't stop until I'm stuffed.

I'm so tired of the thought that 'I've blown it now I may aswell just blow the whole day and stuff myself'-----------This type of thinking has got me fat, made me depressed etc......

Thanks so much for the welcome again.
I look forward to getting to know you all.
Blessings
Spiritangel x