Welcome to the discussion group, support group, diet coach group, diet buddy group relating to the two books by Dr. Judith S. Beck:and the first bookThe Beck Diet Solution is a psychological program, not a food plan. It provides a step-by-step program to learn specific techniques to stay on our diet, lose weight, and maintain our weight loss for life. The program is based on Dr. Beck's clinical research in Cognitive Therapy (CT).

The Complete Beck Diet for Life expands the earlier work and includes a food plan with suggested menus. From the cover:This is a place to discuss the Beck strategies and our daily efforts, to receive and provide support, and, for some of us, is where we serve as on-line diet buddy (coach) to each other.

If you’ve arrived from a search engine, you’ve landed at the site of 3 fat chicks, a remarkable place for those interested in a healthy life style, including mindful eating, exercise, and weight loss. More about the site, including how to register so that you can post can be found here.

The books are available on Amazon through the 3FC store by clicking their names above; buying through 3FC helps to cover the costs of running this site.

Previous Beck threads on 3fatchicks.com:

Beck Diet For Life/Solution – March 2009 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Beck Diet For Life/Solution – February 2009 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Beck Diet For Life/Solution – January 2009 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – December 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – November 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – October 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – September 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – August 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – July 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – June 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – May 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – April 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – March 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – February 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – January 2008 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution – December 2007 – Group for Support, Discussion, Diet Coach
The Beck Diet Solution - November 2007
The Beck Diet Solution - October 2007
The Beck Diet Solution - September 2007
The Beck Diet Solution - August 2007
The Beck Diet Solution - July 2007
The Beck Diet Solution - May/June 2007

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Left half a potato on my plate at dinner just because I didn't want to eat it. CREDIT moi. Just did it even though I knew that meant it was destined to be thrown away, wasted. Just like that was no big deal. CREDIT moi again just because that's still a new skill for me. Would love to think that means it will become easy to do. Maybe I'm in a new phase.

Nice long walk after work after a few days of short walks or none. CREDIT moi. Perhaps still feeling the afterglow of a good workout the day before. Whatever, I'll take it.


maryblu - Waving. Read that the Red River is receding. Hope all is well. Our papers report that, in a blinding snowstorm, on a swollen river made dangerous with ice flow, a man had to be arrested for being out in a canoe. Now that's attitude.

Robin (RobinW) - Waving back.

Anne (wndranne) - Kudos for getting back in the pool, and Yep, Double Kudos for going swimming when the air temp is 40 degrees. Shuddering here, I am.

Yep "ginormous muffins" have ginormous vocal cords to call your name, LOL. Good for me to be reminded that along with that super feeling in the body after a workout, the mind is subject to "a sense of entitlement after doing something hard."


Tera (twilit tera) - Thanks for the pointer to the article on tendon tears. Kudos for not tuning to food for sadness and anger. That's big stuff. Yep, "making bad choices will make an already bad situation worse."

Kim (bennyhannahmama) - Just WOW on making an offer on a house after only 10 minutes even while entertaining your mother. Kudos for staying focused. And Kudos for all the other dancing broccoli strategies followed. Sounds like a very good day.

davidette - Kudos for leaving half a piece of cake; I haven't yet left a dessert item on my plate. Yay for arriving home ready for healthy foods.

ChinaMaine - Neat that you have a well thought out plan for skipping snacks; doesn't sound like you're exposing yourself to hunger like I was thinking.

YMMV => Your Mileage May Vary. An old Internet way of saying This thought may not fit your situation.


Susan (jivingandthriving) - That's pretty powerful to be hypnotized when listening to a tape from a prior hypnosis session. Kudos for allowing hypnosis suggestion to stand down binges and for allowing sane choices when eating out with company. Also Kudos for the fruit in place of dessert. And just WOW for, "I feel like I am someone else, without the compulsions that drove me before."

Thanks for the reinforcement about core strength.


Readers -

tera Kudos for dealing effectively with sabotaging thoughts! CREDIT medical researching; the more you understand, the better your treatment. Good luck finding a more enlightened doctor. I hate to say it but sometimes fresh out of med school is better, as long as they are not focused on paying off their loans!

jivingandthriving Glad to hear the hypnosis is having good results!

chinamaine new low! OP! Very impressed with your ingenuity in emailing study articles. It's terrible you suffered so long but unfortunately it's not uncommon. Having worked in the medical field, not to mention my mother being a nurse, I've heard horror studies my whole life. Taking responsibility for your health! Most people have blind faith in the medical profession, who are just as human and fallible as the rest of us.

anne 40 degree swim! Whew! planning, reading, preparation. You really ARE set to go, in every way. Perhaps a preplanned healthy treat on work out days? It helps me tremendously to preplan a weight watchers cake or smart one desert as a reward for getting through a challenging meal out.

kim countering perfectionist thinking; that's a struggle for me too. Love the broccoli chorus line!

bill wasting potato; that's an advanced skill I'll need to work on someday! Kudos on increased walk.

CREDIT dinner at in-laws last night; stood down food pushers, turned down multiple deserts. A+ for planning and execution! Gets easier and easier as long as I make time to prepare and focus.

Hurrying to get to the gym for step class to all!

Morning! Just a quick hello and hopes for a good day for all.

New low at 153.8 but tenuous so have to be reeeeaaaaalllly careful today. Just found out company is coming again today so am keeping my fingers crossed that she will be willing to eat in tonight and not go out, so I can control the food. Wrote up my plans for the day and hope to stick to them.

Anne, 40 degrees!!!! You are amazing! I admire your stamina.

Bill, much credit for potato disposal and of course for the long walk.

Off to

Good Morning Becksters.

I've been doing my wii fit (credit moi) and trying to get all my meals in (70% success there) and I have had some good days and some bad days. What's more consistent is how freaking busy I am. I can use this little guy to describe it I have everything coming due in a few weeks. I am trying to plan and move forward with the summer art in the park show that landed in my lap about a month ago, and unsolicited I have a job interview this afternoon after class for a digital media teaching thing--basicially they want to see an outline for a stop motion animation course so I wrote out the one I attended as a workshop proposal for the fall. All other course outlines for the fall are due to so I wrote these up as well.

Many things pressing in on me and my body is just holding on to water as a result. I saw the wii fit tell me I was up 5.7lbs one day and then another 2.4 the next day. I saw 268 on the scale. Today 265. I guess the tides are receeding.

I just keep learning (am I learning?) over and over that if my food is not #1 with me it quickly sinks below my radar until I get a jolt like a 5lb gain.

On the plus side I was very close to taking the bike over to the gas station and pumping up the tires. if the tires get inflated I will want to sit on it and ride it right? That's the plan anyway.

Gotta go. Stuff to print out before I head off to school.

Have a great day Becksters.

Hi All! I read some of the recent posts in March and was ready to reply and the thread was closed!! It's April already?? Anyway, Happy April Fools Day everyone! I survived Sunday skipping all meals and snacks between breakfast and dinner. Kudos moi. But on Monday I overate fantastically out of a sense of being deprived. On Tuesday I normalized and stuck closer to my plan. So I'm down to 161 from 163 a few days ago--Kudos moi. I have been reading and doing the workbook about mindfulness and anxiety--the one about mindful eating is on it's way to me from Amazon. I've also been doing Beck's workbook. I was having a great deal of difficulty working on both things at the same time because I saw some contradictions between the approaches to life's problems. I've decided to think about Beck's approach as working on breaking old habits. If I can really establish some new habits, especially in regard to eating from stress, feeling entitled, and my behavior when eating out--it will become easier. I have to remember it has not always been one enormous struggle. There have been times I haven't struggled as much--either because I was eating whatever I wanted and ignoring the weight, or because I got into a habitually controlled eating pattern for a long time. Have a great day, everyone!

Bill…those are good credit.

Maryblu…hope that all is going well there.

Robin…Hi.

Anne…good job swimming….that is one thing that I love to do but do not have a pool close.

Hi to everyone else.

Now for me…Another a-fib this week. Will be seeing the dr. and will find out if I can drive my school bus or what. I am scared because if I cannot drive don’t know what we will do as dh still doesn’t have a job. EEO got his package and we will see what happens there.
I know that worrying doesn’t do me any good…but I am so scared. Will let you know what happens…still do plan on trying to have the ablation (surgery) this summer.

Tuesday Report (another week is speeding by)

100% OP (food, supplements, pool, AI, careful moving, electronics, bed, 3FC)

Extra Credit: Finished updates to resume (waiting on feedback) , continued positive self-talk . Walk to laundry center and back x2 .

WI: steady with 0.2% rise in BF

Mood is a little better today. Homework is stacked up a bit, but it's not as bad as it looks. Just need to keep my priorities straight and meet deadlines.

There is a definite feeling of pressure from too many variables unresolved. The apartment managers are supposed to do a "walk-through" of our apartment to establish that we are not going to completely wreck the new one before they rent it to us, but we haven't heard from them since filling out the application. Being that there's a minor problem with our account balance to straighten out, I'll be taking a walk down to the office today.

Since we don't have a "hard line" and my living space doesn't really accomidate a "home office" when I interview I'd really like some specific time frame for when I'll be moving, it might effect my hire date, or even my chances at the job. I plan on putting as much of my paycheck (near all of it) toward medical expenses.

Susan (jivingandthriving): Hooray for the improvements you've seen since hypnosis! Good luck talking your company into eating in. I find usually, if I approach with a specific plan, people are open to the idea - a lot of folks are pressed for cash and will take a free or inexpensive home-cooked meal to expensive restaurant food most days.

ChinaMaine: for new low and for On Plan!

I'm sorry that you were sick for so long! And thank you for understanding me and offering so much encouragement. I'm teary-eyed now, and grateful.

Robin: back! Glad you're still kickin'.

Anne: for swimming!!! and...

Interesting muffin lesson... I'm sure there's a broader application there...

Kim: An 8.5 broccoli day - that's fantastic! I love seeing your check-ins, even on days you can't do personals. for the new house!!

Bill: for leaving food on your plate! for long walk!

Once again, your Beck quote is perfectly timed for my circumstances. I don't know if you have some kind of random quote generator, a systematic approach to posting quotes, or if you just select things you think will speak to us. I just love the craving/rash analogy, and I don't think it appeared in BDS.

Davidette: I'd thought about finding a younger doctor in my search. Doctors are required to renew their licenses periodically, right? But is there any incentive for them to keep udpating their training?

onebyone: Hang in there, hon... summer's on the way.

Lily: I just want to ask you some questions to help you uncover the reason Sunday's famine led you to overeat on Monday... I understand that you were feeling deprived, but think maybe you haven't uncovered the reason for those feelings of deprivation...

Did you remember to give yourself credit for doing the hunger exercise? What did you eat for dinner that night, and were you satisfied when you finished it? What sort of thoughts did you have leading up to the excessive eating, and did you use any self-talk to counter them?

Try to think of your difficulties now, not as one enormous struggle, but as a whole bunch of small daily struggles. Each time you're facing your stress, or access to unhealthy food, or any other temptation, deal with just that moment, that temptation. If you overcome that temptation, don't forget to take a moment to congratulate yourself. If not, then analyse it as an experience you can draw from next time.

BTW, haven't heard in a while... how is your BF doing? Still well, I hope.



Chris: I can just imagine your frustration. Every time you think the heart condition is under control... My thoughts are with you, and I really hope that you get healthier and your hubby is able to work again soon.

Have a good day, all. I'm setting out to have one of my own. It's starting well with the discovery that my hubby has successfully networked our printer.

a quick hi tonight while watching el nino on KidTV. got a nasty, nasty stomach bug and dropped a couple of pounds that somehow have stayed off. (yay.) there was a possibility that i would get depressed and fall into a binge-y couch-squatting cycle, but that hasn't happened. had that first afternoon with the cheetos and my tivo, but nothing off-plan since. yay again.

am thinking about the fact that for the first time in a long time, i have a little space to consider what i want to do next (instead of just doing.) just...thinking, like about the full tuition i paid years and years ago towards certification as a life coach, and never had the time to finish the coursework. about the 3 books on passing the ACE exam that i bought but never had time to read. about the 1/2 dozen people i was informally coaching on weight loss the last few months. maybe it's time to look into becoming an actual diet coach, like for a job. not sure if i feel qualified and if i'd feel more qualified closer to my goal weight? or if i'd be able to make enough? (haven't figured out what "enough" is. replacing old salary? covering expenses?) i talked with a recruiter about the IT consulting - she thinks things will pick up in 8-12 months, and i should consider shifting my niche from tactical to strategic enterprise work, which sounds super cool, but would require 25-30% international travel. so, hmmm. haven't really looked into what's happening locally yet, want to give myself a few weeks to finish up the house (check out my tile work! it'll need another 24 hours to dry before i grout) and then i'll get serious about what's next.

a lot to think about right now! it's weird - unemployment doesn't feel like i thought it would. it's good to have somewhere to go and things i need to do when i get up in the morning. also having the prospect of making a living doing something that i feel so incredibly passionate about almost makes my head spin. i love cakes, i enjoy business consulting, but helping other people find their happy place with weight loss? holy COW that would feel good. really good, like finishing a 1/2 marathon good. i'm nowhere near close to a decision-making point - but what are your thoughts?

Anne Wow swimming in 40 degrees – credit indeed! It’s good to hear that your new tracking method and reading are helping. Hope the muffin tasted good… I’m sending you all the good vibes I can!

Kim No worries about the personals – and you are right to set the perfectionist thinking aside. It’ll only sabotage you in the end. Congrats on the Beck-work and spontaneous exercise. Credit for doing your best in light of a difficult food day – hunger is not an emergency…

Bill for leaving food on your plate! Could you compost extra food like that so it doesn’t go to waste? Or aren’t you supposed to compost cooked food – I can never remember…

davidette on the successful meal with the in-laws. You were amazing!

Susan Congrats on the new low -

one by one Credit for exercising – making it a daily habit is a critical component so congrats! Being op 70% of the time is worth a credit too. Keep working on it and you will make that a habit too.

lilyyoung I’m glad the experiment was a success, credit! But ouch for the reaction on Monday – I can imagine doing the same thing... But you are back on track now and the scale is showing it, so

angelmomma I hope the doctor has good news. You and DH are in my thoughts.

Tera 100% op, walking to the laundry center and positive self-talk! I’m happy to help in anyway I can.

Coaches/Buddies I faced my fears and got out on my mountain bike this morning. Credit moi. I was pretty timid about it, with lots of rocks and cacti inches from me, but hey, you gotta start somewhere. I was rewarded for my efforts by seeing a group of 5 mule deer and a beautiful desert trail.

Food was 90% on plan. Deviations were hunger-based and reasonable choices, so hey. Credit moi. And as promised, no giant muffins.

Tomorrow I'm running again. Last 2.75 miler until I step up to the last week of the C25K program with 3 miles.

Kim Wow! 10 minutes to an offer on a house. It musta been perfect. Congrats on the find.

Bill Hooray for wasted potatoes.

davidette Nice work on the food pushers! I continue to be jealous of your ability to do this stuff.

Susan Enjoy your new low. Hope your dinner guest situation went well.

onebyone You always seem to get yourself into these stressful times. Wanted to check in with you to make sure it is because you find it challenging and exciting, and not because you are trying not to disappoint others.

Nice work with the Wii. Have you unlocked any cool new stuff yet? DD is loving the penguin flipping.

Lily Closed thread! How's that for an April Fool's Day surprise? LOL. There's always more than one approach to how to deal with things, and while I generally like Beck's CT stuff, once in a while, I find something that just works better. So I do that. Hope you find the right path for you.

Chris Hope that you get your condition under control so you are able to work. That has to be adding to your stress levels.

Tera for 100% + EC. Love that. A plus. Sending you best wishes on figuring out your new apartment and home office space.

Jean Glad you are taking the time to breathe in and out a bit and think about where you want to go next. I predict that will make a big difference in getting something you really like. Sounds like you have some exciting possibilities.

ChinaMaine Your take-out sounds yummy. Good job being OP!

Anne

Dr. said that the meds are not working and is putting me in for the surgery. Will not be able to drive until I am stable. YUCK

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Lunch at my desk was not only on plan, but extra credit because it emptied three (count them, 3) containers of leftovers from our fridge. So, CREDIT moi thrice. There's big credit around here for reducing clutter in the fridge. Since my healthy journey, our poor fridge seems to stay rather stuffed with all the fruits and veggies that I go through.

Had a neat NSV; happened to notice that I had just run to make a crossing light. I would never have run at my old weight self. It's a gift to be able to do it - especially to do it without thinking, like a little kid running to get something he wants.


Jean (kuhljeanie) - Congrats for losing a couple pounds; Double Ouch for doing it with a "nasty, nasty" bug. And Kudos for going through the classic What Color is my Parachute thinking.

onebyone - Ouch for consistently "freaking busy," including interview for yet another job (Yay - recalling that you were once concerned how you could make a living from art). Kudos for wii fit'ing your way through it. It is indeed the season for bicycling.

Anne (wndranne) - Honking Kudos for getting your bike out on that "beautiful desert trail". Love the thought of those 5 mule deer.

Tera (twilit tera) - Kudos for the extra walking - even if its to the management office to resolve accounts.

Yep, I like Beck's quotes myself. You guessed correctly, the random generator is what quote strikes me that day.


Chris (angelmomma210) - I'm so sorry that you have to go for your surgery soon instead of this summer as you had planned. Sending my best supportive thoughts.

davidette - Thanks for the concise thought, "Gets easier and easier as long as I make time to prepare and focus." And Kudos for standing down the food pushers.

ChinaMaine - Neat that you're using your trips to Portland for ethnic lunches. Hope you get a chance to do the Ethiopian; I just love that injirea bread, and love that it's made from teff - a rather healthy grain. Just looked up Berbere spice yesterday; it's cheaper to buy it in 100 pound sacks, LOL.

Yep, the abandoned potato went straight to our compost. It helps me to think of food as not being wasted, but as feeding our pet worms.


Susan (jivingandthriving) - Congrats on the (tenuous) new low. And Kudos for writing up your plans for the day - seems like a great first step to being "reeeeaaaaalllly careful."

Readers -

jivingandthriving New low!

Onebyone This really struck a chord with me; I seem to do really well if I make the Beck plan a priority, but when life intrudes, as it always does and always will, I drift right back into my old ways. I am still resisting the concept that dieting will always have to be first. The good news is we know what we need to do now, and we recognize we need to do it sooner! A 5 lb. jolt is just a pinch to get on that bike! I think working activity into your day, taking the stairs, walking the long way, riding your bike for an errand, is a great idea to work exercise in without having to find a time slot!

lilyyoung to new habits! reading different diet books; pondering the contradictions, experimenting and deciding what's for you will all help maintain your focus.

tera 100% OP!

I need to tattoo that on my hand - you seem to be handling the pressure quite well

I don't know all the details, but M.D.s are required to get continuing education credits, which means they can write off attending a conference in Hawaii and sleep through a few presentations. Generally speaking, younger docs are more enthusiastic about thinking outside the box; the down side is they are often focused on bringing in $$ and establishing their practice. Older docs are usually more dismissive of new ideas as they have seen new treatments eventually proven to be no more effective than, only more costlier than, the standard. We are right back where we started, you have to be your own advocate. You are doing the best thing, researching on your own and learning from experience what works for you. Finding a doctor who will take the time to really listen is a major coup! Just my opinion, and you know what they say about unsolicited opinions!

kuhljeanie focusing on possibilities rather than fear. You would be good at anything you attempt wholeheartedly; the stumbling block would be the economic feasibility. Letting your ideas simmer for a few weeks while progressing on the house should help solidify your next direction. Your tile looks fantastic! I've seen amateur tile work and you are no amateur!

chinamaine OP! CREDIT making ethnic food an adventure; that's what I call conscious eating! Recently I was watching the "skinny lady" in our group eat and noticed that when she is not talking, she always chews slowly with a thoughtful look on her face, and guesses the ingredients in what she is eating. I always thought it was a little distracting when she would suddenly blurt out "cinnamon" but now I realize she was doing a good thing, one I should emulate more, albeit perhaps silently!

anne mountain biking! I saw bikers jumping and racing over rock formations in Sedona and was amazed at their fearlessness (or recklessness!). I salute your courage!

Bill double hitter with OP clutter reduction. Does feel rather virtuous to use up leftovers. Thanks for the reminder to notice and appreciate the changes in activities of daily life - the joy of movement!

DH has planned a long weekend trip to a Mexican resort. Not my cup of tea, but he needs and deserves a vacation and the price is right. This means I need to try on bathing suits It's not until 05/29, so my immediate focus is on not freaking out and trying to lose a lot of weight all at once. It's all about making healthy habits, weight loss is a side effect. It's supposed to be a vacation, not a stressor! My weight is going down very slowly, about 1/2 pound a week, and it's more important to ingrain these healthy eating patterns than crash and burn. I have to fight my tendency to set my goals too high. I definitely need to plan some yoga classes to keep my balance.


Today is spin class, I'll picture Anne ahead of me and cacti on the sides, and a few people I don't care for as mule deer!

Wednesday Report

75% OP (food, supplements, 3FC, careful moving, AI, electronics)
Oh, well. Had a late visit at mom's house and was in too much pain to stretch.

Extra Credit: Walking down to the apartment manager's office. Not pushing myself to do exercises that would probably hurt me.

WI: up 1 pound with 0.2% increase in body fat

???

Jean: I'm glad that unemployment is going better than you thought. I expect once you've had a chance to choose what you're aiming for and orient toward that, you'll find that you are much better off than you were in your old job!

In order to know how much you need to make, sit down and get a tally on your expenses. Count in annual stuff and give yourself a little space for covering emergencies. Once you have a figure, you'll be in a much better space for selecting your next career move.

ChinaMaine: for OP. Hooray for varieties of ethnic food.

Anne: for getting out of your comfort zone and onto that bike!

Chris: when is your surgery scheduled for?

Bill: for leftover use. for running "without thinking".

Davidette: I welcome opinions, especially yours! I do hope you're able to find your cup of tea on that vacation in Mexico... there's more than one way to relax South of the Border.

I go now. Feeling blue, but I'm hoping a nice OP smoothie breakfast and a productive morning will help that.