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 (3FC), 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.

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

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Had one extra snack - Ouch - but only one, CREDIT moi, when the urges were to snack continuously. I was thwarted by a dead battery which I should have predicted since I hadn't used our second car in two weeks and its old battery can't last that long once the cold whether sets in. I had to change some plans; turned out not to be a big deal but it did raise tensions and the reptilian part of my brain thinks snacking solves tensions.

I feel like I'm reporting on the progress of a child learning to walk, LOL. Yesterday's adventure was to attempt stairs with one foot on each stair instead of lifting both feet firmly up to a new stair before going further. It's much faster, although I have to use my cast leg sideways since the ankle doesn't bend front to back. I love tiny milestones of progress since, apparently, patience isn't my thing. I'll label that exercise and take a CREDIT moi.


onebyone – Congrats on the sale of your woodworking print - especially since strategic delay caused the sale. Ain't it so, "Long term relationships are really mind blowing." LOL at "Here Lies My Garden" tombstone - DW needs that every year when she finally tucks it all in for the winter and our lush becomes bare in such a brief time.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – I'm encouraged that your DH is enjoying Team of Rivals - I requested it at my local library (just love requesting library books online as conveniently as buying on Amazon). Kudos for meeting your goal for 30 Day Shred with Double Kudos for modifying to fit your needs.

Debbie (Lexxiss) – LOL at your pup eating six tortillas. Yay for pup driven exercise.

Beverlyjoy – Ouch for a ruined pot; Double Ouch for soup not made.

maryann - Yep, Kudos for stopping at a five pound gain and working it off. Welcome to the modern world of the iPhone - I'm still a holdout who uses his cell phone strictly for an occasional person-to-person call. As if it had a rotary dial, LOL.

HaleyJu - Arriving home time was always my worst; it was cheese and crackers time with a blind eye to the ginormous calories involved. It worked for me to do my gym at that time. Wishing you well to find your own solution.

Chickbury – Ouch for an office manager pushing cookies so that it was a professional obligation to eat one. Office food is never on my plan. Kudos indeed for making the distinction "between my stressful day and the unplanned treat."

Readers -

Hi Coaches!

Really on the run here this morning...work comes early. I AGAIN forgot to weigh as I headed down and tended to the dog. I actually came back upstairs expecting to weigh but couldn't find my DH.... I went backdownstairs to find he had slipped into the downstairs bathroom just after I came out to feed the pup. I walked right by and noticed the light was on but thought I had just left it that way. lol at losing DH in an old Victorian house. credit I just weighed-post coffee and smoothie. A higher number to be expected anyway. Yesterday I made mindful choices at lunch and even more mindful choices at the evening potluck. credit. Packed my lunch this morning even thought I surmised I'd be too busy to eat it today. Better safe than sorry.

A study quoted in Thin For Life by Anne Fletcher says that the typical American gains a pound during the holiday season. Which is less than I would have thought. But the scary part is that the typical American doesn't lose that pound. That's how people who aren't really over eaters end up overweight as they get older.

So, my goal is to weigh on January 1 the same as I weighed on November 1.

Unfortunately, I'm starting at a deficit because, due to sloppy eating and sloppy thinking, I gained four and a half pounds in November! Well, some of that may be due to muscle development, but until I get the sloppy eating under control, I'm not going to accept that as a permanent gain.

I'm putting a note in my Tickler file so that I'll set the same goal next year, only on November 1 so I don't start out behind.

WI: -0.1kgs, Exercise: +0 1415/1600 minutes for November, Food: 100 %op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

Hi coaches.... yesterday was healthy until bedtime, when I ate extra unplanned food. I can't change the past... moving forward today.

I coming to the winddown of my headcold. It's spread to one eye - all crusty. I don't think it's actually pinkeye. We'll see tomorrow which 'direction' it goes. I have an appointment anyway Tues to have a followup on my bloodwork numbers.

DH brought home some Hershey chocolate syrup. He loves chocolate milk. I put in on the fridge door behind something else - so I won't see it everytime I open the door. He's now out to get 'something sweet'. He's not overweight... yet, he can eat a whole bag of candy. Not fair... Oh well. He told me he'd hide it from me. I can usually find it, if I look. I need to stay out of it!!!!

We might get out the Christmas decorations this weekend. I am really not up for it, however. Maybe tomorrow.

Some credits for yesterday: planned/measured/logged food, did exercises, had lots of water, weighed myself, and ate slower.

billbe - oops on the second snack. Yep, it's really easy get those sabatoging thoughts right away when something unexpected comes up. You getting around so well is great.

lexxiss/debbie - LOL at 'losing' DH - glad you found him so quickly. Kudo's for weighing in even after breakfast. Also, for all your good choices and preplanning!

gardenerjoy - you have a good goal. Only one pound gain during the holiday season sounds low...but, my thought is coming from the brain of an overeater of nearly 50 years. Carry on.

Have a great day.

Happy Saturday Becksters

I had a good weigh in this morning which always makes a person happy, doesn't it? And it motivated me to go to the gym and get a killer workout. In which I noticed myself in the mirror and even though I've lost only a few lbs since starting on this journey in Sept, I've been working hard at exercise and wow it pays off in how you look.

I wear a pedometer and managed nearly 8000 steps today too, more happy dancing. (Sorry BBE, you'll get there!). However I overdid it on the takeout bbq tonight, after a solid OP day. Okay - progress not perfection, and I just get right back on track. Cornbread was my undoing, sigh. That, and I do still wrestle with "I worked out so I EARNED it." That math, a thousand times over, doesn't really work, at least not for my body. And reading Beck closely again, I caught something I hadn't clicked with in the past: to my body, a calorie is a calorie. Meaning: my metabolism may know I exercised, but it doesn't know that I feel entitled. It is what it is. (sadly: lazy!). And I must remember that it's just a math equation to my body, no emotions involved. I may feel virtuous and deserving of a reward, but my metabolism is just a boring accountant* and doesn't care.
*Only people trained as accountants can make boring accountant jokes LOL.

gardnerjoy thank you for the reminder about holiday weight gain. Keep telling us b/c the temptation racket is going into high gear and we need our defenses up!

Beverlyjoy Oh don't you love to hate those hollow leg people. I imagine most of us never had that going on at any age - I didn't anyway. It is amazing how out of sight out of mind can work and how seeing it can ruin things if you're feeling week. My dh favors fattening cheeses which are my kryptonite. I hide them way in the back of the fridge and amazingly, can mostly forget they live there. It blows my mind how he will completely forget even if it's right in front...like, nah, I don't want cheese. OMG how can you not want cheese LOL. I hope he hides the candy well! And don't look for it!

Chickbury

Coaches

Got into a bit of a free-for-all with the food today. I'm still not 100% physically but it's getting better. Just queasy now. Think I'm adjustng to the new glasses and/or a bit of bug has got me. It could also be some anxiety making the stomach churn. Who knows. I *do know* that this too shall pass and nothing stays the same. Platitudes that are all too true.

So I left breakfast too late, but I did have it *credit* tracked all my food *credit* and I'm all right. Lots of sweet round-shaped things were floating around me today and I partook of them all. I thought it was ok and I think I was in a celebratory mood given I got through my sales/public events ok for the most part with only a few minor glitches.

Really glad today is over.

I do find myself pouring the pressure on me. I just feel like I have to get things done now. Get serious. Do everything to the highest order. I just feel Age breathing down my neck. This too shall pass, these feelings and this intensity, I know. I'm probably overly sensitive as my birthday just passed,but it doesn't change the age that I am. So I need to work on coming to terms with this. And by this I mean Everything. Sheesh. I'm back to pressure again eh? Think I'll get to bed.

Bye for now.

Hey there Beck chicks. My name is Georgia. I've been a 3FC member for a few years. A couple years ago I bought the Beck book and workbook, then promptly misplaced them during a move just a week later. Today I got motivated to move my home office out of my bedroom (in an effort to declutter and destress my bedroom) and I found the books! Woo hoo!

I think it's time I joined in. I'm going to start reading tonight. See you in the morning!

Hi Coaches!

I remembered to weigh this morning....perhaps only because I didn't give the pup his meds yet, but I will. Food choices were pretty good yesterday although I am thinking that I need to make a work/lunch change because I'm feeling bored with my usual, especially since oranges aren't reliably good yet. We travel today and will encounter a church potluck first off. I will make good choices.credit.

Georgia(geoblewis), glad you found your book and I see you have already joined us on the decluttering thread!

Chickbury, love the "simple math"!

Georgia (geoblewis)

And, in case you didn't get this nearly four years ago,

How did you first hear about the books by Dr. Judith Beck?

And how did you find this Beck Forum on 3 Fat Chicks?

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, including pan fried tofu in our dinner. DW mixed cultures a bit by combining tofu with curried okra. Turned out to be a tasty combination. She doesn't serve tofu often so I look forward to it.

I cancelled two different errands to avoid the light snow. My recovering broken leg is able to do many things, but getting out of a difficult situation, including getting up from a fall, isn't among them. The crutches are not stable on wet surfaces. I kept waiting for it to stop, but it kept coming. CREDIT moi for making the wise choice rather than charging out where I could create a situation that required help for recovery. No exercise; Oh Well.


onebyone – Congrats for getting through your "sales/public events ok" - you often write that those things can be tough for you. Self applied pressure is so difficult to respond to. Yay for bed when that's the right thing.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Love the notion to maintain a constant weight through the eating season. It's a sobering thought that each year adds a permanent pound.

Debbie (Lexxiss) – LMAO at losing your DH in your old Victorian house. Yep, "mindful choices at the evening potluck" is Kudos worthy.

Beverlyjoy – Thanks for "I can't change the past... moving forward today." My brain doesn't always remember the obvious.

Chickbury – Kudos for 8000 steps (he said with envy). Love the thought that you can see the results of a killer workout. Discovering exercise is just one of the best things that's happened on my new journey.

Georgia (geoblewis) – Yay for serendipitous book discovery! Arranging your environment is one of the unintuitive Beck strategies for helping stick to our plans. Kudos for bounding ahead. Glad you've joined us.

Readers -

Food was good except for a tiny bread end that I ended up eating while standing when I was fixing supper -- indicative of the sloppy behavior that I'm trying to fix right now as we head into the holiday season.

Credit for inventing two dishes to make supper from the pantry when Plan A didn't work out. Credit for doing most of the reps in 30 Day Shred with my new 4 pound dumb bells.

WI: -0.75kgs, Exercise: +50 50/1400 minutes for December, Food: 85%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

onebyone: I'm relating to everything you say. Is it something about creative work? I found that now that I'm taking my writing seriously that I could ALWAYS be doing more than I am. I've had jobs in the past that were pretty intense, but at least I went home from work at some point. Now, I never do. Which doesn't mean I'm always working -- just that I'm always feeling pressured to work.

Welcome, geoblewis!

Lexxiss: I'm not buying oranges yet, but I am eating honeycrisp apples and pomegranates.

Hi coaches/becksters/friends - yesterday was on plan - grateful. I used my resistance techniques to not eat the tortilla chips I wanted when they were in front of me. The same for DH's waffle on his plate when I was cleaning up dinner. Credits (I gave myself credit at those momenst, too). I did my journal work, read arc/rc, planned/measured/logged my food, took two meals to twenty minutes, tried to taste my food more often than not, weighed, left a bite, & took several deep breaths before each meal and snack.

I really need to work on not tasting and licking my fingers & spoons when cooking and fixing meals. Those old habits slide back in so easily.

I got out a soup pot from years ago and made my chicken soup. I need to get a new pot, however, later on.

I am announcing that I too am in love with Honeycrisp apple... but, in a good way. I eat one everyday.

The Christmas and holiday gatherings are starting to come in and be planned. Should be fun... it can be if I get my 'mind right' about all the food. I will keep trying.

gardenerjoy - credit for aiming to get the food stuff in a good place as we/you face the month of eating.

billbe - dinner sounded good. Yes... wise desicion to avoid the wet surfaces!

lexiss/debbie - mentioned switchin' up your choices a little bit. I had the same thought today about my snack. I've had greek yogurt everyday for a midafternoon stack almost daily. I know just what you mean. Today I am going for some apple and cheese. I agree... sometimes we need to switch it up a bit to keep it fresh and interesting.

geoblewis/georgia - WELCOME!! Glad you posted. Folks here are supportive, friendly and wise. Carry on.

onebyone - sorry you are struggling today. Take the pressure off yourself if you can. Sometimes it can make everything frantic. Birthdays are just a number. Lately - my philosophy is: learn from the past, plan for tomorrow, but..take it one day at a time.

chickbury - wow... so many credits. and 8000 steps!! YAY. I struggle with corn bread too. I totally understand how that good workout makes our 'foodie' mind say go ahead and eat more. BTW I did stay out of DH's goodies. YAY... (I didn't even look for the candy.)

Have a great day!

Hi,

I apologize but besides registering I couldn't find any info on how to get started with the forum. I just started reading the Beck Diet Solution and I'm the chapter on a Diet Coach, which is why I'm here. Hopefully, I can use this forum to begin and travel on my journey, but I need a little push right now.

Any assistance is greatly appreciated. Forum tools, how to use the forum etc...

Thanks!

Coaches

Food today was ok. I am tracking which is always a revelation. Mostly I tend to overestimate how much I have eaten and then feel bad, and then overeat cause I feel bad--or even if I don't overeat I tend to carry that worry with me through the day, inevitably fueling the desire to eat my cares away.

So much better to just wrte stuff down and see what's real.

Tomorrow is my first full workday at my studio. I'll still be shuffling things around but I have a high school student coming over to interview me on video about the public art project I did with a private homeowner this year. That's the fence project. She's in a film class and the assignment is to make a documentary and the fence is her topic. So I get interviewed in my studio. I think this is a fine christening for Necessity Studios.

Foodwise I cut up veggies *credit* when we got back from the grocery store. You'd think I found the cure for the common cold I was that pleased with myself. I detest dealing with veggies but it is sooooo necessary and I like to eat them, just hate to get them ready. DH has been pulling his weight by doing them for months now. Heading off to the studio most days this week and re-joining ww are good incentives to get serious about my food again. I'm ok and happy to do it.

I cooked from scratch today *credit* but ate too much fruit this evening. I knew I would, even planned it in the back of my head as fruit are 0 points--but not as much as I ate. However. 0 is 0. I am holding to the letter of the program but the spirit isn't in line so I have to watch it for that reason. Beck guidelines surpass ww when push comes to shove. It's Beck that has kept the weight off. *credit* to Beck.

to the newcomers! You are in the right place to post asking for a diet coach or buddy. We have all agreed to be each other's coach and will ask you to be ours.

BigchiefDavid BillBlueEyes, our moderator, does a little synopsis of this forum and the Beck program everytime the month starts anew.
Go to the first post here
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/beck...ddy-coach.html
which just passed (December 1st, 2012) yesterday. Maybe you've even already seen it? Basically we discuss our Beck strategies and if you are going though the workbook we talk about that too. There are always folks going through the book for the first time or the 40th time. If you have questions there will be someone around to answer. We are a very helpful bunch. Glad you've joined us.

geoblewis Hello! Decluttering and recovering things via that declutter has been my life for quite sometime. I know where you are coming from. This week I lost my glasses and my Beck book as well. I am sure they'll turn up as I continue to shift my space. I am happy you moved your work out of the bedroom. That just seems right to me. I look forward to your posts as you move through the Beck book.

Off now. Need to go read my book (Last Train to Paradise http://www.amazon.ca/Last-Train-Para.../dp/1400049474) about Flager's quest to build the railroad to Key West. When I was in Key West I saw a 2min(?) film taken from the caboose of the train as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico. Amazing. What a quest that was.

Bye!