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:

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Meals were OK, CREDIT moi, especially because dinner was leftover grilled salmon with grilled asparagus. I wandered out to find DW still pruning her shrubbery as dark was approaching to remind her that dinner was a tradition around here. "Ready in ten minutes," she assured me since it only needed to be popped out of the fridge. Each spring I need to get used to this again; she's lost in the weeds until she can no longer see.

Walked, CREDIT moi, to class where I learned how to drill a core sample in the bottom of an old lake to examine 15,000 years of pollen to study the changes in the environment since the last glacier retreated. Hard to believe that folks are counting pollen speck by pollen speck. There are no secrets.


onebyone – Kudos for recognizing the bottom line that drives us all, "I have deadlines to meet." Congrats that your window picture was entered.

Debbie (Lexxiss) – Kudos for resisting Costco freebies - that's still a challenge for me. Ouch for the continued issue with the tenants. And Kudos for "Glad I didn't eat over it."

nationalparker – Yay for such a productive morning doing both your paid job and unpaid job at the same time.

Karen (karenrn) - Welcome home. Congrats for the royal success in establishing that you and your DH can do this again, somewhere else.

Ani (dailypractice) - Just love “NO CHOICE” - the reply to 1001 sabotaging thoughts. Ouch for the potato chip diversion. April starts a new month.

Readers -

Coaches

I set my weightloss and exercise goals this morning. I set a short term (one month) and a long term (Labour Day) weightloss goal and a weekly exercise goal. I need this variance and the thought that meeting goals happens here and there so I need to stay on track as much as possible. This is pretty much how I live my life in general. For instance, I realized this morning I have three art exhibits opening this year: one April 27, one August 5 and one Sept 1st. I have the farmers' market weekly starting the 2nd Saturday in May and I have the two potters' guild sales: end of April and end of November. It's a good thing I didn't apply to any summer shows!

Yikes now I see the time is getting late. I'd better go. I'll be back later for personals.

Just popping in to say that I'm still here. And, state my intention to be here. I'm struggling in all kinds of ways -- all that would be helped by a bigger presence in this space. Back pain is still present and, I suspect, made worse by my current eating style. I've made some baby steps in the last few days and posting here is another one.

So grateful for this thread and all of you!

Good morning coaches,

Food was close to on plan yesterday, except for the 2 beers sitting on the patio with my husband. I got out for a walk this morning for 5 3/4 miles. It was just on the flat in the neighborhood. My cold is better already. I have a small nose and I swear my nasal passages are small, so when it is plugged it is hard to breath. I'll get back to hiking next week. I joined a weight loss challenge on MFP for the month of April. I haven't done so well with them in the past, but who knows. I am 142 right now and my goal is 137 at the end of the month. We have a long weekend in WA in the middle of the month for a quick visit to MIL, friends and a wedding. I will likely be doing lots of hiking this month cause I need to train for the Grand Canyon backpack early May. Hoping not to eat all my exercise calories.

Gardenerjoy So good to see you. It is such a bummer about your back. Is it a little better? Has this happened before? I'm hoping Spring helps your struggles.

OnebyoneYou have a lot going on with your art exhibits and markets. I'm glad you're so good, I would be hard pressed to get anything done.

Bill Your dinner sounded really good. I love asparagus and salmon. I received an Ina Garten recipe on the computer today for asparagus, wrapped in prosciutto and with Gruyere cheese on top. Not exactly low cal, but sure sounds delicious.

I need to get going and get ready for an early lunch with former co-workers. One gal has a new job that we are celebrating.

More tomorrow.

Karen

Karen Hope your cold is leaving you quickly. So glad your trip was almost finished before it hit!
You and your husband had the trip of a life time. I'm drooling. When our youngest was here yesterday I showed her National Geographic with your destination on front and good article at the end. She had asked "Mom, If you could go any place in the world, no cost, plenty of ability and energy, where would it be?" I brought out that Magazine and told her about YOUR delightful trip. That would be my absolutely favorite. No opportunity but I love hearing of yours.

Bill Thanks, I copied the Lamb and Mint recipe for later reference. I agree that today's lamb is super taste without any extras but with all the Mint in my pots, I'll still try the sauce for sure. Thanks.

OnebyOne Your schedule sounds like our middle daughter's with exhibits and work to be done to submit. She also is going to Washington DC this month for Portrait of America's Classes that she received a grant to help with expenses.
She has an enormous system of keeping track of the exhibits, Festivals, and events plus which of her paintings or photographs are at which one and for how long. Of course she keeps track of sales but the need to be sure NOT to submit a painting to a place that wants the specific thing but must also be NEVER submitted before anywhere. All those if, ands, and buts must be a pain in the neck.

National Parker Didn't realize your field is in sports. No wonder I can talk to you so easily. That is my interest, but I've never been lucky enough to do any paid work in a field I really enjoyed. I still have the spare time hobies.

Agree that the Cherry/Grape Tomatoes are the most productive as well as the most reliable tomato I've ever grown. I only got 2 tomatoes out of each of the heirloom tomatoes, and can't afford to use the limited space I have.

Oh, how I needed to come here today. The familiarity and comfort of this group of friends who all struggle in varying ways. After sailing through a few weeks of committed logging and not wanting to log crap food, yesterday I had another day of OH WELL, and just ate and logged. I face-planted into sugar, and typically that's not too tempting for me, unlike potatoes or bread.

Did NOT want to weigh and in fact had gotten dressed and thought, NO, don't start running from it. So stripped down and stepped on it and it was down - not down to below my ticker, but back at it. So now, in my attempt to foretell the future, I know it'll hit me tomorrow. Or Sunday. Extra calories will never slide by, will they?

Caught up with my brother this morning and I needed that. I wish we could have been sitting down together chatting, but the time was well-spent for me. I miss him. I have been feeling melancholy lately.

DH is working overtime now through start of June, I think, so he will be working 6/7 days and longer hours each day. I'm thinking about catching another matinee this weekend as I think this movie, City of Gold, won't be out long at our art cinema and it looks so vibrant. If I miss ones there, I add to my library watch list.

Avoided going home at lunch today so I didn't trigger eating extra food. Credit. Skipped Donut Friday [so far despite smaller lunch]. Credit [so far]. Several frosted cake donuts are left and those are scrumptious. YES, I have sniffed/opened the box. I think I do it to know when the "good" ones are gone and then the temptation is gone. But if I didn't check it and assumed they were gone, isn't that smarter? Maybe I just do it because I'm terribly nosy.

OneByOne - Good luck with all of your projects! You have a busy schedule coming up, well...this YEAR. You reminded me to set my April goals. Thank you.

Goal for scale at end of the month is 170. Goal for biking/hiking will be 175 miles. I learned to not include DH. He almost steadfastly avoids getting on the bike, despite us spending more money to get the model he wanted, rather than the inexpensive one I wanted. Only biked 129.4 miles in March. I honestly don't know that I'll have time with schedule to do that but can reset if need be, or keep it there and just see where I land. Not counting general walking (like marketing) - just setting out to walk walking. I haven't checked the detailed forecast but it's getting colder here with hard freezes coming up. Hoping they're wrong.

GardenerJoy - So glad to see you back here, but bummed that your back pain has not abated. New month!

Bill - I smiled with your line about your wife battling the hedges. With the longer days, I need to be more productive, too! Or live next to you or Love2Garden for the advice! I need to "spring up" my menus.

Karen - I feel like a complete slug - when I've got a cold, a hike (even flat) isn't on my To Do list. Great job! Tell us more about your trip - how were the people, what most surprised you? Best moment? Anything you didn't pack that you wish you had? (I used to be a journalist years ago, so the questions never end...sorry!) I think Machu Picchu is on so many of our lists, that we're enjoying it vicariously!

Love2Garden - Every weekend I've planned to get in the front garden and get it done. This weekend I'm aiming to get a PLAN done and start on the work - price out the border, etc., then I'm not immobilized by the unknown. Cooling off bigtime but that just means no sweat in my eyes. Does your DH love the gardens as much?

Ani - Hoping those chips are either gone or don't tempt you at all today. I know what you mean about Italy. DH keeps saying there are so, so many other places he wants to see. I agree, but just ... Italy! I know he'd like to go to Ireland, Spain, show me Paris and go to Normandy, Thailand, etc. there are few places he doesn't want to go. We'd planned on Belgium last year but took that off the table when flights jumped up and now with the terrorist stuff, I said I'll wait a few more years. We won't be sitting at home twiddling our thumbs.

This is my new goal - to take a long weekend and drive down to stay a few nights here at Stoneflower Cottage. Maybe camp somewhere along the way. So started an envelope to save up.

Hi all. Today I won the battle with the potato chips. Yes, they are still in the cupboard. And I succeeded in resisting them. It was about 2pm when the thought crossed my mind “Hey, what about those chip?” but instead of forgetting my resolve, I pulled out my paper cutter, and cut up a few cards from a manila envelope and I wrote my very first response card: NO IF’S AND’S OR BUT’S…. NO CHOICE”.

The rest of day was OP too. The reading that Bill posted today really resonated with me. Although it’s meant to apply to food pusher situations, I think it applies to any kind of temptation to break our plan. What great questions: "What are the costs to you if you say yes?" and "How disappointed will you be if you eat off track for the rest of the day. Those two belong on cards. To pull out when the potato chips beckon.

I so agree with NationalParker when she comments on “The familiarity and comfort of this group of friends who all struggle in varying ways”. Yes. So true. And what’s really great is how everyone in this group is on the same page as to what constitutes a sensible, successful solution… we all understand the possibilities in using CBT and the Beck approach, realizing there IS a solution, and we keep working and trying and talking back to our own sabotoging thoughts. It is so so neat to share this journey with other people who are on the same page. As I’ve lamented before, I don’t have anyone in “real life” who is on this page. Even though every second person I know is on some “diet” or other, but when I speak of Beck and CBT, I find no kindred spirits. So I really do appreciate this group.

NationalParker: That’s neat that your DH is excited about travel to such a wonderful list of places. And Wow. I checked out Stoneflower Cottage. How beautiful!

Bill: I’m amazed by the myriad of classes you take. Makes for an extremely rich varied life.

KarenRN: Glad you’re feeling a bit better. And a trip to WA: hope you have a good time. We’ll be heading back to WA for the summer in early May.

onebyone: Neat that you’re setting your short and long term goals.

Sandy (love2garden): Yay for setting an “intention” to check-in with this forum. So good to hear from you. And yay for baby steps. As to tomatoes, I sure am glad there are Cherry 100's. For a brown thumb like me, they're the only kind I’ve ever had success with. Last year, my bf set up 2 diy "earth boxes" with 2 tomato plants in each. The Cherry 100's grew 10 feet tall and produced for weeks and weeks.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Ani

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Shopping presented the opportunity to buy extra snacks. I didn't, CREDIT moi. The clue for me is that I'm drawn to the whole bag of cookies and to the whole jar of peanuts. Hot cross buns are still for sale a week after Easter. I thought those were for Easter Sunday only.

Not much exercise. I spent a bunch of time shopping at an auto parts store for stuff in the category of muffler repair. The muffler of my 19 year old Toyota, our second car, is too loud to pass inspection and the cumulative repairs needed are much more money than the car is worth. Obvious conclusion is to get another car. I'd like the muffler just to last a few months so that I can make a sane choice. I face the same choice as always: practical car that can haul stuff like a wagon or van vs. uber small all electric car that's friendly to the environment but only hauls two humans a short distance.


onebyone – That's a busy schedule of shows! Yay for making plans.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Emailing chicken soup to fight back pain. It's hard to think rationally when the back hurts. Kudos for baby steps.

nationalparker – Super Kudos for backing up to get on the scale. LOL that you monitor the donuts on Donut Friday.

Karen (karenrn) - LOL at the thought of you acclimating to walking on flat ground after Machu Picchu. [Drooling over those asparagus.]

Sandy (love2garden) - I know that tension between the joy of heirloom tomatoes and the assured production of the cherry varieties.

Ani (dailypractice) - What a terrific first response card: "NO IF’S AND’S OR BUT’S…. NO CHOICE."

Readers -

hi coaches- a quick wave! the good news is they seem to have ruled out some really bad things for DH health, so I am really grateful! But they still don't know what is causing his abdomen issues. More testing to come.
I have been really sick this week, with i guess the flu, i haven't felt this bad in years. I did have the shot last fall so hopefully it won't last too long. I can't help thinking the stress has caused this.
I won't post until i feel better but i'm reading and thinking of you all-

Hi Coaches!

I'm glad I weigh every day because I would have been disappointed this morning if it was my "once a week". LOL Food was OP yesterday so all is well. I proved to myself, again, that if I don't do my 5 min weight routine in the am I don't do it. Today, already done. Credit.

BBE, great job not purchasing the extra snacks! Kudos worthy! I'm thinking of your old toyota. Glad mine is set to rest. Lol

Curlyjax, sorry to hear you have the flu. Get well soon and kudos for reading even when you don't feel like posting.

Ani(dailypractice), yes, love the "sensible, successful solution". I am back to thinking long term recognizing how much daily choices matter. Kudos for making your first response card.

Nationalparker, good for you backtracking on your morning to weigh. I think it's great that you've decided to set your own goals for this month. It's thoughtful to include DH but I find for me it's enough to take care of my own goals.

Lovetogarden, I hope your weather continues to be good for gardening. I'm heading out soon.

Karenrn, sorry to hear of your cold. Exciting to hear you're heading to the Grand Canyon.

Gardenerjoy, kudos for posting and taking baby steps! I'm sending you supportive thoughts!

Onebyone, yay for both long and short term goals!

A busy day, but I'm already feeling more on top of things. I'm not really on track, but I'm making a path to get there.

karenrn: yes, my back is really quite a bit better. Thanks for asking -- in my frustration at it not being 100%, I sometimes forget to notice that it's so much better than it was. I've had this problem a lot in the past, but less so since I lost the weight. Of course, now that I've put back on 30 pounds from my low, it's probably not surprising that this problem recurred.

Good morning, coaches! Posting rather than stalking you today. I appreciate reading and relating to all your struggles and successes. You are all the best therapists!

I found myself googling "weight loss surgery" this morning; my niece had bariatric surgery a few weeks ago. And I thought, "what am I doing! That is crazy, expensive, and will it really help me? NO, I'm an emotional eater." Facing facts about yourself is such a raw experience.

Keep posting, fellow strugglers and achievers! You are encouraging us stalkers out there.

PairieChicken Here is hoping your niece survives and is helped by the barbaric surgery. Please, please don't do it for yourself!!! I lost a good friend hat way, not just the surgery but her depression hit and stayed, too. OUCH>

DebbieSure agree with weighing daily. Once a week would be a disaster, I'd probably never do it. Still like your 5 minute weight routine and believe this is the day to begin that too.

CurleyJax Here is hoping your DH recovers and is back to normal, and you also.

National Parker I bet just getting out and camping would do you a world of good. Go gal!

Bill Sure hope you get the muffler to work. Your old car is still valuable and necessary.

We are blessed with lots of sunshine and the flowering trees are the most beautiful I remember. What we need badly is RAIN. I had to go water some of the newer plants from last summer. Can't mulch till ground is wet and certainly can't afford to water all the gardens just to get the mulch down. Most Hostas are showing above ground, one out full in sheltered Window Garden. Trying to discover what to plant in the 5 foot by 3 foot entrance to Path Garden to be compatable with the beautiful Pink Peony that is Queen of the garden. Annuals always work, but wold like perennials that are low and care free. Brick walk way surrounds 3 sides of the little bed. ANY IDEAS?

Hi all,

I'm brand new here. I just started the Beck diet solution. Right now I am working on eating slowly, mindfully, and while sitting down. I never noticed how fast I ate, and how often I ate while standing or walking. AndI'm happy to say that even just working on this has helped! I have lost a pound! I still have a long way to go, but one pound I hope never to see agin.
I know that I will have much harder struggles in the future and am looking forward to sharing them with you all and getting advice from those who have already been through it!