Welcome to the discussion group, support group, Diet Coach group, Diet Buddy group relating to the two books by Dr. Judith S. Beck:

The Complete Beck Diet for Life
and the first book
The Beck DIET solution: train your brain to think like a thin person.

The 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:
With The Complete Beck Diet for Life you'll discover the 5 stages of successful dieting and maintenance. You'll learn how to motivate yourself, give yourself credit for every change you make, create time and energy for dieting, and handle hunger and cravings. Dr. Beck eases you into changing one step at a time. You'll master one task before moving on to the next. And you'll learn techniques to deal with challenging situations, such as sticking with ou plan at celebrations and dealing with "food pushers." With Dr. Beck's skills, you'll achieve a lifetime of healthful eating and lifelong motivation.

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 - Happy New Year to all you good people. May it be a grand year in every way. And, in the spirit of our common goal here, may you stay the path of your diet plan and exercise plan.

Excitement was that we didn't take down the Christmas tree. I like to keep it up longer; DW less so - especially since the falling needles are her concern. This tree continues to drink quarts of water every day; sheds few needles; and doesn't even shed when you rub its branches. It's the most 'alive' captured tree we've ever had. It'll stay up for Thursday and Friday of this week while we host the (9 yo) DGD for a sleepover.

Watched a DVD of Some Like it Hot with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemon as our New Year's Eve entertainment. Debated whether we've seen it sometime over the last 65 years. I remembered each scene as it was unfolding. Stepped out of the room for an hour as it dragged slowly along. Came back for the end, especially the killer last line, "Nobody's perfect." Fun to remember that Marilyn Monroe could act as well as look inviting.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner was sauteed scallops - "I mortgaged the house to buy these," DW assured me. We don't have them often because they're seriously pricey. "Still less costly than dinner at the Ritz Carlton," was sorta consoling. (One example, Matria in Boston's financial district hosted New Year's dinner at $249 per person plus $50 wine pairing ($40 non-alcoholic).)



Joy (gardenerjoy) - So neat to be celebrating New Year's at it occurs around the globe. Would think that to be an easy way to introduce kids to the notion of different time zones.

Silverbirch - Thanks for "return to simpler fare". Yes, the holidays are over; back to porridge. By the by, DW knew immediately that celery-root was called celeriac and where she could buy it. My report to you was a bit near-sighted.

maryann – Super Congrats for your Nike-like Just Do It, "just kind of threw my body outdoors." And Congrats for all the TRX that got you into shape that you could comfortable cross-country ski for 10 km.

curlyjax - A doctor who connects makes for good medicine. Wish there were more folks who were forced to get new doctors who won the lottery like you did.

MamaMia24601 - Just what Dr. Beck says, "a good opportunity to start fresh and get back on track." And thanks for the reminder, "It's a lot easier to come back from two weeks than two months."

Readers -

I spent the day with DD and racked up a lot of mom points. Most of it was nice- we snuggled a bit, were silly, and then talking while we folded her laundry of which there was heaps. I took some breaks to watch the last of The number one ladies detective agency- I really wish they had made more than one season, it was so well done-and take a nap as well. I had been planning to do something with BFF and begged off as I was feeling tired and not wanting to leave the house, which was fine as she's often in that mood too. So it was a quiet day and I was asleep by midnight, and slept in too. DD is having anxiety about roommate issues again and its hard to get her moving today, which is getting me crabby. I'm looking forward to the house being mine again so I can clean up and think straight. I already ate too much but at least it was breakfasty foods.
Happy New Year all! Looking forward to sharing more experiences with you all.

Happy New Year, Coaches.

I completed the xctry loop again yesterday in 2 hours. The boys arrived and we went to a lovely dinner with SIL and BIL then a drone show over the ski mountains. Quite impressive, I thought.

I echo everyone words here (and across the globe, no doubt) it is time to get back to simple fare and some serious weight loss efforts. Maintenance is not acceptable. Today I will cross country with DS despite a huge blister. I will also log my food ( which I am very reluctant to do. (Sigh) I will also join Mamma Mia in weighing and measuring.

Mamma Mia: I have suffered from depression my whole life. In my 20s I was over 200 pounds and on a psych hold for 72 hours. I have nothing but compassion for you at this moment. It is hard to believe but this too shall pass.

Happy New Year, everyone!

I started my new year with four small children. We watched the four great-niblings so that their parents could give some attention to their small business.

I came home hungry and exhausted. I fixed the first, so it's time to remember that food doesn't fix fatigue. I have some good low-key activities on my list, so that will make a good holiday afternoon.

Exercise: 50, 1415/1700 minutes for December

And here we are in 2025. The rain has been torrential today. I’ve chalked up a handful of credits which I’m very pleased about.

Sleep - not great. I’ve remembered that my poor sleep is always food-related and I’m working on it! Credit. I forget this valuable nugget of insight about myself when I’m travelling or stupidly busy. Credit for working that out too.

Food - breakfast good; second breakfast not so good but I had to try the SO’s bread experiment made with mashed potato and celeriac (verdict - very bouncy and very good, makes good toast); lunch minimal and good; afternoon snack was an unusual sweetie; tea will be OK as long as I don’t eat too much. Update: I didn’t eat too much. Credit!

Exercise - I waited until the rain had stopped and then cranked out 1700 steps, more than the day before yesterday. It was falling dusk and I went along a different route which had a lot of happy dogs and owners returning from their afternoon walk. I was fine on the walk and then distinctly felt it when I got inside. Nobly, I turned away from food, had a cup of tea and read my book with my leg up. Credit. Noblesse oblige. Not entirely relevant but I do like the idea of responsibility.

Bill, thank you for starting the January thread and our stream of supportive and helpful threads in 2025. Twelth Night (Epiphany, 6 January) is when we take down the decorations but I read recently that it was Candlemas (2 February) in the medieval period. That would be a bit late for me.

curlyjax, I like thinking straight too! It really helps. Credit for a nice day with DD. Fingers crossed that the roommate issues get sorted out soon. That kind of thing is so very wearing.

maryann, ouch for a huge blister! Is that because you’re wearing hire shoes to ski? Glad to hear you’re out cross-countrying again. It will be nice to be with DS in the snow.

gardenerjoy, small children and exhaustion are such a well known combo! Congrats for surviving. Low-key activities sound just right for the afternoon.

Coaches

​​​​​​IVe been battling a bad cold and now a gastrointestinal thing. Misery going on day 7.

The Boynton House Arts Coop is done for another year. I think I'm bowing out of that venture. Inspite of everything being as perfect as I can see I made $33.00 profit over costs in three months.
Surely there is something else I can do with my time next year?

Next week I have a CT scan so another update on my healing progress. I have no feelings on this either way in terms or good or bad results. I just don't know. I'll wait for the data.

I better go. Fading fast here. Happy New Year everyone. I join the others seriously committing to foodplans and weight-loss in 2025.

Diet Coaches/Buddies - New Year's Day concert of Baroque music was terrific. Read that our baritone was "magnificently stentorian and resonant". Had to look up that stentorian meant "loud and powerful." Delightful new word. Delighted with a piece by Johann Sebastian Bach, "Coffee Cantata." The daughter refuses to give up her coffee until her father threatens withholding finding a husband. Didn't know that Bach did humor; just know of his mathematical bent. It reflected the growing popularity, and suspicion, of coffee in Leipzig, Germany around 1734.

Super CREDIT moi for having no FREE champagne or Garibaldi dark chocolates at the concert. They're served every year; we've been many, many times. I've often had too many of the dark chocolates. Passing up FREE is a triumph for me. (Full disclosure: This year, for the first time, they served nothing FREE at intermission. Tight money or something. A detail that will not prevent me from taking full CREDIT for planning to abstain.)

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Rain all day but stopped for the time before and after the concert for walking to the car.


onebyone - Sending virtual elixirs from DW's stash for your head and gut. May your body do well in 2025.

Joy (gardenerjoy) - "Hungry and exhausted" after tending four grand-niblings seems about right. I count on you to remind me that "food doesn't fix fatigue."

Silverbirch - Bread made with mashed potato and celeriac is a new one to me. Your SO has a sense of humor in the kitchen. Love the image of your elegant cup of tea. Do like being reminded that "privilege entails responsibility."

maryann – Such a contrast between cross-country skiing in the wilderness and a drone show in the evening.

curlyjax - Touching that your adult DD can still cuddle and giggle. Such good mom time.

Readers -

Finally got DD home and got home myself. Less traffic than usual, the bonus of driving on New Year's day I guess. I talked to BFF on the phone while sitting in from of the lit up tree in the darkening afternoon. I'm ready to take everything down but I will miss the lights-maybe I can string them up on the doorway for a bit of winter cheer. I started falling into that 'what is the purpose of life' melancholy that tends to haunt me at times but shook myself out of it, that's not the way to start the new year. There are always new friends to be made, new activities to try etc. Anyhow-I managed to finally sort out a bedroom junk drawer that's been driving me crazy and was happy with the finished result. Sweets are finally out of the house and the expired leftovers will be dealt with today. Back to work and i'm looking forward to seeing everyone.
Maryann-that's quite impressive doing so much x country skiing. I'm back to logging food too.
Gardenerjoy-what a fun way to ring in the new year, with youth! But yes quite exhausting!
Silverbirch-nice to start off the new year with a good walk and then tea. Candlesmas would be too long for me too.
Onebyone-I hope you feel better soon!
Bill-that concert sounds wonderful. Interesting that coffee was viewed so suspiciously.

We're expecting a major winter storm on Sunday. The local channel says that it's too early to predict what wintery mix will get or how much. The Weather Channel seems confident with 5 to 8 inches plus more in the evening.

DH announced to the neighbors a couple of weeks ago that he was retiring as neighborhood snowplow driver. I haven't seen evidence that other arrangements have been made. In the meantime, he did put the blade on the tractor. Even if the shared road gets plowed, we can't get out of our steep driveway without further action. He may decide to plow our driveway and maybe the road, too. He just doesn't want to feel like he has to do either one.

Also, if we get ice or snow on top of ice, the plow won't help.

If the driveway isn't cleared, then we need a couple of weeks of food in the house. The long-term forecast doesn't promise weather warm enough to melt.

That's all giving me anxiety (I'm ignoring the real possibility that the power goes out). And, worse, it puts me in a mindset to procure all the food. I made a meal plan for two weeks and a grocery list. Here's a pledge to not eat food while running errands today or tomorrow. I'm buying all this healthy food -- I want to come home and eat it (but not too much).

Exercise: 50, 50/1500 minutes for January

Good Morning, Coaches.

Yesterday's New Year food did not go according to plan. Oh Well. I did eat a large salad for dinner and xtry skied. Good Enough. I bought brand new boots which are fabulous and now I can explore free sites around here. The boys say they will help me on the adventure.

Joy: I wish you could send us a storm. We are desperately dry right not. Also, It sounds like you have some great reasons to trade up to an easier house location.
BBE: Bach continues to be my favorite. Another blog post reminded me that FDA is phasing out phenylephrine - a drug that apparently doesn't work. I was wondering if that is what they prescribed DW. Probably not.
Curly: Totally understand the desire to be alone as well as the risks of it. Sadness is a tricky thing.

I have to get my tax return in by the end of the month. I had thought it would be more straightforward than previously but unfortunately not. So that put paid to my plans for the day. I’ve got most of the figures sorted out now and I’ll bring it all together tomorrow morning. HMRC (His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs - still odd that it isn’t Her Majesty’s) have been reminding me and offering help for a while, and are now getting quite anxious, poor darlings. Doing it this week has always been my plan because I thought that my life would be a bit calmer and it is! So credit for being realistic about timetabling a potentially complicated exercise.

Sleep - not great. More early waking so I’m going to listen to my insides and fast a little. That means no tea tonight which suits me fine.

Food - breakfast good; lunch good; mid-afternoon snack. I’m feeling less hounded now things are settling a little. Today I thought about the “only eat when you’re sitting down” thing of Beck’s which is one of her more sensible suggestions - if there’s somewhere to sit down. You may remember her better phrasing of the idea. And now I’ve got a room of my own again and the desk is fairly clear, I’ll think about planning food more than we do at present. The Tuesday veg boxes needs some kind of structure to get the best out of them. The danger for me of this kind of daily planning is that I get bored. But generally, though, I’m in favour of a helpful structure to allow other things to happen easily. Rather like I said the other day about my current (military-style - thanks, Bill) decluttering regime. Less faffing about, more time to do what I want to do (including eating and exercising to lose weight).

Exercise - one session of knee rehab exercises. It’s been a lovely day and I’d planned to get out for a walk but it was not to be. Tomorrow is another day.

onebyone, a cold and a gastro thing are both horrible, and worse together. I hope you can shake them off soon. Chicken soup? I think Bill knows how to send it virtually as well his DW’s elixirs. Personally, I’m a great believer in fluids, sleep and (an old-fashioned choice) a hot water bottle. That’s a shame about the Boynton House Arts Coop but I can understand it very well. Another door will open.

Bill, how interesting about coffee in Leipzig around 1734. Apparently, in London in 1657, “James Farr, proprietor of the Rainbow coffee-house at Inner Temple Gate was prosecuted for making ‘evil smells’ caused by ‘a sort of liquor called coffee.’” Yes, full credit for planning to abstain from that champagne and chocolates which didn't materialise anyway.

curlyjax, it feels good to be getting back to normal after the festive season. And good going on the bedroom junk drawer! Any plans for it now?

gardenerjoy, that’s grim weather ahead but you’ve got experience and a bit of time to get supplies in. I suppose an easier place to live would smooth out some of the challenges of bad weather in your current place.

maryann, you can’t argue with a big salad. Gardenerjoy would agree! How exciting to go exploring in your new boots.

Diet Coaches/Buddies - The (9 yo) DGD is here for two days - asleep in the next room as I type. Adventure was a subway trip to downtown Boston to see the WNDR Museum - an experience in "immersive art". Most were interactive - the lighting pattern followed one's steps or arm waves. Was fun to watch kids, including our DGD, test the extremes of the design. For the most part, Meh. I'd give high school kids an A grade for their computer designs. There are better interactive exhibits at the Boston Museum of Science. Boston was too windy for the other exploring that we'd planned making the choice to duck back into the subway to stay warm. Then we watched the DGD intensely observe the pigeons for 25 solid minutes. Holding her hand for them to explore looking for food. She later was able to describe the three different plumages. More joy in those minutes for FREE than the hour at the WNDR.

Lunch was McDonalds. I had a chicken sandwich which might have been healthy other than the 'crispy' coating. Dinner was homemade tacos with lots of lettuce, tomato, and red onion. The meat was ground turkey whose only job was to hold up all the seasons and toppings. A fun dinner with the DGD.

DVD movie was The School of Rock - a 2003 movie that she chose because she'd seen it before. Lively rock music. Fun story where the kids are superior to the grownups. Good enough. Even better afterward was the DGD standing over my shoulder looking up each of the kids of the movie to see where they were now. They were all 10-15 years old for the movie; many went on to acting careers.



Joy (gardenerjoy) - Wishing your DH happy retirement from his role as voluntary snow plow. The neighbors need to wean themselves away before you guys leave for your next housing adventure. It's hard to find the balance between preparing for foul weather and normal living. Do hope you keep power. I've read the weather predictions; some heavy stuff is going somewhere.

Silverbirch - Congrats for getting organized on the 2nd of the month about paperwork due at the end of the month. That's far in advance in my book. You're a good citizen for your attempt to soothe the anxiety of His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. My thanks to all the Europeans of the 1600's for making coffee a normal drink.

maryann – Yay for new boots - the feet need to be happy for the rest of the body to be happy. DW has purged our cabinet of pills whose only active ingredient was phenylephrine. That known placebo sold as a working drug really annoyed her.

curlyjax - Such a homage to future days, "always new friends to be made, new activities to try." You've got your mojo working.

Readers -

I ended up eating lunch at work and a very enjoyable chat with folks. I regretted my choice-a grilled cheese with American that was salty and not flavorful, and the soup was too salty too. Fruit for dessert and I abstained from all sweets all day. It's always satisfying to listen to elders who need an ear-one thing I'm good at is listening intently. I sat with one of my favorites who is quite plucky even though she's been through a lot. I meant to do my weights at home but that didn't happen for various reasons. I did get the decorations off the tree except for the lights, and got some shredding done. Then I ran out of steam. Food was meh but not terrible.
Today is an active day-we sort food donations and i'm determined to not eat anything or bring it home, unless its fruit. I've got to get back on track. A widow friend texted last night to me and BFF about dinner tonight, so that will be nice to look forward to and i'll save my calories for then.
Gardenerjoy-ugh, I get major storm anxiety too. I hope other folks step up to help with snowplowing.
Maryann-yay for salad and skiing.
Silverbirch-His majesty does sound strange! Yay for a room of your own.The drawer will remain in its capacity but its sorted out and organized with dividers. Many things that don't have homes of their own will remain for now.
Bill-what a fun day with DGD. I did enjoy that film, I do like Jack Black.

I bought enough groceries for two weeks. I wasn't the only one to think that today was the day to shop -- the check-out line ran halfway around the inside of the supermarket. I've never seen anything like it! Fortunately, that's the sort of thing that's mildly frustrating, but in a way that makes everyone feel in community with one another. It's been a long time since I've chatted with that many strangers!

I think I may leave my holiday decorations up until Candlemas. With snow falling on 12th Night, I don't think that it will feel like the right time to take them down. Given that the snow will stick around for a week or two, it will feel cozy and cheerful to keep the lights, greenery (artificial), and red bows up for another month.

Exercise: 50, 100/1500 minutes for January

BillBlueEyes and silverbirch: I read a book (maybe a biography of Franklin) that credited the Scientific Revolution to coffee houses in London. People like Isaac Newton and Benjamin Franklin gathered in the newfangled coffee houses and got hyped up on caffeine and new ideas. Before coffee, the same sort of people would have gathered in ale houses which have the opposite effect. During our trip to London, we made a point of having lunch in the space that was once the Grecian Coffee House, favored by members of The Royal Society: A Pub Lunch and a Tea Shop #London #WeekendCooking – Joy's Book Blog