Katrina, MBT's are shoes--it is hard to expain. Someone asked about them and I started searching the internet to see what they were about. The more I read the more impressed I was. At about that time I was so worried that after finally making a committment to walking that I was going to have to decrease my miles because of my knees. They are expensive but I justified it by thinking of them as equipment. That could be a stretch but I am walking a lot and my knees are great. I really baby my knees. If there is any stain on them I back off and let them heal. I have had too many friends with knee problems for me to not take them seriously.

http://www.swissmasaius.com/

My husband also needs to lose weight. He is a lot like me in that he does great, actually he does perfect which is a nasty little word, and then he spirals and eats everything without any caution. I do that too. I am starting to believe is caused by two things. The primary reason is that we are making changes that are too extreme and unsustainable and secondly I believe we feel if we aren't doing it perfectly then there is not point to do it at all. It is so hard!!

Later everyone!

Gina

Gina

Hi everyone,

I also like the Beck book-I like that she asks questions-but I get to supply the answers that mean something to me. Too many books and "advisors" have been telling me what and how to do things. I have always had trouble with a 105 lb dietitain telling me how easy to lose weight and just enjoy my 1/2 cup of ice cream, then stop. I really have to purge the house of all high carb items which call to me. It is nice to have a book which focuses on slowly retraining my misguided approaches verus inferring I am being weak willed.
Right now I am struggling with writing down everything I am going to eat tomarrow. The house is really purged of all processed high carbo food. I plan and shop each monday. We only have fresh fruit, milk, vegs and protein-fish, beef and chicken. I find some nights I am just too tired to clean and prepares some of the veggies and salads, so I just use some low-fat, low-cal cal hot dogs, no bread and packaged carrots. (my husband love hotdogs, buns and chips so he is happy.) I am very good about recording all of my food eaten during the day and will stop eating if I have reached the cal count for the day, but some days I will trade one cookies for a piece of fruit, In many ways I feel that I am mastering complusive and mindless eating, yet not pre-recoding each day as she says is important. I hope I am not setting my self up. Is anyone else struggling with some of activities.? or have you solved the struggle?

I love books on tape, where are you down loading from? It sounds like some successful weight loss recently and we all working in balance of doing some exercise.
good luck to all
coastalsue

Good morning everyone!

Gina, thanks for the link and info! I don't have any problems with my joints or knees, but my husband really does. Those shoes look perfect for him. He has that problem where he walks on the sides of his feet, and a doctor told him once that he'll have to have knee replacement surgery on both knees by about age 40 or 50.

Sue, I didn't know we'd have to pre-record--that does sound hard! (I'm going a little slowly with the book.) It sounds like you are doing great, though. I know what you mean about preparation time and energy. I have tried to prepare extra servings each night that I do cook so I don't have to do it every night. I do think it's important to have a few healthy convenience foods on hand just in case, which it sounds like you have done. Low-fat hot dogs and carrots is a lot better than frozen pizza! I would say to be proud of all these wonderful changes you have already made, and maybe just try to improve one thing each day on the activities you have trouble with.

My husband downloads lectures and stories from NPR, but I don't know about books. i think NYC and San Francisco NPR stations offer free downloads.

Does anyone feel an extra push when you get close to a certain weight? I really want to be under 165, so I feel extra-inspired right now. The 10 lb markers are huge for me, too. I went to the store yesterday, and I really felt in control of myself and proud of the food I was buying. Anyone else feel that way? Oh, and today, I am wearing a certain pair of jeans for the first time since I quit nursing (I gained 10 lbs when I quit)! Not my pre-pregnancy jeans, but still a good feeling! They are a size 10, and all my other jeans I'm wearing right now are size 12! I think they will look better in another 5 lbs, though! (For those of you taller ladies, every 5 lbs makes a difference when you are short.)

Karina, you are doing so good. A perfect size 10! YEAH! You really sound like you are enjoying the journey. Sometimes I feel great when I buy healthy food and other times I just hope that it not another fresh produce that will just sit in the refrigerator getting old and later tossed. Right now I am feeling good about it.

I am getting my books on CD from the library. I take the cd's home and download (or upload) them into my IPOD. I only have one cd left on my story now and it is getting so good that I can't wait to walk! I don't allow my self to listen to the stories unless I am walking. I was late to work today because of it so I am going to have to be careful. I didn't mention that I "grounded" myself from books because after I started a book an earthquake couldn't get me to put my book down! I am seeing a little pattern here so I will have to be careful.

Last night I planned today's meals and today I only have to check it off. This is the first time I have done this. It is on day 14. I think it is a better tool than I anticipated. I haven't been good with a journal. Just a few minutes at night and it is done and I am organized.

Gina

hi guys,

karina, Congradulations!!!!! Nice success,I also get driven to lose a set amount-"just" a 5 lb goal is tough for me-I say 5 lbs, but my mind just focuses on getting under 300 lbs ASAP-defintely by Christmas. It is always great when eating appropriately is easier than the old hour by hour struggle not to over eat. Enjoy your drive-right now I feel the same way. Nice reward to to wear clothes you could not weeks ago.

thanks for the info on down loading. We have only had high speed for a couple of months, so learning all the possible stuff.

Gina, I admire you for recording your next day menu -I will give it a try tonight-I know i am riding the" I can do this high" -Maybe the pre-recording will help when I get "tired" of the restrictions.

thanks -I just thought of some value about pre-recording my food for the future, because I know that some crap will happen someday soon and then I'll want to do some major emotional eating. Maybe pre-recording would help. But it sure seems like another boring thing to do-another task along with the other new "ought to do's" exercising, mediating, measuring food amounts, recording eat food, ect. -but love losing 40lbs and feeling better.
we are all working hard for these changes. What fun, cheap non-food ways do you reward yourselves?
luck
sue

Hi everyone,
I've been putting off the "skip lunch" day, so today I'm going to try not to eat lunch, but I really think it's going to be challenging. At least it's not dinner--I don't think I could do that one! Any tips for how you got through the day? I'm at work, which I think is a good thing (if I was at home, I definitely couldn't resist). Still, I felt like I had to bring a smart ones lunch, just in case. Being afraid of hunger is one of my major problems.

I didn't have a fantastic day yesterday; all my meals were within my diet, but my DH and I both happened to take yesterday afternoon off, which never happens, and we decided to meet at a bar downtown that has a really nice deck out back. I planned to only have 1 drink, but ended up having 2. They were larger than pint size beers, so I don't even want to think about the calories! Oh well, I'll just have to try harder. At least we didn't blow the whole day with an unhealthy dinner, too.

Gina, normally the produce goes bad on me, too, but I'm really trying to be good about planning multiple meals with the same ingredients so they'll get used. It's worked so far, so I hope I can keep it up!

Sue, I can't remember, are you close to getting under 300 lbs? Instead of thinking of them as 5 lb "goals", maybe you could plot them out on a calendar to keep you on track for your goal of under 300 by Christmas? I am very impressed by what you've done--40lbs is a lot of weight to lose, and it shows that you made a real commitment and have been sticking with it! How long have you been on this diet? Is the Beck diet helping you with it?

As far as rewards go, I just buy myself something that I can afford but that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. For this first 5 lbs, I bought a cute pair of flip flops on sale at Macy's that are white and beaded. I had a very similar (much cheaper) pair from Target that I love, but the string holding beads broke. When (not if) I lose maybe another 10 lbs and can fit into all size 10s, I will buy a new pair of jeans. I will admit I have a shopping weakness. Since I have been overweight since age 7, it hasn't really been much of a problem because most clothes I've wanted haven't looked the way I wanted them to on me. I honestly don't know how people decide which clothes to buy when they look good in everything! It's a problem I hope to have someday in the not-too-distant future!

Anyway, other things besides clothes I would reward myself with might be an inexpensive earring/necklace set, manicure, good haircut, new makeup (it's fun getting your makeup done at the department store), and so on. It's fun to think about rewards; too bad the weight loss isn't quicker!

Hello Ladies!

Nice to see you Karina and Sue, and welcome back Gina (I read your posts when I first joined this group)! And "Hey, come back!" to all you other folks out there.

Sorry to be MIA for 2 days but I ended up staying in the town where I work overnight on Wednesday, and Motel 6 doesn't have wifi (or anything else for that matter). Thanks to all for the congratulations on my first mini-goal success. I think I'm going to just set one mini-goal a month for weight and, if I meet it, I will stand pat. I don't want to get too ambitious and then disappoint myself when water weight or whatever upsets the apple cart. I *am* buying myself a present though. I decided to do a new article of clothing for each goal met, so I'm going to buy a shirt from The Pyramid Collection catalog.

I listen to books on audio too! I download them from the local public library and listen to them in the car on my laptop. Right now I'm listening to
"The Night Spider" by John Lutz (about a creepy serial killer). On the treadmill I listen to disco. It's my guilty pleasure but I find it gets my fat butt moving like nothing else. Sometimes when the BeeGees are playing, I even wave my arm back and forth like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. Goofy, huh? But it makes it fun.

Gina, thanks for the link! I'm really looking hard at those MBTs. I wear Earth shoes almost all the time because I walk on the sides of my feet and the front. I used to lay in bed at night and feel my feet pulsating with the beat of my heart, they were so sore. But Earth shoes take the load and put it on my heels, so that doesn't happen anymore. But I still walk on the sides. My mom used to call me "cush-footed" (whatever that is). I wonder if MBTs will help. Tough to do aerobics in maybe, but I could walk in them.

Karina, congrats on getting into a smaller size jeans! It feels so great to put on something that wouldn't fit before. It's almost like magic how your body changed. I feel extra-inspired too when I'm near a goal but I've disappointed myself so many times, it's like I'm afraid to be too hopeful and too glad.

Sue, I like the Beck book because it makes me think about eating in a rational and organized way. And I've had your same experience with the nutritionists! I remember one gamine little nutritionist my doctor sent me to, she cheerfully pulling out measuring cups and spoons to show me what a serving size was so I could eat that much and "then you're done." I wanted to rip her perky little head off! There's so many more layers to our eating than naturally thin people will EVER understand. And this book helps us peel them back in a helpful, neutral way. I do journal and plan though. It's key for me, or I will eat what my tastebuds and my addicted mind tell me to--which is what got me fat!

Well, I've written a book here so I'll quit. I went to my Dad's birthday party last night. I ate one piece of cake and then quit. In fact, half the cake is in my kitchen right now. When hubby and son get another slice, it's going in the garbage. That's what the book and this group have done for me. THANKS TO ALL!

HI guys,

karina, a drink on a patio is soo good. Good for you for stopping at the drinks and returning to ok supper. In the old days, I was either on or OFF. Recently I have had time when I just indugled in the moment but now I can return to my eating program the next meal or at least next day, not the next month or year as in the past.

I reached my all time high of 380 lbs and now I am 338. I really want to be under 300 by xmas. I will try to just focus on being under 330 by the end of July. I did record my upcoming day's menu and it worked out fine. I just used the journal with fit day. I will do it again, glad to hear others appreciate the tool, I really thought I would dislike doing it.-too much like doing homework. thanks for encouragemet.

The no lunch day I picked was a very busy and I was working in the garage, and I was pressured to get some hand crafts done. When my mind and hands are doing stuff I really like, I can forget the food.-doing something else food is a reason for a break. I really do not panic about being hungry any more.

You met your goal and also throwing way the cake was great. I sure find thin folks can forget about sweet treats in refrig or on the counter. If there is any sweetness in something I hearing calling to me, I fight not eating it all-I eat my portions immediately and then my husband"s part will just sit around and dry up because he forgot about it.

Plan to look up the info on the shoes, my feet kill me, the doc just oh, well you have nerve damage,-you are getting old and are sooo over weight.

thanks for listening. appreicate your struggles, solutions, and feedback.

success to all
sue

Hi All,

My assignment today is one that will resonate with every overweight person: recognizing the thinking mistakes that sabotage our good diet plans. Like "all or nothing" thinking: just like you said, Sue, being On or OFF a diet. Haven't we all done that?! Karina beat it though, when she had the beers then got back on plan. After all, beer is a part of life, and we have to learn to deal with these temptations eventually. The other thinking mistake that I can really relate to is "overly positive fortune telling": I'll just eat one bite (yeah, right...) or I don't have to record and measure, I'll just eat what I think is less and I'll still lose weight (which has never, ever worked for me). And my other big one "but I have to keep junk food around for my family to eat"--like they'll all DIE if we don't have chips, cookies and the like. WOW, have I ever been guilty of some of these!

I think I'm lucky in that I've identified myself as a carb addict and realized that the source of my overeating is fueled by that addiction. Now that I cut out processed carbs, I still get overfull sometimes (got to reinforce Day 17)but I don't feel driven to eat more and more and more because of an insatiable craving. Moving from Phase 1 to Phase 2 of South Beach will bring more discoveries for me, I'm sure, as I add back in one new carb a week and then watch my body and mind's response to it. Dr. Beck's lessons are really helping with that.

Well, Ive lots to do today so I'm going to get on with life. The strawberry cake is going in the garbage when I clean the kitchen after brunch. But first I have to do my workout and then go to the store. I hope you all have a great weekend.

Keep on keepin' on!

L

380-338 = 42 lbs. That's over 10% of your body weight, you've lost!
YOU GO, GIRL!

Instead of moving on, I'm going to concentrate on some old tasks for a while. Doing each step one day at a time has caused me to pretty much blow past things without perfecting them. For instance, day 12: I never skipped a meal to practice hunger tolerance. And day 13: overcoming cravings, I never came up with any alternatives. I still eat when I get a non-hunger craving--I just don't eat sweets anymore. And day 17: ending overeating. I overeat (by Dr. Beck's definition) almost every day. I never stop when I'm no longer hungry. I eat until the food is gone. Yes, I'm losing weight but I need to master these lessons or I'll be right back up the scale when the "diet" restrictions come off.

So I'm going to take a lesson from day 19 and stop fooling myself.

I hope this silence means you are all having a good weekend and will be back on Monday! It feels kinda weird answering my own posts!

Hey ladies, I'm back!

The trip was sooo much fun. We did a lot of hiking and some biking. And a lot of eating. I actually did a lot better than I would have before starting TBDS, though. They had some great mexican restaurants and I had the best carne asada and strawberry margarita ever. I just kept trying to think about my advantages and other response cards. I was able to skip the huge free basket of chips and shared with my husband. I'm still at 180 so I didn't gain any weight which is great. I'd like to get to 179 by Friday (my birthday) and not gain anything back.

Do we think it's time to start a new thread? We're almost at 10 pages already!

Oh, and here's a picture of the happy family on our trip. Yes it is a silly self portrait :P

HI folks,

love the pic and glad to hear that the vacation was soo much fun. your 63 lb lose is great. Bet it has made hiking and biking so much easier. I love those activities, but my 300+ has made both my joints and balance much more tricky. Congradulation on enjoying your vacation treats, not gaining and moving so much.

Lianne, I have to back over the book alot, this stuff is about changing some strong life time habits. While the "experts" are always say I must lose weight , they turn around and say I have little chance of keeping it off permanently. TBDS has really given me some hope.

Hey, any changes to improve our health is great. You have reduceed those addicting carbs. Some of the exercises are easy for me, other I just do but not really yet believe in them, and some I want to ignore( Can accidentally can forget steps some days.)
I really wined about recording the next day menu, and was not going to do it-the reponses here help me.

I figure if I can at least remain conscious of my eating that is hugh step for me. Basically food is my "drug" of choice, This 6 week program may take me 6 months for the real changes to be in daily effect. But I can say I am more positive and in control. I went to the father's day brunch with the plan to enjoy all but with moderation. I did do that. Now I can go back to my normal dinner.

thanks all for the acknowledging my weight loss, being so large, not one else has noticed it. Plus I lose from the top down, first my face, breasts, upper arms, forever for the stomach and hip to go down.

good luck
sue
don't know what another tread means and can I still find you guys?

Stacy and Sue, I am just so amazed and impressed at your weight loss. I wonder when you've lost that much weight, can you tell you're a lot lighter? I had lost all this weight before getting pregnant and then gained over 60lbs with my pregnancy, and I remember that one day, I realized my feet hurt, which they hadn't in a long time. And you know, my feet still hurt. I wonder if I lose another 10-20lbs if one day I'll realize they don't hurt anymore?

Sue, I think that remaining conscious of my eating is also the big thing for me. Great job on going to the brunch and not overeating! You know, people might have noticed your weight loss but be unsure about it and not want to ask. Or, it might have been slow enough that they are getting used to your changes. I have unfortunately bounced up and down with my weight my entire adult life. In the rarer times when I've lost some weight, I've noticed no one says anything until it is a very significant change. For me, it's usually a 20+lb loss, going from a size 12 to a size 8 before people say anything. That means going from the obese BMI to not even overweight--quite a difference, I think! Also, it seems like the the first people to notice are those who were around my original size. I wonder if people pay the most attention to those who are around their size? Anyway, I'm just rambling. I am sure that soon, you will be getting a lot of comments! I hope that when you hit your <300 goal, you buy a really nice outfit for Christmas that shows off all the work you've done!

Stacy, I love your vacation pic! Makes me want to go camping! But, not really with a 15-month old.

Liannie, I'm also taking it very slow. I think it can only help to make sure all the steps are solid before moving on to new ones. Oh, by the way, the hunger tolerance day wasn't bad at all. I went for 12 hours between breakfast and dinner, and the worst hunger pains were around 10:30 and 11:30! I never got over a "2" in hunger after that--it was really amazing. Totally made me realize that I eat just because it's "time to eat" a lot. I kept really busy all day, which helped. I did end up eating more than usual at dinner, but not more than maybe 200 cals extra. You can do it!

Well, I didn't do so well this weekend. Totally forgot about reading the cards, and I blew it last night with dinner. Just ate wayyyy too much! I didn't exercise either. I do so much better during the week, when I have more of a set schedule. I will do my best to have a better week this week!

Good luck to all of you this week!

Good Monday Morning to All!

Interesting comments about when people notice weight loss! 2 of the heavier people I know have already commented that I look thinner and I've only lost like 6-1/2 pounds. It shows a little in my face (although noplace else yet.....sigh) so I can see where they might be able to tell. When I went from above 230 to 150 back in 1989, it took about 30 lbs. before anyone said anything. I was so good at covering my body with a lot of layered clothing, that nobody could tell right away. And I can tell a difference in how my body feels when my weight goes up and down. Being 51 years old now, lots of things hurt more when I go up the scale and they hurt less when I come back down. Some things always hurt (like my feet from my stand-up job and my lower back from all the driving I do) but it sure is nice when they hurt less!

My task today, as I repeat Day 11, is to become aware of the difference between (1) true stomach-rumbling hunger, (2) eating a meal but still wanting more a/k/a "desire", and (3) a strong urge to eat something accompanied by a yearning sensation in my body, which is craving. Dr. Beck says I should rate on a scale of 1-10 the strength of the actual physical hunger I am feeling before, during, right after and 20 minutes after eating. Before breakfast today, my hunger was about an 8. I was really empty and had just done a workout. Midway through eating, it was probably a 4 and immediately after it was about a 1. Trying to assess it right now, about 1/2 hour after the meal, I was just tempted to say it was still a 1. But I realize it isn't. I'm not really hungry anymore but guess I don't know what it feels like to be "okay" instead of "full" or "stuffed". I could eat more and I wouldn't mind eating more, but I don't need to eat more, and at this very second I don't want to eat more. That could change in 10 minutes though, right? That's how we all got fat. So that's what I'm going to work on today.

You ladies have a great day. Good luck with all of your diets. I'm just curious, are any of you posting at other diet subforum on 3FC as well as here? I spend a lot of time on the South Beach subforum and it gives me great support for staying on plan.

Have a good one!
L