Diet Coaches/Buddies - Enjoyed my lunch yesterday cobbled together from three leftover veggies in the fridge; CREDIT moi. It delights me every time I observe myself happy with a vegetarian meal since I started my journey as a guy who only defined his meal by the meat course. And it was even the more enjoyable because the Kale was from our garden and I'd known that sucker since I held the tiny seed in my hand and poked it one-half inch under the soil to sit under our indoor grow lights for a few weeks.

Gym was normal; CREDIT moi.


Anne (wndranne) - Approaching seven years on your journey - just WOW! That's so encouraging to me to see you continuing through whatever ups and downs exist along the road. Just love the thought of discovering the "spectacular" you. Yep, your post doth radiate your joy today. Savor, savor, savor.

And yep, the blue runner's jacket is out for wearing to work, despite that I'm only a walker not a runner, but it reminds me that I'm an active person. One of the books I read about walking stressed the importance of dressing like an athlete to remind ourselves to keep going briskly instead of strolling.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Yay for yoga. Yay for a hilly walk. Yay for walking with a friend. I like this discussion of feeling the fall; I'm already looking forward to today's walk.

Liz (upallnight116) - Congrats on the scale reading being down, and Kudos for giving yourself credit for getting back on track.

Evenings can be difficult, especially when they get filled with oughta's and gotta's with few wanta's. It could help to schedule some evening time for something you really want to do. That worked for me when I realized that the amount of cheese and crackers I was eating before dinner was a major source of my excess. So I scheduled my walk or gym for right after work. That killed the cheese and crackers and provided a positive attitude hit before I sat down to dinner and faced the option of seconds.


Jay (JayEll) - Seems like Sabotaging Thought week here on the ol' Beck thread, including your classic, "Oh, what the heck ..." Interesting to be reminded that during my first six months of losing I never said that; I was on a quest. Now it pops up a bit, and then a bit more. My concern is that it's the start of the slippery slope. Thanks for the reminder that's it's a clue to step forward by taking responsibility.

Neat Advantage Response Card, "I'll be able to move around better." Yep, even ten pounds seems able to change the way our heads think of our bodies. I gotta remember that one also.


Readers -

Happy Saturday Everyone!

I love coming in here and reading what all of you have to say. It makes such a difference to be able to read how everyone else handles everyday struggles and celebrate everyday successes.

Yesterday was the first day since I started (11 days ago) that I ate completely on plan. Woohoo! There were days when I didn't eat anything unplanned, but also didn't eat what I had planned to eat, but this time I ate everything I set out to, and nothing more. I had moments in my day when I wanted to justify eating off plan, but I refrained. Looking forward to doing it again today!

weekend flyby (since i didn't post yesterday...)

still hanging at 166, which is lovely considering that fridays are "restaurant day" with me (lunch with my mom, dinner with DH and el nino). can feel the sodium/water weight which means i'm closer to 165.5 than i was thursday. yay. five days OP in a row (today will make six!) bless beck, bless kessler, and bless y'all. joy for an easy patch.

working on feeling what i want my new life to feel like...i like the idea of feeling driven and excited and turned on by my work. flow, i guess. i've felt it doing several different types of things, which has held me back in the past (don't want to pick the wrong one, right?) but i'm not worried about that anymore. anything that helps me experience more flow is the right thing RIGHT NOW. can always change later! my next design class assignment is to interview a working interior designer. i'm really looking forward to that - when i'm done posting, i'm going to find a cool one here in dayton and see if he or she will let me buy him or her a coffee/tea or something and pick her/his brain. and maybe even job shadow. friday was absolutely the worst work day i've had in a good long while...brought back memories of being just post-collegiate and temping, mostly data entry, for $7 an hour. thank you, universe, for providing the extra nudge that tells me that yes, i do need to get out, and soon.

go liz! woot woot! feels amazing, doesn't it? when i plan and prep, those days seem to happen almost magically. jayell, thank you for the ARCs - and for reminding me why i need to keep going, even though i'm at my lowest adult weight. i'm still heavy and still can't wear what i want. anne, thank you for your post! you sound much stronger than of late. can you tell me where you were jobwise and where you are? i need transition success stories. gardnerjoy, what a great save! i miss yoga, and there's really no need to. i have some great DVDs i never think to do. and bill, much appreciate the reminder to dress like an athlete. much easier to get into character in costume than while wearing street clothes.

Several months ago, while going through my e-mail inbox I came upon one of those e-mails that I normally delete. It was from a classical singing magazine, but one of the article titles caught my eye. It was about an American Opera Singer who had lost over 100 pounds - being a part time opera singer myself who needs to lose over 100 pounds I said what could be the harm in checking out the article. I perused the article and then went to her blog, The Next Hundred Pounds. Reading her blog made a real impact on me, along with the book she continually espoused: The Beck Diet solution. I finally went out and bought the book, but let it sit on the shelf unread for a month or two. Finally, after putting it off I grabbed it off the shelf and started.

All I can say is I'm definitely a convert and can't wait to continue on my weight loss journey.

I heard about the Beck plan through a friend, bought the book, and started reading immediately. I have been amazed that I have stuck with it for four months, and I've lost a pound every week. The really amazing part for me is that this is not a diet but a way of life. I know that this is how I will continue to eat while losing and eventually maintaining. I stumbled across your site and am glad to see so many people here who are succeeding with this very healthy food plan. I have had a few small lapses but nothing like times in the past when I fell off the wagon, ate everything in sight, and decided I was a failure! This time really feels different in a good way.

OH LAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWDDDDDD.... I am back... again. Last time I posted I was up until 4:30 am with an infant. I am not entirely sure what I was thinking. That infant is now 8-months-old (and still gets up 2-4 times a night-- pllltt) but, as there are no more infants in my future, I am back once again! I have been trying in earnest(ish) over the last several months and have lost another 26 pounds or so. I am looking forward to delving back into the Beck book and working my way down in addition to posting here!

Quick visit to report my new low (finally!) and my successful hilly walk today. My friend and I both wore fall walking clothes -- fortunately, layers. Because we stripped off a layer or two after the biggest hill!

WI: -0.5kgs (new low), Exercise: +50, 137/1300 minutes for October, Food: op, Read my Advantages and Responses: no

BillBlueEyes: yay for homegrown kale! I do think veggies taste better when I grew them myself -- and it's not just the freshness; it's the familiarity!

upallnight116: congratulations for having a plan and following it! Yay!

kuhljeanie: wonderful insights on working. I absolutely love the notion that you don't have to choose the right thing for all times -- just the one that gives you that flow right now. Brilliant!

zansidhe: welcome! We have a couple other musicians here. I'm a recent convert, too, and it's really wonderful!

HannahT: welcome, to you, too! I also love that the Beck way just seems to absorb those little lapses and let me keep moving right along. I've never been this effective on a "diet" for more than five weeks and I'm pushing twice that now and feel, as you do, that this is the way I'll be doing it for the rest of my life. Best of all, that's not even a depressing thought!

KidsLibrarylady: we haven't "met," but glad to see you back! Another 26 pounds is great progress!

Zansidhe

And, for your first day of posting on 3FC,

Neat way to stumble upon the Beck Diet Solution via a classical singing magazine, but how did you find this thread on 3FC?



.

HannahT

And, for your first post on 3FC,

Neat that you heard about Beck from a friend. Which Beck book are you reading?

And how did you find this thread on 3FC?



.

Diet Coaches/Buddies - It never really stopped raining yesterday, but I took a late afternoon walk anyway; CREDIT moi. Chose a route that took me past our community garden so I could wave at my Kale having discussed it so intimately in my post that morning. It's looking robust and happy in the rain. Picked a few persistent cherry tomatoes which I dropped in my pocket - at least those that I didn't pop in my mouth since I grant myself an exception to eating sitting down when I'm standing in my garden.

Food Op, CREDIT moi, including DW's butternut squash mashed with apples for dinner. Boy is that good, even more so when wearing warm shirts and listening to the rain. Anne (wndranne) has got me on a kick of savoring my October.


Jean (kuhljeanie) - Ouch for the "worst work day i've had in a good long while." Kudos for responding by working on what you really want your new life to feel like. That's a neat way to approach a stressful situation. Sending supportive thoughts that you find a way to get that feeling at your current gig.

Joy (gardenerjoy) - Congrats on the new low and Kudos for carrying through with your plan for the hilly walk. LOL at "...it's not just the freshness; it's the familiarity!"

Liz (upallnight116) - Big Kudos for "...moments in my day when I wanted to justify eating off plan, but I refrained." Good stuff to be aware of that pull. And Kudos for your eleventh day, especially since it's the first one "completely on plan."

Zansidhe - Yay for starting up your Beck journey. Thanks for the pointer to that neat blog. Are you still in the introduction sections or plunging into day 1: Record the advantages of losing weight?

Neat to have an Opera singer on board. You remind me that our Boston Lyric Opera starts out with Carmen in a month then proceeds to The Turn of the Screw, Adrindne aux Naxos, and Idomeneo re di Creta - a lively season. The first opera I ever heard was Marilyn Horne singing Carmen back when the Met toured Boston. I was hooked for life.


HannahT - Kudos for sticking to Beck for four months already. And Congrats on the loss so far.

Seems like a powerful omen that "This time really feels different in a good way." Sounds like you've got yourself a way of life there.


KidsLibraryLady - Welcome back. I do recall that the last time you posted you were up in the middle of the night with an infant. Ouch that waking in the night is still happening to you at eight months on. Congrats on that nifty 26 pound loss; you must be doing something right. Have you resurrected your Advantage Response Cards from before or starting anew?


Readers -

Hi, everyone, and welcome to the new folks!

I've found that I have a stack of old business cards that are perfect as Response Cards--they fit in my wallet nicely, and I always carry my wallet.

One of my favorite Responses for when I am tempted by a food that I know I shouldn't be eating, or am tempted to overeat, is

"It's Only Food!"

Another one is

"Just because a food is available does not mean I have to eat it."

Hope you are all having a good day!

Jay

HI EVERYONE!!!! (special hey to JayEll!!!!!!!!!)

I'm not new to 3FC, but I did just start the Beck DS book - even tho I've had it almost 2 years now...

Anyway, I've started my cards and got my sticky notes & have chosen a "diet coach" and I hope she says YES! - will let you know soon.

I have to say, I'm glad to have gotten "a push" from some 3FC members to actually READ the book. I'm feeling much more motivated now! And as we all know, motivation is a huge part of losing weight!

I've tried so many diets... and succeeded SO MANY TIMES in losing weight.... but (obviously!!) never seemed to get the hang of that maintenance thingymabob! I am hoping that the Beck DS will be the tool I need to learn how to lose, maintain, & be better to my health.

Yesterday & today, I did some good swimming (which is what I love to do all summer, but summer is almost over here) and I got a trampoline!!!! - LOL!!! - I did some research on the net & found out that "bouncing" is a great exercise indeed! - So, despite my "old age" I decided to have some REAL FUN with my exercise... not just counting the weight lifted x number of times, or how long I ride the incumbent bike... but this is REAL exercise and REAL fun. And since swimming is over for the season, I will "bounce" as much as possible, and take up walking again.

Anyway, sorry so long... just wanted to say HI Y'ALL!!!!! - Have a good Sunday evening!

Hi All,
A quick check in after a less than stellar eating week. Today, I walked 10,000+ steps, credit, and tracked food, credit. I also declined french fries at lunch, yay! It was very tempting to say "why not?" but that never leads to anything good. . .Still feeling low after having my artwork critiqued , but starting to bounce back a bit--did go into the studio.

Welcome to the influx of new folks!

Tomorrow's a ridiculously busy day. I'm going out of town on Tuesday and, with my new eating style, I'm packing enough food to eat all of my meals in my hotel room. While simultaneously making sure there's enough food at home for DH while I'm gone. That's a lot of food prep! Not to mention packing and errands and making sure paperwork is caught up.

I may not have time to exercise, but I'm hoping to get in a little something. The good news is that I won't have time to eat anything other than what's on my plan!

WI: +0.3kgs, Exercise: +60, 197/1300 minutes for October, Food: op , Read my Advantages and Responses: no

BillBlueEyes: good job with walking in the rain. I think eating in the garden is a worthy exception to the standing up rule.

JayEll: thanks for sharing those responses -- those will work for me, too!

BeachPatrol: welcome to the thread! Glad you're finding Beck useful on your journey. The trampoline sounds like a blast!

Nuxmaga: good job on the fries and on getting back to the studio!

Beach Patrol

And, in case you didn't get one of these 3.5 years ago,

Neat that you learned about Beck from Jay (JayEll)


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