Beck Diet For Life/Solution – October 2011 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach

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  • report: didn't read my cards, weighed (up .8), ate slowly and mindfully, got a small amount of exercise (I've been keeping 5# and 8# dumbbells beside the TV, and when I watch I do a series of arm exercises -- 20 biceps curls, 20 delt raises, 20 overhead lifts with the 8#, 20 triceps extensions and 20 straight-arm extensions with the 5#. I've gotten to the point I can do 20 of each, so I just ordered myself a 10# weight and will move up one weight level on each exercise, probably starting out not being able to do the minimum (12 reps) but hoping to build up to doing 20 of each again. Ideally I'd like to be using 15# and 10# weights, eventually, and have GUNS.

    Pam -- sure I've seen America's Test Kitchens! I've gotten a lot of good info from them!

    BelovedK -- congrats on the 2#!

    maryann -- I'm like you -- love salt, and tend to low rather than high blood pressure, so I don't fret it. I add salt to pizza.

    gardenerjoy -- credit for reporting in when you had to report that you hadn't exercised your resistance muscle! That's a GREAT first step in getting back on track! Hm on 2/3 yogurt cheese to 1/3 peanut butter...that sounds, um, very unusual. How long did you take to slowly increase the proportion of yogurt cheese to pb?

    Robin -- WOW on jogging on the treadmill for 1 min, brisk walking for 2! That's a long way from never having run! RE: the new committee: Okay, can we talk about the word NO? It may be an honor to be on this particular committee, but at the very least the answer needs to be, "I'm honored and I'd love to accept, but before I can do that I'll need to be replaced on the (some other committee)." Re: Christmas: How about you take the money you would have spent on getting to Bethy's and buying gifts for her and her family and spend it on a cruise over Christmas? Maybe a singles cruise, where -everyone- will be solo, not just you? Maybe you could go with another friend who is single, even? Hm, on diet-friendly pumpkin ideas...let me give that some thought.

    BBE -- Oh, let me know what your doc says about the salt damaging the walls of the arteries! I hadn't heard that -- that would definitely be a reason to learn to cut down on salt!

    Debbie -- good for you for STOPPING the unplanned eating before it went any further! If you could only master ONE of Beck's skills, I suspect that would be the one to master. Thin people DO overeat from time to time. But then they STOP.
  • Well, as usual, there is always a lively discussion going on in this group.

    Val Salt to pizza? I have found myself salting salads I have made up as long as they don't have many salt-laden ingredients in them (cheese being one, sliced olives being another). I too have ridiculously low B/P so the only concern I have ever had with sodium is that it significantly slows down weight lose but, remember, we are admonished (in the gospel of Matthew) to be "the salt of the earth. If the salt has lost its flavor, it is no good for what it's purpose is, for it is to give flavor, otherwise it is thrown out and trampled under foot." I know that excess refined sugar is like glass shards to the artery walls, according to the seminar I went to back in March for "managing diabetes" but I had not heard anything about salt. So, until Bill finds out otherwise, salt away is what I say!

    BelovedK on the weight lose. Glad you stopped by.

    gardenerjoy I think it is much more important in how a person handles "failure" more than how they handle "success". In fact, I would venture to say that your handling of your "failure" was a "success". You are here. You posted. You are okay. No, you are more than okay. You are just fine.

    Robin I am sure the first Christmas without your old tradition will be difficult. It was when Paul and I first moved here and we were "home alone". However, new traditions evolve out of the present reality. We have learned how to make the holidays special for us. For example, we now have a tradition of watching "It's A Wonderful Life" right after we put up the tree, get it decorated and turn the lights on for the first time. I hope that you will find something that will become the "new" tradition and that it will become meaningful for you over time.

    Lexxiss Major Credit for stopping when you did. I find it difficult to stop in mid-chew (as someone I knew used to call it) because all of your faculties are so involved in the "moment" but when you can that is a huge accomplishment.

    Well, although I was little disappointed in having the turn out I had, I quickly got down to task and started the challenge. Bingo, right away, the other team lead got the flu (she was doing 2-3 hrs workout on the last challenge so she could force her weight down faster--which she accomplished) and one of my Turtles is sick as well. So, I told them they were "excused" from this week's "competition". Of course, the team leader of the Snails, who won last Buddy Challenge, said she would persevere. I have insisted that she and the other person "get well" first. They can fall in later. She has admirable drive but sometimes when we want something really bad, we are our own worst enemy.

    Word has already gotten back to me that the exercises (these are easy!) are either too hard or too many. Yes, that is why we are doing them so we will get fit. After all, this challenge is called "Move It N Lose It'. Anyway, I am ignoring their grumblings. When I give them the "put a sock in it" they should be having fun by then.

    All
    I have thought about what I said in that open forum the other day. BTW, I did privately apologize to my friend.(Step 10- I work my program seriously ) We have had discussions before. We both signed up for a challenge to get our food plan in line. I care enough to say "I think you might reconsider that choice since it is or could be harmful to you."
    My friend knows I care for her. It hurts me as much to say some of these things as I know how it must feel to hear them. There are just too many people around who are "enablers". "Oh, a little sugar won't hurt you." Well, it might not some people but for others, it could be poison.

    We both have diabetes. She has it more severely than I do but all I have to say to that is "there but for the grace of God go I". She is genuinely worried about the impact of this disease. She has expressed this to me on more than one occasion. I realize that she is struggling to manage her diabetes and I tell her how well she is doing. When things aren't so good, I tell her to keep trying. All of this comes with its own learning curve.

    I have also stepped forward and told another person in one of my groups that I know what diabetes can do (he knows it as well since it has cost him a lot in terms of his overall health) and I strongly encourage him to reconsider some of his choices. TG, for his own sake, he did reconsider some of his choices and he is making wonderful progress with getting his blood sugars under control.

    I understand not being perfect. None of us are and certainly not me. It is not about that. I was not trying to be "the diet police" because I would arrest myself half the time. It is about saying, "Do you realize what you are doing and don't you think you might consider stop doing that?"

    (this is a true incidence I am now sharing-I do not know the young man personally but I do know his mother). A young man, who was obviously very depressed, was attempting to commit suicide with a loaded gun and in front of some of his best friends, was so adamant about following through on the act that nothing could deter him from doing so. UNTIL, his very best friend, literally broke his arm so he could wrestle the loaded gun from his friend's hand. Now, that same young man, who almost ended his own life, is on anti-depressants and I understand he is doing quite well and making plans for his future.

    It is called "intervention". Sometimes, we have to do what is the "ugly" so the "beautiful" can emerge.

    Pam
  • Hi Friends... I am feeling better today. I got on the scale after my tummy flu looking for the 'ta-da' moment. (after all, there must be something good that comes from having the flu.) It turned out to be down one pound from last week. LOL ( I was hoping for more...)Not fair... oh well. another LOL

    My laptop broke today and I am using DH's company laptop computer. (technically it's a no no) So, just checking in to say that I am doing better and today has been a healthy day.

    I'll try and check in tomorrow.

    Thanks, always, for your support, wisdom and caring ways.
  • Much better today. I didn't find the willingness to measure snack 1 but did for snack 2 -- I'll get 'em both tomorrow!

    WI: +0.9kgs, Exercise: +20 545/1000 minutes for October, Food: 90%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

    va1erie: I started with 1/3 yogurt cheese, 2/3 peanut butter. A few weeks later I went to half and half. It was probably several months before I finally went to 2/3 yogurt cheese and 1/3 peanut butter. I actually like my yogurt-blended peanut butter and mayo better than the full strength versions -- it's creamier and less greasy.

    Robin: ...and while I'm on the yogurt cheese missionary zeal, yogurt cheese mixed with pumpkin and cinnamon makes a wonderful (and easy) spread for toast this time of year. Or top it with some granola and eat it with a spoon for a boost of both calcium and Vitamin A. Cinnamon is supposed to have some heart-healthy benefits, too.
  • Good evening everyone!

    Late check in as I wanted to update my exercise ticker, 305 minutes to go for the month and still 13 days to get it in. Had Zumba tonight, was a good class, lots of sweating. A friend from class wants me to try a boot camp class with her once our weekend Zumba classes end on Oct 23. I wasn't sure I could handle it and then I thought, of course you can, you last through 60 minutes of Zumba now! Again the scale may not change as quickly as I'd like but my endurance level in class now is remarkable from when I started in April.

    Pretty good day OP, weighed, did not read cards, ate slowly, mindfully, to normal fullness, planned exercise, food plan for tomorrow and reminded myself that hunger is not an emergency. Looking forward to tomorrow night and not having any plans beyond doing some laundry.

    Credits to everyone for all your successful behaviours. Time for bed!
  • report: read my cards, weighed (no change), ate slowly and mindfully and left a bite, even though last night was my kindervelt (fundraising organization for Cincinnati Children's) soup and salad supper, which is always dessert-heavy. Tried three different soups, skipped the breads and desserts. Did not have a wine-induced snackfest afterwards. Got no exercise, but this morning I'm off to my class.
  • Wednesday
    Diet Coaches/Buddies - My walk (CREDTI moi) included picking up dinner so we could leave the house early to go to a movie with friends. I ate less than half, CREDIT moi, leaving half for another meal.

    Joy (gardenerjoy) – OK, now you've got me; I've got to go figure out what this 'yogurt cheese' is.

    Debbie (Lexxiss) – Yep, when I have a snack in my hands there's an emotion in my heart.

    Beverlyjoy – Glad you're feeling better with a pound gone. Hope your laptop also recovers (without the lost pound, LOL).

    pamaga – I'll ponder this one, "Sometimes, we have to do what is the "ugly" so the "beautiful" can emerge."

    Tazzy - Congrats for taking on the boot camp; can't wait to hear how it goes.

    Val (va1erie) – Yay for your plan to slowly increase your exercise weights.

    Readers -
    Quote:
    chapter 4 Stage 1 The Success Skills Plan
    Success Skill 6 Overcome Hunger, Cravings, and Emotional Eating
    experiment 2 Prove to yourself that hunger isn't an emergency.
    Philip doubted his ability to tolerate hunger, and he engaged in certain unhelpful behaviors to avoid it. He was always thinking about how, when, and where he could get food, in case he got hungry before his next meal. He consistently overate at meals to ensure that he wouldn't feel hungry later on. He kept extra food in various places, his car and office desk - just in case he got hungry. He was continually giving himself the message that it was bad to be hungry, that he couldn't tolerate hunger. This incorrect thinking is exactly what I want to free you from!
    Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), pg 76.
  • Hello Coaches/Buddies/Friends!

    I have to say that the struggles I have with food and emotional eating/not caring are so difficult at times. Some days every moment is a struggle to "make a better choice". Sometimes I end up eating too much___________but I still have to credit myself when it's not day old donuts, corndogs or entire bags of chips. I feel really grateful in the mornings when I can "feel" my progress and look forward to another day, learning to have a sane relationship with food.

    Yesterday was 100% OP and I checked off most of the items on my Stage 4 Success Skills List. *credit* I walked with my girls and got lots of spontaneous exercise. Remembering Beverlyjoy, I simply drew my line in the sand. When I read my cards every day I remember that I want to be thinner and that when I am loose with my eating I distance myself from my goals.

    BillBlueEyes, yay for having a sensible plan for dinner before you went to the movies. Your leftovers will make a mighty fine second meal.

    Beverlyjoy, yay for feeling better AND having a healthy food day to boot!

    Val(va1erie), I enjoyed reading your home weight routine. Credit for moving up to 10#. I agree with you, and for me Get Back On Track Now has been my greatest long term success skill. I did think about your comment that thin people do overeat, however, I must confess that I was not thinking like a thin person at that moment. GJ at the function last eve. Passing on the bread and desserts is certainly a strategy for success. *credit*

    Pam(atga), *credit* for looking back at your words and apologizing to your friend. I do believe that those actions do affect our ability to move forward in our own WL journey.

    Tazzy, yay for squashing the sabotaging thought that you couldn't do the boot camp and instead analyzed your prior successes for a realistic next step. *credit*

    gardenerjoy, yay for a "much better day" and the willingness to step it up with measuring your snacks.

    I'm painting again this morning; it keeps my hands busy.
  • Hi Coaches

    I've had a busy weekend with the studio tour which was a lot of work, stress, hope, chatting, smiling, standing about and a net loss financially.

    O well.

    All 3 of the shows I've done here in my new town this year have been net losses.

    It makes me pine for my old hometown.

    I didn't eat over this btw. *credit*

    I've been cooking from scratch which is my goal, so *credit here, and I continue on with my 5min minimums of exercise per day, and sometimes more.

    I am considering giving up the chase to make $, even though this is xmas season. I feel very guilty about this but DH was/is ok with it as I would spend my time cleaning and sorting here at home, working on printmaking projects as my residency is fast approaching and I don't want to be rusty when it's time to go. I could start a few large paintings as well, and continue to deal with the ceramics and the potters' guild. I just won't be contributing financially which is hard for me to accept. I've been applying for work here and so far no luck with that either.

    If I am going to be on my own schedule now until my residency in February then I think I am going to sign up for the intense Bikram Yoga introductory pass/rate. $40 for 30 days of unlimited yoga-1.5hr sessions-it's int he same strip mall as the Dollarama I walked to last week; about 15 minutes away in each direction. The class would take up my whole morning and would wipe me out for much of the day at first but if I am working on my own schedule then I can fit this in. I'll keep you posted.

    Better go. Nice to see everyone moving forward.
  • onebyone We missed you. Glad you are back. Since you have been gone I have been hosting a "Move It N Lose It" challenge. I hate to see you spend money when it is so tight for you. Would you like me to send you the exercise routine I have given my "buddies" and you try to do it at home? I have incorporated every day objects found at home. Although I have nothing against gyms or fitness center, because in the past I went to several over two decades, with money being so tight with many people, I also wanted to show people that you can do a lot of what is done elsewhere at home and save yourself the money. It is what I began doing this past summer. I lost 15 lbs, lost over 12" all overall and moved down one whole dress size. Just let me know if you are interested.

    Lexxiss I have a new strategy that I have decided to try when it comes to eating "dessert". I have decided the last two times to leave one bite behind to signal to myself that I am done. No more getting every last morsel. We ate out today for lunch at our favorite restaurant and the dessert that I am referring to is "no sugar added" blueberry pie. It is absolutely delicious and although it certainly isn't calorie-free, it really helps me feel "indulgent". So far, it is working and I feel really good that I can exercise self-restraint (for me anyway).

    Since I accepted a "food challenge" on my other site which "requires" that we eat 5-6 smaller meals per day, I have also decided that I will call a cup of skim milk and an apple a meal since it is a protein and a carb combo, which is another one of the "requirements" for the "food challenge". This sort of blows my mind in a way because there would have been a time (much like the example below in Bill's daily sharing of Beckisms) I was hoarding food. In fact, it has become sort of a game with me to try and figure out just how small of a meal I can go and still meet those requirements. I will try anything if it breaks me totally free of hoarding, compulsive and/or emotional eating.


    Val
    GJ in moving forward with your exercise and weight program. Is this in preparation for your double knee surgery?

    Bill GJ in preparing to avoid the popcorn smell as you enter the movie lobby. That has to be one of the most powerful evoking smells there is.

    Yogurt cheese is:simply pour plain yogurt into cheesecloth and let it drain into a bowl over night. Yogurt cheese, like tofu, picks up the flavor of anything you mix it with. So mix it with peanut butter, mayonnaise, or even ice cream and cut your fat and calories while getting all the nutritional and weight-loss benefits of yogurt![This is from an article about how to use yogurt cheese in your food plan to both lose weight and gain added calcium]

    Tazzy You are just on fire! Wow! Isn't it exhilirating to know you can choose to do something rather to choose to not do something. What a paradigm shift.

    gardenejoy I measure everything that I eat except when I go out. Then, I eyeball the serving sizes. Since I have a few favorite restaurants where I know exactly the serving sizes they serve, I also can then know how many calories, fat, protein, carbs, etc. that is in the particular dish. I plan on measuring everything I eat until I hit maintenance and then I will still do it when I gain 3-5 lbs. It is a skill I will never completely abandon.

    Well, I was so busy yesterday with messaging my team members and those of the other competing team, since the team leader is out with the flu, that I was tied to this computer for longer than I care to admit. However, I want things to go well and there were a few things that needed to be ironed out. BTW, one woman said she had just done laundry and she was able to drop 52 single clean socks in a laundry basket with her mouth and hands tied behind her back in the 5 minutes allotted.[This was one of our team challenges] This girl is our team's "secret weapon".

    I was so exhausted when I went to bed that I slept soundly for 9 1/2 hours. The "Buddy Challenge" is going well except even I had the stomach flu yesterday and so I didn't get my own exercise in like I need to be doing. However, I was able to change my ticker again today since I lost 2 lbs. Not a fun way to get that result but I will take it!

    Not much else to report. As I have said before, I feel like I am in a really good place emotionally right now and that just makes all of this so much easier when that is the case.

    Today, I went to Old Navy and bought my great niece, Sadie, her Halloween costume. I saw their tv ad and I knew what I wanted her to "bee"--yes, she is going to be a "bumblebee" for Halloween. It includes a little dress that is yellow with black stripes, a headband with two yellow pom pom antenna and a wand that has a bumblebee on the end. Since she will be trick n treating in cold MN air, I also got a black turtleneck and black long leggings for her to wear underneath so she won't be cold. Her mommy, my niece Amy who is having a scheduled C-section on Halloween for baby brother Jude, was delighted when I told her. Sadie is also having a Halloween party at her day care so that should be fun too. (i secretly hope she wins a prize)

    Pam
  • OOOOOH, Val, I must say that your suggestion of a singles' cruise over my Christmas break had a stunning impact on me and just stopped me in my tracks. The old me would have cowered in terror at the mere possibility of such an audacious move. And, even now, that is something I would never have thought of on my own. So the fact that I am seriously considering your idea, and that it actually sounds like a challenging but potentially fun adventure to me, speaks volumes about how much I really have changed my mindset--and not only about food!! I did a little research and discovered that there are two Caribbean cruises (both identified as singles' cruises) that could work. They both set sail on New Year's Eve and are a week long, which would put me getting home on a Saturday evening--and the spring semester starts that following Monday, which could be a little risky if my flight home was delayed due to snow here in Ohio. But I think it could be worth it. And it would be a wonderful way to honor all the hard work I have done to reach and maintain my goal weight, and to celebrate my health, not to mention a great way to ring in a new year. So thank you!
    As for the new committee I am on, you are right that the word NO often seems to be missing from my vocabulary--except for saying NO to the idea of saying no!! Seriously, I know that's something I need to work on. In this case, what made me eligible for the new committee in the first place is my membership on the other two major university-wide committees, so I can't join the new one and be replaced on one of the others. And part of the reason that I have agreed to be on so many committees lately is that each one is a good opportunity to socialize and meet new people, which has become much more important to me. But I know I should be looking for opportunities to socialize more that don't also mean an increased workload! And YAY YOU for not indulging in a wine-induced snackfest after the kindervelt!

    Beverlyjoy, so glad you are feeling better. Being sick just makes it so much harder to honor your commitment to take care of yourself.

    BillBlueEyes, resisting pumpkin ice cream is right up there with ignoring hundred dollar bills raining from the sky, so a huge CREDIT to you!

    Pamatga, your story about the boy whose suicide was forestalled with a broken arm is certainly the most extreme "intervention" story I have ever heard. Kudos to you for figuring out how to support your friend, who is also struggling with her weight in the context of diabetes, without enabling but also without being intrusive or judgmental. And I can understand why you would balk at the idea of eating 5-6 meals per day. The diet plan I followed to lose my 92 pounds (Nutrisystem-D, for diabetics), and which I still follow (with a little tweaking and a few additions) in maintenance, calls for 6 meals a day. At first I was overwhelmed by that; it just felt like too many opportunities for potential overeating. (I was accustomed to eating just twice a day before I started dieting.) But I think that eating so many small meals is the single biggest reason that my blood sugar is now under perfect control, and my diabetes is in complete remission, with no medication whatsoever. And thank you for the explanation of what yogurt cheese is, and for your words of encouragement about establishing new Christmas traditions. I don't know yet what those new traditions will be for me, but I do have faith that I WILL find a meaningful way to celebrate the holiday.

    gardenerjoy, thank you for the suggestion to mix yogurt cheese with pumpkin and cinnamon (I love cinnamon almost as much as I love pumpkin!), which does sound like a really delicious and diet-friendly spread.

    Lexxiss, I so identify with what you said about struggling with the sabotaging thought of "I don't care." As Beck points out repeatedly, that thought is a really difficult one to challenge because, in the moment, it is the literal truth--you really DON'T care. I have several cards re: that issue and have to repeatedly remind myself of just how much I WILL care later--even though I don't care at all at the moment that an enticing food is calling my name.

    my report: My weight was down .4 yesterday and up .2 today. Ate slowly and mindfully both days, stuck to my plan, saved a bite of my dinner for my kitty both nights, did not read my cards. I had a personal training session yesterday and worked on upper body strength again, after not doing so for two weeks while I recovered from the lumpectomy. Even so, I was actually able to do some of the arm exercises with 20 pound dumbbells yesterday, which is downright astonishing to me. I have a congenital defect in both shoulders that limits my range of motion and makes my shoulders subluxate very easily (sometimes just from rolling over in my sleep). Both shoulders have been completely dislocated at different times, and I had years of physical therapy for them. When I first started out with the personal trainer, I could only use 2-pound weights, and there were many motions I simply couldn't do (like lifting my arms up straight above my head) even with no weight at all. Until recently I was never even able to pull a t-shirt off over my head without first bending forward so that my head was hanging down; nor could I wear anything with a back zipper. Sometimes I felt so weak that I couldn't even hold my arm up high enough to write on the board while teaching a class. So I have made amazing progress. I can only do a small number of reps with the high weights, though. Val, what my trainer always has me do is to start with the heaviest possible weight I can lift, even if I can only do a few reps. When my muscles start to shake, he decreases the weight a little, and so forth. Sometimes the weight gets decreased four times by the time I am done with all my reps (usually 4 sets of 15). That strategy has dramatically increased the strength in my arms, and I can definitely see muscles where none ever existed before! I need to go back one of these days to the place where I used to have my physical therapy and show my therapist just how amazingly far I have come since then!

    Hope everyone has a great OP day tomorrow. And thank you to everyone for being such supportive and thoughtful buddies'facilitators. I really enjoy reading everyone's posts and appreciate all of your input and insight. I'm so glad Val found this group!

    Robin
  • Lunch didn't go according to plan and ended up too starchy and not vegetably enough. Should be better tomorrow since I picked up the CSA box and extra lettuce today.

    WI: -0.6kgs, Exercise: +45 590/1000 minutes for October, Food: 80%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

    BillBlueEyes: Yes! Another potential yogurt cheese convert!

    Lexxiss: Good job finding your way through emotional eating desires and not caring to a 100% OP day. I love that you're walking with new friends!

    onebyone: I can't remember, have you tried Bikram Yoga yet? A friend of mine did but only went once and convinced me that I didn't want to do it. On the other hand, I know that some people really find it helpful. If you can get one session in before putting down money for a pass, I think that might be beneficial.

    pamatga: I bought this contraption (http://www.amazon.com/Cuisipro-Donvi...9071276&sr=8-1) to make yogurt cheese once I decided I liked it. Easier than cheesecloth.
  • Thursday
    Diet Coaches/Buddies - I let frustration with trying to load a driver for a device that attaches to my laptop lead me to the stash of nuts - Ouch. Still need that tattoo saying Nuts do not cure frustration.

    Exercise (CREDIT moi) was walking from the 3rd floor to the basement and back many, many times as I tried to figure out how a thermostat that said that it wasn't calling for heat was making the boiler fire. Finally, after multiple trips, figured it out; it wasn't. The thermostat that had been removed was the culprit - because the painters who removed it had left the wires touching which is the equivalent of being ON. Yeah for figuring out the obvious only after getting ample exercise.


    onebyone – Yep, Kudos for "I didn't eat over this btw. *credit*" Good luck figuring out your plan between now and February.

    Joy (gardenerjoy) – Ya done it to me again; I just spent 'hours' reading the Amazon reviews for that yogurt cheese maker. I already use yogurt in place of mayonnaise and sour cream, but this might make it more appealing.

    Debbie (Lexxiss) – It's so great to remember that day old donuts never have to cross our lips again.

    pamaga – Yay for bumblebee Sadie for Halloween. What costume will you wear?

    Robin (4EverLearning) - Just boggled at your clear mindset that you are now at a place where a cruise is appealing - instead of appalling, LOL. Hope you do it, just for the joy of strutting your body confidence.

    Readers -
    Quote:
    chapter 4 Stage 1 The Success Skills Plan
    Success Skill 6 Overcome Hunger, Cravings, and Emotional Eating
    experiment 2 Prove to yourself that hunger isn't an emergency.
    People who have never struggled with weight or dieting just don't think too much about hunger. They don't think, Oh, no, I just finished breakfast ... What if I get too hungry before lunch? They don't feel panicky during a busy day, thinking, What if I don't get a chance to eat? They don't load up on extra food during a meal because they think, I might get hungry later on. No, they know that they can tolerate hunger, that it's never an emergency; and that if they turn their attention to something other than their hunger, the sensation goes away. This can happen for you, too, once you overcome your fear of hunger.

    Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), pg 77.
  • report: read my cards, weighed (down .2), ate slowly and mindfully and left a bite, got planned but no spontaneous exercise, contacted my diet buddy.

    BBE -- yay for leaving half your carryout dinner! That's often my strategy for restaurant/carryout meals, too -- order what I like, eat half, save the other half for another meal. LOL on Nuts do not cure frustration.

    Debbie -- good for you for drawing a line in the sand at "read cards every day."

    onebyone -- CREDIT for not letting stress result in overeating! What's the difference between this new town and the old one that is making the difference in sales?

    Pam -- the exercise and weights are just so I can be stronger. I am avoiding the knee surgery for as long as possible, although at this point I'm starting to have knee issues so frequently that it's probably time. I do need to work on the quadriceps before the surgery, especially, and that's something I need to add to my home routine.

    Robin -- I am just GRINNING over your reaction to the cruise idea! I love it that it feels to you like a way to honor all your hard work and celebrate your health as well as being a way to deal with the fact your holiday-break tradition is going to change this year. So it sounds like the new committee would have been no more than a mostly-welcome addition to your workload if only you weren't already overextended with covering for the colleague who is on sabbatical? WOW on 20# dumbbells -- I have never used anything heavier than 12 pounds, and at 12 pounds I can do maybe 3 or 4 bicep curls. Hm, so your trainer would say to go ahead and do those 3 or 4 at 12, then when my arms can't lift 12 again, drop to 10, etc.? I may have to order another dumbbell! I have noticed one thing about my increased strength -- I've NEVER been able to do pushups. Not even one, not the real kind. But I can now do 6. They aren't PERFECT -- my chest is definitely not 2" from the floor, which is the ideal -- but I get my elbows to approximately a 90-degree angle. I'd like to eventually be able to do 20 pushups to within 2" of the floor. I can do 11 "girlie" pushups (knees bent) to within 2" of the floor, and I didn't used to be able to do even one of those, either.

    gardenerjoy -- What are you getting in your CSA now? At the fm, we mostly have lettuce, greens, potatoes, onions, radishes, carrots, squash.
  • Good Morning Coaches,

    Glad to have a little time this morning to check in. This family is officially in HARVEST with all the craziness that ensues. It is a difficult year, the rain three weeks ago caused mold on the tomatoes , the alfalfa and the nuts. The cannery won't take the tomatoes - they will be plowed under the drier keeps getting plugged - blah blah blah. I have rarely seen DH so stressed. And it is difficult for me to get my feet back under me emotionally from last week's fall apart. I have two days to write a 20 page fictional story . SO.... One minute at a time, DS is safely on a field trip. Although I have played chocolate scavenger hunt at school this week, weight is only 1 pound from ticker (miracle). I will start writing at 9:30. I will tell the truth, I will have a plan, it might not be a perfect plan but I will have a plan. I will bake a figure friendly crab quiche to gnaw on and for a break crack open some Walnuts DS picked up visiting Daddy.
    Pamatga: Thanks for the know how on yogurt cheese. I will try it. If I finish my story in time, I am going to make pastas tom. for the first time.

    Hello to all.