Diet Coaches/Buddies - On plan with food, CREDIT moi, until after dinner when I added a huge bunch of grapes to my evening snack - Ouch. I didn't think my old bad habits would follow me home from a splendid weekend. DW made a big pot of split pea soup - just in time before it turns so warm that it doesn't feel right.

Exercise was a long walk to a library to return some books, CREDIT moi. I couldn't believe how warm the day had become; I left home wearing only a short-sleeved knit shirt that I had to dig out of my summer clothes box. I have been wandering about in a turtle neck under a flannel shirt to stave off the cold.


Joy (gardenerjoy) – Recognize that "an impossible to do list" - a friend this weekend told me a similar story and her daughter quietly told her, "Make shorter lists." [Super way to see Ireland with sneaks into private gardens.]

Debbie (Lexxiss) – Neat demo of checking out the ingredients and choosing a thin slice to bring home.

Beverlyjoy – Congrats on your down 2 and getting back in stride. Yep, it's "Not fair....oh well." I agree with the notion of designating a place for his candy which isn't in your daily vision. It's hard to ignore what others are nibbling.

maryann - Yay for "non food related treats waiting" - I'm still fighting off the thought that I deserve food as a reward for eating on plan. [Acadia National Park is breath taking; plan to spend time. There are short hikes up the tiny hills to view miles of craggy coastline. And have a lobster dinner at one of the places with a big outdoor vat of sea water where you sit on simple outdoor benches. Beware the butter! A large lobster wants a lot of butter.]

Tazzy - You're really using that pedometer well - Kudos.

Woodland - Kudos for sorting your clothes to face your body issues. I wish we all had the body comfort that I once saw at a Greek event where Greek women of size danced with absolute confidence in their bodies.

Donamari (fyreflie24) – Super neat to have a nutritionist who gets the Beck strategies. Yep, this Equanimity business seems like a challenge.

Susan (hikergirl) – Six successive Kudos for your string of days. Love the notion that you can focus on things other than food.

CatholicCajun – Stopping when full is such a good strategy to master - Kudos.

Readers -

Good Morning. I had a healthy food day yesterday. I was on a slippery slope in the evening, but managed to hold on.

I am sending everyone best wishes for a healthy food day.

Gardenerjoy --- your upcoming trip sounds wonderful.

Hi Everyone,

Quick check in today, I have gotten really busy at my desk all of a sudden. Must be because my colleague is heading to Thailand on Thursday, everyone will want to call now, both my clients and hers!

Weighed this morning, I'm bouncing up and down between 1.5 pounds. Didn't get as much walking in yesterday as I would have liked. I did buy some bread and buns in the afternoon, did walk to the store so credit there, and when I picked DH up after work my car smelled like a bakery. It looked really good and smelled great but I did not have even one little nibble.

My parents are going to be at my house today when I get home, returning from their snowbird retreat to Arizona. Very excited to see them again. I will ask DH to BBQ some chicken for dinner as again it's a very nice spring day in Calgary!

Hi to all and have a great day!

GardnerJoy: Oh Good! I need all the help that I can get!

Quick update from me - heading out for the evening. Hi everyone. Another good powerful day. Exercise was floor exercises and weights. I planned an estimated amount of calories for dinner in town tonight, even though I don't know where we are going. I'm hungry now, but know I can wait for a few hours, then enjoy a reasonable meal with friends.

Hope your days were great.

Hi coaches/buddies/friends... just stopping by to say things are going mostly positive with food. I have had the willingness to use the beck principles. (most of the time) I did eat extra Monday night - today is going well, however.

But, before the extra food in the evening - I journalled and planned/measured/logged & drank alot of water.

Billbe - thanks for your thoughts on my candy dilemma. A secret place may be in order.

Gardener/joy…. - yes, it’s a good suggestion. Thanks, Out of sight… maybe I’ll get him a lock box. LOL

Woodland - yes - candy and treats are allowed. But, yes -- I need to assign them calories and they need to be planned. Thanks.

I hope you all are doing GREAT.

Hi Coaches

*credits*
-for weighing in on the wii fit and seeing a -2.4lb drop to 263something (don't recall right now)
-for tracking my food with a pen in a book
-for getting to the aquabics workout this morning and really focusing on the exercises while I did them
-for planning my food
-for cooking from scratch
-for resisting a vast sea of treats that jumped out at me in the grocery store this morning, but allowing myself one modest choice so I don't set myself up by feeling deprived either

I've decided it's just not an emergency for me to miss a few WW meetings until I can re-join again, or not. I realize I have all the tools I need at hand. I've been using them and getting used to them, again, and will keep the same weigh-in day as I have had since mid-November. I'm looking at this as an opportunity to see how I do without going to meetings. Maybe I no longer need to pay $ for their program? Anyway, it will take a few weeks to see how I do and I can always go back. So, see? Not an emergency. Thank you Dr. Beck for that helpful, adpatable, portable, concept.

Bye for now.

Hi Coaches/Buddies/Friends!

A good day at work with a plan for our healthy dinner awaiting me on my return home. I've resisted the diet soda at work for several days now and have gone back to my grapefruit juice concoction. *credit*
We haven't had ice cream for months and DH has been asking for it. Tonight I went to the store and bought "his kind" and "my kind". When it was time to serve mine I pulled out my kitchen scale and measured...a skill I learned here. It felt good not to rely on my portion and instead trust the scale. I see my Beck skills in action every day.

BillBlueEyes, somewhere….just the other day….I was acknowledging while I was shopping that the "bad habits" seem to be just below the surface popping up at times I seem to have no explanation for. I think we just keep trying. The fact that we "keep trying" is such a valuable skill.

hikergirl, great job! Kudos on your days adding up...it takes lots of resistance, which we learn here that we can accomplish.

onebyone, your plan sounds sensible! These days I find lots of new things that are "not emergencies".

Tazzy, kudos for not tasting the great smelling bread in your car.

Woodland, enjoy your "reasonable" meal with friends.

Beverlyjoy, I have segregated foods in our kitchen. One cupboard holds his treats, including things I definitely am not supposed to eat. I have my treats, crackers, etc, in a spot where he never looks. He used to snarf all my "diet food", then it would be gone when I needed/wanted it. It does take restraint to stay out of his cupboard. I keep a certain amount of organic dark chocolate in the house and it's hidden well, otherwise he eats it all. A month ago he found the stash so I moved it. He does not offer me anything any more. I have told him, it's ok not to be "polite". It's frustrating. I'm actually surprised your DH doesn't hide it, knowing it frequently gets the "dishsoap" treatment. lol Oh, and if I buy him something just awful (day old pies, donuts, etc), I put it in his room and ask that it stay there.

gardenerjoy, thanks for the reminder on the diet soda.

Working on ways to manage my stuff, because an impossible to do list isn't kind and I want to be kind to myself!

WI: -0.3 kgs, Exercise:+55 740/1400 minutes for March, Food: 90%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

Diet Coaches/Buddies - On plan with food, CREDIT moi, until I had unplanned grapes in addition to my evening snack, Ouch. That sentence wasn't an accidental copy/paste from yesterday; I repeated yesterday. Dinner included a dark green leafy vegetable similar to kale - "Chinese something" - timed perfectly with the arrival of this month's Nutrition Action Newsletter reporting that Magnesium is critical for good health, often under consumed, and dark green veggies are the way to get it.

Had to get into a short sleeved knit shirt again for a walk, CREDIT moi. It was just a beautiful day appropriate for time outside.


onebyone – Yep, Kudos for navigating that "vast sea of treats" at the grocery store. Glad you're finding a way to be comfortable with WW vs. no WW.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Neat observation that a to-do list that can't be accomplished isn't "kind."

Debbie (Lexxiss) – Super strategy, "pulled out my kitchen scale and measured" - can't beat knowing what you're about to consume.

Beverlyjoy – Yay for "willingness to use the beck principles."

Tazzy - Kudos for "not even one little nibble" in a car with fresh bread smelling like a bakery. I drool just typing that sentence from here.

Woodland - Kudos for making a plan for your evening out.

Donamari (fyreflie24) – Just enjoying looking at one whole lotta cheerleaders in your signature.

Susan (hikergirl) – Yay for holding on when facing a slippery slope.

Readers -

Hi there,
All is ok. I must admit though, that I am spending a lot of time and energy on menu planning, food prep, and packing up food. My old behavior would have been to pick up something to eat or wolf something down (not good for me). The good news is thatit is better to put energy into that kind of a task versus despairing over prior over-consumption of food. The After the Event quote that BBE included yesterday is a commitment that I will make to myself in the event that I have an Event.
Have a good day.
Woodland --- I like that you write “powerful day”. I hope that your meal out went well.
Beverlyjoy – I just read some old posts and saw your hubby/candy issue. That is a tough one. Tough one. I think that someone who is able to manage their eating simply cannot “ge”t how all-encompassing our desire for something can be. Your numbers are so good. I think that your post said that you had lost 2 lbs. You are so close to your next goal. You have many credits to give yourself!
Re—dish soap and candies --- yup, I have done similar things to that…my trick is the garberator (but that does not work well on hard candies) 
Onebyone – I just gave up my ww on-line membership a week ago. There are other on-line tools that are free, and if you combine those with Beck food/caloric suggestions, maybe that will be a pleasant(?) change. Good Luck.
Lexxis – good on you for the diet soda elimination. I am working towards that.
BBE – Thank you for “After the Event” quote. Wow, so much of what is the Beck book is targeted exactly, exactly to my behavior. It is like someone is in my head understanding my behavior (and it is reassuring to know that I am not alone.
Gardernerjoy, firefly, tazzi – have a well balanced day!

Hi folks... Yesterday was a healthy food day - I am always grateful for that! I concentrated on having an OP day. It went well. Credits for:
plan/measure/log food
leave a bite
slower eating- meals were almost near 20 minutes
TASTED the food
exercise
water

There was a lot more I could have done. I'll take it, however.

I was doing some Spring tidy up. Reorganizing my storytelling props and puppets. I discovered that mice got into a couple things. One is a prop that I made 23 years ago for the story Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. (I've written others stories for it too.) It's really cool. It's intricate - the way I had her swallow all the stuff, etc. Anyway, I think I'll have to throw it away. It can't be washed. Maybe I can figure a way. It's grossing me out and making me feel sad. Not fair... oh well.

hikergirl - thanks - said: I think that someone who is able to manage their eating simply cannot “ge”t how all-encompassing our desire for something can be This is SO true. I've got a few ideas. I totally understand about all the time we end up taking with planning for food, etc. I always laugh and think 'it takes a lot time to 'not eat' (junk).'But it's worth the effort.

billbe - oops on the grapes. Maybe plan to eat them for a few days. They are healthy and you'd not have to deal with not being OP. Yes, the weather's been great for a walk.

gardenerjoy - Yes! be kind to yourself!

Lexxiss/debbie - credit for having your grapefruit concoction. I agree.. weighing and measuring is concrete 'proof' that you/we are eating the healthy amount. Credit!

onebeyone - many credits.. excellent. It's good to come to a decision about WW. Do what feels right... sounds like you are. Credit.

I hope everyone is doing well!

Hi Coaches

Pretty crabby today. I'm cleaning in the kitchen, trying to re-organize my *whole life* it seems. I woke up at 4:30 am with a full to do list of what needs to go where and what to do with this if I move it over to there and etc. I can't say as that has ever happened. I ended up on the futon in the living room and then DH closed the bedroom door and Caesar couldn't get in so he peed on DH's tshirt. DH got up to put the garbage out and put the tshirt on and didn't realize the kitty had taken his revenge on him until he was already outside, garbage and recycling bin in hand. DH wasn't happy; I wasn't happy, cause DH locked him out and because Caesar did something he's never done before--catastrophizing that now he'll be "peeing all over" (he hasn't peed anywhere he shouldn't have so far today). I don't like not sharing the bed with DH but honestly, we need a bigger bed. (Secretly I hope that as I lose weight this issue will resolve itself. We'll see.) We have a double bed and when we were smaller human beings it was fine, but now our bodies are wider and we have two cats who like to share the bed with us and I end up with my right shoulder half on/half off and the ridge of the mattress cutting into me so I get up and pull out the futon and sleep out here. It's really bugging me. I can't ask for a new bed until I make room in the bedroom for one. There is no way we could fit any other size of bed in there right now--which brings me back to cleaning/organizing/purging. I have a stack of paintings on my side of the bed against the wall. We have dressers without mirrors-a vanity I can't even get to, and boxes that won't let me close the closet door and other boxes that have studio/art stuff in them that I moved into the bedroom to get them out the other cluttered room that DH now has full control of.

*insert BIG SIGH here*

I feel so overwhelmed by it all today as I, of course, want it all fixed today. I ignore it, and let it go, and push it aside, and busy myself with other stuff, and then I get a day like this when EVERYTHING about this place bugs me.

BUT...

I haven't eaten over it AND my reward for tackling this issue is to get myself to aquabics tonight. *extra credit for a non-food reward*

So here are my credits today:
-weighed in-0.7 = 263.0
-tracking all my food
-on plan so far today
-made a to do list of 21 items and have checked off 7.
NOTE TO SELF: I am reminding (myself) this whole list doesn't have to get done today it's not an emergency
-planned exercise for today
-drinking my water for today
-checked in with coaches today
-trying to look for the positive today and I am willing to remember that all things pass, even my crummy mood. feelings are not facts

Enjoy your day. Mine is improving by the second. Thanks Coaches.

UPDATE: *credit!* Made it to an 8pm aquabics class. It was AWESOME! Everyone was around my age or younger. There were only 4 of us; also a bonus. Since we were all younger than "the usual" she worked us harder and that was great too. I am wiped out. It was very hard for me to do that at time of night. I was more in the Hard range vs my usual Moderate in terms of my subjective workout level. Really not my body's choice to exercise at night and therefore I know it will be a shock to my system, and foodplan + shock to the system will = weightloss. Tomorrow I weigh in offically so we'll see where I stand. The other benefit to working out at night is I am so tired I shouldn't be getting up at 4:30 am. I really enjoyed my workout a lot. So glad I went. *bonus thing* while at the desk signing the sheet for the class I saw a guide to the bicycle paths here. Tomorrow I may make it my business to find the nearest one with the bike I have on loan. Things are looking up (and DH was very happy to see I had cleared out space, washed and dried his stinky clothes from this morning, re-organized the pantry, cleared out one full cupboard and completed two sinkloads of dishes with a plan, that I consulted him on , of where to place what dishware. I also placed a blanket on a chair I can now use due to my clean up efforts today and now my cats can each have a chair of their own. They are happy except when they each want what the other one has. Oh well. Off to bed. Never give up Becksters. Persist in Victory -- don't let your achievements be frittered away. Really.

Hi Everyone,

The dinner out went pretty well. We did Mexican, per the birthday person's choice. I ordered a small portion, but it was still huge. Yeah for giving some to DH, and for not finishing the rice. It was not a diet day, but it was not a secretive sneaky binge day. Moving on now.

I struggled with pre-planning today. I let myself believe I didn't have the time. Mistake. So now I'm making the time to plan for tomorrow.

Beverlyjoy: Glad you had a mostly successful day. And that you are able to give yourself credit for that accomplishment. Sorry about your mouse situation.

onebyone: What an impressive list of credits you posted yesterday. Glad, after a challenging start, today ended better.

Lexxiss: Good point about 'his' and 'hers' food choices.

gardenerjoy: Glad you are being kind to yourself.

BillBlueEyes: Congratulations for working in the dark green veggies.

hikergirl: Great point about where we put our energy.

I skipped a snack in order to have calories to deal with an unpredictable evening -- a good thing with appetizers at a cocktail followed by a supper at a small plates restaurant. Good enough for a special occasion.

WI: -0.15 kgs, Exercise:+60 800/1400 minutes for March, Food: 80%op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes