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

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

The Beck Diet Solution is a psychological program, not a food plan. It provides a step-by-step program to learn specific techniques to stay on our diet, lose weight, and maintain our weight loss for life. The program is based on Dr. Beck's clinical research in Cognitive Therapy (CT).

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

This is a place to discuss the Beck strategies and our daily efforts, to receive and provide support, and, for some of us, is where we serve as on-line diet buddy (coach) to each other.

If you’ve arrived from a search engine, you've landed at the site of 3 Fat Chicks (3FC), a remarkable place for those interested in a healthy life style, including mindful eating, exercise, and weight loss. More about the site, including how to register so that you can post, can be found here.

The books are available on Amazon through the 3FC store by clicking their names above; buying through 3FC helps to cover the costs of running this site.

You can find the list of previous (or more current) monthly Beck threads here on 3 Fat Chicks via:

List of Monthly Beck Threads for Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner was the third dip into the pot of dahl with the tiniest bits of ends of the baguette. Toasted baguette ends must be the best bread ever. An additional CREDIT moi for having none of the scones that DW brought into the house.

To test my work, I took a shower in the clawfoot tub on our third floor. Compared to the newish shower area on the second floor that I use daily, it was cramped. The bottom of the tub isn't flat. Feels a tad crowded. But, I could shower, and a guest who feels young enough to step up and over the edge of the rather high tub could do so. No water got past the curtains to wet the floor. I gloated the whole time. Every few hours I feel around for leaks; it can't be all done already with no pending disaster, LOL.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Fun to get to enjoy your brother's Alaskan adventure through cameras. I so want to take a trip to Alaska. Yay for boring.

maryann - Love the luxury of taking a tram down from the top of the mountain. Thanks for the reminder of the complexity of water in California.

Karen (karenrn) - Need to revel in some photos of Tom's Thumb. What a lovely place to hike. Hope you don't get so used to the place that you forget to savor the views.

Penny. - Great that you got your relaxation at the beach. We still long to eat out but haven't worked up the courage.

Readers -

The quick trip to Vermont was great; nice to see everyone and the traffic wasn’t bad at all. DS chatted a lot on the way home which was great. We ate a bunch of junk food as we went but ah well. That night and Monday I spent a lot of time with DD who was very anxious and emotional about a lot of things, and I was patient for 90% of it which is pretty good for me.
Today I am starting my new position and I meant to be more organized and rested but time was well spent being a good mom. It will be great to be able to organize my own time and get back to being more independent. The weather is decent out today so I can go for a good walk during lunch, and my healthy lunch and snacks are ready to go.
Bill-congrats on getting the plumbing work done successfully, that’s impressive! Are you going to the immersive Van Gogh experience at the MFA? I snagged two tickets for January.
Gardenerjoy- those fawn photos were lovely. What a wonderful experience.
Karen-glad things have worked out for DH and he isn’t forced to retire or be unhappy. I thought of you yesterday as I was looking up women only trips to Grand Canyon. I was thinking this fall but realistically i’m just not ready physically or mentally to travel that far yet.
Maryann- its great to have a goal to work towards like your trip. I should think of a mini goal for around here- hiking with a group or something.
Penny-beach weekend with lifelong friend sounds lovely.

I met my May goal for exercise minutes, stretching, and strength-training. I was short on my goal for yoga sessions. I'll set a lower goal for June and see if I can manage 100% again, like I did in April.

Exercise +50, 1425/1400 minutes for May

Good morning! Happy June!

Yesterday was good and exercise was fine. I printed off the workout schedule for June and they have incorporated some guided outdoor walks. It sounds like they are actually enjoyable, even though it sounds a little silly.

My newer phone does not have a headphone jack so I am going to have to look into some wireless headphones.

Bill, kudos for the successful plumbing job, and thanks for keeping the Beck group going.

Karen, high five for all the hiking! You must be very strong and ready for your trips.

Maryann, your hike with a ride back down sounds like a fun day. I want to take another active women's tour too! I need to run away for some more extended me time.

Culy, kudos for a good mom weekend.

Joy, congratulations on meeting your exercise goals!

Good morning coaches,

Food was on plan yesterday and weight is moving down like I want. I made the pork tenderloin, sweet potato fries from one potato and asparagus with parmesan sprinkled on top. The pork tenderloin and potatoes were very good. The asparagus was good too, but made a mess on the rack because of the melted cheese. It was easy to clean, but I don't think I'll do that one again. It cooked things very quickly and didn't seem to heat up the house much at all. When things were finished cooking the fryer cooled quickly.

This morning I did get up and out the door to hike Bell Pass with my backpack. It was 75 degrees at 4 a.m. and low 80's when I finished. There was a little breeze which made it just fine. I visited with one gal who I have seen frequently and another gal who I'm friendly with. It's kind of fun to have these trail acquaintances.

This morning I tried making some Nido (powdered whole milk) and mixing it with the instant coffee I carry on the trail. I'm wanting to be sure I can get my shot of caffeine without using my stove in the morning. It will help on the days we want to get moving quickly. The biggest thing about that is just to get the miles in when it's cooler. Anyway it tasted just fine.

My plan for the day is to go to REI and pick up a pair of new hiking shoes. I ordered them to take advantage of their sale. They are Oboz, which are a little heavier than the ones I'm currently wearing, but they last a little longer. The lugs on the lighter weight shoes just don't last so long with as many miles as I put in on this rocky terrain. I also want to look for another sun shirt.

Penny It's nice to have a workout schedule. Yes I am pretty strong, but I figure the stronger I am the easier and more fun the trips will be.

GardenerJoy I admire the fact that you do lots of different exercises. I bet your body thanks you for that.

Curlyjax It does sound like you had a really good Mom weekend. Kudos for 90% patient with dd. If you do look for a local hiking group you might find one on either Meetup.com or Facebook. My Idaho friend found groups to try on Facebook. I'm really happy with my newest group. They have hikes 4 days a week. When you do get out here to the Grand Canyon, I hope you'll have time to meet.

Bill I never do tire of Tom's Thumb. The desert is so ugly this year since we have had so little rain, but the huge rocks are always cool. Congrats on such a successful plumbing project. I bet you hope you don't have one with that degree of difficulty any time soon.

Maryann I bet you're doing just fine with your training. Cross training with the bike is a great idea. You do use hiking poles, don't you? I've probably asked before and can't remember what you said. I have no knee or hip problems and trying to keep it that way by using the poles.

Coaches, hello!

I want to say I've had a tumultuous first half of the year. I haven't really, but it feels like that. Tomorrow the lockdown lifts in our province making it no longer illegal for us to travel beyond our homes or for non essential reasons. When the premier enacted that doozy 8 weeks ago, one by one the police chiefs across the province came forward to let the public know they had no intention to arrest us or stop us to see if we had a legitimate reason to be out. Apparently the whole scheme was sprung on them. Sigh. I just feel super worn out.

But yeah that part lifts tomorrow and I've had one shot od vaccine. Second coming sometime.

I've been teaching myself how to throw mugs on the potter's wheel. My makerspace is closed so I go in by myself and practice throwing. I am doing ok. A beginner. But not bad.

wWeight wise and foodwise I have nothing good to report except I need to be here. Thanks for being here.

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Happiness: I exited the supermarket by its exit door! For all these months we've had to enter and exit by the entrance door only. Perhaps because it allowed the little guy to stand there with a hand counter and click us in and click us out. Felt so . . . normal! Folks continued to wear masks even though not absolutely required. I wear one as a barrier to those who have made it a cultural obsession to avoid vaccination as well as those who can't get vaccination due to compromised immune systems. Felt good to just concentrate on getting enough blueberries and strawberries for a week of breakfasts.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. It annoys me that there is still one scone left from the package of four that DW bought almost a week ago. Annoys me because she can dally that slowly, eating half a scone at a time, "They're so big." Of course they're big; they're supposed to be big. I'm not fixated on the scones I'm ignoring, or anything like that, LOL.


onebyone - Congrats for having acquired the first shot of your COVID-19 vaccination. And Double Congrats for surviving a "tumultuous first half of the year." Neat that you've expanded into mugs thrown on the potter's wheel. Kudos for coming here as a first step toward getting back on your path.

Joy (gardenerjoy) - Congrats, as so often, for meeting your exercise goals.

Karen (karenrn) - Great to have an excuse to go to REI - even if just to walk around and enjoy that it's full of stuff that would be fun to own. Glad that your new air fryer worked. I'm sorta expecting to see them at summer yard sales stacked atop Foreman Grills, LOL. DW has made it clear that she won't give up any of our precious kitchen counter space for another appliance. And that if I need one, I can schlep it up and down from the basement anytime I want.

curlyjax - Congrats for handling the emotions of your young adult DD - that's a lot to handle. Haven't got tickets to either of the two immersive Van Gogh exhibits coming to Boston. I don't even know where they are being held. Certainly don't know how I'm going to choose between the two. Which do you have tickets for?

Penny. - Outdoor walks are always fun - whatever guided means. DW's phone had no headphones jack but headphones could be plugged into the micro-USB port where the phone is normally charged.

Readers -

A good first day. I had a lot of free time to putter about. The office has been newly painted which is great, including the inside of a little closet so it doesn’t smell old and musty. I’m picking up on the staff dynamics which is always interesting. I’ve met some elders who seem nice. During my lunch hour I walked to dunkin donuts for a plain iced coffee, and it was about 25 minutes round trip. After work I took another 20 minute walk and did my weights. My good hip is hurting a little but its all good. I was up too late with DD again and woke up early so maybe i’ll try to find a shady spot for a car nap. I have an after work walk scheduled with a friend.

Bill- yikes i didn’t realize there were 2 exhibits! I’m going to the Immersive Experience thru Fever and I didn’t realize I didn’t buy the actual immersive tickets either. I think I can upgrade when i’m there. I was assuming it was at the MFA, I missed the undisclosed location part. They are totally sold out for the fall so if you want to go you should look into it pronto. Geez, i’m not usually that unobservant.
Onebyone- good to see you! Sounds like things are moving a bit slower where you are pandemic wise.
Karen- I can see how you would want caffeine on the trail! Yes, when I get out there it would be great to meet. I’m thinking fall 2022 at this point. I was looking at Canyon Calling Adventures and it looks so fun and decently priced.
Wave to everyone!

Good Morning, Coaches.

This is my last full day of classes. I am bringing my Giant Jenga Set to play after we review for the final. I am slow going this morning. Like gardenerjoy, iI met my exercise goal for the month. Weight is at ticker which means two more days to reach my mini goal of being under 165 for six days straight.

I will have my box checker smoothie for dinner. That will help.

Karen, I do use hiking sticks. Love them.
More personals probably once i get through this last few days. DH has his appt. with the cancer Dr. tomorrow. Decisions will be made.

Wave to all.

Today's the day that I announce my project of documenting my family's California trip, that began 50 years ago tomorrow, using my mother's trip diary and the memories that my brother and I can summon together. The first seven and a half (of 13 or 14) days are written. I haven't done any scanning, yet, but the first ephemera that I want to share won't be posted until Monday.

I wanted everything completely done and ready to go before I started posting. But, I kind of knew that was an unrealistic timeline. So, I'm happy to be where I am -- especially if I can get the scanning started today because I'm not entirely confident in my abilities.

Here's my reminder that missing an unrealistic deadline and tackling an unfamiliar task are not good reasons for overeating.

Exercise +45, 45/1400 minutes for June

onebyone: Great to see you!

maryann: Sending good wishes for "decisions will be made" with the cancer doctor. DH is frustrated with slow recovery -- I don't think I realized how unrealistic his expectations were. Our first post-op PT appointment is next week and I hope that she's able to give us a better sense of how things will improve from where they are right now.

Good morning!

Yesterday was on plan and weight is down. I ordered some spendy conduction headphones for my guided walks and they will be great for hikes too. I'll be able to hear when fellow hikers say hello.

Bill and Karen, speaking of kitchen appliances, I am considering an Instant Pot for artichokes. I've resisted it because I do not have an inch of space left for another kitchen gadget. As it is, the George Foreman sits on the stove, looking like a crowded mess because my daughter wants grilled cheese a lot and it does a quick job. My garden artichokes took over an hour to steam and I burned the bottom of the pot. Woops!

Onebyone, welcome back! That is exciting to be expanding your pottery skills.

Joy, I'm sorry your husband is struggling with the recovery process. it seems like surgery recovery always takes a lot longer than we think.

Curly, lol at the car nap. I wish I could fall asleep for a quick nap so easily.

Maryann, yay for the last school day!

Karen, I always feel like the hiking sticks are a nuisance but my knees do have issues a lot. Should I try and get used to them? Do you use them the whole time or when do you pull them out?

Good morning coaches,

Food was on plan. Weight is stable. I shortened my hike today to a five mile loop that is moderate, but did carry the weighted backpack. When I came home I walked Otis and he was a happy little walker today. Early this afternoon I'm going to the movie, Dream Horse. You probably have all heard that story of the small Welsh town that came together to buy the horse and pay for the training. It was a few years back. My goal will be to not fall asleep sitting in the comfortable recliner chair watching the movie.

I did get to REI yesterday to pick up the shoes and also found a new sun shirt in a shade of blue that I just love. I am wondering if the shoes are a little short. I will walk around in the house with them on and see if they should go back for the next 1/2 size up.

Penny I use the poles almost all the time and I have no hip or knee issues. I just want to keep it that way. I just kind of swing them. Most of my hikes are pretty steep and they are most helpful on the downhill or when I have big steps to go down. Do remember not to wrap the straps around your wrists. I fell that way and I am pretty sure that's how I tore the ligament in my thumb that had to be reconstructed a year ago. Some people say shorten them for uphill and lengthen them for downhill, but I really don't do that. I do make sure that my elbow is at a 90 degree angle on the flat. If you already have knee issues I would certainly try to get used to them. Maybe watch a You Tube video to be sure you're using them correctly.

GardenerJoy I bet everyone is going to really enjoy the story of your Disneyland trip.

Maryann I'm so glad it's the last day of school and you can have a nice break. You certainly deserve a break. I'm glad to hear you use sticks.

Curlyjax Good news that you had a good first day. I'm going to look at Canyon Calling Adventures to see what they have.

Bill You are right about small appliances being at yard sales. I can't fit my air fryer in my appliance garage because it is too tall, but it is light and I keep it on a shelf that isn't far away. The only appliance on the counter is the coffee maker.

One by one Good to hear from you. I know my close friend who lives in Vancouver BC has been quite distraught about the delay in vaccinations and the limits on travel. I hope you all are vaccinated and able to move about freely soon.

Coaches, Hi.

Started the day very tense. I have been getting headaches more frequently and I think I'm grinding and clenching jaw. Tomorrow I'll pick up an over the counter teeth guard see if that helps. I did confront DH with an issue and we worked it through and that has helped me feel better as well.

Foodwise a good day. I've had 3 good days and that's hopeful too.

As to the discussion of small appliances I would never be without my instant pot. I thought it was a big gimmick. I used some Walmart points to buy it for free. I've never looked back. From defrosting frozen things in under 30min to making home made broth in 2 hours plus everything else I love that appliance. Another surprising appliance that I got for dh for his birthday last year was this:
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00KLVY40A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_i_628BH832E3WPDJ4TS13W
I use it many times during the week. DH loves the sandwich. It's super sturdy and it looks complicated but so easy. just love it too.

gardenerjoy: I hope your DH feels better soon. Congrats on making your exercise goal.

maryann: so sorry to hear your DH, and you, are facing cancer. I hope things go well for both of you as you go through it. I'm also glad you made it successfully through your school year as well.

Waving to all

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Exercise was chase the (5.5 yo) DGD day, CREDIT moi. She was beyond excited to show us the gap from her first lost tooth and the dollar left by the tooth fairy folded into the shape of a heart. Our DD innocently asked, "Do you remember when I lost my first tooth?" followed by "or do you still have it?" The last part, fortunately, was out of the hearing of the DGD, LOL. No, we don't remember, but DW may have recorded it. We spent hours at an area with huge boulders to be climbed. The DGD made up game after game that required her to climb up then down. Tired me out just watching.

Eating was on plan with no unplanned daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. On the drive home after dropping off the DGD I ate the leftover cherries. Planned and so very good. Thank you Washington State for producing cherries every year. (The link is just to make you drool in case you haven't yet grabbed a batch this year.) Dinner was the leftover pizza from Sunday. Still good; pizza is so robust when reheated in the oven.


onebyone - You're the first person I've met who has a Dual Breakfast Sandwich Maker. Thanks for letting us know. We'd have those breakfast sandwiches at work when we had big meetings with guests; I wasn't good at limiting myself to only one. Kudos for working through an issue with your DH.

Joy (gardenerjoy) - Congrats for announcing your project to make a monster incentive to get it finished. I never understood how Charles Dickens could publish his work week by week - before it was finished.

maryann - Love the notion of a Giant Jenga Set to work while the review settles into the brain. Wish you and your DH well with his doctor's visit today.

Karen (karenrn) - Will have to ponder Dream Horse - we're still debating going to the movies. Congrats for so methodically making sure that your shoes are just right.

curlyjax - Congrats for making it out of Dunkin' Donuts with only coffee and no muffin or donut. I'm trying to sell the idea of a family trip to the Van Gogh thing - thinking that the DGD might find it exciting.

Penny. - A George Foreman Grill sitting on a stove is a wonderful visual. Does "My garden artichokes" mean that you grow your own artichokes?

Readers -