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 our 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 - Exercise was chase the (3.5 yo) DGD day, CREDIT moi. "Chase" very slowly as our temperature peaked at about 104 degrees F in the late afternoon. I know, wimpy by the standards of today's West - but high for us. Took her to a city pool that was super nice. A bunch of kids to create a festive atmosphere and multiple life guards watching constantly. I spent part of the time dragging her from one end of the pool to the other; then I'd be directed to move back a little farther so she could swim to me. Then repeat. When it was time to come out her lips were blue; "I'm not cold." Perhaps not, but your two grandparents are ready to move on. Then, simply to stay cool, we took her to PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY - in competition for the worst 90 minutes of movie watching of my life. She gave it an "A" - lots of running about and excitement. A moral lesson was added to make adults think it useful.

Eating was on plan although with snacks, CREDIT moi. Only ate 4 cherries on the drive home after dropping her off - just too hot to eat. To service her needs, we had popcorn at the movies. I can brag that it had no butter and no salt although that hardly makes it low calorie or healthy. Dinner was deviled eggs and various cold salads. Rain came in the early evening and dropped the temperature to 74 degrees F. Was very pleasant sleeping weather.


onebyone - Waving to wish you Happy Dominion Day in Canada. Hope it's a holiday for you with something joyous happening.

Joy (gardenerjoy) - LOL that shopping is an adventure. I feel that way, also.

maryann - Congrats for being so handy fixing your sprinklers. There's a big demand around here for a handy-man willing to do small jobs - maybe your next career. Love the notion of buying "everything" at REI - such a fun place to shop. I like your plan about what to do should you encounter a bear - certainly not what the crowd did at Lake Tahoe that day.

Karen (karenrn) - Yay for the luxury of a shower and bed in the middle of a long hike. Great to hear that you're mushing on.

curlyjax - LOL at the creative approach to getting into a pool whose ladder has broken. Good luck to your DD for her CNA test today.

Penny. - Smart to be aware of the Delta variant of COVID. Sorry that you missed your bowling - I was looking forward to reading your score.

Readers -

I think we’re getting a break in the weather today although expecting thunderstorms which always make me nervous, they can be so damaging. I’m going to have to zip around and pick up some sign up sheets so i’ll try to time it around the storms. We’re trying to get a lunch program going for the residents at 4 different sites and the logistics are a nightmare. But things are slowly getting better. It certainly makes the day go by quickly! Food wasn’t so good yesterday, I got into some treats, but onwards. Yikes, i just weighed myself and I’m up 4 pounds, not surprisingly since i’ve been really letting myself go.
Bill- thanks for the good wishes for DD. I hope for all our sakes she passes I guess the red cross is very picky.
Karen- good to hear from you and glad you had hot showers and a nice bed!
Maryann-I hear you on the yardwork, that is no fun. My widow friend works in a school system and spends much of her summer doing stuff like figuring out sprinklers, she is a wiz. She is thrilled with her new machete
Penny- that is the best way to motivate yourself to exercise, a good book!
Gardenerjoy-yay for a plan.

Wave to onebyone and CJZee!

Good morning!

Yesterday was on plan and weight is up.

I did my hike and boy am I slow. I plod along at a snail's pace but get there in the end. Listened to half my audio book and then came home and finished the book while laying around.

Have a great day and happy new month, everyone.

Good Morning, Coaches.

Yesterday i did a lot of Peru planning. My flight was changed leaving me seven hours in the Lima airport. I made a reservation in the hotel that is attached to the airport. The shower and nap will be worth it. I am too old to be sleeping in airports although there is a website https://www.sleepinginairports.net/ that gives tips on it. I became obsessive looking for the perfect travel backpack that can double as a purse as I wander Cuzco. It had to fit a 15inch laptop in order to be usable for other vacations. It also had to fit United's "personal item" measurements 17 by 10 by 9. This is what I decided on: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1.

Today I am heading up to Truckee. I will meet friends and family for five days and also get in the hikes I need.Food was better. Less grazing. Weight is still tow pounds from ticker.

BBE: LOL at the 90 mins of horrible movie. There a many of them out there.
Penny: Credit for your hike. Slow and steady wins the race.
curleyjax: We in California have learned to appreciate lightening because of the fire danger.
Karen: When you get home I am going to pick your brain about getting hooked up with groups like you went with.

I'm celebrating that I met my exercise goals for June.

My June exercise included a strength-training yoga or QiGong routine every three days, like clockwork. It worked so well for me that I'm kind of embarrassed that I hadn't tried it before. I've had it stuck in my head that we're "supposed" to do strength-training three times a week. I somehow never built up a habit around that advice. Every three days averages out to not quite three times a week. I'm going to consider it close enough. Not only does it suit my planning style, but my body seems to prefer two days off between strength-training regimes. Maybe as I get stronger, that will be less the case. For now, I'm going to continue with what is working well for me.

Exercise +30, 1410/1400 minutes for June

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Ran an errand and just avoided the rain. DW says that we may have had 3 inches!!! And it's all slow, steady, straight-down rain - the kind that gardener's love. I was pleased to have passed the deadline for registering for classes this fall with my registration completed a full day in advance. I've been known to wait until the last minute as if a magic revelation will change my mind.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner was reheated grilled salmon; it's amazing how good that salmon tastes even when reheated. Still having lots of salads. My big green salad contains lettuce that is 100% from our garden. Yay for a bountiful earth.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Congrats for meeting your June exercise goal - one more time. Smart thinking, "I'm going to continue with what is working well for me."

maryann - Enjoyed your link, especially this line, "Airport sleeping is no longer just for the cheap young backpacker." That didn't convince me to join the crowd. Such fun to read that you're busy planning for Peru.

curlyjax - LOL at trying to run errands between thunderstorms. If you're successful, maybe your next career can be weather forecaster.

Penny. - Congrats for completing your hike even if done slowly.

Readers -

Another day of not great eating. I haven't been doing much cooking and need to get back to that, to make more nutritious things. I'm sooo glad to have an extra day off this weekend. I don't have any fun plans yet but I really just want to take it easy. I've been binge watching Downton Abbey for the second time and enjoying the beautiful dresses and hats, so i'll have a little more time to do that too.
Bill-DW must be in heaven, the rain is continuing for a few more days. Everything is certainly green and beautiful.
Gardenerjoy- good thinking about when to do your weights.
Penny-yay for finishing a book while laying around, one of my favorite things to do.
Maryann- that purse looks like a great choice. It's so fun to plan for a trip.

Good morning!

Yesterday was overbudget and weight is holding. I had a beer while on a date and then an unplanned sandwich when I got home- eating away the nervous energy.

All went well and we are meeting again today for my fav hike.

Bill, are the classes still online? I'm waiting for in person and should probably check and see if that is happening yet.

Maryann, good idea getting a hotel room for the layover. Seven hours at the airport would be miserable.

Joy, the qigong strength training sounds interesting. Congratulations on meeting your exercise goal!

Curly, love a good show binge. Enjoy your long weekend!

Waving at Karen, onebyone, and CJZee!

I'm celebrating that, as of yesterday, I've exercised every day for five years.

Exercise +55, 55/1400 minutes for July

Taking a break on the trail. I think we will have a 16 mile day today. Trying to make it to Watson Lake area and out at Tahoe City tomorrow. Fingers crossed. I’m homesick.

Diet Coaches/Buddies - It was an experiment long planned. I've been following the "Fried Chicken Sandwich Wars" for months now - waiting for my opportunity to buy one. Had already decided on Burger King's. Was deserted by my DW last night; it was an ideal opportunity to eat something that she didn't want to share. I could have gone to a die-for BBQ place or to a killer-good Greek place or to a worth-remembering falafel place. But all of those are places she'd gladly go with me. Nope, none of those. Off I drove to the Burger King drive through. Apparently, fate tried to step in by blocking the only road to get there with three emergency vehicles flashing their lights. But I followed the detour and came back to the BK from the other direction. If I was so inclined, I'd say that I ignored divine intervention. I certainly missed an opportunity for second thoughts.

Had the Burger King spicy crispy chicken sandwich. Meh. Was a lot of chicken. And even more of the crispy coating made with something carrying 9 calories per gram. It did, however, satisfy my craving. Now I've done it.

Eating was on plan with no snacks at all, CREDIT moi. Despite that the plan called for a double caloric dinner. Skipped the evening snack of Cosmic Crisp Apple in a minor attempt to balance the calories. Hope I'm never asked to explain how I considered it rational to substitute crispy chicken for apple, LOL.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Super Kudos for five years of daily exercise. That's quite a feat.

Karen (karenrn) - Keep on keeping on. Terrific that you face a 16 mile hiking day and just know that you're in shape to do that. Beware of black bears at Lake Tahoe.

curlyjax - Neat to replay Downton Abbey to enjoy its magnificent costumes.

Penny. - "Weight is holding" is good. Yep, another semester of Zoom classes; maybe in person next Spring - no promises.

Readers -

I woke up earlier than I planned but I'll have time to take a nap later so it will be fine, and in a minute I will scoot off to get some bagels and should have a good choice this early. DS tends to eat two a day with chicken etc for brunch-he is a growing boy and in great shape. Ah, the metabolism of youth! His job started and he is running around with 6 year olds all day, plus most days he gets a run in AND somedays goes to the gym. So it is a real challenge feeding him! DD is a picky eater and also has a tricky digestive system so between the two of them i have frankly been doing a lot of takeout. But I will plan to make a stirfry at some point this weekend for one healthy meal, I've really gotten out of the habit of cooking this summer.
Cool rainy weekend means puttering and relaxing time, I just want to be left alone honestly! If a friend calls that would be great but i'll be fine without it.
Gardenerjoy-yay for five years of exercising!
Penny-so glad the dating is going well!
Karen-sending you good vibes on your trek and hope you are less homesick today.
Bill-always good to get a craving out of your system!

For my Saturday, I'm going to try a combination of fun art-making with satisfying chores. CREDIT for having both a food and exercise plan.

Exercise +65, 120/1400 minutes for July

I was concerned two days ago when I woke up and had gained 4 pounds overnight. How could this possibly happen??! Thankfully the weight dropped off today as quickly as it came on, and I think the temporary gain may have been linked to an allergic reaction I've been having to one of my chemo meds called Revlimid. This is the one that costs about $900 per pill!

I've been sort of anxious lately as my DH is going on a month-long trip and I'm staying home. The anxiety is a combination of getting him organized and off -- combined with my own (slight) fear of falling due to my bone marrow cancer. I've think I've put together a good exercise plan while he's gone, a combination of physical therapy and a water exercise class with some walks thrown in. So many people with my condition just break bones doing basically nothing. So far I've been super lucky.

Bill - what a great chicken sandwich story!
Joy - your daily exercise story is really motivational.
Karen - your hikes are truly amazing, I admire you so much.
Curly - I think I missed out on the metabolism of youth, haha.
Penny - dating is fun and a stress all at once.
Maryann - your Peru trip sounds wonderful. Thanks for the backpack link!